Category: Music

Best of ‘Glee’ Music in 2010

After reviewing the music from Glee for a good part of the year, I have compiled what I believe to be the 10 best tracks recorded by the Glee cast in 2010.

10. “Faithfully”

The duet between Lea Michele and Cory Monteith of Journey’s “Faithfully” was New Directions lead in song during Regionals. I am a huge fan of both of their singing voices. Michele and Monteith seem to compliment each other very well. This song is what I thought to be their shining moment singing together during the last part of season one.

9. “Beautiful”

Amber Riley has had some amazing vocal performances this year, but it was her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s huge hit song, “Beautiful” that really blew me away. The song allowed for Riley to show off multiple facets of her vocal range, as well as sing a powerful message.

8. “Stop! In The Name of Love/Free Your Mind”

This mash-up from season two features all the Glee guys from New Directions. I really enjoyed this track, and the guys sounded great. I have to add that Chord Overstreet sounds really charming during his verse. I thought the track was well-produced, and who would have ever thought that Diana Ross and EnVogue would meld well together into one song?

7. “Toxic”

It was a toss-up decision between this and “Me Against the Music,’ which I thought was another great track from the Britney Spears themed episode at the beginning of season two. I picked this track, because I really liked what they did with using the harmonies in place of instruments. Plus, it was nice to hear Matthew Morrison singing with the rest of the cast.

6. “Bad Romance”

The Glee ladies, along with Chris Colfer really nailed the essence of this song on the head. This track is infused with a lot of personality, which is what makes it just as much fun to listen to as the original Lady Gaga version.

Continue reading Best of ‘Glee’ Music in 2010

Wait…WHAT’s Favorite 2010 Concert Moments

In case you hadn’t noticed, I am prone to attending a ton of live shows. I get asked from time to time what my favorite shows have been, and I figured I would pull some of my favorite moments from shows I attended this past year to share with y’all!

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite concert moments from 2010!

“If I Had You” — Adam Lambert, San Francisco, 07.23.2010

This was such an amazing show, I am happy that I was able to land a ticket so last minute! Say whatever you want, but Adam is an amazing live performer. “If I Had You” was one of the best moments of the night!

“Paint It Black” – – Siobhan Magnus, Sacramento, 08.18.2010

Siobhan has a voice to be reckoned with. Her performance during the Idol tour was nothing short of phenomenal. The last big glory note…chills.

“Send Me All Your Angels” — Kris Allen, San Francisco, 04.14.2010

This song holds special meaning to me, and to get to hear it live just really meant a lot. Plus, you really can’t go wrong at an acoustic Kris show.

“Home” — Daughtry & Jason Wade, Sacramento, 05.07.2010

I love Daughtry and I love Lifehouse. When Jason Wade joined Daughtry on stage to sing with the band, I could barely contain my excitement! To make the moment even more special, I was at the show with my Aunt Ruthie who absolutely loves Daughtry, and it was great to be able to share that night and moment with her.

“Missing You” — Tyler Hilton, San Francisco, 04.29.2010

My friend Karen hooked me up with a ticket to check Tyler out for the first time. Man, he puts on such a great show! While he was on the show One Tree Hill, he recorded a cover of “Missing You,” which was one of my favorite songs during college. I was very excited when he performed it at the show.

Continue reading Wait…WHAT’s Favorite 2010 Concert Moments

Music Review >> Darren Criss – ‘Human’

Darren Criss made a huge impact during his first singing appearance as Blaine on Glee in episode 2×6, “Never Been Kissed.” As a fan of Glee, I definitely took notice of his presence, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.

The Glee version of Katy Perry’s hit “Teenage Dream,” which features Criss on lead vocals, hit number one on iTunes selling 214,000 copies during it’s first week according to Entertainment Weekly.

Criss independently released his acoustic EP Human this past summer. In five tracks, the singer-songwriter proves that he is the real deal.

Human touches on the basic emotions that we all experience throughout our lives, like love, heartbreak, and jealousy. Criss’ voice exhibits sincerity and passion in each of the songs on his EP.

One of the songs, “Not Alone,” which Criss performed live at the Trevor Project benefit earlier this month, showcases his vocal range from his larger drawn out notes to his falsetto. The chorus also happens to be quite catchy. I promise that you will be singing-a-long by the end of the song. Also, there’s a feeling of truthfulness in the lyrics, which serves almost as a reminder that we’re all capable of these emotions that make us inevitably human.

Production-wise, one can only imagine what Criss could accomplish if he had the time to record a full-length studio album with a full band. For recording the EP at home, the overall sound is pretty good. It’s nice to hear Criss’ raw vocals that are not glossed over by studio magic.

Listeners can experience soul-filled songs from a very talented Criss, who demonstrates great potential with his EP.

For more information on Darren Criss, check out his official website.

Definite Downloads: “Not Alone” and “Jealousy”

Originally posted on BlogCritics.

Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman

Wait…WHAT’s Favorite Albums of 2010

It’s that time where I reveal 10 albums that I enjoyed throughout the year. My picks are personal favorites that were in constant rotation in my car stereo. I think a couple of the albums are no brainers that they made the list, and there might be a couple surprises.

So, in no particular order, here are my favorite albums of 2010.

Music From Glee: Journey to Regionals EP

I have reviewed a lot of Glee music this year, and my favorite batch of songs came from the Journey to Regionals EP. I love the Journey covers, but the shining gem is Jonathan Groff’s cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Seriously, go take a listen. It’s absolute ear candy.

