Top 10 Modern Covers

Enough of this depressing shit! I have for you a new Top 10 list and this time it's a Top 10 covers of top 40 songs! So these are current (well, maybe within the past 10 years) songs covered by other artists of varying level of fame. I picked these songs because the performer did something unique or put their signature on the song.

1) Royals by Walk off the Earth- You need to see the video for this song, it's really cool. (I don't want to spoil it for you). I could easily bulk up this list with several other covers by Walk off the Earth from Gotye to Eminem.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgD5p1XiVT0

2) Radioactive by Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix. Not gonna lie, I like this version much better! They harmonize well during the chorus of "radioactive, radioactive"
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE2GCa-_nyU

3) We Found Love by 2Cellos. How two cellos can recreate the computer generated sounds that are the main sound of this song is beyond me, but wow! Do they do it! They do a lot of other songs by popular artists such as Michael Jackson, Guns N Roses, Nirvana and so many more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Am_VZFps9o

4) Crazy in Love by The Puppini Sisters- Swing music and Beyonce. Whodathunk? These girls are the Andrews Sisters reincarnated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkAP3W5WGPY

5) Bad Romance by Halestorm- Now this is what a bad romance is supposed to sound like. Edgy, sexy, and dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vmhnxVF1GU
 
6) Viva La Vida by Taylor Swift. During her Speak Now tour, she would cover an artist that was born in that city. I considered putting "Lose Yourself" by Eminem because it's the antithesis of Taylor, but she doesn't do the whole song. It's now up as an honorable mention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjHX1wdWvVk 
Honorable Mention: Lose Yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSHcdT6dzsY

7) Locked out of Heaven by Bastille. Slower, sung at a lower pitch, and in places it sounds like the soundtrack that's played right before some kind of epic battle scene. Bonus points because it has a violin. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it sure is different from the original and that's why it's on here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLuKEyFmMcM

8) Thoughtless by Evanescence. If you don't like whiny, emo Evanescence, check out this head-banging, air guitar rocking Korn cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtC744jVWmE

9) What Hurts the Most by Cascada. If the Rascal Flatts version is a song that laments the loss of love, Cascada's version is a song that has come to grips with the pain and is moving on. It's a dance song, so it's upbeat and "modernized 80's" synthesizers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0YuEPJeGSI

10) If I Ain't Got You by Maroon 5. At the beginning of the song, it doesn't sound like Adam Levine and Maroon 5, but towards the end it sounds exactly like him. It's still a great version.
 http://youtu.be/OXvRjxkXvBI

I hope you like this list, and find a few new artists or at least songs to add to your playlist.

Come to your senses....

