Trucker's Son - by Starflyer 59

Classified under shoegaze according to some sites.  Should be 'Awesome shoegaze'. (yeah, I know - silly/stupid... lol).

SF59 is from out of Riverside, CA, & is Jason Martin (Bon Voyage, Neon Horse, & The Brothers Martin) Steven Dail (Project 86, Crash Rickshaw) & Trey Many (Velour 100, His Name is Alive).  They've released a dozen LP's since the formation in 1993, 8 EP's in between, & more bits & pieces here & there (including live recordings, 7" vinyls, etc.).  Aside from playing & writing music, he also co-owns & trucks for his late father's company.  This song comes off their latest album "The Changing of the Guard", released August 10th, 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7t7HMP27B0

On a separate note, you can download their song "Wake Up Early" for free from their Purevolume site:

http://www.purevolume.com/starflyer59

& on another separate note: most of the bands listed in brackets that the members are part of are either broken up or they are ex-members (such is the case with Project 86); but Bon Voyage is still going.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - as performed by MercyMe ft. a few other bands...

An awesome acoustic cover performed by MercyMe ft. Jars of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters, & Lecrae.

(being as so many played a part in this & I've got other stuff I need to do, I'm not going to much of a bio… but:) MercyMe has been doing these "Cover Tune Grab Bag" 'episodes' since June 2008.  They've done songs like "Thriller", "Jump", Wanna Be Like You", "Dead or Alive", & other big songs.  Check 'em out! http://mercyme.org/category/cover-tunes-grab-bag/  This one is their latest addition, added yesterday (March 13th).

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is of course originally written by McCartney & Lennon from The Beatles.  It was released on their 1968 album "The White Album".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6BKhvhSehc

Barbra Streisand - by Duck Sauce

Thanks to a friend, I am now hooked on this song...

Duck Sauce is based out of New York, NY.  The DJ duo consists of Armand Van Helden (from Manhattan, NY) & A-Trak (from Montréal, Que.; he owns Fool's Gold Records and has toured as Kanye West's DJ).  They released an EP, "Greatest Hits" in September of 2009, from which their single "aNYway" came.  This song was, of course, named after the singer of the same name & even made its way to number 1 in Austria & the Netherlands & charted well in Ireland, France, the UK, and other countries, too.  It was released in 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd8lP4YnQNE

Seamus - by Leahy

A song that is from where my musical roots lay.

Leahy is from Lakefield, Ont., & consists of 8 of 11 brothers & sisters from the Leahy family.  They started playing musically in the 80's and apparently privately released LP's & cassettes (<-- & yes, I remember those things are - I'm not that young!), but their first major release was in 1996 - a self-titled LP from which they won 3 Canadian Juno Awards - for "Best Instrumental Group" & "Best New Group" in '97, then "Best Country Group or Duo" in '98.  It was in '98 when Shania Twain invited them on a tour when they became internationally successful (it was a 2 year worldwide tour they were on…).  They then released "Lakefield" (2001), "In All Things" (2004), then a live DVD  filmed in Gatineau, Que. (2006), & "Handmade" in 2007 & they are still touring today.  This song is from "Lakefield", released in 2001.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llrheWBheY8

& here's [the incredible performance] from their live DVD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQly4jyo8wo

Things that are making me sad as of late...

Update to post below:

It's confirmed that they are breaking up.  However, they have releasing an EP of covers with Wonderwall's "Oasis", Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy", & the hymn "How Great Thou Art".  You can get details (& buy & download the EP) here:

http://www.thisbeautifulrepublic.com/


In contrast to the last post..:
It seems that I spoke too soon about This Beautiful Republic.  They posted this late last night:
"All good things come to an end.
This is the end. 
http://www.thisbeautifulrepublic.com/"

Oh well...  but maybe they'll be like Falling Up? (whom, if you don't know, broke up Jan. 2010 but are now back together making a new [independent] album...)   ...

Things that are making me happy as of late...

So, I've been meaning to post some links here for the past yet.  I finally broke after a band I love posted something on their Facebook page.  That said, here are a few links to some things that make me smile/laugh:


Axis of Awesome - "Four Chord Song"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I


Aux.com's "Top 10 Dancing Thom Yorkes" - in lieu of Radiohead's latest video for "Lotus Flower"
Here's the original:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsoolN7Icd8
Here's the... ummm... new dance renditions...
http://www.aux.tv/newmusic/music-news/top-10-dancing-thom-yorkes/


I'm sure this has been around a bit, too, but it made me smile:
http://www.nomorefriends.net/
I know it's kinda morbid, in a sense, but...  yeah.... lol


& that band that I mentioned, This Beautiful Republic (I posted a song from them the other day), released a short 20 second or so clip of some music that is very like them.  Check it out (it's called "?" )  :
http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Beautiful-Republic/237828153569  (<--- you should be able to find it here for a while..; but when you can't:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Beautiful-Republic/237828153569?sk=info 
It's on their 'info' page, but you seem to have to click your way through the whole list of songs (play one, click to the end seconds, let it load the next, click to the final few seconds, repeat... it's weird...)


:D

Breathe Your Name - by Sixpence None the Richer

Awesome song.  Period.     .

Sixpence None the Richer (or 'abbreviated', Sixpence) is based out of Austin, TX.  Their story started in 1989 when guitarist Matt Slocum & singer Leigh Nash met - he heard her sing when she was 13, & they released "Original Demo's" in 1993.  They ('they' were a trio at that point, with bassist T.J. Behling) were then signed to R.E.X. Records, & released "The Fatherless & the Widow" on April 26th, 1994.  They released 2 more LP's on R.E.X. before switching through a number of labels.  They broke into the mainstream with their '98 song "Kiss Me" & the song has since appeared in numerous spots.  In 2004, after 5 total LP's, they broke up, & Leigh Nash had her own successful solo career.  However, they re-united in 2007 & they released the EP "My Dear Machine" on July 8th, 2008 (& it was available for free on Noisetrade until 2009, apparently…).  They are now Nash, Slocum, & bassist Justin Cary, & they are releasing an album sometime this spring.  This song is from their 5th album "Divine Discontent", released Oct. 29th, 2002.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwo-xezj7Ts

& here's this song live on David Letterman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6bpSl96Nb4


& here's a better quality live video..:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0i9lo8FIWA