Yellow Crayon

Album Pick: Rocco DeLuca & The Burden

I bought “I Trust You to Kill Me” by Rocco DeLuca & The Burden a few months ago after seeing a promo for a VH1 Roc Docs special featuring the story of the band and their very famous road manager, Kiefer Sutherland. The promo immediately caught my attention because, for ONCE, Flavor Flav wasn’t in it wearing that stupid Viking helmet. After listening to the album for months I figured it was time to highlight it as a Staff Pick of The Week on TodaysMama.com.

The first impression I got from this album is that it was cool without trying…like the kids from college whose dorm room or apartment seemed to be constantly humming with the sound of great music. It was different and wonderful and you couldn’t identify because it wasn’t like every other homogenized tune playing on the radio. This album makes you feel like that cool kid. A fantastic mix of blues and rock with enough of a variety that you’ll be able to pull tracks from “I Trust You to Kill Me” for every play-list mood you can dream up. “Colorful” now lives on my list of all time favorite songs, “Soul” is a new standard for me when I run and “Swing Low” and “Mystified” are standouts on this album and will be perfect for the evenings that I spend sitting on the deck with a cold beer.

As an added bonus, it’s not “chick music” making it ideal for mixed company activities (such as deck building) if the men in your life are sick of you trying to get them to appreciate the subtle nuances of a John Mayer tune.

Spring in the Suburbs

This week we’ve been blessed with beautiful weather – right now it’s a 62 lovely degrees. So, like every other house in my neighborhood I’ve got every window in my house open. About a half an hour ago the Rap music started. Shortly thereafter the Country music started.

For awhile I paid little notice…but in the last five minutes a power struggle has erupted. First the Rap music got a little louder, then the Country was turned up…then the Rap, then the Country until I finally had to stop what I was doing and figure out which houses I needed to direct my evil eye towards.

After walking through my whole house and standing in front of every one of my windows with my hands disapprovingly placed on my hips, I’m pretty sure the music is coming from the same place. Evidently the teenagers that live in the house east of my own don’t share a combined love for Toby Keith songs.

Mama’s Mix

Once upon a time a girl that loved music (but possessed ZERO musical ability) landed a job at a radio station and felt the joy of working in the relative vicinity of folks that made actual musical decisions. That girl was me and after many years of unbridled radio joy, I bumped into Rachael and landed a gig working for her at TodaysMama…one perk, out of what seems like hundreds, is that I get to manage the Mama’s Mix section of the website.

One feature of the Mama’s Mix section that I am particularly passionate about is the “Staff Pick of the Week”. Our hope is that this feature of the site will serve as a virtual conversation about music between friends – no music degrees here, just a few recommendations in terms that (hopefully) the average music lover will find useful. Here are a few…

Corinne Bailey Rae, Corinne Bailey Rae

Did you see the fabulous woman that performed along side John Mayer and John Legend at the Grammy’s? That lovely songstress was my new favorite female artist, Corinne Bailey Rae. Her self titled album makes me feel instantly refined and stylish – the vibe of this album makes any activity feel classy, whether you’re hosting a dinner party or dusting the living room. The track list offers a well rounded album in both content and style, it’s too hard to pick a favorite track…so I’ve settled on four; “Put Your Records On”, “Trouble Sleeping”, “I’d Like To” and “Butterfly”.

The Killers, Sam’s Town

I’ll spare you the “best album ever” comments that are being tossed to and fro about the latest Killers album because I don’t want you to think that we at TodaysMama are just a bunch of bandwagon jumpers. Having said that, the album is darn good and it’s become one of our favorites around here…meetings have been delayed as we argue about our favorite song on the album – we’ve come to an impasse on “Sam’s Town” versus “Read My Mind”.

Ok Go, Master the Treadmill with Ok Go

Consider this album the most awesome two-for-one deal ever to cross your path. Why? Because it includes 12 individual tracks that are perfectly arranged for cardio interval training AND a 31-minute continuous mix where you are coached to treadmill mastery by Ok Go lead singer Damian Kulash.

If you’ve ever had a bad group class experience and find the idea of some spandex clad person shouting things like “Yeah, pump it!” repulsive then you’ll love the “Master the Treadmill” track. It’s like having your very own private trainer -Kulash guides you through the interval training in terms that novices and marathoners alike will find helpful. If your not a treadmill fan, the individual tracks work equally well for stationary bikes, elliptical machines, stair masters or even cruising through the neighborhood behind a jogging stroller.

