(ARTIST) Joshua Radin

Alright, it is officially almost 5am and I have to be at a wedding tomorrow by 11. However, I have finally listened to a person I got a few weeks back just now and I can't wait to put him on the blog. All of this came about because a friend of mine reminded me about Schuyler Fisk (who I will hopefully get to hear a full LP from and put on the blog soon) and it made me think of this guy. Joshua Radin, who is actually dating Miss Fisk, happens to have friends in high places. Most notably, he went to school and is very close friends with Zach Braff. Radin was first heard mainstream when Braff got his song "Winter" to be used on Scrubs. Since then, Radin has contributed to various soundtracks, including The Last Kiss, and even Grey's Anatomy. He has an amazing Damien Rice-esque blend of strings, soft vocals, beautiful harmonies, and intimate lyricism. I literally was moved to tears the first time I heard the album version of "Sundrenched World." It is beautiful and so is the rest of his inaugural CD, please oh please enjoy Joshua Radin as much as I am right now.


"Sundrenched World" (It is not quite as good just acoustic as it is on the album, but still fantastic)


"Paperweight" (This one is with Schuyler Fisk, who is awesome, as well. You might remember her as the female lead in Orange County)


"Winter"

(OPERA) Madama Butterfly - Giacomo Puccini

Alright, it is that time. In the event that ANYONE who doesn't know me reads/watches this blog, I am only a senior recital away from completing my vocal performance degree. Upon completion, I will be able to say that I am a "classically trained" baritone. As such, I loves me some opera. This blog has been classical free...until now. Welcome to opera land. Giacomo Puccini is one of my favorite composers. His operas always seem to capture the heart and soul of his characters and portray them unlike any other composer. Here I will showcase a litte bit of Madama Butterfly. I have directed selected scenes from this opera and it holds a special place near to my heart. The opera is about a Geisha who marries and American, bears his child, and ultimately commits suicide when his American wife returns to Japan to give the news that he will never return. I know you will enjoy Madama Butterfly.


"Un Bel Di Vedremo" (This soprano is not the best I have ever heard sing this aria, however, there is something to be said for the fact that she is actually Japanese)


"Un Bel Di Vedremo" (Same aria, but remixed. Frickin' hilarious)

(ARTIST) Mika

Alrighty, this guy has been out for a while, he's getting really popular, but I owe him a shoutout on the blog because he was the artist (a while back) that inspired me to just make a blog out of this, because I KNEW everyone I knew would enjoy him but it was so hard to burn his CD a 1,000 times. He's British, fantastic, and gearing up to be our generations Freddie Mercury, with the vocals to back that claim up. Oh, and he has 4 octaves. Love it. Please oh please (if you haven't already) enjoy Mika.


"Love Today" (NOTE THE OCTAVES)


"Grace Kelly" (this one has been getting pretty good radio coverage. Check the Freddie in the middle, damn)


"Over My Shoulder" (this song has given me chills on every listen from the first time to just now when I watched the youtube video)

(ARTIST) Menomena (do do do do doo)

So this band's name makes me super happy. Mostly because it reminds me of the classic muppets skit that I love more than life itself. Anywho, other than a name, this band shares pretty much nothing with the muppet show skit. However, the band DOES feature a regular glockenspiel player. Do you love it or do you LOVE it? Yeah, that's what I thought. They just released a new album and they're awesome. They're pretty experimental, but they rock out pretty well. Enjoy Menomena.


"Wet and Rusting"


"Cough Coughing" (sweet drum line)


"Twenty Cell Revolt" (this is the first of my summer anthems, I think)

(ARTIST) Anjani Thomas

So I'm back from my hiatus of having Mono, boo. But the plus side to having to lay in bed all day and listen to music is all the music I got to listen to. Expect a few updates in the next day or two. First off, I have Anjani Thomas. This chick is absolutely fabulous. She is born in Hawaii but has an amazing contralto blues voice. She did extensive work with Leonard Cohen, but became a solo artist in 2000 and released her last album in 2006, Blue Alert. It is a great jazz/blues album, hearkening Diana Ross, Dianne Reeves, and Rosemary Clooney, amongst other greats. She is pretty fresh, though, and I could only find one YouTube video of her and it pretty crappy quality. Plus Cohen, bless his heart, sings flat for most of the song, so just listen to her, and worse comes to worse, open up your favorite music buying program, or iTunes (may the not be the same, lol) and check her out. Enjoy Anjani Thomas.


"Whither Thou Goest" (Sadly the only video of her I could find, but she is deserving of your attention.)

(ARTIST) Joel Plaskett

So this dude is Canadian. He is pretty sweet. I owe this find to Perez Hilton, but I pretty much love this guy. He has a great acoustic vibe to his live stuff, but his albums are pretty electronic and cool. Think great back-beats and funny arrangements. For instance, the opening to one of his CDs starts with a recording of people bouncing basketballs in a gym, then rocks into a sweet electronic beat. So, please, enjoy Joel Plaskett.


"I Love This Town"


"Television Set"


"Before You Leave"


"Non-Believer"