VIP Seat: Beyonce: I Am...Yours

It's pouring rain and it's been cloudy all day. This usually means I'll post up with my 50-song "Rainy Day" playlist and call it a sweatpants day, and of course, loads of TV.

Went to E! instead of True Life: I'm a Bisexual only because Beyonce Revealed was on. Those who know me best know that I adore Sasha Fierce more than words can express (she replaced my longtime love with JLo, don't ask). As I watched the behind the scenes of "Bills, Bills, Bills" I remembered "I Am...Yours," an exclusive, Storytellers-style concert in Las Vegas.

The concert begins with an acoustic set featuring a slowed-tempo knockout of "Sweet Dreams" and "Halo," among others. She dives into her B-sides as if they were her all-time hits, wailing and jumping through vocal gymnastics as easily as blinking. The acoustic "Irreplaceable" is more of a sing along, which is cool if you're in the audience, but I'm not about to scream "to the left, to the left," when I'm the only loser doing it.

Act two involves a more lively, uptempo story telling journey through the life of Beyonce. She sings some Destiny's Child classics with a remix of "No,No,No" and clips of "Say My Name" and "Independent Woman." There's even an interlude tap dance routine(?).

The finale is predictably "Single Ladies," but since the entire performance is catapulted by an all-female band, the pop hit embraces more of the big band and less of the MacBook.

If you're a big Beyonce fan or even a little one, you must watch or hear the performance. It's a near flawless, fabulous exhibition of her talent, and I'm not just saying that because I LOVE HER IN ALL CAPS!! Ahem, yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilKFZJ6V97I - Halo (acoustic)

Song of the Day

**6/30/10

Crosby, Stills & Nash - A Long Time Gone

--------------As we're getting closer to the fourth, I'm pulling back from the future and trekking back to the past for some apple pie, Levi's and bandanas type music. Not to mention I'm a little jaded by artists who describe their music as "plucked from Saturn's rings or a meteor belt."

That being said, "A Long Time Gone" is the shirtless outlaw song that couldn't feel more right than at Woodstock. The footage from the video below reels through the 1969 festival's stage construction. It's wonderfully American, and will probably be part of a little series-type thingy of my favorite classic rock bands who made rock what it is. Get "A Long Time Gone" from their 1969 self-titled album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PFCgAhZEO8

Song of the Day

**6/29/10

Stacy Clark - Matter of Time

--------------As a self-taught, sort-of-ok guitar player, I think Stacy Clark has major chutzpah for teaching herself well enough to perform folk music at 15 and killing it enough to be considered "the next Ani DiFranco." She saved up her record store wages to create her first solo project and toured and toured and toured. Lately she's been singing backup vocals for Jack's Mannequin ("Crashing" and "Spinning") and hearing her music on MTV-insert-dramatic-real-life-situation-shows.

"Matter of Time" is less guitar and more machine, but Clark's lyrics remain pop-friendly and pleasant when carried by her songbird voice. Thanks to the popularity of her 2007 debut, Apples and Oranges, she's worked with Phantom Planet, Copeland and many more.

http://www.myspace.com/stacyclark

Song of the Day

**6/28/10

The Rest is Up to You - Miss Jealousy

-------------I met TRIUTY frontman Brian Fried in a class entitled "Rock Lyrics: Society and Culture" (also known as "Megan: Here's Your A+"). He sat on the other side of the room, but I could tell he had a knack for some great tuneage when he used Brand New's "Seventy Times Seven" for lyrical analysis.

I came to find out that Brian was recording this summer, and asked him to send me a little of whatever he worked on, be it rough cuts or final drafts. This weekend he sent me "Miss Jealousy," a pop punk pledge of trust and throwing jealousy to the side. Bereft of synthesizers and motherboards that belong in NASA, "Miss Jealousy" makes power chords and effortless instrumentals cool all over again.

Fried's myspace page is on the way, once more recordings are done, including a cover or two. I promise to post the link once it's up. Here's a free download of "Just Dance."

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3unqbx

Song of the Day

**6/24/10

Aaliyah feat. Timbaland- Try Again

---------------In 2000, Y2K fans were fortunate enough to welcome the new millenium with this track by the stunningly, it's-not-fair-beautiful Aaliyah. She made the Grammy-getting single for the soundtrack of Romeo Must Die, one of her final projects before her tragic death in 2001.

Since her death, Aaliyah has been named "The Princess of R&B" selling over 32 million copies of her albums worldwide.

