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Posts Tagged ‘music’

The exceptionally talented Pop group 112 have released their CD entitled Room 112. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe 112 fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Room 112 their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.

112 have been a super stars in the Pop genre for quite some time now and Room 112 is an excellent illustration as to why.

One of the nicer things about a CD like this is when the talent is this rich even if Pop isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the musicians.

This is a first rate CD, delivering a little something for everyone. I give it two thumbs up. It’s quite simply great listening. A must buy for the Pop fan.

While the entire album is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 – Be With You, track 8 – Love You Like I Did, and track 19 – Your Letter

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 2 – So Much Love. Outstanding!

Room 112 Release Notes:

112 originally released Room 112 on November 10, 1998 on the Bad Boy Entertainment label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Room 112 – (intro) 2. So Much Love – (interlude) 3. Be With You 4. Love Me – (featuring Mase) 5. Only One, The – (featuring Lil’ Kim) 6. Anywhere – (interlude) 7. Anywhere 8. Love You Like I Did 9. For Awhile – (featuring Faith Evans) 10. Don’t Go Away – (interlude) 11. Stay With Me 12. Watcha Gonna Do – (featuring MJG) 13. Crazy Over You 14. Funny Feelings 15. Never Mind 16. Someone To Hold 17. All My Love 18. You Are The Only One – (interlude) 19. Your Letter

112: Marvin, Daron, Q, Mike (vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Zane Copeland, Jr., Mase, Lil’ Kim, 8-Ball, MJG (rap vocals); Faith Evans (vocals); Arnold Hennings (various instruments); Ali Boudris (guitar); J-Dub (strings); Kris Kellow (keyboards, programming).

Producers include: J-Dub, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Daron Jones, Mario Winans, Steven “Stevie J” Jordan.

Engineers include: Ed Raso, Stephen Dent, Rob Paustian.

Richly talented Pop artist Billy Cobham has released him latest album titled Spectrum and Wow! It’s good.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Spectrum. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Spectrum is a pleasantly varied, mix of 6 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly outstanding artist. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are him own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions like love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

Overall Spectrum is a solid release. Quite possibly Billy Cobham’s best to date. Really spectacular from beginning to end. If you’re even mildly into Pop music you’ll enjoy this CD.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 – Searching For The Right Door / Spectrum, track 5 – To The Women In My Life / Le Lis, and track 6 – Snoopy’s Search / Red Baron.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Quadrant 4. This is a great track!

Spectrum Release Notes:

Billy Cobham originally released Spectrum on February 25, 1992 on the Rhino Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Quadrant 4 2. Searching For The Right Door / Spectrum 3. Anxiety / Taurian Matador 4. Stratus 5. To The Women In My Life / Le Lis 6. Snoopy’s Search / Red Baron

Personnel: Billy Cobham (percussion); Joe Farrell (soprano & alto saxophone, flute); Jimmy Owens (flugelhorn, trumpet); Jan Hammer (piano, electric piano, Moog synthesizer); John Tropea, Tommy Bolin (guitar); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Lee Sklar (electric bass); Ray Barretto (congas).

The exceptionally talented Pop artist Donell Jones has released him CD entitled Life Goes On. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Donell Jones fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Life Goes On Donell Jones’s artistic excellence is on full display as Jones has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the nicer things about a CD like this is with this level of talent even if Pop isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.

Overall Life Goes On is an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up and is most definitely a worthy addition to any Pop collection. Truly an outstanding Pop CD. One of those that is completely void of any wasted time, as each track is simply superb.

While the entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 3 – You Know That I Love You, track 6 – Life Goes On, and track 12 – I Hope It’s You

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 5 – Do U Wanna. Great track!

Life Goes On Release Notes:

Donell Jones originally released Life Goes On on June 4, 2002 on the LaFace label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Still 2. Put Me Down 3. You Know That I Love You 4. Where You Are (Is Where I Wanna Be) (Part 2) 5. Do U Wanna 6. Life Goes On 7. Freakin’ U 8. Gotta Get Her (Outta Of My Head) 9. Guilty By Suspicion 10. Don’t Leave 11. Come Back 12. I Hope It’s You 13. Untitled – (hidden track)

Personnel include: Donnell Jones (vocals, programming); Sheldon Goode (guitar); Kyle West (keyboards); Bashiri Johnson (percussion).

