Good Life - One Republic

Serena Ryder...

Some artists say it all...
What I Wanna Know...

It Doesn't Matter Anymore:

All For Love :
 
The real music video is amazing and you should YouTube it...

Give Up The Ghost album by Brandi Carlile

Give Up The Ghost album by Brandi Carlile

Click the Link above to listen to the tracks, with thanks to Myspace for the link!

This album is beyond amazing! I have always been a Brandi Carlile fan, but this goes beyond anything I have heard from her before! 11 tracks, that is all I have been listening to for the past 3 days straight!

1. Looking Out
2. Dying Day
3. Pride and Joy (Personal Favorite)
4. Dreams (Second Favorite)
5. That Year
6. Caroline
7. Before It Breaks (Third Favorite)
8. I Will
9. If There Was No You
10.Touching The Ground
11. Oh Dear

Patsy Cline - Voice of the Heart.

One of the greatest singers in the history of country music, Patsy Cline also helped blaze a trail for female singers to assert themselves as an integral part of the Nashville-dominated country music industry. She was not alone in this regard; Kitty Wells had become a star several years before Cline's big hits in the early '60s. Brenda Lee, who shared Cline's producer, did just as much to create a country-pop crossover during the same era; Skeeter Davis briefly enjoyed similar success. Cline has the most legendary aura of any female country singer, however, perhaps due to an early death that cut her off just after she had entered her prime. Cline began recording in the mid-'50s, and although she recorded quite a bit of material between 1955 and 1960 (17 singles in all), only one of them was a hit. That song, "Walkin' After Midnight," was both a classic and a Top 20 pop smash. Those who are accustomed to Cline's famous early-'60s hits are in for a bit of a shock when surveying her '50s sessions (which have been reissued on several Rhino compilations). At times she sang flat-out rockabilly; she also tried some churchy tear-weepers. She couldn't follow up "Walkin' After Midnight," however, in part because of an exploitative deal that limited her to songs from one publishing company. Circumstances were not wholly to blame for Cline's commercial failures. She would have never made it as a rockabilly singer, lacking the conviction of Wanda Jackson or the spunk of Brenda Lee. In fact, in comparison with her best work, she sounds rather stiff and ill-at-ease on most of her early singles. Things took a radical turn for the better on all fronts in 1960, when her initial contract expired. With the help of producer Owen Bradley (who had worked on her sessions all along), Cline began selecting material that was both more suitable and of a higher quality than her previous outings. "I Fall to Pieces," cut at the very first session where Cline was at liberty to record what she wanted, was the turning point in her career. Reaching number one in the country charts and number 12 pop, it was the first of several country-pop crossovers she was to enjoy over the next couple of years. More important, it set a prototype for commercial Nashville country at its best. Owen Bradley crafted lush orchestral arrangements, with weeping strings and backup vocals by the Jordanaires, that owed more to pop (in the best sense) than country. The country elements were provided by the cream of Nashville's session musicians, including guitarist Hank Garland, pianist Floyd Cramer, and drummer Buddy Harmon. Cline's voice sounded richer, more confident, and more mature, with ageless wise and vulnerable qualities that have enabled her records to maintain their appeal with subsequent generations. When k.d. lang recorded her 1988 album Shadowland with Owen Bradley, it was this phase of Cline's career that she was specifically attempting to emulate. It's arguable that too much has been made of Cline's crossover appeal to the pop market. Brenda Lee, whose records were graced with similar Bradley productions, was actually more successful in this area (although her records were likely targeted toward a younger audience). Cline's appeal was undeniably more adult, but she was always more successful with country listeners. Her final four Top Ten country singles, in fact, didn't make the pop Top 40. Despite a severe auto accident in 1961, Cline remained hot through 1961 and 1962, with "Crazy" and "She's Got You" both becoming big country and pop hits. Much of her achingly romantic material was supplied by fresh talent like Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard, and Willie Nelson (who penned "Crazy"). Although her commercial momentum had faded slightly, she was still at the top of her game when she died in a plane crash in March of 1963, at the age of 30. She was only a big star for a couple of years, but her influence was and remains huge. While the standards of professionalism on her recordings have been emulated ever since, they've rarely been complemented by as much palpable, at times heartbreaking emotion in the performances. For those who could do without some of more elaborate arrangements of her later years, many of her relatively unadorned appearances on radio broadcasts have been thankfully preserved and issued. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Complications.

Complicated. I saw this video on my friend Marisa's blog and knew instantly it needed to be spread even further. I know that every girl has felt like this at one point, and maybe even some of you guys. Either way, I thought this song was and is simply brilliant!

Isn't it amazing, the voice music sometimes gives to us. How it has the power to say what we cannot, and sometimes speaks what we ourselves will never admit.

The Wonder That Is Lily Allen

I feel this video says it all... Lily Allen has a way about her that just makes you laugh at how blunt she is in her music.

Truly refreshing!

Dreams

.

I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

A charmant singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, harmonica, ukelele, even kazoo from time to time), Priscilla Ahn was raised in rural Bernville, PA. She started playing guitar at the age of 14 and performed in choirs and musical productions throughout high school. Following graduation, the burgeoning songwriter began playing open mics in Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey while keeping her home in Bernville. Driving upwards of eighty miles for every show proved tiresome, however, and Ahn soon moved to L.A., where she became friends with fellow musician Joshua Radin after sharing a bill with him at the Hotel Café. Radin soon signed with Columbia Records and enlisted Ahn to tour with him, although she took time off to record a self-titled EP with producers Joey Waronker and Gus Seyfrett. In 2007, she played a showcase in New York City for Blue Note Records and was promptly signed to the label, which released Priscilla Ahn's full-length debut, Good Day, in June 2008.

