THE BEST MUSIC I NEVER HEARD: COUNTRY!

 In case you haven’t been paying attention to the overall music scene for the past few years, here’s a news flash: Country Music Has Exploded!! More CD’s of country artist (total) have been purchased over the last decade than any other single genre. It only makes sense that the Country music sound has inched itself into most genres these days. This is a great thing since country ain’t just that twangy sound of yesteryear, which you either loved or hated. Maybe it was just the Southern Rock sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers that was as Country as it got for many. There should be very little surprise that this past seasons American Idol finals featured two budding Country stars getting the most votes. Kid Rock is now a Country superstar and awards host (gotta love that). Darrius Rucker got rid of The Blowfish and is a “new” Country star. Jason Aldean has merged Country with Rap on the current hit “Dirt Road Anthem”. Lady Antebellum’s smash crossover hit “Need You Now” will be played for years to come. One of my favorite groups is the Zack Brown Band. The first time I heard “Toes” I thought, wow, this is the next Jimmy Buffett (yes, I’m a Parrot Head) and now they have a marvelous duet on the charts called “You Get What You Give”.  A brand new duet that’s on the radio already is the perfect summer song, “You and Tequila” by Country superstar Kenny Chesney with rising Rock star Grace Potter (Grace Potter & the Nocturnals). Check out her version of “White Rabbit” if you have not heard it yet.

A few newer artists to check out are;

Thompson Square

with “I Got You” and Ashton Shepherd, who just released the CD called, “Where Country Grows”.  This young lady from Alabama can really sing!

Here’s a newcomer to the scene. His name is Kevin Jacoby and his debut CD called Truth is now available. Check out these songs at the link below “I Don’t Mind” & “Inside”. I hear a lot of Dave Matthews in his style. What do you think?

  http://kevinjacoby.com/music/

Final note for the day, there is still hope for the CD as 7-Eleven (that right 7-Eleven) is now stocking CD’s with a broad selection based on the local neighborhood. Long Live Music of all kinds. Country for today!

LET IT BLEED!

 It’s been another crazy week in the music industry. I am very saddened by the death of Amy Winehouse, such a talent, and loved her gritty vocals. Yet another music star at that crossroads age of 27 could not escape her demons. So many incredible talents, so much creativity lost at that tender age of 27.  Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, just to name a few, the list is a long one if you look it up. I wish Amy Winehouse had the personal strength and support around her to have altered her path in recent years and avoided her tragic death. More music would have been loved by millions!

 Another sad loss that went under the radar (because he made it to sixty I guess) was Dan Peek who was a founding member of the band America. I believe that “Sister Golden Hair” & “

Ventura Highway

” are two all time American Pop classics.

 On a much happier note, Happy Birthday wishes go out to Mick Jagger who turned sixty eight years young yesterday! I do believe that Mick and Keith Richards will outlive us all (and probably still be touring!).

 Here are a few new things to give a listen to. First up is a Texas style rock band called Ron Rogers & The Wailing Wind. The tune is called “Alabama Chrome” and here is a really well produced music video to enjoy. I think Ron Rogers has a Bob Dylan/Tom Petty feel, what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta_9WCC3TD8&feature=youtu.be

 Do you like the sounds of Radiohead and Muse? If so, there is a Houston based rock quartet called Pale that deserve a listen. Their new CD is called “In The Time Of Dangerous Men”. I predict a bright future and lots of radio time for Pale including this song; “That Sinking Feeling”.

 http://www.palerocks.com/index.html

  There is a Dutch born singer who now lives in Los Angeles that recorded a sweet version of the Kings Of Leon song “Use Somebody”.  By the way, I’m a huge fan of KOL and have been for many years. “Molly’s Chamber” & “California Waiting” have held a steady place in my playlist. The CD is called “Bells”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBzcOUOY5YY

Music makes legends and heroes out of so many artists. Some seem to stop time and keep going like Tony Bennett (who recorded a duet earlier this year with Winehouse of the song “Body and Soul”) while others will leave the precious few recordings we can hold on to. As I now think about the late greats; John Lennon and Elvis Presley, I will say in parting for today, music will make you rise up but make sure you don’t “LET IT BLEED”!

