Surprised, Yes... Disappointed, No!

In the past, I had never really considered Pearl Jam as having a good musical sound. I mean, I knew that they were well known but not to me. I had never listened to their songs, nor did I know any of the members. However, that all changed the moment we listened to them on Monday during class. I was honestly and completely surprised. I never thought I would like them as much as I did and I was blown away by their musical talent. Due to the fact I still didn't know much about the band, I decided to research them. Here's what I found out:

• Pearl Jam is an American rock band that started in Seattle, Washington around 1990
• The line up and current members includes Eddie Vedder (vocals), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), Mike McCready (guitar), and Matt Cameron (their drummer as of 1998)
• The band has sold over 31.5 million records in the U.S. and an estimated 60 million worldwide
• According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, Pearl Jam was "the most popular American rock & roll band of the '90s."

(facts taken from Wikipedia.org)

After listening to the band, the two songs that really caught my attention were Alive and Even Flow. I'm not sure if it was the upbeat rhythm or just the fact that it caught my attention as to why I enjoyed them so much, but I really did like listening to Pearl Jam. So take my advice when I say that you should always listen to music with open ears and an open mind. Who knows, you might actually like what you're listening to.

- Caroline

Alive- music video

Even Flow- music video

Tim McGraw... Exceptional!

Over the years, I have listened to so many country songs all by various artists. One artist that always stands out in particular is country sensation Tim McGraw. His music is pleasing to my hears and always leaves me satisfied. There hasn't been a song of his that I had negative feelings towards. I grew up listening to country music and I still wake up to it every morning. Every time one of his songs comes on, I can't help but to smile. It makes my day hearing his melodic voice and his charming lyrics. His newest song, One of Those Nights, is full of sweet lyrics with a mix of persuading melodies. As soon as this song hit the radio and climbed its way to the top of the popular list, I feel in love. The song is different than his normal tracks, but that makes me like it so much more. Its nice seeing him make a change and honestly I could never imagine myself growing tired or annoyed of this phenomenal song! Tim is one of my favorite country artists and I can't wait to hear his new songs once they become accessible to the public. 

- Caroline 

One of Those Nights- music video

Introduced to a New Song

A lot of my friends have great musical taste and are constantly updating me with new songs that I usually seem to develop a passion for. This week's find, from my friend Rachel, was from the artist Spoon and the dong, an original hit, is titled The Underdog. One thing I really enjoyed about this song, besides the unique sound and lyrics, was the background music where band instruments such as the trumpet was incorporated into the song. While there are many songs out there that could have caught my attention, I'm so glad that this is the one that my friend showed me. It's full of cool sounds as well as a strong introduction to the song. Even though I don't know much about the band, I can't wait to hear more of their songs to really get an idea of the magic behind the group. If you're looking for a new find and something that will most likely become you're new favorite, then I highly recommend looking up this group and either buy it from Itunes or even star it on Spotify. I promise it's worth it!

- Caroline

The Underdog

Have You Heard of Wilco?

Unfortunately this was a short week so we weren't able to listen to too much but we definitely listened to some good stuff. We started out the week listening to popular artist Nirvana and ended the week listening to musical sensation Wilco. Before the class I had never listened to Wilco before and as soon as I heard his voice I fell in love with it. What have I been missing out on??? Due to the fact I didn't know much about them, I researched the group and found out that Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois and was formed in 1994. Some of their songs include Born Alone, You and I, and I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. I enjoyed listening to this band so much that I can't think of any negative comments towards their music. Thankfully, we had the chance to watch their film titled I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, a documentary that follows the band fulfilling their everyday lives. I'm surprised I've never heard of them before but I can truthfully say that I am so glad my teacher showed introduced them to me!

- Caroline

Born Alone

You and I

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart- Trailer for Film

Not particularly the best...

Lately I've been writing about things I've enjoyed listening to or songs/ artists that I found something worth my time. Well now I want to write about something that I don't really like. Keep in my mind that I'm not trying to be rude, just honest. When I'm listening to music I do my best to keep an open mind, but I find it difficult to when you listen to stuff such as The Beastie Boys album Paul's Boutique. When we first started listening to it in class, I didn't find it likable. I tried listening to their songs on my own time outside of the class to see if that would help but it didn't .. I think it's the style that I don't particularly like. While each band, especially this one, has a unique sound, I didn't find them to be appealing, musically speaking. I know I'm picky and that I should always try to listen and appreciate the music, but I honestly didn't enjoy this album. Observing while criticing is quite a challenge, but in my complete opinion I would say that this album is at the bottom of my list.

