Phil’s Faves: Songs, September 30, 2012

Posted on October 17, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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Jessica Dayle’s “Summertime” stays on top and reaches double digits! I don’t feel the end is in sight yet. Green Day may have something to say about that……………….
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of September 30, 2012

1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. Maybe I’ll Fly—Barbara Lynn Doran
3. Oh Love—Green Day
4. My Bet’s I’m a Fool—Jessica Dayle
5. Lover Please-Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
6. Wonderful Summer—Robin Ward
7. Stars—Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
8. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
9. Time Is Love—Josh Turner
10. Pontoon—Little Big Town

1) “Summertime”—Let’s follow Jessica Dayle’s lead, turn off the TV and visit our favourite (“ou” because she’s Canadian), nature spots before it gets too cold!
2) “Maybe I’ll Fly”—Barbara Lynn Doran continues in the runner up spot for another week!
3) “Oh Love”—It’s not really classic Green Day, but it’s good enough!
4) “My Bet’s I’m a Fool”—I personally am not betting on how long Jessica Dayle is going to be on my countdown!
5) “Lover Please”—A snappy little instrumental from Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers from their “Back in Your Life” album! It’s a throwback to 60’s surf music and it rocks—but not too hard!
6) “Wonderful Summer”—Robin Ward put out a wistful end of summer ballad in the early 60’s that popped into my head this week, so I had to hunt it down!
7) “Stars”—That haunting melody from Grace Potter & The Nocturnals is getting into my head!
8) “She’s So Mean”—I think Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20 is getting close to the end of their run……………
9) “Time Is Love”—I think Josh Turner is running out of time on this one………………
10) “Pontoon”—Once more around the lake, please, for Little Big Town, and then the “pontoon” can be put up for the winter………… QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

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Phil’s Faves:Videos, September 30, 2012

Posted on October 15, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

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Little Big Town beat the odds and returns to the top of my faves list for a third time and for the ninth week! I had “Pontoon” at the top for the first time way back on June 10, 2012! I can’t believe that it’s still around to become #1 three and 1/2 months later! That could only mean one thing:There really aren’t that many good videos out there right now. Since some old favorites disappeared, I decided to give a little love to a few lesser videos that I have ignored. I’m not trying to be nice. It’s just the product that’s out there right now…………….
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Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of September 30, 2012

1. Pontoon—Little Big Town
2. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye—Train
3. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
4. One More Night—Maroon 5 with Adam Levine
5. Lovin’ You Is Fun—Easton Corbin
6. Stars—Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
7. That’s Why I Pray—Big & Rich
8. Time Is Love—Josh Turner
9. Some Nights—fun.
10. Come Over—Kenny Chesney

1) “Pontoon”—I am not proud to admit that I still watch Little Big Town’s video every time it comes on! Welcome back to the top!
2) “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”—I guess Train is really going to stick around for awhile. Right now, they haven’t overstayed their welcome!
3) “She’s So Mean”—But not mean enough to keep Matchbox 20 from moving up higher!
4) “One More Night”—Alright. I still like Adam Levine and Maroon 5’s video, but that awful nonsense line (“Ooo-woo-pooo-poo-poo-pooh”…ad infinitum), the second worst ever written—right behind “Moves Like Jagger’s,” nonsense line, is really getting to me now………..
5) “Lovin’ You Is Fun”—Not much movement for Easton Corbin, but things may change…………
6) “Stars”—I’m not sure if I’m really that sold on Grace Potter & The Nocturnal’s new video, but I liked the song the first time I heard it!
7) “That’s Why I Pray”—Big & Rich’s video keeps returning to the list because every time I see it, the song rings true and speaks to me!
8) “Time Is Love”—Josh Turner’s song is growing on me, but the video for it is a pedestrian one……………
9) “Some Nights”—A strange little Civil War-type reenactment from fun.. Apparently, these guys like to film fights (“We Are Young”) and do it in a big way………
10 “Come Over”—Kenny Chesney hangs out for another week…………….. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

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“Q” Bombs, September 30, 2012

Posted on October 15, 2012 by PhilMaq

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.

