Category Archives: Music

Random Music Time!

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I feel like talking about random music I’ve been listening too…mostly wizard rock, but a few other things too.

I haven’t listened to a lot of wizard rock lately, but a few weeks ago, I got a few songs from The Weasel King.  At first, I didn’t realize The Weasel King was a wizard rocker, but once I listened a little more closely, I found that his music was indeed about Harry Potter.  He kind of reminds me of Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls, in that it’s not obvious at first that the music is about Harry Potter.

I also got a couple songs from The Blibbering Humdingers.  Dobby, Bang Your Head is absolutely hysterical, and No Shame In Hufflepuff is pretty funny too.

Speaking of funny, I somehow stumbled across an album by Hank Green, who is the brother of John Green.  John Green, of course, is a YA writer- and I can’t wait until I can finally pick up Waiting For Alaska.  But Hank apparently comes up with random songs, like This Is Not Harry Potter (a great song, by the way, and so true).  I currently have an iTunes giftcard, so I may have to spend part of it on a Hank Green album.

Speaking of iTunes!  I have so many albums on my wishlist that I’m just staring it, figuring out what to buy.  It’s great when I’m tired of my own music collection, and want something new, but then again, it makes it hard to figure out what I’m in the mood for.

Random Thought: Listening to movie scores when doing anything makes that thing seem so much more epic and dramatic.  I don’t have enough movie scores.

So…this is what’s going on music-wise (at least right now).  I’ll be back with other random stuff throughout the week, including a top 10 list tomorrow!

Once Upon Another TIme

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Once Upon Another Time is the new Sara Bareilles EP.  I’m not quite sure what the point of an EP is, other than it’s generally shorter than a normal cd and has songs that seem to show up on a later (full-length) cd.

  1. Once Upon Another Time: The title track didn’t grab my attention.  It’s an okay song, but it’s a little too slow for my liking.  There is something very dreamlike about it, though.
  2. Stay: I really like this song.  You can hear the emotion in her voice.  And the song is just really cool.
  3. Lie To Me: I felt like singing along to this song.  And I just love this song!
  4. Sweet As Whole: This song made me giggle, and it took me a while to figure out the cute play on words for the song title.  If that is what the songwriter(s) intended.
  5. Bright Lights And Cityscapes: I love this song!  It’s just so pretty, and I think it’s my favorite song on the EP.

I really liked it, and while I wish it were longer, I’ll take 5 songs.  I love the emphasis on the piano, because I feel like it’s something you don’t hear very often.  And I just like listening to her.  My rating would be a 4 out of 5.

The Lateness Of The Hour

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So, after seeing the Bing/Internet Explorer commercial on t.v., I decided that I really needed the song that they play in the commercial.  By the way, it’s called Too Close, and it’s done by Alex Clare.  I decided to preview the rest of the album, because I was curious as to what the rest of his music was like.  And I ended up with the whole album, which is his first.  I really like the song-by-song breakdown, so I think I’ll stick with that.

  1. Up All Night: It definitely sounds interesting, and I really like it!
  2. Treading Water: Love it!  It’s definitely one of my favorite songs on the entire album.
  3. Relax My Beloved: Another interesting sounding song.  I like it.
  4. Too Close: This is the one in the commercial, and I love it.  It’s my other favorite song.
  5. Humming Bird: It’s different than the others, but at the same time, it fits very well with every other song.
  6. Hands Are Clever: I really like, and there’s something fun about it.
  7. Tight Rope: I like it, but not as much as the others.  I think it’s my least favorite.
  8. Whispering: I like it.  That is all.
  9. I Love You: I like it, mostly because it doesn’t sound like anything else on the album.
  10. Sanctuary: I really like it.
  11. I Won’t Let You Down: I really like this one too.

Overall, I loved it!  It doesn’t fade into the background, and it’s very different than pretty much everything else I listen to.  I really haven’t heard anything like it before, and I give it a 4 out of 5.

Little Broken Hearts

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I finally listened to Little Broken Hearts.  It took a little longer than expected, but I did it.

