Throwback Thursday Musical Edition

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Nancy Wilson (especially when discussing music) might be the rock group Heart, but long before Ann and Nancy began their musical careers, there was another Nancy Wilson. Today is her birthday (she's 77, born in 1937 in Chillicothe, OH) and this year is the 50th anniversary for her biggest charting hit (and first Grammy-award winning song). Let's go back to 1964 for a few minutes to enjoy that early performance. 

My favorite song by her is from the early 1990s, from an album of Johnny Mercer songs produced by Barry Manilow. "When October Goes"  features Johnny Mercer's lyrics and Barry Manilow's music.

Happy birthday, Nancy!

Manic Monday Presidents' Day Edition

Some random thoughts and questions...

Will this snow ever end? I can't recall a more tedious winter in recent years. So much snow AND so cold as well. Not fair, Mother Nature!!

What lessons from your parents have meant the most to you over the years? My father taught me how to work, a lesson that I think a lot of kids may not be getting these days. One of the reasons I've had any success is that whatever I've attempted, I've always done it to the best of my ability and with full effort. My mother taught me how to adapt. She's not always quick to embrace change but she eventually finds her footing in any situation. Life sends a lot of crap your way and if you can't roll with the punches, you'll eventually get knocked out.

I had a lovely Valentine's Day - low-key but perfect. Dinner out with Mike (and his brother - Frank's birthday is Valentine's Day!) and then watching Britcoms on Hulu in bed - what else could you want? Growing up when and where I did, the concept of finding someone to love seemed not only out of reach but not even possible. There's something damaged in me from those years of being made to feel less-than and unworthy that can't be cured but can only be managed, like a chronic illness. Here in 2014, when it seems like every day brings news of another state recognizing me as an actual human being, every day is Valentine's Day. 

I hope everyone that is off from work today has a great and relaxing day. If you're not off, I hope it goes by fast! 

Throwback Thursday - Oct 2002 - Easton Town Center Columbus OH

Mike and me

My mom, Mike, and my sister-in-law Janet

New Music Tuesday!

Today's new music is from veteran artists (with a bonus track by a newer artist). First we have two tracks from Nina Persson, the lead singer of the Cardigans. Her new album is pretty great, much better than I was expecting. I'd urge you all to try the songs below and the other songs available online and consider purchasing it. 

"Food For The Beast" is a upbeat Abba-esque tune that is addictive and gets better with each listen.

My first thoughts upon hearing "Clip Your Wings" was Fleetwood Mac meets Ellie Goulding, which is a great combination of influences. I love how the song slowly builds and then really takes off at 2:50 or so. 

The next new song is from Belinda Carlisle, lead singer of The Go-Gos and an established solo artist. It's a great ballad that really showcases her unusual voice. Click the link below to open the YouTube video - for whatever reason it's not able to be embedded. 

Belinda Carlisle - Goodbye Just Go

I'd be remiss in not mentioning this last track, since I've listened to it approximately 1.4 million times this week. It has a retro 80's/90s vibe so it fits thematically in this list, even though it's from a newer artist. 

Is there a new song that has caught your ear lately? Tell me about it in the comments and thanks for listening.

Friday Fun

There's nothing I love more than sitting with my friends and talking about music. As the best and closest of my friends can attest, I have OPINIONS. Over the years, I've spent countless hours discussing all topics musical - what's your favorite Beatles song (Yesterday, always and forever), which ending of Violettas's aria from Traviata is the right one (clue: it's the E flat above high C - I don't care that it's not written), why Cyndi Lauper's career isn't as large as Madonna's (one that still baffles me) or who will be the next diva to come out of "retirement" (please let it be Tina Turner). 

But above all, I love introducing new music. With my group of friends, it's hard to be the first to discover a new artist or song, so maybe I can introduce a new-to-you artist instead.

Chante Moore has been around for over 20 years but has not really achieved the mainstream success she deserves. Her biggest hit is "Chante's Got A Man", a Top Ten song from 1999. 

A fun fact: The man she's referring to in this song is Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne from "A Different World", the Cosby spin-off) - she didn't have him much longer, as they divorced the next year.

Chante Moore is one of my favorites of the large group of singers I call "Mariahites" - pop/R&B female vocalists with multi-octave ranges that debuted after 1990. These's a ton of them, but Christina Aguilera is perhaps the most successful and Ariana Grande is the most recent. ANYWAY - Chante's voice has always reminded me of a mix of Diana Ross and Mariah - a pretty great combination!

Her most recent release, Moore is More from 2013, shows a maturity and range of musical styles not fully expressed on her earlier releases. I want to share two tracks that couldn't be more different. The first song is "On and On" -  a superb dance smash that wouldn't be out of place on any diva's CD and features a Nicki Minaj-ish rap by DaBrat (remember her?). The coloratura vocals at the bridge really lift the song to a new high, literally.

Chante is known for her ballads, and the next song, "Giving You My Always", is a perfect example. Here she sounds like a contender to fill the void left by Whitney Houston's passing. Something about this song vaguely reminds me of Beyonce's "Halo". I'm sure this will be a huge wedding song in years to come.

If you enjoyed either or both of these songs, I highly recommend the full album as well as her back catalog of releases. There's something for everyone - standards, gospel, more dance tracks, lots more ballads. If you don't have Spotify, you can listen to the full CD below. Thanks for reading/listening and have a great day!

Wikipedia Wednesday

Since the most recent SNL, when the skit above aired, I've been thinking about Black History Month. I am conflicted - while I applaud the focus on this shamefully neglected part of American and world history, I think it is a disservice to present it as a separate topic for 28 days instead of working it into the normal flow of historical study year-round. I feel that historical events are best understood when they are explained in the context of what else was happening in the world at that time. I was also curious - why is Black History Month in February? My first thought was, "Of course, it's the shortest month! If there's anything the establishment does well, it's insulting a minority group while pretending to honor them." So I turned to Wikipedia to find out.

In 1926, a group of African-American historians headed by Carter G. Woodson started what was then known as Negro History Week, choosing the second week in February to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became one of the leaders of the Abolitionist movement in the years before the Civil War. The response to this week of celebration was strong and grew stronger over the years, and in 1969 the Black United Students group at Kent State University proposed a full month staring the next year. In 1976, President Gerald Ford and the US government officially recognized the month of February as Black History Month. The UK and Canada followed, in 1987 and 1995 respectively.  

I was happy to see that the month was chosen for a specific purpose, and also proud that the movement to a full month was spearheaded by a college group here in Northeast Ohio. 

To celebrate Black History Month in my own way, I want to put a spotlight on Bayard Rustin. A posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient in 2013, Mr. Rustin was a close adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King and was instrumental in organizing the March on Washington in 1963. His list of achievements and the many causes he supported can be seen at his Wikipedia page. What makes him stand out to me (and why he may not be as well-known as he deserves) is the fact that he was a openly gay man as early as the 1950s. The amount of bullshit he must have faced because of his race and sexuality cannot be overestimated, but he continued to work tirelessly for the betterment of others until his death in 1987. 

Manic Monday

I'm gonna try to write more regularly here. Seeing as it's been nearly 2 years since my last post, I can only do better. Mondays are busy days for everyone, so I'm just rattling off a few quick things to break the ice.

I'm still all a-twitter this morning, still thinking about Renee Fleming's Anthem performance last night. The overwhelmingly positive response has me hoping that public support for arts education in school in on the rise. 

I don't know anything about football, but why was last night's game so one-sided? Were the teams so unevenly matched, did the Seahawks peak at just the right time, or was Denver just awful? 

I'll have whatever Anthony Kiedis is having.