Category: Music

11 Songs that Should Have Hit Number 1 Before Taylor Swift’s Track 3

by Jen Barry, posted in Artists, Music

Look, we all make mistakes. The problem with Taylor Swift’s mistake is that she and her record company made millions of dollars and probably pissed millions of people off.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it goes like this: She released an album with a fake-out track—Track 3—which consisted of 8 seconds of static. That’s it. And it charted. In fact, it hit number one on the Canadian iTunes chart. Guys. NUMBER ONE. FOR 8 SECONDS OF STATIC.

Do you know how many bands out there put out fantastic music and never once see their names on bestseller charts? It’s a lot. A LOT. So, I thought I’d share with you 11 songs that should have topped the charts before Taylor Swift’s Track 3. I mean, really, every song in the world should have, but these are some beautifully crafted pieces of music that deserve the accolades Swift’s 8 seconds of static is getting.

Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes Sun Goes Out

Swear and Shake Like You Do

Bobby Long Devil Moon

The Shins Simple Song

Johnny Flynn Lost and Found

Keri Noble Dancing in the Morning

Kiernan McMullan Can’t Sit Still

Various Cruelties Chemicals

Kate Tucker Where Are You

Jukebox the Ghost Girl

Colony House Keep On Keeping On

Now YOUR turn. Which songs would you have liked to see on the charts before Track 3?

ETA: Looks like iTunes may have been responsible for the glitch, but Swift and Company haven’t commented yet.

A St. Patrick’s Day Treat

by Jen Barry, posted in Artists, Music

Review (of sorts) for Lunasa with the RTE Orchestra

Lunasa with the RTE Orchestra reviewAs a music blogger, I often get samples for review. Sometimes, the music I receive doesn’t fit the blog for which I write, and I have to sadly forego the review. In almost every case, I enjoy the music on my own time and wish I could find another outlet to let people know about the beauty I’ve absorbed. The latest album from Lunasa is one such album, but I enjoyed it so much, I had to share somewhere.

As most of you know, my husband is Irish. (Nooooo, really?) St. Patrick’s Day is something like Christmas around my house. We usually pick a city and take a roadtrip to enjoy the Irish culture in faraway places that aren’t as far away as Ireland. In the past, we’ve enjoyed New York City, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Louisville. The Highlands of Louisville turned out to be so fun, we went back again this year. And we took Lunasa with us.

What can I say about this inspired CD? We were in the mood for traditional Irish, though Liam probably expected a rousing drinking song. What we got was far better. Opening with the lilting Casu, Lunasa captured us immediately. The harp, fiddle, uilleann pipes wove a mystical setting, and we all shut our mouths to listen. The song received the highest of praise from Liam, which was “feels like home.”

We loved the next song, Leckan Mor, just as much but for different reasons. The reel is playful, featuring the Irish flute (or penny whistle), but not at all grating. It perked us right up before slipping into another dance tune named, appropriately, Spoil the Dance.

I’ll admit we talked over the album as it played, but that was okay. When it reached the end, we let it repeat. And then again. The haunting An Buachaillin Ban stopped our conversation (and my heart) more than once, calling to mind ancient Irish hills, chilling mist, and ghosts of legend. Morning Nightcap inspired the dance and chatter again, as well as the lively Breton Set and The Minor Bee. The final song, The Merry Sisters of Fate, was so lush and full, we all had to stop and just listen again.

We had every intention of rocking U2, The Cranberries, Van Morrison, and even some Dropkick Murphys. And we did get plenty of raucous Irish fun in. But the best part—the part where we all felt truly connected to Liam’s homeland—was when we played Lunasa with the RTE Orchestra.

If you love Irish music, this is a must. In fact, check out some of their other albums from past years. I intend to listen over and over while writing book three from The Kingdom series, because the images these songs evoke are powerful. You won’t regret giving it a listen.

My Ultimate Playlist

by Jen Barry, posted in Let's Get Serious, Music

While I was playing around on iTunes yesterday, I found this fun little feature called Celebrity Playlists. I didn’t realize such a thing existed! It was really interesting to see the kind of music people listen to, from comedians to actors to other musicians. You can learn a lot about someone from their ultimate playlist. For fun, I thought I’d put together my own ultimate playlist. I’m not silly enough to think this is permanent. Even I know the songs could change tomorrow.

