BuzzSugar

What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:41 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. Here's what's on my list this week:

Unmistakable voice: I've been excited about the new Ray LaMontagne album, Gossip in the Grain, and am so glad it's already getting some high marks from music critics. The trademark soulful, gruff vocals are all there and familiar on tracks like "You Are the Best Thing" and "Let it Be Me," but there's also something different going on in songs like "Meg White" and "Hey Me, Hey Mama" that's a pleasant surprise. I think I'll download the whole thing.

Pretty ditties: I like Ingrid Michaelson's big hit single, "The Way I Am," and was curious to check out her new album today called Be OK. The title track is upbeat and bouncy, there's a lovely cover of "Over the Rainbow," and "You and I" is pretty darn cute. There are also a couple of live recordings, including "The Chain" performed in Webster Hall.

One more selection, so just read more.

Finding a balance: I've been a fan of Keane through the band's ups and downs and am happy to report that Keane's newest album, Perfect Symmetry, is being received pretty well. USA Today says this album "finds the group moving onward and upward, at least musically speaking." The first song, "Spiralling," is great, and "Better Than This" is quirky and fun.

First All-Female Hotel Cafe Tour Lineup Looks Awesome (and Affordable!)

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:33:50 -0700

For the past four years, the Hotel Cafe Tour has practically been a required gig for musicians on the road to breakout success (coincidentally, that same road often includes stops on shows like Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl, and, of course, Old Navy commercials). This year is unique because it's the first time the tour will have an entirely female lineup, sort of like a Lilith Fair for a new generation. What's even more exciting than the acts is how affordable it is - for the San Francisco show that I would like to attend the ticket price is $19!

Each city along the way will feature a handful of artists from the roster, which includes Rachael Yamagata, Ingrid Michaelson, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Thao Nguyen, Brooke Fraser, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lenka, Emily Wells, and more. You can see who is playing in your city at the Hotel Cafe's MySpace page, which also says that tickets went on pre-sale "today."

For now, you can check out a little playlist I put together featuring artists from the tour if you read more.

Hotel Cafe Buzz

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What's Buzzworthy: Your Holiday Wish List

BuzzSugar — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:30:00 -0800

I hope Santa checked out the results of my latest Buzzworthy challenge. If he did, he knows exactly what's on Buzz readers' wish lists. Here are a few of the pop-culture goodies you said you wanted this holiday season:

Medium: Three-Season Pack
This collection of the first three seasons of Patricia Arquette's NBC show caught gruaig_rua's eye. She wrote: "What I love most about this show is that Patricia Arquette's character is so realistic. She's not a glamorous career woman - she's struggling to juggle her family life and work life, and also a gift that sometimes seems like a curse."

I Am America (And So Can You)
A couple of you - namely Adrianne and alillee - mentioned hoping someone will wrap up this Stephen Colbert book for them. Wrote Adrianne: "Since the Colbert Report has gone on hiatus for the writers' strike, I need some Colbert in my life to fill the void! I read the first few pages while at the bookstore recently and couldn't put it down!"

Three more, plus a widget with everyone's wish list picks, so read more

Harry Potter Years 1–5 Limited-Edition Gift Set
CupcakeGal10 hopes someone picks up this boxed set of the first five Harry Potter movies for her. She wrote: "Even after all of the buzz surrounding Harry Potter this year - the seventh book coming out, the fifth movie in the theaters - I still can't get enough of J.K. Rowling's magical world! Her stories provide such great reading escapes, yet she instills such great life lessons at the same time. I think the movies do an incredible job of following the books, and now that I know what is going to happen to all of the characters, I can't wait to see how the director portrays the last two novels!"

The Journey of Natty Gann
Fab_Kitty had this 1985 family favorite on her list. She wrote: "Of course I have to ask for something with John Cusack! Plus, I can feel perfectly comfortable popping this in the DVD player Christmas evening and watching it with the whole family."

Girls and Boys
This album from rising star Ingrid Michaelson is a must-get for nikkigz, who wrote: "I loved her song "The Way I Am" on that Old Navy commercial, so I previewed all the tracks on her CD and now I really want to have it."

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