I will be the first to admit that The Beatles were the greatest band of all time. I love The Beatles. They are my favorite band. I know I’m not alone. I can still recall the first time I really grew interested in The Beatles. I grew up listening to a mix of 80s and Oldies (it was the 80s). My dad was more of a Beach Boys fan than into the Beatles, so while I’d heard commonly known Beatles tunes on the radio, I’d never really known who they were.

In Junior High that all changed. Our choir teacher, Mr. Benoit, used to take a break from warm ups and choir songs to allow us to sit back and sing songs he loved. He would play guitar as we sang songs by great artists like John Denver (“Country Roads”) and Simon & Garfunkel (“Slip Slidin Away”) but my very favorite song we sang was called “Eight Days a Week.” That was my first formal introduction to The Beatles, excluding playing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in Pep Band.

Throughout High School, my love of The Beatles grew, as did my appreciation for their music. Now, several years later, I’m a huge fan of the boys from Liverpool. I have all of their music. I know their entire catalogue of music. I know I’m not alone. The Beatles are going to live on in infamy because of their revolutionary sound style. The way they brought music to people around the world makes them unique to other bands out there.

There are so many wonderful Beatles songs. Depending on my mood, I can listen to any number of their songs. It’s hard to narrow down the number to just one. For example, one of those songs I like to listen to is “I’m Looking Through You.” It has a simple melody, but it is very catchy. Other songs I can listen to over and over include, “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday,” “Something in the Way She Moves,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “A Day In The Life.”

These are just a few of the amazing songs by The Beatles. Of course, there are two songs that are especially near and dear to my heart. The first is for its simple, but peaceful message. The other is just pure musical and melodic genius.

The first song I consider my absolute favorite Beatles song is “All You Need is Love.” I love the message behind this song. I love how catchy the lyrics are. I think its a fun song for parents to share with their children; for people to share with one another. It’s this kind of compassion that made The Beatles such an inspiring band.

The second and final song I consider to be the best of the best is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” I love everything about this song. I love the lyrics, the emotion, the feeling it evokes when I listen to this song. It’s one of The Beatles’ best songs.

09.09.09 is a big day for The Beatles. Harmonix and MTV are releasing The Beatles Rock Band. I already received my copy for review, so you’ll soon be able to read my review of the game on Gamerrazzi. Also, a remastered collection of The Beatles catalogue is available today. This brings me to The Beatles Lithograph and our contest.

ENTRY RULES:
LI Reviews is proud to be giving away a Beatles lithograph. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment listing your favorite Beatles song. Please be sure to only leave one.

COMMENTS ARE MODERATED to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:
To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible.

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Want an extra entry? Twitter about this contest! Just click the Tweet button in the bottom left corner of this article’s box!

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*******Please only leave ONE comment – If you Twitter, Digg, Blog about, or Stumble this contest you can post all relevant information in that comment. We will make sure to add extra entries for each extra thing you’ve done when we randomly pick winners.

CLAIMING YOUR PRIZE:
Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three days, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

ENTRY DEADLINE:
We will begin emailing winners for this the week of September 17, 2009, which means you have until September 16, 2009 at 11:59 to enter.

You can see a picture of the Lithograph up above.

Technorati Tags: The Beatles, Lithograph, Favorite Song, John Lennon Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, The Beatles Rock Band

Artist/Band Members: Mark Fredson, (vocal, keys), Eric Whitman (guitar), Ben Eyestone (Drums), and Johnny Whitman (bass)
Release Date: 06/09/09
Recording Studio: THE CONTROL GROUP
Recording Studio: Amazon for $10.99

Many bands walk the line between country and rock-n-roll; most of them fall into the abyss between the two genres of music. If you can find the sweet spot, though, the magical space where country and rock meet, you can follow in the footsteps of the Byrds, the Eagles, CCR, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. You can find that working class sound, as suitable for driving fast down the highway as it is for getting out in the garden and getting your hands dirty. The Lonely H, hailing from Port Angeles, WA, manage the tightrope amazingly well on their third album, Concrete Class.

