New Playlist (Not so clever name) - Summer 2014

Wow, its been a bit.  But I'm back posting a new playlist filled with songs most of you probably have heard more than once!  I'm putting together a playlist for this year to be used at all the pool parties, BBQ's, Vball Saturdays, etc. etc.  So without further ado, here it is.

Files are on DropBox Beats, along with the XML Playlist file.  Please share your version of the 2014 summer playlist!  Thanks!

Red White and Blue Playlist

I was at a pool party on the 4th of July and I found that I had a hankering for a corny USA playlist.  Here is what I am thinking.

God Bless the USA - Lee Greenwood
Born in the USA - The Boss
Proud to be an American - Lee Greenwood
This Land is your Land -  Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
John Mellencamp - Small Town
Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
American Woman - Lenny or Guess Who
American Girl - Tom Petty
America - Neil Diamond
Our Country - John Mellencamp
Saturday in the Park - Chicago

American Soldier - Toby Keith
America the beautiful - Ray Charles
Independence Day - Martina McBride
California Girls - Katy Perry
Team America Theme Song
American Girls - Counting Crows
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Add some stuff that I missed.

RE: Unreleased Magic - New Playlist

"Unreleased Magic" is a good playlist title, but too confusing. I can't confirm or deny the accuracy of the following songs and whether or not they were released to radio. I would say that they are (at a minimum) not very popular AND I really like them.

ALSO....I'm only adding 7 songs. I have recently learned that 7 is the optimal playlist number. Enjoy this playlist on repeat for approximately 3 hours. :-)

1. Led Zeppelin - "Going to California" - This song is on IV, which any Zep fan knows has "Stairway to Heaven." This song is acoustic and more relaxed than most of their songs. I think that makes it one of their most overlooked songs as well as one of my favorites. I might be biased because I really love songs that sound like they should be on a road trip playlist.

2. Tom Petty - "Back Down South" - This is another road trip song that comes from Petty's Highway Companion. Tom Petty's personal feelings about big music really impedes his music from being released and played as it should. I could do a playlist just over Tom Petty and unreleased magic.

3. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Trailer" - Found this gem on the Playback - The Other sides. It would have been on Southern Accents but was cut from the album. I would argue that this makes it the most qualified to be on this playlist, it also just happens to be a great song.

4. Fleetwood Mac - "I Don't Want to Know" - I heard this song when I finally listen to my dad's Rumours record. I couldn't believe there was this amazing song by Fleetwood Mac that I had not heard before!

5. Hall & Oates - "Had I Known You Better Then" - Abandoned Luncheonette is classic Hall & Oates and I remember the first time I heard this song. My parents and I were hanging out on the deck one summer night listening to music. My dad played this song and I was hooked.

6. Jimmy Buffet - "School Boy Heart" - A few years ago, I asked my facebook friends to help with a road trip playlist. One of my friends suggested this song. I know it isn't Margaritaville, but I think it's a fun, catchy song that isn't very well known.

7. David Gilmour - "Murder" - It's not Pink Floyd, but I love David Gilmour and this definitely sounds like unreleased Pink Floyd (after Roger Waters left of course).

BONUS TRACK - Pearl Jam - "I am Mine"  As requested...

Unreleased Magic - New Playlist

All,
I'm hoping for a collaborative playlist.  May be a bit of a stretch since participation has been pretty weak lately!  But maybe this will shake things up.  Its a very simple concept.  Post songs that you absolutely love that were not released to the radio stations.  In the end most of these songs should be pretty unfamiliar to the general public, unless they owned the CD's.  Maybe I'm a bit optimistic?

As for my own, I'm a little disappointed that I was not able to come up with more on my first pass.  These are all songs that are old standby's.  I hope you enjoy them, and I'm sure you've probably heard a couple of them.  I may add more later if I think of them.

