Day 264 - Ellis Paul - Conversation With A Ghost

DAY 264
Ellis Paul – "Conversation With A Ghost”
From "Ellis Paul - LIVE"



Sometimes I have a hard time writing something about the songs that I pick. THIS would NOT be one of those times.

This song is very personal and special to me for 1 major reason. I actually was asked BY ELLIS PAUL himself to come up on stage and sing the female harmony vocal on this song WITH HIM! Now... think of your musical hero and think of how you would feel having that person ask you out of a large crowd of people to come up and sing with them during a concert... what an honor and privilege to experience. I will never forget his words... "You have been singing with me all night and you sound wonderful, get up here and sing this with me!"... he stopped not even a quarter way through the song and the crowd cheered... it was an amazing moment...I was so taken aback and so terrified that I would do a bad job that I drug my hubby up on stage with me for moral support, but it was one of the top 10 moments in my life.

Ellis is much more than a song writer and performer. He is genuine and a story teller. He crafts beauty and life and imagination with simple words. He believes in it, he draws you into the story and the music you feel almost as if the song had been built especially for you. That is a magical thing.

"Conversation With A Ghost" is a very personal song and quite lovely.

This YouTube clip depicts the song with Susan Werner as the backing vocalist assisting, however there is a certain magnificence in this clip of Ellis performing the song on his own as well...



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Day 263 - Kate Nash - Foundations

DAY 263
Kate Nash – "Foundations”
From "Made of Bricks"



I was instantly attracted to this song because of the lyrical content, specifically the clever line "My fingertips are holding on to the cracks in our foundation."

The writing is very creative, and I love the sound of her accent. I look forward to finding out more about her.

In the meantime, click here to watch the equally creative music video on YouTube

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Day 262 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)

DAY 262
Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Snow (Hey Oh)”
From "Stadium Arcadium"



This is another Red Hot Chili Peppers track that is just very chill and mellow. I love Anthony Kiedis' vocal on this song. He has such a unique voice and such amazing rhythm...

The bass and harmonies are so rich throughout the song. You can hear the classic RHCP sound ring true with each note.

I REALLY love the "AHHHHH YEAAAAH's" at the end of this track.... sexy....

The video is pretty awesome too!

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Day 261 - Paul Westerberg - Good Day

DAY 261
Paul Westerberg – "Good Day”
From "Eventually"



I guess it's a good day. That was all I was going to say about this song.... because it just fit my mood tonight.... and then I went to find a video of the song or somthing to that affect, and ran across something that made me think...

The video seen here uses "Good Day" as the soundtrack. It is a tribute to a woman who passed away at the age of 38 due to breast cancer. It seems pretty legit to me. And even if it isn't it still makes you think about how good of day today really was for many of us. Outside of anything that seems really horrible, at least we are living and breathing... and in most cases have that someone special in our life that make life worth living.

I am lucky enough to have a life pretty full of those special someones...

I guess it's a good day... :)

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Day 260 - Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - Wish It Would Rain

DAY 260
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – "Wish It Would Rain”
From "The Land of Pure Imagination"



This song is just cute and a lot of fun. It has a classic poppy vibe. Glenn and I discovered this song and were instantly addicted. We listened to it over and over. It is a feel good tune that just makes you mellow.

Roger Joseph Manning Jr. seems like a very fun and creative kind of guy. Very down to Earth in a crazy and wild way. Very passionate about his music. He really seems to give his all even to a smaller crowd.

Roger actually has played for/with a lot of great bands/performers as well... including Beck, Jellyfish, and Imperial Drag just to name a few... Check out Roger's website for more details.

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Day 259 - The Kooks - Do you love me still?

DAY 259
The Kooks – "Do you love me still?”
From "Inside In/Inside Out"



Ouch, missed a couple days.... had a couple shows to play and just too much going on in between to do my song pick... time to get back on track.

So, this track is interesting to me because it's a US only bonus track. That seems to be a fairly rare thing. More often you will find bonus tracks on import CD's so this is kind of a treat for the US to get the special goods so to speak.

We'll just assume that The Kooks are trying to make up for those times when we got screwed out of extra songs on the early Beatles releases. Hahaha! :)

Glenn and I listened to this whole CD on our way up to see my family for a birthday party and when this song came on I figured it was time I picked it cuz it always makes me happy to hear it.