The band’s first two albums, A Kick Upstairs and Hair, are solid rock albums. And they are even more impressive when you consider that they were both produced before the members had graduated high school. Concrete Class is no less impressive, using bluesy guitar riffs and poetic lyrics to woo the listener. The entire album is a roller coaster ride, the tempo changing with every song, but with a continuing theme of nostalgia and what we leave behind to follow our dreams. The first time I listened to it, I felt the guitar and bass, and by my second time through the album, I was humming along to all the songs.

The opening track, “Right Down to Me,” is about being a good friend or lover. There is a guitar line that hooks you right from the start, and then expands upon itself in a small solo in the middle of the song. The bluesy, southern rock thread is established here, and then melts into the next track, “Cold Blues,” which picks up that thread and runs with it. This track rides a wave of arrogant, confident lyrics and barely controlled energy, which could pick up anyone’s spirits. We all need a touch of this attitude to get by in the world.

The next track, “White Horse Tears,” is a classic country-rock ballad, seemingly about being in love with the wrong type of girl. This song sports one of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard: “But that ain’t gonna stop her from wearing me like jewelry/Baby go ahead and fool me.”

The pace picks up again with “Going Out West,” whose driving beat would be at home on any road mix or playlist. The guitar work and lyrics also stand out in “Singer,” a wistful look at what it’s like to be a working musician, and what you have to give up along the way.

“Diggin’ a Hole” comes back around to the blues sound, showcasing the musicians in what feels like a live track. That feeling continues in “Take Care,” where you can hear the song being counted off before the light acoustic guitar begins. This ballad is also another, very personal, look at the distance forced between two people when one is away following their dreams. Be sure to listen for the simple, but beautiful harmony after the last verse.

“Phoenix,” a blues ballad about being on the road, highlights how disconnected the band feels while away, and once again shows us how a talented guitarist can make an ordinary song quite extraordinary. Next we have “Other Side of the Water,” a welcome pick up from the previous two ballads. Here we have a fraternal twin to “Going Out West,” as well as reassurance that no matter how far they have to go, it’s alright.

The song most likely to become commercially popular is “Girl From Jersey,” about that most universal of topics, the search for love. The band channels CCR here, in a classically country song, and in “The River,” they walk the line where country meets gospel, with harmonies that evoke memories of the Byrds. The last track, “Strike a Chord,” sums up the entire album, both musically and thematically. In this song, the band is unapologetic about their ambitions and how far they’ll go to reach them. I, for one, hope they never give any of it up.

My father would have loved The Lonely H. While that may sound trite, since my father was no one of importance in either the music business or journalism, this is actually quite a compliment. He was a connoisseur of music, a radio DJ, and collected the works of largely unknown, though fabulously talented, musicians. Many of the CDs he owned defied genre categorization, and would never play on commercial radio. This fate should not await The Lonely H, or the songs on Concrete Class.

Lyrics: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Instrumentals: 4 out of 5 stars
Group Vibe: (only for bands) 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio Quality: 3 out of 5 stars
Musician Appeal: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: Overall Rating: 3.92 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Music Review, The Lonely H, Concrete Class, CD, Music, Blues, Country, Gospel, Rock, Classic Rock

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND OFFERS FREE DOWNLOAD OF “FUNNY THE WAY IT IS,” FIRST SINGLE FROM THE GROUP’S UPCOMING ALBUM, BIG WHISKEY AND THE GROOGRUX KING

Record Scheduled For June 2nd Release; Fans Who Pre-Order Through www.davematthewsband.com Will Receive Live Trax 15 As A Bonus

Band Launches Spring Tour Tonight With Show At Madison Square Garden; June 5th “TODAY” Show Performance Confirmed

Today Dave Matthews and Stefan Lessard announced via their Twitter accounts (@davejmatthews and @slessard) the premiere of “Funny The Way It Is,” the lead single from Dave Matthews Band’s upcoming album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Fans can download the track for free for a week beginning today at the band’s website, http://www.davematthewsband.com. “Funny The Way It Is” will be for sale at digital retailers thereafter.

