Top 5 Favorites

A Little Spin Off

2005-05-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Since graduation is drawing near and my college career is coming to an end. I thought I'd give you guys a few more Top 5 lists to think about:

Top 5 Favorites Things about the University of Delaware:
1. Grotto's $2 22 oz Miller Lights all day every day, oh how I've loved you
2. My girl friends and some boyfriends that were lost along the way
3. Thursday night OC festivities with the girls
4. Sunday nights at Deerpark
5. All the incredible eateries

and now...Top 5 Worst Things about the Unversity of Delaware:
1. Living like a poor college kid in gross apartments
2. Doing group projects
3. Waking up everyday only to go to another dreaded class...or not going then feeling guilty
4. They do nothing to help their Marketing students get jobs (I don't want to be in a Management Training Program)
5. Bars close at 1 am

alas, this is the end of the road for this blog. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Zooma Tour

2005-05-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

As I posted earlier Ben Harper and Trey Anastasio are headlining the Zooma Tour which is a Bonnaroo event. They just posted some of the dates, venues, and have put out a list of the other bands.

Dates:
Thursday June 16: Tweeter center (excellent venue) in Camden, NJ and prices are between $32 and 47 and tickets go on sale tomorrow May 7 at 12pm.

Friday June 17: Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD

Friday July 1: Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA. (fun venue HUGE, I saw DMB there)

Friday July 8: PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ

that's it near me, but check out the website for other venues
Zooma Tour website

Artists:
Trey Anastasio, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Jurassic 5, Medeski Martin & Wood, Toots & the Maytals, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ray Lamontagne, Galactic, The Black Keys, Gomez, Donavon Frankenreiter, Brazilian Girls, and Xavier Rudd

Ben Harper Updates

2005-05-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Since it seems like the most popular of my favorite albums seems to be Ben Harper's I want to tell you about his more recent stuff.

He had an album released in 2004 called "There Will be a Light" that won Grammys for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album and Best Pop Instrumental Performance featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama. I havent heard it in its entirety but I did listen to some samples on his website. Pretty good.

This past March he released a live album "Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama Live at the Apollo." It seems hes on a gospel kick. Have heard zero of this album. Still waiting for someone else to buy it so I can burn it.

I've added both of these albums on my blog for you to purchase and let me borrow!

Tour Dates

2005-04-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Heres info on the artists' summer tours

Beck: European Tour starting in May and going till the middle of June. So if you're in England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, Switzerland, or Italy during that time, check him out.

Damien Rice: does not have any dates planned for the remainder of 2005

Ben Harper: Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals are co-headlining the Zooma Tour with Trey Anastasio (former lead singer of Phish). Dates have not been scheduled yet, but it runs from June 16 to July 31. Check for updates here: Zooma Tour website

Grateful Dead: Obviously with the passing of Jerry Garcia, the Dead no longer tours all together. Most have become leads of other bands or tour by themselves, all singing original Dead songs in their line up.

Mickey Hart has recently teamed up with Paticle and are now touring under the name Hydra (clearly a pot reference). They are currently touring now and have dates until May 1. Unfortunately their dates have already passed for our area, they actually played last night in DC.

Bob Weir and his band Ratdog are also touring. They're playing in DC on April 26 and 27 and in Philly on the 30 at Electric Factory. Additional Tour Dates and Info

Phil Lesh and Friends already toured this year but he's doing some book signing tour for his book "Searching For the Sound" that was released on April 18 detailing his life with the legendary band.

Cat Stevens: The former Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, does not tour anymore however he released a new song last month under his new Islamic name titled Indian Ocean to support the children affected by last year's tsunami...maybe there's an album in the works. His website reports that this song "holds the promise of a fantastic return to secular music". I'm excited, and the song's pretty good. Download it from: itunes or MSN music

Beck's Got a New Album

2005-04-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

At the end of March Beck released a new album titled, Guero. I haven't heard any of it yet except I did catch one of his acts on Saturday Night Live this past Saturday. It was pretty good, the old Beck seems to be back and out of his depression. He had one dancer with him doing all sorts of strange moves, but rocking out nonetheless. It was pretty fun to watch. Right now he is touring in Europe and will be finishing up the tour in June. I can't very well give reviews to an album I've never heard..but here are what some other listeners thought:

