Music: Pause by Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo

Music posts aren't something I do often but some songs are so amazing you must say something about them.  Every once in a while a television series comes along that has a theme song you can't get out of your head or stop listening to.  And I'm not talking about Gilligan's Island, here.  I'm talking about shows that use actual songs for the theme such as Republic of Doyle (Oh Yeah by Great Big Sea), The Good Guys (Slink:  A Hymn by Locksley), Hung (I'll Be Your Man by the Black Keys) and the Australian one-season drama Cops L.A.C. (Howlin' For You by the Black Keys).

The new British drama, The Shadow Line is another of those shows.  It uses Pause by Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo.  An amazing way to start an amazing show.

Music: Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams

I've loved Stevie Nicks for more than thirty years.  Whether it was her music with Fleetwood Mac or her solo career, of her songs I find to be utter brilliance there are too many to name.  I own every single album and know every song by heart.  So, when word of a new Stevie Nicks record came down the path, it was excellent and exciting news.

For In Your Dreams, the legendary Stevie Nicks teams up with another music legend, Dave Stewart.  Dave Stewart, formerly half of the massively successful band, Eurythmics, is also an accomplished, and extremely talented, producer and songwriter.  Also making guest appearances with Stevie are Fleetwood Mac band mates Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham.  Not only does Buckingham lend his guitar work to Soldier's Angel, he lends his vocal talents as well.

Music: Thao with the Get Down Stay Down "When We Swam"

Fans of the hit Australian television show Offspring know the song When We Swam very well as it is the theme song for the series.

When We Swam is an upbeat number that gets into your head and refuses to leave.  The song, appearing on the bands current record, Know Better Learn Faster (2010), is super catchy and super addictive.  Days, and even weeks after you hear it you will still be humming the tune and catch yourself singing "oh, bring your hips to me" at random times throughout the day.  Thao's awesome vocals grab you right off.  I love her voice.  When We Swam has made me an instant Thao with the Get Down Stay Down fan!

Music: Slink (A Hymn) by Locksley

This blog isn't a music blog and I don't often post about music.  But, the more I listen to this song the more I love it so I just had to mention it.  Anyone who watches The Good Guys on Fox has heard this song already.  But for those of you that haven't seen the show, not only are you missing out on a great comedy but you're missing out on an awesome song.

Currently, there is no official video for Slink (A Hymn) but you can hear the complete song here.  (Is it just me, or does it appear The Good Guys using a different mix of the song rather than just an edited version?)  I don't believe the song can currently be purchased anywhere, either.  It isn't in their official store yet, anyway.  Here's hoping Slink will soon see a single release of its own!

Locksley is a pop rock band that formed in Madison, Wisconsin in  2003.  They have two self-released albums to their credit Don't Make Me Wait (2007/2008) and Be In Love (2010) as well as two EP's:  Locksley (2005) and Garage Sale (2008).  Their style is, by their own description, doo-wop punk.  The band consists of Jesse Laz (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Kai Kennedy (lead guitar, vocals), Jordan Laz (bass, vocals) and Sam Bair (drums).

Entertainment: Irving Azoff: Fleetwood Mac to Tour in 2011

Irving Azoff and Michael Rapino, executive chairman and CEO (respectively) of Live Nation Entertainment recently said during an investors meeting that the ticket sales for the top 100 touring bands are down twelve percent this year. 

Rapino claims that the press has "scared about every artist" from touring in the fourth quarter of 2010.  Major acts have either cancelled dates, seen low takes on the ticket front or cancelled tours altogether.  Still, that hasn't stopped Azoff from listing several "big name" artists that will be touring in 2011.

Journey, Kenny Chesney, Neil Diamond, Van Halen and Fleetwood Mac were among the names given by Azoff as artists planning to tour in 2011.

You know, I have absolutely no problem with a band touring in support of a new project.  However, the last time Fleetwood Mac had something new to plug was 2003's Say You Will.  And, speaking as a former long-time Fleetwood Mac fan, that wasn't really anything to be that proud of.  Regardless of how bad Say You Will was, the band still had new material to promote and there were a few new songs being performed live.  Then, there was the Unhinged Unleashed tour.  That came off as little more than a money-making endeavor full of bland performances and a setlist that was even more stale than a 100-year-old butter cookie.  The band didn't even bother to create new promotional material for the Unleashed tour.  They simply re-used old Say You Will material.