Dave Matthews Band kicks off its 2009 tour tonight with a show at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be on the road through October 2nd. Please visit http://www.davematthewsband.com for a full itinerary of the band’s spring and summer tours – and also check the website for the launch of the Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King pre-order later this week. Fans who pre-order the CD at the band’s website will receive the group’s upcoming live album, Live Trax 15, for free. Live Trax 15 captures the group’s August 9th, 2008 show at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI, one of the most fan-requested shows for release from last year’s summer tour.

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, the band’s first studio album in four years, will be released on June 2nd by RCA Records. On Friday, June 5th, Dave Matthews Band will perform on NBC’s “TODAY” show on Rockefeller Plaza, marking the first morning television appearance in the band’s career.

With its celebratory spirit and lyrical ruminations on fragile mortality, the album pays tribute to saxophonist LeRoi Moore, the band’s fallen partner. Moore passed away in the summer of 2008 while the group was on tour and midway through making the album. “When Roi died, it shook the whole band and left us saying, ‘What do we do now?’” recalls Matthews. “We knew that first of all, we had to finish this record that he was already in love with. So all of us went back in with the attitude ‘We can’t mess around with this one, because this one is an ode.”

When the remaining members regrouped in a New Orleans, LA studio in early 2009 to complete the album, they found they were able to integrate much of the material Moore had recorded during their 2008 sessions in Charlottesville, VA and Seattle, WA. “It’s so powerful to have Roi here with us for one last time on an album,” says violin player Boyd Tinsley. Guitarist Tim Reynolds, trumpeter Rashawn Ross and saxophonist Jeff Coffin also played on the album and will join the band on tour.

Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Big Whiskey has been hailed by Rolling Stone as the group’s “heaviest album yet, both musically and emotionally,” which went on to note: “Throughout, Carter Beauford beats out elaborate, propulsive groves; bassist Stefan Lessard lays down Flea-style funk bass lines; violinist Boyd Tinsley plays cresting, intense runs; and Matthews mirrors Moore’s saxophone lines with scatlike singing.” Billboard, in a cover story on Dave Matthews Band, praised Big Whiskey as “its best album yet Highlights include the funk-rock rave-up ‘Shake Me,’ the stirring ballad ‘In the Hands of God,’ the swampy rocker ‘Cockadile,’ radio-friendly fare like ‘Why I Am,’ which features playful horns over a solid rock riff and a hooky chorus, and ‘Funny the Way It Is,’ which parlays a subtle intro into a soaring, syncopated anthem.”

Matthews created all of the artwork for Big Whiskey, including the richly detailed cover illustration that puts a GrooGrux spin on New Orleans’ traditional Mardi Gras parades while evoking the joy and the sorrow expressed in the album’s songs. Matthews has designed logos and other elements in the past, but this is the first time he has created the entire packaging for a Dave Matthews Band album. For a limited time, fans can have fun unscrambling the cover at http://www.davematthewsband.com.

Big Whiskey is the follow-up to 2005’s Stand Up, the fourth consecutive Dave Matthews Band studio album to enter The Billboard 200 at No. 1. It will be available in three versions: standard, deluxe (with Scenes from Big Whiskey, a documentary on the making of the album) and super-deluxe, which includes bonus tracks, a photo book and lithographs in addition to the CD and documentary. Check out http://www.billboard.com for an exclusive preview of footage from Scenes from Big Whiskey.

