Blues is a natural fact, is something that a fellow lives. If you don't live it you don't have it. Young people have forgotten to cry the blues. Now they talk and get lawyers and things.

- Big Bill Broonzy

This is a random collection of blues I put together. There are different styles and different eras, but it's all the blues. We've got some of the kings of blues, like B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf, along with some of the funkier cats like Wilson Pickett and Bo Diddley. Since I'm me, I added in two Garrett Mason tunes, which rounds out the mix with some new blues.

I like blues because it's not pretentious. It's simple. It's emotional. Everyone can connect to it. It's highly danceable, and you can feel it in your bones. The blues does not judge you.

Click the picture to download the zip file.





tracklist:
1. John Lee Hooker- Boom Boom Boom
2. Wilson Pickett- Funky Broadway
3. The Allman Brothers- Whipping Post
4. The John Mayer Trio- Everyday I Have the Blues (live)
5. Bonnie Rait- Women Be Wise
6. Garrett Mason- Hey Little Girl
7. Howlin' Wolf- Evil (Is Going On)
8. Bo Diddley- Hey Bo Diddley
9. Eric Clapton- Motherless Child
10. BB King- How Blue Can You Get?
11. Garrett Mason- Diddley Beat (live)

I have heartaches, I have blues. No matter what you got, the blues is there. 'Cause that's all I know - the blues. And I can sing the blues so deep until you can have this room full of money and I can give you the blues.

- John Lee Hooker

I posted this voice post last night and I also reuploaded Paramore's Brand New Eyes to a new host. This is new news.

Is Glee! old tonight? I hate it when shows are not new.

I watched ( Gossip Girl 3x07, How To Succeed in Bassness, though. )

I've decided to upload some albums! They're all in .zip format! They are all ones that I am particularly fond of!

Happy downloading. :)


Eric Clapton- From The Cradle (1994)



Notes from Critics: The full-tilt blues album that Clapton had been promising for years, From the Cradle proves the guitarist's enduring devotion to a form he had long relegated to merely a flavour in his music rather than the main ingredient. Clapton's singing on the album is somewhat mannered; he tries to compete with original versions of these songs by Muddy Waters, Charles Brown, and others, and there's no way he's going to win that battle. Still, you can feel the emotional connection Clapton has with these songs, and guitar aficionados will swoon over his fretwork on songs such as "Third Degree", "Someday After a While", and the incendiary "Groanin' the Blues".



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Pete Townshend- coolwalkingsmoothtalkingstraightsmokingfirestoking (1996)


Notes From Critics: For awhile there, ol' Pete had a pretty nifty solo career going. Who Came First, his 1972 solo debut, sidestepped comparisons to the Who by tackling spiritual themes with low-key charm, qualities that resurfaced on Rough Mix, his wonderful 1977 duo record with Ronnie Lane. Then came Empty Glass, which was both grand and successful, like peak Who. From then on, Townshend's been mostly grandiose and unsuccessful. Meaning this solo overview ain't half bad and is mostly very good. --Steven Stolder

Notes From Me: Pete is my absolute idol, and this collection of his solo stuff holds no less wonder for me than his work with The Who. A Friend Is A Friend makes me cry, and English Boy is another high point. ♥ This disc also contains two versions of Let My Love Open The Door, and a light, acoustcy version of the Who's Pure and Easy.



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The Allman Brothers Band- Seven Turns (1990)


Notes From Critics: Not many expected this legendary outfit to have any pulse at all by 1990, much less a pulse throbbing so mightily. Fiery new lead and slide guitarist Warren Haynes is as suitable a replacement for Duane as you're likely to find, and new bassist Allen Woody takes a back seat to no one. Clearly, the new kids rejuvenated the weary veterans on this excellent offering, which kicks off the Allmans' second classic period. Seven Turns finds the band returning to form with its unmistakable twin-lead instrumentals, abrasive blues rock, and even the sunny Betts ballads. --Marc Greilsamer



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The Trews- Acoustic (Friends And Total Strangers) (2009)


Notes From Me: The Trews are a Canadian rock band with heavy roots in celtic, east coast music. This is their newest release, a live, acoustic complitaion of some of their tunes, along with three brand new ones. One of these is Sing Your Heart Out, which I believe is worth a look in itself. You will like this album if you were a previous Trews fan, otherwise, you might not get it.



