Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Summer continues to steam on. Some parts of the country are trying to find relief from the unbearable heat, while others are thrilled the rain from tropical storm Faye has finally ceased. However, it's business as usual here at the BC Music Goodie Bag.
From a little Kid Rock to warm you up for his upcoming MTV Video Music Award's performance to another look at John Legend from the Democratic National Convention, there's a little bit of everything for you, our loyal readers.
Kid Rock
This Michigan native best known for his unique brand of Southern Rock is being honored as one of MTVs 52 Bands/52 Weeks as the channel (once known for playing music videos) gears up for their 2008 Video Music awards. Kid Rock will be performing his current, and most successful single ever, "All Summer Long" at the ceremony set to air September 7, 2008. Promos for the award show featuring the man himself began airing August 18 and can also be viewed at the MTV website.
Though some may argue he's best knows for his on-again off-again relationship with Pamela Anderson (and those infamous naughty videos), his first waves in the music industry came in 1990 with the release of his first album Girl Sandwiches for Breakfast. Legendary status, however, didn't come until nine years later and the single "Bawitdaba.”
So, are you in the mood to check out some Kid Rock Videos? The Goodie Bag is happy to oblige. Follow the links to see streams of "Peace and Quiet", "The Man," You Hear That" and don't forget to tune into the MTV 2008 Video Music Awards to see Kid Rock's performance of "All Summer Long."
Wayne Brady – A Long Time Coming
If you ask me, a more apt title has never been given to a release. Wayne Brady, who was first introduced to fans through the hit show Whose Line is it Anyway? has recently had guest roles on How I Met Your Mother and 30 Rock, but his love for music is apparent in his hosting job for the show Don't Forget the Lyrics which returns in September for its second season. It was only a matter of time before he would branch out and record an album.
About his first love, Wayne says, "I've always been a singer… always. That's how I supported myself when I wasn't working as an actor. That was my primary means of support." On September 16, we will see the by-product of that love in his first album A Long Time Coming. The album's twelve tracks include original material penned by Brady and a mix of some of his favorites, including the Sam Cooke hit, “A Change is Gonna Come.”
The first single from the album is "Ordinary" and was written by Sarah Nagourney and Welford B. Walton II. It is said to be a mid-tempo number about the beautiful simplicity of life and love. The Concord Music group has sent us a stream of "Ordinary" as well as a Video Featurette of Brady discussing the album.
The Verve – Forth
Today The Verve's highly anticipated album Forth is available for purchase and the band is celebrating by allowing fans to stream the entire album on their MySpace Profile page. The album is being released on their own label, On Your Own Records, and is being distributed by Megaforce/RED.
The Verve consist of Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and Pete Salisbury and are considered by some to be one of the most influential and innovative British imports. They recently performed at 2008's Coachella and sold-out two nights at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden. They also headlined Glastonbury and V Festival in 2008. So take a listen to the stream and you like what you hear, grab yourself a copy.
Track Listing:
1. Sit &Wonder
2. Love Is Noise
3. Rather Be
4. Judas
5. Numbness
6. I See Houses
7. Noise Epic
8. Valium Skies
9. Columbo
10. Appalachian Springs
Brandon Rogers – "Broken"
What's Brandon Rogers been doing since his top-twelve finish during season four of American Idol? Quite a lot, in fact. Aside from being a back-up vocalist on the tours of Timberlake, Usher, Christina Aguilera, and Anastasia, he's appeared on Regis and Kelly, Ellen, and the Mike and Juliet Show, as well as a guest spot on Bones.
Simon Cowell was quoted as saying that Rogers was the best performer in Los Angeles 2007 auditions and the magazine Entertainment Weekly dubbed him #5 in their ranking of top twelve auditions ever.
Now, he has teamed with the website iLike to bring fans a stream of his new single, "Broken." Take a listen and see how you rank this one time American Idol hopeful.
John Legend – "If You're Out There"
If you've been living under a rock and didn't catch the opening of the Democratic National Convention last night and are kicking yourself for missing out on John Legend's performance of "If You're out There," you're in luck. BC Music Goodie Bag has an embedded video of the performance just for our readers.
Legend sings, " If you're ready/ we can shake the world/ Believe again/ It starts within/ We don't have to wait for destiny/ We should be the change that we want to see." The song seems to meld perfectly with the Democratic candidate's message of hope and change. Enjoy the embedded video below, or you can download the song for free from Barack Obama's website.
"If You're Out There
Backyard Tire Fire – The Places We Lived
We'll round out the Goodie Bag this week with a sneak peak at one more album that hits streets today. Backyard Tire Fire's fourth album is The Places We Lived and is out now on Hyena Records. Recent reviews have called the album, "Midwestern Americana at its slice-of-hard-life best."
The lead single is also the title track. Listen to the stream of "The Places We Lived" and then check out the list of tour dates below. Maybe you can catch Backyard Tire Fire in your city soon.
Tour Dates
09-05 Chicago, IL – Metro
09-10 Iowa City, IA – Picador
09-11 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave Bar
09-12 Madison, WI – The Annex
09-13 Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
09-17 Columbia, MO – TBD
09-18 Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
09-19 Emporia, KS – Josie’s
09-20 St. Louis, MO – Lucas School House
09-24 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
09-25 Columbus, OH – The Basement
09-26 Indianapolis, IN – Spin Nightclub (Sponsored by My Old Kentucky Blog)
09-27 Newport, KY – Lodge Bar (MidPoint Music Festival)
12-03 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
12-06 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theater
12-07 Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection
12-08 Green Bay, WI – Oneida Casino
12-10 Dekalb, IL – Ottos
12-11 Des Moines, IA – Peoples Court
12-12 Wichita, KS – Cotillion Ballroom
12-13 Tulsa, OK – Cains Ballroom
