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Oh boy, Jovi will like this news - She’s a big fan of Heart (aka Ann & Nancy Wilson). 

Heart: In the Studio, written by biographer Jake Brown, with exclusive interview contributions from Heart principles Ann and Nancy Wilson, fellow band members, as well as all of the groups producers, chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of the hit-making process.  Included are the stories behind such classic-and-pop-rock staples as ˜Magic Man, ˜Crazy On You, ˜Barracuda, ˜Straight On, ˜These Dreams, ˜Alone, ˜All I Wanna Do (Is Make Love to You), and countless others over 3 decades and 30 million+ albums sold. Heart is still beloved by rock fans worldwide, and this summer is co-headlining a tour with fellow classic-rock legend Journey, as well as working on material for a new studio album, due in 2009, in time with the bands rumored pending-induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 11:41 am and is filed under Music.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the new AC/DC album, their first since 200o’s Stiff Upper Lip, will be an exclusive to Wal-Mart when it arrives this fall.  The band is currently in Vancouver recording the album with producer Brendon O’Brien (Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam).

AC/DC will follow The Eagles, Bryan Adams and most recently Journey as artists who’ve made their albums exclusively available for the retail giant.  The Eagles reportedly sold amost three million albums via Wal-Mart and the new Journey album is on its way to 100,000 already, after only week.  Impressive for Journey, considering that their previous album didn’t sell that many copies and has been out several years.

I’m looking forward to the AC/DC record and maybe seeing them on tour.  Or a live DVD. 

This entry was posted on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 12:41 pm and is filed under Music.

While I never slept on New Kids on the Block pillowcase or anything,  back in the late 80’s/early 90’s (I can and will now shamefully admit that) I thought member Jonathan Knight was a tasty teen dream back then, and that I seriously could not get their hit song “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” out of my head for like, a year.

So, today I see a story that the New Kids are currently making plans to tour, and have recorded a new single called “Summertime” - in spite of their silly band name that was chosen without any consideration or plan for musical longevity. 

I jumped on the NKOTB Official MySpace to find the song and give it a listen, hoping that the track would be filled with the glorious pop hooks, dance beats and melodies of old.  Alas, ’twas not to be.  I am more thana little disappointed - maybe they should have head-hunted Timbaland to collaborate with them… You may speak with a crazy British accent, but you are a thinking diva, Madonna.  Just saying, Timbaland is King Midas when it comes to keeping artists that should by now be considered “has-beens”, relevant. 

Maybe it’s because I currently have my house on the market - but these guys all look like real estate agents to me now.  Jonathan isn’t exactly my type anymore, either - he’s just a little too pretty for my tastes.  Give me furry and funny over pretty and plastic any day!

Just wondering if anyone out there has plans to re-live their first boy band obsession by seeing these guys on tour?  If so, we expect a review! 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Music.

This week I decided that I want to try and post a weekly blog (every Friday), listing my top 5 iTunes songs of the week.  I really am obsessed with finding songs, both new and old via iTunes, and I am hoping this will open up a discussion with other music lovers lurking around Jenkat, and help tune me in to new music I might like.  I am pretty much open to anything except hardcore rap, and I rarely leave the house without my iPod - it is basically technology’s replacement for the Teddy Bear!  And a side note, have you seen that some companies apparently agree with me on this - and have combined the two?  Click the image of the bear to see what I mean. 

Anyway, I will be posting my favorite songs weekly, and I hope you guys will leave your comments and suggestions about the songs that you are currently listening to, as I rarely hear stuff I like on the radio anymore.  So, without further ado, here is my first installment of Jovi’s Friday Jams:

5. Losing Me (Perdido en Ti) by Diego - This one is a current free download on iTunes (this week only), and I suggest you download it posthaste if you love a soaring melody.  I believe that rising Latin sensation Diego’s first language might be Spanish, but you wouldn’t know it when he sings this song in English.