Thursday night my life came and circled back 360 degrees to almost exactly 10 years ago. In November of 2003, I had my first kiss and my first date. Mind you, I was in middle school so as far as I and everyone else was concerned, he was my first boyfriend. Two weeks later, we break up and soon after that he comes out as gay. (Cue Gay Boyfriend by Hazzard). It took a while, but I learned to laugh and make jokes about this non-straightforward start to dating. "I was so good looking I turned him straight but then a hot guy walked by us" etc. Oh and if I had to identify with a fairy tale, it would be "The Ugly Duckling" because in high school I became the swan.
In high school, I had guys interested in me. Guys thought I was pretty and I made friends. I thought those dark, lonely middle school days were behind me. Then I fell madly in love with J. If you go back to the early days of this blog, back when it was still called "Living Under A Rock" you'll find various posts about him. I thought I had found the love of my life. A large part of me believes he still is the love of my life, the one that got away, because it's hard to believe that I would willingly give up so much of my life again. I could go on and on about him to try and give you a glimpse of how I felt but maybe I'll just publish some of the poems I wrote then.
Then there was MadDogBV and I think that relationship is fairly well chronicled here as well. It'll suffice to say that J and MadDog were as far away from my first relationship as I ever got. They were based on common interests, genuine affection and concern, and sexual attraction. Let's face it, I was 16 when I first became interested in J, 18 when we got together and put serious effort into making the relationship work despite the war in Iraq, 19 when I lost my virginity to him and I was 20 and in my 3rd year of college when I got together with MadDog, sex was going to enter into the relationship at some point. Sex was something that played into my previous relationships but took the back seat because I wasn't ready for it.
Lastly, there was Frank Sinatra. Not a real relationship because it was based pretty much solely on sex but I fell for him. To this day, I'm not sure why since he's spinning his wheels in a small town, he can't get a job, he was a borderline alcoholic, not very good looking, very weird, and he only paid attention to me when I was in his bed. No, I'll tell you what it was: he could sing Frank Sinatra extraordinarily well, he's a talented artist (acting, directing, singing, and lighting design) and he's truly creative. Everything he works on he wants it to be perfect and show his effort. He doesn't want to half ass anything but does when someone else is in control and( in his mind) doesn't want anything changed. I loved his fire and passion and talent. Eventually, he did start taking me out on something that resembled dates and then he'd do something or say something that would send whatever progress we had made in making the relationship grow back to square one. He knew I loved him; I would tell him and when I would try to help him as a professional friend (telling him about a job) he'd wipe his ass with it and not listen to me. (Cue We Found Love by Rhianna/ Come to Your Senses from Tick Tick Boom). It was tumultuous to say the least, but I got some kind of sick pleasure from it because every time I'd say that I was ending it, he would, with random precision, say or do just the right thing that would compel me to forgive him. I graduated and got a job and moved away, but I still loved him. In February I decided to end it and didn't talk to him for almost 2 months (go me). He did text me for Valentine's Day but I couldn't brush it off as a mass text because it had my name in it and I tersely replied "Same to you." Just as it was finally getting easier, he texts me saying that he's been an asshole. I ask him if that's supposed to be some of apology and he replies that it's the best he could do and I told him not to waste my time.  I was talking to a mutual friend, A and she told me that she had been talking to Frank Sinatra on Facebook the day he texted me and she told me that he wanted to reconcile with me and he tied it to the rock musical "Rooms A Rock Romance" because the male lead was basically him and his life and the icing is the lead female and I have the same name. So, April 1st we had a long conversation where I got to grill his ass and he admitted to using me for sex and attention but it wasn't just my attention for himself, it was the attention our relationship got from other people. He wasn't making out with me in front of half of the people in our college because he was proclaiming his love for me, it was to start gossip and make himself look good. The ugly, weird outcast guy making out with this really pretty girl and leaving with her. We decided to be friends.
Now, this is the climax. I texted him the other night to find out how "Rooms" went, since it was opening up last weekend. He told me that it was interesting but didn't want to go into details because he had a "snuggle date". Ok, fine. The next day I text him asking if he was going to tell me about this date so that I could live vicariously through him or if I was going to have to use my imagination. When he finally does text back he asks me if I remember the dancer from the night we went to this bar to watch his movie. No, I reply but then I remember the gay guy in the corset. Turns out this gay guy was actually a girl who wants to transition to a guy, goes by "Charles" was in Frank's production of "Death of a Salesman" as "Bernard" but she/he is bi! And Frank is "intrigued" by Charles and they've been taking turns staying at each other's place for the past week and a half. And Charles has a girlfriend who lives in Canada (Cue My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada from Avenue Q) so Frank, Charles, and Miss Canada are in a poly-amorous relationship. First of all, all that identity just fucks with my mind, it took me a little while to get it straight. It's not that he's found someone else that hurts, it's.... who it is. If I look at is as "He's scraping the bottom of the barrel" it begs the question "What am I?" Clearly, I'm not his type because he likes tall women with big boobs and Charles has bigger tits than A and she's like a 34 D. Yes, it makes me feel worthless, like I'm not good enough for him but who gives him moral support? Me. Who encourages him? Me. Who tries to help him find a job? Me. Who believes in him? Me. Who sees beyond his antics and strangeness and sees the talent and potential? Me. It's me, always has been, since the day I met him, I've had faith in him.
So now, ten years later I have come back full circle. But not in the kind of full circle where everything plays itself out exactly the same way as if nothing happened in between the first time and the second time, but the kind that is merely uncanny. This second time around bears the marks of the strange, the absurd, the so impossible it must be true that comes with having a past. It's not a stand alone event, it's a culmination of the past ten years of my dating life events that ended in this. (Cue Don't Bother by Shakira)
Eventually I'll laugh about this. It's so outrageous one can't help but laugh, right? Maybe now that I've finished this cycle of my life, I'll move onto the next one and that one will be more awesome and not nearly as dramatic.