Reviews:

"'Guero' isn't guano. It's a pretty decent album from Beck. It sounds like 'Odelay' with Spanish influences or "Midnight Vultures" toned down for a midnight drive. Catchy 'E-Pro' opens things up and a paean to "my Southern girl" continues the low-key hookiness." -Christopher Schmitz

"Guero is good. Every time I play it, the first track hooks me right in. And from song to song, it's fun to listen to. The sounds are eclectic and original: In 'Scarecrow' for example, you can hear the sound of crows put through an echo machine. 'Rental Car' uses a clavinet borrowed from the Doors. 'Black Tambourine' uses a subdued swing beat, which transitions nicely into a guitar riff. It's awesome." -Jeff Preshing

The Arista Years by Grateful Dead

2005-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Arista Years by Grateful Dead is a two-disc compilation of songs from 1977 to 1990, released in 1996. My favorite cd is definitely disc 2 because it has two of my favorite Dead songs: Throwing Stones and Black Muddy River. This is a good representation of the Grateful Dead because it covers so many years. This entire album is studio versions, so some fans don't think it's true Dead music, but I like it. Good mix.

Reviews:

"Even considering the number of years this cd covers, it is still an exceptional representation of arguably their best work." -Dustin Stone

"Look... if you LOVE the Dead, I mean really LOVE them... then you're way past this collection. This is a great sampling of a large part of the band's catalog, and I would say anyone who is looking for a good "1st" Dead listen... YES this is a good collection. From here though, you will want to go out and get all the albums that this CD takes its songs from." -Mitchell Manzella

Album Info: Grateful Dead Website Album Info.

Buy it Here: can get it from amazon.com below

Fight for Your Mind by Ben Harper

2005-04-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Fight for Your Mind by Ben Harper is his third album released in 1995. I was introduced to this album when I was in high school and got hooked, not only to this album but all Ben Harper's music. He is such a wonderful musician (plays several types of guitars) with a low raspy voice. This record reveals how original his music is (this was before he gave in to pop culture ie. Steal My Kisses). Each song carries a different vibe and Ben Harper was quoted saying, "Music is led to your emotions." I saw him and his posse, The Innocent Criminals (not on this record), at the Electric Factory in Philly in 1998 and it was hands down one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time, up there with Tom Petty and Eric Clapton. If you're not familiar with his music you may recognize "Burn One Down" (the pro-pot ditty) and "Excuse Me Mr." that appeared on one of the Music for our Mother Ocean compilations. I think this album appeals to everyone no matter what type of music you like.

Reviews:

"I keep thinking this is Ben Harper's best cd. It's a blend of soul and great songs. This cd will take you for a ride of songs that are different from each other and that bear Ben's soul in them. I have realized that what makes Ben Harper's music so special is the amount of pleasure you can feel he put in writing and singing his songs. It's all there. This is one of my collection's best. Highly, really, highly recommended." -Fabian Kelso

"For real, this album really is all it's cracked up to be. While his other efforts are good, this is Ben Harper at the heighth of his creative powers. I dismissed Ben Harper as a flavor of the month until I heard this -- I couldn't have been more wrong." -Georgia Expat

Buy it Here: Amazon..look down and to your left

The Very Best of Cat Stevens by Cat Stevens

2005-03-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

The Very Best of Cat Stevens is a compilation of Cat Steven's greatest hits. This is his best greatest hits album because it has all my favorite songs on it. It has hits from the late 60s to late 70s, so there is a wide variety of Cat. It has 20 tracks on it so there is something for all Cat fans. I started listening to Cat Stevens even before I knew who he was. It's those "oldies" that everyone knows the words to but has no idea who sings it, like Wild World and Peace Train. It's funny now when I have the cd on in the car, my friends who don't know him think it's a cover album. But no, it's the real deal. Thanks to Sheryl Crow people think "First Cut is the Deepest" is her original, horrible.

