Superhero by Tim & the Space Cadets

Right about now, anything that brings a smile or a giggle is golden. (I'm looking at one particular friend who made my stomach hurt today from laughing so hard at the videos she made for me! Right now, she's golden!)

I received a pitch letting me know about Tim and the Space Cadets, and I almost skipped over the email, but instead decided to click on the video.  The song has an infectious beat and definitely brought a smile to my face today.  I think you'll agree!




And, because, really?  Who doesn't want to be a superhero??

And, I'm even happier that I read that email because they offered me the chance to download one of their songs for free and give you the chance to do the same! Click HERE for a download of the song, Superhero - which is their first song from their upcoming album, Anthems for Adventure, to be released 1/29/13.

I found it interesting to learn more about the lead singer from the press release -

While most indie-rockers get their start by playing basement shows and dive-y bars,Tim began his career in music while volunteering in the nursery of a homeless shelter in New York City. Currently, he is the curator of his own kids music program called “Little Rock-Its” that is based out of the Williamsburg, Brooklyn play space, Frolic!

The class features a three-piece band of local musicians presenting original songs and lessons written by Tim, and has been embraced by the Williamsburg community, reaching hundreds of kids every week.

I'm going to watch for the release of this album - anything that puts a smile on my face is a good thing!

Review: Chris Mann's Roads

I haven't gotten into the television show, "The Voice", but I do understand the premise.  Chris Mann won last year, and his debut album came out this week.

He is considered a "classical crossover" artist, and after listening to his album a few times, I think that's a great description of his style.  He has a fantastic voice!  I enjoyed listening to the songs on this album.  More than half are covers, but he added a twist to each one.  I wasn't thrilled with his version of Willie Nelson's "Always on my mind", but thought he did a great job with Frank Sinatra's "My Way."  I really liked his rendition of "Ave Maria."  It's one of my favorite songs, and was even sung at my wedding.

I can see myself listening to this album in quiet moments, or the background music for a get together of friends.  It's probably a good end-of-day, driving home album as well.

You can preview 3 of his songs at SoundCloud at this link: http://soundcloud.com/universalrepublic/sets/chris-mann/s-e7O63.

You can buy his album either physical copy or MP3 at Amazon, or it's  available via iTunes.

*Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this album, and by posting I am entered into a drawing for a prize. No additional compensation was provided.  All opinions are my own.*

Review: Mat Kearney's Young Love

One2One Network sent me a copy of Mat Kearney's latest release, "Young Love" and I've been listening to it in the car for the last couple weeks.  Right about the time I was asked if I wanted to review the album, I heard his song, "Hey Mama" and wanted to know who sang it.  I was pretty excited to find out that it was Mat Kearney.

I had never heard of him before, but I really like his folksy style and "Hey Mama" is one of my current favorite songs.  I loved reading about how he wrote the song for his wife, as a memory of when they first met. His music is great to listen to while driving about town and forgetting that it's 110 degrees outside still!  The kids also enjoy listening to it, which is always a plus!
I recommend this album, and I know I'll stay on the lookout for his future music releases.
Check out  his "Hey Mama" video below, and check out the whole album on Amazon or iTunes! You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter!  (Also, if you hover over the image above, you'll find plenty of links, including one to his website.)

Review: . . . Featuring Norah Jones

I recently received Norah Jones' new CD, titled . . . Featuring for review.   In fact, I just received it as it was in the pile of mail I came home to on Sunday.

It's been a hectic week. Lydia & I traveled, then came home with enough time to have lunch with Bo before he left for a week.  Lydia and Nate have both been sick, I've had commitments I had to meet, the usual things in our schedule and all without the support of another adult in the house.

Nothing too crazy, but the equilibrium is definitely upset this week.  So, this CD has been a welcome addition to the sounds of the week.

