Once upon a time, in a far away land (we’ll call this land “2001″), there lived a band who coined themselves The Calling. These gentlemen were popular among the princesses of America and drew in the hearts of acne-producing teenagers with their first hit single “Wherever You Will Go.” Now time passed and an evil wizard named “Indefinite Hiatus” came to the band and cast a spell leaving their musical careers dangling from the Cliff of Broken Dreams. My attempt is to creatively highlight this week’s throwback band, The Calling.
Upon initially hearing The Calling’s first hit single, “Wherever You Will Go,” I, along with many others sharing in my musical preference, were intrigued by the deep, melodic vocals of lead singer, Alex Band. To continue the seduction of new listeners, the song itself lured you in with the strumming of a soothing guitar and lyrics that seemed to pull from the diaries of first loves everywhere. Alex Band himself probably produced such emotions in the ladies with his siren songs. The song topped the charts and was even recognized as the #1 Adult Pop song of the decade by Billboard magazine.
So, where’d they go? Where’s Alex Band? Is he single? The band released a few more singles from their first album, Camino Palmero, including “Adrienne” and “Could It Be Any Harder.” Their music even made appearances in a few popular films such as “Coyote Ugly” and “Love Actually.” Their career allowed them to make a second album cleverly titled Two, but their popularity slowly faded after that. Until just now. When I brought it back. Let’s rekindle the romance and appreciate the talent of a band whose career may have ended too quickly. If anything, The Calling will always have that first single…and Paris (Casablanca reference).
Check out Camino Palmero:
My college years introduced me to a lot of things that I would take with me into adulthood (or what people keep telling me is supposed to be adulthood.) I drank my very first alcoholic beverage in college which eventually led to a few more alcoholic beverages. I learned about life outside of a curfew which usually meant the necessity to schedule more naps throughout the day. I was introduced to the 20 page paper due in a week which also introduced me to the life punishments that accompany procrastination. But most importantly, on one magical day during my sophomore year of college, I discovered the musical creative genius of a band called Florez.
As a sat at the desktop computer “kids” today would consider to be dinosauresque, I happened upon the Nashville-based rock band, Florez. As I listened intently through a few of their diddys (not to be confused with “P” diddys), I was immediately intrigued by the unique sound emanating from my speakers. Lead singer and guitarist Alex Florez paired with bassist Erik Huffman produced a sound combining styles from many different musical genres to produce energetic, yet smooth harmonies.
Despite their brief hiatus in 2006 so that bassist Erik Huffman could participate in a little show called Survivor, the band has traveled with several well known artists and bands including Gavin Degraw, Better Than Ezra, and The Doobie Brothers. Returning to the music scene, they were snatched up by the Hothead Group and recently released their latest EP Yellow Shoes.
So that’s enough facts to lure you in. We’ve done our job. Now do yours and take a listen to their music. If you’re in college, then I’ve held your hand through the first baby steps of a successful college career. Now grab a beer (if you’re 21+ of course), stay up until 2am, and write that paper before it’s too late.
Check out Yellow Shoes:
When we say Jessie J we don’t mean Jesse James, Jesse Jackson, or even Jesse Katsopolis (although he did have a successful career with “the Rippers”, so a solo album would naturally be the next step.) Before you rush to a feeling of disappointment, let me explain to you who we ARE talking about. Jessie J, born Jessie Cornish, is a singer/song writer from London whose single “Do It Like A Dude” only recently presented itself to us here in the US of A after hovering in the UK for awhile. Despite the talent she exudes herself, to strengthen her musical resume further Jessie J has written for a few no-name artists you may not have heard about: Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, and Christina Aguilera. Mr. Timberlake has even been quoted as saying Jessie is “the best singer in the world right now.” And if you can’t trust Justin Timberlake, then who can you trust?
I hypothetically tripped and fell into the lap of this artist while perusing the World Wide Web to expand my own musical library even further. The song that introduced me to the wonder that is Jessie J was with the hip-hop power ballad “Who You Are”. Listen to this song for 30 seconds, and you’ll find out that this girl can wail. Her voice demands attention. And that’s exactly what I gave it when I first heard her voice. I Google-d, YouTube-d, and MySpace-d Jessie J until I had a sample of every flavor she had to offer and, like the free samples at Whole Foods, it intrigued me to buy in bulk. Lucky for me (and now you) Jessie’s USA debut album is scheduled for release in June of 2011. The album’s debut single is rumored to feature current Top 40 rapper B.O.B. and is said to hit airwaves in February of 2011.
To satisfy the longing I have now instilled in you for Jessie J’s music, you can take a listen to the single “Sexy Silk” which was featured in the recent theatrical release “Easy A.” It’s smooth, it’s sultry, it’s smokin’, and every other “s” word that means “a song you should listen to immediately and share with your friends.” That’s why you have 2,000 friends on Facebook and 500 Twitter followers, right? Share the love.
Buy the single “Do It Like A Dude”:
The Smooth Maria – “Abandoned Town”
This song is so simple, it just might work. Enjoy sweeping vocals and a simple acoustic guitar melody. Perfect for that fall day that just won’t quit. I’m not even sure what that means, but I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it.
The Aggrolites – “Firecracker”
Funky fresh? Check. Silky smooth? Check. Hippity Hoppity? Check. You’ll get it all with this tasty jam from The Aggrolites. You’ll be up and out of your chair in 10 seconds flat.
Kids of 88 – “My House”
Retro and rockin’, this jam from Kids of 88 will take you back to the days of synthesizers and reckless youth. Super trendy drum beats and a catchy chorus are enough to have anyone humming this bad boy. Check it before you wreck it.
I saw Michael Tolcher perform back in 2004 when I was still studying to be “undecided” at my university. Me and my buddy listened to his album I Am a number of times during that year, which also prompted a number of replica photographs we called the “Michael Tolcher” pose (see Figure A.) It would have made for some great Facebook profile pictures had it been around at that point in time, but I suppose it’s never too late.
Figure A
Honestly, after I left school and moved on to the real world, I sort of forgot about Michael Tolcher. I really wish I hadn’t because he really was a talented guy. His music mixed elements of funk, pop, alternative, rock and hip-hop into one catchy compilation. I Am was an album you could listen to for any occasion and not get tired of hearing it. He had a knack for creating songs with positive messages (which was a nice change of pace considering the top radio hits at the time consisted of the Ying Yang Twins and Eastside Boys.)
Michael Tolcher has still been around the music industry creating songs occasionally and even attending the Sundance Film Festival to educate attendees on music for feature films and television. He’s sort of a music professional. A professional of music if you will. Check out his album I Am if you’re looking for something poppy and positive. It will definitely hit the spot.
Buy the album:
