Europe: The Final Countdown

Well, it's finally here for some and some can't believe it is already over. What happened this year? Take a moment today and reflect on what was accomplished, procrastinated, liked, disliked, and most importantly loved. I would then advise preparing yourself mentally for the unforgiving New Year Resolution. Gym memberships are at an all time high along with purchases of exercise equipment and diet products. Soak 2010 all in while you can people because it's The Final Countdown!

Europe is a Swedish heavy rock band that assembled in 1979 under the name Force by Joey Tempest (vocals), John Norum (guitar), and Tony Reno (drums). This song reached #1 in 25 countries, and managed to reach #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. Amazingly Europe has sold over 20 million records worldwide with a quarter of the sales coming from the United States. The band went on hiatus in 1992 and had a partial reunion in 1999, playing an awkward New Years Eve show in Stockholm. They officially announced their return in 2003, and have released three albums since with another expected in 2011. Well, this gives everyone something to look forward to in the New Year!

http://www.europetheband.com/

Smelly Dog

The Folk Implosion: Natural One

The Folk Implosion was an American indie rock/lo-fi band founded in the early 90's by Lou Barlow (ex Dinosaur Jr. bassist) and John Davis. This was initially a side project started by Barlow to explore different musical lanscapes than that being canvassed by his primary band at the time. Their band name is a play on the John Spencer Blues Explosion. The band was under the radar until this song found its way onto the Kids soundtrack. The song "Natural One" managed to reach #29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1995. John Davis quit the band in 2000 after the release of their 3rd album. Barlow regrouped and recruited Russ Pollard and Imaad Wasif from the band Alaska! to record The New Folk Implosion. The band saw little to no action from the release and has not been active since 2004. The band's third album One Part Lullaby is probably the most radio/peer friendly and I actually wouldn't mind owning it on vinyl. This version is a bit more raw than the radio single..sick!

http://www.myspace.com/thefolkimplosion

Smelly Dog

Crash Test Dummies: Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm

Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band consisted of Brad Roberts (lead vocals/guitar), Ellen Reid (keys/vocals), Dan Roberts (bass), Benjamin Darvill (harmonica/mandolin), and Mitch Dorge (drums). Brad Roberts is probably the best known member as the frontman with the distinctive bass-baritone voice. Today only Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid continue as active members of the band. Fans did however get a special performance, reuniting the entire band, for a show in October 2010. The Crash Test Dummies have released a total of 8 albums since 1991. The song Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm managed to reach #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994.

http://www.crashtestdummies.com

Smelly Dog

Deep Blue Something: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Deep Blue Something is an American rock band founded in 1993 in Huntsville, TX. The band consists of Todd Pipes (lead vocals/bass), Toby Pipes (guitar), John Kirtland (drums), and Clay Bergus and Kirk Tatom (guitar/vocals). Clay was not with the band when they had this one hit wonder, but returned shortly afterward. The band has released a total of four albums since 1993, and frontman Todd Pipes released a solo album in 2008. The lyrics of this song were inspired by Audrey Hepburn's performance in the feature film Roman Holiday, but Todd thought that one of Hepburn's other films would make a better song title. This song reached #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the corresponding UK Singles Chart.

http://www.myspace.com/deepbluesomething

Smelly Dog

The Vapors: Turning Japanese

The Vapors were a new wave and power pop band from England, that existed between 1979-1981. Based in Guildford, Surrey, the band consisted of David Fenton (songwriter/guitar/vocals), Howard Smith (drums), Edward Bazalgette (lead guitar), and Steve Smith (bass/vocals). The band released two albums: New Clear Days and Magnets. The first album was more traditional with themes of social issues and love. The second album however was darker and included themes of alienation and psychotic characters. Sales of the second album were poor and the members disbanded shortly after its release in 1981. Fenton alleged in a later interview that lack of record label support was the chief reason for the split.

