Harmonies? Check.
Strong guitar? Check.
An ability to hit the high notes? Check again.

And then, “All the Pretty Girls” was named song of the day. I was sold from the acapella intro. It gave a new song a classic feel and grabbed my attention immediately. Plus, while a song about relationship struggles isn’t a rarity in the musical world, one with an upbeat sound but emotionally charged lyrics is.  Frontman Ruess is upset that “all the pretty girls on a Saturday night” don’t measure up to the one he desires. The song, however, delivers an upbeat, carefree state of mind…which is exactly how individuals in this situation would like to come off.
The band lives up to its name. “All the Pretty Girls” is, in fact, fun. Don’t you think? You can find me at my desk, clapping along and melting at the harmonies.

Fun fact: lead singer Nate Ruess is an old member of The Format.  Throwback.

Fun fact #2: The Format was featured as song of the day in February.  If I don’t pay more attention, this will become the Nate Ruess show.

After a week of working and the onset of winter weather, picking a Friday appropriate song for today’s song of the day was beyond necessary.  However, seeing as I hate all things techno (peace, love and instruments forever), finding a relevant song of the day that most people would deem “Friday worthy” was a bigger challenge than I had anticipated.  A few days ago, I heard an ad on Spotify for Tonight’s the Night by Outasight.  I scribbled it down on my trusty notepad and moved on with my Monday song of the day.  It just didn’t seem like a title that would interest me in the beginning of the week.  Being that it’s the weekend and all, curiosity to listen to a song titled Tonight’s the Night peaked.

As the aforementioned techno-hater that I am, the beginning of the song made me question the choice…but as a victim for all things catchy, the “wooh wooh ooh ooh ooh ” had me sold.  Plus, the 80s feel the synthesizer pulls out here and there added brownie points (as did the singer’s sunglasses, obviously).  After a quick read on the info, I learned that this song made its way into the Pepsi Music Icons commercial.  Can’t say that I’ve seen it, but being featured in a Pepsi campaign certainly won’t hurt Outasight’s career.  Neither will the harmony during the words “we set it off” and the few moments of syncopation, as extreme predictability is a huge musical turn off.  Did I mention that I strongly dislike techno?

And…is it just me or does the chorus of Tonight’s the Night feel a bit similar to Tonight Tonight  by Rascal Flatts?  Maybe it’s the subject matter or my subconscious longing for summer, but Tonight Tonight started playing in my head as soon as the first run through of today’s song ceased.

PS: Feel free to leave a few more Friday appropriate songs in the comments.

Today’s song of the day was a pretty quick find.  Since my life on Tuesdays at 7pm is dedicated to Glee, finding this song took absolutely no effort at all.  I’d go so far as to say it fell into my lap.  I didn’t have to dig, prod, click around or even touch my headphones.

I don’t even think it really requires much of an intro, but I’ll give you this.  This week’s Glee  focused on mashups and friendly competitions between McKinley High’s two glee clubs, New Directions and the Trouble Tones.  Each group was challenged to come up with a mashup and perform it to the opposing group.  The Trouble Tones took on an Adele mashup of Someone Like You (Santana) and Rumour Has It (Mercedes).

Both songs are amazing already, but together? Well, you’ll see.

As much as we might like to base our view of love off of the countless chick flicks that we’ve all seen, finding love isn’t always as simple (or perfect) as Hollywood leads us to believe.  Finding someone may not happen during the height of your happiness, while wearing your best outfit, surrounded by your fabulous entourage.  We’re human.  We experience things, both good and bad.  These experiences impact our lives and our relationships, whether we like it or not.

What about the individuals who find each other during a low point?  They may help each other crawl out of the dark, and develop a deep set connection based off of similar experiences.  Dallas Green, the lead singer and songwriter of City and Colour (get it?), uses his hypnotic voice to describe just that in We Found Each Other in the Dark.  The seductive drawl of the song becomes apparent by the time the first downbeat hits.

“I heard the church bells from afar. And we found each other in the dark. And when the smoke does finally pass, we will rise above all the ash. Cause we’re gonna live at last”

Initially promising to live at last, Green makes it clear that these individuals are not in a state of perfection.  Shame on them for being human.  However, by the end of the song, and after commenting on their fight to survive and convalesce, he states: “we’re gonna live like the rest.”  Since I love a good story about the success of underdog (and who doesn’t enjoy a good love story), this song become an immediate favorite.

The simple concept of finding each other in the dark is much more likely to be a shared human experience than, say, love at first sight.

Recognize the name City and Colour? Could be because I drooled over them at Lollapalooza and wasn’t afraid to blog about it…

Let’s get past the obvious point, shall we? Bruno Mars sings with a sense of ease that many artists would kill for.  His tone is pure, and it makes girls melt across the country.  That could easily be why “It Will Rain” was chosen to be a part of the Breaking Dawn – Part 1 soundtrack…well, that or the song would go perfectly with a reflective moment by a brooding Jacob.  While the answer is probably the latter, it doesn’t impact the quality of the song.

