Switchfoot Release New Video For "This Is Home"

One of the announcements on Switchfoot's recent fan email's was they made a new video available for their single "This Is Home". Here's the message from their email:

We are excited to let you know that our new video for "This Is Home" is available to view! We shot some live footage during the Music Builds Tour this past Fall, and put together a great live video for our new song "This Is Home." We love it, and hope you do too.

The song was written for the movie Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, a Disney movie. The original version uses clips from the motion picture.

The new video is available on YouTube. I would embed it, but they decided not to to make it available to embed (more than likely a decision made by Sony, not Switchfoot). Here's the original video:



Here's their performance of the song at the 2008 Dove Awards:

David Crowder Band to Fans: "Thanks for taping our live concerts!"

It's refreshing to see a band embrace it's fans so much that they encourage them to video their live concerts. I was on the David Crowder Band's web site this evening and found a link that pointed to a YouTube video of their song Neverending. The cool thing about the video is that it is a compilation of fan-made videos edited together to show the song in it's visual and audio entirety.

This is a fun way to thank the fans and to let them know they enjoy their fans so much to do something cool for them. Here's the video:

Former Lead Singer of Chasing Furies Returns with Solo Album

I would have to say the time of my life where I purchased the most music was when I was in college during the late 90's. I would probably buy 5 or 6 albums a month and catch any tours coming through town. I was really into new Christian modern rock and alternative music and would always listen to the latest album from the new acts on the scene.

In comes an alternative rock group named Chasing Furies. They were a unique, 3-piece band comprised of 2 sisters and their brother. They released 1 album in 1999, With Abandon, and then failed to release any other music.

Recently, a friend of mine told me the lead singer, Sarah MacIntosh, released a new solo album. I'm currently listening to the songs she has on her MySpace site and I can't stop listening. Her voice is very unique and beautiful and really makes me realize how great the Chasing Furies album was. I'd have to agree with David Crowder from the David Cowder Band when he so eloquently stated:

Sarah’s voice lures you into thinking bits of heaven might be here already.

I would visit her MySpace page to check out some of the new music. Her new album is also available on iTunes. Here's the only music video to ever come from Chasing Furies that I know of.




Here's a live version of Sarah and her band at a concert in Dallas earlier this year. I'll have to see if she's going to be on tour any time soon. It looks like her sound translates well to the stage.

Bryn Christopher provides soul anthem on Grey's Anatomy

Sometimes you find music in places you just don't expect, like a recent update from a friend on Facebook. The update stated they couldn't stop listening to this YouTube video. After watching it, I can see why it would be addictive. This is my first introduction to Bryn Christopher, a pop/soul singer from the UK.

I don't think I could agree any more with the first line of his bio on his web site:

If My World, Bryn's debut album, sounds like the work of an assured, confident, old-school soul man trapped in the body of a new kid on the pop block itching to make his mark, that shouldn't come as a surprise. Ask him about his own songs, and the 22 year old will talk to you about addiction, undervaluing yourself, the Iraq war and writing lyrics on his mobile phone. If you want soul-steeped authenticity in 21st century togs, Bryn Christopher's your man.

The first single, Quest, was recently featured on series finale of ABC's Grey's Anatomy. While I don't watch the show, the song definitely fit the ending. You can watch the original music video below, followed by the ending of Grey's Anatomy where the song was featured. I hope you enjoy.

Matchbox Twenty showcased on PBS Soundstage

I was flipping channels this evening and I landed on PBS. I don't usually flip through channels since I have Tivo, but I just needed a station to tune into while I was surfin'. What I found was a show by PBS called Soundstage. I knew the show had been around for some time, but they have kept it going while introducing a unique blend of artists that just plain sound great live. I was watching Lifehouse on the show tonight. I was only able to catch the last few songs, but it was definitely well produced, sounded great, and visually pleasing to the eyes.

At the end of the broadcast, I decided to check out their web site and see what other artists they have had. What I found was not only a list, but video's of past performances on the show. You should check their web site out if you want to see the full list and local air dates. Matchbox Twenty was on recently and performed a pretty energetic "How Far We've Come." I think this is a great song, but kind of got sick of it when I heard it every other song on the local radio stations. This performance really got me back into the song though. I've played it 5 times in a row since I started my blog post about it. I can feel the energy without even watching it. You can watch it and other videos on the Soundstage web site or you can check it out on YouTube. I hope you enjoy:

Barenaked Ladies releases kids album...