Check out a scratchy lil recording of this song through this YouTube clip... no visuals, just audio.... ??? hmmm...

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Day 258 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge

DAY 258
Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Under The Bridge”
From "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"



"Under The Bridge", what an amazing song. I adore this song because it is such a great mix of a mellow and chill groove, but has a nice kick in as well. The lead in guitar riff is such a fantastic introduction.

I think this track really exposes the diversity of this group. Not only can they be mega funky, mixing in a little hip hop with their rockin' style, but they seriously nail it on these laid back type tracks too.

Check out the song and video on this YouTube clip. Check out Anthony's gorgeous hair! :P Good stuff!

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Day 257 - Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

DAY 257
Fleetwood Mac – "Dreams”
From "Rumours"



This is one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs. It seems to be very popular with the Karaoke crowd. I actually performed it at a Karaoke bar and it went over pretty well. Then I did an improv version of it with the Half Racks which wasn't very good, because I couldn't remember all of the lyrics, but that sure inspired me to learn the lyrics.

It's a fun song to sing, it's a fun song to listen to. I like it.

Click here to watch a live performance of "Dreams" from 1977 on YouTube.

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Day 256 - Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around

DAY 256
Wet Wet Wet – "Love Is All Around”
From "Part One"



This is a great cover of The Troggs song, "Love Is All Around", by an awesome Scottish band.

Wet Wet Wet was pretty well known in the UK, but not as much here in the states. This song did pretty well for them over here. The video even got a decent amount of air time. This song appeared on the "Four Weddings & A Funeral" soundtrack.

I love his vocal on this song, I adore the use of the strings, they really did this song justice. What was originally composed as a sweet mellow pop ballad, was transposed into bigger more gigantically orchestrated piece of music. I really enjoy their interpretation.

It has been so rainy out here the last 2 days and I am LOVING it! This song came on in the car when Glenn and I were driving to the movies. I thought the band was fitting as it has been very wet wet wet here... hahaha :P (We went and saw "Superbad" tonight and it was funny. Like "Dazed and Confused" meets "American Pie" if it had been directed by Kevin Smith. That is my best description. Good stupid humor.)


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255 - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Mr. Bojangles

DAY 255
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – "Mr. Bojangles”
Cover Song appears on "The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Greatest Hits"



This song is very very special to me for several reason. The biggest reason is because my Grandpa used to play an amazing rendition of this song on guitar. (It was actually the last song Grandpa played by my request before he passed away in February 2006.) Grandpa's version was the best, but aside from his version this is my favorite famous version.

There is some awesome Wikipedia info on this song... this little clip was interesting to me:

"Mr. Bojangles" is a popular song, originally written by Jerry Jeff Walker and covered since by many other artists.

It was about an obscure alcoholic but talented tap dancing drifter (not the famous stage and movie dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, as sometimes assumed). Bojangles is thought to have been a folk character who entertained informally in the south of the US and California, and some say he might have been one of the most gifted natural dancers ever. His actual name is not recorded. Authentic reports of him exist from the 1920s through about 1965.

According to the original lyrics by Jerry Jeff Walker, he met Bojangles in a prison cell in New Orleans (the first precinct jail to be exact). The two began to converse about life in the philosophical way two men on the skids often do. Bojangles began to dance as Walker admired his skill.

Artists as diverse as Dave Jarvis, Chet Atkins, Frank Sinatra, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Harry Nilsson, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, Harry Belafonte, Elton John, Arlo Guthrie, Nina Simone, John Denver, David Bromberg, Neil Diamond, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tom T. Hall, John Holt, Bermuda Triangle Band, Robbie Williams, David Campbell, Coulson Smith, Josh MacAulay, Jamie Cullum, Ray Quinn, Bryan Cox, Todd Snider and Edwyn Collins have all covered the song. Further, the character is mentioned in Philip Glass's opera Einstein on the Beach. The latest, somewhat personalized, version of the song appears on the album Doing it My Way by [XFactor] contestant Ray Quinn. A version was recorded by New Zealand artist Corben Simpson in the 1970s.