Dance Music Playlist(s)

I'm trying to put together some fantastic Dance playlists.  The first reason is that I have been tasked to help put together some music for one of my best friends wedding in July.  The second reason is that I don't currently have a dance playlist in my repertoire.

To start, I've used two playlists that my sister created for her own wedding.  The first playlist is of newer songs.  As her wedding was in October 2012, they are only about 6 months old.  The second playlist is of classic songs, and encompasses pretty much everything except current hits.  I don't know what the cut-off is but probably 2005?

I'd appreciate input in terms of songs that you think should be on these playlists as well as songs that should be removed.  Both playlists are on Drop(Box) Beats in their entirety.

Also I am missing these songs, so if you have them, please upload or send to me via email.
Cupid - Cupid Shuffle
V.I.C. - Wobble
Pussycat Dolls- Beep


Thanks all,

Charles

JJ Grey and MoFro

I've been listening to JJ Grey and Mofro on Spotify and think they are pretty good. Check them out and let me know what you think.  He's got some soul and could definitely earn some spots on my "Jazzy Stuff" and "Wine Time" Playlists.

Let me know other artists like this to recommend.  Comment below,

Concert Review: Brit Floyd

Last Thursday I went back to good ol' Columbus to see a Pink Floyd cover band, Brit Floyd at the LC Pavilion. Anyone who knows me knows my love of Pink Floyd. They are my second favorite band of all time and "Wish you were here" might be my favorite song of all time. Sadly, I never have nor ever will see them play in concert. I instead have seen two cover bands in hopes of recreating what can never be. When the opportunity came to see Brit Floyd, well I jumped at the chance. I can only say that  it was the best concert I've been to in a long time. 

Brit Floyd was amazing. They are simply the closest I will ever get to hearing Pink Floyd live. The show lasted three hours. Yes, I did say THREE hours! The concert included awesome animations and laser light show. They opened the show with Dark Side of the Moon and played the first five songs on the album. The most impressive part was when one of the female singers performed "Great Gig in the Sky" flawlessly. They didn't shy away from long songs either. They played "Dogs" and "Shine on you Crazy Diamond."  The only major song they didn't play was "Money" but they played so many other epic songs that it didn't matter. They played loud, long, and sounded so much like Pink Floyd. If you ever have an opportunity to see them, do it. You won't be disappointed. Here's their website for concert dates. http://www.britfloyd.com/

Now, for a more amusing note. The crowd at Brit Floyd was pretty interesting. Hippies and soccer dads united for one night at the LC. The median age was easily 43. At one point, I looked around and I was surrounded by 50 year old men, my dad included. I could only see about 10 women. Obviously, this made the brief intermission amusing for people watching. And an interesting crowd only adds to the enjoyment of any concert. Imagine 50 year old men "dancing" and singing along to Pink Floyd. Yes it is as funny to watch as it sounds. So wear comfortable shoes, take your seizure meds, and be prepared to rock your socks off!

RE: Girls! Girls! Girls!

Here are my suggestions. I'm too lazy to type 25 songs. Ha! I removed all the ones that Charles has previously posted. I would have created a comment, but my tech savvy ends at adding a photo into the comments section... I'm partial to "Jackie Blue" for obvious reasons and any playlist like this MUST include Elvis Costello's "Alison"

Girls! Girls! Girls! Playlist

I've always wanted a playlist comprised only of songs with girls names.  Strangely enough, when I told Jackie about this idea, she already was working on the same concept.  Pretty crazy.

I'm not sure why, but I like the idea of playing it and seeing if guests notice the trend.  Here is my first attempt.  Please comment if you have any suggestions.  I'm trying to limit it to really good songs, so your list may differ from mine.

