Introducing... Ferras - Hollywood's Not America Ferras is a piano-playing singer-songwriter. His single "Hollwood's Not America" was chosen to be the exit song for the 2008 season of American Idol and is the first single off his debut album Aliens & Rainbows which comes out on April 1st. The song itself is a sweet, sweeping emotional ballad in the vein of its Idol exit predecessors "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter and Daughtry's "Home". It is certain that we'll be hearing this song a lot in the spring. DL HERE Watch the VIDEO: Ashlee Simpson feat. Tom Higgenson - Little Miss Obsessive In preparation for her third album Bittersweet World, Ashlee Simpson is releasing her second single "Little Miss Obsessive" featuring Plain White T's frontman Tom Higgenson. Ashlee doesn't really prove anything vocally but it's catchy and probably has the staying power that "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" failed to have. DL HERE Here's the daper Jon McLaughlin (sans piano) during his live performance for "So Close". Being that it was his first nationally televised perforance, you could tell nerves overtook him during the first part of the song. He did, however, produce a memorable breakthrough performance. 
PRE-ORDER Aliens & Rainbows on Amazon.com 
Speaking of American Idol, my interest in this year's competition grew after discovering Filipino-American contestant Ramiele Malubay. The 20-year-old is a sushi restaurant worker from Miramar, Florida. She's been touted as the next Jasmine Trias. Although both are female Pinays, I think the two cannot be compared. And what was up with Ryan saying Jasmine found success in "her native Philippines"? Last time I checked, she was a first-generation Fil-Am born and raised in Hawaii. That would be like saying Carly Smithson is from "her native Ireland". Oh wait...she is from Ireland. Anyway, Ramiele would like to one-up Jasmine and become the "first Filipino American Idol". Here is her audition video followed by her performance this week for "Don't Leave Me This Way". 
Didn't catch the Academy Awards last Sunday? Well Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the stars of the movie Once performed and won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly", trumping over the three nominated songs from Enchanted. 
Friday, February 29, 2008
The Giant Leap (Year) Post! Featuring Ferras, Ashlee, and Jon
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Jon McLaughlin to perform at the Academy Awards tonight!
Piano man Jon McLaughlin will perform at tonight's Academy Awards show! He will perform "So Close", the Oscar-nominated song by composer Alan Menken for the Disney film Enchanted. McLaughlin also had appeared in the movie during the ball scene. Enchanted has three entrants in the "Best Original Song" category, and "So Close" the only contemporary stand-alone composition, apart from the more theatrical numbers. This is a big deal for McLaughlin, because he is still little known in the industry. This appearance will offer him great exposure and hopefully new fans. Weeks ago, the award show faced a cancellation threat due to the Writer's strike, but negotiations resulted in a deal and the Oscars are finally set to air on ABC. I don't get into these movie-themed awards very often, and only if there was a particular film I really liked that I have an interest. Aside from Jon, I am paying particular attention to Juno's potential success tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed Juno's quirk, wit, and unique treatment of teenage pregnancy, a once-upon-a-time taboo subject. I mean, who does not love a movie that features a hamburger phone, a dude who puts deodorant on his inner thighs, and jems like the expletive-inspired "Phuket, Thailand" and "You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events." Take a peak at Ellen Page (nominated for best actress for her role as Juno McGuff) and Michael Cera (love interest Paulie Bleeker) playing a cover of The Moldy Peaches' "Anyone Else But You": 
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Fresh Music: Top 40 for February 23, 2008
Friss Zene Top 40 for the week ending on Saturday, 02.23.08 TW= this week's position Bubbling Under: 41 to 45 Falling Off Biggest Debut Biggest Jump Biggest Decline Friss Zene
Nathan Ferraro's band is tops for two weeks 
LW= last week
Δ= change
PP= peak position
WC= weeks on the chart
TW LW Δ PP WC Artist - Title (weeks at top spot)
01 01 N C 01 03 The Midway State - Change For You (2 weeks at #1)
02 09 +07 02 08 Jon McLaughlin - So Close
03 06 +03 03 04 Sum 41 - With Me
04 02 -02 01 06 The Cab - I'll Run (1 week at #1)
05 08 +03 03 05 Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
06 24 +18 06 02 Ferras - Hollywood's Not America
07 03 -04 01 13 Chris Brown - With You (2 weeks at #1)
08 05 -03 04 31 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
09 20 +11 09 02 Colbie Caillat - The Little Things
10 04 -06 01 06 Cobra Starship - The City Is At War (1 week at #1)