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPS!

 After a few (much needed) days off and not writing, I must say that it’s good to be back and can not believe how much “Music I Never Heard” was waiting for me. Not to say that I haven’t been hearing music (while riding roller coasters at Magic Mountain) almost everywhere I have been. Luckily, The Music Never Stops! (Quick footnote, while “The Music Never Stops” is a classic Grateful Dead tune, we will not be talking about Jerry and the boys today.)

 Check out this newly released EP titled “Gloss Drop” from the band called Battles. This second release showcases the band’s (minus frontman Tyondai Bratton who has left the band) full sound. I really like the Indy style of these guys. Here is the video for the song “Ice Cream”.  

http://bttls.com/video/

 There is a band out of North Carolina that has been making some cool alternative radio music called the Electric Owls. Their most recent EP released on Vagrant Records is called “Cullowhee Songs”.  I highly recommend these guys a lot; here is a link to listen to the new EP. Check out the first tune “Silverfawn” which is my favorite, and yes they play a Ukulele!

http://www.myspace.com/electricowls/music/albums/cullowhee-songs-ep-16904417

 This is a young lady with tons of talent, she is a singer, songwriter from Montclair, New Jersey (I once lived there myself!). Her name is Jenny Owen Youngs, her new CD is called “Transmitter Failure” and this video below is of the song “Last Person”. I do believe we’ll be hearing more from Jenny in the future. I’ve also attached an enjoyable acoustic solo version of the Kelly Clarkson hit “Since U Been Gone” to give you a better idea of her talent range. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLsV1IWB8nY&feature=channel_video_title

http://jennyowenyoungs.bandcamp.com/track/since-u-been-gone

This Rock band from Canada deserves our attention. You may know them and if not you will want to get to know them. Redlight King has just released their debut CD and its killer!! They have taken the iconic Neil Young classic “Old Man” and added a hip new rock sound. They just did a live version of this song on Conan.

 http://redlightkingmusic.com/

Speaking of live performances on TV shows, if you did not see David Letterman this past Tuesday night get ready for this one! U2’s Bono & the Edge stopped by to chat with David and performed an acoustic version of the song “Stuck In A Moment”.  Neither one of them leaves their chair during the song which is sung with such passion by the two of them that I have already logged a dozen plays of this masterful version. Here it is for you to enjoy (and bookmark!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_hw1xcfylI&feature=fvsr

On a bit of a sad note from the other day, Alex Steinweiss, who was the creator of the album cover died at the incredible age of 94. Steinweiss first

Graphic cover was for a Rodgers and Hart song collection. He designed over 850 album covers for Columbia, Decca and other labels.

He Works Hard For The Money!

 I read somewhere the other day that John Mayer said he was leaving twitter so he could get back to his music. A very interesting statement that is worth talking about; by the way, I could not agree more, musicians and singers should concentrate on making music and let the public talk about them and create the social media “buzz”. I realize that’s easy to say when you are a radio friendly hit machine like Mayer (I do wish he would play more Clapton worthy guitar like he is very capable of) and have the full backing of a major label behind you. Having a twitter account is OK and posing random thoughts on your website is great but if I have to read another tweet from Diddy asking me if I’m drinking Ciroc Vodka and or what to mix it with I may just cancel my own twitter account @deanla (plug for me)! Maybe this is why Diddy Dirty Money really isn’t that great, too much hype!

If you’re starting out and trying to get noticed then you have no choice but to not only make good music but get people to hear it. The good news it that with so many avenues available via the internet you can (with a lot of hard work and some luck) create your own buzz until its time for someone else to handle it for you.