I was reading Crave, a gadget blog that covers news and reviews of new technology, when I came across this little gem. The blog has added a featured MP3 download to their daily blog entries. Today's download is from the Barenaked Ladies that features a track called "7 8 9". It's from their new kids album called Snacktime, released in May. It's a short track at a minute and 30 seconds, but it's a witty and somewhat charming song about how 7 ate 9, of course. You can download the track for free from music.download.com or you can watch the animated video for the song below. Pretty funny.

Nine Inch Nails gives me a reason to listen...

Ever since I made the change to XM Radio about 4 years ago, my album buying habits have drastically changed. I used to buy 3 or 4 albums a month, if not more. Now, I'd be lucky to buy 3 to 4 albums in a year. I just don't see that need for me to spend the money on a new album when I can listen to a lot of different music for $12.95 a month

This fact makes Nine Inch Nails latest release all the more exciting. It's absolutely free. Trent Reznor decided to allow you to download the album completely free from the albums web site. All you have to do is supply an email address and you'll have your pick of multiple formats from mp3's up to CD quality. It even includes the album art in a .pdf format.

Just another way a band can get their music out to the masses, especially to people who might not be totally inclined to buy the album because of financial reasons. Even though I like the music Nine Inch Nails makes, I may have never heard the album if it wasn't free. If I never heard the album, would I be writing this post? Probably not...

Can rap and education exist together?

I'm a little late on this one, but I saw a blog post on Detroit Metroblogs that highlights a new music CD from a local artist. The post isn't exactly what you expect as the artist, Mr. Duey, is actually a teacher and it's an educational rap CD. There's really nothing special about the music but it does sound like it was produced semi-professionally. He has different songs about fractions, and latitude and longitude, and verbs. You can check out some of the songs on his website. What's really funny, is he has a video of the Fractions song on YouTube. You can check it out below. I guess you can't fault him for trying to get kids excited about their education.

Switchfoot and Beyonce are quite the pair

I got a chance to see Switchfoot perform at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI over the weekend. At one point during their set they broke into the beginning of Crazy In Love, a song by Beyonce. They eventually broke into another song which was in the same key, but it was quite entertaining and it even made me laugh. You just didn't expect it. What's even funnier, the group covered the song in it's entirety for a Yahoo music session a few years back. Here's the full version for your enjoyment (and laughs):

Dave and Chuck the Freak take me on a Journey

I was listening to The Morning X with Dave and Chuck the Freak this morning on 89X and they were talking about this cover band on YouTube called The Zoo. I didn't catch the entire discussion they had, but I tuned in just in time for them to play a couple of the video's on air. I didn't understand the fascination with the band until I heard the lead singer, Arnel Pineda, start belting out a song by Journey, then Bon Jovi, and then Sting. He sounded just like these guys. He could mimic most of them perfectly.

I was so interested in listening to more, so I searched around for the videos tonight. In my search, I found that a member of Journey ended up contacting the lead singer after seeing and hearing the videos. He actually wanted to bring in Pineda from the Phillipines to audition as the lead singer. As it turns out, Pineda is now touring with the group and a new album is in the works. Here's a clip from CNN Headline News that tells about the story.

I even found a video of one of their first performances together. It's kinda freaky. It's just like the movie with Mark Wahlberg in it. Usually, movies are inspired by true stories, but instead, this is a story inspired by a movie. Just plain weird.

Here's one of the cover songs the band put up:

The Cold War Kids comment on Detroit scandal, kinda...

I was reading a Detroit Free Press editorial on the current political mess here in Detroit and caught a pretty amusing comment string that followed the article. Here's the original comment by user OctopiAlley:

The whole city, region and state are being Hung Out to Dry after the Mayor has already fleeced the public, his family values and the image of Detroit... Gov Jenny needs to stand up and break ranks unless it's a united front for different reasons.