  1. Good Morning: It is very calming and relaxing, and it sounds pretty.  I really like it.
  2. Say Goodbye: It sounds interesting, and it is very pop.  I love it!
  3. Little Broken Hearts: I like it.  That is all.
  4. She’s 22: The song title is really interesting, and I really like the song.
  5. Take It Back: I really like it.  That is all.
  6. After The Fall: It’s just okay.  It’s one of my least favorite songs on the album.
  7. 4 Broken Hearts: It’s okay.  One of my least favorites on the album.
  8. Travelin’ On: I didn’t like this song, and it’s my least favorite song on the album.
  9. Out On The Road: This is not a memorable song, and as such, it is just okay.
  10. Happy Pills: I really like it, and for a 1st single, it’s a really good choice.
  11. Miriam: Just okay, not very memorable.
  12. All A Dream: I kind of like it but it’s also okay.

Overall, I really like it, and it’s good to have on in the background.  It’s interesting to see her moving away from the jazzy stuff and more towards pop, but it’s also nice to see her do something different and yet stay with what we know her for.  If I have to give it a rating, I think I would give it a 4 out 5.

Blown Away

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So, it’s taken me almost a week to listen to (and review) Blown Away by Carrie Underwood.  I really liked it, and overall, it’s a pretty good album.  There were a few songs that reminded me of previous songs she’s done, but I was also surprised by some of the songs on the album.  Here’s my song-by-song breakdown.

  1. Good Girl- I like the song, but it’s really starting to remind me of songs like Cowboy Casanova.
  2. Blown Away- I love it, but I was surprised by how dark it is.  At least for Underwood.
  3. 2 Black Cadillacs- It’s another song I like, and like Blown Away, it sounded dark for Underwood.
  4. See You Again- Underwood is back on familiar ground with this hopeful song.  I liked it, but it was just okay.  If that makes sense.
  5. Do You Think About Me- I like it, and it’s a very sweet song.
  6. Forever Changed- I thought it was just okay.  It one of my least favorite songs on the album.
  7. Nobody Ever Told You- It’s another very inspirational song but it’s my least favorite song on the entire album.
  8. One Way Ticket- As much as I love a lot of Underwood’s songs, it is nice to hear one that’s not about love, revenge or something inspirational.  It had an islandy/beachy feel too, but it was just okay.
  9. Thank God For Hometowns- I really like this song, and I really felt that she hasn’t forgotten where she’s come from.  Plus, I always felt that of all the people on American Idol, she’s the one who seems to be the most appreciative of her time on the show.
  10. Good In Goodbye- I like it, but I don’t have any other thoughts on the song.
  11. Leave Love Alone- I like it and had a blues kind of feel to it.  Definitely different!
  12. Cupid’s Got A Shotgun- Here’s another song I like, but it reminded of songs like Before He Cheats.
  13. Wine After Whiskey- It’s a good song, and I like it, but it doesn’t stand out.
  14. Who Are You- Like Wine After Whiskey, it’s a good song, but doesn’t stand out.  Then again, I wasn’t really paying attention to the last couple songs, so I may have to listen to them again.

I do have a few more thoughts on Blown Away.  Some of the songs reminded me of other songs she’s done, which I’ve noted appropriately.  Overall, there were her usual themes of hope and love and broken hearts, but there were a few songs that broke away from that.  It was nice to see her branch out a little, and do something slightly different.

I definitely recommend it, but if you have to get one or two songs, I’d go with Blown Away and 2 Black Cadillacs.

Copper

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Copper is a band that I found randomly on iTunes.  And in my now-apparent quest to listen to a lot of music I don’t listen to very often, I thought I would turn the spotlight on Copper.

The Fragile Fall: I love By Now, Turn, and Need, but I really like a lot of the other songs too.  Why don’t I listen to them more?  I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot the last few Mondays.  But it’s really good, and I’m glad I came across them.