 Here’s a great example of a hard working rapper from Davenport, IA (yes, Davenport, IA!) that goes by the name Jskillz. He has his own record label, handles his own publicity and most important he’s throwing down hot beats and mix tapes with a lot of passion. Check out the 152 songs here (start with “Let’s Party”).

http://www.reverbnation.com/jskillz1

If you like to hear the freshest Mix tapes around from artists you have never heard (get a free new mix every week) then check out this site:

http://coast2coastmixtapes.com/

Another prime example of hard work comes from The Life Saverz. Two brothers (Josh-Roc & Brian-Hendrix) originally from New Orleans that relocated after hurricane Katrina to Alpharetta, GA and are now making relevant music for Major Move Records. I really like the track “Can’t Get Enough”. Let me know what you think?

http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/thelifesaverz

Remember the beauty of music is that the sound is whatever you want it to be. Listen to it all! Change the station, explore, and then decide if it’s, “The Best Music I Never Heard!”

If you are stranded on a desert Island (as promised from yesterday) and can only have three CD’s with you for eternity, these would be my choices:

Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run

U2 – The Joshua Tree

The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

That’s all for today, time to get back to my new Spotify account (remember I have way to much time on my hands!). I’ve been searching and listening to lots of new artists. Another great method for new bands to be heard! More on this to come..

  

JUST PUSH PLAY!

 Over the weekend, while with a group of friends, some music started playing which prompted the reply, “I’m so sick of them and that song again”. That lead to a long debate (I’m guessing that’s no surprise to all reading my music blog). Isn’t this the entire point behind listen to new music?

Regardless if it’s a band just starting or a legendary band, if it’s good music you will listen and probably (hopefully) search it out. The Doors for example have not been able to make new music (RIP Jim Morrison) for thirty years and I will still turn up the volume to Roadhouse Blues. On the other hand The Eagles have been around (on and off) for about as long but some say they haven’t recorded a memorable song in many years. What do you think?   Let’s look at the band Train, they have been around for almost fourteen years, have had some success in the past, mostly playing clubs and doing almost half a show of cover songs (quite well I will add). They would hand out live burns of the show to you as you would leave the event (very cool idea and I think more artists should consider this). Then they released “Hey, Soul Sister” now I find myself turning it down when I hear it. Don’t get me wrong I love that tune and will forever have it on my ipod playlist. But, now more of their songs will be heard (even without me asking you to listen). A song that was released on the 2006 CD For Me, It’s You called “Cab” deserves another listen. Here is a link to hear it along with all their great songs. Don’t get too sick of it:

http://myplay.com/audio_player/train/262/103819/126485?allowBrowsing=1

Maybe we’ll all be sick of Florence & the Machine, Mumford and Sons, The Band Perry or Travis Porter in a few years. For now let’s play them all! That’s enough of Rock & Roll 101 for today. Think about your top three CD’s to have on a “desert island”, in other words the one’s you can play over and over again.

Here are a couple of new bands to check out. First, the kick ass metal band The Head Cat may be new but this trio of rock veterans know how to bring the energy. Teaming up are; Lemmy (Motorhead), Slim Jim Phanton (Stray Cats) and Danny B. Harvey (Rockats). The CD is “Walk the Walk…Talk the Talk”. Here is a link to some live tracks, crank it up and enjoy:

http://www.myspace.com/headcat

On a slightly lighter sound, let’s travel “down under” and check out this somewhat unknown Aussie band called Late for Breakfast.  I love the horns and the overall Steely Dan vibe that keeps me coming back for more. This track is called: “Teller Of Things To Come”.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioV1k56zw-o&feature=youtu.be

Last night in legendary Asbury Park, New Jersey at the Wonder Bar, 400 people were enjoying the Sensational Soul Cruisers with J.T. Bowen (www.soulcruisers.com) along with opening act Nick Clemons (Clarence’s son) doing a tribute show to the late GREAT Clarence Clemons when Bruce Springsteen came on stage (first time since the passing of Clarence) and paid tribute to the “Big Man” with a 45 minute set! Here are two links (one just isn’t enough) to check out, “Ain’t to Proud to Beg” and “Raise Your Hand” along with “Knock On Wood”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X9ZAFkAcos&feature=player_embedded#at=51

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja9ZWtyBNg0&feature=player_embedded#at=64

I also want to wish a very Happy 93^rd Birthday to Nelson Mandela today!! Much Love!