11 36 +25 11 02 Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
12 10 -02 10 04 The Starting Line - Island
13 07 -06 01 12 Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (3 weeks at #1)
14 11 -03 01 12 Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine (2 weeks at #1)
15 19 +04 15 03 Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
16 29 +13 16 02 Mika - Relax, Take It Easy
17 13 -04 10 03 Augustana - Sweet And Low
18 14 -04 14 03 Motion City Soundtrack - It Had To Be You
19 31 +12 19 06 We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
20 12 -08 12 20 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
21 18 -03 01 29 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You (1 week at #1)
22 16 -06 04 08 Janet Jackson - Feedback
23 27 +04 23 03 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
24 17 -07 03 13 OneRepublic - Stop and Stare
25 15 -10 12 05 Josh Kelley - Unfair
26 21 -05 01 18 I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely (1 week at #1)
27 DEBUT 27 01 Phantom Planet - Leader
28 32 +04 20 08 Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
29 23 -06 14 11 NLT - She Said, I Said
30 25 -05 08 07 Paramore - Let The Flames Begin
31 22 -09 03 13 John Mayer - Say
32 DEBUT 32 01 Lights - February Air
33 40 -07 01 31 Matt Nathanson - Car Crash (1 week at #1)
34 26 -08 26 03 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone
35 28 -07 14 14 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
36 34 -02 16 10 David Guetta feat. Chris Willis - Love Is Gone
37 33 -04 16 11 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day
38 35 -03 01 36 Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (3 weeks at #1)
39 30 -09 16 06 Buckchery - Sorry
40 DEBUT 40 01 Nada Surf - See These Bones
41 37 -04 15 07 Sean Kingston - Take You There
42 39 -03 39 03 Yael Naim - New Soul
43 42 -01 03 23 Motion City Soundtrack - Broken Heart
44 44 N C 01 24 Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (1 week at #1)
45 45 N C 13 26 Fergie - Clumsy
Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
Nelly Furtado - In God's Hands
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
Phantom Planet - Leader (debut at #27)
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours (#11, up 25 spots from #326 last week)
Josh Kelley - Unfair (#25, down 10 spots from #15 last week)
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Chris Richardson - All Alone
Fresh Song: Lights - February Air
Lights - February Air I discovered Canadian synth-pop songer Lights through a song used to promote Old Navy's new "Next" ad campaign. The song "February Air" can be heard in the new commercial for the rebranded, cost-conscious store. Lights is the stage name for cute 20-year-old Tornoto-native Valerie Poxleitner. Her distinctly airy voice is very FRESH and the song is a perfect cap for the month. DL HERE
Watch the VIDEO:
**If u take, please leave a thank you comment!**
Friday, February 22, 2008
Fresh Song: The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
I was at the desk when our trusted DM Drew came by and asked me if I liked Rogue Wave since "Lake Michigan" was playing on my computer. Discovery #1: Didn't know at the time, but we saw the same Nada Surf & Rogue Wave show at the Fillmore back in 2005. Discovery #2: Since I liked both bands, he recommended the band The Helio Sequence, an indie rock band from Oregon which utilizes electronica-influenced sounds in their music. Last month, they released their latest album Keep Your Eyes Ahead and their first single is a song of the same name. And if you happen to like The Postal Service and/or Architecture in Helsinki, then give it a listen!
DL HERE
BUY: Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Fresh Video: Colbie Caillat - The Little Things
What is a better place to shoot a music video than in the city of San Francisco? Colbie Caillat shows some Bay love with her new single "The Little Things". In the beginning shots you can actually see St. Ignatius, my school's de facto church. In the video, there are scenes of Colbie playing her guitar in the local neighborhood's quirky laundromat. Very SF. And she looks longingly at her love interest in a neighborhood I can't quite decipher yet. It's still in SF. Of course, there are shots of the Taraval MUNI line. Ditto. Take a look:
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Fresh Music - Top 40 for February 16, 2008
Friss Zene Top 40 for the week ending on Saturday, 02.16.08 TW= this week's position Bubbling Under: 41 to 45 Falling Off Biggest Debut Biggest Jump Biggest Decline Friss Zene
The Midway State slides into Numero Uno 
LW= last week
Δ= change
PP= peak position
WC= weeks on the chart
TW LW Δ PP WC Artist - Title (weeks at top spot)
01 05 +04 01 02 The Midway State - Change For You (1 week at #1)
02 01 -01 01 05 The Cab - I'll Run (1 week at #1)
03 02 -01 01 12 Chris Brown - With You (2 weeks at #1)
04 03 -01 01 05 Cobra Starship - The City Is At War (1 week at #1)
