Melissa Etheridge Releases Orlando Charity Song 'Pulse'

Musician Melissa Etheridge has released a new song called 'Pulse' that is dedicated to victims of the Orlando terrorist attack, which occured at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12. 'Pulse' is a fantastic song that was truly written with sheer pride and thoughtfulness.

Etheridge talked about the birth of the new song, "I woke up like everybody else and just got whopped upside the head with pain and not understanding and wanting to feel better about it," she stated. "I play Orlando. I know all those people. I knew someone who [lives] just down the block from there, so you feel a connection. I had a guitar there and I just started writing."


The song is available for download now, and all proceeds will go to Equality Florida. They'll be helping families of the victims as well as survivors of the shooting. Follow the links below to download:

iTunes
Amazon
Google Play

U2 Releases "Invisible" For (RED)

"Invisible" Cover Art

U2 have released a new song "Invisible", for FREE on iTunes, available only today on Sunday February 2nd through Monday February 3rd. The song is off their upcoming album, but not the first single. It was released in a partnership with Bank of America, who have donated $10 Million dollars to (RED) to fight AIDS. They will donate an additional $1 for each Free download, so get downloading it on iTunes by clicking here. *Edit* The song is now available through Amazon & Google Play as well. It's no longer free, but all proceeds are still being donated to (RED). $1.29 is not steep at all, please download to support the cause!

The song is a change from anything on their two most recent albums, No Line On The Horizon (2009) and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004). The intro really threw me for a loop, and the entire song sounds incredibly fresh. To compare to other artists, it sounds a bit like Kraftwerk meets The Killers, but certainly very U2 more than anything else.

They've made a career of expanding their musical palette, from starting out as a Post-Punk band and moving on to Americana and Blues, to Alternative Rock and Electronic influenced rock. They can do it all, and this song is U2 continuing to push themselves. If I had to pick two U2 songs to compare it with I'd go with "Zoo Station" from Achtung Baby & "Kite" from All That You Can't Leave Behind. Bono is in fine form vocally, and Larry Mullen Jr really stands out on drums in the commercial. Hopefully his drums are featured more in the actual song on the album version.

Part of the music video for the song will debut in a commercial during the Super Bowl, reminding people to download the song for Free to help promote & raise money for (RED). The full video will be on YouTube later. Bono describes the song of his feeling back in 1979 walking out of the London Subway and feeling uncool being from the Dublin suburbs as the original inspiration for the lyrics before moving on to what we hear now. If this is just a taste of the new album, I'm even more pumped to hear it all this Spring/Summer. You can watch a video detailing the making of the song/video below:
 

Sign The Petition To Save Enlightened!

I started a petition to Save Enlightened, which was recently canceled by HBO. Don't blame HBO though, they gave the show a second season after a low rated first. But don't let this outstanding and quirky show go the way of Freaks & Geeks and My So-Called Life, let it get a new life through a new outlet like Arrested Development by signing the petition in addition to tweeting Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and DirecTV. Drumming up interest and talk could potentially cause one of them to pick up the show. Here are some reasons you should sign:

1. Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) would do it. She would want you to become an "Agent of Change". Much like Tyler (Mike White), you can't say no to her unique charm.

2. Even if Netflix passes on it, maybe Amazon or Hulu will see that a critically acclaimed show like this with passionate fans could help them compete with Netflix.

3. Signing petitions is fun. And while you're on Change.org, be sure to check out some other petitions and help some good causes. Even if we don't save our beloved show, maybe we can help people in need at the same time.

'Enlightened' Canceled by HBO; Will It Be Saved?

HBO officially canceled the acclaimed, yet low-rated (you people were missing out!) show Enlightened that starred Laura Dern, Mike White, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, Timm Sharp, Sarah Burns as well as SNL alums Michaela Watkins & Molly Shannon. The passionate fan base has already begun asking Netflix to save the show. Natalie Maines, Jenny Slate, Patton Oswalt, Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer have jumped on board through twitter to help the cause. I created a petition for fans to sign, so hopefully it works! After all, its what Amy would do ;). I'd urge more fans of the show to do the same, and anyone who has yet to watch, do yourselves a favor and go buy the first season of this beautifully told show on DVD, and catch up with the second season OnDemand.