SHOUT IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD!

 These words have been etched in my mind since first hearing the song, PIECE OF MY HEART" by that raspy blues goddess the late, great Janis Joplin. Yes the weekend is here and its time to party, rock & roll, boogie, get down, get funky, throw it down or just chill out! But any way I (or you) choose to do it, make music a part of it!

 To get everyone in the mood, here are a couple of bands that you haven’t heard yet playin’ some good Roadhouse Blues music. First up out of Florida comes Franc Robert with the new CD “Why Do I Never Win” released on Mind Balm Records.  Be sure to check out the hot guitar licks on the track “Runnin’ Man I Will Be”.

http://mindbalmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/why-do-i-never-win

 Let’s head over to Branson, Missouri and checkout newcomers Smooth Down Under featuring Richard Wilson on guitar and vocals. I recommend the song “Mad Dog” to give you an idea how hot this band sounds. They are tearing up the clubs in the Midwest USA this summer!

http://www.reverbnation.com/smoothdownunder

 To remind you that great new music can also come from “old” bands, I suggest giving a listen to the latest CD release from the Steve Miller Band called “Let Your Hair Down” This legendary blues rocker is still going strong with one of the tightest veteran bands around (which includes another legend,  Norton Buffalo on harmonica). Miller’s new song, “I Got Love If You Want It” sounds like he recorded it during the “Fly Like An Eagle” sessions (maybe right after “Take The Money And Run”). Don’t get me started on Rock & Roll nostalgia or we’ll never get to the weekend! Here is a link to the website to check out all his recent music:

www.stevemillerband.com

Since today’s topic is “If It Makes You Feel Good” I want to share with you a band that has been introduced to me that plays adult-oriented rock music. They are a very special and unique band called N.E.D. (No Evidence Of Disease). All six members are practicing gynecologic oncologists whose goals are to save lives! N.E.D. is officially part of a non-profit foundation in Portland, OR. The fund is committed to raising awareness about gynecologic cancers and providing monies for research in this area. All proceeds from the band’s endeavors go directly to the fund. Their first full length CD is called “6 Degrees”. Check it out at the link below and learn more about this “feel good” band.

http://nedtheband.com/

 Finally, here’s my two cents worth on the coming of Spotify digital music service to the US market, and yes, I did request my invite yesterday. I think this is a great thing! The more portals to hear music the better. I do not believe this spells the end of the download market but as proven in European markets where Spotify operates, digital downloads actually grew. This is the best new method for discovering new music. This will lead to more downloads and buys of music you like to hear. More on music business 101 next week, for now enjoy the weekend and SHOUT if it makes you feel good!

IS THIS MUSIC YOU NEVER HEARD?

 I am receiving an overwhelming array of new music, some not so good and some, well I think that you should decide. So, today we will devote the entire blog to Music That You Never Heard and see if any of these bands qualify as The Best Music I Never Heard.

 First up is a new Pop Rock band from Boston called One Step Away. Their new CD is called “For The Broken”.  Have a listen at the link below. Check out the Pop radio ready tune called “Here We Go”.

 http://www.onestepawaymusic.com/music--lyrics.html

Let’s crank it up a little with this next band. They have been around for a few years making serious noise around Lexington, KY. Shovel Tooth is an alternative, metal band that reminds me of a cross between Daughtry and The Foo Fighters. This is a good thing! The songs “Shiver” and “My Last Breath” are two examples of kick ass metal tracks.

http://www.facebook.com/Shoveltoothmusic#!/Shoveltoothmusic

There is a new band that is getting a lot of buzz lately that you should seriously check out. They are the Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO).

