Happy HALLOWEEEN Weekend to All!

Usually I blink and maybe a few days goes by, maybe a week or two. This time I blinked and almost two months slipped by. Just so much going on hard to believe I think I've written 11 or 12 new original songs this year including custom songs, songs for other artists and songs for my own Christmas release. I'm going to take a deep breath this weekend and try to catch up on everything else.

LoveSongs.com Members Area - Now open!

LoveSongs.com has finally opened up its members area - to find out more please sign up for our 2x/month newsletter on our home page and we'll send you the link and password so you can download new love songs every month for free (and no charge for shipping and handling ha ha).

Scary Love Songs??

Whats the scariest love song you've ever heard? It could be "scary good" or scary creepy either one (hey its Halloween :)) Connect with us on Facebook and tell us about your scariest looove song :) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vincent-James-Love-Songs/367685720872

New Fall Music on the Radio

So far there's not a lot of great new music this fall in my opinion. Earlier this year there just seemed to be a flood of great new pop songs but not so much as the year continued on. One song that did catch my attention recently was "Dynomite" by Taio Cruz. The verse/rap doesn't do much for me (hey I'm a melody guy :))..but the prehook into the chorus hook definitely draws you in and makes you hit "replay" on this one. Check out the international version of Taio's song and video right here:



That's all for tooooday kiddies. Have a great weekend and a very SPOOKY Halloweeen and I will be back Monday November 1st with another post or my name isn't Johnny Walker....or is it??? :)

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Custom Love Song Bonanza for International Love Songs Day

In just 3 weeks, we will be celebrating 10th Anniversary @ LoveSongs.com by launching the very first International Love Songs Day on Saturday September 25th. I've always felt that everyone should have their own song, so to help make that happen we are presenting a very special offer for Custom Love Songs the weekend of Sept 24th-26th. Stop back next weekend for details on this offer of how to give that special someone in your life a custom love song.

Summer ending "This Afternoon" by Nickelback

Okay so its not really a love song and summer isn't official over yet :) But it is Labor Day weekend which is the unofficial end of summer, and this feel good pop-rockin' song by Nickelback can't help but get your feet moving. Formed in the mid-90's Nickelback has sold over 20 million CDs and now has their 10th Top 40 Hit in the US with "This Afternoon"...the unbelievable part is that this is the 8th single off their 2008 CD "Dark Horse" and its a bonafide pop hit. Some folks just know how to write'em and Nickelback shows'em how with "This Afternoon"...here's the link to the YouTube video "This Afternoon" by Nickelback

Lots going on in my music world these days..just finished doing final mixes on two Christmas songs coming out this holiday...songs are "Christmas Heart" sung by yours truly and "Pretty Please Mister Santa" featuring Kris Ballerini. Both will be featured on "Christmas Across the Lands" syndicated radio show that will broadcast in over 50 markets. I'll send out info later this fall where you can download and share them both this holiday season. Lots more stuff going on look for another update/post next week...have a greaaaat weekeend all!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

1st International Love Songs Day in 4 Weeks - Sept 25th, 2010

This year LoveSongs.com is celebrating its 10th anniversary and to make sure we do it in style we're launching the very first International Love Songs Day on Saturday September 25th (last Saturday in September every year after).

Love songs and music in general make up such an important part of our lives. We remember where we were,who we were with and other details when we first heard a song or what song was playing when we were celebrating a big moment in our life. Music is truly the international language and what better music than Love Songs. We'll be posting more info on how we're celebrating next month the very first International Love Songs Day!

Daughtry Tribute to the past with "September"

"September" is the 3rd single off Daughtry's 2nd CD entitled "Leave This Town". With this track the band is going for its 8th top 40 hit since launching in 2006 after Chris's 4th place finish in American Idol that year. Daughtry has been one of Idol's biggest success stories along with 1st year winner Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood who won in 2005 the year before Chris Daughtry's AI appearance. "September" is a song reflecting on the past and starts out rather slow but mid-way picks up in a big way giving me the rare goosebumps on my arms (which was really unexpected). Definitely give this track & video a listen/looksee below and after letting it play to the end see if you're hooked like I was.

That's all for today's post folks...been almost two months since our last post but this time we'll be back at you next week with a few posts as Summer 2010 comes to a close.

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

LoveSongs Blog is Back & "If Its Love" by Train!