- Caroline

Album cover for Paul's Boutique

You may or may not have heard of them, but they're my new favorite!

Penny and Sparrow. Ring a bell? Well if not that's okay because I'm going to tell you all I know about them. For starters, the band consists of two main members, Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke. And even better, they're from Texas! Another thing I learned, taken from pennyandsparrow.com, was that Andy and Kyle were previous roommates and "the duo makes music influenced by The Swell Season, Bon Iver, Mumford and Sons, and others. They also love musicals." Not do they sound cool, but their voices and musical talents show through their incredible and flawless songs. I discovered them this week after a friends showed me one of their sons, Brothers, and besides that track, Duet feat. Stephanie Briggs would have to be my favorite. I love the slow style of the song and the lyrics flow nicely. Both tracks come off of the same album, Tenboom, and definitely express the bands uniqueness. I love finding new bands and I am so glad I now have them in my Spotify playlist. Who wouldn't want their songs? Trust me, if you aren't listening to them, then you're missing out! So take my word for it and look them up. If you aren't satisfied then fine, but if you are then I get to say "I told you so". Enjoy!

- Caroline

P.S. Unfortunately there wasn't a video for Duet but since it's my favorite, I found a link for you. So click it!

http://pennyandsparrow.bandcamp.com/track/duet-feat-stephanie-briggs

Brothers

The men behind the great talent!

U2: Rattle and Hum

One of my favorite parts of being in History of Rock and Roll is being able to watch the interesting documentaries from a variety of bands. They’re usually full of excitement and are rarely dull and boring. As an audience, especially after studying the artist or group, it’s a neat experience to watch that same artist or group do what they were born to do; play music. This week, we had the chance to watch part of U2’s documentary Rattle and Hum. This documentary features so much; like concert footage, a unique version of Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For sung with a church choir, the band playing When Love Comes to Town with talented and well-known jazz artist B.B. King and even a tour through Elvis’s home in Graceland. Talk about a cool movie! Not only was it interesting but it kept me entertained with all that went on backstage. I admit I wrote about them last week, but I just had to talk about this documentary. I really enjoy how bands can go from performing on stage closed in by bright lights and loud music, and then be at their homes with their families trying to live and execute somewhat of a normal life. It also blows my mind how bands, such as U2, can have so much talent with only four members (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.). Two cool facts I learned are that all four of the band members are from Ireland and their drummer, Larry Mullen Jr., is a huge Elvis fan (hints one of the reasons they received the tour of his house). I mentioned in my last blog, when I expressed how much I enjoyed this band, how U2 will never disappoint me and the more I listen to their songs, the more I like the band overall. In my eyes, U2 is definitely a unique band to follow and their documentary only brought me closer to becoming a bigger fan.

- Caroline

Rattle and Hum trailer- Must see! It shows a little taste of what the documentary has to offer

Stay...

Ooh the reason I hold on

Ooh cause I need this hole gone

Funny you’re the broken one but I’m the only one who needed saving

Cause when you never see the light it’s hard to know which one of us is caving

When a songs reaches out to you and gives you emotional comfort, you know you were meant to find that song. Whether it’s physical or emotional pain, songs can be your antidote. Lately, I keep feeling like I’m alone but as soon as I plug in my head phones, I no longer feel lonesome or afraid. I feel safe and at home. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol, I turn to music. I love music and my favorite kinds are the ones that touch my heart and make me feel at peace. If you listened to that part of Rihanna’s song Stay, how would it reach out to you? For me, it might not be the most fathomable lyrics, but at least they left an impression on my emotions that I've been dealing with for the past couple of weeks. Lately, I've been suffering from a variety of different things, such as anxiety or family problems or even friendship problems, but I know I can always count on music to cheer me up. While Rihanna’s song is composed of sadness, the lyrics and music are what had the greatest impact on me. A song like this one is what helps me to pull myself together and fight through whatever is destroying me. However, songs aren't just about the lyrics or the rhythm. They’re about the depth and meaning behind the obvious and the message you take away from them. I learned that powerful songs, this one for example, have powerful impacts and that’s exactly what this song did for me. Not only did I understand the song in a new way, but I learned that within music is the key for happiness. 

- Caroline 

The incredible, one and only, Rihanna

Rihanna- Stay ft. Mikky Ekko (music video)