Producers: Jamie Hawkins, Chris Absolam, Richard Smith, Donell Jones, Edward “Eddie F” Ferrell.

Recorded at Candyland Studios, Teaneck, New Jersey, Playground/Minimansion, New Jersey, Chun King Recording Studios, New York, New York.

The exceptionally talented Pop artist Avril Lavigne has released her CD entitled Let Go. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Avril Lavigne fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Let Go Avril Lavigne’s artistic excellence is on full display as Lavigne has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be her best work to date.

This one will grab your attention right from the start with Losing Grip and won’t let go until the very last note of the very last song Naked, which is another great track by the way.

Let Go is a nicely varied, mix of 13 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly gifted artist. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are her own personal experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions like love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

If you’re even mildly into Pop music you’ll enjoy this album. Overall Let Go is an outstanding release. I give it my double thumbs up. You will not be disappointed with one single track.

While the entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 8 – Anything But Ordinary, track 12 – Too Much To Ask, and track 13 – Naked

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Losing Grip. Good stuff!

Let Go Release Notes:

Avril Lavigne originally released Let Go on June 4, 2002 on the Arista Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Losing Grip 2. Complicated 3. Sk8er Boy 4. I’m With You 5. Mobile 6. Unwanted 7. Tomorrow 8. Anything But Ordinary 9. Things I’ll Never Say 10. My World 11. Nobody’s Fool 12. Too Much To Ask 13. Naked

Personnel: Avril Lavigne (vocals, guitar); Evan Taubenfeld (guitar); Mark Spicoluk (bass); Matthew Brann (drums). Producers: Clif Magness, The Matrix, Curt Frasca, Peter Zizzo.

The exceptionally talented Pop group TLC have released their CD entitled 3D. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe TLC fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of 3D their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.

It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it’s own.

3D has a nicely varied, mix of 13 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly talented musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

Overall 3D is an outstanding release. Quite possibly TLC’s best to date. Really sensational from beginning to end. If you’re even mildly into Pop music you’ll enjoy this CD.

While this entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 – Girl Talk, track 5 – In Your Arms Tonight, and track 7 – Hands Up

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 13 – Give It To Me While It’s Hot. What a nice track!

3D Release Notes:

TLC originally released 3D on November 12, 2002 on the LaFace label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. 3D – (intro) 2. Quickie 3. Girl Talk 4. Turntable 5. In Your Arms Tonight 6. Over Me 7. Hands Up 8. Damaged 9. Dirty Dirty 10. So So Dumb 11. Good Love 12. Hey Hey Hey Hey 13. Give It To Me While It’s Hot

TLC: Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Chilli, Lisa Left Eye Lopes (vocals). Additional personnel: Rodney Jerkins (vocals, samples); Tron Austin (vocals); Babyface (acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, programming); Raphael Saadiq (guitar, bass); Tomi Martin, Danny O’Donough, Tony Reyes (guitar); Colin Wolfe, Shorty B (bass); Sigurdur Birkis, Tom Knight (drums); Riprock, Alex G., Organized Noize (programming); DJ Ruckus (scratches); Debra Killings, Missy Elliot, Chase Rollison, Lester Finnel, Bill Diggins, Mark Pitts, Marde Johnson, Shawn Beasley (background vocals); Eddie Hustle. Producers: Lisa “Left Eye Lopes”, Chilli, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Bill Diggins.

I can describe the latest release from Pop sensation Gerald Levert for you with just one word… Outstanding!

12 launches with a great track, Private Line, that I anticipate will be heard on radio stations everywhere, and deservedly so. It’s a really nice track.

Unfortunately, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with 12. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

12 has a pleasantly varied, mix of 12 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly talented artist. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are him own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions like love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.

If you’re even mildly into Pop music you’ll enjoy this album. Overall 12 is an a great release. I give it my double thumbs up. You will not be disappointed with one single track.

While the entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 3 – Baby Hold On To Me, track 9 – Just Because I’m Wrong, and track 12 – Private Line.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Private Line. This is a great track!

