I couldn’t sleep last night as I was in the enthralls of a particularly stubborn sinus infection so I was begrudgingly flipping through late night television when I came across Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. I’m not a fan of Jimmy Fallon (his incessantly shifty and nervous behavior causes me anxiety) but I stopped channel surfing due to finger fatigue and found myself struck by the originality and authenticity of Joanna Newsom’s performance. I made a mental note this afternoon to see if last night’s over the counter drug binge (resulting in a semi-hallucinogenic state) temporarily clouded my musical palate. Definitely unique…Joanna’s latest album, Have One On Me, hit stores on February 23, 2010.
A great way to discover new music is to start with a band/album you enjoy and utilize Amazon’s user purchase trend data to follow what folks worldwide are listening to that dig similar music. I came across New York-based The Bravery via this method and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to their discography’s Punk/New Age blend over the past few weeks. Their latest album, Stir The Blood, dropped on December 1, 2009.
This is old news but, in case you’re not aware, Tom Brokaw does an excellent job of explaining the relationship between Canada and The United States, in a pre-recorded short film that aired on NBC, prior to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on February 12th, 2010.
The Sterephonics’ last few albums have been hit or miss but the bands’ seventh album (titled Keep Calm and Carry On, released on November 16, 2009) sees them back at the top of their game again. The album’s debut single was Innocent (see first video below). The second single from the album, Could You Be The One?, will be released on February 15, 2010 (see second video below from Later…with Jools Holland):
Bono, Edge, Jay-Z and Rhianna performing Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) live at “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief,” hosted by George Clooney, Wyclef Jean, and Anderson Cooper to raise funds for earthquake relief. Too bad Bono’s microphone volume was too low during chorus.
Added U2 Concert Album to?Picasa Web Albums. I have been a dedicated U2 fan since the early 90’s when I got into Achtung Baby so this mini-review is more than a little biased. I caught U2 live in Toronto during the PopMart Tour in 1997 but, due to varying circumstance, regret not being able to attend their last few tours. There was a lot of fuss in the media with regards to the 360? stage concept and it’s been widely reported that U2 won’t break even on this tour until mid-2010 which, if nothing else, demonstrates their commitment to putting on a good show (and /or poor business sense). However, in my opinion, the 360? stage with all it’s bells and whistles, was a silent partner in the overall production and did not distract from the music. All in all, it was a great show that Lisa and I will remember for years to come. Below is some video footage we took of the concert.
Part I: U2 hitting the stage with Kingdom of Your Love (rumoured to be on potential U2 2010 summer album called “Songs of Ascent”) then breaking into Breathe off New Line on the Horizon (released February, 2009).
Part II: U2 finishing up Get On Your Boots from No Line on the Horizon (released February, 2009). Incidentally, this song was the lead single for the album (to mixed reviews) but it broke through in the 5 year-old demographic as Natalie was running around the house singing “let me in the sound” for a few weeks.
Part III: Bono injecting some “Torontoisms” into the concert between Magnificent and Beautiful Day.
Part IV: Arguably, one of the most fun parts of the show (for band and audience alike) with remix of I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.
I bumbled across Carolina Liar on Amazon the other night and enjoyed “I’m Not Over” off their debut album Coming To Terms (2008) so I grabbed the entire album and it’s a good listen.
I highly recommend Taken (starring Liam Neeson) which was released for rental this week. It only scored 57% on Rotten Tomatoes but it’s well worth the 90-minute investment.