Andrew Vol. 1 - CM Review

This is a review of Andrew's first effort, or at least his first contribution to Drop(Box) Beats.  This is an eclectic mix of music, and I appreciate that a great deal.  At first listen, I was out of my mind excited because I've been on an all out search for more Patrick Sweany type artists that I could formulate a new long playlist to.  Andrew has hit the mark by including Roadkill Ghost Choir, Gary Clark Jr., The Blackwater Fever, Jack White, Wolfmother and Black Joe Lewis.  I'll be enlisting his help to make a truly awesome blues rock playlist.  Anybody else that thinks they can help are invited as well.

OK, back to the playlist review.  My favorite song was "Bitch, I love you" by Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. Mainly because he has the raspy soulful voice that I love, and its a great song to boot.  I'm going to have to check out their other music, as I have a feeling I'll like them a lot. My other favorites on the disc were "Beggars Guild" and "Love Train".  Other notables include "Ellis Island" which sounds like an Irish folk song, and enjoyable one at that.  I also really enjoyed honeyhoney's cover of 1979, very nice addition.

I wasn't a huge fan of The National or Hanni El Khatib.  Although I'd be open to listening to more of their stuff, as they may have some other good material.  Thanks for contributing, and here's to hoping you upload some other fine playlists in the near future.

Top Five Favorite "new" albums?

When you can get paid to blog about your favorite music, it's a good day. With no students to tutor in math, I find myself spending a few hours on Facebook, buzzfeed, and iTunes. Luckily Charles and I started a discussion about music. It kept the minutes from dragging on and before I knew it, my shift was over and a new idea was born. Instead of keeping the musical genius to ourselves, we thought it would be best to share.

We were discussing great albums and how the digital era can be great, it also means that artists do not have to create great albums like they did in years past. We're talking Rumours great, Damn the Torpedos great, Dark Side of the Moon great! These are the albums that you can listen to from start to finish and you wouldn't even think about hitting next. Mumford & Sons Babel is one of the few in recent years that I would consider to be on that level and I'm including the deluxe version with the cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer." Their success is no surprise. Sigh No More is a good album with many great songs, but Babel is so good that while creating playlists for the dropbox, I had to limit the Mumford or it would have ended up a Mumford playlist with a few other songs tossed in. 

Obviously, most people won't argue that  Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and the "Classic Rock" era musicians made the best albums. This post is to start a discussion about what new albums are "I bought the whole album on iTunes and don't even think about the next button" good. 

Here are my favorites...
Mumford & Sons - Babel 
This choice is obvious. They are so talented and one of my favorite bands right now. 

Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
I could have picked Only by the Night. It's great and has their big hits, but I think this album is even better and I listened to it from start to finish two summers ago. Quite a few songs are still in my 25 most played. 

Adele - 21
Start to finish, Adele can sing. Every song is great. Teenage girls might want Taylor Swift singing their break-up songs, but everyone else wants to hear Adele. 

The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Killers were probably the first "new" band that I really loved. These songs were so good, I thought the band was English. 

Zac Brown Band - The Foundation
I know this is country, but it's more Folksy, timeless country and less hee-haw country. If you ignore the sic 'em on a chicken song and focus on the cover of Ray LaMontagne's "Jolene", it's amazing. I like to listen to this in the spring and summer with my Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker. 

Honorable mentions include

Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
The Kooks - Inside In/Inside Out

Here's hoping this discussion might get more participation. Looking forward to reading everyone's favorite albums. 

Langhorne Slim & the Law - CM Review

Thanks to Jerry Beres for contributing this fine album.  His voice kind of reminds me of Colin Meloy from The Decemberists.  The musicality is impressive and they incorporate a lot of different instruments and elements into each of their songs. The CD itself is interesting from beginning to end.

Best song honors goes to "The Way we Move."  Kind of made me want to pick another song when I figured out that its the title track, but I have to stay honest to my pick.  The other (2) songs that were hardly edged out were "Fire" and "Past Lives."  I probably would have picked "Fire" another day of the week, maybe if I was in a different mood. I love the laid back feel of the song and the overall positive vibe that it sends. I don't know if its just the title, but it kind of reminds me of "Fired" by Ben Folds.

