Best of 2011

I have a tradition of making an end of the year playlist. After a lot of research and searching through my music collection, I make a list of my favorite songs that were released over the year. Obviously this is a list of my personal favorites, and I tried to keep it to a minimum (because I'm sure I could have added more). So, here's my list of top 50 favorite songs from 2011...enjoy! (And feel free to comment at the bottom of this post with your favorites from 2011!)

Adele - Lovesong
Adele - Someone Like You
Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up
Bad Meets Evil - Lighters
Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had
Beyonce - Love On Top
The Black Keys - Howlin' For You
Blake Shelton - Honey Bee
Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You
Britney Spears - Criminal
Bruno Mars - Runaway Baby
Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
Bruno Mars - It Will Rain
Chris Brown - Look At Me Now
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
Demi Lovato - Skyscraper
Foo Fighters - Dear Rosemary
Foo Fighters - Arlandria
Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
Gavin DeGraw - Not Over You
Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts (ft. Adam Levine)
Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight
Jeremih, 50 Cent - Down On Me
Jessie J, B.o.B. - Price Tag
Kate Voegele - Sandcastles
Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All
Kenny Chesney - You And Tequila (ft. Grace Potter)
Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Lady Gaga - You And I
Lelia Broussard - Satellite
Lelia Broussard - Turn Me On
Lil Wayne - How To Love
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Luke Bryan - Country Girl (Shake It For Me)
Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger (ft. Christina Aguilera)
Miranda Lambert - Baggage Claim
Miranda Lambert - Mama's Broken Heart
Miranda Lambert - Heart Like Mine
NKOTBSB - Don't Turn Out The Lights
P!nk - F**kin' Perfect
Parachute - Something To Believe In
Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels
Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)
Rihanna - California King Bed
Skylar Grey - Invisible
T-Pain featuring Lily Allen - 5 O'Clock
TFDI - When I Stop Running

Hanson

On Thursday, October 20, 2011 I did something I never thought I'd ever do in my lifetime...I went to a Hanson show at the TLA on South Street in Philly. Many people who know me now are surprised I was never into Hanson back in the day of boy bands because they know how much I loved (and still love) 'NSync, Backstreet Boys, and New Kids on the Block (plus a few others). For some reason, I was never really a fan of Hanson's - maybe it was the long hair lol. So, when my best friend and concert going buddy, Joanna, asked me to go with her (she, unlike myself, was a HUGE fan of Hanson's and still is) I said I would because the Melissa of today doesn't discriminate against any kind of music. Well, during the show, I jotted down some thoughts on my phone and I think this will pretty much sum up my thoughts of the night. Here's what I wrote, "Say what you want about these boy bands who were all about pop music, but if you go to one of their shows, you get to experience the impact they have on thousands of fans all over the world. Sometimes I'm amazed to just sit back and listen to the crowd singing along to every single lyric. Maybe these guys were looked at as "bubble gum pop" back in the 90s, but when it comes down to it...they play their own instruments and they play real music. I'll be the first to admit I was never a fan when they first came out, but that's because I didn't know real music back then. I loved the boy bands who were full of choreography. But I will admit, after seeing Hanson live tonight, I was impressed." So, there you go, I became a fan after seeing them live. The only set back I had was I only recognized a few songs out of about 25 that they played. We found out that the band actually did some type of voting online for fans of each city to choose which full CD they were going to play at that city's show. Philly ended up choosing their first CD, "Middle of Nowhere," but they also played some songs on their more current CDs as well. I kept track of the set list like usual, and I shot a few videos with my iPhone that I included below, so be sure to check them out. I also included some other videos I found on YouTube that were shot at this same show.

Hanson's Set List - TLA, Philadelphia, PA - Thursday, October 20, 2011
Musical Ride
Waiting For This
Can't Stop
And I Waited
Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
Thinking of You
Where's the Love
Look At You
Speechless
Watch Over Me
Lucy
Weird
I Will Come to You
Love Song
Madeline
With You In Your Dreams
Yearbook
This Time Around
Day Has Come
Penny & Me
Give a Little
MMMBop
If Only/Let's Get It On (Marvin Gaye cover)
-Encore-
Lost Without Each Other
Man From Milwaukee

Hanson performing "Where's the Love" (my video)
Hanson performing "Give a Little" (my video)
Hanson performing "MMMBop" (my video)
Hanson performing "Man From Milwaukee" (my video)
Hanson performing "Man From Milwaukee" (not my video - found on YouTube)
Hanson performing "Madeline" (not my video)

Sara Bareilles

The first time I saw Sara Bareilles perform live was in the summer of 2007 when she opened for Maroon 5 and Counting Crows. That was the same year her first major album was released, "Little Voice" which featured her single, "Love Song." While Sara is best known for that single, she has so many more fantastic songs on that album and her most recent album, "Kaleidoscope Heart." For me personally, I can go through both of her albums without skipping any songs. The music is amazing as well as the lyrics. Her songs are very relatable, which is something I really enjoy in any musicians I follow. Anyway, last Monday, October 17, 2011, I saw Sara Bareilles at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Her two opening acts were Elizabeth and the Catapult (their music was very similar to Sara's) and Ben Lee. I enjoyed Elizabeth and the Catapult more than Ben Lee - Ben's songs that he performed kind of bored me a bit. Sara performed a lot of her songs from her first album as well as her recent album. In between songs, she chatted with the crowd and joked around. She's got this funny, quirky side to her, so I enjoyed the banter. She also has a bit of a potty mouth, so be careful if you're taking a kid to her show (I thought it was funny, but some parents might not lol). One of the performances that really stuck out for me was the first song after the encore. Sara came out on stage by herself and started singing the song off her first album, "Gravity." It was nothing but her voice and it was amazing. It's a very sad, haunting song, so it was very fitting the way she performed it. Overall, she did not disappoint at all, and I would gladly go see her again when she comes back to Philly. I wasn't able to take any video or pictures at this show because I wasn't close enough to get a good video, but I found some videos that someone else put up on YouTube from the exact same show I went to, so I included those instead. I also included the set list below.