What will the band be promoting this time around?  Rumours:  The 1,000th Re-Release?  Rumours of the Greatly, Greater, Greatest and Even More Great Hits of Fleetwood Mac?  Or perhaps they will be flogging the country version of Rumours that it has been rumored Stevie Nicks is in Nashville working on.  Does the world really need to hear Taylor Swift flatly singing Dreams, Carrie Underwood bellowing out Go Your Own Way or Brad Paisley checking the Gold Dust Woman for ticks?  I know Stevie loves to grandmother new female artists and she probably leaped at the chance to get to re-make Fleetwood Mac's most successful record because of getting to work with the likes of Swift and Underwood.  That still doesn't justify a country version of Rumours, in my humble opinion.

As we all know, just because something is announced doesn't mean it is set in stone when it comes to the entertainment industry.  With Dave Stewart having already made quite the issue out of working with Stevie Nicks on material for a solo project for the bedazzled beauty and Nicks returning the favor by appearing on a track on Stewart's new album it will be interesting to see how Stevie manages to fit her solo career in with another outing in the "boys club" she feels Fleetwood Mac has become.  Quite frankly, I think Stevie should put herself above the band because at this point, brand new solo material from Stevie is a much better idea than another greatest hits tour from Fleetwood Mac.

Source:  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/07/a-kinder-friendlier-live-nation-entertainment-maybe-if-the-media-stops-scaring-artists.html

Music: Jeffree Star "Beauty Killer"

This isn't a music blog but since I've got the whole potpourri thing going I figure it's alright to make a mention of a song every now and then.

I have an awesome friend who is constantly introducing me to new music that, in all honesty, I never would have known about otherwise.  This is one of the new songs that I definitely wouldn't have ever heard.

Beauty Killer is a new song by Jeffree Star.  This genre of music isn't usually my cup of tea but the chorus to this song is infectious.  Once you hear it, it will get into your head and you'll find yourself humming it later.  Since hearing it, I've had it running through my head and have caught myself singing "I'm a beauty killer" at odd times throughout the day.  I can see this song being very popular in clubs and would be quite surprised if there won't eventually be numerous "DJ remixes" of it showing up around the Internet.

The video is scenes of Jeffree Star wearing pink, blue and blond hair and blue and purple contact lenses intermixed with Star showing off the ladies he has tattooed on his body including the late Princess Diana and Audrey Hepburn.  As with Star's video for Get Away With Murder, the Beauty Killer video is creatively unique and striking and a video you will most definitely remember after seeing.

It's safe to say I really like Beauty Killer so, thank you, awesome friend.  ;-)



Jeffree Star Official Facebook Page
Jeffree Star Official YouTube Channel

Music: Jen Titus "Oh Death"

I don't often mention music here but there are some songs that just beg and plead to be mentioned.  One of those songs is O Death as performed by Jen Titus.

For fans of the mega-fantastic series Supernatural on the CW network this song has become a favorite.  Not only is the song amazingly appropriate for the series (and especially the episode and scene it appeared in) the song itself is phenomenal.

O Death is an old spiritual that was most recently heard in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou.  Chris Donovan, the senior VP and creative executive at the CW network, thought the song would be perfect to use in the advertising campaign for the fifth season of Supernatural.  However, he wanted something fresh, not the old recording of the song.

Enter Jennifer (Jen) Titus, an on-air promotions executive for the CW and someone known amongst her network colleagues for her singing ability.  Titus did a quick demo of the song on her iPhone.  Chris Donovan loved her version and, after making a few tweaks to the lyrics, he sent Jen Titus into the studio to record a polished version.  CW staffers performed background vocals and Leonard Richardson, the CW's music executive mixed the track.

Thus, was born the hypnotic and hauntingly beautiful theme for the fifth season of Supernatural.  The song appears in the promos for the fifth season as well as in the episode Two Minutes to Midnight.  Jennifer Titus has a gorgeous voice that makes this song even more ethereal and captivating.  Yes, the song is about death but it's impossible not to listen to this song and not be completely mesmerized by Titus' amazing voice and the striking presentation.

The song used to be available as a download on the CW's official web site, but, unfortunately, I cannot find it there any longer.