I had never heard of this band, and I'm glad that Jerry exposed me to them. I guess he saw them live and picked up the album after that.  I like the fact that his voice is unique, and has some edginess to it.  I think that there is some "whine" in his voice, which I could best equate to Dave Matthews in terms of my personal taste.  Hope you all enjoy this album!

Jackie's Dad Has Awesome Taste in TUNES CM Review

I never thought these music reviews would include the titles, but I was mistaken.  I blame Diamond.  Anyway the name of this CD kind of sucks. First because the creator of the CD didn't pick the name, and second because Jackie is obviously brown nosing to her dad here.  Gag me.  That being said I'm glad for his contribution to this group, and look forward to his future contributions.  I'm still loving "Changing" by The Airborne Toxic Event which Jackie featured on her first CD.

I really enjoyed this CD, but found it to be the hardest playlist to review of the initial bunch.  I'm not exactly sure why, maybe I am burned out from listening to new music non-stop? I feel guilty because I enjoy the Mumford & Sons songs so much.  The other stand out here was "Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promises."  Some readers are probably shaking their heads because I have been told to listen and even been given Avett Bros songs before, but I never really gave them a fair shake. I'm ready now.

This is the first CD from Drop(Box) Beats where somebody featured (3) songs from the same artist, and I havn't been a huge fan.  Kill Hannah is the predominant artist on this CD, and I'm not blown away.  However, I do think they are talented musically. Maybe I am overly picky with my females...   I'd like to hear more from Local Natives, The Morning Benders and Surfer Blood.

Free Songs Found Idea

I have added a folder titled "Free Songs Found." These aren't songs I have listened too very much, or at all in a few cases. They are either iTunes "Song of the Week" or from Amazon or Starbucks. I think these are songs that have potential. The Lumineers "Ho Hey" is an example of one of the free songs I downloaded and now it's HUGE! My idea is that we can share our free songs here. Some of them might be big flops, but I think it would be interesting to see what happens to these songs and how many great songs start as free downloads.

Once you update the Free Songs Found folder, you can write a short post here or not. We can even do a super short review of these songs after giving them a few listens.

I've added Tegan and Sara's "Closer" from their newest CD. It was free on the Starbucks app. SCORE! I'm a big fan of the song and can't stop listening to it. There are a few I added that I haven't even listened to all the way through like "1904" and "Midnight on the Interstate" but who knows..... I like Cisco Adler with G. Love "You're a Fool" and Bruno Mars "If I Knew."

If most of these songs are huge flops, then I'll come up with a new idea!

Super CD 2 2004 - JH Review

Remember when I posted that Super CD 3 was my favorite? I take it back. This one is my new favorite Super CD. S3 was fun, but this one.. it's like FUN at Disney World. I can't take it out of my car CD player. I babysit every morning and take two kids to school. Instead of ever listening to crappy "kid music," I make them listen to what I like. Earlier this week, I was jammin' to S2 and I looked in my mirror and saw D dancing to The Redwalls "Colorful Revolution." My only choice was to turn it up and drive dance with him. He agreed that it was a great song. He also really like "Closer" because we kept dancing. And there's no other way to face a dreary Wednesday morning. The feel of this playlist is in my comments below, JAM-TASTIC! This is a playlist that doesn't have a bad song on it. 

Other than The Redwalls, I really liked the Freddy Jones stuff and the Virginia Coalition. Both were unfamiliar to me, but great songs. I also loved the Dispatch songs. Like most people I've heard The General, but I had not spent any time listening to any of their other songs. I am clearly missing out. 

If I had to pick a least favorite song, it would have been Howie Day's "Collide." I've heard it before and on a playlist this good, I "ain't got time for that." It is always a good sign of a playlist when the "worst" song is just the song you've already heard. Another point to note is while this is from 2004, the songs are timeless. If you find the Super CDs daunting, start here. You will not be disappointed!