Back with this week’s Millah Mix –this time it’s a sampling of some sweet cover songs I’ve been rocking out to recently. Covers like Robyn’s excellent live version of Alicia Keys‘ “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart” that emerged last week, a great folksy rendition of MGMT’s “Kids” that’s made the rounds on the interwebz, The Morning Benders‘ solid take on the indestructible pop gem that is Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, plus a recent addition to the increasingly intriguing Beck’s Record Club (this time featuring St. Vincent, Liars and, my favorite psychedelic pop group, Os Mutantes).
And if those don’t peak yr interest, there’s also Miley Cyrusbutchering taking on one of the greatest most popular songs in music history: Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. Yes, that one.
Back again with this month’s themed mix (as opposed to each month’s straight-up-awesome new music mixes): more cover songs! This time around the picks are a bit more random. Sometimes it’s a create band, sometimes it’s a great song –sometimes it’s both. And, as I mentioned with the last covers mix, this is by no means my definitive cover songs mix. Though, I gotta say, this mix is great. Fantastic, even. Oh, and it’s longer, both in time (70+ minutes!) and number of tracks (21!). Seriously, this is the Longest.Millah Mix.Ever.
Download, listen and let me know what you think after the jump. (more…)
We’re starting the week off on a somber note as Lena Horne has passed away at the age of 92. According to the New York Times, Ms. Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York.
In 2004, it was rumored that Janet Jackson would play Ms. Horne in an upcoming biopic, but Ms. Jackson was ousted from the production after the Super Bowl incident. Rumors then swirled in 2007 that Alicia Keys had been given the role in the Oprah Winfrey production, but chatter quickly died down again. Perhaps the project will get off the ground honor the amazing performer that was Ms. Horne.
Our condolences to Ms. Horne’s family. Remember the singer below with footage from the 1943 film “Stormy Weather.”
One week is in the books, and we are over half way to crowning the first-ever TRT March Music Madness Champion.
So far, the grassroots indie campaigns have represented well with three of the No. 8 seeds surviving to the Elite Eight, and all four No. 7s awaiting Monday’s action with hopes of doing the same.
March Music Madness here at The Round Table is in full effect! Visiting the site for the first time and wondering what the heck is going on? No sweat. Here’s a quick recap. We’ve taken 32 of the biggest names in mainstream music (across genres), bands on the cusp of stardom, and a few of TRT’s personal indie favs, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds, and now we’re pitting them against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups.
This is where you come into play! Help us decide the champ by voting for your favorite artists along the way. You vote, they advance, and in the end only one will be left standing as champion of the first-ever TRT March Music Madness.
Yesterday’s results
(8) Broken Social Scene def. (1) Lady Gaga
(1) Jay-Z def. (8) The Drums
(8) Tony Lucca def. (1) Black Eyed Peas
(8) Matthew Mayfield def. (1) Lil Wayne
Okay okay, so you’re sick of this song –or maybe you’re not, but I kind of am. Living in New York City, this song is pretty unavoidable and I don’t even listen to the radio. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great pop/hip hop track, but it’s become something of a movement in NYC: an example for born-and-bred NYC natives to speak about the city they know and love, but it’s also been appropriated by recent NYC transplants to reinforce what attracted them to this city and subsequently why they moved here (myself included).
In my humble opinion, this cover is more inspiring than the original Jay-Z & Alicia Keys version(s). For starters, the Keys parts are sung by a very talented little girl (go Dominique!), but more so it seems as if the song’s subject of potential is matched by potential of these children –as if they’re better suited to sing about the magic of New York City than two megarich superstars. Plus, it’s fun to watch them dance in their seats.
Clip after the cut; make sure you watch till the end for an adorable outtake. (more…)
There are moments in life where you remember exactly where you are, what you were doing, and how you felt when something tragic happens. For me, one of those days occurred on August 25, 2001. I had just moved into my dorm room during my junior year of college. After unpacking all day, I finally got my internet up and running when I saw the news on the homepage of AOL. It said singer Aaliyah had died in a plane crash in the Bahamas. Shock set in.
The young singer who had redefined R&B/Hip-Hop in the late 90’s with her sultry tomboy style was taken from this earth at the tender age of 22. When I see ladies like Beyonce or Alicia Keys, young singers turned actresses, I can’t help but reminded of Aaliyah, a true triple threat whose potential was cut short way too soon.
I often wonder, if Aaliyah were still with us, would Timbaland have segued into mainstream saturation? Would he have teamed up with Justin Timberlake or even Nelly Furtado? After all, Aaliyah was his muse. She made his songs come alive with every unorthodox baby giggle or cry, every beatbox, every rap without trying to blow away her audience with vocal acrobatics. Aaliyah was a “pocket” singer – she’d find her sweet spot and maneuver within it with smooth confidence. She truly understood the power of a whisper.
Alicia Keys didn’t even hit the road yet to support her fourth studio album Elements of Freedom and she has already added more major market dates to the U.S. leg. The Freedom tour kicks off on February 28th in Montreal, then Ms. Keys will work her way down the east coast before heading west.
According to reports, 13 additional shows have been tacked onto the Freedom tour schedule before it wraps in April. There will also be a European leg to the tour beginning in late April.
In addition to Eminem, news leaked last week that Lady Gaga (ugh, gag me) will also take the stage as will still rumored Rihanna. Despite my distaste for the likes of Lady Gaga, you have to admit the AMA’s are compiling a pretty star-studded lineup of performers. Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z and Jenifer Lopez are also slated to perform.
Tune into ABC on November 22nd to see all the action.
Usually the New York Yankees don’t have to vie for attention when it comes to post season play, but this year, things are a bit different. Before the MLB World Series started, fans and sportswriters alike pretty much crowned the New York Yankees victors and opted to focus on celebrity a-listers in the stands and pre-game performers.
Namely, two New York natives in Alicia Keys and Jay-Z were anointed to rock the home crowd prior to first pitch vs. (the underestimated) Philadelphia Phillieswith their ode to the city in “Empire State of Mind.” The song just so happens to be Yankee captain Derek Jeter’s anthem as he approaches the plate to bat. Weather postponed the duo’s performance prior to yesterday’s game and the Phillies went on to take Game 1 behind a gem of a pitching performance by Cliff Lee.
Music fans were disappointed that the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performance was canceled, but have more reason to tune in for tonight’s Game 2 action as Grammy award winning John Legend has been added to the star-studded lineup. Legend will sing the national anthem after Jay-Z and Alicia Keys warm up the audience starting around 7:30p est on Fox.
We started as a three friends having conversations about music during lunches together at the office. Since then we have expanded to seven members, including a Chi-town native, and the conversations have gotten bigger and better. The Round Table has grown into a casual setting where music aficionados can gather to discuss all things music. Topics include (but not limited to) artists and bands, new music releases, concerts, recording industry news and concerns, and the occasional nugget of entertainment gossip. We have tastes that cover the entire music spectrum and love to share them (and our opinions) with each other. We are The Round Table! Come join the conversation!
Back with this week’s Millah Mix –this time it’s a sampling of some sweet cover songs I’ve been rocking out to recently. Covers like Robyn’s excellent live version of Alicia Keys‘ “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart” that emerged last week, a great folksy rendition of MGMT’s “Kids” that’s made the rounds on the interwebz, The Morning Benders‘ solid take on the indestructible pop gem that is Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, plus a recent addition to the increasingly intriguing Beck’s Record Club (this time featuring St. Vincent, Liars and, my favorite psychedelic pop group, Os Mutantes).