Halestorm

Like I mentioned in my previous post, my friend RKM introduced me to Halestorm. What I like about this band is their ability to rock with a chick as their lead singer. It's rough, unapologetic, sexy, and awesome to listen to when you're pissed off at guys like Frank Sinatra whom you fell in love with in a hopeless place. (See post from approximately 1 year ago). If rough sex has a sound, it's this band. "Here's to Us" isn't as representative of them because it is a ballad and most of their stuff is more uptempo. But there's meaning and thought behind their words. They don't sing catchy, repetitive refrains that simply hint at sex or being upset with their partner. They say "That bitch can eat her heart out/ Love bites and so do I" or "I miss the rough sex/ I don't miss you at all". At a certain point in your life, if you're not there yet, you will understand the sentiment behind "I Miss the Misery" and I've begun to understand it recently. Same thing with "Conversation Over". Lzzy (yes, I spelled that right) has a fantastic range and powerful vocals. I love how she goes from a fairly low key to belting high in a matter of a measure in "Love Bites".  If Evanescence is too emotional or sounds too much like she's crying (as my mom says), but like songs more like "Going Under" and the anger that was present in her first album and want a band with a female lead who can play guitar and goes more in that vein, Halestorm just might be your band. 

They have two albums out. The first one is self-titled, the other is "The Strange Case of..." Pretty much every song on both albums is awesome. Check them out and let me know what you think.

The Wasted Land

*Note- It helps if you've read T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"


Every Saturday the same people
walk into the same bar.
Same fucking people,
week after week; and I among them.
Wasting time.
Wasting life.
Wasting money.
I swear the same songs are played
week in, week out.
Why do they do this?
Why do I do this?
Wasted opportunity.
I regret every decision that led me to this wasted land.
Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Blood is like wine.
Couples.  Count them.
One, two, three.
How long have they been together?
Love. Lust. Whatever. Everyone's favorite damn disease.
Do you know who I am? Sitting across the room.
I'm the girl in the hat and trenchcoat.
So vintage.
Come to me lover, buy me a drink.
Get me wasted. I'm in this wasted land; might as well join in.
I don't have a million dollars to spend.

I see her across the bar.
If she's one of them, she's cute.
Blonde, tattooed. Like you.
My virgin skin, no stories on the surface.
Her stories, skin deep. Like yours.
Competition is a waste.
Of time.
Of money.
Of energy.

The music keeps this place as silent as a concert.
No chatter drifting to the farthest corner where I sit.
Dead place.
Why do I keep coming?
Look the part of the french writer, sitting, making believe she is Eliot.
Eliot wasn't French.

Oh fuck off and play along.

Yeah fat bitch, I'm skinny, young and better looking.
And you have a man.
Ce la vie.
I'll take my independence and run.
Lo que paso, paso entre tu y yo.
She doesn't need to know.
So glad you don't kiss and tell and I don't know her.
Works out nicely.

Sinking deeper in the muck and grime and shit of every day living.
Pour me another, Lover.
Help me get wasted. FTW.

God this music is at least ten years old.
"Off the chain"
There's something you don't hear anymore. Middle school.

What shitty years.
Sitting alone at lunch.....Fuck, don't point out the irony.

And there they all sit
like nighthawks living out their individual little lives.
Lovers will be loved.
Friends will gossip.
The lonely will always try and look preoccupied with a life that occurs
anywhere but here.

A small crowd begins to form around the bar.
Two and a half hours till last call.
How many drown their wasted lives at the bottom of a Bud Light?

Pinky swear? Pinky swear.
She's deep in the wasted land.
I can tell as she twirls herself around in her bar stool.

Slash's guitar solo in "Sweet Child of Mine" sounds like sexual ecstasy.
Those few minutes before orgasm.
Oh Lover. If only I didn't work tomorrow morning.
If only she wasn't here.
I want you in my bed.
I want you inside me.
And  just as suddenly, the moment passes and I'm left in the Wasted Land.

I wanna be your lover.
So appropo.