Their new CD just dropped called “Yours Truly”. Give a listen to “How Can You Luv Me”. UMO is touring clubs in the US all summer (we love live music!).

http://unknownmortalorchestra.com/

Time to head over to London now to sample the soulful sound of newcomer Michael Kiwanuka with the title track from his just released EP “Tell Me A Tale”. Released by Communion Records which was co-founded by Mumford & Son’s Ben Lovett.  This cut has a sweet blend of Jazz and soul. I believe we’ll be hearing a lot more (hopefully so) from Kiwanuka.

http://www.facebook.com/MichaelKiwanuka

Last for today, but not brand new (unless you’ve never heard it) is the latest solo release from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder called “Ukulele Songs”.  I know what you may be thinking, that voice while playing the Ukulele? Since doing the “Into The Wild” soundtrack and spending more time at his home in Hawaii, Vedder’s voice has really added a mellow melodic tone to it. With the addition of the Ukulele sound this has become one of my favorite newer CD’s to listen to. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqZ0-PhHsaE&feature=relmfu

If your plans put you anywhere near San Francisco between August 12^th – 14^th make sure to check out the Outside Lands Music & Food festival that will be taking place in Golden Gate Park. This is the best festival of the summer (awesome music vibe in the Bay Area) which features a mind-blowing lineup of great music for all. Check it out:

http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/

If I can help to promote your music or events please let me know@

deanla@verizon.net

THE HEAT IS ON!

 Since most of the States and much of Europe is in the middle of a heat wave at the moment it feels like the right time to daydream with a few cool Island tunes. Ready for some “Hot Fun In The Summer Time”, my favorite summer song from Sly & The Family Stone.

Let’s go right down to Jamaica and give a listen to the #1 current Reggae song as reported from the Island. This refreshing tune is from newcomer (as a solo artist, he’s played guitar in a number of bands) Robert Southerland called “Times So Hard”. The release is on Nijeri Records.

http://www.reggae-vibes.com/jamtop20/robertsutherland-timessohard.htm

Here are a couple of really awesome “chill out” songs that have videos shot on location on and around Jamaica. So crack open a Red Stripe and feel the love (“One Love” as the legend himself Bob Marley would say!). The first is from the artist Gyptain with a song called “Beautiful Lady”.  Gyptian had a hit last year with the song “Hold You”. There is a hot hip-hop remix of the song with Rapper Nicki Minaj as guest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsgiivJxJjQ&feature=player_embedded#at=77

The next song is probably my favorite newer Reggae song and the video is shot all over the Island. I wanna put my bathing suit on while I watch it! The track is called “Sweet Jamaica” from Mr Vegas and features Josey Wales and Shaggy.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJvmeIbKbNo

I hope this helped cool everyone down a bit. For the best Island music sounds 24/7 visit Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville

www.radiomargaritaville.com

Music news for the day, the iconic rock & roll magazine Creem is set to restart the presses with a quarterly publication. Long live Rock & Roll!!

COVER ME!

 Sat down last night to catch the new episode of the show True Blood (remember I have way to much time on my hands). As the end credits started to roll I heard a haunting cover version of the Donovan song “Season of the Witch” playing. I went to sleep last night thinking about that song and other cool cover versions along with Sookie Stackhouse (but we are not going to talk about Sookie). That version of “Season of the Witch” was by Karen Elson. Here is a link for you to have a listen:

 http://soundcloud.com/somekindofawesome/karen-elson-season-of-the-witch-donovan-cover

Karen’s debut disc, which is produced by (and he plays the drums) Jack White, is called “The Ghost Who Walks”. Check out the song “The Birds They Circle”.

