Summer!

Temperatures over the weekend here in Vermont peaked at 93 degrees, with a nice dose of humidity to boot. Summer has officially returned to Vermont. I’m not a huge fan of excessive, damp heat, but warmer temperatures are always nice after a Vermont winter. Here’s a handful of songs to help celebrate:

In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Boys of Summer - Don Henley
Summer - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
Girls in their Summer Clothes - Bruce Springsteen
Summer - Sara Wheeler
Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft
Under the Warm Sun - A Girl Called Eddy
Hard Sun (Indio) - Eddie Vedder
Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
Sunshine Sunshine - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Hot Sand - Shocking Blue

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Mix

I’m hopeful. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but for the first time in a while, hopeful.

Comfort - Carbon Leaf
Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
Stop the Bus - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Dreaming - Sara Wheeler
Song for You - Alexi Murdoch
Walk With You - Dispatch
Got To Get You Into My Life - The Beatles

Hype

The Ultimate, Final Primary Battle (Unless Hillary and Obama tie)

To adapt from last night’s Daily Show – today’s what could be the last major contest in voting for
who to vote for. Hm… If you’re in Ohio, Texas, my fair state of Vermont and Rhode Island, get out and vote!

Here’s a couple songs for the day:

Obama - Extra Golden
Woman King – Iron & Wine
Freedom - Sara Wheeler
Freedom - Amos Lee

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V-Day

So it’s Valentine’s Day.

When it’s good:

Destiny – Zero 7
Heartbeats – Jose Gonzalez
Dreaming – Sara Wheeler
Hold You In My Arms – Ray LaMontagne
Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
This Is Us – Mark Knofler and Emmylou Harris
Love Love Love – Tristan Prettyman
Songbird - Willie Nelson
I’m A Believer – The Monkees
Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra
Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

When it’s not:
Out To Sea – Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers
Looking at the World From the Bottom of a Well – Mike Doughty
Apologies - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Let It Die – Foo Fighters
Ashes and Wine – A Fine Frenzy
When The Pain Dies Down – Chris Stills
Learn To Fly - Carbon Leaf
Turpentine - Brandi Carlile

Hype – Buy

Weekend Mix

I didn’t have anything planned to throw up here today, so here’s a random smattering of songs that I really enjoy. So, some good stuff for listening this weekend:

Apologies – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Fa Fa – Guster
Fall Apart Again – Brandi Carlile
Freedom – Sara Wheeler
Lovesong of the Buzzard – Iron & Wine
On The Radio – Regina Spektor
Sister Jack – Spoon
Small Planet – Ferraby Lionheart
Torn To Tattered – Carbon Leaf
Who You Are – Cary Brothers

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Women Who Rock – CYA’s Top Ten

I’ve been looking up information on Regina Spektor, as she’s got a concert here next week, and I’m contemplating on going over to see that at some point. While looking around, I came across a reference that she was #5 on Spinner.com’s Women Who Rock list. I took a look and decided to come up with my own list.

10 – Brandi Carlile
It took me a little while to get into Brandi Carlile. It wasn’t until she released The Story that I started getting into her unique sound, and really started listening. She’s got one helluva vocal range, and a fantastic voice to go along with it. She’ll be up here in October and I’m planning on seeing that.

The Story – Brandi Carlile

9 – Regina Spektor
I’ve started to get into Regina Spektor. She’s got a very cool sound that borders on a bunch of things. Originally from Russia, she’s come to New York and is doing quite well for herself with her first album, Begin to Hope. She’s coming to Middlebury next week. Should I see her?

On the Radio – Regina Spektor

8 – Tristan Prettyman
My first exposure to Tristan Prettyman was through the show Six Degrees with Love, Love, Love, and since then, I’ve loved, loved, loved her music. Acoustic guitar and great vocals is what she’s all about.

Evaporated – Tristan Prettyman

7 – A Fine Frenzy
A Fine Frenzy is another one that I’ve picked up from the television world, this time when they used Hope for the Hopeless in House. Her fantastic voice couples well with her piano work, along with some absolutely stellar lyrics. I’ll be seeing her in October with Brandi.

