CharleeWith2Es

Hello long lost friends. It has been awhile and that’s my fault. My only excuse is that there are lots of things going on in my world. Whenever I write/rant about music it typically involves an indie band or an unknown singer/group. I love mainstream too, I just don’t tend to write about it because you should already know about it. How can you not when radio stations, TV shows and music channels inundate you with top hits and chart breakers. But…..this artist is making a comeback and deserves some talk about. Eminem. His new album 'Recovery' is receiving rave reviews and even entered the charts at number one and might I say, well deserved. The lyrics in these songs are more than just words. They are deeply personal to the point that you feel like you are intruding on someone’s private thoughts or as if you are eavesdropping on a therapy session. Bravo to him for putting it all out there. Music is always better when it comes from truth, passion, experience….Life. I don't ten...

Hey Friends. I came across this Australian brother/sister group, Angus and Julia Stone on a gossip blog today then went to their MySpace page to check them out. I love MySpace for this reason. I love how easy it has become to share your talents with the world. This is how it should be. I think we would all be surprised to learn how many talents were discovered from their MySpace pages. I can spend hours/days on MySpace searching out new music. It’s not a waste of time; it’s a passion because music just makes life better. They have nine songs on their MySpace music player with a considerable amount of views. After listening to the full gamut I think Paper Aeroplane and Big Jet Plane are my favorites so far. There is an ethereal charm to some of the lyrics that bring back nostalgic thoughts of your youthful days while others help you ponder the soon to be great moments of your future. It's one of those musical bridges from what has been to what is to become. Julia and Angus share l...

Wow, it’s been awhile. Apologies. I have been rather lazy lately, but then this little gem came along and naturally I had this great urge to share it with you. Yes, that’s me, compulsive sharer. Have you ever heard of the band My Morning Jacket? My music pimp had played them from time to time and I always liked what I heard, but it wasn’t until this weekend that I fell in love. We picked up three of their albums and listened to them all. My favorite is their live album, Okonokos. In the words of Barney Stinson… Legendary. I’m not kidding, I sent one of the songs to my brother and the only thing I said in the email was: “Be prepared to have your life changed!!” As a side note: Isn’t it great when the person you share your life with enjoys the same kind of music you do? It’s this thing that bonds us together even more than we already are. We have this great passion for great music. I couldn’t imagine it if we didn’t have the same taste when it came to musical artists. There’s nothing be...

On my constant quest for new to me music I came across the artist known as Lissie. Um, Wow. I’ve been missing out and if you haven’t heard of her yet, then so have you. But fear not, this is why I’m here. Now we both know about her. When you listen to her tracks there is one thing you will pick up on. The simplicity of her sound and the roughness to her voice makes her perfectly imperfect. Her deeply endearing lyrics float effortlessly from her lips transferring every emotion of the song straight to your core, fueling your soul with certainty and your mind with clarity. It would be impossible not to be moved from the sound of her voice. It’s chilling yet beautiful if that makes sense. As I roamed from track to track, each song showcased her phenomenal voice and song writing ability. There is something so completely natural about her. Nothing showy or over the top…only truth. She’s got a country/rock/blues/folk thing going on, reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and maybe a hint of Janis Joplin...

I went to my hair stylist this weekend for the usual cut and color. I have been going to the same stylist for almost six years. It’s part of my control freak nature. I know her. I know she’s good at what she does. I trust her. I know she’s not going to let me walk out of the salon looking like a poodle or a super freak. On top of that, she’s one of the coolest people I know. Not cool like the popular kids in high school. Cool as in she’s 100% completely and totally her own person. Just the sight of her radiates an aura of coolness. If you didn’t know her you would be intimidated by her cool factor. Yes, she’s that cool. I must at least get some points on the cool-o-meter just for knowing her. Every time I check in with her I learn something new in the world of music, literature, fashion. She’s one of those ‘go to guides’ for upcoming trends in anything and everything. And it’s not like she goes looking for this stuff, she’s part of it. She lives it therefore it surrounds her. We were c...

Let me start by saying “You’re Welcome.” After you listen to this song then this album you will be thanking me for changing your life. For educating your musical palate. For making you cooler. So, you’re welcome. Today I’m delivering to you some very fine East Coast music. And not East Coast USA. I’m talking about East Coast Canada. Nova Scotia to be specific. The East Coast of Canada breeds some very incredible singer, songwriter talent. It must have something to do with the salty air, the easy attitudes, the Scottish/Irish roots and the booze. I’m sure the booze helps. Matt Mays formerly of Matt Mays & El Torpedo is among the great talent I speak of. One of my favorite albums is called Terminal Romance. It was released back in 2008. It’s the kind of album that will match any mood you’re in and the kind of album you don’t leave home without. EVER. My favorite song on the Terminal Romance album is actually called Terminal Romance. It is 7 minutes and 40 seconds of musical gold. The...

