Can't Get Enough Of...

Everything - Outasight
Get the whole Figure 8 EP for free.

Rusted Wheel - The Belle Brigade
I posted 2 of my other favorites off of this album in an earlier post. It's my go-to driving record right now.

Counting Stars - Augustana
I am obsessed with this band right now. I cannot get enough of this album. It is ridiculously amazing.

What I Want - Jon McLaughlin
New tune from Jon McL. I was excited to hear more new stuff at his show on Monday at The Met, but it got canceled. Boo.

Meant to Be - Javier Colon f. Stephen Kellogg
Not sure if you heard Javier on NBC's new show The Voice, but I know millions of others did. He is the reason I tuned in to a show I thought I would hate (not a fan of American Idol & similar shows) but I will continue watching to see how he does. I don't completely understand the rules because I tuned in about 45 minutes late, but if he doesn't win, there's something very very wrong. His cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" has been climbing the iTunes charts since it aired. I was lucky enough to see him open up for Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers last New Year's Eve and let me tell you, if anyone has THE VOICE, it's this guy. It helps that he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met, too. This video is from the night before and one of my favorite bloggers dedicated an entire post to it.

New Music Tuesday Preview: Augustana

Not much going on in the music world of Elise lately. I finally found something worth blogging about.

Augustana has a new album out tomorrow but the whole thing is available for streaming on myspace. It is an amazing album and I can't wait to buy it. Watch the video for the single "Steal Your Heart" and then check out the rest!

Movies about Music: Top 10

So these aren't all necessarily about music but music definitely plays a major role in all of these flicks.

10. Runnin' Down A Dream - great (but long) rockumentary about Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

9. Never Say Never 3D - Totally ridiculous but actually a REALLY good doc that follows the Biebs from childhood to selling out Madison Square Garden. I laughed, I cried & had a great time watching this one (alone because I couldn't bribe anyone to come with me).

8. Golden Days - Such a heartbreaking story about the greatest band you've never heard (and one of my favorites), The Damnwells. For fans of the underdog.

7. It Might Get Loud - Great movie that follows 3 electric guitar gods - Jack White, The Edge, & Jimmy Page. The scene at the end where the 3 of them are jamming out to The Band's "The Weight" is great. It's instant on netflix if you're interested.

6. The Lizzie McGuire Movie - I have a spot in my heart for Hilary Duff. I have no idea why. I went to see this at the movie theater when it came out (I was in college) and I remember the crowd cheering at the end. It's a silly movie & totally cheesy but definitely one of my top guilty pleasures.

5. Moulin Rouge - I have a thing for musicals, but I feel that the movie version always disappoints. Since Moulin Rouge was never a stage production, it didn't have a chance to fail on the big screen. Ewan McGregor & Nicole Kidman do a great job.

4. The Wedding Singer - One of my favorites growing up. Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore are just so damn cute together.

3. Harold & Maude - Although it's an odd movie, you can't go wrong with a Cat Stevens soundtrack.

2. Once - The chemistry between Glen & Marketa is amazing. The soundtrack is fantastic and the story is just as good.

1. Empire Records - This is my all time favorite movie. I named my blog after it. I grew up watching this movie sometimes more than twice in a night. I wore out my VHS. I can practically recite the entire script. If you haven't seen it by now, you'll probably hate it.

Preview: The Belle Brigade

The Belle Brigade has done something not many bands can do. They have a buzz surrounding them even before the release of their debut album. That doesn't happen too often. I have seen numerous tweets, facebook posts & blogs praising this folk-pop-brother-sister duo. There's definitely a reason for it. Paste magazine named "Losers" the #1 song of 2011 (so far). There's just something about siblings and the music that they can create together. They're just so in sync with each other & the chemistry is crazy. The self-titled album isn't due out until April 12, 2011 but you can stream the full album courtesy of KCRW right now! 

Sweet Louise

Where Not to Look for Freedom

Justin Townes Earle

So I don't know if I've said it before, but I LOVE amazonmp3. I'm not sure how great it is for the artists, but they have fantastic deals for those of us with music addictions. Every month they have at least 50 albums for only $5, plus a daily deal where albums are sometimes as cheap as $1.99. Nevermind the tons of free mp3s that they offer as an added bonus. I rarely buy hard copies of stuff anymore. The main reasons being that I don't have the room for it, or that the music I want is impossible to find in stores. If it's a band I really love, I buy their stuff at shows or I'll pre-order a new release but the internet has just made things so damn convenient. The first of the month is one of my favorite days now because I get to go through and see what $5 albums I don't own yet. This month, I was pleased to find Justin Townes Earle's (son of legend Steve Earle) Harlem River Blues on sale. I've been meaning to check him out for a while & even more so recently because he's on the bill for the Newport Folk Festival this summer. Classified as a country album, I find that Harlem River Blues has more of a folk/singer-songwriter feel to it. The songs he sings are timeless & if you didn't know, you'd think you were listening to something made decades ago. The album is about New York but told through the eyes of Nashville, TN. "One More Night In Brooklyn" expresses this the best. "Christchurch Woman" & "Rogers Park" are my favorites but save for "Workin' for the MTA" (I just can't get into a song about working on a railroad), they're all great. Hear the title track and check out a great in-store video.

Harlem River Blues