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Garrett Mason- I'm Just a Man (2005)


Notes From Critics: New Artist of the year finalist Mason is the son of Dutch and has obviously been paying attention. There is nothing pretentious on this CD, just solid bar blues, the kind I can listen to for hours on end. Mason has a wider vocal range than that of his father and his lead/rhythm guitar style is very much in the style of Morgan Davis. With bass & drums, keyboards or harp, Mason takes us through tight arrangements of thirteen originals that show how good the Dutch Mason Blues Band is. Donnie Muir is on organ, Bill Stevenson on piano, Ainslie Jardine or Gary Potts on drums and Noel Taussig on bass. Joe Murphy is on harp. Carter Chaplin joins on guitar for the instrumental "Conversatin". The songs are of uniformly high quality, on the standard themes but special mention goes to the autobiographical closer, "I'm Just a Man".

Notes From Me: This album is extremely rare, and it's also very GOOD. If you only download one album from this post, make it this one. Great, great blues. It won the 2005 Juno Award for Best Blues Album. I have many a friend who has fallen flat on their face over Garrett after hearing Later On Tonight.



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Bruce Springsteen- We Shall Overcome, the Seeger Sessions (2006)



Notes From Critics: The premise was simple. Bruce Springsteen invites a dozen or so New York City musicians--packing banjos, fiddles, accordions and the like--to his New Jersey farmhouse for a three-day hootenanny, and tape is rolling. The results are sublime, his 21st album featuring their versions of songs harvested from Springsteen's dog-eared LPs by Pete Seeger. Not all written by Seeger, the songs are how the American folk icon interpreted them, and these organic recordings, with no rehearsals or overdubs, pay tribute with the simplicity and spontaneity he intended. It's not hard to link Springsteen's dissatisfaction with American politics to the protest song "We Shall Overcome" or even the Irish ballad "Mrs. McGrath," where he alters the lyrics to read, "I'd rather have my son as he used to be/Than the King of America and his whole navy." But the beauty of these Seeger Sessions are pieces that underscore the mood of the bandleader, which borders on down-home amusement: the bluegrass outlaw ballad "Jesse James," the Dylanesque "Pay Me My Money Down" and the euphoric "Jacob's Ladder," a gumbo-and-whiskey-fueled romp that could pass for the closing hymn at the Church of Asbury Park. --Scott Holter




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Paramore- Brand New Eyes (2009)


Notes From Critics: Over 2 million records sold, three gold and one platinum single, a gold DVD release, countless sold out tour dates and numerous awards and nominations including the 2008 Grammy Nomination For 'Best New Artist' Award, you can say that Paramore has reached mainstream stardom. Arguably one of the most anticipated releases of 2009, 'brand new eyes' is by far the band's most personal album. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock, My Chemical Romance) and co-produced by the band, the long-awaited follow-up to 2007's platinum certified second album, 'Riot!' The 11-track collection is unquestionably Paramore's best and brightest album to date, fit to burst with all the exuberant melodies, breathless hooks, and irrepressible energy that has made the Nashville-based band one of the most popular rock outfits in recent memory.



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Colin James- Sudden Stop (1990)


Notes From Critics: If you didn't know better, you'd swear that Canadian guitarist Colin James was from Texas. James, one of the best blues-rock guitarists to emerge in recent years, has all the earmarks of the traditional Texas guitar slinger: dazzling, cocksure technique, a flair for dynamics, enough humor to stand clichés on their heads and an innate sense of direction in his soloing. It's not surprising, given James's precocious talent, that Texas legend Stevie Ray Vaughan treats James like a protégé.

Notes From Me: This album has some of Colin's most popular songs, like Just Came Back To Say Goodbye and Keep On Loving Me Baby.

Totally in apology, here is some music:

Boss DJ- Brendon Urie, with what we are calling the "patio cover". It really is good. Excellent. Smashing, even. I want to drown in Brendon's voice forever,
The Way You Make Me Feel (Acoustic)- David Ryan Harris' tribute to Michael Jackson. This appeared last week in a YouTube video, and it is gorgeous.
My Before and After- Paul Rudd, the tune he did for Veronica Mars. This song makes me lol just because it's Paul, and all I can think of is "Nazi gonna happen", and then THAT makes me think of "what did you have for dinner?"... "Was it cocaine?", even though it's a different movie.

♥ Only positivity around here, especially when it concerns Brendon Urie. For reals.

So, this is my real Monday post, because the earlier squee about the Jimmy Kimmel sketch didn't count.