On a musical note – this album is made up of genuine hits; don’t be surprised if you find yourself listening to it off the treadmill. Just remember, speed intervals behind the wheel of your car are a bad idea. (Available only through iTunes & Nike+)

John Mayer, Continuum

Every so often you get lucky. The stars line up perfectly and you purchase an album that becomes more than just background noise, more than just a catchy collection to tap your toe to. It becomes the CD that you drag from house to car to work and back again every day for weeks. Continuum by John Mayer one of those rare treasures. I was urged to purchase by my friendly neighborhood Starbucks Barista, who proudly deemed it “the best EVER” and if you think for one minute I got duped into a $17 up sell, think again. This girl had the kind of wide eyed enthusiasm for this album that I haven’t seen since my college roommate burst into our apartment waving around Sarah McLachlan’s Surfacing.

Continuum has a nice variety in sound and themes – the writing is clever, reflective and wise. It’s tough to pick a favorite track, the more I listen to the album the more I find to appreciate in every song. But if someone threatened to delete every John Mayer song off my iPod except for one, I would save The Heart of Life from Continuum for its realistic and optimistic take of life.

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I’ll be posting new picks weekly – if you have an album that you think would make a great addition to the Mama’s Mix page, shoot me a comment.

A short lesson in music appreciation.

I recently attended a concert by Duncan Sheik and while I don’t claim to be a die hard fan, the invitation to attend the concert was extended to me by my friend Amanda, whose taste in music, jewelry and dogs is impeccable. (Amanda likes the wicked dog, Juneau…bringing the total number of humans that like Juneau to, um…two.) Knowing that Amanda would never steer me wrong, I happily joined her and Dal at the show.

To say that my friends and I have varied music tastes would be a significant understatement and like all lovers of music, you come to understand that certain performers will attract a certain audience that will inevitably create a certain “vibe”. If you’re lucky you’ve had an opportunity to shake your little self at a loud concert full of screaming fans...the type of concert that leaves your ears ringing and your throat horse from hollering “Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo” for seventy-five minutes straight. 

Let me be clear. That was NOT the vibe of the Duncan Sheik show. Not that we were expecting a wild crowd, but it was pretty obvious that this was not your ordinary club gig when we arrived during the opening act to see fifty people clustered near the stage and zero people standing at the bar. Granted, the show was on a Tuesday evening, but come on…one beer does not a hangover make.

So as we belly up to the bar, order an adult beverage and await Duncan’s arrival to the stage our attention is directed to a somewhat steady stream of people coming into the club, walking straight past the bar to a back room. They attract our attention because in a room full of jeans and t-shirts you can’t help but notice when someone cruises in wearing an outfit. No matter. Not my business.

The Outfits continue to saunter back and forth from the entrance to what I can only assume is this clubs version of a VIP room with brightly wrapped presents and a cake. Birthday party…okay, I get it. My friends and I have made an art form of celebrating our birthdays in a BIG way. Good for The Outfits.

Fast forward one hour.

The band was onstage and the small but attentive crowd is enjoying the surprisingly awesome acoustics of this club – the songs are performed beautifully and the vocals are soft and melodic. The first few songs are great…then The Outfits move the birthday party out into the bar and it becomes increasingly clear that the birthday party attendees have absolutely no interest in what is happening onstage. The fact that one of The Outfits is celebrating a birthday and that this concert was happening in the same space was nothing more than an unhappy coincidence.

The birthday party became increasingly obnoxious. In addition to their style crimes against humanity – these young darlings still subscribe to the misguided notion that LOUD = COOL. Funny, I thought everyone learned that is not the case around seventeen or so, but since I had the unfortunate luck to see these folks at a bar, I know the must be at the very least 21.

The more they partied the more we stared…and by “we” I mean everyone in the club. At one point the band STOPPED PLAYING with the hope that they would be quiet the same way my 7^th Grade English teacher used to! The mellow, slightly granola crowd took the band’s silence as an opportunity to start yelling at The Outfits. The Outfits yelled back. The band laughed and continued playing.

Here comes the music appreciation smackdown. Music, even lousy music, is art. It takes guts to drag yourself onstage and put a piece of yourself out into the universe. Performers deserve your respect. Unless that performer is Creed.

Partying on Tuesday doesn’t make you look cool and mature…normal adults have to drag themselves to work the next day. If you’re an amateur in the arts of adult beverage consumption and you’re compelled to act ridiculous do what everyone else does – pack up your bejeweled halter top and head to Vegas.