Music Monday #2: MySpace

On Music Monday this week:
1. Introduction
2. Five Picks
3. Top 5 Most Played Songs on Music Player
4. Drop me a line.

Can’t we just pretend it’s still Monday?

Today, my focus is on MySpace – since I think it’s an excellent place for music (and comedy and whatnot). And no, I don’t think I’ll be focussing on big names already released on big time record labels.

Here are my five picks this week:
Maja Toudalhttp://www.myspace.com/majatoudalmusic
Maja Toudal is a singer/songwriter with a crystal clear voice. She started writing poetry, making music as a pre-teen and – as far as I’ve understood – she lives and breathes for it.

Nadja Loranhttp://www.myspace.com/nadjaloran
Here’s a girl I remember from being a teenager; back then I didn’t know what would become of her if she didn’t become a singer. She’s bright, intelligent, so I have no doubt she would make it at whatever she puts her mind to, but yet again we have a case of someone wanting something enough – and having the talent to do it.
Personally, I enjoy the sweet attitude and the sense of the Danish term hygge in her music.

Emilie Delancehttp://www.myspace.com/emiliedelance
The first time I heard Emilie sing was at a gospel workshop in Jerusalemskirken back in 2007. The workshop was a joint venture between the adult gospel choirs of Gospelkirken/Jerusalemskirken; Emilie was in one choir, I was (and am still) in another. I was blown away by the depth of her voice, and was thrilled to find her on MySpace – even while she only had that one song up there, and (though also regrettably) continues to have it that way.

Farven Lufthttp://www.myspace.com/farvenluft
Speaking of the gospel choir I sing in, the director and the pianist of this choir are in a band called Farven Luft (meaning: the Color Air). If asked, I would initially have reacted by describing them af avantgarde jazz, as I know that both Sofie (the director and lead singer) and Anders (on the keys) are into that. But listening to them again, I agree more to the categories they have put on MySpace: alternative, pop, and experimental.
Although it may not be typically within the borders of my musical taste and I may have a certain weakness for the band because of Sofie and Anders, I still do enjoy the experimentality (so to say) and the bohemian girlishness/princess-ity that Sofie sometimes adds to it, and the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Lemony Snicket-like gloominess that are also present every now and then (just watch the video for “Circus”, and poof! there it is, the stuff I’m talking about).
They’re making a new record, thus there are a few pre-master tracks up on their profile.

Mames Babegenushhttp://www.myspace.com/mambab
Mames Babegenush is a band playing Balkan folk music – but consisting of Danish musicians. This is the kind of music I never thought I’d enjoy listen to for long, but somehow I’m drawn to it again and again.

The Top 5 most played on my portable music player is as of right now:
Actually, they’re just the same as last week…:
1. A-Gusta (Safri Duo)
2. Snakefood (Safri Duo)
3. Samb-Adagio (Safri Duo)
4. Take Me To That Place (KEFAS)
5. I Got Joy (KEFAS)

Just to amuse you (or is it myself?…), here are the most played songs on my portable player right now (BESIDES Safri Duo and KEFAS!):
1. Slow Me Down (Emmy Rossum)
2. Teardrop (LP Version) (Massive Attack)
3. Canto Alla Vita (Josh Groban/The Corrs)
4. Stay (Emmy Rossum)
5. Beep (Pussycat Dolls)

Got any reactions? Suggestions? Requests? Comment away!

Music Monday #1!

On Music Monday this week:
1. Introduction
2. Favorite Listings
3. Top 5 Most Played Songs on Music Player
4. Drop me a line.

This may just be a teeny-weeny bit delayed in this part of the World, considering that it’s 2:30 in the morning, so it’s been Tuesday for about 2 ½ hours here in Denmark as I post. But anyways, I’ve spend too much time on this not to post it by now.

Twitter is usually celebrating mondays with the tag #musicmonday – and with the inspiration of wanting to do Top 5s (perhaps from watching “High Fidelity” once too many, I don’t know), I decided to introduce Music Monday to this blog. This also becomes procrastination from writing that monologue for Church and studying for my next exam.

Of course, I got this neat portable/mobile music player with a fruit on the back (you’ll hear me mention it again sooner or later – and yes, a daily fruit keeps the doc away). This also means that I have the very compatible software enabling me to work with neat things like podcasts on Follow Friday (also a tag from Twitter – #followfriday).

Anyway. This summer, a very famous soda company was working with the company providing goodies for my portable music player, which meant that out of a sudden I was able to download a LOT of songs for free. So first of all, these are my favorite downloads:

Five for walking Nørrebro
Beautiful Liar (Beyonce & Shakira)
Give It To Me (Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake)
Come Around (Timbaland feat. Mia)
That’s Not My Name (The Ting Tings)
Mr. Wendal (Arrested Developement)

Five for looking back
2 Times (Ann Lee)
Saturday Night (Whigfield)
Take On Me (A-Ha)
Manic Monday (The Bangles)
Walk This Way (Aerosmith & Run-DMC)

Five for the sake of it
Teardrop (Massive Attack)
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
Gold Digger (Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx)
Walk This Way (Aerosmith & Run-DMC)
Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now) (The Allstars/originally by Bob Sinclair)

And a sixth… Just for the sake of it: That’s Not My Name (The Ting Tings).

Five EPs/albums
Let It Snow! – EP (Michael Bublé)
Emmy Rossum – EP (Emmy Rossum)
Teardrop – EP (Massive Attack)
Charmed & Strange (Bonus Track Version) (Yoav)
Give It To Me (feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake) – EP (Timbaland)

The Top 5 most played on my portable music player is as of right now:
1. A-Gusta (Safri Duo)
2. Snakefood (Safri Duo)
3. Samb-Adagio (Safri Duo)
4. Take Me To That Place (KEFAS)
5. I Got Joy (KEFAS)

Surprisingly so, considering how much seasonal music and Aaliyah for the past couple of months. Then again, I do listen to Safri Duo and KEFAS a lot.

ANYWAY. Got any reactions? Suggestions? Requests?

Song/Prayer: “Take Me To That Place”

Since I got the CD “Great Joy” by Kefas Gospel Choir (who is also @ MySpace), there has been one song with the ability to calm me down. Be it the funky/jazzy feel and the café-like sounds of coffee/teacups, glasses, spoons… Or be it the text of the song, which is a perfect prayer when feeling off course.

Take Me To That Place (Hans Christian Jochimsen)

Take me to that place
Where there will be nore more pain
Help me run the race
Lord, I have all to gain
Fill my life with grace
That I may smile again
Take me to that place
Let me hear angels again

Lord, will You take me to that place
Where the angels sing and I can smile again
Take me to that place
Will you take me
I don’t want to wait until I die
To have peace of mind, I need a resting place
Take me to that place
Please let me go back

Take me to the mountain’s top
Take me through the valleys low
If I should give up
Show me which way to go
You know I’ve been there before
Lord, when I first saw Your face
Now I need You more and more
Fill me again with Your grace

Show me how to love again
The way I used to love
Show me how to live again
The way I used to live
Take me to the place
Where I first saw You
I want to be
Where I saw You…