"Turning Japanese" was their big hit in 1980. The song managed to reach #3 on the UK Singles Chart and #36 in the corresponding U.S. Billboard Hot 100. This song was also very popular in Australia. "Turning Japanese" was believed euphemistically to refer to masturbation, but has been denied by the band.

Fenton has apparently retired from his days as a music creator and performer to concentrate on legal aspects of the music industry. Edward Bazalgette has since become a television director, credits including a 2005 BBC documentary about Ghengis Khan.

http://www.myspace.com/thevaporsuk

Smelly Dog

One Hit Wonder Week

Now that Christmas is over we must prepare for the New Year. What better way to jog up memories of the past by looking back on One Hit Wonders. This week will feature bands that had their fifteen minutes of fame. Not a bad way to make a royalty check. All these bands did was write a song that earned them fame and fortune. Get a good laugh and some nostalgia this week in preparation for 2011. Here is just a taste of what to expect, Calloway performing their hit "I Wanna Be Rich."

http://www.callowayrecords.com

Smelly Dog

Feliz Navidad!

Christmas Day Is Upon Us and I Would Like to Say it in Many Ways!

English: Merry Christmas

Danish: Glaedelig Jul

Dutch: Zalig Kerstfeast

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s Prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb

German: Frohliche Weihnachten

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Arabic: Milad Majid

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Merry Christmas to everyone and their families!

Smelly Dog

24 Hours Boys & Girls: Boyz II Men

Christmas Eve is upon us and it is also known as the Vigil of Christmas. This is one of my favorite days in the year because I go to church and sing my little heart out in the front row. I sing it loud and proud too! The kids are begging to open one gift and have butterflies swarming around in their bellies. This is "Silent Night," by Boyz II Men and a much better representaion of the song than I will be able to belt out. Good luck sleeping tonight kids, and parents get ready to be woken up quite early.

http://www.boyziimen.com

Smelly Dog

2 Days Left: Charlie Brown Christmas

2 days left and not a moment to spare for all of the procrastinators. I thought I might help ease the stress by showing a clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas. This has got to be one of my favorite flicks of all time. Take a moment out of your day to realize what Christmas really means to you. It is easy to get lost with all of the hype and all of the special events, not to mention the sales, am I right ladies! I am going to start doing my snow dance this evening in hopes for some precipitation on Christmas Day.

http://peanuts.com

Smelly Dog

3 Days Left: Sarah Mclachlan

The suspense is killing the tiny tots with Christmas so near. Hopefully everyone is finishing up with the holiday shopping and getting their holiday menu ready. I recommend brining the turkey 24-48 hours or braising the ham over night for best results. It's around this time of year that I am usually the busiest in my culinary career, and am unable to spend it with family. This song reminded me of living in a small town and how I love it over the big city. This is "O Little Town of Bethlehem," by Sarah Mclachlan. If you haven't done your shopping yet, best get to it!

www.sarahmclachlan.com

Smelly Dog

4 Days Left: Celtic Woman

Only 4 days left now and the excitement must be mounting for all the little kids. The parents on the other hand are probably ready for it to be here, except for the really early morning wakeup. This tune is for those adults to remember just how beautiful Christmas is, even though some of the joy may be gone from childhood. This is the "First Noel" by Celtic Woman. These ladies were recruited by David Downes, a former musical director for Riverdance. I'm gonna put myself out on a limb here and tell ya that I wouldn't mind seeing these ladies live. Enjoy this song and the remaining days of preparation.

http://www.celticwoman.com/

Smelly Dog

P.S. Hope you enjoyed the Lunar Eclipse if you were able to view the spectacle. What a great way to start off the Winter Solstice!

5 Days Left: Hall and Oates

A work week left worth of shopping and preparing for the big day. Santa is probably in the midst of packing the sleigh and working his elves to the bone. I wonder if Mrs. Claus gets excited to have a night to herself? Anyways, Santa and the elves might be rockin out to this classic Christmas song, "Jingle Bell Rock." I figured why not represent with an old time favorite, Hall & Oates. The video is quite goofy, and I'm not sure if they thought they were being funny, because I find the video a bit scary. Gotta love the 80's though, what were we thinking? At least I know what I am wearing to church on Christmas Eve..pink shirt with a green sweater!

www.hallandoates.com

Smelly Dog

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Lunar Eclipse tonight!

