In no particular order:
"Chickenfoot" by Chickenfoot -- the 1st album from the super group made up of Sammy Hagar, Micheal Anthony (both formerly of Van Halen), Joe Satriani, and Chad Smith (drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) was a probably the best pure rock and roll album release this year, in my opinion. I hope they keep pumping out music. I'd love to catch one of their shows if they decide to tour again, but I'd settle for a live performance collection.
"All I Ever Wanted" by Kelly Clarkson -- after a lackluster third album, I was eagerly anticipating my favorite American Idol's fourth. And I was not dissappointed. She returned to the "sound" I loved with her "Breakaway" album. It has some great upbeat songs and some really nice ballads that allow her to show off her great voice.
"Hope for the Hopeless" by Brett Dennen -- before he opened for O.A.R. this summer, I'd never heard of Brett, but I grew to appreciate his reggae/soft rock style. This album isn't spectacular, but it is the perfect soundtrack for cubicle life. It plays an integral part of my "Jam/Chill" playlist.
"TRY" by the John Mayer Trio -- a great live album that showcases John's amazing guitar ability, which often gets overlooked.
"Everything All the Time" by Band of Horses -- this is another previously-unknown-to-me group, but after their song "The Funeral" was used as the soundtrack for Danny MacAskill's bike-trick video, I knew I needed to investigate the band. "The Funeral" is hands down the best song of the album, but I have enjoyed their haunting/erie rock vibe.
"King Baby" by Jim Gaffigan -- as he is currently my favorite stand-up comedian, I literally bought this album the minute it was released (and didn't even have to leave the house. Thanks wifi and Amazon). I enjoyed this album even more because it was comprised of the material he used in the concert I saw in Omaha with my pal Ron. Great, great comedy album.
"Live From Nowhere in Particular" by Joe Bonamassa -- a great blues guitarist who I first learned about on the Bob and Tom Show, this is a really nice live album. No need to say more, as I blogged about this one previously.
"Cage the Elephant" by Cage the Elephant -- on a tip from my sister, I found this album on sale at Amazon, and was pleased with the purchase. This up-and-coming band from Kentucky mixes punk/funk/southern rock in a very interesting way. (But be warned that their lyrics lean toward the explicit side.)
"Cradlesong" by Rob Thomas -- once again, the lead singer for Matchbox 20 delivers a solid solo effort.
"Bulletproof" by Reckless Kelly -- on a tip from Friar Tuck, I looked into this band, and this album immediately grabbed my attention. I bought this one today, and thoroughly enjoyed their southern rock on my first trip through the songs.
"The Live Anthology" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers -- while my "Rock" playlist is extensive, it has always been missing Tom Petty songs. So I was excited with this purchase as it contains nearly all the songs from his catalog. Listening to these songs takes me back to cruising Main Street in high school.
"Middle Class Funny" by John Heffron -- as he is my second favorite stand-up comedian, dating back to his "Last Comic Standing" days, I was excited to buy his latest release. I especially enjoyed his bits on his childhood memories, as the resonate with my childhood.
Yes, he was the best
12 hours ago
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I am surprised to see that Carrie Underwood was left off this list. However that could be because you didn't actually purchase her new album, but rather pirated it. Is that the reasoning or did you just find the album to be kind of blah? -Rach
ReplyDeleteCorrect on both counts. While it has grown on me after the initial disappointment with the quality, it isn't one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it wasn't pirated, it was gifted to me. So I left off the ones that were gifted to me, even if they were decent albums (Carrie, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Glee, etc.).
--Eric
Good reading this postt
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