05 04 -01 04 30 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
06 09 +03 06 03 Sum 41 - With Me
07 07 N C 01 11 Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (3 weeks at #1)
08 08 N C 03 04 Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
09 12 +03 02 07 Jon McLaughlin - So Close
10 11 +01 10 03 The Starting Line - Island
11 06 -05 01 11 Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine (2 weeks at #1)
12 13 +01 12 19 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
13 10 -03 10 02 Augustana - Sweet And Low
14 21 +07 14 02 Motion City Soundtrack - It Had To Be You
15 14 -01 12 04 Josh Kelley - Unfair
16 15 -01 04 07 Janet Jackson - Feedback
17 18 +01 03 12 OneRepublic - Stop and Stare
18 16 -02 01 28 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You (1 week at #1)
19 32 +13 19 02 Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
20 DEBUT 20 01 Colbie Caillat - The Little Things
21 17 -04 01 17 I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely (1 week at #1)
22 19 -03 03 12 John Mayer - Say
23 23 N C 14 10 NLT - She Said, I Said
24 DEBUT 24 01 Ferras - Hollywood's Not America
25 20 -05 08 06 Paramore - Let The Flames Begin
26 26 N C 26 02 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone
27 38 +11 27 02 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
28 22 -06 14 13 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
29 DEBUT 29 01 Mika - Relax, Take It Easy
30 24 -06 16 05 Buckchery - Sorry
31 40 +09 19 05 We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
32 29 -03 20 07 Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
33 27 -06 16 10 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day
34 30 -04 16 09 David Guetta feat. Chris Willis - Love Is Gone
35 42 +07 01 35 Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (3 weeks at #1)
36 DEBUT 36 01 Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
37 31 -06 15 06 Sean Kingston - Take You There
38 25 -13 21 08 Nelly Furtado - In God's Hands
39 45 +06 39 02 Yael Naim - New Soul
40 39 -01 01 30 Matt Nathanson - Car Crash (1 week at #1)
41 33 -08 11 09 Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
42 44 +02 03 22 Motion City Soundtrack - Broken Heart
43 28 -15 05 08 Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
44 41 -03 01 23 Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (1 week at #1)
45 37 -08 13 25 Fergie - Clumsy
Avril Lavigne - Runaway
Kate Nash - Merry Happy
Kelly Rowland feat. Travis McCoy - Daylight
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl
Colbie Caillat - The Little Things (debut at #20)
Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan (#19, up 13 spots from #32 last week)
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer (#43, down 15 spots from #28 last week)
Secondhand Serenade - Fall For Me
Simple Plan - Your Love Is A Lie
Friday, February 15, 2008
Fresh Song: Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Whether you know him as "Mr. A-Z" or "The Geek in the Pink", singer-songwriter Jason Mraz has a knack for words. I was able to see him perform live in late 2005. Nearly three years later, Jason is releasing his third album titled We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things in May. He keeps it sweet and simple for the first single, "I'm Yours", which was just released this week on iTunes. Take a listen!
DL HERE
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The City Is At War: San Francisco Pillow Fight 2008!
It is Valentine's Day. So freakin' what?! As a celebrant of Singles Awareness Day, I joined my friends Monica and Cheryl and a few of our residents to the "Pillow Fight", this bizarre annual event of, what else, pillow fighting! Ridiculous as it sounds, people arrived en masse to take part in the tradition at Justin Herman Plaza/Embarcadero near the Ferry Building. Apparently the whole affair is an example of "flash mobbing", which is the act of having a vast number of people congregate in a specific area to do an unusual act for a period time before dispersing to their everyday lives. The primary modes of advertising were through the internet and word-of-mouth. There are similar Pillow Fight events just about everywhere around in the world, including New York City and London. Cheryl was a tad hesitant to participate in the actual fighting, but once people took swings at her, she fought back! Monica was super excited to get violent, for the name of relieving stress. And due to the curiousity factor of the event, I could not miss it. It was actually really a trip to take out our agression on complete strangers (and USF peeps) and see feathers fly everywhere, especially into peoples' eyes and mouths. It was an exercise in discipline to try not ingesting feathers or polyester stuffing. Although this is certainly not what normal people day everyday, San Franciscans have a good sense of humor and dammit, it was fun! Take a look at the craziness: Prior to leaving we saw that people were laying on layers of the pillow stuffing. You know, pillow fighting is quite draining!