12 Release Notes:

Gerald Levert originally released 12 on October 15, 1991 on the EastWest America label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Private Line 2. School Me 3. Baby Hold On To Me – (with Eddie Levert) 4. Can You Handle It 5. Shootin’ The Breeze 6. I Wanna Be Bad 7. Just A Little Something 8. Hurting For You 9. Just Because I’m Wrong 10. Hugs And Kisses 11. You Oughtta Be With Me 12. Private Line – (radio club remix, bonus track)

You might be thinking as to how music can be used effectively for stress management. There are few basic principles that you should understand so as to tailor your favorite music for the purpose of stress management.

1. You should use your favorite category of music and in case you don’t like Mozart or classical music then don’t use it. Good and quality music can be found in most genre of music.

2. You should choose music that has pleasant associations for you or music that brings you cheerful memories.

3. If you want to try new music, then go for instrumental music tends that are more stress relieving than the music having lyrics because this doesn’t requires you t o think.

4. You should choose music that is slow and has regular pulse or beat. This is because researchers discovered that music with the tempo of healthy resting heartbeat will synchronize your own breathing and heart beat to it thereby slowing down your racing body rhythms.

5. Racing thoughts can often lead to anxious and stressed out feelings and for this you should use rhythms of slow music so as to slow down your body and thoughts.

Music is even used for surgery whereby surgeons listen to their favorite music while operating the people. This is because they know the power of music and the profound effect it has on their ability to focus and concentrate on their work. Surgeons listen to Mozart, Wagner, and Handel or sometimes, rock, jazz or pop and claim that they have more energy while music is being played.

Patient is not provided with music because it is the patient who is sleeping and is not able to hear music. But the fact is that music has tremendous benefits for the patient such as he needs fewer anesthesias, less anxiety before, less pain after, faster recovery, less time in the hospital and many more. Patient can hear music with the help of lightweight headphones.

Visit our recommended website music-future.com

Even if everything here is complete bunk, we can’t keep our eyes off of the veritable train wreck that our favorite celebrities treat us to on a daily basis. So, we scoured the rumor mills and gossip columns to bring to you the latest in who is doing what, who is doing who, who is going to jail and everything in between. So sit back, grab your box of bon bons and enjoy the latest from the music celebrity rumor mills.

Busta Rhymes, are you getting a fair shot? TMZ.com reports that he was stopped by police and admitted to having a shot of Hennessy before hopping behind the wheel of his Denali. The arrest report that TMZ obtained stated that Rhymes failed the sobriety test, but only blew a 0.067 later at the police station, which is below the legal limit of 0.08. He was reportedly charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while impaired.

Even though Paris Hilton really isn’t much of a music celebrity, she made the celebrity gossip hit list by getting sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving with a suspended license. She had the nerve to show up to court 20 minutes late powdering her nose. The judge put the clueless blonde in her place by sending her to the clinker.

Here’s some stuff from the world according to PerezHilton.com.

Pete Wentz reportedly left a little gift for Marilyn Manson at the rehearsal space that they share – a vial of his blood. What the?

It seems that American Idol sweetheart, Kelly Clarkson is slipping in the ranks. Her comeback isn’t going so great while fellow Idol veteran, Carrie Underwood in consistently outperforming Kelly on internet download charts.

A lot of hoo ha for a lip synched performance. Britney Spears (a.k.a. the rehab boomerang queen) recently “performed” at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney, Anaheim. And we use the word “perform” loosely. The sign outside said: NO cell phones, NO cameras, NO video. Hmmm, didn’t say anywhere on there “NO LIVE SINGING!”

OK, am I like the only one who says ENOUGH ABOUT BRITNEY?!!! She just isn’t that interesting.

The longest retirement in music history. Barbara Streisand, in perpetual “retire” mode, will be touring in Europe. And then that’s the very last one – again!

More American Idol dish. Jessica Sierra who was a former AI top ten finalist, apparently hit a guy with a glass, had cocaine on her person and, now this is interesting, is being charged with “the introduction of contraband into a detention facility.” Good grief! We don’t want to go there!