How You Love Me

Led by powerhouse vocalist Cassadee Pope, Hey Monday lace their infectious emo-pop with alt-rock guitars and slick studio production. The band formed in West Palm Beach, FL, where Pope was first discovered at a regional music conference. Although still in high school, the singer drew attention from A&R execs with her vocals, which recalled the radio-ready wails of Avril Lavigne and Paramore's Haley Williams. She then formed a band with fellow teenagers Jersey Moriarty (bass), Elliot James (drums), and guitarists Mike Gentile and Alex Lipshaw. Shedding their original name (Blake) in favor of Hey Monday, the group won over A&R exec Jay Harren, who signed the band to Columbia Records. Hey Monday then entered the recording studio with S*A*M & Sluggo, the production team behind albums by Metro Station and the Academy Is..., and readied the release of their debut record. Hold on Tight arrived in October 2008 under a joint partnership with Columbia and Pete Wentz's vanity label, Decaydance. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide Led by powerhouse vocalist Cassadee Pope, Hey Monday lace their infectious emo-pop with alt-rock guitars and slick studio production. The band formed in West Palm Beach, FL, where Pope was first discovered at a regional music conference. Although still in high school, the singer drew attention from A&R execs with her vocals, which recalled the radio-ready wails of Avril Lavigne and Paramore's Haley Williams. She then formed a band with fellow teenagers Jersey Moriarty (bass), Elliot James (drums), and guitarists Mike Gentile and Alex Lipshaw. Shedding their original name (Blake) in favor of Hey Monday, the group won over A&R exec Jay Harren, who signed the band to Columbia Records. Hey Monday then entered the recording studio with S*A*M & Sluggo, the production team behind albums by Metro Station and the Academy Is..., and readied the release of their debut record. Hold on Tight arrived in October 2008 under a joint partnership with Columbia and Pete Wentz's vanity label, Decaydance. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide

Actual Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFmpvcNNSOw

Can't Find The Truth, Can't Speak My Mind.

I've been losing my mind
I've been living a lie
I've been running away
For so long
I try to put on a face
And cover my heart
But I'm needing it now
So bad

I don't know
How I feel
Maybe I'm mad
Or maybe I'm proud
Can't find the truth
Can't speak my mind
Don't know what Ill say
I'm just thinking out loud
Thinking out loud

No, no I cant explain
What's happened to me
I feel like I'm right
And wrong
Inside everything's upside down
Everything's spinning around
And it's freaking me out

I don't know
How I feel
Maybe I'm mad
Or maybe I'm proud
Can't find the truth
Can't speak my mind
Don't know what Ill say
I'm just thinking out loud

If only for a day
I could be free
I bet you'd feel the same
If you were me
I'm gonna spit it out
Just let go.
I've been losing my mind
I've been living a lie
I've been running away
For so long

I don't know
How I feel
Maybe I'm mad
Or maybe I'm proud
Can't find the truth
Can't speak my mind
I don't know what Ill say
I'm just thinking out loud
I'm thinking out loud
Thinking out loud
Can't find the truth
Can't speak my mind
I don't know what Ill say
I'm just thinking out loud

Fall Apart Again

Long is the day, take it away
Hold it up and you don't let it fall
Cause devils play, was yesterday
And I don't care about that at all

I just smile, once in a while
Because I don't want the lines on my face
I sit right here, holding the years
And I count all the stars in space

You fall apart again and you can find a friend
Don't turn to someone else because they won't understand...

Self respect, goes unexpressed
I don't dream because I cannot sleep
And I think the world of myself
But the world doesn't think much of me
As long as the day is full of time, there will always be room
for your hand in mine

You fall apart again and you can't find a friend
Don't turn to someone else because they won't understand
I don't want to hear
You say that you miss yesterday
If you don't like what you see
That means nothing to me

No one's home I'm alone with my music and my tv
And I still say that yesterday is best when left to sleep

You fall apart again and you can't find a friend
Don't turn to someone else because they won't understand
I don't want to hear
You say that you miss yesterday
If you don't like what you see
That means nothing to me

I'm Not Broke, I'm Just A Broken Hearted Man...

I fell in absolute love with this band the first moment I heard them. The lyrics of this particular song have stuck with me. I think it is about time I shared them with you. Please enjoy!

Original Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlR3aMRDick

The Script are a three-piece Irish pop rock band from Dublin, Ireland. They are currently based in London after signing to RCA Label Group imprint Phonogenic, and their multi-platinum selling debut album The Script was released in August 2008.
Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan met when they were in their late teens in a club in James's Street area of inner-city Dublin, near the Guinness brewery, gravitating to each other through a shared obsession with music, and in particular a love of American black music. "At that time, MTV only came on in Dublin after midnight, it was the fuzzy channel, and for my generation black culture was just a wave through us all," explains Sheehan. "It wasn't about gangs and guns; it was fashion and fun, singing and dancing. "

The Script released their debut single We Cry on the 24th of April 2008.[4] "We Cry" received "Single of the Week" on RTÉ 2FM, Today FM and by Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1, where many radio presenter heavily supported the band, somehow.[5] It was Kevin Hughes' tune of the week on GCap Media's The One Network show Music Control. and entered the UK Singles Chart at number thirty before rising and peaking at number 15 the next week,[6] giving the band their first top twenty single. The track also performed well on the Irish Singles Chart by reaching the top ten, peaking at number nine giving them their first top ten single in their home country.[7]

Their second single, "The Man Who Can't Be Moved," was released on the 25th of July 2008.[8] This single proved to be their international breakthrough hit and their most successful single to date. After debuting at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart, it rose twenty seven places to land at number three, making it their first top three single in the UK. It would peak at number two, being held off the top spot by Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl". It has spent twenty one weeks in the Top 40 to date. The song performed well on the Irish Singles Chart. After a top ten debut, the single peaked at number two, again being held off the top spot by "I Kissed A Girl". The song was also popular in Denmark, peaking at number two. The Man Who Can't Be Moved has been used extensively on the hit CBS drama, Ghost Whisperer.