The Really, Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour featuring Cobra Starship on 2.13.08
I've been planning on arriving early for the Cobra Starship headling show of the "Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking" tour at Slim's in San Francisco on February 13, 2008. However, one wrong bus later, I was in The Mission and figured I was pretty much going in the wrong direction. Fast forward twenty minutes later on the phone with my friend Maricel, I get to Slim's where I was greeted by a ridiculously long line that stretched over the corner. Trace Cyrus (half brother of "Hannah Montana"), the part-time vocalist and guitarist of emo-electro band Metro Station, was in front of their tour bus snapping photos with fans. Once I got in the doors, I took position about seven rows back on the floor, which was still farther back than I prefer. The show started at 7:30 p.m. with the latest band to join the Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance family, The Cab. Their set was the shortest out of the four bands, but the lead singer Alex DeLeon arguably had one of the better rock voices overall. He even sang a cover of Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" for the Valentine's Day lovers. The band has some really catchy songs, including "Singing Myself To Sleep" and "Take My Hand". I'm excited to see what these kids come up with when their yet unnamed debut album comes out in April. The ended their set with their current single and Friss Zene's current #1 "I'll Run". By then, I was somewhat squished -- but not to the extent I would experience later in the show. The intermissions are interesting at Slim's. Prior to each band's set, a projector screen is lowered in front of the stage area so the audience can't see the changes. In between performances, the most random stuff were played, like "The Pink Panther" cartoons and "?" singers from the early 1990s. What made it even more odd was the music played, which was inconsistent with the images on screen, since they were playing "Low" by Flo Rida and stuff from LCD Soundsystem. The third band was Metro Station led Mason Musso. They started off with "Disco", then "Wish We Were Older", "Seventeen Forever", "California", "Tell Me What To Do", "Kelsey", "Now That We're Done", and lastly "Control". I overheard someone saying "Seventeen Forever" is "so controversial" and another girl was spouting out how much she loves "Hannah Montana" in a sarcastic tone. Anyway, their set was really good and as I mentioned earlier, Mason is also one of the better lead vocalists. Taking the whole electro element away from their live performances, they work just as well as emo/punk rock songs. The last, but certainly not least, band of the night was headliner Cobra Starship. The wait for the band was longer than the other sets. The crowd grew restless. Heck, I grew restless. It that point, my throat was dry, my energy levels have been exhausted, and I was about ready to collapse. Then at 10 p.m., Cobra went on. Lead singer Gabe Saporta was in his signature violet purple hoodie but with his glasses for the opener "The City Is At War". He soon ditched the glasses for the remainder of the set, which was about a little less than an hour and a half. Among the songs Gabe sang were "Prostitution Is The World's Oldest Profession", "Send My Love To The Dancefloor", "The Church Of Hot Addiction", "Smile For the Paparazzi" -- which Gabe boasted of its use of Spanish words, "My Moves Are White (White Hot That Is)" (which is apparently about keytar player Victoria), and one of my favorite songs off of ¡Viva La Cobra!, "Kiss My Sass". Here's a clip: Immediately after "Kiss My Sass", Gabe went into "Damn, You Look Good And I'm Drunk". And for Valentine's Day, Gabe sang their "only love song", "The World Has Its Shine". Cobra came back for the encore to play "Guilty Pleasure". Post-concert, I met with Metro Station's drummer Anthony and got an autograph pic of him and the band. Travis of We The Kings was also there signing and meeting fans but there was a long queue I was unwilling to enter. Overall, it was a great show! I have the bruises and the interestingly intimate experiences with the fans as good souvenirs, but ultimately the music made it worthwhile. 
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cobra Starship show tonight!
Tonight, I am attending my second concert in a matter of thirty hours. This time, it is at Slim's for the "Really, Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour" featuring main act Cobra Starship with support by We The Kings, Metro Station, and The Cab! It'll be a Fueled By Ramen affair! As a preview, here's one of my favorite Cobra Starship songs called "Kiss My Sass" where lead singer Gabe Saporta boldy proclaims: "I'm bringing sassy back"! (Uploaded by me! Thanks and comments appreciated!)
Meeting Nathan Ferraro of The Midway State!
At the end of the Mika concert, I got the chance to meet Nathan Ferraro, the lead singer of The Midway State. Here's how it went down: 
Me: "Hey Nick, nice to meet you"
Nick: "It's Nathan, actually. Nice to meet you. What is your name?"
Me: "Nathan! Nathan Ferraro, Nathan Ferraro! God, I'm an idiot!"Nick Nathan: "Heh, it's okay".
Me: "I really enjoy your band's music. Are you guys planning to release a full album soon?"
Nathan: "Yeah we're about to release the album in April or May".
Me: "Awesome. So how's the record label treating you guys" (Interscope)
Nathan: "The label -- they're very, very supportive."
Me: "Good! Well I enjoyed the EP...Tonight, I wished you guys played 'Unaware'. It's one of my favorite songs."
Nathan: "Glad to hear it. Yeah, you know, maybe we'll play it the next time...what is your name?"
Me: "Oh! It's Ray."
Nathan: "It was good talking with you, Ray!"