The Oscars are always a pleasure. I watched with Jamie and Max, and we had a good time. Jennifer Garner looked gorgeous, best dressed in my opinion. Ellen Page looked stunning, she's so cool. Representing for the East Coast and all. I though Jon did a great job, as per usual. Seth and Jonah were hilarious. I could go on, blah blah. I don't suppose I have anything to say that hasn't already been said by many people.

Someone on thewhopinups posted this awesome scan of Keith Moon rockin' backstage at a Faces show, and it's making my day. ♥

Some songs you might like:

- The Galway Girl- Steve Earle. This is an awesome, awesome song. Irish flavor. You might recognize it from Gerard Butler's rousing rendition of it from P.S. I Love You.
- Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind- Lindsay Buckingham. Lindsay Buckingham, guys.
- Hey Kids (What Are You Rockin' For?)- David Usher feat. Tegan Quinn (from Tegan and Sara). So much love for this awesome, awesome tune.
- Why Pt.2- Collective Soul. 90's, yessssss.
- Innocent- Our Lady Peace. I'm assuming everyone already has this, but I'd just like to give it a shout out. Because it was initially my favorite track from Gravity, and then it was released as a single and blew up like mad. Not that I minded, because it still kicks ass. If you don't like it, don't listen to it.
- Only Women Bleed- Alice Cooper. Ever wanted an Alice Cooper slow song?
- Never Going Back Again- Fleetwood Mac. (I can sneak two Lindsay Buckinghams in here if I want to!)
- Sugar Blue- Jeff Finlin. Kinda slow, meandering. Perfect for lazy and happy. A tinge of hillbilly in there.
- English Boy (acoustic)- Pete Townshend. This one's got a little intro courtesy of Rachel Fuller.

Poll #1144129 Music
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 18

I download new music based on...

If you checked 'other', explain here

All sorts of new gigs coming up, which is unfortunate because I can't talk right now. Where did this cold come from? I'm going to punch it in the face. But anyways, on Friday the band's a playing at a milk farmers convention (ahahahaaha) and then on March 8th we're playing the Sackville minor hockey benefit. And then on March 28th I'm opening for The Keats at St. Ed's hall, and that's just me, solo, so that'll be fun. Gotta love a hometown crowd, everyone had better bring assorted signs that say things like, "VIRGINIA, I'M A QUIET PERSON" and "VIRGINIA, YOU MAKE ME TINGLE-Y". (shirethief and butystherumgone, I'm looking at you.)

Some songs from Two's Missing by the Who. A series of bootlegs and unreleased stuff that was, erm, released in '85:

My Wife (Live) (For the John lovers.)
I'm a Man
Dogs
Circles (Revised Version)
The Last Time (the second of two Stones covers on this album... the first is Under My Thumb, but I'm somehow not as impressed with it.)
Water, haha I remember when our dorm had a boil order a few years ago and I laid around quoting this for two days. "WE NEED WATER. And maybe somebody's daughter.
Wasp Man (AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME)

Some bonus non-Who tracks:

Midnight Rider- the Allman Brothers Band
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)- Bruce Springsteen
Queen Bitch- David Bowie
Back In The High Life Again- Steve Winwood (Winwood is weird to me. He's clearly in the same group as people like Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins with this era of his music. But then dig back deeper, and he was a member of the Spencer Davis Group. He's also super talented, instrumentation-wise.)
Friend of the Devil- The Grateful Dead. (This song is the cation for my favorite Chuck Bass icon.)
Devil You- The Stampeders. (I think it's a rule that I have to rec the bands whose tours I was on... I wonder what the deal with that is?) (Man, I could dance to this tune forever.)

Take this music and take advantage of it. Dance to it. Lay on the floor on your back and listen to it. Roll it off your tongue. Play it on your guitars. Play it LOUD. It's the only way to fix things.

This post? Is to off-set the shakes.

Poll #1071718
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

I enjoy reggae...

My favorite has gotta be Richie Spice- someone I was introduced to while in Grenada. He's pretty much the Caribbean fame equivalent to Justin Timberlake.

Marijuana- Richie Spice
Earth a Run Red- Richie Spice
Gideon Boots- Richie Spice (Because I can not possibly post a Richie Spice post without including Gideon Boots. Just isn't possible.)
Youths Dem Cold- Richie Spice (this is for you, Karen Purnell, hee.)

Pushing Daisies, 1x02: Dummy

:)