The band released their debut album, The Script on the 11 August 2008. Following the success of The Man Who Can't Be Moved, the album entered the UK Singles Charts at number one with sales of 54,520 copies[9] where it stayed for two weeks. The album spent eight weeks in the top ten and was the twelfth best selling album in the UK of 2008.[9] The album also entered the Irish Album Chart at number one, holding the top spot for five weeks.[10] It had, of January 2009, spent twenty two weeks in the top ten. The Irish office of Sony BMG music presented the group with their first multi platinum award disc for over 600,000 sales of their debut album, ‘The Script’.[11]

The band's third single, Breakeven, was released in Ireland on 21 November 2008 and in the UK on 24 November 2008. The single was a slow burner on the Irish Singles Chart. After entering the chart at number forty nine, it spent ten weeks before entering the top ten at number ten giving the Script their third top ten single in Ireland. The single has, to date, spent thirteen weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 23. It was exclusively revealed that "Talk You Down" will be the fourth single to be released by the Script in March 2009.[12]

On 9 November The Script received an award at the World Music Awards for 'Best Selling Irish Act' of 2008. The band has confirmed that they plan to write a track for Leona Lewis's second album.[13] In December 2008, the band were confirmed to be supporting Take That at their concert at Croke Park on 13 June 2009.

The band played at the Cheerio's Childline concert on the opening night of Dublin's 02. They played among big stars Enrique Iglesias, Anatasia, Boyzone and many more.

The song "The End Where I Begin" appeared in FIFA 09.

In January 2009, it was announced that The Script were nominated for a number of awards at the 2009 Meteor Ireland Music Awards which will be announced on March 17, 2009 and in the same month it was also announced they are up for Best Album at the Choice Music Prize to be announced in early March.

The Script have been confirmed for Oxegen 2009 and also headlined the 50th Trinity Ball, on 8 May 2009. There was uproar from the student population when they were announced as the headliners of the ball which has previously featured Public Enemy and Jeff Buckley.

A 17 March 2009 US release of The Script self-titled debut album was announced by Epic Records/Sony Music on January 29. The band will also be featured in VH1's promotion You Outta Know.

(Information brought to you by wikipedia)

Freedom Of The Heart

You'll Never Know.

Have you ever denied yourself the chance to get to know someone because they were different from you and your friends? Did you mock someone so you could fit in with the in crowd? Was there an exception to every rule of kindness or courtesy? Were you ever the bully of someone, just because it was funny to everyone else, or because you thought you were stronger than they were. Well, I am here to tell you, it's the bullied who are strong. It's the taunted and the teased who rise above everyone else. It takes more courage to stand up to someone, or to stand up for someone. To defend your beliefs, and the heart of someone else. You will never know what you are missing when you push someone in to the dirt. That person you threw into a corner with words and fear has a specific purpose. They have a treasure within their heart, and you will never know what it is because you are too busy trying to fit in. Shame on the adults who let a child wind up bullied. Shame on the adults who bully. The way a child reacts, or acts is based upon the teachings of their parents. Whether that parent is too relaxed in their parenting and discipline, or they are the bully themself; they are responsible for the action of the children. We as adults are responsible for the teaching of the young minds. They are the future, and we are in charge of it. The child who grows to be a childhood bully is destined to be a bully throughout their entire life if they are not stopped, and taught, and loved. The bully who is shown love, and emotion, is no longer a bully. So shame on you who are afraid to love.

"Bullies thrive wherever authority is weak"

"Bullies are always cowards at heart and may be credited with a pretty safe instinct in scenting their prey." -Akira Takei

"Remember, I`m the kind of kid who used to get stuffed into a locker by school bullies. I`ve never felt like I`m a big star at any level of my life." -Winona Ryder

Are you the little kid in your class? Are you different from the rest of your peers? Were you the odd man out, the last kid chosen, the punching bag? Stand up for yourself. The people around you don't need to use you as their welcome mat. It's alright to take a stand. There is a fine line between self defense and becoming a bully yourself, but there is a line to draw when you are being harrassed. You don't have to take it, and sometimes being the better person is telling someone to back off. Get adult help if you're a child. If you are and adult and being pushed around, I am sorry, but you are old enough to know you have the choice to stand up for yourself. It's hard, and it's frightening. I know. It's going to be okay. Just take that step forward, and let them know you aren't afraid. The minute they know you aren't scared of them, they'll go away. Courage is the only true defense you have. And, it's the only way to win the war. Remember, "Only the best are bullied. There is a light at the end of the tunnel but first you'll have to find the light switch and change the bulb before switching it on yourself. No problem, as targets of bullying are picked on for their competence and abilities."

Here's To You

Every one knows after a break up or being tossed around by someone all you want to do is kick their toosh back to where they came from right? Well, here's to getting it over with!

Sleep This Time, is only To Be With You, you and I have Seen The Rain, my Beautiful Disaster. I give you My Best.

Oh I feel so tired I cannot hardly keep open My eyes. My thoughts are scattered and I cannot say a word and I can't seem to remember anything I've learned. Well do you have some of those days When you can't be who you wanna be. When you just need to close your eyes. Pull the covers up so high and drift away and sleep so soundly and dream profoundly. Cast all your cares on the Only thing that you really need and sleep so soundly.

It's 4 a.m. and I'm wide awake. Waiting for my thoughts to fade. A flickering of all of my mistakes. And as the light starts creeping in, I slowly feel The day I'm missing. But I wouldn't even know where to begin. Do I push to hard? Or fall to fast? The moment never seems to last. Will I stop long enough to know. Everybody burns. And when it starts to hurt, I cry. I feel it in my veins. I just can't walk away, This time.

I've been alone so many nights now, And I've been waitin' for the stars to fall. I keep holdin' out for what I don't know.

I have seen the rain. I have felt the pain. I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. I don't know where I'm going. I don't even know where I've been. But i know I'd like to see them again. Spend my days just searching. Spend my nights in dreams. Stop looking over my shoulder baby I've stopped wonderin' what it means.

He drowns in his dreams. An exquisite extreme I know. He’s as damned as he seems. And more heaven than a heart could hold. And if I try to save him, My whole world could cave in. It just ain't right. It just ain't right. Oh and I don't know. I don't know what he's after. But he's so beautiful. Such a beautiful disaster. And if I could hold on. Through the tears and the laughter. Would it be beautiful? Or just a beautiful disaster. He's magic and myth. As strong as what I believe. A tragedy with More damage than a soul should see. And do I try to change him? So hard not to blame him.