Mika: "The Dodgy Holiday" Tour 2008 at The Warfield, 2.12.08
The MIKA concert was fantastic! It was held at the Warfield in San Francisco on February 12 and the opener was the band The Midway State. Some reactions: it was full of color, and at times, was a bit of a sensory overload. I am amazed at how high Mika's voice gets. In short, he's soo gay! Haha, I do mean it in an endearing sort of way. His dancing, his schizophrenic movements, the backdrops, the band, everything about it was over the top craziness. His performances were flamboyant, unabashed, and completely liberating. My concert bud Vida (it was her first concert ever!) and I got spots in on floor and were literally two rows away from the stage -- very close to everything. As the night progressed, we became more squished, especially during the more upbeat numbers in which an orgy of fans jumped up and down with their glow sticks, cell phones, and cameras in hand. The show began at 8:00 with The Midway State playing a few songs from their previous and current EP, including "A Million Fireflies" and "Change For You". Unfortunately they did not play one of my favorites, "Unaware". On the downside also, I didn't get any clear shots of lead singer Nathan Ferraro. I am hoping to get photos from Vida's camera soon, but I did capture two videos for "A Million Fireflies" and "Change For You": At a little after 9:00, Mika took the stage and his set lasted for about an hour and a half, playing thirteen songs from his CD Life in Cartoon Motion and debuting new songs. He first sang "Relax, Take It Easy", followed up "Big Girls You Are Beautiful", "Billy Brown", "Any Other World", a couple of new songs, "My Interpretation", "Ring Ring", and "Happy Ending". After a brief prelude including a cascading shower of white confetti descended upon Mika using an umbrella onstage, Mika broke out with "Love Today", followed by an amusing drum-off between a shirtless Mika and his female drummer. He changed outfits yet again and played his hit song "Grace Kelly". For the encore, a Vaudeville theater-type of backdrop took centerstage, where four furry animals did a scene called "Bad Bunny" where the bunny ended up banging the chipmunk doggy-style! LOL! Mildly inappropriate for the kiddies in the audience ;) After removing the backdrop, it was clear that the four furry animals were Mika and his band in animal costumes. Mika starts to sing "Lollipop" in his bunny outfit (sans head) while big colorful balls fall onto the audience. These bouncy balls went every which way in The Warfield while the rest of Mika's circus of characters danced while confetti was strewn all over the place! It was crazy ridiculous. It was a fun show -- there were some performances that called for more somber moods ("Happy Ending", "My Interpretation", and "Any Other World") -- but overall, it didn't take it's self too seriously. I also enjoyed the fact that his supporting band was incorporated into the show, with their colorful costumes, their personalities and musical skills were well-showcased throughout the night. As for Mika, his falsetto is a very unique instrument. He acknowledged his love and appreciation to the US fans for supporting him despite the lack of airplay on radio here. The 2008 North American leg of his "Dodgy Holiday" tour was really fun and enjoyed the experience! So based on his showmanship, it looks like Mika has a long career ahead!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Midway State & MIKA show tonight!
Tonight I am attending the MIKA concert tonight at The Warfield in San Francisco. The Canadian band The Midway State is performing as the opening act and I am excited to hear them in concert. I initially wanted to go just for Mika, but the more I listened to the Midway State's EP, the more I am digging their music! To preview the ocassion, here's another great song off their EP Met A Man on Top of the Hill titled "A Million Fireflies". Take a look at their compilation live video for the song: DL: HERE (Uploaded by me! Thanks and comments appreciated!) I've heard great things about Mika's show, so hopefully it won't disappoint. He is known for his upbeat, outrageous, ostentatious style of performing, but here's a more low-key, emotive Mika on the song "Erase", only available on his US version of his album Life in Cartoon Motion. DL: HERE
_______________________________ 
(Uploaded by me! Thx and comments pls!!)
BUY Life In Cartoon Motion on Amazon.com
Monday, February 11, 2008
Live Rewind: Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles at The Great American Music Hall - 8.31.07
The first concert I attended that featured pianos rather than guitars was at the co-headlined Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles tour at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on August 31, 2007. I discovered Jon McLaughlin by a music blog and quickly found his songs on his Myspace during the early spring of 2007. His intensely personal and heartfelt songs struck a chord with me during my abroad experience. At the times when I felt low and alone, his song "Human" put things into perspective. It is a special thing when a song is able to connect with a life experience and give it meaning. When I heard he was playing at The Fillmore during the spring, I was bummed to miss the show, but when I heard news of this co-headlining tour, I was thrilled to get the chance to see this young talent live. The first-half of the concert was Jon's time to wow the crowd with his exceptional piano skills and emotive vocals. His first single "Beautiful Disaster" off his debut album Indiana is a touching piano ballad that showcases Jon's strength of offering an emotional, heart-tugging experience, aided with a powerful and yet simplistic chorus. The Indiana native also played "Human", "Industry", "People", and a cover of The Beattles' "Hey Jude". Prior to his performance of "Human", I was extremely annoyed with how disrespectful some of the Sara Bareilles fans were. Even if they clearly were there for Sara, they should've kept their mouth shut because their noise tried to ruin the sense of intimacy the song called for. That certainly didn't deter Jon from delivering an awesome performance, and he definitely showcased his skills on this one. After a brief intermission, Sara Bareilles came on to roaring applause. She wore an emerald green dress and simply sat at the piano and started playing songs off her major label debut Little Voice. The Eureka, California native was "Miss Popular" throughout her set. A pocket of individuals even yelled out "UCLA" to grab her attention, since it was her alma mater. Sara's first single "Love Song" is an upbeat ode to not giving in to her record company's demands that she write meaningless hits for the sake of love. I did not love her album the first time around. After a second listen and definitely seeing her live, I discovered her songs to be undeniably well-crafted and catchy. 