I was away during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival this year so I missed most of the scoop. I started rummaging through articles and blogs on the festival which took place last week and found some excellent acts to introduce or re-introduce myself to. Before I dive into my recommended pick I should explain what the South by Southwest festival is. It’s a music/film festival which occurs every spring in Austin, Texas. This festival is where it’s at. It’s where all the cool kids go, and I’m not taking about cheerleaders and prom queens. I’m talking about the people with their own identity, their own sound, their own spirit. SXSW kind of reminds me of a large scale folk festival where original music and independent films are showcased. You won’t hear the latest top 40 pop bands here or see the up and coming blockbuster. These singers can actually sing, without the help of over production and the actors can actually act. The art of the craft is exemplified at festivals like SXSW. God,...

Love this guy. First of all he’s Scottish. I don’t even have to go any farther. You love him already, don’t you? Who doesn’t love a Scottish guy? Run into a Scot and you’ll be sure to down a few pints, enjoy a few laughs, hear some great stories, listen to a few tunes and maybe, just maybe find yourself in the middle of a brawl. Sounds like fun, eh? Ah yes, for me it sounds like home. Other great things about Scotland? Scotch, men in kilts, Gerard Butler, St. Andrews Golf Course, Haggis, Ewan McGregor, wicked cool accents, bagpipes and the one you must never leave out...Braveheart. Now you can add Paolo Nutini to the list of all the great things about Scotland. I know what you’re thinking. Shouldn't his name be Angus or Dougal because Paolo Nutini doesn’t sound like a very Scottish name. It’s the crazy phenomenon which occurs when you see a person from one ethnic background then hear them speak in an accent which doesn’t match their looks at all. It blows my mind every single time...

As promised, I have a new discovery to pimp out to you. I have a co-worker from Germany and his buddies from back home often hook him up with wicked new tunes and because he knows how much I love new music he usually shares with me. Last week he hooked me up with a new album from a band out of Switzerland. Although they are new to me, they are not a new band. They’ve actually been around since 1997. Their name is Lunik and the group consists of three dudes and one chick. The chick is the lead singer. Normally I’m not a huge fan of bands whose lead singer is female. I’m not 100% sure why I’m like this. I guess I prefer the deeper voice of a male singer. The deepness feels like it reaches my core and gives me a full bodied experience. But this lead singer is sublime….seriously sublime. I hit play on the first song without holding any expectations. I prefer to be surprised. It started soft and slow, with the singers voice sweetly lamenting to lost love in the background, then it hits you....

I have been so out of touch lately. I apologize. I miss my blogging. As you know, one of my favorite things to do is think. Think, think, think. So, while I have been so busy, I have been stockpiling blog posts. I have so many movie reviews to share with you and new artist to pimp out. I’m excited. In the midst of the chaos which sometimes is known as ‘my life’, I take refuge in movies and music. Music helps me think and movies help me forget. I become equally lost in both worlds, a place where the lines of reality and reverie are lost. But for today, we’re starting with this. Thank God, Heaven’s Above, Hallelujah Indeed. Did you watch the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies on Friday? Here are my top three moments. K.D. Lang, K.D. Lang and K.D. Lang. When the camera focused in on the barefoot songstress dressed in white cocooned by the orange glow of simulated candles (plastic flashlights made to look like candles) held by the audience and the first note broke through the silence,...

I had great intentions of writing a blog each day however my life had other plans and it seems to be steamrolling over me. Using the word ‘busy’ to describe my current state is a seriously grotesque understatement. Most days I forget what day of the week or which month of the year it is. The only thing I know is that it’s winter; I know this because it’s cold and dark. Frick……Please don’t let me wake up one day and wonder where the last ten years of my life went. Anyway, in times like this I look to music to keep me going. This song I’m about to introduce you to was the 2010 FIFA World Cup Anthem. I don’t watch football (soccer) however this song made me want to see a game live. I’ve heard the crowds/fans at these are just off the wall and something to experience in your life…actually that’s a good idea, I think I’ll add this to the things I want to accomplish in my life. The singer goes by K’naan and he’s a hugely talented Somalian/Canadian Dude. His sound is uniquely fantastic with ...

This week I’m celebrating my one year anniversary living without music radio. That’s right…I said celebrating. Don’t get me wrong, I still listen to music, and plenty of it…but since I removed the radio from my daily routine I am no longer bombarded with contests, terribly annoying advertisements, songs on far too high of a rotation or over the top excessive radio personalities. I do listen to the news radio station but only to receive traffic updates and road reports. Other than that…my life has been freed from it. I spend a lot of time in my car. A LOT. This is because I live in the burbs and have no choice but to commute. Honestly, I don’t mind the commute. It’s my ‘me’ time in the day. It’s the time when I do my best thinking. Good thinking requires music. Because music has the ability to make you think deeper. I love deep thinking. It’s cathartic. There was a time when the radio was very much needed. When the internet didn't exist. When the only way you could hear a new song w...

I’m writing this blog because I was shocked to learn that so many people out in the world don’t know about the genius application for iTunes. "What the fudge?" Let me back up a few steps first. Although I’m using a PC to write this blog (I know, blasphemy!), I am 100% without a doubt a Mac addict and have been for as long as I can remember and there are two reasons for this. First, one of my teachers in high school was an early adopter of Mac products and brought his students into the cult at an early age. Once you go Mac you never go back! The second is my husband. We are a happy Mac family. Apple has done the most amazing job when it comes to building a brand. In fact they are more than a brand they are a culture, a lifestyle, a way of life. Buy an Apple product and coolify your life. The interesting thing about Apple is that its early adopters were rather out of the box, off the wall, not following with social trends type of people. Then the followers of the world wanted ...