 What are some of your all time favorite cover songs? Here are a few of mine in no particular order. First, we’ll get the automatic few out of the way:

Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower – song by- Bob Dylan

Joe Cocker -With A Little Help From My Friends – song by The Beatles

Van Halen – You Really Got Me – song by The Kinks

Instead of just going on and on mentioning lots of covers that have been listed over and over, here are five more that don’t get as much attention:

Ann Wilson- Immigrant Song- song by Led Zeppelin

Pearl Jam- Last Kiss- song by Wayne Cochran

The White Stripes- Jolene- song by Dolly Parton

The Pointer Sisters- Fire- song by Bruce Springsteen

Johnny Cash- Hurt- song by Nine Inch Nails

 Don’t forget the worst cover song of all time (I promise not to add a link):

William Shatner-Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds- song by The Beatles

Here is a link to a great version of the Lady Gaga song “Telephone” in a country rock style by the newer band called The Morning Pages:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMorningPagesNYC

Saving the best for last, here is the truly newest (you’ll see what I mean) and the most fun cover version I have ever seen and heard. Enjoy this one and share it with friends. So move over Bieber and get a load of this version of “Hey Jude” by the Beatles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrrQwLdME8&feature=email

 Fact of the day; Rhapsody hits 800,000 subscribers. Just proves that we love (and will pay) for our music! Watch for more information on the iHeart Radio music festival in Las Vegas on Sept 23^rd & 24^th. Looks like a good one!  

IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME!

 As Major League Baseball takes its annual mid season break for the All Star game I chose to title this blog with the great American pastime in mind. In the movie “Field Of Dreams”, the exact quote is, “If you build it, he will come”, but I didn’t want to leave the ladies out because I want everyone to visit, read and participate in the World pastime we call music! Here are my favorite Baseball songs: Bruce Springsteen: “Glory Days”; John Fogerty: “Centerfield”; The Ramones: “Beat On The Brat (With A Baseball Bat)” – yes I consider that a Baseball song, and the Bob Dylan little known gem: “Catfish” which was recorded in 1975 but not released until 1991 in the Bootleg Series box.

 Last week I mentioned the positive news about music sales but neglected to also point out that the Concert business is also on the upswing. The top 50 tours worldwide are up more than 11% for the first half of 2011 compared to the same period last year, according to Pollstar, the concert-industry tracking publication. I’m not going to analyze this finding in detail (ticket prices increased and smaller venues and better artist combination packaging) because this is great news! There is nothing better than the sound of a live performance. This is the essence of all music! The best website to enjoy thousand’s of legendary live performances for free is:

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/

For those of you that are fans of U2 you can check out a site that plays only live tracks spanning their entire career including this month’s performance at Glastonbury Festival in London.

http://www.u2radio.com/

Now on to some new music that should not be ignored:  Nightmare & the Cat. This band’s debut self-titled EP is produced by Dan Burns and Grammy Award winner Glen Ballard (Alanis Morrisette, Dave Matthews Band) that will be released for digital download starting tomorrow. This original and very exciting new band features Sam and Django, sons of Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart. Check out the songs “Sarah Beth” and “Riverside Roberts Raincoat” as well as the live video (we love live music!) “Blackbird Smile”. Their sound is a sort of Jeff Buckley meets The Pixies. We should be hearing them on the radio by the fall. You can hear (and see) them now:

http://www.nightmareandthecat.com/

Another talented new artist about to release her first digital CD on July 18^th comes from Laura Vall. The CD is called “Real” and shows off Laura’s hypnotic vocals and her musical serenity and powerful lyrics.

www.lauravall.com

That’s enough talk for today, now it’s your turn to listen! Thanks to all the music fans and artists that have already reached out to me directly. I will be posting everyday, Monday to Friday. If you want to contact me directly with comments or an inquiry, please send to: deanla@verizon.net

LONDON CALLING!

