Tag Archives: singer-songwriters

12/20/11

Tune-In Tuesday: Hold My Heart – Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles on iTunes | Album on Amazon

Everyone knows I have an undying love for Sara Bareilles, and I especially love that she sounds just as amazing whether she’s singing from a studio or singing live in front of an audience. It may seem strange to like her both for her music and her personality, but I do. She writes songs that mean something to her, that convey her personality. And yes, she sings about love and heartbreak and being pissed at someone, or being afraid, or being lost, but you aren’t just listening to a song — you’re getting to know her as a person, somewhat. I follow her on Facebook and Twitter mostly because she writes funny things and I enjoy them, haha. “Hold My Heart” is probably my favorite song from her latest album, Kaleidoscope Heart, and it was actually among the first that I listened to when she did a free preview of her album before its release. I’m showing off the live version of this because you just can’t miss Sara B singing live. She is awesome~~ (Also, have you seen her BAMF dance moves on the Gonna Get Over You video???? She only succeeds in making me love her more haha)
12/6/11

Tune-In Tuesday: Pitter Pat – Erin McCarley

Erin McCarley on iTunes | Album on Amazon

If you’re a fan of Sara Bareilles (like me!!), then chances are you will have a high appreciation for Erin McCarley. She hasn’t become very mainstream, but not due to any lack of talent. She has such a beautiful, soothing voice. The lyrics, ever important to me, are also intelligent and well-written. You may have heard some of her songs before, in movies or on TV shows, and never knew who it was. This was the case for me, when I first listened to her album Love, Save the Empty and the song of the same name. This particular song, Pitter-Pat, comes from that album and is one of my favorites. The video above features Erin singing this song in a live, acoustic version and you can really tell what an amazing singer she is. If you want to hear the album version of the song, however, it is definitely worth it because that version’s additional backup vocals give a real ethereal effect to the chorus that only makes it better. As far as Erin’s other songs, I also love Blue Suitcase largely for the first sentence: “Oh wise one, if you knew the answer/Why’d you ask the question?” Yes, why indeed?? There are quite a few people I would like to play that song for. LOL. Enjoy! And love Erin as much as I do!

11/29/11

Tune-In Tuesday: Not Over You – Gavin DeGraw

Gavin DeGraw on iTunes | Album on Amazon

The reason why this song is this week’s Tune-In Tuesday feature is because it’s become the totally random soundtrack of our lives for the past week or so. In David’s new car, we have a 30-day subscription to XM Radio and we listen to a station called The Pulse. We mostly listen to this for lack of anything else worthwhile to listen to on XM, or at least we haven’t found anything yet. This particular station plays songs from the 2000′s to the present, sometimes doing flashback countdowns where they play the Top 10 from this year in tandem with the Top 10 from a past year, like 2002. Anyway, all radio stations may claim to play all the hits, all the time, but the game they really play is called “Favorites.” The Pulse plays the following people over and over again: Nickelback (YUCK), O.A.R. (their song about not wanting to go to heaven if they can’t get in is both nonsensical and stupid), and Gavin DeGraw. While I have had a sort of on again, off again relationship with Mr. DeGraw and his various hits over the past few years, this song is really the first one that has made me want to hear more. It’s catchy, it has piano, he’s feeling weepy and despondent over a break-up (who hasn’t been in THAT fun little corner of life?) but in a fairly grown up way, and he doesn’t write stupid lyrics like Nickelback. Or have repetitive, ceaselessly boring melodies like Nickelback. Etc. Therefore, he has become this week’s choice for Tune- In Tuesday. When I have real Internet access again, I will be downloading his latest album, and I will tell you all about it. (If I remember.)