Saturday, June 30, 2012

Song Review: Primadonna

ARTIST: Marina and the Diamonds
GENRE: Alternative
DATE RELEASED: March 23, 2012
THOUGHTS: This is a super dancy, fun song! I was kind of surprised it fell under "alternative", because I would have pegged it as pop, but that's irrelevant, really. The lyrics are bratty, but fun, and I LOVE her unique, deep voice! It's different, but in a good way. The music video is also really fun, too. I love the retro feel.
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5. I can't get enough of this song!



Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Song Review: Parachute

ARTIST: Ingrid Michaelson
GENRE: Pop
DATE RELEASED: September 14, 2010
THOUGHTS: This is a fun, dancy, song with a driving rhythm. It's a fun song about love and how it makes her feel, and I love belting this out. Ingrid's style shines through in this song that is rather different from her usual light songs, but in a good way.
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5. This is a rocking song. :^)
Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Monday, June 18, 2012

Song Review: Lonely Lullaby

ARTIST: Owl City
GENRE: Electronic
DATE RELEASED: July 19, 2011
THOUGHTS: This song breaks my heart just a little bit every time I hear it. It's a beautiful, sad song of loss, and it's sung so gently, and so genuinely, it makes me want to cry. You can practically see the memories hes describing, which gives this song another level of deepness. It's a delicate song sung with real emotion behind it, and trademark of Adam Young, this song lingers.
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5. This song is brilliantly and gently crafted.
Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Song Review: I Fell In Love

ARTIST: Whitton
GENRE: Pop
DATE RELEASED: March 30, 2012
THOUGHTS: I stumbled on this via Pandora, and I fell in love with it! It's a sweet, simple love song, complete with banjos and clapping. This song sounds like sunshine to me, honestly. I got it stuck in my head instantly, and by the second chorus, I was singing along. I love the bouncy, sweet rhythm she gives the song, and the lyrics just make me grin. "You're like a piece of gold/ I wear ev'rywhere I go", "I wasn't looking for love/ until you flew in like a dove". I love this song!
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5. Her voice gets a bit irritating after a bit, but overall it's an adorable song. :^)
Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Song Review: All The Rowboats

ARTIST: Regina Spektor
GENRE: Alternative
DATE RELEASED: February 28, 2012
THOUGHTS: This is a wonderfully intense song, full of pounding drums and piano. In true Regina style, she  is abstract in her lyrics, talking about a museum and the sad life of an exhibit. It's a haunting song, and I can't get enough of it!
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5 stars.
Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Song Review: Cristofori's Dream

ARTIST: David Lanz
GENRE: New Age
DATE RELEASED: 1988
THOUGHTS: This song is positively splendorous, with it's gentle, sparkling piano and it's slightly haunting melody. It reminds me of an old music box, with it's twinkling sounds and beautiful dynamics. This song makes me want to slowly dance around an empty dance hall in a flowing dress- too weird? That's how I feel when I listen to this. It IS a longer song- 6:08, but I think the time passes too quickly once you get caught up in the sounds of it. This is a piece of pure, unadulterated art if I ever heard one, and it is well worth the listen. It simply floats over your senses, leaving a pleasant feeling inside you.
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5 stars, most definitely. This is a perfect song.

Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Song Review: Telephone Lines

ARTIST: Jack and White
GENRE: Pop
DATE RELEASED: June 5, 2012
THOUGHTS: This is a wonderful, relaxing, summery song. It makes me want to walk along the beach, which is difficult to do, living in AZ. Jack and White bring the song to perfection with their warm vocals.
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5, because it's the perfect summer song. :^)

For more listening, here's their album:  http://smarturl.it/undercover
Also, Brooke White is having a J&W giveaway on her blog! Read more about it here.
Thank you, J&W!
Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Song Review: Movie Loves a Screen

ARTIST: April Smith and the Great Picture Show
GENRE: Pop
DATE RELEASED: February 23, 2010
THOUGHTS: This song fairly bounces out of the speakers! It's a cheery, sweet song that makes you want to dance around in a swingin' kind of way. Her light and playful lyrics are so optimistic and simple- no need to ponder on these. It's basically perfection. I can't get enough of it!
OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5. This song makes me feel good about life. :^)
Ciao for now,

~Singing Midget

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Concert Review: He Is We (featuring Windsor Drive, South Jordan, and Deas Vail)

WINDSOR DRIVE:
SM: As opening act, Windsor Drive had the arduous task of getting the fans ready for a night filled with music, and they certainly did! They were energetic, and clearly passionate about what they were playing. You could tell what performing meant to them, and their hard work showed. They poured their all into their music, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The guitar player was my favorite, because while he clearly pulled his weight, he was able to let loose and have fun while doing it. The lead singer was powerful and passionate about the lyrics. Overall, this was a performance well done.