Sara Bareilles' Set List - Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA - Monday, October 17, 2011
Uncharted
Vegas
Gonna Get Over You
Machine Gun
Many the Miles
Breathe Again
Basket Case
Bluebird
Little Lion Man (cover by Mumford and Sons)
Love Song
Come Round Soon
Bottle It Up
King of Anything
-Encore-
Gravity (a cappella)
New Song (not sure of the title...something like beautiful girl)
Let the Rain

Sara performing "King of Anything"
Sara performing "Gravity"
Sara performing "Let the Rain"
Sara performing her new song, "Beautiful Girl"
Sara's cover of Mumford and Son's "Little Lion Man"

TFDI @ World Cafe Live

On October 11, 2011 I went to see the TFDI Tour at World Cafe Live (Upstairs) in Philadelphia, PA. TFDI usually consists of Matt Duke, Jay Nash, and Tony Lucca, but unfortunately one third of TFDI could not make the World Cafe Live show last minute due to personal obligations. I must admit, I was bummed to hear this news on Tony's Facebook page because I love seeing the three of these guys together and when you put their voices together the harmonizing is incredible. Although, I was confident that Jay and Matt would still put on a good show, and I was happy to find out that I was right. Luckily the other two thirds of TFDI are still entertaining - not only are they talented musicians, but they can be quite comical, as well. Jay started the show, singing some of his own tunes and eventually Matt joined him on stage to sing some Jay Nash songs with Jay. Then Jay left the stage and Matt sang some of his songs and eventually Jay joined Matt to sing some Matt Duke songs. Then the boys started the "TFDI" portion of the evening and sang some of their songs from the two TFDI albums they released (if you want more information about what TFDI is, check out one of my previous blog posts). They weren't able to do some of the songs because Tony is the main singer in those songs, although I got video of them performing "Heaven With a Broken Heart" and Matt did an amazing impression of Tony when Tony's part of the song came up. Overall, it was an excellent evening spent with Mr. Duke and Mr. Nash. They actually played over two hours worth of music. As always, I look forward to the next time TFDI rolls through Philadelphia and hopefully all three guys will be able to be there. :-) I took video with my iPhone of some of the songs from the night, so definitely check those out. Plus, I included the full set list below.

TFDI's Set List - World Cafe Live (Upstairs), Philadelphia, PA - Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Jay Nash - Till I Get Through
Jay Nash - The Siren
Jay Nash - "Stand Tall" (not sure the exact title of this one)
Jay Nash - Wayfarer
Jay Nash w/Matt Duke - Golden State Goodnight (Jay Nash song)
Jay Nash w/Matt Duke - Hard Lesson (Jay Nash song)
Jay Nash w/Matt Duke - Baby Tornado (Jay Nash song)
Jay Nash - Unshakeable
Matt Duke - Needle and Thread
Matt Duke - Kangaroo Court
Matt Duke - M.L.T.
Matt Duke - I've Got Atrophy On the Brain
Matt Duke - Kingdom Underground
Matt Duke w/Jay Nash - Sex and Reruns (Matt Duke song)
Matt Duke w/Jay Nash - Love You Anymore (Matt Duke song)
-TFDI songs- (performed by Matt Duke and Jay Nash)
Stranger in a Strange Place
Sweet Talking Liar
Heaven With A Broken Heart
Slow It Down
Lover I Don't Have to Love
The Weight (The Band cover)
-Encore-
American Girl (Tom Petty cover)
Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel cover)

Jay Nash performing "Unshakeable"
Matt Duke performing "I've Got Atrophy On the Brain"
Jay Nash & Matt Duke performing the TFDI song "Heaven With A Broken Heart"
Jay Nash & Matt Duke performing the TFDI song "The Weight" (The Band cover)
Jay Nash & Matt Duke performing "Sledgehammer" (Peter Gabriel cover)

Kate Voegele & Parachute

On October 10, 2011, I saw Kate Voegele and Parachute at the World Cafe Live (Downstairs) in Philly. I've seen Kate a few times now, so I knew what to expect from her performance and as usual, I wasn't let down. (If you want to know more about Kate Voegele, check out some of my previous posts about her.) Unfortunately, there were some serious problems with the sound during her set. Granted, it was the first night of the tour, but she had to keep communicating to the sound technician during her set about fixing certain aspects of the sound. I give her a lot of credit, because most artists could have gotten really pissed off, but she kept her cool and joked around about it. With the exception of the sound issues, I thought she did an amazing job. One of the highlights was her version of the Bruno Mars song, "The Lazy Song" (I actually got video of the whole thing, so definitely check that out, below). Another great thing about Kate's set is that it was probably the most amount of songs I've seen her perform. Usually she's an opening act for bigger artists, but she was a co-headliner this tour, so she was able to perform more of her music.