Looks like Courtney Love is planning on selling her late husband’s things. What better way to memorialize her hubby? She plans to pair up with Christie’s auction to put Kurt Cobain’s stuff up for sale. She plans to “make a lot of money and give a bunch of it to charity.” Uh, OK.

Ah, Boy George, did you really want to hurt him? Rumor has it that Boy George hired an escort, grabbed the poor guy and chained him to a wall. He handcuffed the poor little escort guy to the bed and produced a box of BDSM whips and sex toys, telling the terrified escort guy, “Now you’ll get what you deserve.” Nobody died, escort guy got away and Boy George was charged with assault and false imprisonment. The ’80s were a tough time.

PopDirt.com is dishing it big time! It seems that Paula Abdul doesn’t do so well when you put her on national TV without a script. Seems she gave a bizarre performance on QVC where she was promoting her jewelry line. Strange, strange girl, cute as a bug, though, and always seems so sweet on Idol – is that scripted??? Not her first bizarre public unscripted appearance, though.

Send that girl to driver’s ed! TMZ is reporting that they have recently acquired a lawsuit that was filed by the husband of the woman who was killed in a car accident that involved former pop princess Brandy. This is her second lawsuit on that accident. The suit claims that Brandy was traveling too fast for conditions, driving recklessly and carelessly and following too closely. The suit is for an “undisclosed amount,” but the woman’s parents are suing Brandy for $50 million. If this is any indication of what the husband is seeking, that girl needs to hire a chauffeur or stay off of the road.

Well, this is definitely a “hmmmm” moment and conjures up some interesting (if not disturbing) mental pictures. PerezHilton.com has some juicy info. It seems that passionate sister kissing James Haven, brother to multiple foreign kids adopting, blood vial wearing Angelina Jolie, is seeing Rebecca St. James. Now, if you are not moving in “those” circles you may not realize that St. James is a Christian pop singer. You also may not realize that she is a huge advocate for saving yourself until marriage and abstinence. Well, well, what is ol’ Jimmy thinking about that? Maybe Angie will adopt her and then it will be OK.

Now, we want to leave you with this warm, fuzzy mother and son moment.

TMZ says that Rush & Malloy says that Usher is preparing to fire his own mother, the woman who GAVE HIM LIFE, raised him and has been his manager from the very start. They reportedly do not get along, but it is said that Usher’s stylist and (surprise) fiance, Tameka Foster is egging it on. Usher’s rep is denying the rumor, but let’s face it, this seems like it happens more than we’d care to admit.

There is an endless stream of gossip flowing out of the lives of everyone, it’s just that the famous peeople’s are the best!

Can be an artist that is not current but at least within last 10 yrs of performing.

We’re experts at finding the right band or DJ for any party, so we’ve written this article to guide you through the process of choosing and booking live music: we’ll help you choose the right style, played by the right musicians, at the right price.

It can be quite a challenge to choose and book live music for a party: the music scene is more diverse than it has ever been before and offers a huge variety of styles; party venues come in all shapes and sizes and guests often have different tastes, with some wanting to dance and others preferring to mingle – and all this is before you even consider the budget!

The right style of music

Booking a band will make your event stand out from the rest because of the special atmosphere that live music creates, but the style to choose will depend on what you want the band to do. Do you want a loud, exciting band who will fill the dance floor and get everyone singing along? Or would you prefer your party music to add a sophisticated atmosphere that won’t interrupt conversation. bands for parties are available in every format: we supply everything from full carnival bands complete with limbo dancers to covers bands playing chart hits to acoustic duos and solo harpists.

If you have a wide range of guests and want to get them all dancing and singing along, book a covers band. These party bands tend to have extensive repertoires – including everything from Buddy Holly to Gnarls Barkley – and will have something for everybody. Most will be happy to learn a special song for you, and many include soul and funk (such as James Brown and Aretha Franklin) as well as chart pop and rock.

If you’re particularly keen on strutting your funky stuff, choose a specialist funk and soul band. These range from small and compact singers with backing tracks to big show bands with keyboards, horn sections and extra vocalists. They play funk and soul classics by artists such as the Jackson 5, Chic, and Kool and the Gang, adding modern Amy Winehouse and Jamiroquai. Some fit their set around a theme, focusing on 70s or 80s disco hits, and add costumes.

