Bryan Greenberg

Bryan Greenberg is probably better known as the actor who appeared on shows like One Tree Hill, October Road, and is currently starring on the HBO show, How To Make It In America. He also starred in movies like Bride Wars, Perfect Score, The Good Guy, and Prime. I found out that Bryan is also a musician when I saw his character sing on One Tree Hill. Turns out he had an actual CD out. He would probably go into the singer/songwriter category. He often plays acoustic shows when he does tour. I saw him play at World Cafe Live in Philly two years ago and really enjoyed his music (he's lovely to look at, too). It was pretty exciting being that close and seeing him in person as well, since I'm a huge One Tree Hill fan. Last week, Bryan came back to the World Cafe Live, but this time he was with a full band. The show was great, and he's got a great personality, as well. In between songs, he would share some stories that went along with the songs, or just interact with the crowd. The only thing I wasn't a fan of during this show, were the many younger girls who came because of his character on One Tree Hill, and they weren't really there for the music. But Bryan embraced this crowd with friendly smiles. Bryan actually sang a lot of new material because he's releasing a new CD in January 2011, titled, "We Don't Have Forever." After the show, my friend, Amy and I stuck around to meet Bryan and get a picture with him. There were a lot of girls who stayed around, as well, but we didn't have to wait TOO long to meet him. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to actually talk to him, but he seemed really cool and nice in the short time we did spend with him. I included a video of Bryan performing his song, Someday, which he sang on One Tree Hill. This video is a couple of years old because I couldn't find any current videos of him performing live. I also included a video of him performing the song, You Can Run, which features Kid Cudi (who is also on the show "How To Make It In America").

Bryan Greenberg featuring Kid Cudi "You Can Run"
Bryan Greenberg "Someday"

Social Distortion

Well this was definitely an "out of my element" kind of show, but I was really excited to experience it. I had heard of Social Distortion, but never really knew any of their songs. My friend, Steve, introduced me to them when he invited me to go to the show in Philly with a few of our other friends. Like the music lover I am, I had to download some of their songs so I would be somewhat familiar with the music at the show. I ended up downloading their Greatest Hits CD and I must say I enjoyed the music. I had never really gotten into this genre of music before, and I was glad I took the plunge. We went to the show at the Electric Factory on October 29th and had an awesome time. It was also a great show to people watch...lots of different types of people there. I was pleased to hear that Social Distortion ended up playing a lot of the songs from the Greatest Hits CD. In the days of auto tune, lip synching, and choreography, it was refreshing to see a band who's been around for thirty plus years who know how to play great music. I included a couple of their videos below if you've never heard them before.

Social Distortion - Story of My Life
Social Distortion - Ring of Fire (LIVE)
Social Distortion - Ball and Chain

TFDI Tour

The TFDI (Totally F-ing Doin' It) Tour featured three singer/songwriters, Tony Lucca, Jay Nash, and Matt Duke. These three musicians had toured in the Fall of 2009, and decided to tour again this year. I saw this tour in September 2009 at World Cafe Live in Philly, and absolutely loved them. The last tour, they each came on stage and did their own set by themselves, and then at the end of the show, they all performed each other's songs together (one song each). Their harmonizing was amazing, and they had such a good vibe together that they recorded an EP called TFDI earlier this year. This time around, the tour came to the Tin Angel, and they started off the show together on stage singing a few songs that they recently wrote and recorded together (they'll be releasing another TFDI CD soon). Throughout the night, they stayed on stage to sing each other's songs, but there were also moments when the other two left the stage to let the one musician sing a few of his songs on his own. My friend, Joanna, and I actually volunteered at this show to work their merchandise table, but we were still able to enjoy the show and we had the opportunity to hang out with all three of the guys before and after the show. They are some of the most down to earth and hilarious musicians I've ever met. Their voices are so refreshing to listen to, especially when they harmonize together. If either one of these guys come to town, I highly suggest catching their show. For the ladies out there, they are also very nice to look at, which doesn't hurt either! lol I've included a video that the boys posted which was mostly filmed in Philadelphia at the Tin Angel show I was at. I also included a video they made from the first TFDI Tour which is the first time the phrase "TFDI" was introduced. These guys actually film a lot while they're on the road and some of the videos are quite entertaining.