The second season managed to be even more thought provoking and developed than the first, the characters being fleshed out as well as any show on television. Not many pure Dramedy's can so seamlessly blend both their Comedy & Drama aspects, but Enlightened was one of them. Shows have been saved before by other outlets. Arrested Development through Netflix, and Damages through DirecTV. The passionate cast, crew and fans deserve to at least see the story wrapped up after such a powerful season two finale.

Amy got her corporate revenge, but it was only just the beginning. So please Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or DirecTV...save Enlightened! The show was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Laura Dern won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her role as Amy Jellicoe. How could you pass that up?

Enlightened made us laugh, disturbed us at times, soothed us, made us think, take a look our lives & society, and kept us guessing. Hopefully we will be able to continue that wild ride. Here are Twitter handles for you to get in touch with, ask for the show to be picked up: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, DirecTV.

Cheap MP3 Option: SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip

The iPod and iPhone may be the dominant music players on the market, but if you've never heard of the Sansa Clip Zip you're missing out on a great little music player. Its a tiny MP3 player with a clip on the back, similar to the iPod Shuffle, only the Clip Zip has a screen, FM radio, and stop watch that comes in handy for working out. The Clip Zip doesn't suck either; the sound quality is outstanding and that is the most important part. Its also pretty durable, so its not like you're buying a piece of junk like some other cheap MP3 players can turn out to be.

The biggest added bonus is the expandable memory via the MicroSD card slot on the side. The 4GB version runs for about $34.99-$54.99 depending where you buy it. Amazon is typically the best place to get it. I got the 4GB player, then added a 32GB MicroSD card that I got cheap from Amazon, and have 36GB of storage space for much less than an iPod Nano. In comparison, the iPod Nano 16GB costs $150. Its simple to use as well, I just plugged it into my computer, the software automatically downloaded, then just used Windows Media Player to drag and drop my songs to the player with sync.

Great buy if you're looking for a very portable MP3 player with tons of storage space at a low price. This is also nice to have if you work out, with the small size and ability to just clip it to your waist band or pocket without having to worry about if falling off.                                                      
   

Amazon MP3 Black Friday Deals

Amazon MP3 is known for giving great deals on MP3 albums, which has helped them slowly carve out a following from the mighty iTunes. They've released their Black Friday week deals early, with 29 pages worth of albums starting at $3.99, which you can see by clicking here.

I'll list some of the better deals for you here, though there are plenty more. You might want to stock up on some new music like a squirrel stocking up on nuts for the winter. Or maybe you just need some new tunes to block out the Thanksgiving family arguments and/or critical in-laws. You're welcome!

$3.99:
"Battle Born" - The Killers. "4th Street Feeling" - Melissa Etheridge. "My Head is an Animal" - Of Monsters and Men. "Channel Orange" - Frank Ocean. "Ceremonials" & "Lungs" - Florence + The Machine. "R.E.D." - Ne-Yo. "The Spirit Indestructible" - Nelly Furtado. "Greatest Hits" & "Appetite for Destruction" - Guns N' Roses. "Speak Now" - Taylor Swift. "Push and Shove" - No Doubt. "Evanescence" & "Fallen" - Evanescence. "Greatest Hits" - Queen. "Rocket Man: Number Ones" - Elton John. "MDNA" & "Confessions on a Dance floor" - Madonna. "My Life II" - Mary J Blige. "Merry Christmas II You" - Mariah Carey. "Life is Good" - Nas. "Hands All Over" & "Overexposed" - Maroon 5. "Kisses on the Bottom" - Paul McCartney. "1984" - Van Halen. "Tuskegee" - Lionel Richie.