Oh, Death...Oh Death...Oh Death...
Won't you spare me over another year
But what is this, that I can't see
with ice cold hands takin' hold of me
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold
who will have mercy on your soul
Oh, Death...Oh Death...Oh Death...
No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold
Nothing satisfies me but your soul
Oh, Death,
Well, I am Death, none can excel,
I'll open the door to heaven or hell.
Oh, Death...Oh Death,
My name is Death and the end ïs here...

The song is in the background in the official Supernatural season 5 trailer presented by the CW Network on their myspace page:


Supernatural Trailer - O Death

CW Network - Supernatural | MySpace Music Videos

Australian Television: The Music of City Homicide

I've done four posts on the Australian crime drama City Homicide and I can't talk about that show without talking about the music from it.

Along with delivering a great drama from a stellar cast, City Homicide delivers a wealth of good music.  Virtually every episode of the show has two or three songs in it that adds to the tension, emotion and action of the storyline. 

A couple of years ago, some of the music from the series was collected into a 2 disc soundtrack.  The soundtrack was sold in Australia and available on some Internet music retailers to other countries as an import.  (A full track listing of this soundtrack is at the end of this post.)

In my opinion, Josh Pyke's Goldmines and Into My Arms by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were two of the stand-out tracks from the soundtrack.

But the soundtrack didn't contain all of the excellent music viewers of City Homicide have been privileged to hear over the course of the three seasons the show has been on the air.  Some of the songs that didn't make the cut for the soundtrack can be found on iTunes as well as on the original albums on which they appear (providing the albums are still in print).  Fans of the show and its music living outside of Australia might have a little trouble finding the songs but some of them are certainly worth the extra legwork to find.  I can't mention them all here, sadly, as it would make the post several pages long.

Rick Vito "Blues Town"

When it comes to music I have pretty eclectic tastes. I enjoy everything from The Bravery to Mozart depending upon the mood I'm in. One artist that I greatly enjoy is Rick Vito.

I was first introduced to Rick and his music when he became a member of the band Fleetwood Mac in 1987. He toured with the band on their Tango in the Night promotional tour then went on to record new music with the band for both the 1988 Greatest Hits record and the 1990 Behind the Mask record. He was a valued member of the band for the Behind the Mask promotional tour before embarking on his own solo career in 1992. Fleetwood Mac fans were wrong in dismissing Rick Vito as being simply a "replacement for Lindsey Buckingham".

Since his first solo release, King of Hearts in 1992, Rick has released a total of eight solo records, including one greatest hits release and has had one solo DVD release, 2003's Rick Vito in Concert.

Rick's style of playing is influenced by the great old blues standards as well as a little bit of rock and roll and a little bit of country. He is a strong singer/songwriter and pens most of the music appearing on his solo releases.

Rick Vito's second solo album was originally supposed to include a song titled "Blues Town". As work progressed on the record, Blues Town eventually was put aside. Upon release, the album was titled Pink & Black and Blues Town was no where to be found. It did appear later on the 2003 release Band Box Boogie. However, the mix and overall style of the song was much different.

Now, thanks to Mr. Michael Killen, fans of Rick Vito and his music are finally able to hear the original mix of Blues Town. Mr. Killen has uploaded to YouTube a never-before-released music video for Blues Town that he and Rick Vito shot in the city of Nashville, Tennessee in 1996.

Not only do we get to hear the awesome original version of Blues Town but we get to see some of the many fantastic sights the city of Nashville has to offer. As you watch the video, you will see some landmarks that are world-famous including the Wildhorse Saloon and the "Batman Building" (yes, some locals really do call it that, it's really the AT&T Building).

In light of the struggles Nashville is currently dealing with, it's nice to see the city back in happier days.

So, set back and for the next three minutes and twenty-six seconds enjoy Ricks original version of Blues Town and a few sights around Music City.

Thank you, Michael Killen for sharing the video and thank you to Rick Vito for writing and performing this fantastic song!

Telephone: The Afghanistan Remake

The video below was posted on YouTube on April 23, 2010 by "malibumelcher". The caption to it reads: "This is a couple guys located in afghanistan, that re-made the music video by Lady Gaga....Telephone. Prepare yourself for a fantastical journey.
Right now this is the temporary version, we have more scenes to cut, and edit, however with guys always on mission it is harder to film than you think."

This video is awesome! I can't wait to see the final edit of this video!

Way to go, guys! I have to say this is my favorite Lady Gaga remake yet.