James Blunt - Some Kind of Trouble

After attending James Blunt's performance of songs from his latest album, I finally had his latest release "Some kind of Trouble" in my hands. Dispensing with the brooding insularity of 2007’s sophomore affair All the Lost Souls, Blunt opts for optimism on his third album, 2010’s Some Kind of Trouble. The shift in tenor is immediately apparent on the jaunty acoustic opener “Stay the Night” and the slick, sleek pulse of “Dangerous,” a song tailor-made for upscale cocktail hours, and if Blunt occasionally slows the tempo, he never strays from this aesthetic, never letting his ballads drift into the morose. In a sense, this lightness suggests that Blunt has succumbed to his role as a MOR crooner, as there are no attempts at Ray LaMontagne profundity as there were on All the Lost Souls, but ultimately, this is for the best because Blunt’s strength is his embrace of soft rock cliché, whether he’s murmuring about a “Heart of Gold” over crawling chords, or cheerfully bouncing along on “I’ll Be Your Man.” Occasionally, he is hamstrung by the incessant, inherent whine in his voice, which always benefits from the dressing of production, and which is why the propulsive tunes here, like “These Are the Words” are the best. But Some Kind of Trouble is a step in the right direction for Blunt, a move toward love songs free of pretension.

Central Coast California

Just returned from a great vacation with friends on the central coast of California. We started off by touring the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, then spent the next day in Cambria where we hung out on Moonstone beach watching the monk seals basking in the sun. We then headed to the wineries of Paso Robles where we tasted yummy, fruity red and white wines. My favorite was Castoro Cellars where we were treated with chocolate truffles along with some dessert muscat wines. Later we made our way down to Pismo Beach where we stayed at the Cliffs Resort right on Shell beach. We managed to fit in visits to Morro Bay and the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo as well.

Sideways in Solvang

Just returned from a great weekend wine tasting with friends in Solvang, CA. It was my boyfriends birthday. We stayed at the Solvang Inn & Cottages and took the "Sideways" tour of many of the wineries and vineyards surrounding Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley. Our stops took us along route 246 from Solvang to Los Olivos to Buellton. Tasting and tours began at the Roblar Winery where we enjoyed a Mediterranean lunch filled with exotic cheeses and meats, then onto the Bridlewood Winery where they offer a horse-carriage ride around the vineyards, then to Brander Vineyards, next was the Firestone Winery where we learned about the wine making process through a guided tour and we finished up at the Demetria Estate where we were personally invited inside to hang out with the sommeliers. Throughout the weekend, we dined at the Hitching Post and Los Olivos Cafe' restaurants made famous by appearing in the movie, Sideways. Solvang is a quaint little Danish town with European style shops and restaurants along the main Copenhagen Street.

Jason Mraz @ Hollywood Bowl

My boyfriend and I recently went to see Jason Mraz at the Hollywood Bowl. It was the 2nd time that I've seen him in concert. My boyfriend has known him for a while. They worked together on an album that my boyfriend produced called, Jason Mraz Inspirations for Target. Of all of Jason's albums, the latest one, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" is my favorite. On his third album, he again experiments, this time exchanging his acoustic persona for more blue-eyed soul than ever.

Sure the album’s first single, stripped down ballad I’m Yours, is typical man-with-guitar Mraz, but on other tracks he gets hip, trading in the acoustic guitar for jazzy electric piano and brass solos. Album opener Make It Mine engages with vibrant lounge-inspired melodies and Mraz’ trademark “la-la-las.” Then he brings the funk on the smoothly seductive Coyotes with its computerized beats and imagery-driven lyrics (“No wonder I’m a one woman man/ She keeps my heart in a jar on the nightstand”). Or there’s the deliciously tongue-in-cheek Butterfly, an innuendo laden ode to love laid out over energetic trumpet flourishes.

But don’t think We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. sees Mraz completely turning back on his troubadour roots. He duets sweetly with Colbie Caillat on beachy ballad Lucky where the two extol the virtues of falling in love with your best friend. And to close the album, he aptly chooses the quiet but impressive Beautiful Mess that reminds listeners that Mraz unplugged almost always trumps everything else.

As a fan of Mraz, its easy to be blindsided into automatically loving any new music he makes. All his usual stylistic devices are accounted for: spitfire delivery (see borderline rap song Dynamo), witty/incisive lyricism (Love for a Child) and inspirational balladry (Live High or as I call it, Life is Wonderful 2.0). Still, fan or not, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. is a must for anybody searching for grown-up pop with personality.

A Malibu life...

After many requests, I've finally put together a list of my favorite spots in Malibu. So, here they are:

1. Coast along the PCH
2. Paradise Cove
3. Malibu Beach Inn
4. Diesel Books
5. James Perse Apparel
6. Malibu Country Mart

The Beatles Remastered

Amoeba Music > The Remarkable Return of The Beatles by Chris Morris

Source: www.amoeba.com

Sometime in January 1964, my high school buddy Paul, who lived around the corner from me in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, visited the neighborhood record shop and picked up a copy of The Beatles’ ...