6 Days Left: Barenaked Ladies

Under a week now until Christmas Day and the bustle and hustle begins. We are gonna go with a Canadian band today..Barenaked Ladies. This is a version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Unfortunately, this is a version without Sarah Mclachlan, but I'm sure you can just turn on the Christmas radio station and get your fill. I'm not such a huge fan of this band, but they did this song justice. Check out "Old Apartment" by this band as well..not too shabby. Good luck in these final shopping days as you look for the perfect gift.

www.barenakedladies.com

Smelly Dog

7 Days Left: Jewel

Well, there is only one week left until Christmas, and I hope everyone is getting into the spirit. Here is Jewel performing at her Christmas special singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I don't really care for her music but her voice is astonishing, and not to mention she's a looker. Check out her video on funnyordie.com. She dresses up as plain Jane and sings her own songs at a karaoke bar. Needless to say she stuns the whole crowd. By the way this is one of my favorite tunes to sing at church.

http://www.jeweljk.com/

Smelly Dog

8 Days Left: Leon Redbone & Doctor John

With only eight days left, Frosty the Snowman came to mind (more symbolism). This is a great version with one of my favorite musicians. I have seen Dr. John in concert a handful of times, and it is just plain fun listening to his music. I don't know much about Leon Redbone except that he was once rumored to be comedian Andy Kaufman and/or Frank Zappa. Enjoy this classy version, and if you have snow where you are, go build yourself a snowman!

www.leonredbone.com

Smelly Dog

9 Days Left: John Tesh

We are down to single digits now folks. I hope the shopping lists are a bit smaller and the joy in your heart is growing bigger. I thought a little John Tesh might fill your heart with some joy or a least give you something to smile about. I remember back in the day when he was hosting Entertainment Tonight with Mary Hart. A lot has changed since then, and John's looking sharper than ever before. Love the leather jacket John, it screams Joy to the World! If I'm not mistaken, I believe ole Teshy boy has his own radio station.

http://www.tesh.com/

Smelly Dog

10 Days Left: Tom Jones

10 BIG days left until the Ole Yuletide Day! I first want to apologize for not recognizing John Lennon's death last Wednesday. I figured why not represent John with a great Christmas song of his done poorly. This is no rip on John, but rather a wake up call to Tom Jones. Who thought that this was a good idea to broadcast? Nonetheless, get a great laugh or feeling of disgrace from this cover. We love ya John, and Merry Merry Christmas!

http://www.johnlennon.com/

Smelly Dog

*There is also a video of U2 doing a horrible job covering this song. Bono is reading lyrics and "The Edge" is missing licks and is out of tune!*

11 Days Left: David Bowie & Bing Crosby

Two soldiers stand guard (11 days..can you see the symbolism?) before Christmas Day, and what better song than the "Little Drummer Boy," by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. What a classic, and at the same time, an odd combination. I remember this being one of my favorite Christmas songs as a young child. Purr-rum-puh-pum-pum yall!

http://www.davidbowie.com/

Smelly Dog

12 Days Left: Hanson

Well, there are only 12 days left until Christmas. I thought it might be a good idea to get things started with a chuckle. The harmony of this trio is impeccable to the point that you would think they invented acapella singing. I am definitely hoping for a "White Christmas," and these boys just put a tear in my eye with this version. The Sleigh Bells sound effect is so crunchy! MMMBop Everybody!

http://www.hanson.net/

*If confused, check out Sunday's (12/12/10) post*

Smelly Dog

Twelve Days of Christmas & One Hit Wonders

Hey yall, just wanted to give you a little synapsis of the next few weeks. Starting Monday there will be a Christmas Song everyday (including weekends) until Christmas. I am dubbing it "12 Days Before Christmas." I will try my best to find musicians covering Christmas songs, and this could range from David Bowie to Hanson..so be prepared! The week following Christmas will be "One Hit Wonder Week." I am gonna try to pull out some crazy tunes to reflect on the past and stir up some nostalgia before the New Year. If you have any suggestions for these three weeks feel free to email me at smellydogmusic@gmail.com.