We scream and shout and try to make it last. Though it didn't work out, I don't love you any less. My lover or friend, I wont ever tell. Our secrets safe. An unspoken citadel. And in these broken times, well, It's so easy to forget. So I sing to remind, Upon my shoulder you can rest. Cause I'll always give you my best. A sidewalk's path leads me to you. Though we don't look back, We hold on to a truth. And in these broken times I promise I will not forget. Though you're not mine, Upon your shoulder I can rest. Cause you always give me your best

Twopence Originality

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: Whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before.) You will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed. -C.S. Lewis

You're Stuck In A World Of Make-Believe

I have become obsessed with this song, and music video... I love love love it!

You know... not all disney stars are void of talent... I don't mind his stuff truth be told

Sunrise

In the nights of turmoil, tossing, and turning, who do we turn to for relief? Who sings and rocks us to sleep? Where do we go for comfort? Drugs, alcohol, do we simply let the depression take us? We all know there is prayer. We all trust that the Lord is there for us. But sometimes it's hard to remember. Some nights it's hard to know. And some nights you want physical proof, you just want to escape the here and now. So what then can you do? Where are you supposed to turn? When the dark of the night crowds in, and you feel so alone? Know that it's alright to be afraid. Fear means you have something to lose. Though the turmoil may be thick, and the night may be long; sunrise is on it's way. The night doesn't last forever, and with it comes a new day. A new start. A new chance. Watch for the light on the horizon, and know that though times might be tough, drugs, and alcohol may be a temptation it isn't worth it. Letting yourself fall into that depression may be easier than fighting it, but you'll never see the color in the sunrise. Depression turns the world to a mundane grey. Climb to the top of Ensign Peak, and wait for that pink, orange, and peach to wash the sky in a color of peace, hope, and faith. It is hard. Life is hard, and you'll be faced with decisions that you wish you had years to decide on, but you're only given seconds. In those moments listen to your heart, and believe that no matter what, as long as you are pushing through the best you know how you'll end up where you are meant to be. And that is the greatest comfort anyone could hope for. So, in those sleepless nights imagine a song, so beautiful and sweet. Close your eyes and dream of more. Let your spirit fly to that meadow with a cascading waterfall. Take that simple 6 string guitar at your feet, and sing yourself to sleep.

Sleep Sweet Baby Boy...

On the nights when I have baby Cameron I'll play these songs, and I'll dance (slow waltz) and sing this little boy to sleep. If you ever see us in sacrament you'll notice he'll move his head to mine and rest his ear on my cheek or on my chest while I sing the hymns. He loves music. This little boy knows what time it is when I start singing to him. I recently added Butterfly Fly Away to our goodnight ritual. But, Godspeed has been there from the start. I started singing it to him when I had him for that week, while our family was on a cruise. Some nights it was the only thing that put that colicky little boy to sleep.

Dear Face In The Crowd...

Long as I am erasing this
There's something I am bound to miss
Opportunities exist but often don't arise
And think of how it must have felt
To watch you walk away and melt
I keep it all inside myself and in between my eyes
And it's no surprise what we've become
Since the arrival has begun, no...

It hasn't been long enough to even begin to think it's alright
I'm only concerned with the way we end up
I think I've been wrong enough to know when I'm right
So put up fight if you must but we know that our trust is undone


After all is said and done, the title of this fantastic little song says it all... okay it's alright with me.




Now, combine the two songs together and you get, It hasn't been long enough to even begin to think it's alright. I'm only concerned with the way we end up. I think I've been wrong enough to know when I'm right, So put up fight if you must but we know that our trust is undone. But... okay, it's alright with me. Some things are just meant to be. It never comes easily. It might not be the same, but it's alright with me.

So. I am not going to fight you any more. This is me reaching out...

Secret Dreams Of A Musician...

I have always been a huge sucker for piano musicians. I love sitting and listening to pianist play. I love watching their fingers, and the emotions that simply emenates out of them. Out of all the instruments I am able to play and have gained a true love and appreciation for, the piano will always be my absolute favorite. There is just something about the keys, and the sound that makes me tingle all over. I was reading a friends blog and she had found this treasure. I think I have re-played it into my subconsious. It was the background music to my dream... odd I know. But, this piece was created by the one an only Jon Schmidt
I love what he does in this video! Oh my word, brilliance!!!

One 4 letter word will do...

All I have to say is... A-mother lovin-men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Official, I Have A... YouTube crush...

32 songs in 8 minutes. This kid is brilliant! I love it! I think I have watched it... okay, well I am not going to tell you just how many times I have watched it... I already know I should have my name on a plaque with how pathetic I am...
Hahaha! :)

Vanessa Carlton Messages

Born in a tiny town in Pennsylvania, Vanessa Carlton was listening to music before she was born, as her mother played various classical pieces on the family piano. At the age of two, Carlton and her parents went to Disney World, where she heard "It's a Small World." Falling in love with the song, she discerned its melody on the piano when she returned home. Having composed her first piano piece at age eight, Carlton was exposed to a wide array of music, from Debussy to Pink Floyd. At 14, she was accepted into the School of American Ballet in New York, where she lived in a dorm in the famous Lincoln Center. But, after being in the top of her class, she became frustrated at the strictness of the discipline. This frustration led to her playing a nearby piano within the dorm, from which a multitude of songs began forming. After waitressing in Lower Manhattan and living in Hell's Kitchen, Carlton would drive between her place and her parents' home on weekends, attempting to record "the perfect demo" on piano. Open mic nights in New York City followed, and her music caught the attention of important music industry ears. In February 2002, her debut single, "A Thousand Miles," hit the charts and its video was played on MTV. She performed on Rosie O'Donnell, MTV's TRL, and was mentioned in Rolling Stone as one of ten artists to watch in 2002. In April 2002, she released her debut album, Be Not Nobody. Carlton's second effort, Harmonium, followed two years later. For her third record, Carlton worked with a range of producers -- everyone from Irv Gotti to Linda Perry. The results, titled Heroes & Thieves, appeared in late 2007. She takes part in the composistion of all of her songs, which in my eyes is the single most important for any musician. It makes for a complete connection to the song.



