A Great Musical Find! Bon Iver - I Can't Make You Love Me/Nick of Time

                   


So deciding that I wanted a  Bon Iver song to post on this melancholy monday I came across this....  It's Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) doing "I Can't Make You Love Me/Nick Of Time" by the amazing Bonnie Raitt.  Once i found this and gave it a listen i just had to post it!  This man is super talented!!!

This slow piano version of the song is georgeous!  So if you've got the blues or even the monday blues, this is the perfect song to listen to today!  Beautifully done Sir!  Justin Vernon's voice is amazing, such a talent!!

Enjoy this lucky find of  mine....and remember, Friday is only 3 days away!
~Penny Lane

And This One Goes Out To..... Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack

                        


Today's little jammer is a very special request!  This will be the first time i've blogged a request, and i have to admit i'm feeling very special and truly excited!!  The song is "Return Of The Mack" by Mark Morrison.  This one goes out to my "frousin" (as we like to call each other), Alison!

I don't really remember how, there probably was a couple of drinks involved but somehow Alison brought up the song and asked if i remembered it.  She sang a little verse to spark my memory and of course i remembered!!! Who forgets a song like this?!? Instant classic!

This old goodie goes all the way back to 1996!  R&B at its finest!  Needless to say Mark Morrison didn't last too long, word is that he seemed to be getting into to much trouble with the law.... eek!  Well this song is defintely good for a laugh and took Alison and I for a trip down memory lane when we used to listen to this song.  In all honesty it's still pretty catchy! Puttin' this one on my itunes!

Enjoy Friday with this groovy tune!!! I know that it will now be stuck in my head for the rest of the day!
Thanks Alison!!

~Penny Lane

Give The Newbies A Chance! Penguin Prison - Golden Train

                      

I'm Back!!!  I've been so crazy busy lately that i haven't even had a free minute to keep up with my blogging!  OO how i've missed it so!
Well..... last night I got to see Miike Snow in NYC at Terminal 5!!  The venue was amazing and  Miike Snow was defintely well worth the trip!  I Love Them!!!  I feel horrible for saying this because i believe you need to give new music a chance but i had never heard of the opening act before and had no real desire to see them. 
Boy am i glad that we arrived early!  (open mouth, insert foot!) Penguin Prison is their name and they were soo much fun!  The song above is what they started off with and we defintely started dancing (along with some fist pumping, hand clapping and good ole foot stomping!) right from the start all the way through!
The song is called "Golden Train" off their self titled album!  If you find yourself diggin' this tune please check out the rest of this album they are such a fun band and great to see live!!
I plan on buying this album as soon as i get home!!!!

Yes i know it's Throwback Thursday but i just couldn't resist!
~Penny Lane

What's a 4/20 Without Some Bob??!!!! Bob Marley - Stir it up

                        

What's April 20th (4/20) without some Bob Marley and The Wailers?!?!?!? I just don't know cuz that would be a crime!  Hands down my all time favorite Bob song!! "Stir It Up" off the album Catch A Fire, this song was written by Marley to his wife Rita...how adorable!  Catch A Fire is such an unbelivably amazing album, one of Bob's best!!!  From start to finish it puts you in that summer/vacation state of mind!!!

I'll be honest, It is unseasonably way to early to be listeing to Bob but i couldn't help it!! It's been so warm lately!  So let your Natty Dreads fly free and sit back to enjoy!

1. Concrete Jungle *****:)
2. Slave Driver *****:)
3. 400 Years **:)
4. Stop That Train **:)
5. Baby We've Got A Date ***:)
6. Stir It Up *****:)
7. Kinky Reggae ****:)
8. No More Trouble ****:)
9. Midnight Ravers
10. High Tide Or Low Tide ***:)
11. All Day All Night **:)

As you can see this album is definitely packed with all sorts of 4/20 goodies!
Happy Friday!
~Penny Lane

Start Me Up And Let The Countdown Begin!!! Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

                    

100 Days and Counting!!!! My super cool, best friend of a cousin invited me along to watch her husband compete in the London 2012 Olympics! (How awesome is that?!?!) I'm known to be a bit of a plan-a-holic....so as i'm buying travel books and planning fun adventures to have while over in Great Britain, i'm getting super pumped at what a once in a lifetime experience i'm about to have in just a couple of short months!

Today's song got me in the London mood today!  Might help that it's sung by an amazing British Rock Band!  The Rolling Stone's "Start me Up" off the album Tattoo You is simply a classic, pretty much anything by them is.  Fun Rock 'n' Roll at its best.  If this isn't the example of a truly great and versatile rock band then i don't know what is!!  The Stones have been proving that to all of us since 1962, they have some definite staying power.  This album is packed with goodies including, "Start me Up", "Hang Fire", and "Little T&A."

