I attended Star 101.3’s Jingle Ball this past Friday night at the Masonic Center in San Francisco.
Kris Allen (along with his bandmates Cale Mills and Chris Torres) performed an acoustic set for the crowd. In my honest and completely biased 0pinion, Kris has never sounded better.
His set that night included a couple holiday tunes that I brought back to share with the class!
Enjoy!
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
“The Christmas Song/We Wish You A Merry Christmas”
Josh Kelley’s upcoming full length album Georgia Clay is due out in spring of 2011, but in the meantime he’s released a three-song EP to give his fans a taste of what’s to come.
Kelley has spent the last two years working on his latest album and has been making people take notice of his talent while on tour with Miranda Lambert.
“I am super excited about these songs,” Kelley said in a press release. “These are the perfect three songs for a three-song EP to give people a little taste of what’s to come.”
The EP kicks off with Kelley’s current single, “Georgia Clay” which he wrote with his brother Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum.
The song came about after reminiscing about an old truck their father used to let them drive in highschool.
“I said, ‘Man, if there’s still some Georgia clay underneath it, if that Georgia clay could speak what would it say?’ It would have seen our childhood and seen Charles and I experiencing our first everythings,” Kelley said.
“Georgia Clay” definitely has that storyteller feel about it. Kelley has a strong vocal, and the tone of his voice makes you believe the sentiment behind the song.
The Kelley brothers collaborated again on the track, “Ain’t Letting Go” along with Patrick Davis. It’s an uptempo song that Kelley described as a guy having a phone conversation with his girlfriend’s answering machine.
“A Real Good Try,” which was written by Kelley is by far my favorite track on the EP. The overall feel and tone of the music are fantastic. The song came across as rather inspiring.
Upon first listen of these three songs, I couldn’t believe how much of Kelley’s sound has changed. And as much as I like these new tracks, I can’t help but wonder what happened to the guy from the 2005 Almost Honest album. I really feel like these songs are toned down in comparison to his previous albums.
Josh Kelley’s Georgia Clay EP is out now.
For more information on Josh Kelley, check out his official website.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Tonight I attended Mix 106.5’s Merry Mixxer in Campbell, CA where Lee DeWyze was performing, along with Angel Taylor and Plain White T’s.
I will be writing a review of Lee’s set, but in the mean time, here is his performance of “Earth Stood Still” from earlier tonight!
Enjoy!
Here is Darren’s full performance from The Trevor Project benefit from the other night.
Check out his performance of “Not Alone”/”Teenage Dream” below!
Source: 1
It takes extraordinary fans to do extraordinary things. Most fans attend live shows to see their favorite performer, maybe buy a t-shirt, and sometimes will wait after the show for an autograph. Fans of American Idol-winner Kris Allen have taken their support of the singer to a new level.
Alright With Music was formed by fans of Kris Allen that hope to raise $25,000 for the Music Empowers Foundation by December 31. 
“Kris has taught us about the important work done by the Music Empowers Foundation, which provides funding to non-profit organizations that offer innovative music programs in under-served areas,” the group stated in a press release earlier this week.
Music Empowers founder Andy Davis said that the foundation is “incredibly honored” by the current fundraiser.
“Kris has become an amazing advocate for music education,” Davis said in a press release. “This year, his support of organizations like Music Empowers has helped to bring music education programs to about 100,000 kids.”
So far Alright With Music has already managed to raise over $9000 for Music Empowers.
Alright With Music originated earlier this year as Team Alright With Moo, a group of fans that raised over $25,000 this past June in honor of Allen’s 25th birthday for Heifer International.
To learn more about Alright With Music and how you can donate, please visit their website.
For more information on Kris Allen, check out his official website.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Glee headed to Sectionals in the latest episode, and provided an interesting soundtrack for the listening audience.
I have to applaud whoever is in charge of giving Chris Colfer (Kurt) such great songs to sing so far this season. His version of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita proved to be one of his best vocals ever on the show. Colfer seems to be really blossoming this season, and I look forward for what’s to come.