The Introduction of TFDI
TFDI Tour at Tin Angel in Philly
TFDI performing "Hurtin' Kind" LIVE

Quest For Glory Tour

I went to the Quest for Glory Tour on Friday, September 10, 2010 at The Tin Angel. It featured three fantastic female musicians: Bess Rogers, Lelia Broussard, and Allison Weiss. I had seen Bess and Lelia before, but had not seen Allison. As usual, I did download some of her songs beforehand. All three of the ladies were not only extremely talented musically, but they were hilarious, too. You can tell they are all very close friends and the feed off of each other perfectly. I'm not sure if I have ever laughed so hard at a show. They also helped out on harmonies for each other's songs, which I always love to hear. I actually think they would make an awesome all girl group. :-) Each one of them has something different to offer, so all together, they put on a great show. During the show, each audience member fills out an application in order to be knighted at the end of the show. So, at the end of the show, the ladies randomly choose an application and that person comes on stage and is knighted. I thought it was a very cool way to keep the audience involved in the show. After the show, the ladies all hung around and chatted with people, signed autographs, and took pictures with fans. They were absolutely sweethearts and I will definitely be catching each one of them when they're touring locally...and you should, too! :-) I included some pictures from that night. If you want to know anything else about them or download some tunes, I'm sure you can find their music through a quick search on iTunes or Google or you can search for them on Facebook (each of them are on there).

Bess Rogers

I discovered Bess Rogers last Spring when she was playing a tour with Lelia Broussard. I was already going to the show in Lancaster, PA because of Lelia and I saw Bess Rogers on the bill, so I thought I'd check out some of her tunes before I went to the show (I like knowing at least some of the music for all the acts I'm going to see). Well, I really liked her sound, so I purchased some of her songs on iTunes. After seeing her live, I bought all of her music and I still listen to it often. Bess and Lelia are playing a tour again together (with Allison Weiss) and she'll be playing at the same gig I'm going to this Friday, Sept. 10 at the Tin Angel in Philly. She has a lot of upbeat songs with a lot of ukulele playing, which creates a really cool sound. I really enjoyed her live when I saw her in Lancaster last April. She pretty much played the ukulele almost the entire set, which was neat. You don't really hear that type of sound very often. So, I put some links below to check out more info on Bess and to check out some of her music. She is definitely refreshing to listen to, and if you enjoyed Lelia's sound and like Bess' sound, you should definitely come to the Tin Angel on Friday night. I know I'll be there because these are two extremely talented ladies. :-)

Bess Rogers' MySpace Page
Bess Rogers' Official Website
An article written about Bess Rogers
Bess Rogers' Official Video for "I Don't Worry" (really cool video)
Bess covering Pure Some Sugar on Me (hilarious and soooo good)
Bess performing "Travel Back" (just her and a ukulele)
Bess performing "Dirty Lies"

Lelia Broussard

This is above and beyond, one of my favorite female artists of all time. I fell in love with her voice the first time I heard it. I actually discovered Lelia's music about five years ago. I was checking out a friend's MySpace page and I saw that Lelia had left a comment on their page, so I clicked on Lelia's page and listened to her music and loved it! I read her bio and found out she spent a lot of time in Philly (along with NYC, LA, and Louisiana). Like many of my other favorite musicians, Lelia is an independent artist and in the "singer/songwriter" category. Her voice is just about perfect...soulful, bluesy, and pure. She has a few CD's out, and you can find them all on iTunes. Lelia will also be releasing a new album on November 2nd, which I actually donated some music to her Kickstarter project to help her produce/record this new album. As most of you know, I'm a huge supporter on independent, struggling musicians. I have so much respect for them. Another great thing about Lelia, is she personally answers emails and when she sends update emails out to her fans on her email list, she personalizes the email. So, you know she truly appreciates all of the support from her fans. As far as links to songs, this is going to be hard, because I love every single one of her songs, but here we go :-) PS - She is ALWAYS on tour and comes to the Philly area a lot, so check her out! She'll actually be playing at the Tin Angel this Friday, September 10th.

Lelia Broussard's Official Website
Lelia Broussard's MySpace Page
Lelia Broussard's Official Music Video for "Scared to Feel"
Lelia performing "I'm Not Waiting"
Lelia covering "Single Ladies" (one of my favorite videos)

