singer-songwriters

What’s Making Me Happy: November 2017

/ saraletourneau / 28 Comments

Does anyone else feel like November zoomed by? Again? It feels that way every year, first with Thanksgiving and now Christmas approaching fast. And while November was relatively stress-free, I’ve been struggling to keep up with blogging because of changes in my work circumstances. I’m not sure how this impact the blog in the long term. But since I’m planning to take an annual holiday hiatus from blogging soon, the time-off might be a good chance to think about what changes, if any, might be needed for 2018.

But I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself, shouldn’t I? 🙂 So let’s turn our attention away from what may be ahead to what we can already be thankful for. As always, feel free to share your joys of the past month in your comments. But for now, I’ll share with you the things that made me happy this November!

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Time Flies!: September 2015

/ saraletourneau / 25 Comments

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Welcome to the latest edition of Time Flies! It’s my version of a monthly update, where I recap the past month’s accomplishments and articles, share news and random things from my offline life, and hint at what may be coming in the month ahead.

It can’t be fall. September can’t be over. I refuse to believe it!

Pikachu No gif

See? Even Pikachu agrees!

Ah, well. Denial only works for so long, right? And in some ways, I really enjoyed September. But in other ways, I ran myself into the ground halfway through the month. You probably noticed the massive output of articles over the past two months, not only here but at DIY MFA and other guest posts. In short, I demanded too much from myself over a short period of time – which led to a case of blogging fatigue. (A crazier-than-usual work schedule also didn’t help things…) I still pushed through it to stay on top of my writing, but I let a lot of other things (visiting other blogs, commenting on posts, etc.) slide because I’d simply lost the energy. And it’s not the first time I’ve done this to myself, either.

This time, I need to ensure I’ve learned my lesson. Which, in this case, means no extra blogging assignments for a while, apart from two October guest posts I’ve already committed to for DIY MFA and The Sprint Shack. More on both articles when each goes live.

All right. Let me give you a chance to catch up on the past month’s posts now:

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My 10 Favorite Albums of 2014

/ saraletourneau / 9 Comments

If I could use one word to describe the music of 2014 for me, it would be “weird.” Firstly, it was a year of transition and rediscovery music-wise. In May, I left my music-reviewing post at Sonic Cathedral after 5½ years so I could concentrate on novel-writing and other creative pursuits. Suddenly I had more freedom – and time! – to listen to genres besides female-fronted rock and metal. That explains why this year’s Top 10 list features the most variety I’ve ever had in my end-of-year countdowns. Yay! 🙂

Secondly, the quality of 2014’s music took me on a bumpy rollercoaster ride. There were awesome surprises, huge disappointments, and an unusually high number of “in-betweens” that I needed to replay several times before knowing how I felt about them. And in some ways, my #1 pick summarizes my year of music: It tips its hat to my “head-banging” past while shocking the hell out of me – in the best way possible. In fact, I don’t think my SC colleagues would have seen this one coming (except for one – she knows who she is, because it’s all her fault *winks*).

Buckled in? Then let’s go! Continue reading →

Music Mondays: Phillip Phillips – “Raging Fire”

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I normally post about metal and rock music, but every now and then I like good-quality singer-songwriter music from other genres. And I admit, I pay zero attention to TV singing competitions such as American Idol. But I’ve been on the Phillip Phillips (2012 AI winner) bandwagon for a couple years, and I’m not jumping off anytime soon. Phillip’s new album “Behind The Light” shows the gravelly-voiced, guitar-plucking songwriter expanding on the rugged, rootsy acoustic pop/rock sound from his debut CD. It’s more mature, with stronger lyrics and a more personalized touch from Phillip overall – but it’s also so upbeat and fun! With songs like first single “Raging Fire,” “Behind The Light” is the perfect summer pop/rock record. The rhythm and hopefulness are so contagious, I can’t help but dance whenever this track plays.

 

New Review at Suite101: Colbie Caillat’s “All Of You”

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My latest CD review was posted at Suite101 tonight! One of my favorite mainstream artists is acoustic pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, and the review is on her latest album All Of You. In some ways, All Of You isn’t much different than Colbie’s two previous studio albums (2007’s Coco and 2009’s Breakthrough). It’s still mellow, optimistic, romantic in a youthful way, and reminiscent of summer days  on the beach. However, Colbie starts to play with her sound on All Of You. How does she fair with this next step in her musical evolution? Well, if I told you that here, that would ruin all the fun, wouldn’t it? 😉

Click here to read my review of “All Of You.”

New CD Review: Amanda Somerville

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Oops… This is about a week late, but what can you do sometimes?  🙂

My latest CD review went up last weekend, and like the Dejafuse review this one is a bit different from the norm at Sonic Cathedral.  But because this lady has worked with some of the biggest names in metal (After Forever, Kamelot, Epica, etc etc etc), I figured there had to be some interest in her solo material.  And so… Continue reading →