If you have a theme for your party, why not book live music to match? Tribute and novelty bands make great party entertainment, particularly when your guests are all roughly the same age and remember the era. Tribute bands can focus on a certain decade, or a specific artist – so you could hire an Abba tribute band for a 70s party or an Oasis tribute band for a 90s party.

For a similar level of entertainment, and something to suit guests of all ages, ceilidh bands can be a great choice. Your guests don’t need to know the steps beforehand – most bands provide a caller, who will teach everyone the right moves. Ceilidh bands can also provide quieter moments, mixing shanties, ballads and folk songs to give tired feet a break!

A less traditional alternative for those keen on dancing is Latin, which is becoming increasingly popular at more colourful and exotic parties. It’s popular with every audience, and the music ranges from well-known chart favourites by Ricky Martin and Miami Sound Machine to obscure standards to delight serious Latin fans. World music can be a wonderfully original addition to your entertainment – choose from options such as steel pan bands, flamenco and bluegrass – and will certainly give your guests something to talk about!

If your venue has a sound limiter, or the party is formal, a Rat Pack-style singer is great entertainment and will provide a sophisticated soundtrack. Swing makes a glamorous accompaniment to cocktail parties and won’t break the bank, with many acts singing to backing tracks or able to modify their bands to suit your budget.

Jazz is equally cool and sophisticated, but comes in a much wider range of styles and formats, so might be a better option if you want both quiet moments and something to accompany dancing later on. Choose from a long list of standards, or ask the band to learn something special for your event. Once you have chosen your style, you need to work out which band you want to hire.

You can get to know more about a band by looking at the information they provide; most usually post a biography, photos, videos, samples of their playing and their repertoire online. Many will also provide testimonials from previous audiences, so you can see what other people thought! Covers bands usually aim to make their version of a song sound as much like the record as possible, though others specialise in creating new arrangements and medleys, or add acoustic options.

Many bands also offer a DJ service between sets so that the dancing doesn’t have to stop, but this tends to be more limited than hiring a specialist DJ, who will carry far more music.

Choosing between a band and a DJ

Bands are a great addition to a party, giving your guests something to talk about long after the party has finished, and creating a special atmosphere, but sometimes the budget or practicalities can make it unrealistic to book a party band. A DJ can’t give you quite the same entertainment value or spontaneity as a party band, but will mean you get a bigger choice of songs (many of our party DJs carry as many as 10,000 songs to each party) and that your audience can make requests on the night. Our party DJs can also compere your event and make announcements, and many create state-of-the-art light shows.

The right band for your party venue

Make sure you choose a band who make it easy for you to stay in touch and discuss your arrangements for the party – remember that you’ll need to tell the band when to start and finish their set, let them know if you would like to hear certain songs, and possibly ask them to wear the right kind of clothes. A good party band will be used to accommodating the arrangements for events and will be able to work with you to make sure everything goes smoothly. They are usually self-contained, providing all the equipment they need, so that you don’t need to hire anything – but it’s always worth speaking to them beforehand and checking!

Party venues range from clubs and theatres that are designed for loud, live music to small rooms, restaurants and bars that require special arrangements. Many venues are now fitted with noise limiters and, although most party bands are used to working with these, it’s best to make sure the band knows about the noise limiter beforehand, so that they can bring the right equipment.

There are party bands to fit all kinds of venues, so don’t worry if your venue seems small or there are noise restrictions. Many bands can change their lineup, or play more quietly, so that they can fit in modest function rooms as well as large halls and venues designed for live music. Always tell your band or agent as much as you can about the venue when you book them (for example, size of the room/marquee, size of the performance area available, and noise limiters) so that they can organise the best possible show for you.

Function Central makes booking party music easy

Function Central is a live music for parties agency providing young, professional bands and musicians for parties all across the UK. We take over 300 party bookings a year and get great feedback from our clients. We make choosing and booking party music easy, providing support and advice right up to the event, and even a 24-hour helpline.

Booking the right live music for your party doesn’t need to be a chore – we hope you enjoy browsing the site and listening to our bands! If you’d like more information and suggestions, please get in touch.