Undone

This is my anthem for the summer.

I flipping love Daniel Bashta and his sister Harvest Parker. They are the creative genius behind amazing songs such as 'Like A Lion', 'Pursuit' and 'The Song of the Lamb' and have been covered by everyone from Newsboys and the David Crowder band to Kim Walker-Smith.

Undone is Daniel's latest single and it's been pretty much on repeat in my house for over a week now.

Enjoy.

Ladders, Rocks and Lightning Swords

Last weekend I was at a prophetic forum hosted by my church and we had visiting worship leader Andy Smith. He was a total legend, his seminar was a hilarious, yet insightful stream of consciousness and he lead worship in such a free and unplanned way that was so refreshing. 

I came home singing a spontaneous song he'd brought with the lyrics:

"When I stand up, I stand up in a suped up, supernatural Jesus; I'm hidden in Him; it's like I've got a Holy Spirit exoskeleton" 

Which my five year old claims is the best 'Jesus' song he's ever heard. Sorry Andy, apparently it still doesn't measure up to gangnam style :-\ 

I bought Andy's new album Ladders Rocks and Lightning Swords, which is excellent, but the song I want to post today is one he shared the lyrics to in the seminar at the forum. This song was written whilst Andy was a part of the Eden project in Manchester and it's so beautiful. 

Enjoy.

Pride of Mine - Freedom4Her

It's been a loooooooooonnnnnnnggggg time since I did one of these posts, and it's not even a Saturday(!) - but I really wanted to share this song/album with you!

I met David Olinger years ago and fell in love with his song 'My Deliverer' (prize if you spot me and/or Will in the video!) and his album 'Hope' is every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be.

My favourite song is called 'Pride of Mine' and you can listen to it in the widget below, but I encourage you to buy the whole album, because it really is great - and as if that wasn't a good enough reason, for the entire month of march, 100% of the profits will be donated to 'Freedom 4 Her' to help the fight to eliminate sex trafficking and save lives.

For more on why this cause is close to my heart right now, and a training opportunity you can read my post on Human Trafficking on my main blog.

But right now, turn up the volume, get happy, sing like you want to, dance like you want to and remember that you'll never live this moment again...

Pride of mine, hurry up and die so I can sing like I want to. Pride of mine, hurry up and die so I can dance like I want to. Pride of mine, hurry up and die so I can love without caution. Pride of mine, I don’t have time for you or your rules. We’ll never get this moment again. I’m gonna worship like it’s my last. We’ll never get this moment again. I’m gonna worship with all I have. Isn’t He worthy? 

Liberty

It's been ages since I've done this, but I've fallen in love with a new band and I had to share!

Shane & Shane did a song called 'The One You Need' which is lovely and led me to look up their album on iTunes. I bought it and turns out that is not even the best song on the album. It's probably the best £7.99 I ever spent (and that includes the BB cream foundation I just bought)!

The whole album is fantastic and I totally recommend it, but the best song on the is 'Liberty'. You want to turn your bass up LOUD for this one. Honestly I could listen to it on repeat. Forever. Except that it's annoying my children. Husband loves it though, so...

Anyway, this is not as good a version as the album, but it's the best I could find on youtube. Now I just need convince the worship team that we need to start playing this a church...

The Muppets

We went to see 'A Monster in Paris' at the cinema (again) this morning - but they'd sold out!!

As we were there anyway we went to see the Muppet's Movie anyway. I wasn't looking forward to it (I recently had to sit through the Smurf's Movie and I wasn't sure my parenting endurance was capable of going through that again) but I was pleasantly surprised.

In fact, I loved it. It had a real Flight of the Conchords (one of my favourite shows) feel about it. Hardly surprising since it turns out Bret McKenzie wrote some of the music.

Anyway, here's one of my favourite songs from the movie, sung by Bret and Kermit.

Sunburn

Today's song is taken from Catatonia's 1998 album International Velvet which was on my CD player for weeks at a time as a teenager. It has some great songs, but my absolute favourite is Don't Need the Sunshine.

I was reminded of it this week as our weather turns colder, but my sunburn shines brightly on. It opens with the lyrics 'It's a most peculiar feeling, like sunburn in the evening...' which was so true this week. Outside, watering the garden in the shiveringly cold air, with my skin still radiating heat did feel very odd.

Catatonia, for those who don't remember them, are a welsh band, fronted by Cerys Matthews. They originally chose the name 'Sweet Catatonia' believing Catatonia to mean extreme pleasure and sleep, but upon discovering it was actually a psychiatric condition they dropped the 'Sweet' part.