4. My Way by Butch Walker - This one is a bit of an oldie (released in 2002), but it’s got one heck of a hook.  Butch is the former frontman of the band Marvelous 3, which enjoyed some moderate success in the late 1990’s.  This guy is an amazing songwriter - you gotta trust me!  If you have never heard of him, this is definitely a good one to check out.

3. The Music of the Night (American Idol Studio Version) by David Cook - If you read my American Idol blogs, you all know by now that David Cook is the dark horse coming on strong at the end, and I think this was the song that sealed his fate in the top two… is it too early to assume that he’ll be there?  Methinks no.  The studio version of this performance is just dreamy - who would have thought Daughtry Junior had such a lovely falsetto?

2. Nine Lives by Def Leppard featuring Tim McGraw - A very solid uptempo ditty by my favorite band of all time.  Now would be a good time to prepare you to expect to see Def Leppard on this list frequently.    Joe Elliott and Tim Mc Graw perform the verses in sort of a call out and response fashion, and I admit, at times it is hard to tell them apart.  I have this entire CD (natch), and this is nowhere near the best song on the album - but as a single, I gotta admit it’s pretty catchy.  And did I mention I live next door to a guy that looks just like Tim McGraw?  Well, I do.

1. Shake It by Metro Station - This one was a totally random iTunes find for me, but I am so digging on it!  Very poppy, very synth heavy, and a little retro sounding.  Even their name reminds me of the 80’s.  The song itself sounds like it came off of a John Hughes movie soundtrack - and that’s a GOOD thing!  This one could be my Memorial Day jam of choice.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see ya next week!

This entry was posted on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 7:43 pm and is filed under Music.

Who would have thunk it?  Apparently it is cool to admit affection for George Michael again.  Thanks, Eli Stone!

I stopped being cool and trendy when it comes to music loooong ago, so I don’t have a problem admitting that I love me some Wham! (feel free to Google ”80’s European pop has-beens”), and even a few of George’s solo efforts tickle my pop lovin’ tootsies.  G’ ahead, laugh; I can take it.

I remember watching George’s performances during the Freddie Mercury tribute concert, and thinking that the guy was pretty phenomenal live - and probably very underrated for his vocal abilites - likely because of his ultra-poppish catalog of music.  Well, Mr. Michael has decided to finally stop hanging out in mens’ rooms, and is hitting the road, touring America for the first time in 17 years.  His “25 Live” tour kicks off in San Diego, and will take him to a total of 20 cities in support of his new album, which features duets with Mary J. Blige and Paul McCartney. 

Of course, he won’t be coming to Colorado - but really, who does?  I think singers must be afraid of the altitude.  In case you live in a city where big tours actually stop, here are the dates:

June 17: San Diego/San Diego Sports Arena
June 19: San Jose, Calif./HP Pavilion
June 21: Las Vegas/MGM Grand
June 22: Phoenix/US Airways Center
June 25: Los Angeles/Great Western Forum
July 2: Seattle/Key Arena
July 4: Vancouver/General Motors Place
July 7: St. Paul/Xcel Energy Center
July 9: Chicago/United Center
July 13: Dallas/American Airlines Center
July 14: Houston/Toyota Center
July 17: Toronto/Air Canada Centre
July 18: Montreal/Bell Centre
July 21 and 23: New York/Madison Square Garden
July 26: Philadelphia/Wachovia Center
July 27: Boston/TD Banknorth Garden
July 29: Washington, D.C./Verizon Center
July 31: Atlanta/Philips Arena
Aug. 2: Tampa/St. Pete Times Forum
Aug. 3: Sunrise, Fla./Bank Atlantic Center

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 4:08 pm and is filed under Music.

Just because…

Some days Jovi just needs herself a Hall & Oates fix.  And a good laugh - like the belly laugh I get when I see the dude in this video playing some huge drums, man!  I’ll bet Jason Castro often has visions reminiscent of a Hall & Oates video, but that might be a topic for another day.  I also love how John Oates refuses to be upstaged by Daryl Hall… just watch for the cartwheels!

