Song of the Day - I Wonder What You're Doing for the Rest of Your Life - train, feat. Marsha Ambrosius

Here's a happy song for a happy day!

Song of the Day - You + Me - You + Me, Feat. P!nk and Dallas Green

Here's something that I've wanted to talk about for a couple of weeks now. Almost three weeks ago now, P!nk announced that she'd been working on a new project, You + Me, with Canadian musician Dallas Green (Nope, I've never heard of him either!), and simultaneously released the first single, also titled You + Me.  

Though there's not so so much out there about Rose Ave., the project's first album being released on October 14th, but word is it's a folk album.  This should not be surprising to P!nk fans, who's contributed many great songs that could be considered to belong in that genre (When We're Through, The One That Got Away...).  

Anyway, I, like probably many other P!nk fans out there, scratched my head as to why she'd follow up the awesome Truth About Love album with something so obscure as this.  It's a big risk, no doubt, but I am a bona fide P!nk fan and I believe she's simply doing it out of love for music and she's got enough respect that she can.  It did take me a little while to get this one, but get it I did, and if you haven't heard it yet, give it a chance.  I promise after a listen or two, you'll get it too!  It's really a beautiful song.  I am sure the rest of Rose Ave. is gonna be awesome!  Check out You + Me...

Song of the Day - Crazy - Ornette

I've been discovering lots of new stuff on Spotify lately that I would not ordinarily have found otherwise.  It has definitely become one of my main sources for new music.  I've found some nice gems over there, many of them of the chill/lounge genre, and here's one I found to be very appealing, chill through and through.  I really couldn't find anything on the artist, though it sounds like she's got a French accent....I dunno, but those French make some nice lounge music.  Anyway, check out Crazy and have a great day!

Song of the Day - Therapy - Mary J Blige

I am very excited about Mary J. Blige's newest project, The London Sessions.  The concept of the album is simple: delve into the famously talented and unique culture that exists on the other side of the Pond. specifically London, and to mine the local talents that do their thing over there and create a whole new MJB sound.  Intriguing, right?  Well, for the project, the singer lived and worked in London for about a month over the summer and collaborated with the likes of, as you can see above, Disclosure, Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith, and others.  Judging from this first single, I am eager to find out what the rest is going to sound like.

The debut single to from the project, which is due out late November/early December, is Therapy, co-written by Sam Smith. I liked it the first time I heard it...to me it's got kind of a beatnik vibe to it and of course Mary's vocals, which can do just about anything great, make it a killer of a tune and quite different from other things she's done.The song was released last Tuesday and you can get it on iTunes by clicking the link to the left.  In the meantime, check out Therapy...

Mary J. Blige - Therapy (Later With Jools... by BhamUrbanNewsUK

Flashback Friday Song of the Day - Marry You - Bruno Mars

I'm only reaching back three years for today's flashback because today is one special day that has been a long time coming and I couldn't think of a happier song to celebrate such an occasion.  You see, today I will be attending the wedding of Arnoldo and Jillian, two people who so deserve to be happy together.

I have a long history with these two, and even though I'm not a big fan of weddings, I am looking forward to this one.  I've written about Arnoldo and his family back when I was writing for the old Associated Content and Yahoo Voices.  When I first met this young man, he seemed to me to be one tough 16 year-old Guatemalan kid, with slicked back hair, arms folded and a great big scowl on his face. He didn't speak a word of English and he was registering to be in my class.  I was not looking forward to adding him to my roster of students.  That was almost eleven years ago.

I learned from that initial meeting with Arnoldo that first impressions are not always correct, as Arnoldo, his sister Mayela, and later on their brothers Jorge and Gerber, exemplified what it means to grab onto the American Dream and carry themselves as decent, hardworking human beings.  It was never their decision to come to the United States, but they understood their parents' decision to be a gift that would eventually bring them a life far better than they ever would have had in Guatemala, and I'm proud to know the four of them, who are not simply past students. They are a special part of my extended family that has grown to include Emily and Abigail, Jorge's other half and daughter.

Arnoldo and his siblings' journey to this point has not been an easy one.  Within a couple of years of entering the U.S., the four youngsters were left to their own devices by parents who in essence abandoned them.  Two of them, one being Arnoldo, were diagnosed with lupus and Arnoldo especially suffered through numerous and serious health issues.  But they all persevered.

A few years back, Arnoldo met the love of his life, Jillian, who worked in the same restaurant as he. I remember the first time I met Jill.  It was quite awhile after they had met, and of course I was a little apprehensive about meeting this 'new' member of the family.  The four kids had brought her to Patchogue, where I lived, and we all went out to dinner.  I liked her immediately.  Her love and devotion to Arnoldo was easily apparent, and I thought she was simply a sweetheart of a person who not only cared greatly for him, but all of the members of his family as well...just like me!

So after having postponed this celebration due to health issues, and I believe on more than one occasion, this wedding is finally happening.  After a daylong deluge of rain yesterday, the skies have cleared and it's a beautiful day...very appropriate!  So here's to Arnoldo and Jillian!  May you grow old together in nothing but happiness and joy, and may I continue to be a part of your lives for many years to come.