The band were fairly successful until Matthews started suffering with anxiety attacks and nervous exhaustions, which resulted in tour dates being cancelled regularly and the deterioration of relationships within the band. It seems some people just are cut out for the pressures associated with fame, even if they do have the talent to get there. The band dissolved in 2001 and although Matthews continues a solo career, it's a quieter one than Catatonia enjoyed with less promotional activities.

Just a little Kiss

It's summer-y weather again and I couldn't resist bringing one of Will's favourite songs out this week. It's from the 'A Monster in Paris' Soundtrack and is sung by Vanessa Paradis.

We saw this movie at the cinema with the kids and loved it so much I've bought the DVD for Mamie's birthday (shhhh! it's a secret)!

Vanessa Paradis is a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, and as if that wasn't enough to make you jealous she's been dating Johnny Depp for 14 years and has two children with him.

But enough about her, this is such a feel good song, which never fails to lift my spirits. Un P'tit Baiser - or Just a Little Kiss.

Coconut Woman

It's so sunny this morning!

It's getting me excited that summer is just around the corner. I know we're predicted frost soon, but in good faith I have been getting out some of my favourite summertime artists to listen to.

One of the best is Harry Belafonte. Nothing screams summer like one of his albums (except the Christmas ones -  although even they have a somewhat tropical feel....).

The first time I heard Harry Belafonte was in his song 'Jump In The Line' for the movie 'Beetlejuice' and it's still one of my favourite songs. Me and the kids dance around the kitchen to it A LOT. Apparently he is best known for the Banana Boat song though.

Although Harry was a brilliant singer, song writer and actor, perhaps one of the most significant parts of his career is that he has been a social activist fighting for civil rights and humanitarian causes since his rise to popularity in the 1950s. In fact, Belafonte was one of Martin Luther King Jrs friends and confidants - raising thousands of dollars in concerts to bail him and others out of prison on numerous occasions.

Despite being a massively interesting guy, politically and socially, he is also responsible for bringing Caribbean style music to US popularity.

This is one of our family favourites - The Coconut Women. It's a fun song, especially the tonuge in cheek parts about drinking rum making you 'dance like a gypsy'. My kids love it and we always end up dancing and giggling when we listen.

Hope you enjoy it in preparations for summer.

Sovereign

Earlier this week I bought Amber Brooks and David Vallier's Album 'Sovereign'. There are far too many amazing tracks on this album for me to share them all, but you should definitely buy it on itunes if you have a spare £7.99 knocking around. 

I've been a fan of David and Amber's since I attended the Worship and Warfare conference in South Carolina at their church in 2009. I bought Amber's album 'Still I rise' whilst I was there and three years on it is still on me and my husbands regular play lists. She writes in such a unique way and uses sounds that are so refreshing from the standard guitar band set up of most contemporary worship.  

David Vallier also has such a unique voice and sound, and together they have made a stunning album. Here is an acoustic version of the title track 'sovereign' which I have been listening to all week. 

Enjoy.

 

Girl On Fire

I recently went to see 'The Hunger Games' movie at the cinema and LOVED it. I'm told I didn't enjoy it as much as those who read the book first, but I don't care. I really enjoyed it.

Sadly this song, 'Girl On Fire' by Ella Mae Bowen didn't make it into the movie, but it is on the soundtrack. I'm a massive fan of Ella Mae Bowen, ever since her amazing cover of Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding out for a Hero'. It's such a beautiful haunting version of a classic song. So different from the original, it's innovative and stunning.

Enjoy.

April Shower

I haven't done this for aaaages.... but anyway, here is my song for the week.

Disney's April Shower - in honour of the fact that we had my sisters baby shower yesterday, and it's april, obviously.

Baby D is due on wednesday - So exciting!!

Aquarium

It's been snowing today which always reminds me of one of my favourite pieces of piano music. It's so magical and just perfect for a winters evening watching snowflakes fall.

It's called 'Aquarium' from Saint-Saens 'Carnival of the Animals' although you may feel you recognise it better as the music from the introduction of Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast'. Although Alan Menken's Prologue to beauty and the beast is very similar (and no doubt based upon this piece) they aren't actually the same (though it is also an exquisitely beautifully written piece).

Interestingly, Saint-Saens apparently felt the piece was 'too frivolous' and would not allow it to be performed in his lifetime, except for to a few close friends, as he was worried it may damage his reputation as a serious composer!

Fortunately for us, he did make provisions for it to be published after his death - otherwise we would never have heard it. It would have been a terrible waste as it is such a sublimely delicate and engaging piece of music.

