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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Elvis Costello

  • Morning Tunes

    Morning Tunes

    Here in Germany, it’s cold and dark in the morning until after 8:00am during the winter months. Sometimes morning tunes are the only way to get my eyes to open.

    So what are my favorite morning tunes? I’d say it depends on my mood. Some mornings, I prefer something energetic and loud. For instance, this morning I’ve got Earth, Wind, & Fire’s classic 1981 album Raise! playing on my computer. There’s something about Philip Bailey’s soaring falsetto and heavy electric guitars that was on my mind this morning. So the first song I decided to play was “Evolution Orange”, which is a song that is kind of special to me. Back in the mid 90s, I was still somewhat interested in trying to be fit and used to jog to this album. “Evolution Orange” is a great song for running. Sadly, I can’t find a video for it on YouTube. Just so you know, finding videos in Germany is harder than it is in the United States because Germany is a lot stricter about content sharing and copyright enforcement.


    I did, however, find a video of “Let’s Groove”, which is from the same album.

    Some mornings, I’m in a more low key mood and prefer something less energetic. I especially prefer these calmer songs when I’m working on something that requires intense thought. When that happens, there’s no telling what I’ll end up playing. A little Phil Coulter when I need to think is a good thing…


    Phil Coulter’s version of “Going Home”…

    When I worked as a technical writer in South Carolina, I used to listen to a lot of Eden’s Bridge in the morning. Eden’s Bridge is a Christian band from Ireland. I am not particularly religious; I just really like good music. Eden’s Bridge is comprised of very talented musicians and they play beautiful and often original Celtic style music. I found it easy to think and create when listening to them play, so I’d often wear a pair of headphones while writing passages about how certain chronic diseases were trending in the state of South Carolina.


    I probably would have chosen an original tune to post here, but again, it’s hard to do that in Germany! Besides, I do like Eden Bridge’s spiritual rendition of “Awesome God”. It’s not cheesy… it’s Celtic!

    If I’m feeling more secular and need something good for thinking, I might choose something by Zero 7 or Dead Can Dance. They’re also great choices for when I need “evening tunes”.


    Zero 7’s “In the Waiting Line”. This song is both sexy and sort of clinical. It’s great for thinking.


    Dead Can Dance never gets old, though “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” has been around since 1993.

    And then there are the mornings when I’m feeling both soulful and energetic. I may reach for Ray Charles… or Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint.


    I miss Ray Charles. He was just brilliant. At least I can listen to him sing “Oh What A Beautiful Morning”.

    Seriously… I wasn’t even thinking of Ray Charles before I started writing this post and watching the above video just put a big smile on my face. Ray Charles was just an amazing entertainer and musician.


    Elvis Costello and Allen Touissant are a winning pair, especially in the morning.

    And finally, there’s Lenny Kravitz and his Led Zeppelinesque “Are You Gonna Go My Way”…


    This song never fails to get the blood pumping.

    I think there’s definitely a good reason why morning news shows play rock songs during their broadcasts. They are a great way to get going in the morning. On a totally unrelated note, once again I’m realizing how eclectic my musical tastes are. You never know whats going to be playing at my house.

  • Chart Chat 6/10/09: The GrooGrux King is On the Throne

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    It’s a good week to be Dave Matthews. His band’s album “Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King” makes a grand entrance at the top of the Billboard charts this week. DMB scores the 3rd biggest first week of the year (behind Eminem and U2), with over 424,000 folks picking the album up last week. It’s DMB’s fifth consecutive album to debut at #1 on the charts. Interesting to note that the three biggest sales weeks of the year have come from veterans, all with over 10 years in the industry. Are newer artists just not coming with good music, or is there just a different concept of fan loyalty with the newer generation?

    It’s a pretty big week for debuts, with 311’s new “Uplifter” coming in at #3, the supergroup Chickenfoot at #6, and the new one from Taking Back Sunday right behind at #7. Rancid’s return to the indie label world nets them a #11 debut, Elvis Costello pops in at #13, and Mitchel Musso (I don’t know who he is, but I guess I’ll find out) enters at #19.

    At this time last year, only one album had crossed the million-selling threshold (Jack Johnson’s “Sleep Through the Static”). In what must be good news for the ailing indistry, two albums have passed the million mark so far (Taylor Swift & the “Hannah Montana” movie soundtrack), and Eminem will jump past the million-sold mark next week.

    Speaking of Slim Shady, his much discussed incident with Sasha Baron Cohen wasn’t the only highlight of the MTV Movie Awards. Kings of Leon’s performance catapults them from #15 to #12 on a 50% increase in sales. This is the highest chart position yet for “Only by the Night”, which is already the band’s best selling album. Multiple award winner “Twilight”‘s soundtrack also shows some life, jumping two places to #15 on a 19% increase.

    Kings of Leon have the third biggest increase of the week, following singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson (with a 69% increase) and British soul singer James Morrison, whose sales jump a whopping 232% to send him back onto the chart for the first time in a couple of months.

    Is it too early to consider Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown” a flop? I mean, in this day and age any album that crosses Gold territory in four weeks can’t be a total failure, but I think the general consensus is that better sales out of the gate were expected following the success of “American Idiot”. New single “21 Guns” is right in the pocket of pop and rock radio, so I wouldn’t count these guys out yet.

  • New Release of the Week 6/2/09: Dave Matthews Band

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    “Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King” is a bit of an unwieldy title, eh? It’s the DMB’s first album of new material in four years and also their first album since the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore last summer. As one would expect from Dave and co., the album is rumored to be as celebratory as it is melancholy. A lot of folks were a little put off by the extra-glossy production of ’05’s “Stand Up”, and the addition of producer Rob Cavallo (Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day) should muddy the sound back up (of course, this is all relative). All of this to say, I’m super stoked, probably more than I’ve been about any release so far this year. So while I’ll be standing in line for this album, there are several others that you may be looking for in addition to or instead of “Big Whiskey”. Here are a couple of highlights.

    311 Uplifter: These guys came in on the big Sublime ska/punk wave of the mid-Nineties, and nine albums later, they’re still going strong. “Uplifter” is their first album in four years (I guess that’s a theme this week). They’ve already got a hit at modern rock radio with “Hey You”. While the title is indicative of the band’s peace and love vibe, the album was produced by Bob Rock, most famous for producing Metallica, so “Uplifter” should have a pretty interesting sound.

    Taking Back Sunday New Again: Are these guys the biggest emo band in the country? Assuming that Fall Out Boy is now a traditional rock band more than they are an emo outfit, I guess they are. This is the Long Island band’s fourth album overall, and their first since 2006 (OK, so four years is not a running theme). Quotes from various band members have pegged this album as being somewhat experimental, it’ll be interesting to see if their fans stay aboard.

    Elvis Costello Secret, Profane & Sugarcane: On his umpteenth label, Mr. MacManus returns barely a year after his last album, “Momofuku” (where does he come up with these album titles?). The album was produced by Grammy-winner T-Bone Burnett and has a bit of a rootsier sound than we’re used to from Costello, dipping a toe in genres ranging from country to blues.

    Chickenfoot Chickenfoot: I’ll admit, I included this album just because I love the band name. Who is Chickenfoot, you are probably asking? Well, it’s a supergroup, featuring guitar god Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, bassist Michael Anthony of Van Halen, and the inimitable Sammy Hagar on vocals. These guys formed after playing together at a Hagar concert, and reunites former Van Halen members Hagar and Anthony for the first time in the better part of a decade. No word on whether one of the album’s tracks is called “Suck It, Eddie”.

    Get your full list of this week’s new releases right here.