Here is just a little taste of how silly this might get..Straight No Chaser doing the "12 Days of Christmas." By the way, this is the Orig from '98!

Don't forget to be on your best behavior these next few weeks as Santa is making a list and checking twice!

Smelly Dog

John Hartford

John Cowan Hartford (1937-2001), was born in New York City, but grew up in St Louis, MO. He was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge on Misssissippi River lore. Along with being a singer/songwriter, he was an instrumentalist, dancer, and a pilot for towboats and steamboats. Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career, and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar, banjo, and fiddle from song to song. He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move, and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang.

His early musical influences came from the broadcasts of Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and the picking styles of Earl Scruggs. Hartford often said the first time he heard Earl Scruggs pick the banjo changed his life. By age 13, Hartford was an accomplished old-time fiddler and banjo player. He sooned learned to play the guitar and mandolin as well. John is considered a co-founder of the "Newgrass" genre. His legendary lineups have included the likes of Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, Tut Taylor, and Sam Bush. This video is "Steam Powered Aereoplane" from Aereo-Plain. The lineup includes Mark O'Connor (mandolin), Brent Rowan (guitar), Vassar Clements (fiddle), Matt Rollings (keys), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Glenn Worf (bass), and Harry Stinson (drums).

*John Hartford passed away due to complications from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2001, he was 63 years old*

http://www.johnhartford.com/

Smelly Dog

Tame Impala

Tame Impala is a four piece psychedelic rock band from Perth, Western Australia. The band members are Kevin Parker (lead guitar and vocals), Dominic Simper (guitar), Jay "Gumby" Watson (drums/vocals), and Nick "Paisley Adams" Allbrook (guitar). Nick is only really a part of the band when performing live. Kevin says the band likes to see themselves as a steady flowing psychedelic groove rock band that emphasizes dream-like melody. Kevin and Dominic have been musical companions for about nine years, having met in music class in high school. Jay joined the band last year. He just happened to move to Perth with another band and met up with the Impalas. This video is "Solitude is Bliss" from their debut album Innerspeaker.

The album cover artwork for their debut self titled EP was done by Kevin, and caused some confusion with the album title. Many believed that the album was called Antares Mira Sun. The artwork is actually an interpretation of a slide he saw in an astronomy lecture, which demonstrated the difference in size between the stars Antares, Mira, and the Sun.

http://www.tameimpala.com/

Smelly Dog

Plants and Animals

Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal. The band is comprised of Warren Spicer (vocals/guitar), Nic Basque (vocals/guitar/bass/keys), and Matthew Woody Woodley (vocals/drums). They often describe their music as post-classic rock. Plants and Animals' self-titled EP was released in 2004. Their second EP was released in 2007, and in February 2008 they released their debut album Parc Avenue in Canada. It wasn't released in the United States until the end of March of the same year. The album features string parts by Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire. They released their second album earlier this year in April, entitled La La Land. This video is "Feedback in the Field" from Parc Avenue.