Jon plays a rousing "Hey Jude". 
Live Rewind: Matt Nathanson at The Great American Music Hall - 8.14.07
Continuing with my concert flashback posts, I did not catch any shows the spring of 2007...that was because I was studying abroad in Budapest, HUNGARY! It was a semester (that felt very short and went by very quickly now) of learning about cultures, histories, foods, and European musical tastes. In terms of concert opportunities, there was one that some of my fellow class-mates were buzzing about: that Shakira would be playing in Budapest in March, but the tickets were ridiculously priced, at around US$90 a pop. Oh and the German band Tokio Hotel played a show in April. Fast forward several months, when I came back to the city, I couldn't wait to attend more shows. One of the best things about being a fan promoter of an artist is the swag. Nothing can be better than attending a show of one of your favorite artists -- for free. I was afforded an opportunity to see my favorite singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson perform at the Great American Music Hall on his official CD release day of his latest album Some Mad Hope on August 14, 2007. Because I had a "+1" ticket, I introduced the Boston-born and San Francisco resident to my RA friend Rochelle. This would be my third Matt show. The first was in 2005 and the second was in 2006 (a sit-down show at the Swedish American Music Hall). The private concert was sponsored by radio station KFOG and was the official release party promoting the new record. Matt performed an exciting concert, in which he performed several new songs from the album, including my new favorites "Gone", "Car Crash", and "Detroit Waves". He did play a few favorites like "Angel" and "Suspended". Videos: Matt sings his first single "Car Crash" I really love his new album and I sincerely hope he gets the breakthrough I know he is capable of achieving. His voice delivers on rock cuts like "To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts" and confessional and introspective on songs like "Heartbreak World" and "Bulletproof Weeks". It is signature Matt Nathanson... 
Matt Nathanson plays "Gone" during KFOG's 
At the end of the show, Rochelle and I got to chance to take photos at his meet-and-greet. Matt autographed a CD cover and a fellow fan took this pic of the three of us. I must confess, he's seriously the closest I have to being my personal rock idol.
and it's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! 
Go BUY the album on Amazon.com, kids!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
2008 Grammy Awards - The Predictions!
The 50th annual Grammy Awards are tonight! To get in on the festivities, here's a list of nominees (general, pop, rock, alt) of who I want to, or predict will, win in bold. Record of the Year
"Irreplaceable" - Beyonce
"The Pretender" - Foo Fighters
"Umbrella" - Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
"What Goes Around Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
Rihanna has great chances in this category with her well-produced and inescapable worldwide hit that defined the industry in 2007.
Album of the Year
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters
These Days - Vince Gill
River: The Joni Letters - Herbie Hancock
Graduation - Kanye West
Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
Admittingly, I have not listened to all these albums in their entirety, but Kanye's Graduation is full of hits and sold over 2 million albums in the US since dropping the album against 50 Cent's effort in September.
Song of the Year(a.k.a. "The Songwriters' Award")
"Before He Cheats" - Carrie Underwood
"Hey There Delilah" - Plain White T's
"Like A Star" - Corinne Bailey Rae
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
"Umbrella" - Rihanna
PWT frontman Tom Higgenson deserves the nod for a song Maroon 5's Adam Levine confessed to wishing he wrote the song himself.
Best New Artist
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse
Paramore is arguably one of the best new bands of the year. Alt-rock has slowly made its pressence known in the mainstream and a win here would be welcomed.
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
"Candyman" - Christina Aguilera
"1234" - Feist
"Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie
"Say It Right" - Nelly Furtado
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
Pop being the operative word, Fergie's mid-tempo hit pleasantly surprised many who wondered if the female Black Eyed pea could actually sing. Oh, and the answer is yes, she can.
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
"Everything" - Michael Bublé
"Belief" - John Mayer
"Dance Tonight" - Paul McCartney
"Amazing" - Seal
"What Goes Around Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake
It's a toss-up between Bublé and Mayer for the win. I commend John for his anti-war message in "Belief" but in terms of overall appeal, "Everything" sells it.
Best Pop Vocal by a Duo/Group
"(You Want To) Make A Memory" - Bon Jovi
"Home" - Daughtry
"Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5
"Hey There Delilah" - Plain White T's
"Window in the Skies" - U2
A very competitive category, Daughtry's song had a massive popularity last year during the spring and early summer. Vocal-wise, this trumps Plain White T's and Maroon 5.
