Worth Another Listen - Edwin McCain

Edwin McCain broke on to the music scene opening for Hootie & the Blowfish in the mid-90s, using his southern singer/songwriter credentials and friendship with the big act to score his own record deal, which lead to the amazing success with two songs, both still played on the radio today. In 1998, McCain released a single destined to be sung at weddings for the rest of time, I'll Be. The song was climbing the charts, seemingly played at every special occasion until it topped off at #5 on Billboard.

Edwin McCain - I'll be
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In 1999 McCain released I Could Not Ask For More, another lumbering love song, sounding much like many songs of the period. It was pulled up by some fine vocals by McCain, whose alternative stylings set the standard pop fare apart.



To catch up more with Edwin McCain, visit his official website here.

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Worth Another Listen - Joan Osborne

After I ran the last Sunday Worship, I was prepared to be running another post on her as an artist I really love. But I also got a tweet from one of my indie boys, Aiden James. It said:



So, at that point, I knew I had to do it, because once I can earn a little bit of 'street cred' with an artist I love that will be backed by working singers, I might get the free pass when I put up one of my pop wunderkind that I am sure has people rolling their eyes. And it will be happening soon, since I love my Pop music, and have my own fair share of guilty pleasures. But no matter, because Aiden actually was talking about one of my two favorites songs from Joan's album Relish. He sent the link to St. Teresa, which is just a brilliant vocal performance of a great song.



Relish was released in 1995, with 12 songs, most of which were written by Osborne, Rick Chertoff and two members of the Hooters, Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman. In fact, it was those four who wrote St. Teresa. And, with the addition of Don Glen Vliet, they also wrote my other favorite, Right-Hand Man. Again Osborne puts on a show with the vocals, although in a totally different way than in the St. Teresa. Osborne flat out rocks the hell out of the song, giving a strong and nuanced performance that was just as steeped in sexuality as it was in meaning. I mean, after listening to it repeatedly, I was nearly ready to go str8 for Joan Osborne.



The big single off the album was, of course, One of Us, featured in the earlier post. For the life of me, with the three very different songs all delivered with such ease and vocal prowess, I have no idea why Osborne didn't become a much bigger star. I mean, part of the reason was it took five years to get a follow-up album, and then the 3rd came out the next year. The third was How Sweet It Is, a album of covers of a variety of songs from Motown favorites like the title song, to The Weight by The Band. Hard to say how much airtime radio would be giving those covers.



Nonetheless, I think she is exceptional. In 2008, she came out with the new album, Little Wild One, which reunited the writing team from Relish for many of the songs, although it was not on a major studio label, so again, granted little airtime on the radio.



You can find out more about Joan Osborne on her official website here.

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Worth Another Listen - Live

In the 90s, I was all about these boys. Live was the name of a band form Pennsylvania, consisting of Ed Kowalczyk, Chad Taylor, Adam Kowalczyk, Patrick Dalheimer, and Chad Gracey. I loved the music, and everything they did. The CD Throwing Copper was a revelation for me. And Ed Kowalczyk is very hot. This is I Alone.

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New Music - Backstreet Boys

Backstreet - Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough & AJ McLean

The big announcement today was the new song from the Backstreet Boys. Straight Thru My Heart was released on the official website as a snippet, but of course it has already been leaked on the internet. I have also said Backstreet was my favorite boyband of the 90s, so we shall see if they can still pull it off now. When they started off, they were five, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A. J. McLean and Kevin Richardson. Three years ago, Kevin left the group to have more time at home to start his family. Kevin was my favorite. Anyway, so then there were four.

The many looks of Kevin Richardson

The new CD, This Is Us, is to be released sometime this fall. Odd title, not sure what it means, except the obvious 'the four are us people, get over it. No new members, and Kevin is gone.'

The song is good, but certainly nothing outstanding. I think of it sounding a bit like an adult-contemporary version of an old song. But it is poppy and perky, and certainly not the worse song that might be on the air these days. This is a the music video.

We can just hope it makes enough money we never have to see another season of House of Carters, with the screwed up and dysfunctional Carter family yelling, screaming and backstabbing one another. And be glad whiny Aaron Carter did not join the Boys. You can find out other sites to find out about the current boys at their website and hear the song replayed incessantly.

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Great Music - Pearl Jam

Like many other bands in the early 90s, Pearl Jam came out of Seattle and took the music world by storm. The band had picked up lead singer Eddie Vedder out of California, and formed the signature sound that is unmistakenly their own, amazing considering the eruption of grunge bands coming out of the Northwest. The intensity of the band allowed them to tackle subject matter like spousal abuse, child abuse, politics, bullying, and other hot button issues.

To their fans, Pearl Jam are anti-establishment Gods who continue to buck the system for their art. In 1994 Pearl Jam had a very public fight with Ticketmaster, even canceling part of the tour over the governmental investigation of the business practices of Ticketmaster, and later refused to play venues who utilized their services. They toured relentlessly, with a bravado and intensity that recalled their favorite band of the 60s, The Who. To disrupt the bad bootlegs often foisted upon fans, Pearl Jam put out their own live recording of shows, offering them for sale. For many, women and men alike, Vedder is a sex symbol, fighting for everything they hold dear.

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Great Music - JC Chasez

I have said I had a thing for some of the boybands, and N-SYNC wasn't one of them. I wasn't a fan of JT, but I did think JC was very talented. I bought his first CD and loved it, thinking it was 10 times better than anything JT put out. Apparently, my musical taste doesn't coincide with that of the buying public.

So I love Schizophrenic, and listen to it all the time. I love Blowin' Me Up, Some Girls Dance With Women, You Ruined Me, and others. But my favorite might just be All Day Long [I Think About Sex]. He was dropped from the label after the first CD, but I have hopes he might put out something else, cause his music is fun!

You can hear more of JC's music on his MySpace page.

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Worth Another Listen - Paul Weller

Paul Weller is another of my British rockers I have followed thru several bands. Paul started out with the seminal Punk band The Jam inn the mid-70s, and then the more pop/jazz influence of a forerunner of the 'Mod' sound, The Style Council for most of the 80s, before he finally went solo and became the rocker with soul. Later he mainly was a soulful singer, and pissed off his many of his British fans, who felt he sang like an American, not a Brit.

I will say, although I love Paul's talent and voice immensely, he has never been a great looker. He wasn't bad in those early years, but in more recent times, as he struggled to maintain a 'youthful' style, it only made him look older, like that creepy guy middle-aged guy hanging with the high school kids. Anyway, as much as I loved The Jam and Style Council, some of his best stuff was solo, including this cover of a Rose Royce tune.

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Worth Another Listen - Duncan Sheik

Back in the old days, Duncan Sheik was a hot guy, singing some cool pop songs. I loved his stuff, and thought he was adorable. In later years, he filled out a bit, and became kinda bearish, which is really hot! And besides getting sexier, Duncan also wrote the music for the Tony Award winning musical, Spring Awakening. But first, there was Barely Breathing.

Then, there was Spring Awakening. I saw this on Broadway, and it was one of the most incredible shows I have ever seen. It is on tour now - if it comes to a city near you, go!

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