$4.99/$5.99:
"Wasting Light" - Foo Fighters. "Funhouse" - Pink. "Icky Thump" - The White Stripes. "Whitney Houston" - Whitney Houston. "Purple Rain" - Prince. "50 Big Ones" - The Beach Boys. "The Lumineers" - The Lumineers. "¡UNO!" - Green Day. "El Camino" - The Black Keys. "Doo Wops & Hooligans" - Bruno Mars. "The Doors" - The Doors. "Aim and Ignite" - Fun. "Rumours" - Fleetwood Mac. "R&B Diva" - Faith Evans. "The Band Perry" - The Band Perry. "Jagged Little Pill" & "Havoc and Bright Lights" - Alanis Morissette. "Kaleidoscope Dream" - Miguel. "The Suburbs" - Arcade Fire. "Clockwork Angels" - Rush.

The Rolling Stones New Single "Doom & Gloom"

'Doom and Gloom', the new single by The Rolling Stones, will be released on Thursday October 11th to radio and for sale on iTunes (and hopefully Amazon). It marks the first new song by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Co since their last studio album, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005. The song will also be one of two new tracks on their upcoming career spanning hits set GRRR! which comes out on November 12th.

Jagger says, "It’s called Doom & Gloom, though it’s a really raunchy rocker you can dance to & not gloomy at all! It was fun and quick to record, & Jeff Bhaskar has done a great mix. Hope you like it." It will be played for the first time on BBC Radio 2 at 8:15 am British time. Should be interesting to hear what they've come up with 50 years into their career.

Richards also said that the band will be playing more shows in London and New York than previously announced. He didn't say when the dates will be, but presumably later this fall or early winter.

No Doubt & Green Day Return

Two different bands who came together as youngsters in the late 1980s, rose to massive fame to help define music in the 1990s, then continued with success in the 2000s are back with their first new albums of the 2010s. For Green Day, their new album ¡Uno! comes just three years after their last effort. Its a different story for No Doubt, who last released a studio album in 2001.

Push and Shove - No Doubt. The band took a hiatus from 2004 to 2008, during which Gwen Stefani released two solo albums and all of the band members had some babies. Push and Shove began in 2010, but didn't really get going until 2011 and 2012. However, the wait was well worth it for fans of the band, and you can hear why they didn't want to rush out an album to the masses. The 80s pop and ska sounds are still here, but it doesn't sound dated as the band found a way to keep it fresh. They're still just Southern California rockers who want to make you dance no matter what mood you're in. Oh, and Gwen's abs still look insanely good. The album, plus their old ones,are all on sale for $5.99 on Amazon MP3 this week only.
Top Songs: "Settle Down", "Looking Hot", "Push and Shove", "Undercover".

¡Uno! - Green Day. Uno! is without a doubt a throwback album. After reaching a massive level of success with their politically charged rock opera American Idiot in 2004, they kept the theme going with 21st Century Breakdown in 2009. Its a solid album, but obviously was seen as the less successful sequel. ¡Uno! goes back to basics with quick hitting power-pop/punk songs that resemble their 90s work. They crafted so many songs that it will be followed by two more albums - ¡Dos! on November 13, 2012 and ¡Tre! on January 15, 2013. ¡Uno! and every other Green Day album are on sale for $5 this week only on Amazon MP3.
Top Songs: "Oh Love", "Carpe Diem", "Fell For You", "Rusty James".

Oh, and you can't mention the album without Billie Joe Armstrong's drunken tirade at the iHeartRadio festival, where he humorously proclaimed, "I'm not fucking Justin Bieber you motherfuckers!" He's since checked into rehab and will hopefully get better.

Rolling Stones New Songs; 50th Anniversary

Fans have been speculating about what The Rolling Stones have been up to in preparation of celebrating their 50th Anniversary. First it was announced that they will be playing four live shows in November at the O2 Arena in London and at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, two at each venue. They also have a new documentary called "Crossfire Hurricane" spanning their 5 decades that will air November 15th on HBO. Directed by Brett Morgen, all four members (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts & Ronnie Wood) will be talking about their history in the film. Expect some background on their albums, and of course the normal "sex, drugs & rock 'n roll" stories.

ESPN has also licensed 16 Rolling Stones songs to be used on every NFL Monday Night Football telecast during the 2012 season, calling it "Legend to Legend." Expect some classic hits and some deeper tracks that may not be as well known when watching Monday Night Football this year.

