Random acts of music

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I haven't raved about Against the Current in a while. To be honest, I was not crazy about their last album. However, they just posted a live video shot at the end of last year. It's an older song and in their classic rockin' style. Love it.

 
Oo, more ATC, showing their softer side. That young lady with the powerful pipes is Chrissy Costanza. She's only twenty five but has been fronting the band for nearly a decade.

 
And after that string of live videos...a new release from Against the Current. And damn, it rocks.

 
I have only listened to covers by The Petersons, a family country band based in Branson, MO, so far. But today I listened to one of their originals for the first time. Nice bluegrass tune. Well written and performed.

 
And one of my favorite female voices of late, Swedish-Canadian singer Julia Westlin. She hasn't done one of her a capella covers in a while since she's been focussing on her original songs. I have mixed feelings on this. Julia's singing is gorgeous but the arrangement is bit too slow and sombre for the song, which is usually sung more brightly and joyfully.


Gotta love how Julia is in a lovely dress while David, her husband, wears an untucked shirt with the sleeves rolled up and blue jeans. I think we know which one has some fashion sense, eh.
 
Compare this version from another favorite of mine, Kina Grannis. Just a bit faster, but brighter and livelier.

 
How about a Bond theme, in tribute to the late Sir Sean Connery? Thunderball was his fourth Bond film and featured possibly one of the first great Bond themes. It was written by John Barry with lyrics by the great English lyricist Don Black. The theme could be referring to either Bond or the villain, it is a tough call. Here's the original singer, Tom Jones, with a fairly recent live performance.

 
So how did Manitoba singer-songwriter Faouzia spend the evening before her new release dropped? Writing a midterm. Yep, even with her growing success in the music industry, Faouzia is studying engineering in university. Just in case, I guess.

However, I find it hard to believe that someone who landed John Legend as a duet partner isn't on track to have success in music.

And their duet, a Faouzia original, is magnificent. Their voices really do work well together.

 
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Just love this album.
 
Nordic symphonic rockers Nightwish released a new live video for their song Ever Dream, recorded in 2015 at the Orpheum in Vancouver. Floor Jansen, their current lead singer, is in fine form. Bassist Marko Hietala... yeah, he is a great bass player.

 
From the Mexico City stop on the same tour. Floor is even wearing the same costume.

 
OK, friend is hosting a Zoom dance celebration party tonight for the Dem victory. She's asking for playlist suggestions. Other than "We are the Champions", suggestions?
 
OK, friend is hosting a Zoom dance celebration party tonight for the Dem victory. She's asking for playlist suggestions. Other than "We are the Champions", suggestions?
Well, post 470 above us would work.

More seriously, how about Eurythmics ft. Aretha Franklin "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" in honour of VP-elect Kamala Harris? First woman VP, first POC woman in the White House senior team, first person of South Asian descent in the White House. On it goes.

 
It has been a while since Hope Winter has posted anything . However, she released a new single on streaming recently and now there's a lyric video for it. This young English lady has really impressed me. From her sometimes slightly awkward early cover videos, she has matured into a strong jazz-pop singer-songwriter-pianist in the vein of a Diana Krall or Leila Biali. And she is, I believe, still only 19 or 20 so hopefully plenty more to come.

 
So, Christmas songs are starting to hit Youtube in earnest now. I am holding off on starting a Christmas music thread for now. Too early, IMHO (but feel free to start one if you disagree).

However, "River" by Joni Mitchell has never struck me as being a "Christmas song." I do not read it as being about Christmas so much as about other stuff but set at Christmas. It's a fine distinction, but it is how I explain my ability to enjoy this brilliant piece at any time of year. However, the references to Christmas means it tends to turn up a lot at this time of year. Jackie Evancho has thrown her hat in the ring this year, with a lovely rendition of this classic song.

 
Not sure how I got there, but all of a sudden I was listening to Miley Cyrus:
Two versions, Midnight Sky in the lounge and the other the radio release.
She's also doing covers of Stevie Nicks and Blondie's Heart of Glass that are fairly good


 
Not sure how I got there, but all of a sudden I was listening to Miley Cyrus:
Two versions, Midnight Sky in the lounge and the other the radio release.
She's also doing covers of Stevie Nicks and Blondie's Heart of Glass that are fairly good
I have mellowed on Miley over the years. After Wrecking Ball blew me away, I realized maybe she had more talent than I had been giving her credit for. I think I had her pegged as Hannah Montana Gone Wild for a long time and she seems to have outgrown that. Her "Heart of Glass" cover was really, really good. Might have posted in the cover songs thread but I forget now.
 
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