Airiel Down opens for KISS

This past Sunday, August 29th, 2010 Airiel Down opened for KISS in Raleigh, NC. KISS conducted a contest this summer for bands to compete in order to open for KISS. Fans had the opportunity to vote on event.com for their favorite band to open in their hometown and then two weeks before the show, KISS took the Top 5 bands and selected which band they would like to open for them in that select city. Well, Airiel Down's hard work (and the fans' hard work) finally paid off because Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons chose Airiel Down to open in Raleigh. Obviously, being a huge supporter of not only my cousin, but Airiel Down as a group, I had to find a way to get down there. Luckily I had some other family members who wanted to make the trip as well, so we road tripped it down to Raleigh on Sunday morning. We met up with even more family and friends down in Raleigh for the show and we were ready to cheer on the boys. Airiel Down played four songs ("Black Flag," Gorilla," "Quick," and "Hurricane Warning") and absolutely rocked it. We were all so proud of Taylor and the rest of the guys. It was such a huge moment for the band and we're hoping this helped them gain even more fans. The only downfall was the lack of stage time, but we didn't complain. We were still extremely happy with what we saw and we felt it was well worth the wait. We stayed around for KISS and I must say, they put on quite the show. Not sure if I'd go to another KISS concert just to see KISS, but we enjoyed their show to say the least. I included some pictures above of Airiel Down in action. (These were all taken by Tim Szczesniak. With the exception of the picture of Taylor and all of the family who made it to the show.)

Andrew Hoover

Andrew Hoover is another one in the singer/songwriter category. He's got an unbelievable voice that is different from most you hear on the radio. I found out about him when I was watching one of Tony Lucca's YouTube videos, and Tony was at one of Andrew's shows supporting his fellow musician friend. I immediately was drown to his style and voice, and HAD to check out his music on iTunes. I ended up buying the whole album, which is one of those albums you can listen to all the way through and not skip one song. He's from Fairfield, CT, but has most of his shows in small venues in NYC. He is best described on his MySpace website BIO... "Andrew is a solo musician, though he voices several instruments in his live shows. His unique slap guitar style carries inspirations from the bass and percussion instruments, giving his songs a groove and rhythm not often associated with singer-songwriters. His vocal style is raw and original, colorful, and dynamic. Andrew takes his cues from a variety of his heroes including but not limited to Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Marc Broussard, Ray LaMontagne, Raul Midon, James Morrison, and Martin Sexton."

Andrew Hoover's MySpace Page
Andrew Hoover's Official Website
Andrew Hoover performing "Think About"
Andrew Hoover performing "Back At One"
Andrew Hoover performing "Soul Sucker"

Travie McCoy

I'm sure you have all heard the song, "Billionaire" on the radio and if you haven't heard it on the radio or heard someone singing it because it's stuck in their head, well...you're living under a rock. Travie McCoy is the lead singer of the group, Gym Class Heroes. I liked a lot of the Gym Class Heroes' songs when they first came on the mainstream radio, and I really enjoyed "Billionaire" when it came out, too. So, when his first complete solo album came out, I checked it out. I didn't download the entire album, but I did download "Billionaire," "We'll Be Alright," and "After Midnight." Those other two tunes, definitely have the same potential as "Billionaire." They're fun songs with a good beat. Definitely songs that could be played at clubs, dances, or other events with music to get people out of their seats. Travie McCoy is one of those mainstream pop artists who get played over and over again, but his stuff is fun to listen to, so if you like "Billionaire," I suggest you download at least the other two songs I mentioned earlier. Check out the links below.

Travie McCoy's MySpace Page
Travie McCoy's Official Website
Official Music Video for Billionaire (explicit)
Travie McCoy performing "We'll Be Alright" Live

Janiva Magness

I heard Janiva on XPN one day and I knew I had to download her tunes right away. If you enjoy a true blues musician, Janiva Magness is your girl. She has been in the business for over three decades, but her sound never gets old. Her voice possesses an earthy, raw honesty and beauty born from her life experience. She received the coveted 2009 Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (she is only the second woman to ever win this award, Koko Taylor being the first) and for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, an honor she also received in 2006 and 2007. As the Philadelphia Inquirer said, "Magness sings superb, potent soul-blues with a scorching intensity." Her newest CD is called "The Devil Is An Angel Too." After hearing her one song on XPN, I had to buy her entire new album (and I bought a few other songs from other albums, too). So, I definitely suggest you buy her stuff if you enjoy this type of music. As always, here are some links below so you can get a taste of her sound.

Janiva Magness' MySpace Page
Janiva Magness performing "You Were Never Mine" Live
Janiva Magness performing "Can't Stop Cryin'" Live
Janiva Magness performing "I'm Lost Without You" Live