Gee I blink a couple of times and next thing I know two months have gone by since my last post. Since then my musical world has been a little busy in a good way. I wrote a very cool pop'n'love ballad for a client from Singapore and with any luck you'll get to hear it some day..its probably one of the best songs i've ever written. There is another artist from NYC with big Chile connections who may be recording some of my songs on her debut CD this summer. AND we finished up writing/recording "Christmas Heart" that I co-wrote with a DJ friend from Florida and we are readying it for radio release this holiday season...AND we are working on a second Christmas song that we'll be having a female lead sing on (stay tuned to find out who). I'm having a hard time keeping up with all this fun, but its fffun!!

Yesterday marked the one year passing of Michael Jackson who I musically adored throughout his whole career..from ABC with the Jackson 5 through his latest albums in the years just prior to his death. Michael is probably the most talented songwriter/performer combination that ever walked the planet (like the Beatles were the most talented group) and there will never be another like him. We have his music to remember him by and I hope wherever he's at he is happy and finally at peace. Maybe just maybe he's teaching Saint Peter a few Moonwalking steps up at Heavens Gate :)

Today's Featured Song - "If It's Love" by Train

Train was a monster pop-band back in the late 90's, early 2000's with tremendous hits like "Drops of Jupiter", "Meet Virginia" and "Calling All Angels" ..selling over 4 Million albums in the US and lighting up the radio airwaves everywhere we went. There popularity and songs faded a bit with their releases in 2003 and 2006 (tough to keep a great thing going) but then emerged in 2009 with the album "Save Me San Francisco" and WOW! The song "Hey Soul Sister" is a bonfide hit in the first 10 seconds and does not disappoint through out...it went all the way to #3 on the Billboard and sold triple platinum (is that 3 million singles??). Their follow up to "Sister" is almost as strong with a tune called "If Its Love" currently at # 77 on the chart and climbing. When I hear an uptempo song that is this catchy I immediately turn my attention to the radio...its so hard to have an uptempo song with a strong hook that when its done right we stand up and pay attention. If you haven't heard "If Its Love" listen to it here you won't be disappointed I promise!

"If Its Love" by Train on YouTube

That's all for today...we're gonna try and do two posts each week one on Saturday and another mid-week on Wednesday and will feature a new song each time (until we run out of great new songs :)). Hope you're having a good summer so far and be back in a few daaaays!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

American Idol Goes to Top 5 Tonight

This week I did get to watch the show live and all in all it was a good show. Shania still looks great and she had some really good advice for the contestants. As for the performances there were definitely some I liked better than others. My Top 3 would be Aaron Kelly with "You've Got a Way"(that boy can sing and he really means it when it comes out), Michael Lynche with an excellent job with "It Only Hurts when I'm Breathing"(Michael is probably the best vocalist over all in the top 12) and once again Crystal Bowersox with "No One Needs to Know" (although the wow factor was missing from her performance this week). Lee DeWyze sang "Still the One" and for some reason I just don't understand the praise consistently given him....he's almost always off-key many times in his performance and there is just no real energy with his delivery. Casey James I generally like a lot although the song last night ("Don't") for me didn't do much for me. This brings me to my biggest disappoinment Siobhan Magnus with "Any Man of Mine". I love it when Siobhan wails (most times) but more and more when listen to the sound of her voice when she's not wailing and its just not that appealing a sound..it almost has a cringe factor with it which is odd because it is on key. I don't know what it is but I definitely don't like her as much as I used to.

Here's my picks for tonight...I think the bottom 3 are going to be Siobhan, Casey and Lee (or maybe I'm being hopeful ha :)) and my vote for most likely to go home is Siobhan...she's very talented but I think her time as come and hopefully her regular voice will develop more as she tours and continues to perform.

That's all for Wednesday folks...be back tomorrow with more info on Idol and full details on my "Music for Mom's" tour at 8 different Borders Bookstores next week!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Featured Song "Baby" by Justin Beiber & Happy 100th POST!!

This weeks featured new (almost new song) is "Baby" by Justin Beiber. Justin has had himself one heck of a career already selling over 1 million CDs, has had a #1 Album, a Top #5 single and is all of 16 years old. Not bad work if you can get it :) I know this one is straight for the teens (and some Moms who won't admit it) but I have to say "Baby" has quite a pop hook on it. You hear it just one time and you're singing it in your head whether you want to or not :) This one went all the way to #5 on the Billboard chart and for good reason. Now we have to wait and see if Justin has another song that matches up to this one. For now check out "Baby" on YouTube where it has been seen and heard 100 Million times (that's right 100 million). This is the version with the Ludacris breakdown: "Baby" by Justin Beiber featuring Ludacris (YouTube)

Happy 100th Blog Posting!!!

