What I Love Right Now: "Feeling Good"

I really, really like cover songs. That is no secret. This classic from The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd came to me by way of Muse, then Nina Simone. I can't get enough.

Muse's live version kills me--I live for a group-sing. Nina's is simple and deep. And, oh, that brass part. Mmm.

The perfect pick-me-up when the never-ending heatwave has turned into cold, drizzly rain. Because the endsummer blues get us all, don't they?

Muse--"Feeling Good"at Wembley Stadium.
Nina Simone--"Feeling Good"

What I Love Right Now: Runaway Dorothy

Last Sunday, I saw Runaway Dorothy at Rockwood Music Hall on NYC's Lower East Side. Up front, I will say that I was completely blown away. I'd heard a few songs on their Myspace page, and Tweeted a bit at the lead singer, Dave, but I couldn't have possibly prepared myself for the experience of seeing them live.

Rockwood is a small venue--exactly what you would expect in New York. I got there right as Runaway Dorothy started playing, and there was one chair left that my friend and I used to hold our bags and coats. Runaway Dorothy's set, 45 minutes in one of the full days of music that Rockwood is known for. No cover except for a donation hat passed around for the guys, I promise the show is worth whatever you have to give, and more.

Before, and since, seeing Runaway Dorothy, I've told countless friends about the band. Add them on Facebook, buy their album on iTunes, and support some of the best music I've heard in a while. I mentioned on Twitter that the band's music tucks perfectly into a playlist featuring Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson, Patty Griffin, and Johnny Cash--this holds true for their live performance, as well. The melodies are simple, the lyrics are beautiful, and I became completely homesick for anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon. "Abilene" and "Caulfield" (link below) are two of my favorites. Runaway Dorothy are the most universal of local bands--walking the fine line between hip and homespun, and creating great music in the process.

Runaway Dorothy's next show is May 12 at NYU's Sullivan Hall. Come out and celebrate my birthday with some great music!

"Caulfield"--Runaway Dorothy

Check Runaway Dorothy out on Facebook and Myspace.

Photo credit: Jon Diaz

Hallelujah, I love him so.

When people ask me about my musical tastes, I usually say "I like it all." That's a lie, and a big one. I just hate getting grilled about something so fundamental, and so driven by emotion, as music. Also, if I say that, for example, I like Imogen Heap (which I do), someone somewhere will jump on that and start quizzing me on Imogen Heap facts. No, thank you.

Sometimes, I'll say I "like" someone, but that I'm "not a fan." This just means that after I say I like someone, I want to be left alone. I like Beethoven, Lou Reed, Ella Fitzgerald, and Elliott Smith. I am not a fan, though.

I am a fan of the Spice Girls, and not much else.

But I do know that I love this song, and the way that Justin Timberlake sings it. Mmm.