  In honor of the Royal Couple (Prince William and Kate) arriving in Southern California today, I think I should talk a bit about music from the other side of the Pond. Yes the British Invasion, The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, oh yea and Led Zeppelin are the all time icons, I’ll end that list now or I could go on forever. Now I might get a lot of slack for this, but there is one band that at their moment in time epitomized the UK sound with raw passion and reckless abandon. That band was The Clash. “London Calling” had power, soul, punk and good old Rock & Roll all in one package.

 Now let’s move on to 2011. ADELE, ADELE and ADELE. This genuine young lady is a major force to be reckoned with and voice to match! She is continuing to break sales records on the UK charts. Who knows how many singles will hit the top 10 from her new CD “21”.  Her voice is healed and she is heading back on tour here in the States. Last night she played a full set at the iTunes festival in London. She sounds awesome, go check it out.                            

 Today is also the “anniversary” day, as in one year since LeBron’s “infamous” ESPN televised decision event of “I’m going to South Beach”. This makes me think about Cleveland while thinking about the UK and Rock and Roll and it all comes together in song. Yes that’s right people, “Cleveland Rocks!” the anthem song sung by Britain’s own Ian Hunter. A true legend of the early punk scene with Mott The Hoople. The song “Cleveland Rocks” was first heard on the 1979 Ian Hunter solo release called (possibly my favorite all time CD name) “Your Never Alone With A Schizophrenic”.

 Here are two newer bands from the UK that are worth giving a listen to. The first is The Vaccines. They are getting some well deserved airplay on BBC radio and I like the song “If You Wanna”. You can hear a bunch of songs from them on their website:

http://www.thevaccines.co.uk/

 The second band is relatively new to the scene and has some of that raw English sound that I like. They are the Likely Lads. You can check out two new songs from them at the link below:

http://nottoofussed.com

 Final note for the day and positive music news to take into this weekend, according to the Nielsen Soundscan album sales have increased slightly for the first time in six years! The increase covers the first six months of 2011 compared to the same period last year. While it is a small gain it is a reversal of many years of double digit percentage declines. So my friends Long Live Music! Keep sending your music and thoughts.   

Music For Today And Everyday!

 Yesterday I left off posing the question if No Doubt will rule again with their new "Untitled" CD. After having all night to think about this (yea, I know, get a life..) I've come to the conclusion...probably. As long as they still have any of the edge left from being one of the very cool ska bands that came out of the OC in the '90's. This is where I get to throw down mad love and RIP to Bradley Nowell and Sublime for bringing us such great ska/reggae sounds during that time out of Long Beach. All right, enough about No Doubt for now, I'm sure Gwen Stefani doesn't need any help with extra publicity.
 I do want to tell you about a very worthwhile radio show that is expanding it's syndication reach (and if I have anything to do with it will be a national staple). The show is Luke Crampton's Lost and Found and is broadcast  on Sunday morning's currently on 13 stations around the country. You can also listen online and check out archive shows. www.lostandfoundradio.com. Luke is basically broadcasting all the music that I want to write about (not exactly all, but the idea is similar). He is playing international artists with no CD release in the US, playing some great one hit wonders, acoustic stuff, unreleased gems, it's all over the place and quite frankly it's refreshing as hell to hear!! I've enjoyed reaching out to find more music from some of the artists I've never heard before and recommend you do the same...or at least wait for me to tell you about them.
 There is a new artist that sent me links to her music recently and I must say I really like what I hear. She has a nice range, pleasant melodies and the music is produced clean with Pop undertones. I think it's music you would hear on the radio. Her name is Allison Gray. Check out one of her original songs "Be Bad" and she also does some killer covers. Here is a link to her music: 
http://www.theallisongray.com
Also, check out her new cover of the Maroon5/Christina Aguilera song - "Moves Like Jagger". Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/user/allisongraymusic

That's all for today, so until tomorrow, unless I find myself in the Spanish City of Pamplona running with the bulls, keep reading and love to listen to something new!!