Hearing a new song on the radio that isn’t tainted with predictability and doesn’t threaten to give me a fit of seizures is beyond refreshing.  I mean, I think I even hear an instrument or two.

(Final thought: is it only me, or does Bruno’s voice sound a bit like Taylor Hanson’s at times?  I don’t hate it.)

The signs are everywhere. You know that looming project you attack head on for a few weeks, and suddenly you just…fall off the face of the Earth? Progress stops, and the guilt begins almost immediately.  That’s exactly what has happened here. My last song of the day was in August. I’ve been motivated. I’ve had ideas. They’re written on pale yellow post-its and bits of paper, which have scattered themselves across my desk and nightstand, or taken up residency in a dark corner of one of my bags. I carry bits of this blog with me everywhere I go. Literally.

“Bennie alternated between the Sleepers and the Dead Kennedys, San Francisco bands he’d grown up with.  He listened for muddiness, the sense of actual musicians playing actual instruments in an actual room. Nowadays that quality (if it existed at all) was usually an effect of analogue signaling rather than bona fide tape…”

I have a problem, and I’m ready to admit it.  When I don’t completely “get” a musicians fame, I make it clear. (Sorry to all members of the Dave Matthews cult…no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you explain the experience, no matter how many sax solos you try to talk about,  I. don’t. get it.) I certainly wouldn’t put Coldplay on the same level, because I actually enjoy some of their songs, but I’m just not a fan of Grammy winning musical thieves.  After the Viva La Vida accusation, I had to write off Coldplay.

But then, NBC’s The Voice came along.  For those of you who know me, or have read enough of my posts, you know that American Idol is what coaxes me out of the comfort of my bed each morning.  With my love for all things similar, I thought The Voice would become my new off season thing.  Sorry, but it has been determined that I can only dedicate multiple hours a week to one singing competition show, and one singing competition show only.  This doesn’t mean I didn’t notice Javier Colon.

Colon’s voice rang out above the rest in all of the previews, and it is simple to see why he won.  His effortless tone gives me goosebumps each time he starts to sing.  This song is no different.  Completely effortless and pitch perfect? Ummm, why wasn’t this my song of the day earlier?

Colon’s cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You” results in one thing: chills.

Thanks for the song, Tyler!

Initially, I wanted to feature a Smith Westerns song after I was told they were due to take the stage during the collapse.  However, the tweet from the group stating: “Stage collapsed max almost got crushed by the tress, I hope pukkelpop has insurance bc all our shit is broke” turned me off to the idea.  They later tweeted “Praying no-one got hurt.”

Instead, Explosions in the Sky, another act that was supposed to perform at Pukkelpop today, will be featured.  A somber song titled Your Hand in Mine seemed a bit more appropriate for the occasion.

Thoughts are being sent to all of the victims’ families as well as hopes that all injured recover.

The recently attacked Gavin DeGraw has been through a lot lately.  Getting jumped in New York City resulted in the cancellation of some of his shows so he could properly recover.  Luckily, I know just what he needs: a song of the day feature.  Sure, I’ve heard this a time or two, and may have listened to it on repeat for an extended period of time, but cut me a break – the guy is hurting.

Co-written by OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, “Not Over You” showcases the artistic strain of DeGraw’s voice and features the strong piano line that has gotten Tedder to where he is today.  Here’s hoping there’s another DeGraw – Tedder collaboration in the very near future.

Sorry for the short post.   I needed to click “replay,” and quite frankly, I believe the song speaks for itself.

Slight exaggeration.  All joking aside, being able to experience a weekend full of music in the heart of Chicago made me realize one thing.  It’s time to get back on this bandwagon and keep up with the musical world.  How to start?  A legitimate and (kind of) timely recap of the musical happenings of the weekend.

Muse - Music Unlimited - 8.5.11

Friday

The first day of any new experience comes with a flurry of different emotions.  In the case of Lollapalooza, excitement, nervousness, the inability to sit still and ecstasy come to mind.  The day technically began at noon, but because I have a fear of using vacation days, Lollapalooza didn’t get started until around 4:00pm.

First up – Two Door Cinema Club.  This was an obvious first choice as the lead singer has red hair.  The group put on a solid show and had good interactions with the crowd.  Since I didn’t come to the event with a grasp on their discography, I used part of their set to look around, get accustomed and people watch.  I did, however, walk away thinking that I needed to research the group a bit once the weekend was done.

Tinie Tempah: Sound familiar? British rapper Tinie Tempah blew up in the U.S. when his song Written in the Stars hit radio waves. (He might also sound familiar since he was featured on HauteThought in March.)  A two time BRIT award winner and proud member of the Billboard Top 100, Tinie Tempah understood how to get the crowd involved and play to their excitement.  With multiple shoutouts and compliments to the city and people of Chicago, it’s no wonder those at the Google+ stage had their hands up and heads moving throughout the entirety of his set.