Reviews:
"This is, in effect, every one of the rocker's finest hits from "Wild World," to "Peace Train". Each song touches the heart and stirs emotions within the listener, some of the work even powerful enough to bring one to tears as it did me with songs like "Oh Very Young," and "Father and Son," both heartwarming, scerine tale of growing old as life passes us by. Other songs like the acoustic "The Wind," "Morning Has Broken," and my favorite, "Sitting," are all amazing, spiritual revelations, showing the true and pure essence of Cat Stevens and his love for life." -Spencer Pennington

"As his music progresses through his other albums he continues to explore the world and relationships while searching for his own path. "Morning has Broken" is a hymm he found in a religous section of a bookstore that he arrainged and recorded. Moonshadow is nice and catchy, if not a little morbid. Also his last album really demostrates his final conversion and the sense of awareness and acceptance he found within. If you only buy 1 Cat Stevens CD, this is it!" -Archie Mercer

Buy it Here: Amazon..click on the ad

O by Damien Rice

2005-03-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

The album O by Damien Rice is incredible. It is one of my newest favorites. I heard the song "The Blower's Daughter" in the film Closer (which is also amazing) and fell in love with it. So for Christmas I got the album and have been listening to it non-stop, i bring it everywhere. This is the first studio album from the up-and-coming Irish artist that was released in 2003. When I first heard it, I thought it was a narrative album, you know music that follows a story. But when you actually listen to the lyrics, the songs revolve around all sorts of things; love, life, dreams, drunkeness. It has a folk-type sound to it, instrumental but very Irish-inspired, could be compared to some Tom Waits songs. I got the album in December and rarely has it since left my stereo. Definitely check it out.

Visit: Damien Rice Website

Reviews:
"I impulsively bought the CD today and I can tell you that it's not coming out of my CD player for a long time. I think he fits in the contemporary-folk category -- the sound reminds me of old Van Morrison, and I don't think that's just cuz he's also Irish. It's a really rich sound, his voice seems almost confessional. It's good heartbreak music, the kind of CD where you don't want to do anything else while it's playing, just listen." -Stefanie

"The sound of the album is basically a good-looking Irish man with a guitar singing songs of extreme melancholy but with immense passion and dedication. His style is distinctive and fresh in an industry flooded with watered-down pop and R'n'B radio-fodder, and from the first song I heard on this album I was hooked. Damien Rice, ladies and gentlemen, is the saviour of the modern music industry." -Jagged Little Teenager

Listen to it here: BandBuilder.com

Buy it here: Amazon..make me some $

Sea Change by Beck

2005-03-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

Sea Change is Beck's seventh album that was released in 2002. It's really slow and mellow has a folk instrumental sound to it. All songs are about his break up with his ex-girlfriend. Not a good one to listen to if you want a "pick me up", but definitely good to fall asleep or do work to. Great music, lyrics, a little sad. I like it because it's so different from his other stuff. Beck's generally good..but this is really impressive. Not for everyone, have to really like it.

Reviews:
"I have discovered that in the most unusual musical way that Sea Change is actually addicting. I would put a label on this CD: Warning, may be habit forming! I see that it has been referred to as a downer, a bummer, that Beck is in transition from some dark place. Do not let that steer you off course from Sea Change. The music just takes you along on this sea of sensation, and not once have I felt brought down by it. Infact it seems to put me at ease, as if I have surrendered my anxiety."

"The music is deceptively simple and beautiful. The wackiness of Beck's previous efforts is gone and the blatant weirdness is replaced by an backward sincerity. Musically and lyrically, this album is very real. The music creates a soft bed upon which Beck's voice floats over, lands on, and sinks into. The vocal performance is in stark contrast to the "heartfelt" pop-vocal performances of today. Beck is whispering his sorrows in our collective ear, rather than screaming at us. It is a very bold and personal effort." -Brooks Williams

Listen to it here: http://www.beck.com/preview/index_song.html
Buy it here: look down

Album List

2005-02-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

In no particlar order, here are my favorite albums:

1. Sea Change by Beck
2. O by Damien Rice
3. The Very Best of Cat Stevens by Cat Stevens
4. Fight for Your Mind by Ben Harper
5. The Arista Years Disc 2 by Grateful Dead

Music is Vital

2005-02-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

Music has always been a very important part of my life. It seems like every event in life is chronicled by music, and I want to share with you my top five favorite albums of all time.