12 April 2012 - Amy Grant - Lead Me On

I could fill an entire blog with songs by Amy Grant that I enjoy.  I was a fan of hers long before "Baby Baby" (which I also considered including here).  The album that directly preceded Heart In Motion, the album with all her hits, was an album called Lead Me On.  It was a decidedly Christian album, but less so than any of her previous ventures.  In my opinion, it is her best work to date.

While I think the great Lead Me On album was foreshadowing things to come, the sound of this album was more rock and less pop than her later work would be.  The album is widely considered to be the greatest Christian album of all time.

11 April 2012 - Indigo Girls - Least Complicated

I'm seeing Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls play tonight. It was kind of a last minute thing so our seats aren't awesome, but it's only a 300-seat venue so they will be good enough. Seeing that my wife has already "dragged" me to two Indigo Girls shows over the years, I guess we can say that after tonight I'll have seen them two and a half times. By the way, I joke when I say "dragged," as I was a fan of theirs before I met her, although I probably wouldn't have gone to two Lilith Fair concerts over the years if she wasn't around...just a hunch.

9 April - 2012 - Good Charlotte - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous

As a pop punk fan, I never really had a problem with Waldorf, Maryland's Good Charlotte. I thought their first two records were kind of fun and they put on a great live show. And while they were a big hit with modern rock radio, the punk community made them butt of almost every joke...oh those punks can be so cruel. I think it's pretty safe to say though that Good Charlotte got the last laugh in the end.

8 April 2012 - Electric Six - Synthesizer

I struggled with the decision of putting this on a Sunday.  It isn't a pure guilty pleasure - these guys have some serious Detroit rock chops - but this song is, itself, a throwback to the era of the keytar.  Electric Six are a goofy bunch, but they are solid in their music and lyrically clever.

See how many references to real 80's and 90's music videos you can find.

7 April 2012 - T'Pau - Heart and Soul

T'Pau was a Vulcan who turned down her position on the Federation Council.  That's about all the Star Trek you're going to get out of me.

This T'Pau, however, was a British pop group from the mid-80's who had one hit in this country.  In fact, only two of their three albums - not their 2nd! - were released in the States.  Yes, I have the 2nd album, and yes, I had to go to Canada to get it. Their sound, thanks to lead vocalist Carol Decker, had the ability to be both soft and hard-edged.  This particular song, their biggest (and only) US hit, reached #4 on both the US and UK charts.

And for some reason, I've always loved this song.  So hopefully, you love it, too!

6 April 2012 - Dangerous Toys - Teas'n, Pleas'n

Happy Hair Metal Friday!!!

Hadn't thought about Dangerous Toys in a LONG time. But then their name popped up in the book I'm reading (We Are The Road Crew by Ken Barr) and that zany little light bulb appeared over my head...So, here they are in their hair metal glory. Enjoy!

4 April 2012 - Snow Patrol - Run

Sometimes I really wonder what the hell is wrong with me (and for those of you with any guesses, please keep 'em to yourselves...thanks). While I have no problem admitting to liking pop musicians like Kelly Clarkson or country stars like Taylor Swift, I sometimes get squeamish admitting that I like a band like Snow Patrol. I know that sounds ridiculous, but to me it's almost like admitting to liking Coldplay (which I don't). Regardless, it took some time, but local radio pounded this Scottish band's songs into my head to the point where I HAD to start buying their records. Here's one of the finer tracks off of their Final Straw record -- the first record by them that I was brainwashed -- yes, that's it, brainwashed -- into buying.