Tinie Tempah - Google+

Muse: Generally speaking, a truly entertaining musician has the ability to perform while interacting with the audience just enough to keep it interested in not only the music, but also in the performer himself.  In other cases, the music speaks for itself.  Muse happens to fall under the latter group of stage dwellers.  Matthew Bellamy’s haunting voice filled the entirety of Grant Park on Friday night and certainly didn’t disappoint.  Within the first few notes of the opening song, the audience was captivated – something that takes many artists an entire set to do.

Saturday

Eminem - 8.6.11

Super Mash Bros.:  DJing is rapidly sneaking its way into mainstream music.  Thousands of people line up to see these technicians distort sounds, create mixes, operate turn tables and amp up the energy level in any room.  Super Mash Bros was no exception.  Creating mixes that included songs from Justin Bieber to Journey to Darude’s Sandstorm, this show was the best way to dance off the calories consumed earlier in the day and relive high school dance days, complete with dancing teenagers, of course.

Death From Above 1979: During the walk to the Bud Light stage, the group I was with ranted and raved about Death From Above 1979.  I hadn’t included them on my “must see” list, so I was anxious to see what I was missing.  Truthfully, I could have skipped this act and been fine.  Our group decided to use the hour for photo shoots, catching up, and re-living the past day, resulting in having a live band as not much more than background music.

Patrick Stump: Lead singer of Fallout Boy Patrick Stump has gone solo.  Hailing from a suburb of Chicago, Ill., Stump enchanted the audience with This City, an anthem to the city he’s from with a sample from Chicago native Lupe Fiasco.  While Lupe didn’t make an appearance for Stump’s set, he was able to get the audience to sing along in the anthem to Lollapalooza’s home.  Stump’s set was performed on the BMI stage, a more intimate setting with Buckingham Fountain and the skyline as a backdrop.

Cee-Lo Green:  Ever since the line up was released, I became beyond excited to see Cee-Lo’s performance.  I, along with the rest of the country, had an obvious obsession with F*ck You.  I have since discovered some of his more soulful pieces and couldn’t wait to hear them live.  Cee-Lo is an artist with a truly different voice for this generation of music.  His R&B vibe and sassy stage presence were sure to team up for an unbeatable set.  How did I feel after the last note was sung? Let down.  Cee-Lo performed on the stage Eminem would be visiting next and the area was already starting to fill up with spot claimers.  Defeated by the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, Cee-Lo performed his set without much oompf…but he didn’t miss a note.

Cee-Lo Green - 8.6.11

Eminem: Quite possibly the most anticipated act of Lollapalooza 2011, Eminem took on the stage without a shadow of doubt.  He started a bit slow, with limited interaction with the audience resulting in a more mellow camaraderie.  Screams from the audience were greeted with an enunciated “Chi-caaa-GO” from Eminem.  Once he began interacting with the audience and truly putting on a show, all bets were off and the environment amped up immediately.  Talk of his sobriety stood as the turning point, as Eminem claimed that he wanted to drink with Chicago, grabbed a handle of vodka and took a swig.  Streams of “vodka” began pouring out of his jacket as he vowed to continue to stay sober, and started introducing older songs from a time before his sobriety.  The audience went wild and in that instance, Eminem gained complete command of the stage.

Eminem - 8.6.11

Sunday - “Mudapalooza”

It is important to note that on Sunday, Lolla go-ers transformed from music lovers to drowned rats.  Two separate rain showers pelted down on the scene, drenching anything that stood in its way.  The result? An extremely muddy environment where only the most dedicated survived – and an amazing day, overall.

City and Colour - 8.7.11

City and Colour: Looking at my initial schedule now, I see that I marked City and Colour and highlighted a couple of their songs.  However, after 2 days of concerts and a limited amount of sleep, parts of my schedule escaped my mind a bit.   We wandered to City and Colour on a whim and all became enthralled.  Congratulations, you have 3 new fans.  Lead singer Dallas Green’s raspy yet raw and beautiful voice easily stands as one of the most impressive parts of the weekend.  The group’s dedication to music in general became clear when they asked the crowd to put away all cameras and cell phones during a more emotional song and told them to simply experience the moment.  What an organic way to start a day reminiscent of rainy, muddy Woodstock.

Sam Adams: In absolutely no offense to Sam Adams and his set, the biggest thing I remember about his performance is mud, rain, mud, mud and more mud.  Trains of mud monsters as well as crowd surfing mud-caked concert goers were constant passersby during this set.  While the environment and weather stand as the most exciting part of the Sam Adams show, it was an unforgettable experience and I would gladly do it again if I could.

City and Colour audience - 8.7.11

Thank you, Lollapalooza, for reuniting me with my love for music and reminding me why I started this blog in the first place.