The track listing for Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is as follows:
Grux
Shake Me Like A Monkey
Funny The Way It Is
Lying In The Hands Of God
Why I Am
Dive In
Spaceman
Squirm
Alligator Pie (Cockadile)
Seven
Time Bomb
My Baby Blue
You and Me

Photo Credited to: Shazari

Technorati Tags: Dave Matthews Band, Music, Rock, Free Download, Song, Tour, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, Bonus Tracks

The first official single, “Lifeline,” is already burning up radio playlists across North America, rising quickly in the top 20 at both Active and Alternative Rock radio. To launch this song in its truest form, the band filmed “Lifeline” live during their performance at Crüe Fest 2008 in Toronto, Canada. Recorded entirely in one take, with no overdubs, the video features the power of Papa Roach live and shows that they are one of the few bands with the balls to share their true live sound with the world. The video is currently available at IMEEM.com (link and embed code provided below).

On February 4th, the band teamed up with music video director, Chris Sims (QOTSA, Jimmy Eat World) in Long Beach, CA to shoot the official music video for “Lifeline.” The official video is expected to be available towards the end of February. The song, “Lifeline” is available for purchase on iTunes and other digital stores, as well as in an exclusive two song CD single at Hot Topic.

Papa Roach is currently on the road with Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry and Saving Abel throughout February and March. They then head across the Atlantic for their first European tour in 2 ½ years.

Technorati Tags: Papa Roach, Video, New Music Video, Lifeline, Rock, Chris Sims

A group of four multi-talented musicians based in New York City, The Bad Eliots include: singer and multi-instrumentalist Roto (a.k.a. James Rotondi), a New York-based artist whose resumé includes stints with the French band Air, Mike Patton’s Mr. Bungle and jazz-hop legends The Grassy Knoll;

Drummer Ant Cee (a.k.a. Anthony Citrinite) was a founding member of The Smash-Up, who ignited crowds from 2004 to 2007 on major bills like Megadeth’s Gigantour, the Deftones’ Taste of Chaos tour, and the Warped Tour, from which Ant’s drum sticks were plucked and are currently on display in Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame;

Bassist Jony Matias is a producer and multi-instrumentalist who runs a successful studio in New Jersey and is also a key member of The Crash Moderns, acting as singer/guitarist and producer/engineer for the NYC breakout Power Pop band;

And guitarist Paul Riario is the maestro behind The Monster, one of the New York metropolitan area’s most successful and enduring live cover bands.

For more on The Bad Eliots, visit www.thebadeliots.com

Technorati Tags: The Bad Eliots, Music, Video, New Band, New York, Live Cover Band, The Monster, Music Video

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Creedence Clearwater Revival, all six of the band’s albums (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy & the Poor Boys, Cosmo’s Factory and Pendulum), will be reissued in expanded editions available on September 30! Information about all of the new CDs and some clips of songs you will see on some of them are listed below!

Creedence Clearwater Revival [Expanded Reissue]: This album included CCR’s first smash hit, the Dale Hawkins song “Suzie Q,” plus the classic cover of Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.” The reissue contains four bonus tracks: “Call it Pretending” (the B-side of the band’s first single), the band’s first recording of a cover of Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me” (later re-recorded for Cosmo’s Factory), a live version of “Ninety-Nine and a Half” recorded at the Fillmore Auditorium in 1969, and a full-length live version of “Suzie Q.” Almost famous former Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres wrote the notes.

Bayou Country [Expanded Reissue]: Creedence Clearwater’s second album was chock full of hits and much-played album tracks: “Proud Mary,” “Born on the Bayou,” the Little Richard cover “Good Golly Miss Molly,” the seven-minute “Graveyard Train” and the eight-minute “Keep on Choogling.” The reissue also contains a longer alternate take of the album track “Bootleg,” live versions of “Born on the Bayou” and “Proud Mary,” and a psychedelic blues jam recorded live by San Francisco’s seminal KSAN-FM called “Crazy Otto.” Annotator was San Francisco Chronicle pop music editor Joel Selvin.