Ordinay Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4zIZwtfZo0

White Houses http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5DDN09A534



A Thousand Miles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnkvhi1XOR8

You Wear Your Religion Like A War Sweater...

I have fallen in absolute, and complete love with this song! I can't find a solid recording of it, so I give you two. I also can't find this song anywhere to purchase it... it's becoming rather frustrating! So, anyone who is able to find it... share? please?

War Sweater - Wakey! Wakey!





New York is dangerous, littered with thieves
We've no morals here, we just do as we please....
But I don't wanna go home where they all stare at me
cause I'm tattoed, and fired up, and drunk, and obscene...

You wear your religion like a War Sweater.
You ask for the truth, but you know you could do so much better,
and you sat on your fences, you've screamed no retreat...
So now what will your legacy be?
(We...)

Battle lines drawn if you wonder which side speaks the truth
then look closely to which speaks from pride
I love you. I swear it. I would never lie...
But I fear for our lives and I fear your closed eyes...

You wear your religion like a War Sweater.
You ask for the truth, but you know you could do so much better,
and you sat on your fences, you've screamed no retreat...
So now what will your legacy be?
So what will your legacy be?
So what will your legacy be?
(We...)

I'm in the mood where I come all untied,
I'm in the mood to say things that'll change people's minds...
I love you. I swear it. I would never lie...
But I fear for our lives and I fear your closed eyes...

You wear your religion like a War Sweater.
You ask for the truth, but you know you could do so much better,
and you sat on your fences, you've screamed no retreat...
So now what will your legacy be?
So what will your legacy be?
So what will your legacy be?
(We...)

Please Stop Laughing At Me - Jodee Blanco

TO STAND ALONE IS A FRIGHTENING PROSPECT, BUT TO LOSE WHO YOU ARE FOR FEAR OF BEING RIDICULED, OR TREATED AS AN OUTCAST IS A FAR WORSE HAPPENING.

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A STORY OF A GIRL WHO WAS NEVER ACCEPTED BY THE 'IN' CROWDS AT SCHOOL. SOMEONE EVERYONE MADE FUN OF. SOMEONE WHO NEVER GOT INVITED TO PAIRTIES. SOMEONE WHO WAS SO LONELY, SHE FELT LOST TO THE WORLD; BUT IN HER HEART SHE KNEW WHO SHE WAS. THIS GIRL HAD WILD, WIRY, HAIR, THAT LOOKED AS IF IT WAS NEVER COMBED. SHE WASN'T LIKE OTHER KIDS AT SCHOOL. SHE WOULD RATHER SIT AND WRITE POETRY, AND MAKE UP SONGS, THAN HANG OUT AND TALK ABOUT BOYS. SHE ACHED TO HAVE FRIENDS, BUT WASN'T INTERESTED IN THE SAME THING AS HER PEERS. THEY THOUGHT SHE WAS WIERD. THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WAS DIFFERENT, AND CHOSE NOT TO TRY. RATHER THAN OPENING THEIR HEARTS TO THIS STRANGE, BEAUTIFUL FLOWER, THEY CAST HER OUT OF THE GARDEN. SHE DIDN'T FIT IN. AS THE YEARS PASSED SHE NEVER LET GO OF WHO SHE WAS. INSTEAD SHE GREW THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL PAIN, AND DISCOVERED SHE HAD A GIFT. SHE HAD THE GIFT OF SONG. SHE DISCOVERED SHE COULD TAKE THOSE MELODIES INSIDE OF HER HEAD AND CREATE MUSIC. SHE COULD REACH INTO A PERSON'S SOUL. THIS GIFT TOUCHED MILLIONS. THAT MISFIT WHO EVERYONE PUT SO MUCH UPON, WHO WAS THE BUTT OF EVERY JOKE, AND THAT TARGET OF SO MUCH CRUELTY WAS JANIS JOPLIN. WE ALL KNOW HER MUSIC. IT HELPED DEFINE A GENERATION. JANIS JOPLIN LOST HER LIFE IN HER TWENTIES TO A DRUG OVER-DOSE. SHE HAD USED DRUGS TO ESCAPE THE TAUNTING AND THE TEASING BECAUSE OF HER DIFFERENCES. BUT BECAUSE JANIS JOPLIN DARED TO STAND ALONE, AND REMAIN TRUE TO WHO SHE WAS A WORLD OF PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE MESSAGES SHE SHARED.

Forgive Me

Father, I'm going through some heavy things
It seems like this world ain't getting any better
The more we try to get closer to You
The farther we run from Your throne

I've spent so many nights wonderin' when will it end
When will the day come when happiness begins
I'm running the race but it seems too hard to win
I'm sick of mourning my stomach is throwing up in the morning

I'm calling for help and watching it melt away
My heart's been put on display and put away
In many ways, many times I told myself it was ok
And anger was the price that was paid
While these faded dreams just screamed to bring them home

The burden was too heavy I kept running from the throne
I can't take it any longer
I can taste my spirit hunger
God please help me get home

[Chorus:]
Lord though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I'm not scared cause You're holding my breath
I only fear that I don't have enough time left
To tell the world that there's no time left, Lord please
Lord though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I'm not scared cause You're holding my breath
I only fear that I don't have enough time left
To tell the world that there's no time left

I've come to terms that I'm burning both sides of the rope
And I'm hoping that self-control would kick in before I'm choking off
The sin that be destroying every fiber I got
I need the Lord in every way I'll never make it I'm not
Going back to the way I was before Christ in my life
I couldn't do it I would lose it there's no point to the fight
And I'm writing this song, for the people who don't belong
I pray away the pain you feel from all the things that went wrong
Inside a life that's filled with anger and disappointment
Cause daddy treated you weaker than all of the other kids
It's annoying and I feel for all of you who wanna give up
You feel stuck I feel the same way Lord help us stay up
You couldn't pay me to abandon the idea of true hope
That I could make it through this life into a place where there's no crying
I'm dying to find You with open arms when I go
Knowing You love me and You waiting to give rest to my soul

Lord I don't know what I'm struggling for
There's go to be more
Than this life I know
But still I'm here fighting to never give up
I find strength in Your love
And You will see me through

[Chorus:]
Lord though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I'm not scared cause You're holding my breath
I only fear that I don't have enough time left
To tell the world that there's no time left, Lord please
Lord though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I'm not scared cause You're holding my breath
I only fear that I don't have enough time left
To tell the world that there's no time left

Damn It, Give Me The Truth!