- Mr. M

   

Lily Allen at Terminal 5: A Lovefest!

I know I've been posting lots and lots of Lily Allen stuff all week, and for very good reason.  On Tuesday night I had the awesome experience of doing something that I never in a million years dreamed I'd be able to do, and that's to see her perform live in concert.  I was so excited that she was playing in New York that I didn't even care that I couldn't get anyone to come with me.  I went at it alone, and that was just fine because the experience was fantastic.

The venue was a new one for me, Terminal 5 on West 56th Street.  The place was nice, nicer than I expected, small and very intimate and with a very pleasant atmosphere.  The size of the venue only added to my excitement as I knew I'd catch really good views of the evening's star.  The show began precisely at 8 p.m. with opening act LolaWolf taking the stage delivering a 45 minute set of decent alterna-dance music and only about 20 minutes after they had finished, Lily took to the stage.

Been here before, so I'm prepared

Not gonna lie, I'm kinda scared

Lace up my gloves, I'm going in

Never let my kids watch me when I get in the ring

(Damn, I had no idea she played NYC in March!  I found this vid whilst looking for ones of the opening to Tuesday night's show, but both were bad quality.  Though the look of this one is very different from the show I attended, the energy from both the crowd and the singer are pretty much the same.  Mutual admiration and love!)

After a short musical intro, the familiar, slow and steady ha ha ha's of Sheezus began to blare out of the speakers as dancers, and then Lily, took to the stage to raucous cheers from the adoring audience. With a nod to her new-found motherhood, both the singer's red dress and the stage were adorned with baby bottles, a cool touch that is something that Lily's fans would totally get.   

For the next 90 minutes or so, Lily played an equal variety of familiar tunes from all of her three albums, 2006's Alright, Still, 2009's It's Not Me, It's You, and her current Sheezus.  The whole audience, including me, sang along to virtually every song with enthusiasm, from the country-twanged Not Fair to social commentary tunes like Everyone's At It and 22, the sunny Life For Me, LDN and probably the star's most identifiable hit, Smile, which the singer noted that it was the first song she'd ever written, almost ten years ago.  

Throughout the entire set, I was captivated!  Being in a space with 3,000 other folks who appreciate Lily Allen's wit and musical talent gave me a pure joy that's so rare an experience and I reveled in all of it.  The Brit songstress seemed to be both knowing and appreciative of the types of fans who are attracted to her and she, too, reveled in the happiness she was bringing to the fans, putting her mike out several times so she could hear us singing along to the saucy URL Badman, the zippy Late CMMR and the oh so seriously truthful, The Fear.   But aside from the momentous and fun finale, Hard Out Here, the performance of the evening came during her ode to the celebrated 2008 departure of former President George Bush, as the 6,000 middle fingers (and some pretty loud singing!) went to the air during the chorus of F**k You.    

Surely, a great time was had by all, especially me, and I've been listening to Lily ever since.  Oh, I'm sure it will wear off eventually, but for now I'll just keep listening and looking forward to another opportunity to see her again.  Cheers!

Song of the Day - LDN - Lily Allen

Yes, it has been two days now since I've seen Lily Allen in concert and I am still on that wonderful after-high that comes after a great show.  Here's a tune from her first album, Alright, Still, that I loved from the moment I heard it.  The song is called LDN, meaning 'London' and it's another example of what makes Lily so unique.  It was one of the tunes she performed the other night and you should definitely check out the video and the lyrics below...

LDN

Riding through the city on my bike all day

Cause the filth took away my license

It doesn't get me down and I feel okay

Cause the sights that I'm seeing are priceless

Everything seems to look as it should

But I wonder what goes on behind doors

A fella looking dapper and he's sittin' with a slapper

Then I see it's a pimp and his crack whore

You might laugh, you might frown

Walkin' round the mid town

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

When you look with your eyes

Everything seems nice

But if you look twice

You can see it's all lies

There was a little old lady, who was walkin' down the road

She was struggling with bags from Tesco

There were people from the city havin' lunch in the park

I believe that is called al fresco

When a kid came along to offer a hand

But before she had time to accept it

Hits her over the head, doesn't care if she's dead

Cause he's got all her jewelry and wallet

You might laugh, you might frown

Walkin' round the mid town

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

When you look with your eyes

Everything seems nice

But if you look twice

You can see it's all lies

Life

Yeah, that's city life

Yeah, that's city life

Yeah, that's city life

Life

Yeah, that's city life

Yeah, that's city life

Yeah, that's city life

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

Sun is in the sky

Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?

When you look with your eyes

Everything seems nice

But if you look twice

You can see it's all lies

When you look with your eyes

Everything seems nice

But if you look twice

You can see it's all lies

Read more: Lily Allen - Ldn Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Song of the Day - Hard Out Here - Lily Allen

Sometimes it's hard to find the words to say

I'll go ahead and say them anyway

Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits

It's hard, it's hard

It's hard out here for a bitch...