As Ron Burgundy would say, "I'll take you to foggy London town, cause you're my little gentleman.!"

~Penny Lane

Christmas Come Early...Way Early!!! Eric Hutchinson - Watching You Watch Him

                 

AHHHHH!!!! Woo Hoo, how I have been waiting for this day!!!! The day when the new Eric Hutchinson album would come out!!!
A couple of years ago my dear friend Mary introduced him to me and i became an addicted listener.  Personally i think he should not have waited this long to put out a new album because it was torture, absolute torture!  I've pretty much worn out his first album, Sounds Like This.  His music is so fresh and happy, something i can bop and sing along to!  The song featured, "Watching You Watch Him", is the cutest song that every girl wishes some guy would sing about her!(C'mon you know you would!)  Ok, yea i guess the lyrics could come across a bit depressing.... but i think it's a sweet song.  Super Sappy! Right up my alley.

Eric's songs are fun and all the lyrics are pretty great too!  Feel good music that i think can reach just about everyone!  If you take a listen to his new album Moving Up Living Down and the thought of, "this guy isn't too bad, i kinda like this" DOSN'T cross your mind i'll be shocked!!!  Please give it a chance!! I'm super excited that my Christmas has come early, really early!  I will now be listening to this and only this until i am fully able to recite every word!!!! Holla! HaHa

Get on the Eric Hutchinson train ya'll!
~Penny Lane

Gotta Love The Angry Break-Up Songs! Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye

Ahhhh the glory of a good break-up song....even if you don't want to admit it, everyone has had some doosey of a break-up or even break-up's (plural).  Music can be such good therapy whether it be a sad sappy song that makes you cry or an angry revengeful song that makes you feel like getting even!

I heard this song only a couple of weeks ago and then Glee had it on their Big Brother episode this week!  I had to post both the music video and the Glee video... I almost didn't post the original because it's a little weird for my taste, but both are equally good!  The song is called "Somebody That I Used To Know" and the artist is Gotye.  The lyrics to this song are soo powerful and soo true when it comes to breaking up or cutting ties with someone!  Both versions are sung with such feeling that i felt like i was involved in this break-up and brother/brother rift!  But i will admit that watching Matt Bomer from White Collar sing this song in Glee kinda make me weak in the knees... I Love Him!!! He could look at me like that and sing all day long!
Gotye's album Making Mirrors isn't too shabby either.  Defintely a new wave alternative that maybe isn't for everyone but i suggest giving it a try... some songs are defintely pretty catchy, especially my favorite above!

Happy Friday!
~Penny Lane

Give Me Some Of That Soul Muisc!! Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).

                  

Today's Throwback Thursday is dedicated to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin!!  Everybody knows her legendary hits like "Respect and "Chain of Fool" (just to name a couple), but the song "I Never Loved A Man" off her album Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You is soooooo amazing!

My mother is a huge fan of Motown and educated me on it at a very young age.  As a little girl i become addicted to my Mom's Solid Gold Oldies Motown CD's.  We used to listen to it all the time when we drove in the car!  I became addicted to music from Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Mary Wells, The Shirelles... just to name a few.  Aretha was always one of my favorite!  I could have sworn at that time that i was defintely born in the wrong era. 

Most people will agree with me in saying that they do not make music like they used to.... that's for damn sure!!!  So here's a trip dowm memory lane...find yourself some soul! The 60's were a pretty groovy time!

Side One

1. Respect ******:)
2. Drown In My own Tears**:)
3. I Never Loved A Man *****:)
4. Soul Serenade
5. Don't Let Me Loose This Dream
6. Baby, Baby, Baby ***:)

Side Two

1. Dr. Feelgood
2. Good Times
3. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
4. Save Me
5. A Change Is Gonna Come ***:)

~Penny Lane

My Girl T Swift!!!!! Taylor Swift - Mean

                     

There is never enough words to describe how great my girl Taylor is!  I've  never been a huge country music fan until i discovered T Swift.  I think she is sooo friggin' cute!
She has found a way to make catchy cute songs that are fun, meaningful and ooo soo true!  Everyone can relate to atleast one of her songs!  I would definitely not want to be one of her ex's that's for sure!!!

Her album Fearless, which i fell in love with is great, it's what got me hooked on her!  I seem to have found more of a love for her latest album Speak Now.  I can listen to this album from start to finish singing along with every word at the top of my lungs!!!  The song above is my favorite off the album...this decision was not an easy one!  I love the twangy sound right from the begining.  I think of this a a sort of anti bully song, a way to say screw you for being mean and making fun of me!  I must being having quite the empowering week since i keep posting these stay strong tunes! HaHa just realized this now.... 
I am not going to even write a track list since i love every song on this album almost equally!!