I basically have been held hostage in my house by the weather outside. It’s -50 degrees Celsius out there with the wind chill. I know, time to move. I decided my iTunes needed a library update so I went to my musical pimp, my source, I also call him my husband, for the goods. This dude has incredible taste in music. All I need to say is, “Hey, I feel like something mellow,” and he’ll ramble off a dozen songs for me to add to my mellow playlist, some hidden gems and some familiar beats but every single one = gold. I did that today and ended up listening to Ben Harper for most of the day. Listening quickly moved into obsessing over, now I can’t stop myself. I always liked Ben Harper. He’s one of those artists that you’ll hear his song in a store or playing the background of a movie and you go, “hey, I know this song. I like this song.” Then you go home and find it in your playlist and put in on repeat. Or at least that’s what I do. One of my most favorite Ben Harper performances to watch...

I needed to run an errand today and the place I was going to was at least 40 kilometers from my house. It’s a snowy, cold day here and I knew the poorly salted roads would result in a longer commute. I decided to take the Paul Potts CD with me to keep me company on my long drive today and I’m so happy I did. Do you remember Paul Potts? He was the guy who won Britain’s got talent a few years back. Great story, amazing singer…this guy has ‘it’. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, then grab a tissue and watch this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA Anyway, since I was feeling in the mood for a little Christmas music, I jumped ahead to the bonus Christmas tracks, the first one being Oh Holy Night. Paul’s performance in this song is hard to beat. You can feel the power in his voice and in the words of the song which represent the true meaning of Christmas which by the way is not the celebration of commercialism. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was church,...

I do this all the time. I hear a new song, decide whether or not I like it and if I do, I listen to it over and over again pretty much until I get sick of it. This is no different. Last night I was on the sofa finishing up my book when Will turned the stereo on. The song that played was really catchy and fun...the kind that instantly puts you in a good mood. You know the times when you hear a song and you immediately get a smile on your face because it just makes you feel great about life? This is one of those songs. It’s called The Valley Town by Elliott Brood. I can totally picture this song at the end of a movie, closing scene, where the guy gets the girl or figures out the big conundrum in his life and as he's driving off into the sunset in a sweet vintage car this song starts playing. Ya, that sounds about right. A good friend of ours sent the youtube link to Will saying that he might like it and that he just spent the evening at a bar with these guys while visiting North Caro...

Have you ever listened to a song and you can just feel it run through your soul. It doesn’t really matter what the lyrics say or mean, but you totally and completely connect with the music, right to the core. This would be one of those songs that does it for me. It’s called Come Pick Me Up by Ryan Adams. I heard this song last night for the first time in a long time. Come Pick Me Up emanates feeling and emotion and it has actual meaning unlike most of the “popular” songs out today. It’s one of those thinking songs, when listening to it you can sort the shit out in your life, figure out what you want, get back on track. It’s amazing that a song can do that, isn’t it? I do my best thinking in the car by myself listening to music. Usually, wait, who am I kidding, Every time I find a song that I connect with I’ll listen to it over and over again while images of events in my life or things I would like to happen in my life run through my mind…almost like a movie trailer..and this song goes...

I’m old. Staying up late is really hard to do and I don’t own a PVR (DVR)...I know, crazy right? It’s like I’m living under a rock. So that meant I needed to stay up long past my bedtime to watch Taylor Swift host Saturday Night Live last night. Ever since that whole MTV/Kanye West debacle I’ve become a fan of little miss Swifty. She has one of the best personalities in the business, so I’ve decided I like her and I want to see her do well out there. If I was 19 again and could choose to trade places with one “celebrity” I would probably pick her. Her wardrobe is beyond fantastic. I would do pretty much anything to go tradsies on outfits with her and raid her closet. I’ve never ever been one to share clothes…but I would with her. In interviews she comes across as funny, sweet, a little humble, mixed with some nerves…she’s real. She writes lyrics that are real. Every time I hear one of her songs for the first time I get goose bumps because I remember the exact point in my life when I ...

Back in May I was lucky enough to see Kings of Leon live in concert and they were amazing to say the least. The coolest thing about the Kings of Leon concert was that my husband and I traveled to a different city than the one we live in to see them. We didn’t know a single other person at that concert but that didn’t matter. When you get into a space with people that love the music as much as you do, you quickly become friends…just for those few hours…and rock out together, never caring how you look or sound, just getting lost in the music. For me, that is the best thing about a live show. I love it when the crowd has their hands over their heads clapping in unison. Or when the band starts to play and lets the crowd sing the song. These are the times when I stop rockn’ out for a minute to take it all in, to remember how I’m feeling at that moment and make it last forever - days, weeks, years after the concert is over. And every time I YouTube a live concert or put in one of those conce...