Close me out.
Get me out of this Wasted Land.
I can't stand this noise much longer.
The looks.
They look at me like I don't belong.
Please don't look at me.
No, look at me. Make me feel like I exist.
Have I wasted away here?

When the lights out, it's less dangerous.
Turn out the lights!
Go to bed!
Leave the Wasted Land.
Until next week.

New Incarnation

As has been my custom, every time there is a major change in my life, I change the blog title. This time I have chosen "Brave New Girl". It was inspired by the Britney Spears song "Brave Girl" off of the "In The Zone" album. If you listen to the words, it sounds like it's just a girl going out looking for a hook up because she has been suppressing herself for a long time and she's finally breaking free. As opposed to taking the song literally, I'm taking a larger interpretation of the song; I'm starting my life in the real world and I'm making my own way. It's going to be rough, I only know a handful of people, and I'm not exactly making beaucoup money, but I can proudly say that I'm paying for my own apartment, my furniture will be mine, I'm paying my own bills and my own expenses and I'm doing my best to not rely on my family financially or to solve my problems. I'm young, I still have dreams and ambitions and I'm pursuing them. I'm looking forward to the challenges; I've been living on my own for a month now and the time has really flown. I've settled into a quiet, simple existence that focuses on myself and my needs. I'm taking care of me which is something I haven't taken the time to do in a long time. For a number of years now, I've been jumping from relationship to relationship but always losing myself in the process. I have this really bad habit of ceasing to do the things I enjoy because I'm with someone. I stop going out with friends, I give up my hobbies, and I center my whole life around whoever I'm with. That's not a good thing and I realize that. That's why I need to take this time for myself and not get involved with anyone even though the temptation is there because I am in a new place where I don't know a lot of people.
People might ask if it's scary to pick up and move a thousand miles away from home for a job, to not know anyone, and to live alone. I don't think it's scary. I think it's exciting, it's refreshing, and it's all what you make of it. I could make it miserable for myself, but I'm not going to do that. I look forward to meeting new people and I love the challenge of getting to know a new city.
Here's a brief song list to go along with this new chapter.

1) Find My Way- Legally Blonde OST
2) Firework- Katy Perry
3) Brave Girl- Britney Spears
4)  My Way- Frank Sinatra
5) Living on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
6) It's My Life- Bon Jovi
7) Fearless- Taylor Swift
8) Across the Universe- The Beatles
9) Don't Rain On My Parade- Funny Girl OST
10) Rose's Turn- Gypsy OST
11) Starting Over- John Lennon
12) Feeling Good- Nina Simon/ Michael Buble/ Muse
13) As We Stuble Along- The Drowsy Chaperone OST
14) Don't Stop Believing- Journey
15) What You Want- Evanescence

New Top 7 Underrated and Underappreciated

1) Streetlights by Ludo- I LOVE Ludo. I know that I already have a post about them, but they really are worth checking out. If I had to pick one song as my favorite, I would have to pick this one. It's a mostly acoustic song with an "stereotypical Italian" style guitar in the instrumental parts. The lyrics are not the typical Ludo lyrics with a peppering of nerdy references; it's a more straightforward romantic song. It does tell a little story like many other Ludo songs. It's about the moment before you confess your love to someone. There's the nervousness, the anticipation, the giddiness, the purity of the moment. The words create very vivid images that create a little movie in my head. I can see two youths standing on the sidewalk beneath a streetlight in the early summer dusk.

2) Michael Buble- I know I didn't list a song. Just about anything by this man is sexy, baby-making music. He has that Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr sound. A little jazzy, a little bluesy, with a generous helping of swing. He does a lot of the standard songs like "Feeling Good", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Georgia on my Mind" and "Me and Mrs. Jones". He also has originals which he writes for his girlfriends. "Home", "Lost", "Haven't Met You Yet" are such examples. He has a sexy voice that goes well with the body it's in. He is gorgeous. He has a classic look with a modern flair. No piercings, no bad haircuts, no guyliner either. He's my new husband, he just doesn't know it yet because he hasn't met me yet. <3

3) Over the Hills and Far Away by Nightwish- They are known as a symphonic metal band. I prefer Tarja to Anette even though Tarja is a diva. This song tells a story reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo and it is similar to a traditional English. song dating back to the 1700's. You can hear that influence in the music. However, this is a cover of Gary Moore. I've never heard the Gary Moore version so I don't know how they compare. Check it out and let me know.