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Rascal Flatts stays on top for another week, but Carrie Underwood is making a serious move towards the peak………………………..
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Worst Videos for the week of September 30, 2012

1. Come Wake Me Up—Rascal Flatts
2. Blown Away—Carrie Underwood
3. Cowboys and Angels—Dustin Lynch
4. Ho Hey—The Lumineers
5. Too Close—Alex Clare
6. As Long As You Love Me—Justin Bieber and Big Sean
7. Wanted You More—Lady Antebellum
8. Oh Love—Green Day
9. Walk the Sun—Anna Moon
10. Good Time—Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen

1) “Come Wake Me Up”—Please, Rascal Flatts, wake up and get off the list…………
2) “Blown Away”—I wish I were “blown away” by Carrie Underwood’s song and video, but my musical principles are too strong for that…………………….
3) “Cowboys and Angels”—I wish one of these two groups would save Dustin Lynch and let him show his true potential…………………..
4) “Ho Hey”—Ho Hey what happened? The Lumineers jumped into Vh1’s Top Ten this week! Must be that “infectious” chorus sung by a small stadium………………
5) “Too Close”—Alex Clare’s song and video just seem “blah” to me……………….
6) “As Long As You Love Me”—Justin Bieber starts to slide down on VH1. I don’t know if we’re really done with “Biebs”………………………………..
7) “Wanted You More”—This Lady A video is so boring it’s a struggle for me to get “bugged” enough to write something about it……………..
8) “Oh Love”—Green Day’s song isn’t a great one, but it deserves a better video than this one……………….
9) “Walk the Sun”—Seriously? Is this where we’re at in videos these days—something that looks like a retread of Richard Simmons’ “Sweatin’ to the Oldies?” How original………………
10) “Good Time”—I’m still not feelin’ any love for Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen’s video………………………………………….. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

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Phil’s Faves:Songs, September 23, 2012

Posted on October 13, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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Seasons have changed but Jessica Dayle’s “Summertime” refuses to leave as it stays on top for a ninth straight week! Three songs about peace for the International Day of Peace make an appearance to round out other great songs!
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of September 23, 2012

1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. Maybe I’ll Fly—Barbara Lynn Doran
3. Oh Love—Green Day
4. My Bet’s I’m a Fool—Jessica Dayle
5. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
6. Time Is Love—Josh Turner
7. Pontoon—Little Big Town
8. Give God the Blues—Shawn Mullins
9. For Pete’s Sake—The Monkees
10. Peace, Salaam, Shalom—The Chants for Peace Project featuring Rhonda Bantsimba and Jeanne Mackey

1) “Summertime”—Seasons have changed but neither fall nor winter is going to keep Jessica Dayle from enjoying her “summertime.” In the coda, the chord changes also give the song a warm feeling. Once again, it’s another musical hug! In this segment, Jessica sings: “When winter winds blow we’ll cuddle up with the memory/Of summertime my babes and me.” So “summertime” can last all year long in Jessica’s world. I really like that!
2) “Maybe I’ll Fly”—Barbara Lynn Doran may be flying as high as she’s going to get here, but the sky’s the limit for her with songs like this one!
3) “Oh Love”—Oh, yeah! Green Day keeps moving up!
4) “My Bet’s I’m a Fool”—I personally wouldn’t bet against Jessica Dayle so I see no reason why she would bet against herself. On the other hand, you’ll probably win that bet only one time. She has her own style of retribution…and you’re not going to like it. The song, on the other hand, is a winning bet with a big payoff! Check it out!
5) “She’s So Mean”—I wonder if this song is a true story. Regardless, it’s a good subject for a rockin’ song!
6) “Time Is Love”—Josh Turner is really starting to get under my skin. It’s catchier than I thought!
7) “Pontoon”—It’s about time to put Little Big Town’s boat into storage for the winter…..
8) “Give God the Blues”—Shawn Mullins puts out a smoldering slow blues number about the problem of religion and fanatics told from an angle of sympathy for God. There are many great lines in the song about how so much is done in God’s name, but usually for the wrong reasons, so it “gives God the blues.” I think this is one of the best songs of the year—especially, lyrically!
9) “For Pete’s Sake”—The Monkees put out a few “peace and love” songs and this is one of them. I’m not sure if the title references Peter Tork or is just a cliché to say it’s so obvious that we should just all get along by loving each other. Taken from their “Headquarters” album, Mickey Dolenz does a nice job on lead vocals and there’s some really good organ bits! The song is way too short—just like the movement that it came from………
10) “Peace, Salaam, Shalom”—Jeanne Mackey helped put out a collection of chants about peace and love called “Home to the River of Love” by the Chants for Peace Project—a group of 22 singers and instrumentalists. This particular chant is about peace sung in English, Arabic, & Hebrew, and features extremely spirited vocals by Rhonda Bantsimba as well as Jeanne Mackey. It’s sung as if their group could bring peace to the world just by themselves alone. But they can’t and need more help. This is their gift to everyone else to do their share!
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Phil’s Faves: Videos, September 23, 2012