~Penny Lane

Feelin' Empowered! Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out

                      

Don't ya just love a good motivational song?!?  I know i do!  Something that makes you feel empowered and brings you out of a sad mood, something to raise your spirits so to speak.
I'm a great lover of Florence and The Machine.  "The Dog Days Are Over" is one of my favorite songs! (another empowering song!) Her new album Ceremonials, which i just purchased, is really, really good!!  The song i chose is my current favorite, "Shake It Out."  I love the lyrics to this song!  Her voice is so powerful, she defintely has a way of gettin' to ya!  my favorite line of the whole song is "And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off"

1. Only If For A Night ***:)
2. Shake It Out *****:)
3. What The Water Gave Me ****:)
4. Never Let Me Go *****:)
5. Breaking Down
6. Lover To Lover ***:)
7. No Light, No Light **:)
8. Seven Devils
9. Heartlines
10. Spectrum ***:)
11. All This and Heaven To 
12. Leave My Body **:)

Listen to this album and get empowered! HaHa.
~Penny Lane

Love Me Some History!! Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

                      

Today's throwback could quite possible be one of my favorite classics.  I, like Billy Joel, wanted to be a History teacher for the longest time...still do! It would be a pretty sweet dream job!  I've always loved how this song documents headline events from 1949 through 1989 ( 1949 being the year Joel was born till the time the song came out. ) and obviously his love for history.
The song is called "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel off the album Storm Front.  I'll admit it's always been a dream of mine to memorize every lyric to this song.... one day, one day.  The music video is so memorable!  I can still picture the fist time i saw it, i loved how it followed the story of a middle class married couple living the "American Dream" so to speak.  No matter how hard they try, the culture of the world keeps changing them and everything around them.  The whole album is pretty good, filled with a lot of good ole 80's classics!

1. That's Not Her Style **:)
2. We Didn't Start The Fire *****:)
3. The Downeaster "Alexa"
4. I Go To Extremes ****:)
5. Shameless
6. Storm Front ***:)
7. Leningrad
8. State of Grace
9. When In Rome ***:)
10. And So It Goes**:)

Happy Friday History Buff's! And remember baby boomers, "You didn't start the fire, it was always burning since the world's been turning!" haha
~Penny Lane

Just Fallin' In Love.....The Shins - Simple Song (Live on SNL)

                    

I'm the type of girl that falls in love very easily....whether it be with a person, place or thing. Well, I fell in love again this morning this time with a thing, that thing being the new Shins album Port of Morrow.  This is the groups first album in 5 years!!! I knew i wouldn't dislike this album because A. The Shins are great and B. I loved there album Oh, Inverted World which has everyone's favorite song "New Slang."
The song featured today is called "Simple Song" and it is by far one of my favorites off the new album.  I found a clip of them playing on SNL which is great!  James Mercer is a musical genious, well atleast i think so... HaHa.
So much to offer from slow songs like "September" written for his wife and a soft rock jam "Fall of '82" written for his sister plus many more!
Track list with favorites!! :)

1. The Rifle's Spiral ***:)
2. The Simple Song *****:)
3. It's Only Life ****:)
4. Bait and Switch**:)
5. September *****:)
6. No Way Down **:)
7. For A Fool ***:)
8. Fall of '82 ***:)
9. 40 Mark Strasse ****:)
10. Port of Morrow**:)
11. Pariah King

O and today is Happy 100th post to me!!!!
~Penny Lane

Mood Music Fink - This Is The Thing

                     

After my loonngggg working weekend i was in the mood for some mellow jams on my way to work.  I found my Fink album and just enjoyed!  All i need is him playing guitar with that soothing voice of his.  Yes some might consider this depressing music, maybe it is but i simply see it as mindless music.  You know, music you can just really listen to... no singing along, no head bopping...just listening.  The song is called "This Is The Thing" off his album titled Distance and Time.  I heard this song on my favorite TV show Friday Night Lights and again in the movie Dear John.  I fell in love, the music video had a pretty cool concept to it as well.
So for all friends and readers who have a case of the Mondays just like me this song is for you.
Enjoy!  Here are some of my favorites! :)

1. Trouble's What You're In ****:)
2. This Is The Thing ****:)
3. If Only
4. Blueberry Pancakes
5. Get Your Share **:)
6. Under The Same Stars ***:)
7. So Many Roads
8. Make It Good
9. Little Blue Mailbox

~Penny Lane