4) Symphony by Sarah Brightman- She originated the role of Christine Daae. Do not tell me anyone is better than her because that role was written specifically for her. It's no wonder either because with a voice like the one she has...it's like an angel. Her voice glides over the notes and resonates leaving you mystified as opposed to sad, because the lyrics are sad. It sounds like a song an ice skater would use in her program.

6) Memories by Within Temptation- A band I have recently been introduced to from the Netherlands. They are classified as symphonic metal, gothic metal, and symphonic rock. If you like Evanescence but want something more alternative, something a little bit fresher and not as played out, you will probably like this band. Sharon den Adel's voice is more operatic and more in the soprano range, somewhere between Amy Lee and Sarah Brightman. 'Memories' is one of those songs who words pierce your soul especially when you use your memories to keep someone who's gone close by.

7) Somebody that I used to Know (Look up "Six Hands One Guitar")- Actually, I saw this version before I heard the one by Goyte and I still like it better. As an unrelated side note, Goyte in that video looks like this friend of mine, but when I've looked up other pictures of him, the similarity fades away. Back on topic, I don't know how a group of people decide one day "hey let's all six of us play a song on one guitar" but it's hypnotizing to watch because they all know their parts and play as one.

Living on a Prayer

I'm applying for jobs. That's all I can really do. I've been fortunate enough to have a couple of really good leads for potential jobs. One place wants to meet me next week, so yay! I've also gotten the urge to write again. And I'm actually getting words down on paper. I can't say it's fantastic writing by any stretch of the imagination, but it's something. I think the blog title really speaks for itself and the song really capture how my life is going right now. One friend of mine thinks we should quit this field and go into something else. But I'm not that defeated yet. Something inside me is telling me to keep going, keep trying. Somehow, someway, things will work themselves out.
In March I went to a huge convention where there was a job contact fair. Of course, I was really nervous because that was my first job fair, and the first time I would have the opportunity to interview with so many people at one time (both employers and potential employees). This wasn't some summer job at KFC I was applying for; this was the real McCoy. My future. My career. This was the starting point of it all. So, to calm myself down, I listened to some music. 
I guess I'll include the song list here. It's just as applicable now.
Brave- Idina Menzel
Defying Gravity- Wicked OST
Living on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
I Stand- Idina Menzel
We Can Do It- The Producers OST

Please dear Readers, send some positive karma my way. I promise to do the same for you.
Love always,
Maverick

Song list- current

For some reason, I'm finding myself attracted to these songs right now. I'm not particularly a big fan of a couple of these artists, but there is something about these songs that I like. 

Adele- Someone Like You
The Beatles- The Night Before
Billy Paul- Me and Mrs. Jones
Beyonce- Best Thing I Never Had
Britney Spears- Shadow
Frank Sinatra- Strangers in the Night
Katy Perry- The One That Got Away
Legally Blonde OST- Ireland
Queen- Somebody To Love
Rihanna- We Found Love


 This brief moment was all we'll ever have. This is impossible, but it happened in a hopeless place therefore all we have are shadows

Thank you to MadDogBV for editing this picture for me.

Songs for you

As opposed to a romantic song list, I've decided to post up a list of songs for a very particular person. Instead of using their names, I'm going to use a code name which also so happen to be their signature songs.


Dear Lose Control-

Hot 'N' Cold by Katy Perry. I hate this song and all its obnoxious glory much like I hate your confounding sentiments. One day you say you're falling for me, then I don't hear from you. You say you want me and then leave me hanging. I don't know if it's because you're stoned when you tell me these things, or if it's because you're stoned that you don't follow through.

You're Not Sorry by Taylor Swift. I've finally figured out what I have to do. Don't bother calling me anymore because I won't pick up the phone. I'm tired of being taken for a ride. What we had once was really fun and I really enjoyed it, but it's over between us. There was never anything to begin with so why grasp as straws?

Lose Control by Evanescence. The song I originally dedicated to you. What happened when I lost control and you benefited. We didn't play so quiet, and I eventually felt guilty and, guess what my lamb? I told. We lost control more than once but I can't cut you down to a thing I can use.