Kate Voegele's Set List - World Cafe Live (Downstairs), Philadelphia, PA - Monday, October 10, 2011
Impatient Girl
I Won't Disagree
Angel/Chicago medley
Sandcastles
It's Only Life
Only Fooling Myself
The Lazy Song (Bruno Mars cover)
Heart In Chains
Blue Sky Beautiful (a new song of hers - first time she ever performed it live)
Enough For Always
Forever and Almost Always
99 Times
Till The World Ends (Britney Spears cover)

Kate Voegele performing "The Lazy Song" (Bruno Mars cover)
Kate Voegele performing "Heart In Chains"
Kate Voegele performing "Forever and Almost Always"

Parachute performed after Kate Voegele. I had never seen Parachute live and had really just started listening to their music because I knew they were playing with Kate and I wanted to know some of their tunes. When I started listening to Parachute, I was pleasantly surprised and was really looking forward to seeing them live. Well, they didn't disappoint at all. They're a really talented band and a lot of fun to see live. I'm always a fan of any band that uses a lot of different instruments, which is what Parachute does on stage. They had a lot of energy, too, which is always a plus. I would definitely go see another Parachute show if they come to town again. I took some video of a couple of their songs as well and included those links below.

Parachute's Set List - World Cafe Live (Downstairs), Philadelphia, PA - Monday, October 10, 2011
American Secrets
Ghost
She (For Liz)
White Dress
Halfway
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting (Elton John cover)
Kiss Me Slowly
She Is Love
Back Again
Something to Believe In
What I Know
- Encore -
Forever and Always
Under Control

Parachute performing "White Dress"
Parachute performing "Halfway"
Parachute performing "She Is Love"

Boyz II Men 20th Anniversary Show

On September 17, 2011, I went to see "An Evening with Boyz II Men" at the Temple Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia, PA. Like most people, I was always a huge fan of Boyz II Men since the 90s, but I never had the opportunity to see them live before...until now. The Temple Performing Arts Center is an old church, so it was a very intimate setting and our seats were fairly close to the stage. The "Boyz" basically sang most of their popular songs (with a cover or two) with an orchestra backing them up. It was truly a night of real music, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the audience had permanent goosebumps the entire show. Between the beautiful music coming from the orchestra to the incredible voices of Boyz II Men, it was definitely a show to remember. The only downer was that the bass singer, Michael McCary, left the group in 2003 due to health problems, so he wasn't at the show. It was a bummer not having those fantastic monologues in the middle of the songs like back in the day. I took some pictures at the show (not the best, but decent) and a couple of videos, so be sure to check them out. Like always, I included the set list from the show below, too.

Boyz II Men's Set List - Temple Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia, PA - Saturday, September 17, 2011
Oh Well
On Bended Knee
Four Seasons of Loneliness
Girl in the Life Magazine
Water Runs Dry
I Will Get There
(Intermission)
Open Arms (cover by Journey)
Easy (cover by The Commodores)
I'll Make Love To You
Song For Mama
So Amazing
End of the Road (Encore)

Boyz II Men performing "End of the Road"
Boyz II Men performing The Commodores' "Easy"
Boyz II Men performing "Water Runs Dry" (only about a minute)

Back To School Playlist

I feel like it was just yesterday that I was posting my "Summer Time Playlist" and now it's already time to go back to school. It's hard to believe the summer is already coming to an end. So, here's a playlist to help you get back into the swing of things. Whether you're a teacher going back to work or a student who is dreading going back to school, I'm sure there will be something for everyone on here. I included a video for all of the songs, too. Feel free to comment on any songs that should be added to the list.

Beach Boys - Be True To Your School
Chuck Berry - School Day
The Ramones - Rock N Roll High School
Van Halen - Hot For Teacher
Jackson 5 - ABC
The Coasters - Charlie Brown
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right
Asher Roth - I Love College
Brownsville Station - Smokin' in the Boys Room
Social Distortion - Story of My Life
Weezer - Troublemaker
Nada Surf - Popular
Jethro Tull - Teacher
Kanye West - School Spirit
The Runaways - School Days
James Brown - Don't Be a Dropout
The Four Tops - Back to School Again
John Sebastian - Welcome Back
Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
John Mayer - No Such Thing
New Edition - School
38 Special - Teacher, Teacher
Elton John - Teacher I Need You

Kate Voegele & Natasha Bedingfield

Last night, Sunday, June 12th, 2011, I saw Kate Voegele open up for Natasha Bedingfield at the TLA in Philly, PA. I initially got the tickets because I am a huge Kate Voegele fan. Not only is she an amazing musician, but she also has a role on one of my favorite TV shows, One Tree Hill. I've actually seen her a few times, and I've seen Natasha once before, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. My friend and I were really happy that we also got to meet Kate after the show. She signed her CD for us and then took a picture. :-)

Kate's set was a little shorter than I would have liked, but I guess that happens when you're one of the opening acts. She played mostly songs from her new album, Gravity Happens, which came out last month, and then played one or two songs from her other two CD's. I shot video of her performing one of her new songs, "Sandcastles," (which I included the link below) because I really enjoy the lyrics to that specific song. That's one thing I do love about both of these ladies - they write fantastic lyrics that you can really relate to.

Set List - Kate Voegele - TLA, Philly, PA - Sunday, June 12th, 2011
Say You're Mine
Impatient Girl
Enough For Always
Heart In Chains
99 Times
Sandcastles
Kindly Unspoken

Natasha's set was filled with a good mix of songs from all three of her CD's. She's another musician with a great voice, and she's fun to watch on stage. She gives off a positive, carefree energy, and it reflects in the lyrics of all her songs. She loves to move around on stage, too. I don't think she really gets enough credit for her music. Most people think of her as the artist who's song "Unwritten" was the theme song to The Hills show on MTV. But you should really look into all of her music. Her lyrics are very relatable. I shot some good video with my camera of her performing the song, "Single" and I shot some video with my iPhone4 of her songs "Soulmate" and "Bruise Easily."