Rangers – A Fine Frenzy

6 – Feist
I got into Feist with her first single, Let It Die, and I’ve really enjoyed her upbeat, pop sound, as well as her work with Broken Social Scene. I just missed her show up here in Vermont with Rogue Wave, and I’m kicking myself about that…

1 2 3 4 – Feist


5 – Sara Wheeler
I came across Sara Wheeler at my school five years ago, and just got one of her newer albums. Like Prettyman, she’s got the whole acoustic guitar and fantastic vocals going for her, with some great songs. I hope that she’ll be back out and about soon.

Freedom – Sara Wheeler

4 – Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley is a new band for me – I got Under the Blacklight and loved it. They’ve got a great feel and variety to all their music, and are quite standoffish in a way that’s not overdone.

Dreamworld – Rilo Kiley

3 – KT Tunstall
Where to start with KT Tunstall? I loved her first album, Eye to the Telescope, as well as her second album, Drastic Fantastic (review coming next week) and just love this woman’s sound and style. She did some time here in Vermont, and hopefully, will be returning.

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree – KT Tunstall

2 – Sara Bareilles
I just got into Sara Bareilles a couple weeks ago when I came across her fantastic first album Little Voice. She’s got great lyrics and sound here with this first album, and I’m hoping that we’ll see more from her in the near future.

Love Song – Sara Bareilles

1 – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
No contest for me – Grace Potter is the best female vocalist out there at the moment. She rocks hard, her live concerts are just out of this world, and she’s got some deep influences with Rock & Roll. Plus, her songs, sound and voice are all just amazing. Go out and buy This is Somewhere, you won’t regret it. Or, get her other two albums, Nothing But The Water or Original Voice.

Mr. Columbus – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

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Artist Highlight: Sara Wheeler

Finally, after four years of searching around, I finally got my hands on a copy of Sara Wheeler’s 2002 release, Summer. She played at my college when I was a freshman, and I fell in love with her music from the start, and picked up her earlier release, Moonlight Dancers at the concert, thinking that if I liked it, I’d be able to get the rest of her music, no problem. Except that I couldn’t find the music on Amazon.com, and not having a credit card, I wasn’t able to really buy things online easily. So when I found that the fantastic CD Baby carried her music, I ordered a copy and it was delivered yesterday.

Wheeler’s out of the Boston area and has a fantastic voice with the acoustic guitar. Moonlight Dancers is a fantastic album, and Summer, while not quite as good, is still a joy to listen to. I had a couple of songs, Dreaming and Naked, before, but now, those really good songs are joined by Heaven and Freedom. Her sound’s a little different, with some songs exhibiting a new sound, but the basis is the same fantastic songs.
What’s also fansastic, as I just found a couple moments ago, iTunes has finally started carrying her music, with both Moonlight Dancers and Summer listed. Unfortunently, they don’t carry her latest album, Soleil, and I don’t know where to get it, although you can download one of the songs here.

Through The Cracks - Sara Wheeler

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Artist Comparison: Chicks With Guitars

Two artists who have a similar sound and tone are Sara Wheeler and Tristian Prettyman. They’ve both got that acoustic guitar flair, and both have great voices. There’s something really cool about their sound with the guitarwork, and both would be really cool playing on stage with each other in a concert someday.

Dreaming - Sara Wheeler

Sara Wheeler is a New England artist, who’s relatively difficult to find, although she has recently released a new album, Soleil. Her acoustic guitarwork and voice are a fun match, with a good set of pleasant songs. I discovered Sara Wheeler when she came and played a short concert at my school – I picked up Moonlight Dancers, and have kicked myself for not getting any of her other ones there, because I haven’t been able to find her other stuff lately at all.

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Love, Love, Love – Tristan Prettyman

Tristan Prettyman likewise has a great acoustic guitar sound and tone, as well as light, poppy lyrics that are much better than most acoustic / pop music out there. This song was featured on the short-lived show Six Degrees, which had a better soundtrack than anything else in the show, and since then, I’ve really enjoyed Prettyman’s voice and lyrics.

Hype – Buy – Look