Christmas Music Essentials

Happy December! It's time to bust out the Christmas music. Here are some of my favorite Christmas albums, new and old.

1. *NSYNC: Home for Christmas
2. Straight No Chaser: 
     Christmas Cheers
3. Straight No Chaser: 
     Holiday Spirits
4. Josh Groban: Noel
5. David Archuleta:
     Christmas from the Heart


I also really enjoy all of the "Now That's What I Call Christmas" collection. It blends classic artists and contemporary artists to make everyone in the family happy while you're decorating the tree and baking cookies.

I love buying at least one new Christmas album each year.
Here's my list for this year:
1. Lady Antebellum: A Merry Little Christmas
2. Dave Barnes: Very Merry Christmas
3. Glee: The Music - The Christmas Album

P!nk's "Greatest Hits...So Far!!!"

P!nk released her first greatest hits album yesterday. It is a two-disc CD/DVD compilation with 19 tracks and four music videos. I've always loved P!nk's singles, but I never bought any of her albums, so I jumped at the chance to buy this one. If you've ever read my blog, you know I love angsty female rockers just as much as a I love cute boys with guitars.

"Greatest Hits...So Far!!!" features three previously unreleased songs, including P!nk's newest single, "Raise Your Glass," in addition to the 16 hits from the past ten years.

Tracklisting:
1. Get the Party Started
2. There You Go
3. Don't Let Me Get Me
4. Just Like a Pill
5. Family Portrait
6. Trouble
7. Stupid Girls
8. Who Knew
9. U + Ur Hand
10. Dear Mr. President
11. So What
12. Sober
13. Please Don't Leave Me
14. Funhouse
15. I Don't Believe You
16. Glitter In the Air
17. Raise Your Glass
18. F**kin' Perfect
19. Heartbreak Down

It's been a crazy year for P!nk. She and her husband of four years reunited after nearly two years of separation back in February.

This summer she embarked on her Summer Funhouse Carnival Tour, where she fell during one of her aerial tricks.

Today P!nk appeared on Ellen to promote her greatest hits album, but she announced another surprise as well (with a little motivation from Ellen):
P!nk and husband, Carey Hart, are expecting their first child.

Parachute

Last week I saw Parachute at Stubb's in Austin. This was my third Parachute concert, but it was the first time I've seen them headline. (They opened for both Secondhand Serenade and Kelly Clarkson last year.)

Parachute played all of the fan favorites from their first album, "Losing Sleep", as well as some new songs from their upcoming album. The guys were in the studio all summer working on their second album. Now that the tour has wrapped up, they're putting the finishing touches on it and should announce a release date soon.

Until then, here are some new songs Parachute performed last week from the upcoming album.





Parchute was amazing. I would like to say this was my favorite show, but they have been fantastic every time I've seen them live. They never disappoint. It has been incredible to watch them grow in fame and talent over the past year. I was grinning ear to ear the whole show, but I must say my highlight of the evening was when frontman Will Anderson jumped off the stage and danced between my friend and me. Cue fan-girl freak-out.

Brendan James and Hot Chelle Rae opened the show. I was less than impressed by Hot Chelle Rae. They're pretty much just a typical pop-punk band with mediocre lyrics and annoying guitar riffs. Brendan James, however, is the new love of my life. He's charming, honest, and oh-so-talented. I bought his album after the show, so I'll be posting an album review soon!

For more Parachute videos from past shows, check out my Parachute page on my YouTube channel.

Taylor Swift: "Speak Now"

After much anticipation, Taylor Swift released her third studio album on October 25, 2010. The record, appropriately titled "Speak Now," has created quite a buzz. Swift is now being heard louder than ever.

"Speak Now" sold more than one million albums during its first week, accounting for 18% of all albums sold. That percentage share surpassed 'N Sync's "No Strings Attached" as the fastest selling album of all time. (Read the article here.)

Yesterday Swift snagged BMI's Songwriter of the Year, the youngest artist ever to do so.

Taylor Swift has taken her songwriting talent to another level with "Speak Now," proving that she is here to stay. Swift once wrote about characters like Drew and Abigail, but now that her subjects are a little more famous, a slew of theories about Swift's personal life have sparked since the release of "Speak Now."