My Deliverer

This is one of my favourite songs from a conference I went to in 2007. It's available on iTunes on the album 'Worship & Warfare III'

I don't know much about David Olinger, but I love this song. Here are some of my favourite lyrics:

I’m not so sure about this journey
It’s an awfully long way
I’ve got a cloud by day and a fire by night
But I still feel so afraid
I’m learning to believe in the promise of Your Word
And I’m walking out of Egypt
Into the freedom of the Lord

My deliver is the great I Am

Sinkin' Soon

Norah Jones has one of those voices I just never grow tired of. She's won 9 grammies and sold 37 million albums and you can hear why. She sites Bill Evans and Billie Holiday as two of her favorite artists and inspirations, which is probably why I like her so much, being a massive Billie Holiday fan myself.

Sinkin' soon is from her 2007 album 'Too late'. Apparently they couldn't get the song right whilst trying to record it so they went out for a few drinks, 'I guess we needed a little bit of that drunken sailor vibe' said Jones, 'because we came back and recorded this on the first take'.

Drunk or not, they produced a song with such a chilled out vibe that I can't resist listening to it whilst reading snuggled up in a warm blanket on a cold january evening. Enjoy.

New Year's Eve!!

This new years we are having a house party, but despite Christmas being all over a week away, I'm not done with my Christmas music yet!

This year we will be listening to Christmas remixes as the background music to our evening. I absolutely love the 'Christmas Remixed' album but this weeks song that's totally been my theme tune is the Baby It's Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix).

Plug your computer into some decent speakers and crank up the bass for this gem.

Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas...

This Saturday's song has been done by many, but in my opinion, none have come close to doing so great a job as Ella Fitzgerald does it. There's just something so fitting for the season about her voice.

Known as the 'First Lady of Song' she well deserved the title. Her vocal range spanned three octaves and her purity of tone, impeccable diction, intonation and phrasing make her one of my favorite artists of all time.

In fact, an Ella fitzgerald christmas playlist should be in every home at this time of year.

Caro Emerald

I love this lady! Caro Emerald's album 'Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor' is definitely going on my christmas list. The album features ballroom jazz, cinematic tangos, groovin' jazz tracks and infectious mambos that sound like they were recorded in the golden age in Hollywood's most celebrated recording studios. But the smoking beats, catchy songs and inventive production mark Caro out as a present-day phenomenon. She's fun, light hearted and so easy to listen to. I can't help but dance whilst doing my housework when she is on the radio.

Here's a track from the album 'That Man'.



And if you liked that, here is a little bonus (it's nearly christmas after all!) her acoustic 'You're All I Want for Christmas' with Brook Benton was just recorded in the last two weeks, and here it is:

On Our Side

I feel I've been very good in not introducing loads of christmas music (now that my son's birthday is done I am totally christmassifying my house right now), and although this weeks artist does have some amazing christmas songs (her versions of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and O Come O Come Emmanuel are totally worth buying full albums for), the song I'm sharing is not a christmas one.

I mean it's not specifically a christmas song. You could play it at anytime of the year really, including christmas. Events this week have brought this song back into memory so here it is, Bethany Dillon 'You Are On Our Side'

KidSave

This weeks song is by Lionel Neykov. I was first introduced to him by GarageBand when I fell in love with his song 'Freeze My Senses'.

Lionel is a talented song writer, and although this week's song isn't his best vocal track (IMHO) I've chosen it because I want to encourage you to download it from KidSave. He's what Lionel has to say about them:

Kidsave is a wonderful organization that specializes in helping foster kids and orphans make a lasting connection with a family. Because they realize there's nothing more important in the development of a child than being able to rely on someone who you know is going to be there for you no matter what. And that's what this song is all about. I was taking the love of my parents so much for granted. But when I fell on hard times last year, the truth is nobody else was there for me. Nobody else believes in me as much as my parents do. And now I know how precious that is. How much we all need that.

On Kidsave's website there are some pretty shocking statistics about what happens to foster children and orphans who have to grow up without that kind of love and support. How much more likely they are to run into hardship and trouble. So it really makes sense to try and find parental figures for these kids, even for the older ones, the teenagers. They perhaps need it the most. Because it's never too late to create that special bond. And it's never too late to rekindle it either...

For more on our interest in orphans, you can read the 'Adoption' tab on my main blog.

So here is the song, it's called Vanio and you can download it here for a donation of $0.99 or more.

Thanksgiving Prayer

This week it was thanksgiving and I couldn't resist some classic, old time, music from Johnny Cash. Johnny and June Carter-Cash are american music heroes, if you haven't seen 'Walk the Line' you should rent it. Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix make a beautiful, humblingly realistic, pair.

So this week's song is John singing 'Thanksgiving Prayer' from an episode of Dr Quinn Medicine Woman.