Set List - Natasha Bedingfield - TLA, Philly, PA - Sunday, June 12th, 2011
Neon Lights
Little Too Much
These Words
All I Need
Message in a Bottle (SOS) - The Police cover
Single
Bruise Easily
Strip Me
Run Run Run
Can't Fall Down
A.N.G.E.L.
Soulmate
Wild Horses
Try
Purple Rain (Prince Cover)
Pocketful of Sunshine
Love Like This
Put Your Arms Around Me
Weightless
Recover
Unwritten

Kate Voegele's Official Website
Natasha Bedingfield's Official Website
Kate Voegele performing "Sandcastles" (at TLA)
Natasha Bedingfield performing "Single" (at TLA)
Natasha Bedingfield performing "Bruise Easily" (at TLA)
Natasha Bedingfield performing "Soulmate" (at TLA)

Miranda Lambert

Friday, June 10th, 2011 my friend, Joanna, and I went to Atlantic City, NJ at the Borgata Event Center to see Miranda Lambert perform. This was a birthday present to myself (my birthday was Saturday the 11th) and it was the perfect way to celebrate because Miranda is one of my favorite country artists. Anyone who hasn't seen Miranda live is missing out on a great artist. She's been out for awhile, but it hasn't been until the past year that she has finally gotten the recognition she truly deserves. Not only does she have an amazing, strong voice, but she plays guitar (as most country singers do) and she really knows how to work a crowd. She's got a bad ass personality and I really appreciate the fact that she doesn't look like all the other stick thin female singers out there. Miranda looks like a real woman and she's proud of that and doesn't try to change for anyone.

Josh Kelley and Justin Moore opened up for Miranda. They did a great job getting the crowd ready for her. The venue was really cool - it was actually a ballroom and was pretty small, so anywhere you stood you could see and were close to the stage. Miranda performed all of her hit songs that have been on the radio, plus some other's that haven't been as popular, but are just as great. In the middle of the show, she brought out two other singers to join her, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, who make up her new group, Pistol Annies. They performed a few of their songs to an album that has yet to be released. Although their first single, "Hell on Heels" was released today, and I have included a link to buy that single for $1.29. They have amazing harmonies, so I definitely recommend that you buy the single and the CD when it comes out. I included different links below, along with some video I shot on my phone, and I posted the set list below, too.

Set List - Miranda Lambert - Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ - Friday, June 10th, 2011
Only Prettier
Kerosene
Famous in a Small Town
Small Town Saturday Night (Hal Ketchum cover)
Dead Flowers
More Like Her
Maintain the Pain
Love Song
New Strings
Hell on Heels (Pistol Annies)
Better Days (Pistol Annies)
One's Drinking One's Smoking One's Takin' Pills (Pistol Annies - don't know the official song title yet)
Hit the Road Jack (Pistol Annies)
Heart Like Mine
Stay With Me (Rod Stewart cover)
Somewhere Trouble Don't Go
House That Built Me
White Liar
That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round
I Love Rock 'N Roll (Joan Jett cover)
Gunpowder and Lead

Miranda Lambert's Official Website
Pistol Annies Official Website
Link to download "Hell on Heels" by the Pistol Annies
Miranda performing Heart Like Mine (taken with my iPhone)
Miranda performing Rod Stewart's song, Stay With Me (taken with my iPhone)
Miranda Lambert's YouTube Channel
Pistol Annies Live Debut "Hell on Heels"

NKOTBSB

When I started this blog, I warned everyone, I'm a lover of all music. Last night my childhood memories from elementary school and high school came back to life. On June 5, 2011 at Wells Fargo Center in Philly, PA, I saw the New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys Tour (NKOTBSB). While some people might make fun of me for attending this show, I still think these two boybands are geniuses for putting this collaboration together. It's not really the music I'm into these days or the kind of show I usually go to, but just hearing their songs always bring out the little girl or teenage girl in me. I'm pretty sure I'm always going to be a huge fan of NKOTB and BSB as long as they keep touring and making music.

The show started with both groups on stage performing a mash up of "Single" (by NKOTB) and "The One" (by BSB) to the music of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." As expected, the crowd was filled of females screaming for their old teen idols. For the next set of songs, the groups performed their own uptempo songs, while the other group exited the stage (an NKOTB song, then a BSB song). After that small set of uptempo songs, then each group came on stage to do a few ballads each. When BSB performed "I'll Never Break Your Heart," each member brought someone from the audience up to serenade them. Then both groups continued to do a few songs at a time, this time mixing it up with ballads and uptempo numbers. NKOTB did a mash up of Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison" and their own "Favorite Girl" (which was awesome). Then during their song, "Tonight," each member of NKOTB went to the front of a lower level section to serenade the crowd (Donnie Wahlberg was right in front of my section). BSB performed "As Long As You Love Me" and "All I Have To Give" with a bit of an old school Motown feel to the music, which was cool, and then they went into a short rendition of Prince's "Raspberry Beret" (one of my favorite Prince songs). Eventually both groups came on stage together to perform their latest single (that they recorded as a full group, NKOTBSB), "Don't Turn Out The Lights." After "Lights," they had an encore and BSB came on first to perform "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and then NKOTB came on stage to perform "Hangin' Tough" (in Boston Celtics jerseys - with Donnie wearing a Phillies hat). Then BSB came on stage in Orlando Magic jerseys and both groups did a sort of song battle singing "Everybody" and "Oh oh oh oh oh." And then the show ended with both groups singing "We Will Rock You" together.