Now, the comment in and of itself isn't amusing. It's the fact that the user followed up his comment with another one 6 minutes later with the following:

Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Up To Dry"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrrGKR8Xii4

It's as if the user thought of the song right as he posted the original comment and then went out to YouTube to find the song so he could share it with everyone. That's the amusing part to me. Here's another version of the video by the Cold War Kids if you'd like to check it out:

89X and Rides Again kept me in my car

I was listening to Detroit's New Rock Alternative, 89X, on the way home from a friends house today and a new song caught my ears right before I got out of the car. I liked it enough that I stayed to listen to the entire song before going inside. It was song called Infected from a group named Rides Again, an alternative rock trio out of Ontario, Canada.

Before I started listening to XM Radio, my car radio was typically tuned to 89X. It is actually a Canadian based station that delivers modern and alternative rock to the metro Detroit area. They sometimes feature music that isn't completely mainstream yet, including more local acts like Rides Again.

The song I listened to today really reminded me of Hoobastank with some really great, driving guitar hooks and riffs. What's really funny, is when I went to look up the band, I couldn't remember the name of the group. Their name sounds a lot like Rise Against, so I was looking for the song under their name, obviously with no luck. I finally went to 89X's web site and found what they were playing. The band recently added the song to YouTube:

Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails wants you

After writing about Nine Inch Nails releasing their latest album online a few weeks ago, I recently found that Trent Reznor has now announced a project that allows you to be a part of the creative process. Reznor recently submitted a video to Youtube to explain his vision. In it, he explains how he wants people to submit their own videos for the music on the Ghosts album. He talks about how the tracks on the album were intentionally unnamed as to not influence the outcome of any videos produced.

This is on the heels of what Reznor proclaimed a very successful album release. I think this is another great way for a musician to connect and interact with their fans. Here's the video if you want to learn more:

R.E.M. dropping their latest album on iLike

I came across a blog post on Techdirt today that talks about R.E.M.'s latest album, Accelerate, and how it will be available on the music social network, iLike, a week before it hits stores. Techdirt referred to an MSNBC article on their blog as they explained how R.E.M. is another example of how music groups are reaching out to broader audience by allowing fans to get their music free or early in new and more dynamic ways than a CD. I mentioned Trent Reznor from the group Nine Inch Nails last week and how he has applied the same business model. I think it's a great way to promote your music and build an even bigger and more devoted fan base.

Although I don't follow R.E.M. that much, I think they have written some great alternative/pop songs that have somewhat defined a generation. One of the songs that I'll always remember from their collection is It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). Here they are performing the song live in Toronto:

New Album for The Bravery

In my Facebook feed I saw that The Bravery was on tour and would be in the Detroit area in the next few months. I first heard this band back when I played MVP Baseball 2005. The band contributed their song "An Honest Mistake" to the soundtrack of the game. It was often playing in the background of the menu screens of the game.

The modern alternative group has written quite a few catchy and addictive tunes. I always want to sing along when I hear one. The recently release radio tunes of "Believe" and "Time Won't Let Me Go" are the first ones that come to mind.

You can check our their MySpace page for tour dates. Their new album, called The Sun and Moon Complete, is set to be released March 18th, 2008. It's a very interesting album as it will be released as a 2 disc set. According to the bands' MySpace blog post, the first disc, called "The Sun", will be 12 songs originally produced by Brendan O'Brien. The second disc, called "The Moon", is the same exact 12 songs in the same order, but re-worked and "re-imagined" by the band. Very interesting concept and a great way to show something unique by the band.

Here's the band playing in Times Square during the 2008 New Year's Eve show on ABC:

DJ Armando rocks my commute

I love commercial free radio. I love XM. In the last few months I've been listening to DJ Armando's show, appropriately named Addiction, on the way home from work. His show airs on channel 81, also appropriately named BPM, from 5PM to 6PM and 8PM to 9PM EST. So, even when I have to work the late shift, I can catch him late on my drive home(as I did this evening). I don't know what it is, but I just enjoy listening to electronic/dance music in the car. Just turn it up and thump those speakers. It's great listening to an hour long mix. It definitely makes the drive better. I'm definitely addicted to it.

If you want to check DJ Armando out, he has a pretty cool website. I did find that it has some downloads of mixes he's done. I'm tempted to download a few just to check it out.