NW: I'm not going to say as much because my friend, SM, pretty much summed it up for you. I will say that I loved the guitar player, he was so fun to watch and he had a great stage presence. And after the show he called SM and me his favorite 2 ladies! Hahahaha!

SOUTH JORDAN:
SM: This act clearly served as the eye-candy portion of the night of music, as it was made up of several attractive twenty-somethings singing about love and relationships. I honestly wasn't expecting to get keyed up during this concert, since I didn't know any of the acts super well, but South Jordan fairly worked me into a craze; and who could blame me? When there's an attractive male singing right in front of you, dancing, and occasionally flashing a small peek at his toned abs, you can't help but get excited. Their songs were flirty, and the lead singer definitely commanded the stage with his strutting about. It was a very enjoyable performance.

NW:This was definitely the funnest part of the evening. The drummer was also extremely gorgeous, which always helped. The lead singer sure was having a fun time dancing on the stage in front of a auditorium of teenage girls, screaming. Super fun and their music just made me want to dance.

DEAS VAIL:
SM: This was the calm before the storm. Deas Vail's music proved to be calmer than the rest, and rather than make an exaggerated effort to steal the show, they immersed themselves with the thrill of performing and just flowed with the music. The lead singer's voice was a very light, almost angelic tone, and it gave the songs a gentle feel. It was a welcome break from the screaming and the jumping, both of which were prevalent in both of the first two acts. This was more about enjoying the music, rather than the people onstage. In one of the numbers, the lead singer stepped away from the mic, and the instruments faded out, and he sang the rest of the song without any aid; an interesting and artistic twist. His pleading tone held all our attention captive, and the quietness of his raw voice without a mic caused a wide-spread hush to permeate the crowd. My one regret in this performance was that I couldn't fully enjoy it because a girl was pushing me out of my spot- very irritating. Don't EVER do that.

NW: I loved when the main singer, sang part of a song a capella. He sang so sweetly and clearly that it was hard not to be mesmerized! I was also pretty bummed out when a girl behind us decided to squeeze her way in between SM and me. Sorry SM!

HE IS WE:
SM: This was the act we all were waiting for! He Is We immediately brought us out of our relatively relaxed mood from Deas Vail, and made the crowd go crazy. Unfortunately, Rachel Taylor, the lead singer couldn't come due to health issues, but her stand-in, Stevie Scott, filled her shoes wonderfully. Her sweet, girlish voice lent an innocence to the songs that made them all seem somewhat fresh and different. You could tell that she really felt the meaning of each lyric she sang, and she punctuated her singing with deliberate movements, rather than meandering onstage without clear direction. In one song, she knelt down for the duration of the number, which gave the whole song a new depth- it was amazing to see. Trevor, the guitarist, was so fun to watch, as he was dressed extremely casual- jeans and a basketball jersey, with no shoes on. It communicated his personality to a T, and he was clearly dedicated to his instrument.

NW: Trevor and I were meant for each other. 'Nough said.
 OVERALL THOUGHTS:
SM: I thought it was a night well-spent, in the company of my best friend, and other fellow music lovers. It was so fun to be able to be immersed in song for just a few hours, and I appreciated the effort all the acts collectively exhibited. All in all, it was a wonderful night. I would definitely recommend seeing any and all of these acts when you have a chance!

NW: Definitely worth the money SM and I spent (which wasn't that much). I got an awesome poster which all of the bands signed, and the signed both SM's and my t-shirts. TREVOR TOUCHED MY SHIRT!  You could really tell they all loved music and it was great to spend the night listening to could clean music with my besty!

Ciao for now, 

~Singing Midget
&
~Note Worthy