Best Pop Collabo
"Steppin' Out" - Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera
"Beautiful Liar" - Beyonce & Shakira
"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" - Robert Plant & Alison Krause
"The Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stefani & Akonm
"Give It To Me" - Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake
It's the year of superproducer Timbaland. Let's give it to him.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
The Reminder - Feist
It Won't Be Soon Before Long - Maroon 5
Memory Almost Full - Paul McCartney
Back To Black - Amy Winehouse
Maroon 5's 2007 album has a string of up-tempo jams but will most likely lose to that critically-praised "Rehab" singer.
Other Winner Predictions
Best Rock Peformance (Group): "It's Not Over - Daughtry
Best Hard Rock Performance: "The Pretender" - Foo Fighters
Best Rock Song: It's Not Over - Daughtry
Best Rock Album: Daughtry - Daughtry
Best Alternative Music Album: Alright, Still - Lily Allen
Best Female R&B Vocal: "No One" - Alicia Keys
Best Male R&B Vocal: "Because of You" - Ne-Yo
Best R&B Vocal (Group): "Hate That I Love You" - Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo
Best R&B Song: "No One" - Alicia Keys
Best Dance Recording: "Don't Stop The Music" - Rihanna
Best (Short Form) Music Video: "1234" - Feist
Alicia Keys, the Foo Fighters, Beyonce, Fergie, Feist, Mary J. Blige, John Mayer, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Amy Winehouse and Kanye West are expected to perform. Be sure to catch the show and the performances tonight on CBS!
Live Rewind: Teddy Geiger at the Great American Music Hall, 10.4.06
This one concert experience was the exception to the great concert experiences of the past. For one, I should have expected that Teddy Geiger -- the kid who first brought us "Confidence (For You I Will)" -- would be a favorite of the "annoying teens and their mothers" crowd. Another was our spot in the audience. Although I didn't have a deep desire to be up in front, I admit that it would have helped in producing better photos and videos. All the tip-toeing and head bops to every-which-way in any attempt to catch a view was simply annoying and as a result, I have a few decent shots (with the use of flash) and videos of Geiger's performacnes. Anyway, along for the ride was my friend Shaina who had never gone to a concert in San Francisco ever. The opening acts were Alexa Ray Joel (yep, Billy and Christie Brinkley's daughter) and Holly Brook, who sang the vocals on Fort Minor's hit 2006 song "Where'd You Go". The thing I like about Teddy Geiger is his raspy voice which is best suited for more blues/soul work, more so than the poppier stuff he's released so far. He definitely reminds me of John Mayer. Heh. He's John Mayer, Jr. Here are a few videos from that night. The first is a clip of "Look Where We Are Now" where I captured a bit of the band. The next is a pretty long clip (full performance, I think) of his second single released in 2006 "These Walls"
Live Rewind: Snow Patrol & Augustana at The Warfield, 9.24.06
Snow Patrol and opening band Augustana played at The Warfield in San Francisco on September 24, 2006 in support of their fantastic albums Eyes Open and All The Stars And Boulevards, respectively. The tickets for the show sold out very quickly. No surprise for such a popular band, but I was able to purchase tickets through eBay. I recall this being the most pricey concert I had to pay for (around $60). But thank god, it was worth every buck! I attended the concert with my former RA co-worker Matt, who is a huge Snow Patrol fan. We got to The Warfield relatively early so when it was time to go to the floor, we had prime spots. Augustana was super. The above photo was taken during their performance of "Boston". 
It was quite difficult to get a clear face shot of lead singer Dan Layus because of his messy hair covered much of his face and the lighting didn't help. I got a not too bad shot of the guitarist Chris Sachtleben.
I loved it all! To quote Cat: "Gary Lightbody is a stone fox!"