Below I've included the full set list, a link to my pictures from the show, and links to my personal videos I took during the show.

Set List - NKOTBSB - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA - June 5th, 2011
Single (NKOTB)/The One (BSB)
Summertime (NKOTB)
The Call (BSB)
Dirty Dancing (NKOTB)
Bye Bye Love (BSB)
You've Got It (The Right Stuff) (NKOTB)
Larger Than Life (BSB)
Didn't I Blow Your Mind/Valentine Girl (NKOTB)
If You Go Away Girl (NKOTB)
Please Don't Go Girl (NKOTB)
Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely (BSB)
10,000 Promises (BSB)
I'll Never Break Your Heart (BSB)
Drowning (BSB)
Incomplete (BSB)
Step By Step (NKOTB)
Cover Girl (NKOTB)
Poison/Favorite Girl (NKOTB)
Games (NKOTB)
Tonight (NKOTB)
Shape Of My Heart (BSB)
As Long As You Love Me (BSB)
All I Have To Give (BSB)
Raspberry Beret (BSB)
Quit Playing Games With My Heart (BSB)
I'll Be Loving You Forever (NKOTB)
I Want It That Way (BSB)
Don't Turn Out The Lights (NKOTBSB)
ENCORE
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) (BSB)
Hangin' Tough (NKOTB)
We Will Rock You (NKOTBSB)

My Photos from the concert

BSB performing "Bye Bye Love"
BSB performing "The Call"
NKOTB performing "Dirty Dancing"
Donnie Wahlberg in front of my section
NKOTB performing "Right Stuff"
NKOTB performing "Please Don't Go Girl"
NKOTBSB performing "Don't Turn Out The Lights"
NKOTB performing "Hangin' Tough"
Ending of the Show

Summertime Playlist

With Memorial Day behind us, and the hot days already upon us, it's time to start thinking of summer. So it only made sense to come up with a new playlist topic: Summertime. Enjoy! :-)

Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett - It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
ALO - Barbeque
Bananarama - Cruel Summer
Bryan Adams - Summer of 69
Carter's Chord - Summer Early 60's
The Clarks - Butterflies and Airplanes
Don Henley - Boys of Summer
The Eagles - Hotel California
G. Love & Special Sauce - Cold Beverage
The Go-Go's - Vacation
The JaneDear Girls - Every Day's a Holiday
Jimmy Buffett - Summerzcool
Jimmy Cliff - Bright Sunshiny Day
Joe Cocker - Hot Town Summer in the City
John Fogerty - Centerfield
Justin Timberlake - Summer Love
Kate Voegele - Sunshine in My Sky
Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine
Katy Perry - California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Kenny Chesney - Summertime
Kenny Chesney - Beer in Mexico
Kenny Chesney - When the Sun Goes Down
Kid Rock - All Summer Long
Lady Gaga - Summerboy
LFO - Summer Girls
Madonna - Holiday
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - (Love is Like A) Heat Wave
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Dancing in the Streets
Michael Franti - Spearhead - The Sound of Sunshine
Michelle Branch - Summertime
Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine
New Kids On The Block - Summertime
Shaggy & Rayvon - In the Summertime
Sheryl Crow - Soak Up the Sun
Troy Olsen - Summer Thing
Weezer - Island in the Sun
Will Smith - Summertime
Zac Brown Band - Toes
2Pac - California Love

Top 100 Road Trip Songs

With the summer quickly approaching, I thought I'd come up with a road trip play list. I know there's nothing better than taking a long weekend to go on a road trip whether you're going to the beach, going to a show, or just traveling to visit family. So here are 100 songs to add to your road trip mix or play list (no particular order). As always, I tried to find YouTube videos of the songs so you could listen. Enjoy!

Airiel Down - Drive (Cars Cover)
Allman Brothers - Southbound
Andrew Hoover - Hitchhiker
Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
Aretha Franklin - Freeway of Love
BTO - Let It Ride
The Beach Boys - 409
The Beach Boys - Little Deuce Coupe
The Beatles - Ticket To Ride
The Beatles - Drive My Car
Bob Dylan - Down the Highway
Boyz II Men - End of the Road
Brad Paisley - Mud On the Tires
Broken Bells - The High Road
Bruce Springsteen - Pink Cadillac
Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road
The Buchanan Boys - Wheels
Cake - The Distance
The Cars - Drive
Chuck Berry - Route 66
Chuck Berry - No Particular Place to Go
The Clarks - Hell On Wheels
The Clarks - Fast Moving Cars
The Clash - Brand New Cadillac
Coolio - Fantastic Voyage
CCR - Travelin' Band
CCR - Sweet Hitch-Hiker
CCR - Mustang Sally
Dave Matthews Band - Drive In Drive Out
Dierks Bentley - Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)
Dierks Bentley - Every Mile a Memory
Donavon Frankenreiter - Bend in the Road
The Doobie Brothers - Rockin' Down the Highway
The Doors - Roadhouse Blues
The Eagles - Take it Easy
The Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane
Eric Clapton - Crossroads
Foghat - Slow Ride
Fountains of Wayne - I-95
G. Love - Ride
G. Love - I-76
The Gabe Dixon Band - Far from Home
Gary Numan - Cars
The Gaslight Anthem - The Backseat
Gin Blossoms - Allison Road
Golden Earring - Radar Love
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Low Road
Grateful Dead - Truckin'
Iggy Pop - The Passenger
Incubus - Drive
Indigo Girls - Get Out the Map
Ingrid Michaelson - Highway
Jack's Mannequin - The Mixed Tape
The JaneDear Girls - Free Ride
Janiva Magness - End of Our Road
Jay Nash - Places You'll Go
Jeremy McComb - Wagon Wheel
Jewel - Drive To You
John Mayer - Crossroads
John Mayer - Wheel
Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
Julie Roberts - Break Down Here
Kate Voegele - Enjoy the Ride
Ken Oak Band (Oak & Gorski) - Long Ride
Kenny Chesney - The Road and The Radio
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Crossroads
Mariah Carey - Cruise Control
Michael Tolcher - Speed Feels Better
Michelle Branch - Crazy Ride
Montgomery Gentry - Speed
Mylin - Drive to Nowhere
Nelly - Ride with Me
OAR - Shattered (Turn the Car Around)
Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel
Orianthi - Drive Away
Prince - Little Red Corvette
Quiet Riot - Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)
REM - Driver 8
Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive
Rob Blackledge - Driving
Rodney Atkins - Take a Back Road
Roger Miller - King of the Road
Sara Bareilles - Many the Miles
Shania Twain - In My Car (I'll Be The Driver)
She & Him - Ridin' in My Car
Sheryl Crow - Gasoline
Sheryl Crow - Everyday is a Winding Road
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Sugarland - County Line
Sugarland - Speed of Life
Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere
Tom Cochrane - Life is a Highway
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
The Wallflowers - One Headlight
War - Low Rider
Weezer - Tripping Down the Freeway
Willie Nelson - On the Road Again
The Wreckers - Cigarettes
ZZ Top - Chevrolet
3 Doors Down - The Road I'm On