*Edit- I forgot that I had dedicated another song to you.
Goodbye My Lover- James Blunt. I remember sitting in my dorm one night listening to this song at least 10 times in a row trying to fight against the flames that were burning in my heart. Yes, I wanted something more than just sex from you; yes, I would have wanted to give 'us' a try even if only for a few months.
I'm not going to waste anymore time on you, or great songs for that matter. I've deleted your number and I'm working on erasing you from the front of my mind.

What is Art?

This question was first posed to me my senior year of high school in a class called "Theory of Knowledge". Surely, I'd heard that question before, but it was at that time that I was encouraged to really think about it.
I'm currently majoring in English and theatre and have worked in a number of productions and been an audience member since I was a child. I took a class in art history my spring semester of my freshman year of college as well. My mom has taken me to some of the most prominent art museums in New York and Washington D.C., I danced ballet for 13 years, I also took salsa, swing, hip-hop, and tap. I took piano lessons for 8 years. In short, I fancy myself 'cultured' and 'well-rounded' and a huge supporter of the arts.
It occurred to me today as I was in tech rehearsals for "The Madwoman of Challiot" what art is. Now, please note that this is my personal definition but discussion is welcomed wholeheartedly.
"Art is inspiration seized, molded, and presented in some tangible way."
Everybody has those flashes of ideas. That's inspiration. However, not everyone can recognize the potential of that idea, or they don't know how to express it, they don't have the time to develop it, or they don't have the motivation, etc. Now the person who does recognize the potential of the idea (let's call him/her 'the artist') and knows how to express it in some medium (paint, sculpture, writing, music, dance, theatre etc) has to be able to hold onto this flash and mold it to get at the essence of the idea. Imagine a movie that is trying to portray some theme but gets bogged down because of bad execution in whatever aspect. In much the same way, the artist has to make his art leave out all the unnecessary details, all the fluff that gets in the way of showing the idea. Writers spend countless hours laboring over just the right word.
Art has to be shared. It cannot be locked up and hidden from the world. For me, the wonderful thing about art is that anybody can experience it and have some kind of emotional reaction. It's such a communal and humanistic aspect of our lives. Indeed, I believe the production of art in any way, shape, or form is what separates us from all the other animal species in the world. It was Jules Verne who thought of air travel, submarines, and space travel before the technology had been invented. Artist dream of things for the human race to achieve- be it peace, submarines, equality, or a new perspective. There really is no limit to what the human mind can dream.

Thank you for reading my ramblings. I wish I had a picture to post along with this blog. If I find something, I'll post it. Please comment below and let me know your opinions.

Music Acts in Super Bowl XLV

Here's a review of the musical acts that performed in the Super Bowl. Most people talk about the ads, but as my loyal readers know, I love music.

Christina Aguilera- Although some of her songs are not the greatest, I think she has an amazing voice because it's well supported and she has a great range. However, she did not do a good job singing the national anthem. I'm not even talking about her forgetting the lyrics; I think she chose the wrong key to sing it in. It was a letdown for me to see such a talented singer give a mediocre, at best, performance because I know that she can do better than that.

Lea Michele- She's a Broadway star! One of the reasons why I don't watch Glee is because that show does not do her justice. She has gone from being a great, budding singer, into sounding like any other teen idol, nasally head voice and all. At the beginning of the song, I was cringing just listening to how far she had sunk. But as the song progressed, I heard a definite improvement in the quality of her voice and by the end, all the Glee had elevated to the Broadway star quality that I knew she still had to have in her.

Black Eyed Peas- Fergie, shut the fuck up and let Axl- with all his ego and control freakishness- sing "Sweet Child of Mine"! Even with auto-tuned microphones, there were times where you could hear that they were just speaking and letting technology do all the work. They were out of tune and times and did not support their voices at all. The best part of the half-time show was when Slash appeared on stage for all of 45 seconds. I do like the songs the Black Eyed Peas played, I really do, but they aren't very good live. The costumes looked like alien football pads. Big shoulders went out of style in the 80's people! There wasn't anything exciting about the show in general either. They didn't seem to have any energy or passion for what they were doing. The light suits the extras wore were cool- kind of Tron style, but again, nothing spectacular.