Posted on October 12, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

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Maroon 5 and Adam Levine punch their way to the top spot, but competition looks kind of weak right now as two artists, Little Big Town and Taylor Swift have two entries apiece (?) on the list!
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Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of September 23, 2012

1. One More Night—Maroon 5 with Adam Levine
2. Piece of My Heart—Faith Hill on CMA Music Festival 2012
3. Ronan—Taylor Swift for Cancer Benefit
4. Pontoon—Little Big Town
5. Lovin’ You Is Fun—Easton Corbin
6. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
7. Born This Way—Little Big Town
8. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye—Train
9. Come Over—Kenny Chesney
10. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together—Taylor Swift

1) “One More Night”—Adam Levine loses and wins at the same time. I wish the song were as good as the video, but the video is GREAT!
2) “Piece of My Heart”—Faith Hill recently appeared on an ABC CMA Music Festival. This is usually broadcast around the beginning of the school year. Faith—looking better than she did twenty years ago while rocking a sweater and skin tight jeans, and sounding just as good, floored me with a version of her first hit, “Piece of My Heart!” I forgot she even did this song. But instead of the familiar country sound, Faith gave it the full Janis Joplin treatment—even getting down on her knees! It reminded me—and the goosebumps I got were the proof — just how good she really is! WOW!
3) “Ronan”—One more sad week with Taylor Swift. You can find the video elsewhere on my website.
4) “Pontoon”—Finally, after many months, Little Big Town reaches number one on CMT! It’s about time everybody else caught up to me!
5) “Lovin’ You Is Fun”—Easton Corbin is catching on, but it’s not a ball of fire at the moment. It should have caught on three or four months ago……………..
6) “She’s So Mean”—Matchbox 20 moves up again in spite of the fact that it looks like Rob Thomas is wearing green eye shadow…………………..
7) “Born This Way”—Little Big Town seem to be currently riding a “pontoon wave” where they can’t do anything wrong. They turned in a country bluegrass version of a Lady Gaga cover that was really sharp at a CMT performance!
8) “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”—Maybe Train decided to hang around a little bit longer. That’s OK with me for this video!
9) “Come Over”—Kenny’s almost off the list, but I think that this is one of his better songs and videos!
10) “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”—Probably the last good thing I can say about Taylor Swift’s video for her single from her upcoming “Red” album, is all of the musicians in their animal outfits as everyone jumps up and says “Whee-eeeeeeeee” to start the chorus. “Never Ever” is a very weak initial single in my opinion. I think it’s a “bear” song and only sold well because she has so many fans and hadn’t released anything new in a while. It’s the equivalent of The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna.”
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“Q” Bombs: September 23, 2012

Posted on October 8, 2012 by PhilMaq

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.