That's right this is our 100th blog posting yeaaaah! We started with 8 posts in 2008, 18 posts in 2009 (I don't know what the heck was going on) and we jumped in gear this year with this being blog post #74 for 2010 (yes we is on a roll roll roll). My goal is to hit 250 posts this year with at least 75 featured songs...stick around and lets see where we go (btw May 1st is our 10 year anniversary at LoveSongs.com - gonna break out the cake and candles :))

American Idol is down to 6 singers this week (Teflon Tim is history) and we'll be monitoring a little closer now each week until the last man/woman is standing. Who are we kidding Crystal Bowersox better be the last one standing or those of us still watching AI will revolt and jump ship to Simon Cowells new show!

That's all for Monday monday...be back tomorrow with another post after Idols sing!

~Vincent

Tuesday - Idol Gives Back with Inspiration

Tonight was Idol's Give Back episode and due to a studio emergency I didn't get a chance to watch it. Just reading back the blogs of how the night went it sounds like musically it wasn't a great night with the exception of Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze. If I have to make a guess as to who will be sent packing tomorrow nite I'd say Michael Lynche will most likely get his walking papers one last time. Michael is a really good singer (better than many of whats left) but I just don't know that there is a fan base big enough to overcome the teens voting for Tim Urban and Aaron Kelly. Siobhan will probably also find herself in the bottom 3 along with either Aaron or Tim. At this point when I look towards the finale I'm hoping its going to be Crystal vs. Lee or Crystal vs. Casey but I guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks to see.

That's all for Tooosday will be back tomorrow with another update and a new featured song (I'm hearing it in my head over and over got to get it out :))

~Vincent

Today's Featured Song - "Glitter in the Air" by Pink

I promised myself I'd get back to doing daily blogs this week so here we go. We'll feature 1-2 new songs each week along with bits on whats new in the music world. About a week ago I heard one of the most touching and emotional songs I've ever had the good fortune to hear. In my opinion Pink's "Glitter in the Air" is nothing short of an emotional masterpiece and has gone all the way to #18 on the Billboard Pop chart. If you haven't heard it I urge you to take a listen - Here's a link to Pink's live performance of "Glitter" in February at the Grammy Awards complete with spinning aerobatics that is very very cool
"Glitter in the Air" - PINK at the Grammys

Lady Antebellum nabs 5 Trophies at the Academy of Country Music Awards

Country/Pop act Lady Antebellum is on a roll this year after receiving 5 trophies including best vocal group at Sunday's ACM Gala. American Idol's Carrie Underwood took home Entertainer of the Year and with that Carrie is the first female artist to ever win that award two times (sorry Taylor :)). For more info check out the full story here: Lady Antebellum wins big at ACM Awards

That's all for Monday's post - we'll be back tomorrow night with a review of the American Idol Give's Back Show - Part 1 where the Top 7 square off in an effort to survive another week along with lots of guest stars helping to raise money for charity..should be a great show and a great cause so tune in!

~Vincent

American Idol Loses 2 Tonight - My Picks!!

Okay I've got 10 minutes to make my guess as to who is going home tonight. AI brought back Elvis night (they did do that before right?) and most of the performances were pretty forgettable. The best by far was Crystal Bowersox with a song called "Saved" that I'm not really that familiar with. After that it was a toss up between Tim Urban (yes Teflon Tim) and Lee DeWyze with "A Little Less Conversation". Tim sang a laid back very intimate version of "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" and although slightly off-pitch at times you could really feel the song when he sang it. Mr. Tim just may find himself in the Top 5 if he keeps this up.

Going home tonight in my book will be Andrew Garcia and and Michael Lynche. Andrew's has a great voice but its not distinctive enough unless he has a killer arrangment go to with it and his version of "Hound Dog" didn't do it. Michael Lynche does not deserve to go home but he was in the Bottom 1 last week, was saved and came back with a low key song "In The Ghetto" which while moving is not the kind of song to help you stay. Considering two singers have to say goodbye tonight I'm afraid Michael's time is here.

