Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
YES!: A Jason Mraz Album Review
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| Photo from jasonmraz.com |
I’ve been a listener of Jason Mraz since 2002, when “Sleep All Day” started playing on the radio. Ever since then, I’ve watched him progress from this young, spontaneous, rockstar kind of guy to this now harmonic, spiritual, and easy-going person. Recently, he just released an all-acoustic album, containing 14 tracks of “love” songs. This album is collaborated with Raining Jane, a band he’s made music with for a long time now (“A Beautiful Mess” and a few of Jason’s hit singles were written with the Janes). This album is called: YES!
This summer, I’ve been in long road trips and I tell you, this is a great album to listen to on the road! I know summer is almost over (cries), but it’s still fitting to play the album during a sunny day. The order of the tracks is made so that listening to the whole album is like listening to a love story. The songs itself are all hits! Each song is written to connect to the listener; to put to words how the listener is feeling. I could easily say that half of the songs in the album are my favourite songs of the album! By the way, the word “love” is mentioned in all the songs in this album (and most of his older songs).
According to Jason, he titled the new record “YES!” because “(he) just (wants) it to be simple.” The title is so because the “writing process is all yesses, and that’s the word that made Jason and Jane happen.” One of Jason’s missions is to spread positivity and harmony in his work. What better way to articulate positivity than the word YES? According to Jason, the album is all-acoustic to bring back the coffee shop/busker days, where it all started. And of course, Raining Jane had an impact on the sound of the songs as well.
On October 23, Jason and the Janes will be playing the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Come watch, and feel loved and inspired!
Say YES! to giving the album a listen!
All the yesses (and then some),
- Jose
My Christmas Jam
Hello fellow Homo sapiens! I, a self-proclaimed person who has a good taste in music, want to share my Christmas playlist!
These are
the songs that I play when it’s December or at the Christmas dinner (That’s
right, I’m the DJ in the house). It is a
mixture of different genres: from up-beat to classic and of course to blues
#foreveralone
Did I just
use a hash tag? Anyways, let’s get to the playlist. In no particular order of
favoritism, here it goes:
10. Rockin’
around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
No one can
resist this classic song. And thanks to the commercial of JOE, this song is
stuck in my head. It is catchy and we know what catchy songs do to us...
ROCKIN’ around the Christmas tree...the bathroom, the kitchen and even on the
sidewalk.
9. The
Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Nat King Cole
Aaah ... Nat
King Cole. His Christmas songs are the ones that make you want to sit on a sofa
with all lights dimmed, have a coffee and be nostalgic about life. Play this
song if you have your grandparents in the house...they’ll love it.
8. Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
Like fellow
Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra is one of the best crooners of not just Christmas
but of all time. Can you imagine how sad this song really sounds? Just read the
title. Anyways, there are covers of this song which I really like such as
Christina Aguilera’s and Judy Garland’s
7. All I
Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
I’m pretty
sure that this is one of the songs that never get old during Christmas. It will
be impossible not to hear this song in December, whether in the mall or in your
own house. I memorized the lyrics not
because I intended to but, because it’s ridiculously overplayed (Admit it. It goes
the same for you). Nevertheless, this up-beat song surely brings out the merry
in Christmas.
6. Silent
Night by Boyz II Men
The definition of acapella. The classic
Silent night is covered by many artists but one thing that remains is its
solemn essence. I like this song a lot because it just shuts up all the noise
in the world (Pun not intended) you know, when you play it, it lurks in the air
and turn everything into a melody to soothe your ear.
5. Baby It’s
Cold Outside by Joseph Gordon Levitt and Lady Gaga
WHAT? This
exists? Yes! I just found out today as well. I was looking for Zoey and Will’s
version but this showed up. After I played it, sorry folks, but this is now my
favourite version. It is adorable how they switching the role making the boy
who wants to go because of fear his parents might scold him!
4. Little
Drummer Boy by Harry Simeone Chorale
Let’s admit
it, we don’t really know the other lyrics to this song aside from the RA-PU-PUM-PUM
bit. No? Okay it’s just me then. This one is probably one of my favourite
Christmas songs sung by a chorale. And thanks to Peter Griffin for staining the
memory of this song (If you don’t know what I’m saying google Family Guy’s
version of this song)
3. Santa
Claus Is Coming To Town by Bruce Springsteen
OH you
better watch out you better not cry! You better not pout I’m telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town. 1) You sang this while reading it and 2) This is
mostly the part where you know the lyrics. I LOVE this song. It has the u-beat rhythm that makes you sing
along no matter where you are or even if you’re sad. (‘Cause Santa is coming
;))
2. Ave Maria
I did not
put any artist because there are a lot of varieties of Ave Maria (Personally, I
like Pavarotti’s) This song is played in a lot of occasions Christmas, funerals
or even weddings. Nevertheless, Hail the Holy Mother Mary.
1. O Holy
Night by Christina Aguilera
I know I
said this list is in no order of favoritism but, this one has to occupy the
first place. Fall on your knees indeed, this song gives goose bumps. Regardless of who the singer is, I love this
song or should I say poem. This truly captures the soul of Christmas. Everyone
is united and adores the Holy Night.
So that’s
it! I tried to make it even with blues, classic and up-beat! Hope you enjoyed
the list!
Happy
Holidays everybody!
-Anonymeh
“Geronimo”
- The Doctor