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Rascal Flatts stays on top for another week. I don’t think they’re going to hang around like they normally would because their video keeps hanging around in the lower teens on CMT………………..
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Worst Videos for the week of September 23, 2012

1. Come Wake Me Up—Rascal Flatts
2. Cowboys and Angels—Dustin Lynch
3. Blown Away—Carrie Underwood
4. Oh Love—Green Day
5. As Long As You Love Me—Justin Bieber and Big Sean
6. Wanted You More—Lady Antebellum
7. Too Close—Alex Clare
8. Ho Hey—The Lumineers
9. Titanium—David Guetta with Sia
10. Good Time—Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen

1) “Come Wake Me Up”—Yes, Rascal Flatts have made another snoozer of a video. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………
2) “Cowboys and Angels”—The longer Dustin Lynch’s video hangs around, the less I appreciate his song…………………..
3) “Blown Away”—Carrie Underwood has way too many fans to “blow away” her bad video…………………………
4) “Oh Love”—Apparently there are a couple more “unedited” versions of Green Day’s latest video. I don’t think anything could possibly help the video, so I’m not concerned with hunting them down……………….
5) “As Long As You Love Me”—Justin Bieber looks like he may have peaked on VH1. Yay!!!
6) “Wanted You More”—Such a bad video for a decent song. This is sometimes why I don’t like videos because downer songs are hard to translate to a different medium……………..
7) “Too Close”—Alex Clare is starting to move “too close” to the top ten on VH1………
8) “Ho Hey”—The Lumineers leveled off on VH1 this week. Maybe there’s some hope they’ll start to drop…………..
9) “Titanium”—Yawn………………………………………
10) “Good Time”—Yeah, I know it may be too soon to throw a “Q” bomb at Carly Rae Jepsen after her monster hit….so I’ll throw it at Owl City since they headline the video. I mean, Carly Rae Jepsen does her thing being all cutesy and bubbly which is what she’s there for. The chorus sounds like it was pulled from a combination of Carly Rae’s own “Call Me Maybe” and Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.” It just seems way too derivative and familiar.
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Phil’s Faves: Songs, September 16, 2012

Posted on October 4, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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There’s an all Canadian top three and Jessica Dayle’s “Summertime” rules for an eighth straight week!
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of September 16, 2012

1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. Maybe I’ll Fly—Barbara Lynn Doran
3. My Bet’s I’m a Fool—Jessica Dayle
4. Here Comes the Sun—Yuna
5. Pontoon—Little Big Town
6. Oh Love—Green Day
7. Ain’t Misbehavin’—Suzy Bogguss and Verlon Thompson
8. If These Old Walls Could Speak—Nanci Griffith and Jimmy Webb
9. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
10. Time Is Love—Josh Turner

1) “Summertime”—Probably the hook that grabbed me the most the first time I heard Jessica Dayle’s song is the chorus, Summertime, my babes, and me. Now, I rarely hear the word “babe” in a song. It’s almost always “baby.” Sheeeeeeeeessssssssssshhhhhhhhh.
I absolutely never hear the word “babes” in a song—especially sung by a woman. I have no idea who these “babes” are, but if there’s “babes” involved, I am so there—at the least just to find out what’s happening! 😉
2) “Maybe I’ll Fly”—Barbara Lynn Doran is ready to “take flight.” If this song is any indication of future songs from her, you’d better get a ticket for the ride because it’s gonna be a good one!
3) “My Bet’s I’m a Fool”—One thing that you learn on Jessica Dayle’s song is that you better not cross her because she has her own way of getting even. It makes for a great song, though!
4) “Here Comes the Sun”—I’m still liking Yuna’s take on The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun!” It’s a very positive listening experience!
5) “Pontoon”—Little Big Town are still riding high, but the time is gonna come when they’re going to have to head into port…………….
6) “Oh Love”—This must be the longest single Green Day has ever put out clocking in at over five minutes, but it never feels that long. The mid-tempo rocker just pulls you along for the ride!
7) “Ain’t Misbehavin”—This is a pleasant instrumental gem from Suzy Bogguss accompanied by Verlon Thompson on the familiar standard. You can find it on a compilation album featuring Taylor guitars entitled, “Sounds of Wood and Steel, Vol.3.” It’s interesting to hear the song without a vocal, but I can only imagine what Suzy might sound like singing this one!
8) “If These Old Walls Could Speak”—Jimmy Webb wrote an incredible song about a couple who still love each other but for some reason can’t find the words to get out of the situation they’re in—probably because of pride. The walls, however, know the true history of their love for one another, but, of course, they can’t say it to them. A truly aching song where the listener becomes the walls, and you wish that you could put the pair back together. Nanci Griffith, with mostly piano accompaniment, interprets this beautiful song perfectly!
9) “She’s So Mean”—I’ve liked Matchbox 20’s song for a couple of months now, but this is the first time I’ve been able to get it on my songs list. Straight up rock usually can’t be beat!
10) “Time Is Love”—I’ve always liked Josh Turner. It’s difficult not to like a guy who makes good music and has a man’s sized voice to throw into the mix. “Time Is Love” isn’t his best, but it keeps growing on me!
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Phil’s Faves, Videos: September 16, 2012