Green River [Expanded Reissue]: Green River contained the hits and notable album tracks “Green River,” “Bad Moon Rising” and “Lodi” plus a cover of Ray Charles’ blues standard “Night Time is the Right Time.” Bonus material includes “Broken Spoke Shuffle,” the instrumental track to a song John Fogerty never finished, another unfinished track called “Glory Be,” plus three live tracks: “Bad Moon Rising” from the 1971 Berlin concert, “Green River/Suzie Q” from the 1971 Stockholm show, and “Lodi,” recorded in Hamburg. Liner notes by the esteemed critic Dave Marsh.

Willy & the Poor Boys [Expanded Reissue]: Willy came out in 1969, when, as annotator Ed Ward writes, “a period when Creedence, surely the most anomalous band in the San Francisco explosion of the late ‘60s, was also proving its most commercial seller of them all.” The album contains the anthemic “Fortunate Son” along with “Down on the Corner” and a cover of the traditional folk song “The Midnight Special.” Bonus tracks include live versions of “Fortunate Son” and “It Came Out of the Sky,” plus an unreleased studio version of “Down on the Corner” recorded with Booker T & the MGs for a TV special at the band’s Berkeley rehearsal hall. The song features John Fogerty trading licks with guitar hero Steve Cropper.

Cosmo’s Factory [Expanded Reissue]: Cosmo’s Factory was the fourth and biggest of the string of five Top 10 albums Creedence Clearwater Revival released in 1969 and 1970. Included were “Travelin’ Band,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Run Through the Jungle” and covers from Marvin Gaye (CCR’s signature take on “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”), Bo Diddley, Roy Orbison and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. Bonus material includes a bare bones, horns-free remake of “Travelin’ Band,” a live version of “Up Around the Bend” from the 1971 European tour, plus an unreleased version of “Born on the Bayou” emanating from the CCR/Booker T & the MGs summit which took place in 1970 at Cosmo’s Factory studio. Notes were penned by Robert Christgau.

Pendulum [Expanded Reissue]: Creedence by this time was the top-selling rock band in the world, coming off seven consecutive Top 10 hits. The album contained the hits “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Hey Tonight” and “Molina.” Bonus tracks include a live “Hey Tonight” plus “45 Revolutions Per Minute (Parts 1 & 2), the rarest of CCR collectibles, which was packaged in a plain white sleeve alluding to the Beatles’ White Album. Produced under the spell of the Fab Four’s “Revolution No. 9,” the tape montage tries to impart the elusive Creedence humor with the help of Bay Area DJ Tom Campbell. Joel Selvin wrote the liner notes.

Technorati Tags: September 30, 2008, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Rock, Music, Video Clips, New CD, Extended, Greatest Hits, Pendulum, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy & the Poor Boys, Cosmo’s Factory

Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away two copies of the lost CHICAGO: STONE OF SISYPHUS (XXXII) CD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 5, 2008, which means you have until July 4, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
In his book, The Greatest Music Never Sold, author Dan Leroy writes about the Stone Of Sisyphus, the great lost Chicago album. Recorded in 1993 and produced by Peter Wolf, Sisyphus became a cult record immediately after Warner Bros. refused to release it because it wasn’t the Chicago record that was expected. Knowing what they had created and not willing to compromise, the band left Warner Bros. and took the album with them.

Now, 15 years later, on June 17, this 11-song album with four bonus tracks will finally be available from Rhino Records at all physical and digital outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $18.98 for CD and $9.99 for download.

Powered by Chicago’s celebrated horn section, the tracks on SISYPHUS have bite, power and swing, and the “fire in the belly” that one associates usually with debut albums. The songs touch on a wide range of styles and moods, including the energetic horn-driven title track, “Stone Of Sisyphus,” the cool funk groove of “Mah-Jong,” the anti-corporate rock broadside “Plaid,” the touching emotional lyrics of “The Pull” and Robert Lamm’s rap on “Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed.” “Bigger Than Elvis” features contributions from musicians who worked with “The King” himself, including The Jordinaires and Jerry Scheff (father of Chicago bassist Jason Scheff).