That's my guesses for tonight and also Katie Stevens in the bottom 3 (sorry Katie but like Andrew your voice is not distinctive enough). Stop back tomorrow for a another post and our first new featured song in a while (its been a crazy month :))

~Vincent

Weekend Flashback Song - "Walkin' on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves

Hard to believe this song only went to #9 on the US Pop chart..."Walkin on Sunshine" is a classic summertime hit and it was soooo nice in Philadelphia today they were playing it early on the radio. If you need an uptempo pick-me-up this is the song that will do it for you..check it out here: "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves (YouTube)

"Walkin'.." was originally on the debut 1983 album by Katrina and the Waves but was re-recorded and released as a single in 1985 and that's when it caught fire on the radio - 25 years ago this year!

Didi says Bye Bye this week

Didi Benami said good bye to American Idol this week after a less than stellar version of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted". I certainly never thought Didi would win but I thought she might last a few more weeks but her performance this week did her in. Teflon Tim Urban is still hanging in there after a very plain and cold version of Anita Baker's "Sweet Love"...(Anita Baker really Tim?? Really???). I know the young girls are voting for him as are VoteForTheWorst folks but hey we really need to send TIm to the showers this upcoming week :)

Blog is back after a week break.

After 80+ postings in 2010 from Jan 2nd to March 26th we took a little break from blog-land this week to recharge some batteries (like in my brain batteries). Lots of stuff going on with custom songs and other special song projects so at some point the juggling act needed an extra hand. We'll be back next week with a blog entry Monday through Friday and at least two new featured songs of the day (along with our favorite weekend flashback :)).

Have a great Easter weekend all - enjoy some time with the family, be close to the ones you love...and if you happen to see the Easter Bunny say hi to him (or her :)) for me!!

~Vincent

Weekend FlashBack song - "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy

Okay so the video has to go down as one of the cheesiest 80's music videos ever with its pretend live concert theme. I mean they could have at least bussed in a crowd of folks to pretend to be fans ha. But on the musical side "Weekend" is one of the best uptempo pop songs ever written/recorded. One of Loverboys 9 Top 40 hits, this one went to #29 and really its amazing it didn't go higher on the chart. But "Weekend" had the last laugh as its been a classic played every Friday throughout the land for almost 30 years now. If you somehow missed this one or want to celebrate the weekend today then take a listen here: "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy (YouTube)

Music News at LoveSongs.com

Lots of stuff going on this month...we are in the studio now recording a Christmas song (yep that Christmas) that will be released this holiday season. We also just finished doing some instrumental music for a comedy short video that will be out later in the spring. We'll also be on the radio and blogsphere this spring with Mothers Day Gift Giving shows featuring custom love songs as a special gift idea for Mom. We also just finished confirming the 8 locations for the upcoming Mothers Day mini-tour of Borders Bookstores from May 6-9 in the Philadelphia area with some Musical Mom's joining in at several locations. Its gonna be a fun fun spring (heck it is already!!)

Hope you have a great Friday and weekend we'll be back with a new post and featured song on Monday!!

~Vincent

Featured Song "I Never Told You" by Colbie Caillat

This one takes a few listens but the chorus line "I miss everything about you" really does start to grow on you. Colbie has had some great success the last few years winning a Grammy for her "Lucky" duet with Jason Mraz and 3 Top 20 hits on her own "Bubbly", "Realize" and most recently "Falling for You" which is the one I really liked. Still her voice is so smooth on "I Never Told You" and you really feel the emotion as she laments over what she misses the most and why. If you enjoyed any of Colbie's previous hits you should definitely check this one out here: "I Never Told You" by Colbie Caillat (YouTube)

American Idol - Turn the Paige time to go home

As we and many others predicted, tonight we said goodbye to Paige Miles which was a shame - she had sooo much potential or so we thought just a few weeks ago. I remember she did the Kelly Clarkson song (which was a bold choice) and she really nailed it. She just lost her way at some point and never really recovered it. I guess part of it is being so young and relatively inexperienced and having to compete on such a large stage (physically and psychologically). Other folks who were in the bottom three these week were Tim Urban (as we guessed) and Katie Stevens (which we didn't guess we had Andrew Garcia in that slot). Well all three need to really step up their game next week or else the Top 10 is as far as they are gonna go.

Have a great nite all and may Thursday be a goooood day for you...we'll be back tomorrow with another post and some new music news!