"Back To December" is reportedly about Swift's relationship with her Valentine's Day co-star and Twilight heartthrob, Taylor Lautner. It is also the first song in which Swift seems to be on the dumper side full of remorse and apologies.

"Dear John" is rumored to be about John Mayer. Swift and Mayer collaborated on Mayer's newest album, "Battle Studies" back in 2009. This track is the most scandalous and revealing track on the album. There are many theories floating around, but one thing is certain: Swift felt used by "John." Listen to it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. ("The Story Of Us" is also assumed to be about Mayer.)

"Better Than Revenge" is supposedly written about Camilla Belle, the girl who came between Swift and ex-beau Joe Jonas. Swift holds nothing back in her strong, bold lyrics. (That's why we love her, right?)

On a happier note, Swift wrote "Long Live" as a tribute to her band and all that they've been through together during the past several years.

Tracklisting:
1. Mine
2. Sparks Fly
3. Back To December
4. Speak Now
5. Dear John
6. Mean
7. The Story Of Us
8. Never Grow Up
9. Enchanted
10. Better Than Revenge
11. Innocent
12. Haunted
13. Last Kiss
14. Long Live

The Target Deluxe Edition features a second disc with six bonus tracks:
1. Ours
2. If This Was A Movie
3. Superman
4. Back To December (Acoustic)
5. Haunted (Acoustic)
6. Mine (POP Mix)

I have not stopped listening to "Speak Now" since I bought it. I think I memorized every word in less than one week. My favorite tracks are "Mean" and "Better Than Revenge." (What can I say? I like the angsty ones.)

Taylor Swift may not be the best singer, but she is an incredible songwriter who isn't afraid to let us in on some secrets. She's bold, beautiful, and a wonderful role model for young girls today.

"Speak Now" is the must-have album of 2010.

Sara Bareilles

I haven't had time to write another post this week, so I'll leave you with some videos from the Sara Bareilles concert back in October.







Keep checking back this week for a review of Taylor Swift's new album, "Speak Now."

Jason Reeves

If you've never heard of Jason Reeves, what are you waiting for? He sets brilliant poetry to heartfelt music. If nothing else, you know his songwriting skills. He writes with Colbie Caillat and Kara Dioguardi.

First of all, I could not have asked for a better show. Momo's was the perfect venue. It is small and intimate. There are tables in the front. My friend and I snagged one front and center, giving us the best seat in the house to swoon over Jason.

British singer/songwriter Joe Brooks opened up for Jason Reeves. He was fantastic as well. I used to listen to him on Myspace back in the day, so this was a treat for me.

Jason played an incredible set, but I was slightly disappointed when he didn't play my favorite song, his first single, "Someone Somewhere." I was also secretly hoping that he would play the song he wrote with Kara Dioguardi, "Terrified."

As Jason was walking off the stage after his final encore, a few people started shouting out more requests, including the two songs I had been hoping to hear. Momo's agreed to give Jason more time, and I was ecstatic with the result.

Jason Reeves played a medley of "Someone Somewhere," "Terrified," and another one of my favorite songs, "Reaching."



Here's Jason Reeves performing his newest single, "Helium Hearts." All of Jason's music is available to purchase on iTunes. Buy "Helium Hearts" here.

Update

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates this semester. Life has been a little crazy, but I'm back, so don't worry.

Here's what I've been up to the past couple of months.


On September 4, I went to see Justin Nozuka at Antone's in Austin.
On September 10, I saw Paramore at Verizon Theater (formerly Nokia) in Grand Prairie.
On September 18, I saw Jason Reeves at Momo's in Austin.
On October 3, I saw Sara Bareilles at La Zona Rosa in Austin.

I'll post videos and pictures from these shows over the next few days to get this blog rolling again and catch you up.


I've also been enjoying some new music over the past few months. Here are my most recent purchases/discoveries:

Secondhand Serenade: Hear Me Now
Sara Bareilles: Kaleidoscope Hearts
Wakey! Wakey!: Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You...
Joe Brooks: Constellation Me
Easton Corbin: self-titled
Taylor Swift: Speak Now

I'll try to get some reviews out as soon as possible and get this blog going again.

P.S. What do you think of the redesign?