It's mellow, as can be expected from Norah Jones.  It also has covers of some of my favorite songs from childhood -- like Baby It's Cold Outside (with Willie Nelson!! one of my grandmother's favorite singers) and Blue Bayou (featuring M. Ward, who I don't know, but it's a cover of a Linda Ronstadt tune that I remember my dad playing when I was a kid.)  Those 2 songs make it a comforting sort of background noise, but every song on this CD is enjoyable.

The songs were recorded from 2001 to 2010, and this CD is a compilation of duets and collaborations with musicians of diverse styles. I really like this CD and am happy to have it in my collection!

*Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this CD to facilitate my review.  I was also entered into a drawing  for a gift card in exchange for posting within a certain time frame, sponsored by One2One Network.  All opinions expressed are my own.  No additional compensation was provided.*

Review: KT Tunstall, Tiger Suit

One of Nate's favorite songs is KT Tunstall's Black Horse and The Cherry Tree, so I was happy when offered the chance to review her latest release -- Tiger Suit.  I like her voice, and I think she is very creative musically, as well as original.

I'm not a musician, so for me, it often comes down to "Do I like this music?" because I'm not knowledgeable enough to pull apart the chords and instruments and all the rest.  I can say that I do like this music and have enjoyed listening to this CD on my commute for the last couple weeks.  Sometimes I can't wait to drop a CD into iTunes so I can remove the songs that I don't like, but I'm still listening to the CD and haven't wanted to remove any songs from the album.

Two of my favorite songs are "Push That Knot Away" and "Fade Like a Shadow".   They both have catchy refrains and interesting music that have me playing them on repeat a few times before moving on.  I haven't taken it out of the CD player yet, so I'll be listening to this one for a while!

*Disclosure: I received a CD for review from One2One Network. This post also qualifies as an entry for a gift card drawing sponsored by One2One Network.*

What Am I Listening To?

I have a ridiculous amount of music on my iPod.  I have my music, plus the kids' music, plus podcasts and audiobooks. I recently had to take some music off to make room for new music, which had me in a discussion about what I am listening to these days.

So, here's a rundown of the most played music on my iPod these days --

Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D. - This album is a great morning commute album and helps get me ready to face the day!

Sting, Symphonicities - This one was released this week.  It has no new songs, just old songs re-worked with a symphony and his vocals, but I adore Sting and love this album just like I love them all. I have listened to Sting for so long, that almost every one of his albums marks some point in my life and evokes memories.  Listening to this compilation is like going through an old photo album in a way.

Jewel, Sweet & Wild - Another recent addition.  I like the sound of her voice, and listening to her reminds me of the time in my life when I first started listening to her and all that was happening.  Sweet times connected to a sweet voice.

Joan Jett & The Black Hearts Greatest Hits -  Another walk down memory lane with this one!  My sister was 3 when "I Love Rock & Roll" was a big hit and I remember teaching her the lyrics and how she would dance and play air guitar on my bed whenever it came on the radio. Nate likes this one, too, but Colin wishes we'd learn to turn down the volume.

Putumayo Kids Picnic Playground - Lydia absolutely loves the Ice Cream song on this album, as well as Bowl of Cherries.  She asks for the Ice Cream song every time she sees my iPod (doesn't seem to matter that I loaded it on hers . .. it apparently sounds better coming from mine.)  The greatest thing about these albums is that all my kids enjoy them, and so do I.  Every one we've ever listened to has amazing musical choices.

Putumayo Kids Rock and Roll -  The latest Putumayo Kids release, and just as fun as all the ones that came before.  We've just started playing it in heavy rotation, so I'm not sure what favorites will come out, but I am sure there will be one or two.

Pancho Sanchez, Raise Your Hand -  I think I've wrote about Nate's love of jazz before, and Sanchez is still one of his favorites. I especially like the song "Raise Your Hand" and Nate & I like singing loud to this one.

That's a brief look at my playlist -- what's on yours?  What music is moving you these days?  I'd love to know!