Weezer

Last Friday night I saw Weezer with my friend, Jaime, at the Festival Pier down at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Panic at the Disco played before Weezer, but we were mostly there to see Weezer play. I had never seen them play live before, and have always been a fan of their music, so I was really looking forward to it. I was also looking forward to seeing the type of crowd they attracted. That's another cool thing about going to see a band for the first time - you never really know what kind of crowd will be there. It was quite the eclectic crowd - pretty much anywhere from young kids to middle aged men and women. There really wasn't any kind of drama in the crowd, which is always good, too. I included some different pictures I took on my iPhone at the show...including some very interesting outfits I saw while we were there. We also met an awesome guy who was typing the entire set list on his phone and he was nice enough to email me the set list, so I'm including that, as well. :-) There are also some videos I found from the show that other people posted...the sound or quality might not be the best, but it's better than nothing.

Weezer's Set List - 5/20/11 - Festival Pier @ Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA
Memories
Troublemaker
Perfect Situation
Undone (The Sweater Song)
Say It Ain't So
Dope Nose
Gone Fishin'
Photograph
Island in the Sun
Hash Pipe
My Name is Jonas
Beverly Hills
Thought I Knew
In The Garage
Pork and Beans
Only in Dreams
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Buddy Holly

Weezer's Official Website
Weezer - (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Weezer - Troublemaker
Weezer - Island in the Sun
Weezer - Beverly Hills

Rolling Stone's Choose The Cover Contest: Lelia Broussard

Most of you who know me, know that I'm a huge fan of Lelia Broussard. I've been a fan of her music for many years now, and I am so excited about the potential of her getting on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. This contest started out with 16 unsigned bands, and after a few rounds of voting, it is now down to two unsigned artists, with Lelia being one of them. One perk of getting down to the final two artists, is playing at Bonnaroo this June. The voting for this last round lasts until July 1st and you can only vote once, which is why I'm trying to spread the word for people to vote for Lelia. The ultimate winner, in addition to being the first unsigned band to ever appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, will also receive a recording contract from Atlantic Records. The winner will also perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This is a huge opportunity for Lelia, and there is no one out there who deserves it more than her. I've been to many of her shows in small venues around the Philadelphia area, and she is such a breath of fresh air. She is a true musician who connects with her fans in a personal way that is very rare in today's music industry. She truly appreciates all of the support she receives from her fan base. This could be the big break for her to finally get the recognition she deserves. So, please, go to the link I have provided below and vote for her. All it takes is one click!

Along with voting on this website below, you can also see a lot of videos of Lelia throughout this contest, and I believe you can download some of her music for free (although it doesn't hurt to go buy it to show more support lol).

Choose Lelia Broussard!

I've also included this widget to vote an even easier way! :-)

All American Playlist

Well, with the recent events, I thought it was a great excuse to put up another playlist post...this time with an All American theme. I think it's always good to remind everyone of how proud you are to be an American. What better way than through music? :-) As always, I've included videos to go with the songs.

Aaron Tippin - Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
Alabama - Born Country
Alan Jackson - Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)
Brooks & Dunn - Only In America
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl
Chuck Berry - Back in the U.S.A.
Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom
James Brown - Living in America
John Cougar Mellencamp - Pink Houses
John Cougar Mellencamp - R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
Kenny Chesney - Live Those Songs
Lee Greenwood - God Bless the U.S.A.
Lynyrd Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama
Martina McBride - God Bless America
Martina McBride - Independence Day
Neil Diamond - America
Neil Young - Keep On Rocking in the Free World
Ray Charles - America the Beautiful
Rodney Atkins - These Are My People
Sugarland - Everyday America
Toby Keith - American Soldier
Toby Keith - Courtesy of the Red White & Blue
Tom Petty - American Girl

Work Out Playlist

Now that the weather's getting nicer out and everyone's got summer on the brain, I thought I'd post a work out playlist that I compiled from my own music library. I'm sure there are even more songs out there that are great to work out to, so feel free to comment and share other great work out songs. :-) If you're like me, a great work out playlist makes it a little more tolerable to exercise and gets you motivated, too. For almost all of the songs, I included a link to a YouTube video with the song (some of which are the official videos).