Now, get ready to “Dance on your knees!”  Ouchie.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 26th, 2008 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Music, Videos.

I know there has to be some other 80’s ladies lurking about here on Jenkat that share my affection for tall, dark and handsome (with dimples) - so I just had to post this for those that dig Rick Springfield like I do…

Best! Rick! Springfield! Contest! EVER!

Or, pretty close to it.

And here is a little Friday Flashback of Rick, looking very Dr. Noah Drake-ish.  Not that I’m complaining. 

This entry was posted on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 3:49 pm and is filed under Music, Videos.

Okay… promise not to laugh?

I am a thirtysomething year old woman that is actually fighting the temptation to watch a new reality show on *gulp*… MTV.  Don’t get me wrong - I wanted my MTV more than I wanted a boyfriend back in my rebellious teenage years.  But let’s face it, the M in MTV no longer signifies music (videos)… actually, I am of of the belief that it now stands for “Morally Bankrupt”, but that would be two words, wouldn’t it?

So, just what is the new show luring me to back my former favorite cable hangout?  The show is called Rock The Cradle, and the premise of the show is a musical competition between children of famous rock stars (I use that term lightly, you’ll see why when you read the list below).  As contrived as it sounds, the American Idol fanatic in me is finding it difficult to resist.  I guess part of me also worries that I might tune into The Hills by accident. 

The cast of competitors includes quite a sampling of has-been rock star spawn:

A’Keiba Burrell, the daughter of MC Hammer - so you know you can’t touch this.

Landon Brown, son of Bobby Brown - yes, that Bobby Brown.  I guess Whitney wasn’t his first babymama.

Lara Johnston, daughter of  Tom Johnston - who?  Oooh, he is apparently a Doobie Brother.

Chloe Lattanzi, daughter of Olivia Newton-John - I only wish that John Travolta’s son was involved.  Danny and Sandy, Part 2!

Crosby Loggins, son of Kenny Loggins - I wonder if this kid knows how underrated his papa is.  Play the theme from Caddyshack II (Nobody’s Fool), and try not to dance.  I dare ya.

Jesse Money, daughter of Eddie Money - can’t beat a last name like Money!

Jesse Blaze Snider, son of Dee Snider - actually, maybe this guy has the better stage name in “Blaze”.

Albert J. Brown IV, son of  Al B. Sure! - he definitely didn’t inherit his pop’s star quality moniker; sounds more like the same of a lawyer or accountant.

Lucy Walsh, daughter of Joe Walsh - who might have inherited some songwriting talent, giving her an edge.

So, if any of you have caught the show and found it entertaining - or not - please leave a comment, and let me know what you thought of the show.  I may just TiVo it this weekend in spite of the verbal flogging I am sure to incur from Mr. Jovi.  If any of you wanna ‘take the dive’ with me, first run episodes air on Thursdays at 10PM ET/PT - though, it is certain to be on auto-repeat throughout the weekend.  I think that is the way they do at MTV these days, innit?

This entry was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 4:59 pm and is filed under Music, Television.

I have to admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Rolling Stones.  I respect them and all the great music they’ve written, but for some reason I’ve never been able to get into them.  Though maybe picking up their greatest hits might be a good start, something I’ve done with other vintage bands lately like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.

I do love The Coors version of Ruby Tuesday which features Ron Wood from the Stones.  Maybe I’m a little biased because I think the drummer in the Coors is a cutie pie, but I love the drums in this live performance.  Check it out to see what I mean…

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 1:28 am and is filed under Music.

With a new album coming soon, Journey has officially announced their 2008 tour with Heart and Cheap Trick in tow.  The tour is set to kick-off July 9th in Denver and run through October 4th in Albuquerque.  The tour is set to take these three legendary bands across the US making stops on the coasts and throughout the heartland.

Here’s the complete list of tour dates for Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am and is filed under Music.