Take My Chances: I love this album!  I don’t love it as much as The Fragile Fall, but it’s still an album I really like.  I love Broken Sky, Take My Chances and Make You Mine.

There’s nothing else to add, so I’m sorry for such a short post.  But I’ll be back tomorrow with a (hopefully) longer post.

Cavo

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The group I’ve been listening to over the last week or so has been Cavo.  They popped up on the recommendations thing on iTunes, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone by now.

The Painful Art Of Letting Go is really good.  It’s a really good debut.  I love Waiting For Silence, Gone, and Painful Art.  Something about the entire album resonates with me, and like a lot of the groups and artists I’ve talked about in the past, I don’t listen to them enough.

Bright Nights*Dark Days is the other one I have, and it’s really good!  Champagne, Crash and Ghost are my 3 favorites but there’s something about their music that’s interesting.  Bright Nights has a slightly different sound to it than The Painful Art Of Letting Go, but Bright Nights is a good follow-up.  I was reminded of Painful Art a couple times though.

I can’t wait to get their new album- I hope it’s as good as The Painful Art Of Letting Go and Bright Nights*Dark Days.  I don’t have anything else to add, so I’ll be back tomorrow!

Charlotte Church

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I love her voice, and while I don’t have any of her pop stuff, I have all of her classical stuff.  I’m not a big fan of classical, but I really like her.  It’s rare that I’ll listen to any album all the way through, but hers is one of the few that I can listen to all the way through.

Voice Of An Angel: I love her renditions of Ave Maria and Amazing Grace.  I think it’s my favorite album of hers.  I think it has the best selection of songs, and in comparison to the other two I have, I’m familiar with a lot of the songs on it.

Her self-titled album, Charlotte Church, is so good!  Seriously, it is!  I really do like all of the songs, and I can’t pick a favorite.  It’s that good!  Although I am fond of Just Wave Hello.

Enchantment is her last classical album.  It’s still classical, but less classical than her first 2 albums.  It’s Broadway meets classical music, and I do like it.  It’s more dramatic, whereas Voice Of An Angel and her self-titled album are more…traditional.  Carmen is my favorite, and Papa Can You Hear Me is another favorite.  And The Prayer is another good song.  Like her previous 2, there’s really not a bad song in the bunch.

That’s it for today, so have a happy Monday!

A Harry Potter Playlist

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By now, it shouldn’t be a secret that I love Harry Potter.  I have a giant playlist for the Prehistoric Chicken novel, that has every Harry Potter-related song I own on it.

But this is not that playlist.  Instead it is a selection of songs that I keep listening to over and over.  It includes both wizard rock and songs from the Harry Potter soundtracks.

  • Rockin’ Out At Hogwarts by Gred and Forge would be on there.  Their music is hilarious, and this is a fun song.  I always want to sing along to it.
  • Flash, Bang, Done by Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls: Starting with this song, every song is either by Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls or on one of the soundtracks.
  • Just A Hufflepuff: I love this song.  Mostly because Hufflepuff is the house that I identify with the most.
  • Spells And Scars: I love that it’s told from the perspective of the Death Eaters.  And I love the music.  There’s 2 different versions (one acoustic, one not) and I don’t which one I like better.
  • We Are The D.A.: This would be a good theme song for the D.A.
  • Flight Of The Prince: I love this song, and like Spells And Scars, there’s 2 different versions.  I like both, but I think I prefer the acoustic version.
  • ’til Death: Love this song!  It’s another one told from the perspective of Death Eaters, and I love the music more than anything.  It’s haunting.
  • Dumbledore’s Army is the first song from the soundtracks- It’s from Order Of The Phoenix, in case anyone is wondering.  There’s something very hopeful about the song.
  • Mischief Managed! is from Prisoner of Azkaban, and it’s a medley of a lot of the songs on the soundtrack.  It captures the overall feel of the movie really well.
  • Obliviate is from Deathly Hallows, Part One.  There’s something powerful and haunting, and one of the few songs that stand out.
  • Lily’s Theme from Deathly Hallows, Part Two is another one that stands out.  The dementors around the castle, Snape overlooking the courtyard…when it comes down to it, Lily’s sacrifice is so very important to the entire series.
  • Courtyard Apocalypse from Deathly Hallows, Part Two.  Oh.  My.  God.  This is such an amazing song, and it gets stuck in my head a lot.  If you only listen to a couple songs from the DH 2 soundtrack, this one (and Lily’s Theme) are the ones you need to listen to.
  • The End Of An Era by Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls.  This song ALWAYS makes me cry.  It sums up how I feel about the Harry Potter series, and a good song to round up the playlist.