It was also announced today that the band will be releasing two new songs recorded in Paris, their first since the last studio album "A Bigger Bang" came out in 2005. The two new tracks, "Gloom and Doom" & "One Last Shot", will be included on a new career spanning 50-song greatest hits album titled "GRRR!" This will take the place of 2002's "Forty Licks", which has been out of print since switching music labels. Fans probably wanted a full new album, but i'm sure any new songs will be well received. For those who already have most of their music and don't need a greatest hits album, you can download just "Gloom & Doom" and "One Last Shot" on Amazon or iTunes.

There will also be an 80-track super deluxe edition with all sorts of goodies for fans including a poster and bonus CD.  A vinyl box set for the die hard fans will be out as well. "GRRR!" will be released on November 13th, 2012 to coincide with the HBO documentary "Crossfire Hurricane" and the four live shows. Quite the autumn for Rolling Stones fans. The creative album cover for "GRRR!" was designed by Walton Ford.

U2's Achtung Baby Re-Released

Today, U2 has released multiple versions of their perfect 1991 album Achtung Baby. Most people should probably opt for the cheaper 2-Disc edition which can also be downloaded on iTunes & Amazon. It has the original album plus B-Sides and Unreleased tracks. For the people who want everything though, there is a Super Deluxe Edition with 6 CD's including the 1993 followup album Zooropa, as well as 4 DVD's including the great From The Sky Down documentary and the Zoo TV: Live from Sydney concert as well as a bunch of other goodies. Then there's the Uber Deluxe Edition, including sunglasses styled from the Zoo TV tour that Bono wore, as well as vinyl albums.

For those that haven't heard this album, what are you waiting for? It's one of the most creative albums of all time, and every song is a must-listen. One of the new, unreleased tracks on the 2-Disc edition is "Blow Your House Down", which could easily have been a single-worthy song, yet was left off the album. Shows how many great songs came from this. All the B-sides and remixes are interesting songs, and the 2-disc version does not cost too much more than the single disc. Definitely a worthy purchase for both long time fans and new listeners. I'm pretty sure everyone has heard the classic singles "One" and "Mysterious Ways" though.

For those who want the Super Deluxe, there are four extra unreleased songs. The best of which is "Oh Berlin", a haunting track that easily could have been on the main album as well. "Heaven and Hell" & "Everybody Loves a Winner" are fine tracks as well but not as memorable as "Oh Berlin" or "Blow Your House Down". Another is "Down All The Days", an early version of the track "Numb" from Zooropa with Bono on vocals instead of Edge.

It would be difficult to even rank the songs, because they are all so good. I'd have to say "The Fly" is probably my favorite song off the album. It was the first single and at the time it was very different from what people were used to from the band. I like to say it has some nice crunching guitar throughout. Anyone have a favorite track from Achtung Baby?

The Beatles Anthology Gets Remastered

The Beatles Anthology was originally released in 1995 and 1996. There are three of these double albums, with a number of outtakes and unreleased material, plus the two good new songs "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love." Paul, George and Ringo recorded around John Lennon's demo versions to create those songs. They are being re-released in remastered form on June 14th along with "Anthology Highlights", which takes the best of all three onto one release.

The only problem is it is only being released onto iTunes. Surely Amazon will put the original CDs on sale to capitalize, but I wonder if they will eventually release physical CD versions in remastered form along with the Highlights disc. Personally I rarely use iTunes. I prefer CDs, and when I do download it's using Amazon MP3, which is easier and they always have great deals. I was also hoping they would release the other Lennon demo song they worked on in 1995, Now and Then. It was unfinished, but rumors have persisted that McCartney and Starr would finish it and include whatever Harrison did for it during the 90s session. The Highlights album would have been perfect for that, but it looks like "Now & Then" won't ever be finished. (They also apparently worked on a song called "All For Love" which was entirely new and not a Lennon demo.)

The Anthology albums are great and should definitely checked out by anyone who likes The Beatles. It gives an insight into the recording process, and has some great songs and alternate versions of songs you love. There is also the amazing Anthology DVD set, which is a documentary that chronicles their entire career in depth.

See the official press release for more information Here. And Check out my Beatles Album Rankings, and comment your own!