Airiel Down - Quick
Airiel Down - Carousel
Beyonce - Get Me Bodied
Black Eyed Peas - Anxiety
Black Eyed Peas - Pump It
Britney Spears - Boom Boom
Cajmere - Perculator
Christina Aguilera - Woohoo
Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight
Christina Aguilera - Fighter
Common - I Have A Dream
Cupid - 369
DJ Khaled - We Taking Over
DJ Khaled - She's Fine
DJ LAZ - Move Shake Drop - Remix
Eminem - Not Afraid
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Eve - Tambourine
Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care (Single Version)
Fefe Dobson - Watch Me Move
Fergie - Get Your Hands Up
Fergie - Wake Up
Flo Rida - Right Round
Fort Minor - Remember the Name
House of Pain - Jump Around
James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing
Janet Jackson - Black Cat
Jay-Z - Run This Town
Jennifer Lopez - Get Right
Kanye West - Stronger
Kelly Clarkson - Whyyawannabringmedown
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away
Kelly Clarkson - One Minute
Kristinia DeBarge - Goodbye
Linkin Park - Don't Stay
Maroon 5 - Little Of Your Time
Maroon 5 - Can't Stop
Mary J. Blige - Just Fine
Miley Cyrus - Fly On The Wall
Miranda Lambert - Getting Ready
Missy Elliott - Shake Your Pom Pom
Missy Elliott - Work It
Muse - Uprising
Nelly - Warrior
Nelly Furtado - Maneater
No Doubt - You Can Do It
The Offspring - Come Out and Play
Outkast - Bombs Over Bagdad
P!nk - Bad Influence
P!nk - So What
P!nk - Raise Your Glass
P!nk - U & UR Hand
Papa Roach - Last Resort
Paramore - Ignorance
Petey Pablo - Vibrate
Petey Pablo - Show Me The Money
Pharrell - Move
Pitbull - Shut It Down
The Pussycat Dolls - Whatcha Think About That
The Pussycat Dolls - I Don't Need A Man
The Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
The Pussycat Dolls - Wait A Minute
Queen Latifah - Champion
Reba McEntire - Turn On The Radio
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground
Rihanna - SOS
Rihanna - Breakin' Dishes
Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive
Rihanna - Disturbia
Rihanna - Pon De Replay
Rihanna & Jeezy - Hard
Rob Base - It Takes Two
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Ain't Nothing Wrong With That
Salt 'N Pepa - None of Your Business
September - Cry For You
Simple Plan - Shut Up
Sly & The Family Stone - Dance to the Music
T-Pain - Church
T.I. - Bring Em Out
Timbaland - We Belong To The Music
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
V V Brown - Crying Blood
Vita Chambers - Get Out My Head
Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow
Young Leek - Jiggle It
50 Cent - Till I Collapse

Jason Link

Last week I went to Nashville for the first time, and I absolutely fell in love with the city. They definitely call it Music City for a reason. There is so much history all around and music is everywhere you go. In the bars downtown, they start playing music at 10am every day and it usually goes well past midnight. One of the many spots we stopped at was Legends, which was right on a corner on Broadway (on the main strip). We got there around 2pm on Thursday and saw a band setting up. Turns out they were going to play from 2pm till 6pm, so we decided to check them out. Although, I must say, we didn't expect to stay there the whole four hours. We soon found out that the singer performing was Jason Link. I had never heard of him before, but I fell in love with him and his music right away. He had a great connection with the crowd and even took a liking to my older aunt lol. He was joking around with her most of the day saying he was going to take her out on a date (and this definitely made her day since she couldn't stop talking about it the rest of our trip). We donated some money to his cause and even bought his CD, because a lot of these musicians at the bars play for tips and walk around with a tip jar. When he walked around with the tip jar, he took the time to talk to every single person in the bar and gave many hugs to show his appreciation. I'm pretty sure he performs mostly around Nashville, but you should definitely check him out. His CD is available to buy on iTunes, and you know me, I'm all about supporting the independent artists, so go check out his music and buy the CD if you like it! He definitely has what it takes to be a star in country music, so here's to hoping that he gets discovered one day soon. :-)

Jason Link's Myspace Page
Jason Link's Facebook Page
Jason Link performing "All My Friends Say"
Jason Link performing "Red House" with a young guest (great video showing his personality)

KT Tunstall

On Sunday, April 10th, 2011 I went to the Theatre of the Living Arts (TLA) on South Street in Philadelphia to see KT Tunstall for the first time. I first learned about KT Tunstall when I heard her single, "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree." I started singing this song at karaoke (with the smart suggestion of my good friend, Cisco) and it quickly became one of my favorites to sing (and a crowd pleaser as well). In the past few years, I have bought her CD's but I must admit I never really listened to her songs that frequently. It wasn't that I didn't like her music...I'm actually not sure why I never listened lol. Well, after seeing her live earlier this month, I became an even bigger fan. She performed the entire night by herself using looping pedals instead of having a band back her up. For those of you who are not familiar with looping, here's a definition: Loops are short sections of tracks (probably between one and four bars in length), which you believe might work being repeated. A loop is not "any sample, but...specifically a small section of sound that's repeated continuously. Besides her unique vocals, she also used instruments including a guitar, kazoo, piano, and drums. I had never been to a show where the artist used this technique the entire time, and I must say, it was really cool to experience first hand. Along with her musical talent, she also had a great personality. She was hilarious and conversed with the crowd a lot. I found her to have a great connection with the crowd and she was very appreciative of the support she was receiving from the audience. Many people would probably put her in the country genre since "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree" sounds a bit country and that's one of her most popular singles, but she actually has a rock feel to the rest of her music. I definitely recommend checking her out, especially if you can see her perform live. You won't be disappointed. (Definitely check out the video below of KT performing "Black Horse" at this show because she does a cool version of "Seven Nation Army" in the middle of the song.)