New Top 5 Underrated and Underappreciated

1) Streetlights by Ludo- I LOVE Ludo. I know that I already have a post about them, but they really are worth checking out. If I had to pick one song as my favorite, I would have to pick this one. It's a mostly acoustic song with an "stereotypical Italian" style guitar in the instrumental parts. The lyrics are not the typical Ludo lyrics with a peppering of nerdy references; it's a more straightforward romantic song. It does tell a little story like many other Ludo songs. It's about the moment before you confess your love to someone. There's the nervousness, the anticipation, the giddiness, the purity of the moment. The words create very vivid images that create a little movie in my head. I can see two youths standing on the sidewalk beneath a streetlight in the early summer dusk.

2) Michael Buble- I know I didn't list a song. Just about anything by this man is sexy, baby-making music. He has that Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr sound. A little jazzy, a little bluesy, with a generous helping of swing. He does a lot of the standard songs like "Feeling Good", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Georgia on my Mind" and "Me and Mrs. Jones". He also has originals which he writes for his girlfriends. "Home", "Lost", "Haven't Met You Yet" are such examples. He has a sexy voice that goes well with the body it's in. He is gorgeous. He has a classic look with a modern flair. No piercings, no bad haircuts, no guyliner either. He's my new husband, he just doesn't know it yet because he hasn't met me yet. <3

3) Over the Hills and Far Away by Nightwish- They are known as a symphonic metal band. I prefer Tarja to Anette even though Tarja is a diva. This song tells a story reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo and it is similar to a traditional English. song dating back to the 1700's. You can hear that influence in the music. However, this is a cover of Gary Moore. I've never heard the Gary Moore version so I don't know how they compare. Check it out and let me know.

4) Symphony by Sarah Brightman- She originated the role of Christine Daae. Do not tell me anyone is better than her because that role was written specifically for her. It's no wonder either because with a voice like the one she has...it's like an angel. Her voice glides over the notes and resonates leaving you mystified as opposed to sad, because the lyrics are sad. It sounds like a song an ice skater would use in her program.

5) Memories by Within Temptation- A band I have recently been introduced to from the Netherlands. They are classified as symphonic metal, gothic metal, and symphonic rock. If you like Evanescence but want something more alternative, something a little bit fresher and not as played out, you will probably like this band. Sharon den Adel's voice is more operatic and more in the soprano range, somewhere between Amy Lee and Sarah Brightman. 'Memories' is one of those songs who words pierce your soul especially when you use your memories to keep someone who's gone close by.

Underrated and Underappreciated

No folks this post is not some emo rant about how no one understands me. Taking a cue from MadDogBV's post entitled "Wheel of Music" I've decided to compile a list of some songs that are not as well known by well-known artists, or obscure artists with obscure songs. There is no criteria other than what I have said above. Mind you, I've chosen songs that occur to me therefore this is a great probability that I have missed some great songs that deserve to be on this list. Now without further ado, here's the list.

10) Eternal by Evanescence- This is an instrumental song complete with piano, guitar, and the sounds of a storm. It's off their first (and very limited) album entitled 'Origin'. Many of the songs that were on their 'Fallen' album can be heard here in an earlier state. As a side note, I think Evanescence has a lot of great songs that are not as well known and show a different side of her personality and musical prowess. Most of those songs are on 'Origin' and the 'Evanescence EP'.

9) Everytime by Britney Spears- Before you guys whip out the torches and pitchforks to hunt me down for this one, let me just say this is a very pretty and heartfelt song. I do remember it got a lot of airplay several months after her 'In the Zone' album was released but she's not as well known for this song as she is for her more upbeat, catchy, and raunchier songs. I've noticed that she has about 1 ballad type song in her albums that conveys a more vunerable Britney. Yes, Britney is one of my guilty pleasure artists. That's my 10 year old side coming out.

8) I Will by The Beatles- My favorite band of all time. This song is on their self entitled album more commonly referred to as "The White Album". If I remember correctly it comes at the end of the second album. It's a short, sweet, and simple acoustic song sung by Paul McCartney (he and I are going to get married, he just doesn't know it yet). I have a soft spot in my heart for acoustic songs and this one made the list because it's not as well-known as some other songs. Honestly, the White Album is more of a development of the individuals as opposed to their earlier albums which were a development of the band, so the songs on this album tend to be more "John" or more "Paul" or even more "George" and the songs don't have the other members to kind of balance them out. I Will is kind of a throwback to their earlier materials with the advantage of maturity.