“We wrote songs that were more experimental, songs that were more daring in terms of musical direction and chord construction, more than anything,” remembers James Pankow, whose innovative horn charts had been an integral part of Chicago’s distinctive sound from the start. “We got into really feeling our oats in terms of being the voice of Chicago again. It had been a long time since we had made a record like that.”

Looking back, the band members wish they had found a way to release SISYPHUS sooner, but there is intense pride in having stood up for their creative integrity — a Chicago trademark. While Sisyphus became an underground classic, widely bootlegged by fans, Chicago continued to defy music business conventions by forming their own record company, and recording hugely successful big band and holiday records before it was the fashion.

To date, Chicago’s remarkable achievements include a Grammy” Award, record sales that exceed 100,000,000, including 21 Top 10 singles, five consecutive #1 albums, five #1 singles, 13 platinum albums and five gold singles. An incredible 25 of their 30 albums have been certified platinum, and Chicago is the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades.

CHICAGO: STONE OF SISYPHUS (XXXII)
Track Listing

1. “Stone Of Sisyphus”
2. “Bigger Than Elvis”
3. “All The Years”
4. “Mah-Jong”
5. “Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed”
6. “Let’s Take A Lifetime”
7. “The Pull”
8. “Here With Me (A Candle For The Dark)”
9. “Plaid”
10. “Cry For The Lost”
11. “The Show Must Go In”

Bonus Tracks
12. Love Is Forever (Demo)
13. Mah-Jong (Demo)
14. Let’s Take A Lifetime (Demo)
15. Stone Of Sisyphus (No Rhythm Loop)

Technorati Tags: Literary Illusions, Contest, Giveaway, Rhino Records, Chicago, Lost CD, Demo, Stone of Sisyphus, XXXII, The Greatest Music Never Sold

Though Serena Ryder is just 24 years old, she is no stranger to the music scene. While not familiar with American audiences, this Canadian songstress is going to make a splash that is set to be undeniably big. With a developed, three octave vocal range, Ryder has the ability to sound how she wants to sound whether she is tough, sultry, or tender in her musical styling.

With lyrics as unique as her voice, Ryder is sure to be one of the smash hits of the American music scene. She is emotional, strong, and calm in her approach, which leaves a lasting effect on the listener. Her voice is uniquely addicting, which is wonderful because she is filling a much needed void in American music and the chick rock scene. While Jewel, Alanis Morrisette, and the once great Sarah McLaughlin have seemingly faded from the scene, Ryder will pick up and revive the genre where they left off.

In celebration of Ryder coming to America with her music, a five song EP has been released. I was offered a copy of the songs for review. The first thing that struck me about Ryder was her voice. Her musical accompaniment is incredibly simple because her vocals are able to stand up on their own with little help. It was her lyrics that really got to me though. Ryder has a way about her lyrics that remind me of the late, great Jim Morrison. One of the many things that made Morrison’s best songs stand out were the elements of poetry found in the songs. He was a poet prior to being involved in music and his poetry was crafted to become his music. Many of Ryder’s lyrics have that same pleasant, literary feel to them.

The name of the five songs on this EP by Serena Ryder, which are meant to introduce her to the US, and some thoughts about each track are listed below.

“Blown like the Wind at Night” – As the first song (I listened to them in backwards order) my immediate thought was that Ryder’s sound, meaning both lyrical and musically, was interesting. I found the soft rock elements flattered the song perfectly. The mix of style with Ryder’s unique voice blend to make a new song that I have been desperately waiting to hear. I love Ryder’s voice with all of its soothing, beautiful qualities. I also love the versatility. While one moment she is being soothing and seductive, the next minute she sounds harsh, deliberate, and calculating. It’s this kind of quality that will keep listeners aching for more.

“Weak in the Knees” – This lyrics here are just amazing. I can see her being huge in the chick rock scene. A jilted song of love can be hard to pull off without sounding whiny or weak, but Ryder has a way about her that gives us hope that all will end well. There were elements here that reminded me a little bit of country music though it was not prevalent enough that it would bother non-country fans.