Of course, I’d be tempted to include the whole of my iTunes on my list if I could. After all, the songs are there for a reason. I set myself a limit of twenty songs, which wasn’t easy to do. Then I realized many of those top spots would be taken by The Beatles. In fact, anyone who knows me probably knows I’d try to make all twenty songs on my ultimate playlist Beatles songs. To remedy this possibility, I allowed only one song per artist. This was so hard.

Some are classics; some are from bands you’ve probably never heard of before. But if you were to ask me today, “Which twenty songs would you want everyone to hear at least once?” this is what I’d say. Oh, and these are in no particular order, which should be evident when you don’t see The Beatles at the top.

Crazy Love – Ray Charles & Van Morrison

 

Shoe Fits – Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes

 

Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley

 

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths

 

Take It Back – Pink Floyd

 

Pretty Things – Tony Lucca

 

Devil Moon – Bobby Long

 

The Desperate Man – The Black Keys

 

It Makes No Difference – The Band

 

Nashville – David Mead

 

20 Tons of Blues – Buffalo Clover

 

The Light – Swear and Shake

 

Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin

 

Bouncin’ Round the Room – Phish

 

Rave Monks – Heyrocco

 

Gotta Have You – The Weepies

 

Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles

 

Sultan – What Made Milwaukee Famous

 

Glad – French Camp

 

Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis

 

So what songs would be on your ultimate playlist?

Taking Your Requests

by Jen Barry, posted in Books, Kingdom Series, Martin Sisters Publishing, Music, Side Effects

I feel like a radio DJ, taking requests for blog topics, but the truth is that I just didn’t know what to blog about. To my utter disappointment, Liam has followed his beer-making instructions step by step, so there have been no major mishaps. With nothing else to talk about, I had to ask on Twitter what people might want to read. My first request was to discuss some of my upcoming projects. This makes me happy. I love talking about what I’m working on.

First of all, I know that some people may be waiting to hear some news about The Kingdom and The Morning Star. There will be official news very soon, but I can tell you that the series will now be published through Martin Sisters Publishing. The first book has gone through a total re-edit, complete with some additional content – though not so much that anyone who has the first edition will miss out.  While reworking the first book, I’ve also been working on the edits for The Morning Star so that the quality carries through the series. I hope people are still eager to learn more about Rioghan an Lily, and I’m so glad I have a chance to do this right through Martin Sisters.

There is also a follow up to Side Effects in the works. I’m seventy-five percent through with the first draft of Soundtrack. As with Side Effects, this novel will deal with teenagers who have very real problems. Though it’s not exactly a sequel, Isaac and Grace lovers will get to read some more about them through the eyes of new characters in the same universe.  Becky Honeycutt and Travis Robinson, who were both mentioned briefly in the first novel, are teens from different social circles who take the time to learn more about each other. Travis, the popular, basketball-playing bully, suffers from ADHD–

We interrupt this program to bring you the news of a triumph in the kitchen. Jen Barry managed to create Chicken Parmesan for the tenth time without burning it. Her husband announced that it was “delish.”

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.

–and Becky, the invisible girl, learns how to help him through his studies using music therapy. It’s been a lot of fun researching the disorder and getting to know these characters. I think people will love these new characters as much as they love Isaac and Grace, if not more.

I’ve also completed the first book in a new series, which will be called The Oracles of St. Ambrose. This series will focus on three teens with extraordinary powers and how they learn to trust their abilities and each other to solve mysteries. There’s already a page for it here on the site, so you can learn more about the first book, Going Under. I hope people will love Chase, Cinnamon, and Bryan as much as I do.

I’ve also got a few books for adults in the works, though these are moving a little more slowly. Jinx is the story of a ridiculously unlucky girl and how she learns to live with her misfortune and love in spite of it. I’m also constantly writing and rewriting a book set in my hometown of Oakdale. With factual elements and a fictional plot, the lines keep blurring too much for comfort. It’s a labor of love, and I won’t put it out there until I get it just right. Finally, there is a collaboration with an author friend, but that’s a secret.

With so much going through my head at any given moment, I often just spend my time with the character who is speaking the loudest. Sometimes I take six months to a year to finish the first draft of a project, and every once in a while, I sit down and write straight through one in a month. One thing is for sure; I have plenty to be going on with. I don’t imagine I’ll stop writing any time soon!