Thoughts Of A Witness...

official music video link :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-bwDVndSxA

Casualties Of The Mind...

The storm is coming but I don't mind. People are dying, I close my blinds. All that I know is I'm breathing now. I want to change the world, instead I sleep. I just want to be okay, be okay, be okay today. So I act cool, on the outside. But it's eating me alive... Cause when it comes to you, there's nothing I can do. I've heard it all before. I see it in your eyes. I'm the compromise. Well, I can't take another slow goodbye. We took one step forward, two steps back. So confused it's like I'm lost. What went wrong, what made you go? Don't pretend you don't know. When did we fall apart, or did you lie from the start when you said it's only you. I was blind, such a fool. Figured we were un-breakable. It was you and me against the world. I gotta know what made me unbeautiful. This is my one and only voice, so listen close it's only for today. This is me. I'm unchangeable. You say it's all in my head and the things I say just don't make sense. So where you been then, don't go all coy. Don't turn it around on me like it's my fault... I see you, you see me... differently... I'm not angry, I'm just saying... sometimes goodbye is a second chance. I'm not afraid of what I have to say. You tell me that you love me, but you never want to see me again. I am giving up on greener grasses. All I can do is keep breathing, all we can do is keep breathing... I just want to feel something today. I just want to know today, know that maybe I will be okay.

I cannot go to the ocean. I cannot try the streets at night. I cannot wake up in the morning without you on my mind. So you're gone and I'm haunted, and I'll bet you are just fine. Did I make it just that easy to walk right in and out of my life. Goodbye my almost lover. Goodbye my hopeless dream. I'm trying not to think about you. Can't you just let me be?

Forgive me first love, but I'm tired. I need to get away, to feel again. Try to understand why. Don't get so close, you'll change my mind. Please wipe that look out of your eyes, it's bribing me to doubt myself... simply tired... I don't know what I've done, or if I like what I've begun. And honey you know me it's all or none. There were sounds in my head. Little voices whispering that I should go and this should end. Oh and I found myself listening. 'Cause I don't know who I am, who I am without you. All I know is that I should. And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you. All I know is that I should.

'Cause she will love you more than I could. She who dares to stand where I stood...
'Cause he will love you more than I could. He who dares to stand where I stood...

*So little to say, but so much time... These days when I see you, you make it look like I'm see-through. Do tell me why you waste our time, when your heart ain't in it, and your not satisfied. You know I know just how you feel, I find myself starting to feel that way too... You grace me with your cold shoulder. Whenever you look at me I wish I was her. So, goodbye my almost lover. Goodbye my hopeless dream. I'm trying not to think about you. can't you just let me be. So long my loveless romance, my back is turned on you. Should have known you'd bring me heartache. Almost lovers always do...

Called her mamma, cried like a baby to her best friend. If they've seen her, they ain't sayin... Now, I'm cursing like a fool, praying it ain't too late All I wanna do is fix my mistakes. Find her beg her for one more try, until then damn it I'll.. Be driving like hell. Flying like crazy down the highway. Calling everyone we know. Stopping any place she might be. Going any place she might go. Beating on the dash, screaming out her name at the windshield... Tears soaking up my face... If I had loved her this much all along, maybe maybe, yeah maybe... She wouldn't be gone..

Oh we'd never want to see you unhappy. We thought you'd want the same for us. So, goodbye our hopeless lover. Good bye our hopeless dream. We're trying not think about you. Can't you just let us be. So long our loveless romance, our backs are turned on you. Should have known you'd bring us heartache. Almost lovers always do...

Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy
Unbeautiful, Slow Goodbye - Lesley Roy
Cold Shoulder, First Love - Adele
Be Ok, Keep Breathing - Ingrid Michaelson
Swans - Unkle Bob
Second Chance - Shinedown
Not Meant To Be - Theory Of A Deadman
Where I Stood - Missy Higgins
She Wouldn't Be Gone - Blake Shelton

For those of you who know all 3 sides to this story, or are willing to try... here are our voices. Here is our song. Will you stop to listen, or will you simply carry on... I say this aloud, in the only way I know how... I know you, though you hide from me... I still understand the things you do... I just wish you'd hear me this once... because maybe, just maybe... I thought you'd benefit from the silence I've taken in these past few months... I have your answers, I've had them since day one... but you had too much pride to listen to the words I'd begun... I wish you'd stop and hear me out... you may not call me friend, but I still know your heart.

Music For The Soul...

Recent Obsessions: Albums
Kelly Clarkson - My December
Erin McCarley - Love Save The Empty
Il Divo - Il Divo
Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux
A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In The Sea
Rachmaninoff - Classics, and Loved Concertos
The Fray - The Fray
Missy Higgins - On A Clear Night
Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Brooke Fraser - What To Do With Daylight

Recent Obsessions: Songs
Michael Buble - Everything, Feeling Good
Erin McCarley - Love Save The Empty, Blue Suitcases
A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover
Miranda Lambert - Kerosene, More Like Her
Death Cab For Cutie - What Sarah Said
Fiona Apple - Tymps (Sick In The Head), Not About Love
Kelly Clarkson - Sober, Maybe, Beautiful Disaster
Lady GaGa - Poker Face
Brittany Spears - Unusual You


Newly Recieved: Albums
Billy Ray Cyrus - Back To Tennessee

Oh The Complications Of The Heart...

"Your stuff is good."

"Not good enough."

"Look, why not?"