Posted on October 4, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

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Taylor Swift makes a surprise visit to the top with a tender, touching charity performance!
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Top 10 Videos and Performances for the week of September 16, 2012

1. Ronan—Taylor Swift for Cancer Benefit
2. One More Night—Maroon 5 with Adam Levine
3. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye—Train
4. Pontoon—Little Big Town
5. Lovin’ You Is Fun—Easton Corbin
6. Come Over—Kenny Chesney
7. She’s So Mean—Matchbox 20
8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together—Taylor Swift
9. That’s Why I Pray—Big & Rich
10. The Wind—Zac Brown Band

1) “Ronan”—Taylor Swift sang a beautiful heart wrenching song on a Cancer Benefit show! I haven’t felt so sad after a song since I heard Coldplay do “Fix You” at a Hurricane Katrina special…………
2) “One More Night”—I am still fascinated by Adam Levine as a boxer, literally fighting for his son and his woman, who at the same time is packing everything up to move out. Talk about the agony of…victory……………
3) “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”—I don’t think I have to come up with 50 ways to say goodbye to Train…………
4) “Pontoon”—Little Big Town moves up again on CMT, and they now have their first official #1 song! Who told you about it first? Yeah. That’s right. Phil Maq Daddy! 😉
5) “Lovin’ You Is Fun”—If I didn’t say it before, I’ll say it now. Corbin Easton looks like he’s having a lot of fun in the video and that sells the song!
6) “Come Over”—Well, you didn’t think it was going to last forever, now, did you Kenny…………..
7) “She’s So Mean”—I guess I’m not actually that tired of Matchbox 20’s video…………………
8) “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”—And I don’t think Taylor Swift’s video is never ever going to be #1 on my list…………….
9) “That’s Why I Pray”—I put Big & Rich’s video back on my list because there is a part of the song that says, Some stupid video posted as a joke/Somebody’s life gets ruined which to me, relates right back to the attacks on U.S. Embassies around the world. Sure, there’s freedom of speech, but sometimes that can cost innocent people their lives.
10) “The Wind”—Zac Brown Band may be hanging around until that autumn frontal passage blows through………………… QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

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“Q” Bombs: September 16, 2012

Posted on October 4, 2012 by PhilMaq

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.

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Rascal Flatts stays on top for another week, but two new annoyances enter the chart………..
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Worst Videos for the week of September 16, 2012

1. Come Wake Me Up—Rascal Flatts
2. Cowboys and Angels—Dustin Lynch
3. Blown Away—Carrie Underwood
4. As Long As You Love Me—Justin Bieber and Big Sean
5. Oh Love—Green Day
6. Wanted You More—Lady Antebellum
7. Ho Hey—The Lumineers
8. Too Close—Alex Clare
9. Titanium—David Guetta with Sia
10. Let’s Go—Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo

1) “Come Wake Me Up”—Did the guy in the video wake up in time? No. If he did he would have prevented Rascal Flatts from making the video…………….
2) “Cowboys and Angels”—Oh, come on now. I’m getting tired of writing things for this video……………………
3) “Blown Away”—It looks like Carrie Underwood is going to have another monster video that is going to stay on the list for weeks and months, but I can’t wait until it gets “blown away………………..”
4) “As Long As You Love Me”—Justin, if you loved me, you would make your video go away…………
5) “Oh Love”—Is that actually a pejorative for Green Day’s video………………..
6) “Wanted You More”—I’ve grown used to Lady Antebellum’s song, but the video has to go…………………..
7) “Ho Hey”—The Lumineers moved up quite a bit this week on Vh1, so instead of dropping off, it has now moved up the trash list………………..
8) “Too Close”—Alex Clare places his first “bomb” on the list as he takes his place as the male equivalent of Adele…………………….
9) “Titanium”—David Guetta and Sia make a return appearance in a video about a high school girl with supernatural powers. Really? If she had super powers, the video would have been good………………….
10) “Let’s Go”—Another drop for Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo. Now, don’t anybody stop them if they should decide to head for the exit……………
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Phil’s Faves: Songs, September 9, 2012

Posted on September 29, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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Green Day is now on a good list and a bad one. That’s not easy to do! But Jessica Dayle has been placed in the odd position of being in competition with herself, and her singer friend is closing in on the top spot. It’s a good place to be as “Summertime” rules for a seventh week!
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of September 9, 2012

1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. Maybe I’ll Fly—Barbara Lynn Doran
3. Pontoon—Little Big Town
4. My Bet’s I’m a Fool—Jessica Dayle
5. Tight Shoes—George Bedard (Original Single Version)
6. I Heard the Bluebirds Sing—The Browns
7. Here Comes the Sun—Yuna
8. Oh Love—Green Day
9. (Kissed You) Good Night—Gloriana
10. Over—Blake Shelton

1) “Summertime”—Jessica Dayle sweetly sings to her boyfriend that I’m wearin’ my favorite dress/You waited all winter to see. Man, that must be some dress! Just another one of the many reasons to like “Summertime!”
2) “Maybe I’ll Fly”—Barbara Lynn Doran’s song on its own is just great! That smoking hot guitar solo in the middle makes it even better!
3) “Pontoon”—Some big old speedboat cut in front of Lille Big Town and they had to slow down after being caught in its wake……………
4) “My Bet’s I’m a Fool”—I have used a variation of the advice that Jessica Dayle’s mother gives her about staying out late. I always told my children that, “When you’re out, nothing good ever happens after midnight.” Jessica’s quotes her mother as saying that there’s no respectable place to go after midnight. I wholeheartedly agree! Jessica does a great job and The Magnolia Buckskins on back-up vocals give her the right amount of female support as they throw away the validity of the boyfriend’s excuses!
5) “Tight Shoes”—Those shoes should be feeling pretty comfortable by now, since George himself has described the song as the one he’s probably played the most over the course of his career……..
6) “I Heard the Bluebirds Sing”—Earlier this year, I went through withdrawal symptoms for this song made famous by The Browns, a country singing group from the fifties and sixties. At the time, I couldn’t locate a copy of the original but I found a more than respectable replacement by Canadian singer, Tracey K. Houston, that wisely included Jim Ed Brown of The Browns, singing harmony with her. But my fix has been satisfied as I finally found a vinyl copy of the RCA single. It is everything I remember the song to be and then some as two singers describe a long time romance that sounds like it was pulled from a remote holler! Just sublime!
7) “Here Comes the Sun”—Yuna’s version of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was included on the soundtrack to “Savages,” which was released earlier this year. It has new age sensibilities with a little bit of Eastern psychedelic flavoring! It’s really enjoyable and one of the best covers of George Harrison’s song!
8) “Oh Love”—Green Day put out a lousy video for this song, but it still has all of the qualities that I like about Green Day’s music: a catchy simplistic melodic within a basic rock framework. They’re just toying with us because this is the kind of song they could do in their sleep. But it gets under your skin!
9) “(Kissed You)” Good Night”—I think this week is the “good night kiss” for Gloriana………….
10) “Over”—I keep thinking “it’s over” with Blake Shelton, but he keeps hanging around………………..
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