Check out this live performance of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performing "Mr. Bojangles" on YouTube.

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Day 254 - Concrete Blonde - Joey

DAY 254
Concrete Blonde – "Joey”
From "Bloodletting"



This song was my initial introduction to the band Concrete Blonde. My sister and I were obsessed with the video as young kids. It was a song we loved to sing then and now.

Jeanette Napolitano has such an incredible voice and is such an amazing talent.

This song is definitely more "poppy" than a lot of their material, but thank goodness for it.... very little of their material could be considered radio or video friendly, but this song was mainstream enough that it helped get their name out in the public eye and I am so grateful for that. :)

Check out the video here!



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Day 253 - Nickelback - Rock Star

DAY 253
Nickelback – "Rock Star”
From "All the Right Reasons"



I picked Kid Rock yesterday because I think I like this Nickelback song because I like "Cowboy" by Kid Rock. *LOL*

The rhythm and groove are very similar. I am NOT a big Nickelback fan.... I think they are quite talented, don't get me wrong, but so much of their music sounds the same and it just does not tickle my ear. But this song is another mover and shaker.... one of those songs you can grind to on the dance floor.

I do not care for the deep whisper voice saying crap like "So whatcha want?... "How ya gonna do it?".... yadda yada.... LAME. But I do enjoy the rest of the song, I can not help it.... I think the song is intended to be cliche and a little lame.

Either way... I have had this damn song running through my head so I figured... it was time...

You can hear the song on this fan video on YouTube or watch Nickelback sing it live on this YouTube video.



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Day 252 - Kid Rock - Cowboy

DAY 252
Kid Rock – "Cowboy”
From "Devil Without A Cause"



I had to pick this song because I love the groove and the beat. This is just an excellent song to grind up on your man to!

Straight up sexy style music even though the lyrical content is not exactly sexy. It still works.

Check out the song and video here!

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Day 251 The Graces - Tomorrow

DAY 251
The Graces – "Tomorrow”
From "Perfect View"



Oh this album brings back some great memories. My sister and I really fell in love with this album when it was first released. Though few people remember this band this album really made an impact on my love for music, but especially affected my passion to find female rockers to listen to. Their voices were not the higher pitch poppy voices I was accustom to at a younger age. They had rich full tones to their vocals, they wore sexy but not revealing clothes, and they PLAYED THEIR OWN instruments! That was awesome. Now, they are/were not comparable to bands like Heart, but they packed their own special punch. They had depth and passion.

"Lay Down Your Arms" was the first track I heard, but "Tomorrow" was always my favorite. I loved the fact that all 3 women sang a verse, I love the harmonies and the lyrics. Such a gorgeous creation.

Charlotte Caffey, originally from The Go Go's, apparently formed The Graces.... the other two women in the band were Gia Ciambotti and, that bitch, Meredith Brooks. :) hehehe...

I could not find any video clips sadly, but I would highly recommend that fans of The Go Go's Heart, or The Bangles check this album out if you can find it!

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Day 250 - The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love

DAY 250
The Darkness – "I Believe In A Thing Called Love”
From "Permission to Land"



There's not a lot of in-betweens on this song. People love it, or they hate it. I am in the "love it" category, myself.

When we are playing Karaoke Revolution on the Xbox, it is a given that one of us is going to sing this song, much to the displeasure of our friend Travis. hehehe.

The first time I heard this song, it was playing on VH1 in the middle of the night. I woke up out of a dead sleep when I heard vocals reminiscent of Freddie Mercury. I looked at the screen, and saw ugly rockers. I remember thinking "That was awesome!"

Then I saw the octopus-looking alien in the video and I was sold! This was going to be one of my favorite songs of all time.

And it is.

Watch the video on YouTube.

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Day 249 - The Rewinds - Every Time

DAY 249
The Rewinds – "Every Time”
From "The Rewinds"



We have been listening to this song quite often and I just felt compelled to pick it as it has become a favorite of mine in a very short time.

The Rewinds are not a real well known band which is unfortunate because they are very good and fun to listen to.... they lean toward mellow rock which is a nice fit most of the time, at least for me...