"I want to draw something that means something to somebody you know. I want to draw blind faith, or a fading summer, or just a moment of clarity. Like when you go and see a really great band live for the first time you know. Nobody's saying it, but you're all thinking it. You have something to believe in again. I want to draw that feeling. But, I can't. And if I can't be great at it, then I don't want to ruin it. It's too important to me."

E. E. Cummings wrote: To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

Can a person ever truly understand a piece of art. Is there even a way to fully comprehend all that is said in a simple poem.

This is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

A Glance is never enough to capture all that is surrounding you. A song won't encompass every detail of an emotion.

A Picture only speaks a thousand words, and our line of sight only goes so far... but possibilities don't. A work of Art is the heart of an artist. It is a piece of who they are, and all we find is a meaning for us. We are a selfish people, in a selfish world. We struggle to understand another persons reasoning, or their pain. We try, but we can't because it isn't our own. We can only sympathize, empathize to our own level of experience, and even then if you were to write a song, create a sculpture, or paint a picture... you are limited to a thousand words, 3 stanzas, a bridge, and a chorus to depict an emotion not even you don't fully understand. Every time your song was sung by someone new, each person that runs their fingers along the lines of your sculpture, loses themselves in your painting... you find an aspect you didn't realize you had placed in there. It is both a great and horrible feeling. Gratitude and a happy tenderness at being able to touch someone else, mixed with a sad pang of disappointment at not catching that piece of your heart hidden in your creation before you displayed it to the world to find for you. We are a selfish people with selfish moments. A number of songs go unheard because we are all singing. No one stops to listen anymore. We are all too busy pushing to be felt, and appreciated. We strive too hard to make our artwork known, but how can we ever be expected to be discovered if we don't first discover someone else...

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark. In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all, do not let the hero in your soul perish and leave only frustration for the life you deserved, but never have been able to reach. The world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours. - Ayn Rand

Oh the complications of the heart...

La musique est mon poison

...I learned at a young age music speaks to all people. No matter race, age, religion. Music knows no barrier. Put a word to a rhythm and you've created a magic everyone can experience... So, Step outside yourself and... See their side, their story...

We all fall into it. We all share a connection with it. Music. It is my poison. It is the first thing I turn to after a bad day, a triumph, a spiritual moment, or a heart break. It's my refuge, my happy place.
We all label music, and often times we are labeled by the music we enjoy. But when you take away the music artist, strip off the music behind it, and just read the lyrics... you most likely wouldn't be able to tell what genre it went into. The interior of each song is where you find the heart, and soul of that song. Just like people. Look past the exterior, and what you first see and listen to their heart song... I hear a song, and I look at it from my perspective. "Oh my gosh, you have to listen to this song... it describes me perfectly!" That is when I halt and I have to remind myself that song isn't about you. It's about the artist, and what they see, but that is the magic of music. It is universal. It is something that can, and will be likened unto everyone. When you listen to a song, take a step back and try to listen to it in the way the person sitting next to you is listening to it. Watch as that song takes on a whole new meaning...
For me personally I didn't used to stop and wonder what the story behind the song was until I was about 10 years old. I grew up listening to my dad write music, writing lyrics, and figuring out the right guitar chords to express what he was saying. I remember the night I asked him what he meant by the lyrics to his song 'The Road' and the story he gave me behind it. I started to look at my daddy a bit differently. He became a bit more human to me. Listening to Not An Addict by K's Choice once again hit me with a different side of the world. Growing up in Bountiful Utah I was sheltered from just about everything. Going to K-mart was a night on the town. For the most part I sang to myself outside in the backyard up in one of our apple trees, or under the peach tree. I wrote most of my poetry beginnings hidden in this corner of my yard that was completely encased by ivy, and sun flowers that grew to impossible heights. My childhood was spent in this jungle, and all I remember is the music that filled my head. I had my own soundtrack. I didn't realize there were really drug addicts, or suicide. There wasn't such a thing as murder, or rape, or death... outside of old people. I didn't realize there was a sadness or pain outside of listening to parents fighting, or falling out of trees. Listening to this song opened my eyes to a new side of things. It wasn't until I was in high school that I realized these things were real, and to have someone who had fought a real drug addiction was incredibly powerful to me. I remember the first night I looked at a song I connected with on a high level from someone elses perspective. I had played a specific song to try and say something to the person next to me in the car. He heard the song and it made him laugh because of the context of the song. Instead of hearing my side, he heard his own. After dropping him off I replayed the song to figure out why he left my car laughing at how perfect the song was. The song was Boys Don't Cry by Plumb. I heard the song from a whole new perspective, and it changed the way he and I interacted because I finally understood why he felt the way he did... it had been an argument we'd both tried to argue, believing we were right, but being un-able to fully express why to the other person leading to more frustration... But to step out and listen to his side I understood his side and I changed what I was doing... and it made us better.
When we feel as though we aren't the only one in the world going through something, we smile. We learn. We grow. When we feel validated, and understood... We smile. We learn, and we grow. When we step outside of ourselves and are able to look at something from another's perspective we smile a little bigger. We learn a bit more, and we grow into that much better of a person. Music does all of that... it fills us with emotion, conviction, desire... no matter the genre. Music is universal... Music is my weakness. Music is my poison.

Brooke Fraser translated her pensive, Christian-themed folk-pop into massive commercial success, emerging as one of the best-selling New Zealand singer/songwriters in history via her 2003 debut LP, What to Do with Daylight. The daughter of Bernie Fraser, a onetime star with the New Zealand All Black rugby squad, she was born in Wellington on December 15, 1983, studying piano from the ages of seven to 17. At 12, Fraser composed her first original song, and a few years later she taught herself guitar. Following a breakout performance at the Christian music festival Parachute in 2000, Fraser relocated to Auckland, signing a management deal with producer Matty J and inking a multi-album deal with Sony; What to Do with Daylight followed in late 2003, debuting atop the Kiwi pop charts and ultimately going platinum seven times over. Fraser traveled to Los Angeles to record the follow-up, Albertine, which also debuted at number one when it was released in December 2006. ~ J.A. -All Music Guide

We may not be considered friends anymore, but I still know you...