Video clip - "Chasing Cars"
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Fresh Music - Top 40 for February 9, 2008
Friss Zene Top 40 TW= this week's position Bubbline Under:41 to 45 Falling Off ** Retired! ** Re-Entry Biggest Debut Biggest Jump Biggest Decline Friss Zene
Another Fueled By Ramen band grabs the top spot this week 
LW= last week
Δ= change
PP= peak position
WC= weeks on the chart
TW LW Δ PP WC Artist - Title (weeks at top spot)
01 09 +08 01 04 The Cab - I'll Run (1 week at #1)
02 03 +02 01 11 Chris Brown - With You (2 weeks at #1)
03 01 -02 01 04 Cobra Starship - The City Is At War (1 week at #1)
04 07 +03 04 29 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
05 DEBUT 05 01 The Midway State - Change For You
06 04 -02 01 10 Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine (2 weeks at #1)
07 06 -01 01 10 Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (3 weeks at #1)
08 03 -05 03 03 Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
09 18 +09 09 02 Sum 41 - With Me
10 DEBUT 10 01 Augustana - Sweet And Low
11 15 +04 11 02 The Starting Line - Island
12 02 -10 02 06 Jon McLaughlin - So Close
13 24 +11 13 18 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
14 12 -02 12 03 Josh Kelley - Unfair
15 08 -07 04 06 Janet Jackson - Feedback
16 10 -06 01 27 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You (1 week at #1)
17 13 -04 01 16 I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely (1 week at #1)
18 11 -07 03 11 OneRepublic - Stop and Stare
19 17 -02 03 11 John Mayer - Say
20 14 -06 08 05 Paramore - Let The Flames Begin
21 DEBUT 21 01 Motion City Soundtrack - It Had To Be You
22 34 +12 14 12 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
23 25 +02 14 09 NLT - She Said, I Said
24 16 -08 16 04 Buckchery - Sorry
25 21 -04 21 07 Nelly Furtado - In God's Hands
26 DEBUT 26 01 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone
27 19 -08 16 09 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day
28 20 -08 05 07 Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
29 22 -07 20 06 Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
30 29 -01 16 08 David Guetta feat. Chris Willis - Love Is Gone
31 26 -05 15 05 Sean Kingston - Take You There
32 DEBUT 32 01 Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
33 23 -10 11 08 Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
34 28 -06 28 04 Avril Lavigne - Runaway
35 32 -03 32 04 Kate Nash - Merry Happy
36 27 -09 14 05 Kelly Rowland feat. Travis McCoy - Daylight
37 33 -04 13 24 Fergie - Clumsy
38 DEBUT 38 01 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
39 37 -02 01 29 Matt Nathanson - Car Crash (1 week at #1)
40 -- R E 19 04 We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
41 36 -05 01 22 36 26 -10 01 21 Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (1 week at #1)
42 38 -04 01 34 Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster(3 weeks at #1)
43 DEBUT 43 01 Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl
44 45 +01 03 21 Motion City Soundtrack
45 DEBUT 45 01 Yael Naim - New Soul
Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
Good Charlotte - Dance Floor Anthem
Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine
Rihanna - Rehab
Ashlee Simpson - Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)
Nicole Scherzinger - Puakenikeni
OneRepublic - Apologize: 18 weeks (1 week at #1)
Pink - Who Knew: 18 weeks (peak at #7)
Mat Kearney - Breathe In Breathe Out: 15 weeks (peak at #8)
We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet (this week at #40, since its last appearance on September 1, 2007)
The Midway State - Change For You (debut at #5)
Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again (#22, up 12 spots from #34 last week)
Paramore - Crushcrushcrush (#33, down 10 spots from #23 last week)
Vanessa Carlton - Hands On Me
The Spill Canvas - All Over You
Fresh Hit: We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet Featured as iTunes' Free Single of the Week, We The Kings released their self-titled debut last year, with their first single "Skyway Avenue" and now the Flordia-based pop punk band is officially releasing their second single, "Check Yes Juliet", an extremely catchy song that is bound to be a huge mainstream hit. Catch a listen and grab the album.
DL HERE
BUY We The Kings on Amazon.com
Live Rewind: Nada Surf at The Fillmore, 2.23.06
A month after Lifehouse, I attended the Nada Surf show at The Fillmore on February 23, 2006. Nada Surf is an established band who first hit it big in the mid-90s with their song "Popular". They have been releasing music and touring for over ten years and had released their album The Weight Is A Gift in 2005 and supported it throughout 2006. The band is comprised of lead singer and guitarist Matthew Caws, drummer Ira Elliot, and dreadlocked bass guitarist Daniel Lorca. I invited Shyloe to the concert and she instantly became a fan of Nada Surf too. We arrived to another long line outside the venue which stretched well past the Fillmore station post office on Geary. They The long opener consisted of two acts: folk singer Inara George and Rogue Wave, a pretty good indie band from Oakland fronted by Zach Rogue. I first discovered the band through a song on a random mixed CD from my friend Cat. After hearing "Inside Of Love" and the first single off The Weight "Always Love", I was hooked. Some of the memorable concert observations: the backdrop was very simplistic. There were six or seven circular mirrors positioned on stage that reflected the audience. It actually produced a pretty cool effect since we could see our energetic reflection against the band. Another amusing anecdote was bassist Daniel's chainsmoking throughout the concert, song after song. I thought for a moment, his dreads would catch on fire! Musically, Matthew Caws has an awesome live voice, which was showcased in the heartbreaking "Inside Of Love". One of my favorite songs performed that night was the high energy "Blankest Year" in which Matt sings "Oh Fuck it. Fuck it, yeah! I'm gonna have a party". Another notable song was "Concrete Bed". The band performed a generous set of song spanning their musical catalog. Towards the end of the concert when they finally began to play "Always Love", I called Cat so she could hear her favorite Nada song as a way of appreciation. You know, the cell phone is the 21st century's version of the bic lighter. Such a concert cliché. 