Thanks to the strength and excitement that plays through Ryder’s voice I can see her doing an excellent job at adding some interesting content to the failing chick rock scene. I am sure that she will become a big force in the music industry. Her music is relatable, strong, and has lyrics that produce just the right levels of emotion.

“Brand New Love” – This one tends to be a little more upbeat than the previous songs. Despite being upbeat there is still that mellow, hippy-like quality about it that is incredibly appealing. This is likely due to the fact that Ryder’s music is more on the acoustic end of things with a simple guitar and some drums leading the way for most songs. It’s refreshing to see someone concentrate on basic instruments and their voice to fuel their music. Ryder is gaining more respect from me with every song. She reminds me of a cross between Janis Joplin and a younger, more empowering, less pop Sheryl Crow.

“Hiding Place” – This is one of the slowest of the five songs that I have heard thus far. I can’t get over how pleasing her voice is in its uniqueness. I used to love to listen to Jewel because her voice had the same effect on me. It’s likely I will be looking up Ryder more in the future and will be picking up her CDs when they are available. At this stage, it is hard to pick a favorite song, because I like them all. I wouldn’t turn any of them off if they came on the radio or if I’m playing one of her CDs. “Hiding Place” offers lyrics that are both profound and open in their aggressive honesty though this comes as no surprise at this point because all of Ryder’s work had exceeded my standard expectations.

“Told you in a Whispered Song” – This song offers a nice, soft Jazz beat with a good sound and interesting lyrics. Keeping that in mind, it is set to be a hit if and when it lands on the radio. It’s unique enough to stand out and strong enough to become catchy. I have no doubt that Ryder is poised to make a big splash in whatever she does in music. It is refreshing to welcome her to ranks of female musician stardom. She is definitely a welcome addition and I look forward to seeing all she will do from this point on.

If you are looking for a fresh, new sound by a female artist that can actually sing in this age of self-diluted, drugged out, over synthesized pop artists then Serena Ryder is your dream singer. Actually, she is most likely much more then you ever could anticipate.

Technorati Tags: Serena Ryder, Music, EP, Music Review, Jewel, Jim Morrison, Alanis, Canadian Singer, Crossover, America

Fans of classic rock will love this Led Zeppelin set. The set features two CDs and one DVD. The track listings are below. Literary Illusions is proud to be offering one of these great sets to one lucky winner.

CD 1 Track List

Good Times Bad Times
Communication Breakdown
Dazed and Confused
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
Whole Lotta Love
Ramble On
Heartbreaker
Immigrant Song
Since I’ve Been Loving You
Rock and Roll
Black Dog
When the Levee Breaks
Stairway to Heaven

CD 2 Track List

The Song Remains the Same
Over the Hills and Far Away
D’Yer Mak’er
No Quarter
Trampled Under Foot
Houses of the Holy
Kashmir
Nobody’s Fault but Mine
Achilles Last Stand
In the Evening
All My Love

VD Track Listing:

We’re Gonna Grove
I Can’t Quit You Babe
Dazed and Confused
White Summer
What is and What Should Never Be
Moby Dick
Whole Lotta Love
Communication Breakdown
Bring it on Home
Immigrant Song
Black Dog
Misty Mountain Hop
The Ocean
Going to California
In my Time of Dying
Stairway to Heaven
Rock and Roll
Nobody’s Fault but Mine
Kashmir
Whole Lotta Love

To enter you must be 18 years of age and have not won a contest with us in the past 30 days. You must also be a US resident. Please make sure you only enter once (comments are moderated due to Spam if you do not see your comment right away do not worry as it is completely normal). A valid email is necessary for your entry. We will pick a winner on December 1, 2007. Entries will be closed at 11:59 PM on November 30, 2007. Please check back to see if you’re a winner in December!

To enter just leave us a comment.
UPDATE:

THANKS FOR ENTERING EVERYBODY! GOOD LUCK IN OUR OTHER CONTESTS!

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