The Doobie Brothers in New Jersey

Can you believe it? The Doobie Brothers are on tour, AGAIN. Unlike many other bands that have remained together through decades, The Doobie Brothers still have it! The Brothers have sold over 30 million albums worldwide, 3 multi-platinum albums, and 4 platinum sets.  Noted as one of the most popular Californian alternative/ country rock bands of the '70s, the Doobie Brothers evolved from a mellow, post-hippie boogie band to a smooth, soul igniting, rhythm and blues band by the end of the decade. Along the way, the Doobies gathered a number of radio hits. Some of those include.. "Listen to the Music," "Black Water" and "Long Train Runnin." I will never forget the first time I listened to the Doobie Brothers. My Dad and I were driving somewhere listening to the radio. As I always ride shotgun to ensure that I have special DJ privileges, I grew frustrated with scanning the radio. Until the Doobies came on. Their song "Black Water" had just started and my Dad turned it up, giving me fair warning to NOT change the station. Their named caught my eye at first, but then their music blew me away. The country sound really set the mood, as I put my head back and stared out the window. The Doobies brought me into music heaven, as they sang, "Oh black water, keep on movin' Mississippi moon won't you keep on shining on me." After the song was over, I asked my Dad several questions about the band, beginning with their name ('Doobie'). From that conversation I learned a lot about my Dad and what the music scene was like back in the day. I  couldn't get enough of his stories, nor could I get enough of the Doobies. Now, I am happy to inform fans of the Doobie Brothers, that they are on tour, and on November 2, they will perform in Englewood, NJ at the Bergen Performing Arts Center! For additional information and tour dates, check out their site!

The Doobie Brothers

King of the Blues

    Before I begin praising the King, I must suggest that as the reader, you play the video posted below...tell me if you can resist the groove.
Riley B. King, better known as B.B. King, celebrated his 86th birthday last month. B.B. King's first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM which is out of West Memphis. In 1949, King began recording songs under contract with the Los Angeles-based RPM Records.

    "My very first recordings [in 1949] were for a company out of Nashville called Bullet, the Bullet Record Transcription company," King recalls. "I had horns that very first session. I had Phineas Newborn on piano; his father played drums, and his brother, Calvin, played guitar with me. I had Tuff Green on bass, Ben Branch on tenor sax, his brother, Thomas Branch, on trumpet, and a lady trombone player. The Newborn family were the house band at the famous Plantation Inn in West Memphis.”

    By the 1950’s King had grown to be one of the most influential and important names in the R&B music. Several of his greatest hits include “Everyday I Have the Blues,” “Sweet Little Angel,” "How Blue Can You Get?” “Hummingbird,” and “Thrill is Gone.” It is safe to say that King is a revelation to our music’s history

Rolling Stone rated King at no.3 in their “Top 500 Greatest Guitarists of All Time!” In this article, the writer suggests that in King’s song, “Three O' Clock Blues,’ you can hear his original and passionate style, juicing the country blues with electric fire and jazz polish.”.... I couldn’t help but agree!

    King is still thriving in his musical career, in fact, he is currently on tour. This Friday, October 21, I will be seeing King perform in Long Island, at the Paramount Theatre. I will be attending this event with much apprehension and gratitude for being able to experience what I’m sure will be another life altering show.

Cee-Lo Green, "The Lady Killer"

Have you seen the latest 7-UP commercial featuring Cee-Lo Green? It had me cracking up, as I later found myself downloading his album titled, "The Lady Killer." Despite his original, eye-catching name for an album, Cee-Lo Green is one of the most talented and original mainstream artists of today, in my opinion. Cee-Lo's unique voice makes it almost impossible to not recognize or not be interested in any of his songs. So much energy and emotion is released through his music as it wreaks a blend of soul, hip-hop, and funk. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer, formerly best known as a member of Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob, and Dungeon Family. He has also recorded two successful solo LPs: Cee-Lo Green "and His Perfect Imperfections"(2002), and Cee-Lo Green… "Is The Soul Machine" (2004).

A favorite song of mine off the album, "Fool For You," carries one of the most invigorating, full, emotional, up-beat, and classiest sounds that I've heard related to mainstream music in a while. The music in this song grabs hold of my ears and forcefully moves my body to the beat. If there is any song off this album I'd recommend listening to, it's this song. Not only will you dance, but I can promise that it will get you hooked on Cee-Lo. 

Rolling Stone Magazine put it best in "The Lady Killer's" album review:

 "How can you not love Cee Lo? He's a virtuoso rapper who has one of pop's most unique singing voices. He's a self-proclaimed lady-killer who's roughly as tall as a mini-refrigerator and as broad as a Hummer. He wears pink suits. He put a song called "Fuck You" in the Top 20....Listen to Cee Lo at his most beatific, on "Bright Lights Bigger City," a thumping neo-disco ode to a bacchanalian night out. "Cocktails and conversation/Music and making love/And it's all right, it's all right, it's all right," he sings."

Feist releases her new album titled "Metals"

Singer-songwriter, Feist released her latest album today titled Metals. If you're not familiar with this artist's music, you might recognize the talented artist's voice is from Apple's Ipod Nano commercial featuring her song "1,2,3,4," which hit number eight on the Billboard singles chart in 2007. Leslie Feist was born on Canada's East Coast in Nova Scotia, and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She began her singing career in her 20's playing shows throughout Toronto. She was asked to sing in an all-girl band called, Placebo, and in 1991 opened for the Ramones. In 2001, Feist and a few of her friends began working on a musical project that soon became known as Broken Social Scene, another one of my favorite bands. Their sound is unique and pleasing to the ear, but the garage band/experimental element heard in their music really hits home for me. Feist's album "Let it Die," was among one of my favorites. Released in May 2004, Feist recorded the album in Paris in a 19th century manor house! "Let it Die," has an array of mellow yet delightful songs, that hold a classy/jazzy/disco sound. My favorite song among all the others on this album is, "Mushaboom." Here Feist performs "Mushaboom"  at the 2005 Juno Awards:

Before her latest album, Metals, was actually released, Feist treated her fans to an online stream of the tracks that would be featured on the upcoming album.
 "....the music is riveting: a tense soul-blues vamp, spiced with horns and raggedy electric guitar, with Feist's clear, piercing voice—at once sad, remorseful and accusatory—demanding your attention all the while,"  notes critic, Jody Rosen from RollingStone Magazine in discussing the first song off the album titled, "How come you never go there?" Personally, I enjoy anything that Feist comes out with. Her soft, calming, jazzy sound makes her music perfect at times when you simply just need a relaxing break in your day.