In addition to Colfer’s fantastic rendition, there is also a full recording of Lea Michele (Rachel) singing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” Michele shows vocal restraint and shows a vulnerability while singing the song, that really makes you take notice. With Glee highlighting the latest pop hits every week, it’s refreshing to hear Michele singing songs that truly capture her talent.
Naya Rivera (Santana) finally takes the lead this week with her rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” He voice is a perfect fit for this type of song. It’s a saucy vocal, and Rivera really captures the attitude and vibe of the song.
Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam) duet on the Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the popular Dirty Dancing soundtrack. I was happy to hear these two getting their chance in the spotlight again this season, but I know that there has to be a song that compliments their vocals better this one. Agron couldn’t pull off the bigger notes that were noticeably being sung by Amber Riley (Mercedes) on the track. Maybe it was Overstreet’s vocal phrasing, but I didn’t feel like this song showcased him well at all.
It has to be said that the Glee cast has nothing on Florence and the Machine. Their attempt at “Dog Days Are Over” just didn’t capture the essence of the original recording. Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) sounded okay on lead vocals, but this song was not the song for them.
Darren Criss made his return this past week with Train’s huge hit, “Hey, Soul Sister” which was performed in the episode by Dalton Academy’s Warblers. The multiple-part harmonies combined with Criss’ voice breathe new life into one of the most over-played songs on the radio.
Overall, I think this was an alright batch of Glee music. I definitely expect more with all the talent in the cast.
Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Two clips from the Christmas episode of Glee have been released. Check them out below!
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” — Darren Criss & Chris Colfer
“Merry Christmas Darling” — Lea Michele
Earlier today while thanking her fans for their birthday wishes, pop princess Britney Spears announced that her new album will be out in early 2011!
I’m almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March. I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!
My reaction?
I have no shame in being a Britney Spears fan. I have loved her music since high school. After Blackout and Circus, I have no doubt that her new album is going to be anything short of amazing.
I can’t wait!
Are y’all excited for Britney’s new album?
The four songs from the unofficial tribute to Bruno Mars episode of Glee continue the trend of great song choices.
Guest star Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) sing “Ohio” from Welcome Home. Carol Burnett sounds pretty good on the track. Lynch sounds alright. She’s definitely not a singer, but I can appreciate that she steps up to bat for the show.
Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) steps into the spotlight singing Michael Buble’s “Sway.” Morrison’s vocals are a great fit for this song – and really that whole genre of music. He’s got the swagger that really is needed for this vocal, and he pulls it off nicely.
I really like that Morrison is being highlighted musically more this season. He was a relatively untapped resource last season, so it’s nice to hear more from him.
Glee seems to be on quite the Bruno Mars kick this year covering not one, but two of his songs this episode, as well as covering “Billionaire” earlier this season.
The first of Mars’ songs that the cast takes on is “Marry You.” It’s a fun ensemble number which is reminiscent of the Journey To Regionals version of “Don’t Stop Believing” where all the couples within Glee Club were the highlighted singers. Cory Monteith (Finn) and Lea Michele (Rachel) kick off the song strong. Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam) then take the lead with their part of the song. Their vocals together sound pretty decent.
I can only imagine that it is quite the task to find a song that the Glee cast will all sound good singing, but whoever did the music selection for “Furt” did a really good job. “Marry You” allows the cast to show that they can sing current songs and make them just as good of a listen as the original.
I had to raise an eyebrow at Monteith covering Mars’ current big hit, “Just The Way You Are.” Monteith’s solos this season have been pretty hit or miss, but “Just The Way You Are” is definitely a hit. I find that Monteith’s voice hits it’s sweet spot when he’s singing pop music, and I hope that Glee realizes that this is his singing genre.
The music from “Furt” is a pretty good listen. Young fans of the show will appreciate the current hits being covered. Glee should probably not cover any more Bruno Mars music for the remainder of the season. Three songs in eight episodes is quite enough.
Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Kris Allen is wrapping up his last night on tour with Lifehouse, and during his set tonight he played a new song called, “Leave You Alone.”
Check out the performance below!
What do y’all think? I like it a lot!
Video Source: 1
Wait...WHAT? 