The chorus of this song really grabs my attention... it almost has that mid '50's early '60's vibe... the drums are freakin' fun and awesome! And I really enjoy the vocal harmonies and different pitches they go to...

You can check out a different song of there's in this YouTube clip called "She's In The Movies."

If you like bands like The Kooks, Keen, My Chemical Romance, etc... you would likely enjoy these fellas...

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Day 248 - Buckcherry - For the Movies

DAY 248
Buckcherry – "For the Movies”
From "Buckcherry"



Glenn reminded me of this song last night when we were driving home from the Kite show (which was MAGNIFICENT!) I really enjoy the kick-ins on this song, and I really just enjoy the lyrics, and the fact that it shows that this band has a softer side. They certainly show that they can rock with songs like "Crazy Bitch" and "Lit Up". It's nice when a band has some versatility.

Watch the music video on YouTube


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Day 247 - Van Morrison - Crazy Love

DAY 247
Van Morrison – "Crazy Love”
From "Moondance"



So I got the opportunity to drive my husband to work this morning and spend a little extra time with him before work. That is a rare thing so it was pleasant even though we had to get up earlier...

So we were listening to Glenn's cover of Van Morrisons "Crazy Love" and it reminded me of how much I enjoy the song.

It just has a nice mellow groove and vibe... I like the textures of Van Morrison's voice.

You can check out this YouTube clip of Van Morrison performing this track with none other than Ray Charles! Woot!!


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Day 246 - Barbra Streisand -Stoney End

DAY 246
Barbra Streisand – "Stoney End”
From "Stoney End"



Glenn introduced me to this song a couple years ago and I fell in love with it instantly. I am not a huge Barbra fan, so shoot me. :P But she did a phenomenal job covering the song, originally written and performed by Laura Nyro.

You can listen to the song on this YouTube clip sung by Barbra.

Her passion in this song just rocks my world! Even in the spot near the end where she kinda goes a teeny bit out of whack it is charming because she is just feeling the song. You can tell she is just loving singing it... if she is not enjoying it she faked it well. :P

Laura Nyro sang the song with just as much passion but the arrangement is a little different. Check out this YouTube clip of Laura Nyro just to experience some of the beauty and talent of this singer/songwriter taken from the world all too soon.


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Day 245 - Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

DAY 245
Journey – "Don't Stop Believin'”
From "Escape"



I have so many good memories attached to this song. It is a lot of fun to sing with your good friends... even if you are just messing around and cracking each other up trying to hit the high notes... :P

Lots of good times and good fun...

Check out this really cool live performance of Journey performing "Don't Stop Believin'"... what a voice that Steve Perry has...


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Day 244 - Jane's Addiction - Jane Says

DAY 244
Jane's Addiction – "Jane Says”
From "Nothing's Shocking"



This song kicks so much ass it is hard to even write out words that express how much I love this song.

A good friend of our sings the hell out of this song and really reminded me of how much I love it. :)

I would write more but am on a limited time frame tonight, but check out the song if you have never heard it. :)

Here is an awesome live performance of the guys performing "Jane Says."


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Day 243 - Sheryl Crow - The First Cut Is The Deepest

DAY 243
Sheryl Crow – "The First Cut Is The Deepest”
From "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow"



I was familiar with the Cat Stevens version of this song, which I do enjoy very much, but I really think Sheryl Crow did an amazing job with her rendition.

The lyrics to the song are so intense and obviously heartfelt.

Pleasant to listen to and relatable.

Check out the video here!

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Day 242 - Evanescence - My Immortal

DAY 242
Evanescence – "My Immortal”
From "Fallen"



This was definitely one of the songs that instantly caught my ear when this album first came out.

I LOVE the piano... I do not know why but piano's do something special in my ear... no clue why, I just love them, especially in rock songs. I enjoy the heavier version of this song without a doubt with the guitar kick in about 3/4 through...

Amy Lee has such a presence overall and has an amazingly powerful voice. I do not know much about the band but there is undeniable talent there...

The video to the song is quite lovely... but there is a certain magic in the live performances as well... I have a thing for the perfect imperfections in music and live performances bring that beautiful quality to the forefront time and time again...

I had a lot of fun singing this at karaoke the other night... got a decent crowd response which made it even more fun...

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