The Best Music I Never Heard - Keepin Sexy Right Where It Is!

 So is everyone ready for Justin and MySpace to "bring the sexy back" and save the music business? Oh, what's that you say... sure (is that a chuckle I hear). Well I think the music is still here and it's never left! Our ability to find music and hopefully GOOD music is more widespread than ever. As you know that's the good part and the bad part about music these days. The A&R guys are so afraid of bringing in new sound and talent because the Sales & Marketing guys can't sell more than half a dozen acts on a label any more. Now everyone is competing for market penetration on the Internet and throwing up  (no pun intended) anything and everything they can record in the basement.
 With this being said, there is some incredible talent out there! Great voices, new beats and sound and very talented musicians. No, not many will be on the American Idol tour or on The Voice next season and for some that's good. I still say that if Taylor Swift had been an Idol contestant she might not have heard Randy's magical words, "Your Going To Hollywood!".  Now don't get to sad, I think it's worked out OK for her.. I still can't  believe that there are only two artists/bands that are playing Stadiums on tour right now in the USA, they are U2 and Taylor Swift.
Today, we're gonna combine a little new and old school music for you. Time to throw down my mad love for the guitar! Southern style, slide, dirty blues lovin Rock & Roll guitar! Since we are not going to talk about Eric Clapton today (just because), let's remember the legend Duane Allman (and yes, he did play in the legendary Derek and the Domino recording sessions with E.C.). There are some incredibly talented hard working "youngsters" that are making "Beautiful Noise" with the the southern style, blues, slide , peddle steel guitar. Derek Trucks is one of them ("Beautiful Noise") is a song to listen to from the Derek Trucks Band. And then there is this man - Luther Dickinson - from the North Mississippi Allstars. The son of the late Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson. Luther can make that guitar talk while keeping alive the traditions of the Delta Blues sound. He just came off the road playing in the Black Crows and is now touring with his brother Cody opening for Robert Plant.
Enjoy this link of the current Allman Brothers Band lineup, that means Warren Haynes (the hardest working man in Rock & Roll) and Derek Trucks on guitar and the always soulful voice of Greg Allman (check out his really good first new CD in 14 years called, "Low Country Blues") live from Wanee 2011 in Florida from April 19th playing the classic tune "One Way Out". Special guests are Luther Dickinson on lead guitar and Roosevelt Collier from the Lee Boys on peddle steel. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd57kF6CBEI&feature=email

So if you have a band or new music to promote send it over and let's talk about it and get it heard! Tomorrow, do you think that No Doubt will once again rule the radio with it's new CD. On a final note for the day, props to Eminem for being the first artist to hit the one million digital sales copies with "Recovery". More on this tomorrow...

The Best Music I Never Heard!

Survived another holiday weekend. Now it's Tuesday, a shorter week and I guess less time on my hands. Did I mention that I love music! I love business! I hate the music business!! Like the rest of us I take my "i" something device to the gym with me and plug into my car for my own one hit wonder play list. Every once in a while I'll slip up and turn on the radio.. A funny thing happened this morning when a local station was announcing they were playing a brand new song from the band Train (who I like alot and always have) so I stayed tuned to hear "Save Me San Francisco". I found this odd as this is the title track to their now over two year old current CD, but I guess since "Soul Sister" exploded for them all the other songs can be considered new. Maybe "Drops Of Jupiter" will be their next "new song"!? Now I don't blame Train or the record company for this, it makes sense in today's music scene. It's all about that one song, then you can swim around for a while till that next one song, if not you'll be playing fairs and weddings sooner than you think.
I want more new bands and new music to be heard. I want everyone to be able to hear at least three new songs every day! Love one, hate one, be out to lunch on one, let one grow on you. If you don't you'll end up like most of us saying, "THAT'S THE BEST SONG I NEVER HEARD!!"

Deanla