The Orion Connection... Ish Friends... Left To A Memory... Bruised But Not Broken...

This is my story... and I'll never let it make me cry...

Color My World...

Truth Cannot Be Hidden...

Truth Should Not Be Hidden...

Truth Will Not Be Hidden...

A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene - OTH

Favorite piece of music in this set...



The song is called Manhatten From The Sky... the whole song is brilliant. This only show cases a bit of it.



Second favorite song in this set.

Time, time, ticking on me... Alone is the Last place I wanted to be...

This second video has a better sound to it, but it had random pictures... so... yeah...

Matthew West... History In The Making...

Matthew West is a Christian singer who was raised in a suburb of Chicago, IL., where he discovered music at an early age. The son of a minister, he grew up in the front pew listening to his mom harmonize and following her lead. By the time he reached high school, Matthew remained involved in music and received a scholarship to study music at Millikin University in Illinois.

It was during his first year of college, that Matthew began playing guitar and writing songs. By Matthew’s senior year, he was playing at every venue imaginable, from Fraternity houses to churches, and youth groups.

He signed an exclusive songwriting deal only a week after graduating and making the move to Nashville. His songs have been recorded by various artists including Rachel Lampa’s most recent single, “Savior Song,” which was Matthew’s first top-5 song as a writer. Some other highlights were having songs placed on the platinum selling WoW 2002 project and also having his song, “Heart of Every Man recorded for the World Youth Day 2000 official soundtrack.

Matthew continued pursuing his dream of singing his own songs. Matthew had the opportunity to travel to universities across the country, and quickly began building up a steady following. With the help of Word Music and Extreme Writers Group, Matthew recorded an independent CD called, “Sellout,” which caught the attention of Universal South Records.

Matthew released his album Something to Say in Jan. 2007

My Childhood Idol... Billy Ray Cyrus

I was raised to believe Billy Ray Cyrus was the single most attractive man. Not to mention the best male vocalist. To this day, I still firmly believe this to some degree. I have gone to every concert of his that I have been able to get to. I have a few of his movies, and I own and still listen to every single one of his CD's. There are 13 CD's total on my itunes. 14 if you include the duets he does with his daughter on her CD's. There are those that will claim he is using his daughter to get back into the public eye. Not to be rude, but... I am going to blatantly disagree with you, and then proceed to throw it in your face. Just a little bit. :)

Back To Tennessee - 2008

Home At Last - 2007

Wanna Be Your Joe- 2006

Time Flies- 2004

The Other Side (Gospel)- 2003
20th Century Masters- 2003

Southern Rain-2000

Shot Full Of Love-1998

Best Of Billy Ray Cyrus Cover To Cover- 1997

Trail Of Tears- 1996

Storm In The Heartland- 1994

It Won't Be The Last- 1993
Some Gave All-1992

http://www.billyraycyrus.com/

Billy Ray Cyrus intended to become another Johnny Bench as he grew up in Flatwoods, KY. While attending Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship, he bought a guitar and decided that athletics wasn't the proper direction for his life. Instead, he formed a band called Sly Dog with his brother and gave himself a ten-month deadline for finding a place to play. One week before the cutoff date, the group went to work as the house band for a club in Ironton, OH, where they remained for two years. A fire in 1984 destroyed everything including Cyrus' equipment. Taking that as a hint he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. Eventually, he decided to return to Kentucky and commuted regularly from there to Nashville in search of a record deal. Grand Ole Opry star Del Reeves got Mercury Records to take a look, and division head Harold Shedd signed him in the summer of 1990. When his first album came out in mid-1992, Cyrus -- with his good looks, sculpted body, and the infectious "Achy Breaky Heart" -- became an instant groundbreaking sensation. Spending five weeks at the top of the country charts, "Achy Breaky Heart" made his debut album, Some Gave All, a blockbuster success. By the time it fell off the charts, it had sold over nine million copies and spent 17 weeks on the top of the pop charts.

In the years to follow, it is true that he wasn't able to re-create the success he had with his Some Gave All album, but he's never fully disappeared from the public eye. In 1993 he came out with the album 'It Won't Be The Last.' The album sold well, entering the pop charts at number three, reaching platinum status. Storm in the Heartland, cam out fall of 1994, went gold. He returned to the music world with the harder-edged, introspective Trail of Tears in 1996. He shot Full of Love in 1998 and Southern Rain was issued two years later. He took a break, spending more time with his family, realizing he was missing watching his children grow up. In March 2001, Cyrus hit TV screens in the role of a country doctor moved to Manhattan in the sitcom Doc. He returned to music world with 2003's Time Flies and the gospel-inspired Other Side, and in 2006, the same year Billy Ray Cyrus was seen on Dancing With The Stars, and appeared on the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, a show starring his real-life daughter Miley, Wanna Be Your Joe came out. This album went gold. Billy Ray released his tenth studio album, Home at Last, in 2007 on the Disney label. The album debuted at number 20 on the U.S. Billboard charts, both reestablishing Cyrus as a presence in country music and highlighting the popularity of his daughter's show. Love Songs, a collection drawn from his peak years with Mercury, was released early in 2008, followed later in the year by a new studio project, Back to Tennessee, on Hollywood Records.

So as you can see, he's never really left. He wasn't a One Hit Wonder, and he isn't simply riding the celebrity wave of his daughter. He has his own success, and his own fan base... and thank you very much not all of them are 40-somethings. I am 20 years old, and proudly claim fanhood.

I Want My Mullet Back - Wanna Be Your Joe (2007) - Billy Ray Cyrus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnMj1FI9Jpo

Ready, Set, Don't Go - Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus - this went on both of their CD'S. Though, the video is a live recording. I love watching him live... ;)

Wanna Be Your Joe - Wanna Be Your Joe (2007) - Billy Ray Cyrus

Somebody Said A Prayer - Other Side (2006) - Billy Ray Cyrus

Back To Tennessee - Back To Tennessee (single) - Billy Ray Cyrus
It's also track 11. on the new Hannah Montana Movie soundtrack