And to spare sounding like Wikipedia, I'll get into the video: sleek, shiny and spacey, Aaliyah hits the dancefloor and the walks on walls gravitated by Timbaland's voice. Thankfully the video doesn't strain towards the bizarre, keeping Aaliyah in the spotlight in her usual GORGEOUS self. Am I jealous? Duh!

Song of the Day

**6/23/10

Europe - The Final Countdown

-----------------I'm in the middle of a vuvuzela, disallowed goal-filled mess called United States vs. Algeria. With overanxious kicking and less than stellar officiating, my tastes for music has become a little sarcastic and overly-heroic, just like Europe's "The Final Countdown."

K'NAAN created a World Cup playlist (Myspace promo much?) that includes kitschy tracks like Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" and Queen's "We are the Champions." Not all that creative, considering those songs are blaring in every middle school sporting game in America.

"The Final Countdown" has all the elements of a guts and glory hero-story. Of course there is a dramatic horn hook, but listen further into the song and you'll hear an 80's-fueled Footloose guitar face melter (I use the term loosely).

Take a look at this band promo-shot of Europe. These would be the guys to write this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

Song of the Day

**6/21/10

David Gray - Fugitive

-----------This weekend I had my fair frustrations with technology. It seems as if I need a degree from M.I.T. to be able to place a "Like" box on my Facebook Page and I'm assisting a friend in starting up his blog. For an idiot in web design (myself), this has been quite the challenge.

While I'm battling the details of the blogosphere, David Gray can walk around knowing he had the best selling album in Ireland ever, with 12 million copies of his album, White Ladder. "Fugitive" is from his album Draw the Line, and revels in contemplative rock the likes of The Fray.

Other songs such as the title track "Draw the Line" and "Kathleen" lean toward a more morose and tough-subject set of lyrics. Gray is currently promoting the 2009 album and touring in the U.K.

http://www.myspace.com/davidgray

Song of the Day

**6/16/10

Asleigh Stake - Cheap Shots and Broken Dreams

-------------It's fun to see friends make a big ass change in their music. In a few short months, Asleigh Stake has become one of Atlanta's must-hear hardcore bands. Some members of Asleigh Stake have moved from hardcore band A Path Less Traveled, and a few that have replaced their Canons and Nikons for microphones and major studio time.

Working hard for the month, Asleigh Stake have premiered two tracks on their Myspace, "Cheap Shots and Broken Dreams" and "Apartment Girls." There isn't much word about tours yet, but they are looking forward to releasing their debut album Another Fall Alone this fall.

http://www.myspace.com/asleighstake

Song of the Day

**6/15/10

Bassnectar - Teleport Massive (Bassnectar Remix)

--------------Today the Gorillaz apparently released a video for their song "Melancholy Hill," which I blogged about a few months ago. I have yet to find it, but did find an alternative post with just as much heavy dub-synth and smooth lyrics. "Teleport Massive" is a mesmerizing trip that will make dub step electronica-jam lovers go crazy.

Bassnectar have no problem citing Nirvana and Metallica as two of their biggest influences. Not something you'd guess from Lorin Ashton's creation described as "omni-tempo maximalism"...whatever that means. Ashton collaborates and does whatever is necessary to create the most bizarre and appealing noise mashups for their fans to enjoy. Get "Teleport Massive (Bassnectar Remix)" from the album Timestretch.

http://www.myspace.com/bassnectar

Lah Dee Dah...Mondays

Soo...Monday nights. For the collegiate scholar such as myself who has suspended her scholarly duties for the summer solstice pleasures, the night's can get a little dull.

And when the collegiate scholar is relieved of serving chicken and fish for under $10 to upper-middle class Dr. and Mrs. Douchebag, these Monday night's are even more bland.

All I see for my entertainment is a Pamprin commercial and a pre-recorded ABC Family teen sex drama. I don't see how fifteen year olds talking about oral sex and abortions tie into the "family" thing, but it's the 21st century...kids these days.

I'm kicking it old school, with a little music from the Jack's Mannequin album Everything in Transit. Normally I don't spill about favorites, but this album hits inside the Top 10.

There's nothing better than an album full of cryptic messages that you can interpret into your own life. The soul who's so far gone and feels like they can never return can feel the pain in "Bruised" or the longing for the one that got away in "The Mixed Tape."

Under any circumstance, the album identifies with the lonely, the confused and the chronically frustrated. And sometimes you don't have to feel anything - you can just enjoy the piano.