7) Cancao Do Mar by Dulce Pontes- This is a Portuguese song so the only way I know what it's talking about is because I've looked up the translation of the song's lyrics. How did I find out about this song? Sarah Brightman has a song called "Harem" that uses the same tune as Cancao and someone pointed this out in the comment section of Youtube. So I decided to look up this song. Needless to say, I fell in love with the wistful tone and powerful, emotionally charged voice of Dulce Pontes. Again in the comments section someone pointed out that this song captures the Portugueses' relationship with the sea; full of sorrow at the loss of lives to its force, awe at its turbulence and calm and majesty, and the dependence on it for trade.

6) Thank You by The Redwalls- At this point, I have probably lost many of you. Who the heck is the band? I heard about this band from a professor (he's a grad student who taught one of my literature classes. You can check out his blog "Weaponized Culture"). Anyways, he told me about this band because they sound exactly like the Beatles, but they are from Illinois! In the video, Logan Baren has an early Beatles look both in mannerism and dress. It's an inspired look as opposed to an impersonation. I don't think they are signed anywhere anymore, and I have no idea where you can find their album(s), but they are on youtube. They have an authentic sound; no synthesizers, no auto-tuning, nada.

5) St. James Infirmary by Louis Armstrong- We all know the song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. But in the course of bluesing I have come to know this haunting song. I think I heard once that this was originally an English folk song, but I don't know. If it was, Louis has given it his signature trumpet and a bluesy sound. It's a great blues dancing song. It's got a sexy rythm, but don't listen to the lyrics or else you'll realize how depressing and morbid it is.

4) Baby I'm Yours by Barbara Lewis, Cher, Arctic Monkeys, Debby Boone- The only two versions of this song I've heard are the ones by Barbara Lewis and The Arctic Monkeys. It's a really sweet little song, probably not too hard to learn on guitar, although on piano the left hand's a bitch but thankfully it's the right hand that carries the melody. So it's one of those songs you can sing to your girlfriend, or boyfriend, and they will swoon. Unless they are hard-hearted and don't have a single romantic bone in their body. The Arctic Monkeys version is a tad faster and easier to sing than Barbara Lewis'. She uses a little more range and embellishments to her voice. But both have their charms and add different dimesions to the song.

3) Candle on the Water by Helen Reddy from Pete's Dragon- This is an old Disney movie that I saw many years ago. I don't remember the main plot, but I remembered the sub-plot that this song is related to. I had dedicated this song to my ex when he was going through some rough times. It's amazing what comes back to you across time; the subplot of this movie is the same type as my relationship was. That I'm-in-love-with-you-and-I'm-willing-to-wait-for-you-even-though-I-don't-know-if-you're-ever-coming-back type of relationship. This song captured that undying love and devotion that I felt.

2) Whaddya Want by Casey MacGill- This is another song I've been exposed to through swing dancing. It's a fun song to dance too that won't tire you out, but isn't so slow that you'll get bored. The lyrics are a bit raunchy but subversively so and it offers some dip/pose opportunities during the song. I must mention this has NO relation to the Adam Lambert song of the same name. You cannot find this song on youtube in its entirety; the closest you get is a little boy sitting in the car singing along.

1) Travelin' Soldier by Dixie Chicks- This song is a huge tear-jerker for me and is the epitome of what I think of when I said 'underrated and underappreciate songs by well-known artists'. This song came out and was being promoted at the time of the (in)famous comment by Natalie Maines. Obviously, it quickly fell out of favor even though it's a cover. I love the extended concert version with the drums playing a very military style drum. It tells an all-too-common war love story that extends beyond the Vietnam War era the song is set in. Even if you don't agree with the Dixie Chicks and their opinions you have to appreciate their talent and their ability to deliver a song.

I hope you take the time to listen to at least some of these songs. I listen to these songs fairly frequently and really enjoy the fresh sound that goes with a song that doesn't get a lot of radio play. I've tried to pick songs across genres to really give you a sense of what I listen to.