KT Tunstall's Official Website
KT Tunstall performing "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree" at TLA
KT Tunstall performing "Uummannaq Song"
KT Tunstall performing "Glamour Puss"
KT Tunstall performing "Through the Dark"

Adele's newest album, "21"

I've been a fan of Adele's since her first release, "19" so it was no surprise how great her second album, "21" is. She has such a powerful voice, and you can really feel her emotions in all the songs. Like her first album, she sings about losing a loved one and the vulnerability you feel when giving your heart to another. She wrote all of these songs last year about one particular relationship, which is similar to what she did with "19." (Both albums are named after the age she was when she wrote the albums.) I think a lot of people (probably more geared toward females) can relate to a lot of her music because a lot of people feel that hurt and vulnerability at some point in their lives. It's hard for me to pick out a few songs to highlight on this album because I honestly love every single song, but if I had to choose a few I'd say the first single off the album, "Rolling in the Deep" is a great choice. Adele also does a fantastic rendition of The Cure's "Lovesong." I've never had the opportunity to see her perform live, but I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her next tour in the area. If you haven't already, I really recommend that you go out and buy/download this entire album.

Adele's Official Website
Adele's Myspace Page
Adele "Rolling in the Deep" Official Music Video
Adele performing "Lovesong"
Adele "Rumour Has It" with lyrics

Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist

Ah, the day has finally arrived...Valentine's Day. For most of you who are in relationships, it's a day to remind your loved ones of how much you love them and adore them (blah, blah, blah). Although, for those of us singles out there, it's a reminder of the fact that we are indeed without that significant other (like we really need to be reminded). We all have our opinions on this day of reminders, but I wanted to have some fun with it (being on the single side of this "holiday") and create an Anti-Valentine's Day playlist to keep the singles' minds off the fact that we're alone. So enjoy this list of 82 songs (there's no particular order). I have included a link to a video on YouTube that displays the songs so you can listen (just click on the artist and title).

Ace of Base "I Saw The Sign"
Adele "Rolling in the Deep"
Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know"
Alicia Keys "Karma"
All-American Rejects "Gives You Hell"
Ani DiFranco "Untouchable Face"
Blu Cantrell "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops)"
Bon Jovi "You Give Love A Bad Name"
Britney Spears "Stronger"
Bruno Mars "Grenade"
Carly Simon "You're So Vain"
Carrie Underwood "Undo It"
Cee-Lo Green "F**k You"
Cher "Strong Enough"
Christina Aguilera "Fighter"
The Clarks "Better Off Without You"
Destiny's Child "Survivor"
Dixie Chicks "Goodbye Earl"
Eden's Crush "Get Over Yourself"
Elton John "I'm Still Standing"
Evanescence "Call Me When You're Sober"
Fiona Apple "Get Gone"
Fort Minor "Where'd You Go?"
Garbage "Special"
Gloria Gaynor "I Will Survive"
Guns N' Roses "Used to Love Her"
Hilary Duff "So Yesterday"
Hinder "Without You"
J. Geils Band "Love Stinks"
Janet Jackson "Son of a Gun"
Janiva Magness "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down"
Jazmine Sullivan "Bust Your Windows"
Jo Dee Messina "My Give A Damn's Busted"
Jo Dee Messina "Bye Bye"
Joan Jett "I Hate Myself For Loving You"
JoJo "Leave (Get Out)"
Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around Comes Around"
Justin Timberlake "Cry Me A River"
Kanye West "Heartless"
Kate Voegele "99 Times"
Katharine McPhee "Over It"
Katy Perry "Ur So Gay"
Kellie Pickler "Best Days of Your Life"
Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone"
Kelly Clarkson "Never Again"
Keyshia Cole "Shoulda Let You Go"
Kristinia DeBarge "Goodbye"
Leona Lewis "Take a Bow"
Linkin Park "In the End"
Mariah Carey "Shake it Off"
Maroon 5 "Through With You"
Miranda Lambert "Gunpowder & Lead"
Miranda Lambert "Kerosene"
Miranda Lambert "White Liar"
The Misfits "Die, Die My Darling"
'N Sync "Bye Bye Bye"
Natasha Bedingfield "Single"
New Kids On The Block "Officially Over"
P!nk "So What"
P!nk "There You Go"
P!nk "U & UR Hand"
Paramore "For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic"
Patty Smyth "Goodbye To You"
Paula Abdul "Cold Hearted Snake"
The Pussycat Dolls "Whatcha Think About That"
PYT "Same Old, Same Old"
Reba McEntire "Consider Me Gone"
Reba McEntire "Turn On The Radio"
Rihanna "Breakin' Dishes"
Sade "Soldier of Love"
Simple Plan "Time to Say Goodbye"
Soft Cell "Tainted Love"
Taylor Swift "Picture to Burn"
Theory of a Deadman "Bad Girlfriend"
Three Days Grace "I Hate Everything About You"
The Ting Tings "Shut Up and Let Me Go"
Ugly Kid Joe "Everything About You"
V V Brown "Game Over"
V V Brown "Leave!"
Whitney Houston "Heartbreak Hotel"
Whitney Houston "Learned From The Best"
The Wreckers "Leave The Pieces"