Category: Song of the Week

This song never ceases to move me. Light guitar accompanied by Jeff Buckley’s soft, yet powerful vocals strike a chord. My roommate and I have had “Hallelujah” on repeat all week and I’m still not tired of this track yet. Enjoy!

Last night, I caught Daniel Wayne‘s EP release show at The Living Room and was thoroughly impressed. The Cincinnati native has been compared to Jeff Buckley and Roy Orbison, and it’s easy to see why.

Wayne’s emotional singing and personal songwriting grabs the listener effortlessly while the accompanying music brings to mind a mix of rock & roll, alt-country and, at times, hillbilly roots. With bold guitar licks and his wavering vocals, songs like standout “My Bed” left a lasting mark. Additional pedal steel guitar and upright bass only added to his set.

Listen to “My Bed” here. What do you think? Watch Wayne perform “Poseidon’s Drownin’ Son” live in NYC below.

Poseidon’s Drownin Son from jim feichtmann on Vimeo.

I haven’t been able to get Adele’s current single, “Someone Like You” out of my head for the past week. The beautiful, heartbreaking ballad showcases her powerful vocals while the lyrics strike a chord.  Currently No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100, watch below as Adele tells the story behind the song and performs it live in her home.

Earlier this summer, Martina McBride performed the debut song off her upcoming album, Eleven, at CMA Music Festival in Nashville. An emotional ballad about cancer, she told the crowd of thousands, “Every 10 years or so you hear a song that grabs you and won’t let go. I feel like [“I’m Gonna Love You Through It”] is going to lift some people up.”

With her powerful vocal range and poignant lyrics, the audience was silent as she sang every word. Chills ran down my back as I listened to the heartfelt and relatable lyrics.

News anchor Katie Couric, ‘Good Morning America’ co-anchor Robin Roberts, musician Sheryl Crow, co-host Hoda Kotb and more share their stories of surviving cancer in McBride’s powerful new music video. Watch it below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxIt70j_SPk

Related Links:
• Q&A with Martina McBride
• Martina McBride and Former Miss America Speak Out on Domestic Violence
• CMA 2009: Six Artists to Watch
• CMA Music Festival Recap

As I’m about to embark on another jet-setting adventure, this time to Madrid, OneRepublic’s latest single, “Good Life” has been stuck in my head all week long. With Ryan Tedder’s beautiful vocals and fitting musical accompaniment, I’m sure it will have you whistling along in no time.

I haven’t been able to stop listening to the latest single from Brooklyn-based band The Drums for the past few weeks. With a catchy beat it’s nearly impossible to not dance along. Stay tuned for their sophomore release, Portamento, due out September 13.

In Jesse Malin’s latest video for “Disco Ghetto,” he and his band, The St. Marks Social, partner with one of his biggest fans, Mary Louise Parker, of the hit Showtime series “Weeds”.

“Mary Louise has been a fan and friend since my first record, The Fine Art of Self Destruction, and has even been quoted as saying that her favorite record of the year was Love It To Life, so we called her up and she was into it,” Malin said.

The energetic track was based off a worry-free night spent with friends at an old school, funk, disco party. New Yorkers may be familiar with some of the video locations as it was filmed at NYC vegan hot spot, Kates Joint and concert venue Bowery Electric. Watch the video below and be sure to catch Jesse Malin performing tomorrow night at Bowery Electric with The Young Things and River James.

With hand clapped rhythms and his smooth vocals, Matt Nathanson‘s single “Faster” has become a catchy summer radio hit. Uptempo horn features and guitar accompaniment only add to the song’s laid back vibe. Watch the music video below.

You can see Matt perform the track and many of his previous hits live on Baeble music below as well as watch their exclusive interview with him on their Web site.

I’ve been following New York based trio Lights Resolve since I met them over three years ago while on my first tour. One of the hardest working bands I know, their energetic live show always impresses and I’ve witnessed them win over many of my friends show after show.

Their debut album, Feel You’re Different, will be released later this year and the band is currently offering a sneak peak of their first video off the LP. Watch “Happens Every Day” below and be sure to visit their Web site and sign up for their mailing list for a free download of “Sew It Up.”

Lights Resolve – Happens Every Day from Lights Resolve on Vimeo.

Earlier this week the country site I write for, AOL’s The Boot, premiered Blake Shelton’s beautiful new single, “God Gave Me You.” As I played the track I realized I knew the song. Written by Dave Barnes and featured on his last album, Shelton explained how he first stumbled on the track and why he decided to cut it for his upcoming release.

“I had flown into Dallas, Texas and got into my truck and was driving back to Oklahoma … It’s no secret, Miranda and I have had our ups and downs over the years and this was definitely at a low point at our relationship. But I heard that song come on the radio — for whatever reason I was flipping through stations and landed on a contemporary Christian station, and that song came on and I almost had to pull the truck over. It was one of those moments for me where I felt like I was hearing that song at that moment for a reason.”

This isn’t the first time Barnes has worked with a country act. Last year, Billy Currington cut “Until You” another track written by Barnes and he also opened for Lady Antebellum at their NYC Nokia Theatre gig. Listen to Shelton’s cover and the original. Which do you like best? Be sure to pick up a copy of Shelton’s upcoming release, Red River Blue, due in stores July 12.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7M7cJ4DydQ