Since this is playlist really features Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls and the soundtracks, I think I need one that focuses solely on other wrock bands.  I think I’ll be sharing that one when it’s finished.

The Hunger Games Soundtrack

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The Hunger Games soundtrack came out last week, so I thought I’d review it.  I’ll talking about each song on the soundtrack, so let’s get started!

  1. Abraham’s Daughter by Arcade Fire: This goes so well with the movie, and I think it’s a good choice for the soundtrack.  Not only that, but it’s a great song to start off the soundtrack.
  2. Tomorrow Will Be Kinder by The Secret Sisters: This is a pretty good song, and it’s very folksy.  I have an inkling that “this is a good fit for The Hunger Games” will become overused in this post.
  3. Nothing To Remember by Neko Case: I like it.  That is all.
  4. Safe And Sound by Taylor Swift (and featuring The Civil Wars): This is the 1st Taylor Swift song on the soundtrack, and it fits The Hunger Games so well.  The video is also very haunting.
  5. The Ruler And The Killer by Kid Cudi: This is an interesting choice for the soundtrack, but at the same time…I think it’s another good choice.
  6. Dark Days by Punch Brothers: I love this song, and I think it’s one of my new favorites!
  7. One Engine by The Decemberists: This is another song that fits the soundtrack very well.  It’s a great song, and it makes me think of Katniss heading off to the Games.
  8. Daughter’s Lament by The Carolina Chocolate Drops: Can I just say that I love the name of the band?  Because I do.  As for the song, it’s another good choice.  It makes me think of Katniss hunting in the woods.
  9. Kingdom Come by The Civil Wars: I am not surprised to see the Civil Wars on The Hunger Games soundtrack.  They are such a good fit, and it’s surprising they only get one song…2 if you count the one with Taylor Swift.
  10. Take The Heartland by Glen Hansard: This is yet another good choice.  I really like that there’s a good mix of songs, and this one is no exception to that.
  11. Come Away To The Water (featuring Rozzi Crane) by Maroon 5: I think I was most suprised by the inclusion of Maroon 5.  If there’s anyone who doesn’t fit (at first glance), it’s them.  But I was pleasantly surprised, and it was a pretty good choice.
  12. Run Daddy Run (featuring the Pistol Annies) by Miranda Lambert: I love that Miranda Lambert is on the soundtrack!  And I love that she’s singing this song.
  13. Rules by Jaymee Dee: I like it.  And it is a very good fit for The Hunger Games.  I like that it’s on the soundtrack, because it makes me think of Katniss hunting…again.  But I think it also says a lot about Katniss and Peeta rebelling against the Capitol.
  14. Eyes Open by Taylor Swift: The second of 2 Taylor Swift songs, and it’s another good choice.  It’s a wonderful song, and I think it sums up the entire series perfectly.
  15. Lover Is Childlike by The Low Anthem: This is another interesting choice for the soundtrack.  I think it might be my least favorite song, but it is a good song for the soundtrack.  It makes me think of the end of the book.
  16. Just A Game by Birdy: And the last song on the soundtrack!  It’s a great choice for the soundtrack, and especially as the last song.  The music was a little overpowering, but overall, I like this song!

I was surprised by some of the huge names on the soundtrack.  I figured most, if not all, of the songs would be done by artists no one has heard of.

Overall, it’s really good.  I feel like all of the songs (and artists) were carefully selected for the soundtrack.  On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 5!