I saw these guys perform at the Larimer Lounge in Denver, CO earlier this year, and really enjoyed the show. They are full of energy and seem to have a great deal of fun on stage. I own both of their albums and would recommend listening to Parc Avenue whenever you get the chance.

http://www.plantsandanimals.ca/

Smelly Dog

The Floorwalkers

The Floorwalkers (originally dubbed Money For Gyros), is a six man band from Columbus, OH. The members are Jonathan Elliott (vocals), Theo Perry (lead guitar), Ben Meinhold (bass), Kerry Henderson (guitars), Tom Lasky (drums), and Todd Hamric (piano/organ). Playing largely as an acoustic band in 2004, they quickly grew in popularity and notoriety playing house parties, college functions, and local venues. More recently though, it is becoming well known of The Floorwalkers' immense love and live energy on the electric stage. They are still fairly new to the scene and do most of their touring throughout Ohio. This video is "Carolyne" from their debut album The Natural Road.

http://www.thefloorwalkers.com/

Smelly Dog

Ahmad Jamal

Frederick Russell Jones (Ahmad Jamal) was born July 2nd, 1930 in Pittsburgh, PA. He is an American jazz pianist, arranger, teacher, and jazz theoretician. He began playing the piano at the age of three, and began his formal training at age seven. When Freddy "Fritz" Jones was 32 he converted to Ahmadiyya Islam, and officially changed his name to Ahmad Jamal. His first professional job was with the George Hudson Orchestra at age 18. This exposure helped him gain critical acclaim for his solos. According to Stanley Crouch (jazz critic), Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker. For the past 5 decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. This video is "Darn That Dream" from 1959. Its sad to say, but there is not much opportunity left to catch a live performance of this musical prodigy.

*Ahmad Jamal plays Steinway pianos exclusively*

http://www.ahmadjamal.net/

Smelly Dog

Treetop Flyers

Treetop Flyers are a five piece band currently residing in the London, England area. The current incarnation has been together since early 2009 and finished recording their debut EP To Bury The Past in September of the same year. The band consists of Reid Morrison (vocals/guitar), Tomer Danan (drums), Sam Beer (guitars), Laurie Sherman (guitar), and Matthew Starritt (bass). This London project has flavors of country and blues, laced with hints of soul. They are yet to be signed by a record label. I expect good things to come from this band in the future. There cover of "When She Don't Need Me" was the 2nd most popular track on More Townes Van Zandt By The Great Unknown album, that was released in October. Their website is currently under construction so it's probably best to get more information on Myspace or Facebook. This song is entitled "Rose Is In The Yard."

www.treetopflyers.co.uk

Smelly Dog

Horse Feathers

Horse Feathers is a folk inspired indie band from Portland, OR, led by singer/songwriter Justin Ringle. His first project was a duo with Peter Broderick. They put out an album in 2006 entitled Words Are Dead, and later that year Broderick's sister, Heather, joined the group. The trio put out an album in 2007 entitled House With No Home. The Brodericks would eventually leave to persue other music projects. The current installment includes Justin Ringle (vocals/guitar), Nathan Crockett (violin/musical saw), Catherine Odell (cello), and multi-instrumentalist Sam Cooper (drums/percussion/etc). The video is of "Vernonia Blues" off the newest album Thistled Spring. I would suggest checking out "Heathen's Kiss" on HearYa.com to get a taste of the band's multi-instrument talent. I am definitely going to check this band out the next time they cruise through town.

http://horsefeatherstheband.com/

Smelly Dog

LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem is the stage name of American producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records. When performing live, Murphy is accompanied by Tyler Pope (bass, guitar, synths, claps, drum machine), David Scott Stone (guitar), Pat Mahoney (drums, percussion, drum machine, claps, synths, vocals), and Nancy Whang (vocals, keyboards, synths). Many others have been a part of the LCD project throughout the years as well. James has released 3 studio albums, the latest being This is Happening. Prior to its release, Murphy said that the album would be better than the other 2, and that it would likely be the last LCD Soundsystem album. This video is "All My Friends" off of Sounds of Silver.

I have been a huge fan of this band for quite some time. The first two albums in my opinion are better than the recent release. LCD has gained a momentous following in the past 2 years and are a staple of the festival circuit. I had trouble deciding which song to choose for the video because they are so many great licks! Make sure to check out Tribulations, Daft Punk is Playing at My House, North American Scum, and Losing My Edge.

http://www.lcdsoundsystem.com/

Smelly Dog