Oh yes, I am basking in the afterglow of another great concert performance!  I told you how excited I was yesterday to see Ms. Lily Allen in concert last night at Terminal  in NYC and boy did she live up to expectations!  Stay tuned for a review of the show coming soon, but in the meantime check out the first single off of her Sheezus album, which was featured as the grand finale at last night's performance.  Awesome!

Song of the Day - Not Fair - Lily Allen

I am psyched!  Tonight, for the first time ever, I am going to go and watch Lily Allen perform in NYC!  I don't ever remember her playing here before, but her latest album, Sheezus, has sent her to our shores, first as an opening act on Miley Cyrus' Bangerz Tour and now on her own doing smaller venues.  I've been a fan (as is my gal P!nk!) of this sassy Brit gal with such a clever edge, for a long, long time now and I can't wait to see her perform.

Here's a song I'm hoping she'll perform tonight.  Not Fair is one of my all time favorite Lily Allen tunes and is typical of her style: lighthearted music set to downright explicitness!  This one might be mistaken for a down home country song at first, but just take a listen to the lyrics.  They'll make you blush!  

Stay tuned for a review of the show soon!

Song of the Day - Fade Into You - Mazzy Star

Today is the first day of autumn, and after my post last night, I wanted to post a song that I believed fit both my mood and this new season.  Mazzy Star's one hit is such a melancholy tune it just makes you stare off into space when you listen to it.  So simply click play and venture off into space for a few minutes.  It'll do ya good!  Oh, and Happy Autumn!

My Autumn

Tomorrow is the first day of autumn, the inevitable lead-in to a dreaded, cold winter and the official end to the lazy, hazy days of summer.  Though it feels like summer really ended with Labor Day weekend, it's definitely been hanging around weather-wise, anyway.  Last year I had written a post called A Time For Dying, and though that piece was written for real loss, it also called into account the significance of the season.  Here's some of what I wrote...

Fall is a beautiful time of year, colorful leaves, a refreshing burst of brisk, fresh air, and Halloween.  Autumn is also a sad time, too.  It is the season when the flowers no longer bloom, the trees lose their leaves, and the cool air quickly turns to cold as a stark reminder of what's to come.  

The cycle of the year correlates so well with the cycle of life,  People are born into this world, into a conscious awakening, to live, to grow, and to learn.  The spring and summer of their lives are filled with naivete, promise, and hope, and soon enough autumn makes its appearance, giving way to a knowing maturity and a wealth of memories and experiences lived. Increasingly, though, the impending winter of our lives makes its presence known in the physicality of our experience. Aging is not all a pleasant process. 

I'm going to be turning 50 in just a couple of months.  My autumn!  It's been on my mind, for a long time now...probably since last year when I turned 49.  I don't feel 50, and I don't think I look it either, but I can't avoid it.  I can't, even though I'd like to.  I thought that by this time in my life I'd be in a far different place than I am right now, a place where I'd be sharing my life with someone special and enjoying more of the things that life has to offer,  More comfortable in the world.  Where did the time go?

I'm not going to go all depressed on you, though.  Lol.  My life is pretty darned good, despite whatever problems I may have, and I'm going to be 50 like I was 49 and 48 and so on... In other words, I'm going to continue to be me, forever young at heart (and hopefully in the looks department, too!)!  The impending change of seasons has gotten me a little down this weekend, can't you tell?  It's be only temporary, though.  There's a lot more of me to come, so if you're with me, stay tuned.

Here's how I finished that post from a year ago.  They're just some words of wisdom I have to keep reminding myself of every now and then....

No, autumn isn't really a time for dying.  But then again, it is.  The end can come in any season, and those of us who've reached our autumn should count our blessings at the lives we've been given so far.  The key is to cherish the memories, appreciate every moment in the present, and do all that you can do to make sure your controllable, physical endurance is nurtured and plan well for what may come.  No one really knows when time runs out, so make the most of it, no matter what season you're in!

  

Song of the Day - Waves - Mr. Probz

My face above the water 

My feet can't touch the ground, 

Touch the ground, and it feels like 

I can see the sands on the horizon 

Every time you are not around 

I'm slowly drifting away 

Wave after wave, wave after wave 

I'm slowly drifting (drifting away) 

And it feels like I'm drowning 

Pulling against the stream 

Pulling against the stream

I first shared this song back in July and I still haven't tired of it yet.  Between the raspy vocals of Dutch singer/songwriter Mr. Probz and the steady, rhythmic music track, this one's about as chill and relaxing as it gets.  It's a perfect song for a lazy Sunday...

Song of the Day - I Like You - Katy B

the guardian

It's a beautiful fall Saturday and my mind is wandering towards the city, more specifically clubs and dancing.  It's been such a long time!  Anyway, here's a dance music chick from the U.K. who's got a way about her.  I first discovered Katy B via Shazam while I was shopping for clothes one day last year and I've been hooked ever since.  All of her songs have this same type of hypnotic groove that's irresistible and oh so dance floor, and here's one of em...