Independent group Schaeffer gives behind the scenes look

Whenever I see one of my friends become a "fan" of a music group on Facebook, I'll atleast find out what they're all about. So on this night, I got a chance to take in some tunes from an alternative group named Schaeffer. I would probably put them in the emo/alternative realm. At first listen, they really reminded me of Sleeping At Last, a group I got to see in concert when they opened up for Switchfoot a few years back in Detroit.

Schaeffer has apparently gotten enough following as an independent group to get their music on iTunes. Then again, I guess I don't know how hard that is to pull off. I guess somebody will have to let me know. I haven't really been in the "music biz" since college. You can also check out their music on their MySpace page.

Here's a YouTube video the group put together that gives a behind the scenes look of their latest album, Something Worth Fighting For:

Nine Inch Nails releases album online

With little pomp and circumstance, Trent Reznor of the group Nine Inch Nails has released a new ablum called Ghosts exclusively online. According to the album website, they've had 3 times the amount of traffic on his site to download the first 9 tracks, which happen to be totally free, and which has also brought the site to a halt as there's too many people trying to download it. I caught the first news of it on Techdirt's web site, which points out how, even though the tracks are free (Reznor even uploaded the first 9 tracks himself to torrent sites), he is still able receive revenue without the music labels help.

So, checkout the new album if you're into NIN. If you're not into NIN, atleast enjoy Johnny Cash's cover of one of Nine Inch Nails tunes, Hurt. It's his last video before his passing. See it below:

Dispatch live in Madison Square Gardens

Every so often I flip through the HD channels. I don't normally watch live TV, but it's been more often since the writer's strike forced a much shorter list of shows on my Tivo. I also love to watch TV in HD, I'm hooked. Anyways, I caught a fairly entertaining concert on MHDTV, an HD music channel. The concert featured the band Dispatch in a benefit concert called Dispatch : Zimbabwe where all ticket proceeds went to charities that are fighting disease, famine, and social injustices. At one point during the concert, the group even invited the African Children's Choir up to sing along. Check out the YouTube video below that shows some clips from the concert and some behind the scenes interviews.

Here's the video:

Old School took me back, old school

OK, so I just finished watching Old School on ABC (I know, not much going on for a Saturday night). Anyways, there was a part that started in slo-mo, which pretty much leads to the point where you need to hear the Chariots of Fire theme, or the slo-mo just doesn't make sense.

I thought I'd look up the song and I found the theme performed by Vangelis on YouTube. He is backed up by an orchestra and it's being performed in Athens. It's only 4 minutes and 16 seconds, but it will feel like 10 minutes due to the slo-mo effect.

Here's the video:

Acoustic Version of Breaking Benjamin Tune

Came across an acoustic version of Breaking Benjamin's The Diary of Jane. The song is off of their latest album, Phobia. It's on YouTube, but there isn't a true video for it, it's just few images thrown up while the song plays. It's a great sounding track. It can definitely stand on it's own without the distortion and screaming from the original track.

Here's the acoustic version:



Here's the original song if you care to watch the video to compare:

Free Song from Switchfoot

It's been a while since this song has been out, but the link is still available if you'd like a song from this San Diego based Switchfoot. They teamed up with Habitat for Humanity during their Fall '07 tour and released the song Rebuild as a free download. You'll have to register to download the song and you can choose to donate to Habitat for Humanity before the download starts. The song also features members of Relient K and Ruth, who were joining Switchfoot on the tour.

It's a great cause and a great song too. Here's the site that explains the cause and the download a little more:

http://www.switchfoot.com/rebuild/

New Album from Justin McRoberts

I caught a post by blogger Kevin D. Hendricks about Justin McRoberts a few days back. Justin has a new album coming out in March of 2008 and has uploaded live performances of all 13 songs to YouTube. It's a good listen. What a great way to promote his music to new fans and to provide his loyal fans with a sneak peak of the new album.

Here's a track titled America and the Soul:

Time to Take a Leap

Well, it's time to take a leap. It's February 29th and today is the first post for the Feed Me My Music blog. There's no great structure or plan for this blog yet. Quite simply, I want to share music in all shapes and sizes with you. If I find a video, a song, a blog, or a picture, I'll let you know about it. If you'd like to let me know about something everyone would enjoy, drop me a line. So that's that. Simple yet enjoyable is possible, right?