 

Darren Criss: Human EP

Darren Criss is hands down the best thing that’s happened to my iTunes this year. His Human EP is made up of five relatable tracks that will pull on your heartstrings. I can’t wait to see what this singer-songwriter can do with a full studio album.

 

 

Ke$ha: Animal

I didn’t really know what to make of Ke$ha when “Tik Tok” first came out. After taking a listen to her album, I realized that homegirl’s music is absolutely infectious. If you want to feel good and dance, Animal was where it was at this year.

Continue reading Wait…WHAT’s Favorite Albums of 2010

New Music Video from Backstreet Boy Nick Carter

Nick Carter is releasing his second solo album, I’m Taking Off in early 2011. (Yes, second solo album.)

The music video for Nick’s first single off the album, “Just One Kiss” hit the interwebz earlier this week. Check out the video, and we’ll discuss it afterwords.

Sooooooo, what did y’all think?

I think that I need to start a career in writing music video treatments, because this video is visually stunning, but there’s no storyline. It’s just Nick on the beach singing to the camera. Not gonna lie, it’s pretty boring.

The song is about that kiss at the end of the night, which means the video obviously could have told a story of a first date. Nick is still young enough where a video that takes place during a night out could be seen as cute and charming.

As for the song, it’s okay. I don’t know how well it will do on the radio, but maybe it will work some magic on iTunes.

I definitely plan on checking out Nick’s second album, since I rather enjoyed his first one.

Are y’all excited about Nick’s new album, or would you prefer him to just stick with BSB?

Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman

Maroon 5 Debut “Hands All Over” Music Video on Facebook

Earlier this week Maroon 5 debuted a music video for the title track of their latest album, “Hands All Over.”

Check it out below!

I really like this video. It has a rock edge to it, which fits the song. I also really like the effects that were used.

I am completely confused about whether “Hands All Over” is the band’s next single or not. I would have put my money on “Stutter” being the third single from Hands All Over, possibly followed up “Never Gonna Leave This Bed.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love “Hands All Over.” It’s one of my favorite tracks on Maroon 5’s latest album. I was completely over the moon when they performed it at their show in San Francisco last month. It’s just that I hve never pictured it being a single.

I’m just confused as to what is going on. Music videos are expensive to make, especially ones with fancy effects, so I wouldn’t think they would make a video without the song being their next single.

What do y’all think of Maroon 5’s new video?

What song do you hope is Maroon 5’s next single? Take the poll below!

Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman

Casey James Band Unveils New Website

Have you been wondering what American Idol’s Casey James has been up to since the Idol tour wrapped this summer? (Trust me, you’re not the only one!)

Finally, Casey’s official website for Casey James Band has been launched, and it includes a welcome video from the man himself.

Check it out!

Personally, I cannot wait to hear new music from Casey! I am definitely anticipating his debut album.

In case you haven’t already done so, check out my interview with Casey while he was on tour with the rest of the Idols from earlier this year!

 

Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman

 

Fox Airs ‘American Idol’ “Welcome Home” Special

Yesterday afternoon in select markets, FOX aired an American Idol TV special called, “Welcome Home” featuring the past nine Idol winners.

For those of us (including myself) that had no clue this was going to be on the air, the Idol special made it’s way to YouTube!

Check out American Idol’s “Welcome Home” below!

Source: 1 (Go give the source some love for uploading this!)

Concert Review >> Lee DeWyze at Mix 106.5’s Very Merry Mixxer

Last week, Lee DeWyze took part in Mix 106.5’s Very Merry Mixxer alongside Angel Taylor and the popular band, Plain White T’s.

He performed second that night, and kicked off his eight-song acoustic set with “Earth Stood Still.” He followed up with a slightly altered version of “Dear Isabelle.” DeWyze changed up the melody just slightly, making the song sound more upbeat.

DeWyze has found balance in his vocals between a soft and subtle vocal and his larger notes. I definitely prefer the stripped down versions of the songs versus the polished studio tracks, because they showcase his true rough around the edges musical style and folk-pop vocals.

One of the highlights from DeWyze’s set was his take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” His performance was stunning.

I’ve always really liked DeWyze’s voice on this song, and during this particular moment at the show, I was just in awe. It was a fantastic performance.

The other big highlight of the night was “Brooklyn Bridge,” which DeWyze closed his set with. This song should always be performed acoustically; The sentiment behind the lyrics comes across much more powerful.

DeWyze’s stage presence has definitely come a long way from his American Idol days. He bantered a bit with the crowd about how he had been playing his guitar a little too hard, and how much he’s enjoying playing his songs off of Live It Up.

The one thing that I would have changed about DeWyze’s set would be the order of his set list. He played his current single “Sweet Serendipity” in the middle of his set instead of singing it last, which I thought was odd. I would have rearranged his entire set to make it flow a little bit better.

I found DeWyze to be pretty entertaining. His vocals were really on point, and the crowd seemed to love him.

For more information on Lee DeWyze, check out his official website.

Complete set list:

“Earth Stood Still”
“Dear Isabelle”
“Beautiful Like You”
“Sweet Serendipity”
“Hallelujah”
“Live It Up”
“A Song About Love”
“Brooklyn Bridge”

Originally posted on BlogCritics.