Soft Rock

SONG OF THE DAY – “WHERE THE STORY ENDS ” by The Fray

July 10, 2014

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It’s Throwback Thursday! Today’s #tbt song was originally posted as my daughter’s Song of the Day on May 12, 2012 as a throwback from their 2009 self-titled album, The Fray.

I attended a Fray concert last night in NYC at the inaugural event of JBL Live at Pier 97, located on the Hudson River as part of the Hudson River Park. What a fabulous location! It was so cool to get there early and see the kayakers out on the Hudson from the boat house next door and to see the stage with the backdrop of Manhattan behind. Then as night began to fall it became even more beautiful as the performers on stage pointed out the spectacular sunset dropping over the Hudson River at the crowd’s back. And to wrap it up, as the sky darkened it was just awesome to see the NYC skyline light up around the stage. It just made for a spectacular setting.

Pier 97

I saw Denver-based, The Fray, perform live in concert in the fall of last year and posted one of their new songs as Song of the Day back in October. They have always been a favorite of mine and I was excited to be able to see them again this summer at an outdoor venue. Even with the unexpected, huge thunderstorm that rolled in just minutes before The Fray took the stage, it was a great evening.

The Fray 2          The Fray 1

I like many of the songs off the new album, Helios, which was released in February 2014, but I have to say that I am a sucker for The Fray’s older music. There is just nothing better than a classic Fray song. Obviously the crowd agreed with me, as they sang along with every word when The Fray settled into one of their old favorites. So, today I am posting one of my old favorites and hope that you enjoy it. I have always been obsessed with the lyrics to this song as I feel such a deep, personal connection to every word. It is just an amazing song that captures my emotions every time.

“All we know is distance .We’re close and then we run. …. But this is how the story ends, or have we just begun…”

 

SONG OF THE DAY – “SOLSBURY HILL” by Peter Gabriel

March 27, 2014

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It’s Throwback Thursday! Today’s #tbt song goes way back to 1977 and was originally posted as my daughter’s Song of the Day on October 9, 2010.

This is an amazing, classic song that I have always loved. The sound of the song and the emotion that comes from the music is just incredible; it is such a recognizable, unique sound. This song was the debut single from Peter Gabriel’s first self-titled solo album, released in 1977. Peter Gabriel, an English singer-songwriter, was a founding member of the the band Genesis and was with the band from 1967 to 1975 as the lead singer and flutist. Gabriel left the band in 1975, which is probably why I always thought of him as more of a solo artist and never really related him to Genesis when I was growing up … when I think of Genesis, I always think of Phil Collins who was the drummer and replaced Gabriel as lead singer in 1975 and was very influential during my all important teen years. 🙂

Peter Gabriel has been described as one of the most innovative artists in rock and roll, and he has certainly been recognized for that by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2010, as a member of Genesis, Gabriel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and he is scheduled to be a 2014 inductee as a solo artist. Pretty impressive! He has won many awards, both musical and otherwise. In fact, in 2008, TIME Magazine listed him as one of the top 100 Most Influential People in the World, recognizing him as a Hero and Pioneer, for both his musical contributions and his humanitarian work.

Anyway, I hope this song brings back some good memories for you … or, if you are a young thing and not familiar with the song, I hope you enjoy it. It is certainly a great song to add to your playlist.  Much Love!

SONG OF THE DAY – “BACK HOME” by Andy Grammer

March 26, 2014

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**APRIL 8 UPDATE: THE SONG “BACK HOME” IS NOW AVAILABLE ON iTunes AND I HAVE UPDATED THE LINK AS OF TODAY! **

Today I am posting a brand new song – the song was literally just released by Andy Grammer yesterday. The song will not be available to purchase on iTunes until April 8, but I decided it was so good that I wanted to share it now. Luckily you can listen to it here by clicking on the YouTube link below. 🙂 (I have attached the iTunes link to his last album above – which I love, by the way.)

Over the last few months, and even more so in the last week, I have become keenly aware of how many songs have the word HOME in the title. I have already posted several on this blog over the last few months, but I just keep finding more! Obviously music speaks from the heart and songwriters tend to write about their personal experiences and emotions, and “home” is where so many of those emotional experiences come from. You may see a lot of songs about home over the next few weeks, so I just wanted to give you a heads up.

This song by Andy Grammer just makes me happy. I love him and his music. Just looking at him makes me smile because he has such a great smile and a great persona. I saw him live in a small venue in 2012 when I lived in Dallas; he was a great performer and he just feeds off his audience. Andy Grammer got his start busking on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and, although he has come a long way since then, he still has a very hands-on, intimate relationship with his audience that I believe stems from those beginnings. He is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter and I am excited for his upcoming new album.

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This song is about the emotion and importance of being around those people, places or things that make you feel like “home.” The song really speaks to me and it just makes me feel good. He posted the following in his fan email announcing the release of this new song:

So pumped and excited that I get to share my new single, “Back Home”, with you all today. It’s about being around friends, people, places, or things that bring you back to who you are. After touring around the country and running around the world, this was an important song I had to write for myself.