Matt Morris

Another ex-MMC member who has been touring small venues for years, and is starting to really make a name for himself. He has also co-wrote many songs by Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Reba McEntire, and Christina Aguilera. In January 2010, Matt signed as an artist on Tennman Records, which is owned by Justin Timberlake. He then released the CD, When Everything Breaks Open, which is a great record. Back in January, he actually performed the song, Hallelujah, with Justin Timberlake in the Hope for Haiti special. This is another example of a true musician. Not only is he talented with his own music, but he has the give of writing wonderful, meaningful songs for other artists, as well. His lyrics to the songs he writes, are brilliant. He's got this real, soulful way about him and his songs on his current CD don't really follow a certain pattern. Each song sounds very different, which is refreshing compared to artists on the mainstream radio. One song which stands out from the rest, and is a huge favorite of mine is "Live Forever." It starts off with just Matt and an organ (and some guitar), and then around the 1:24 mark, the bass comes in with the drums and it's this great beat. I don't know about you, but I just love those types of songs, where they start off with minimal instruments, slowly and then all of a sudden, the beat comes in. It's a powerful song. You should definitely check it out - I put the link to his music video for Live Forever below, it's also a great video, too. So, check him out. I put some websites down below if you want to read more information about him, and to check out some of the tunes, too.

Matt Morris' MySpace Page
Matt Morris Official Website
Matt Morris "Live Forever" official video
Matt Morris featuring Justin Timberlake - "Bloodline" live n
Matt performing Bloodline with Justin Timberlake on Ellen
Matt Morris performing "Money" on Ellen

Airiel Down

Well, how do I even begin? Everyone should have expected that my boys would make at LEAST one blog topic! As most of you know, Airiel Down is the band my cousin, Taylor, is in (plays the drums). They've been together about six years and I've been following them and traveling many places to see them play for about four years. They've also stayed at the Landrin household many times - so I'm a little biased with this one. But with all that aside, they are an exceptional, independent band from Raleigh, NC. When I say independent, I mean it. This is one of those true, struggling bands who's out there just trying to make it in the business. I promote them all I can because I believe in their music and what they stand for. They are such hard workers and have played everywhere in the country. I've seen them play to thousands of people at a sold out show in Raleigh and to about 10 people in random places like Towson, MD. But you know what, they play the same type of show with thousands or 10 people. Anyway, I could go on and on, but that would just be boring to some of you. I'll put some links below for you to check them out, and if you dig their sound, go buy some of the tunes (or all of them) on iTunes because like I said, they do everything themselves, so they could use the support. And speaking of support, if you're in the Philly area, they will be playing a huge Philly gig at the Hard Rock Cafe on Friday, August 13, 2010. Please come out if you have the time because they're trying to get more gigs in the area, and if they have a good showing that night - there could be more AD in Philly! (Which means, I won't have to travel 8 hours just to go see them play! LOL)

Airiel Down's Official Website
Silhouette Music Video
Air Video (one of my all time faves)
Quick Video

Nikki & Rich

I discovered Nikki & Rich when they appeared on Ellen a few months back. Well, I liked them so much, I immediately went on iTunes and downloaded all of their available songs. It's a female lead singer, and the music is very old fashioned. Almost like the type of music you'd hear back in the 60's. They have some great beats to the songs. As their Myspace page states, "Sounds like...Lauryn Hill meets The Supremes while hanging out with Alicia Keys listening to Outkast "Hey Yah." Definitely check out "Next Best Thing," "Cat and Mouse," and "December" (which sounds like the slow song Johnny and Baby dance to in Johnny's place in Dirty Dancing). Here are some links to check them out. They don't have much out just yet, just a small EP that only has a few songs, so hopefully they'll be coming out with more.

Nikki & Rich's Myspace Page
Nikki & Rich on Ellen performing Next Best Thing

Tony Lucca

I first discovered Tony on the new Mickey Mouse Club (MMC), which I'm sure haunts him to this day. He has changed quite a bit from his MMC years. He's in the singer/songwriter category and he's amazing. He's got such a soulful, pure voice that you just don't find out on the radio these days. He plays at small venues, such as the Tin Angel and World Cafe Live in Philly. He recently released a new cd called Rendezvous With the Angels on July 13, 2010. It's a great cd that has continued to play in my car since I bought it last week. Here's a link to his homepage, if you want to check him out and find out more information about him (http://www.tonylucca.com/). He'll be in Philly at the Tin Angel on Friday, August 20. I probably won't be attending that show, since that's the same day as my mom's birthday, but I'm going to try and make it to his show in Easton, MD the next night. Here's a couple of links to some videos of Tony showing off his skills.

Melancholy Collar
Pretty Things
Foxy Jane

My New Blog!

Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I have a passion for music. Whether it's simply listening to it on the computer or in the car, going to live shows, or singing karaoke weekly, I surround my life with music. So, I've decided to start a blog about music. I may blog about new music I find, what shows I'm going to (and my "review"), different venues, or I may use this to simply post my frequently Facebook status updates of SOTD. Feel free to leave any comments or share any music with me, as well.