~Vincent

Crystal Rocks it like there is no tomorrow on Idol

Well lets start with what was undeniably the best performance of the nite and maybe the best of the season. Crystal Bowersox took on Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby Magee" and she nailed that sucker to the wall :) Regardless if Crystal wins the competion or not, American Idol has found another star artist who will launch like a rocket when the show is over. My only hope is that they don't doom her with terrible songs to sing (please somebody listen :))

As for the rest of the night much of it was pretty terrible...so many old irrelevant songs. I mean you can do an old song (Crystal did) but then you have to deliver big time on it or its a huge disappointment. Between that and the pitchyness all over the place it was a mess (as Simon would say). Some bright spots were Aaron Kelly with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith..obviously under the weather this week Aaron still delivered one of the better vocals tonight. And Michael Lynche delivered nicely on "When a Man Loves a Woman"...but as the judges noted it was a safe choice and not an artist defining moment.

Its a toss up this week as to who may be going home...my bottom three would be Paige Miles (Paige where have you gone?), Tim Urban (its time Tim) and Andrew Garcia (another early favorite fading fast). My bet would be on Paige to go home tomorrow which is a shame that she would miss the Idol tour.

That's my picks and guesses for the night..will be back tomorrow with a new featured song and Idol results to see how I did :)

~V

Featured Song - "The Perfect Mistake" by Cartel

I went fishing for a new new song to feature today and stumbled upon this little beauty by pop-rockers Cartel from Georgia. Cartel has had some previous Billboard chart success with a song called "Honestly" in 2006 and they also appeared in MTV's Band in a Bubble in 2007. "The Perfect Mistake" is the perfect blend of melody and lyric delivered with a driving beat that leaves you wanting more of it when the song ends. If you have never heard this band or maybe just this song I invite you to check it out here. See if you're not singing "Get out, get out" before the song is done ha :) "The Perfect Mistake" by Cartel (YouTube)

What was my most perfect mistake ever?? Probably the one that led me writing music in the first place..music is never a mistake in the end unless of course you stop playing and listening :)

Miley Cyrus leaving the Music Biz??

It seems Ms Cyrus has had enough of the music biz and is looking forward to more film projects. I can certainly understand it as she's been putting out music as Hannah and Miley most of her growing up years. She just needs a chance to get away from it for a bit but rest assured she will come back to music they always do :) Here's the full story from MTV News Miley Cyrus leaving the Music Biz?

That's all for Monday ...twas a rainy rainy day here in Philly (something about Rainy Days and Mondays :)). We'll be back with another post on Tuesday after the 11 remaining Idols do their thing and we'll pick who we think is going hooome this week.

~Vincent

Weekend Flashback Feature - "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson

Now that American Idol Season 9 is fully in gear, I decided to take a look back at where it all started in 2002. As we all know Kelly Clarkson won the first year and has since gone on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. Its safe to say that American idol has definitely fulfilled its purpose in finding new music stars (and bringing in boatloads of money to the shows creators, producers and FOX not to mention Simon Cowell and the many others involved :)). "A Moment Like This" was perhaps the perfect first coronation song for AI as it delivers both lyrically and musically on the emotion of the moment for the winner (no pun intended). It truly is one of the great ballads of the decade. There have been 8 other Idol winner songs since then and honestly I have a hard time remembering any of them. Kelly's winning song went to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart in both US and Canada and went on to sell a million copies of the single alone (and this is before the paid download era so would probably be more if it happened today). Take a walk down memory lane from 8 years ago and take a listen and watch the original video here: "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson (YouTube)

Spring is Here - Lets hear some great new tunes!

Hard to believe it just 5 weeks ago there was like 2 feet of snow still outside (and 6 weeks ago it was still falling). The long awaited spring has finally arrived and it feels soooo good. I'm looking forward to see what interesting music news comes across the wire this new season and what new songs are released. There was a ton of great new pop songs near the end of 2009 into 2010 but lately there hasn't seemed to be much. If you happen upon an incredible new pop song please let us know by posting it hear so we can check it out. It doesn't matter if its a ballad, rock, country or R&B as long as its got that amazing hook that draws you in. The kind of song that will rise up the chart without any promotion or hype at all just because the song is that good.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks (sorry we missed our post on Friday was a crazy few days)...we'll be back on Monday nite with another post and a new featured song!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Michael Jackson scores the biggest record deal ever

Even in death, Michael Jackson is seemingly larger than life as his estate has signed what is probably the biggest record deal of all time. The deal is for 10 albums and is worth $250 million dollars and will include lots of previously unreleased material. If you're like me you still can't almost believe that Michael Jackson is no longer with his..I had been listening to MJ since I was a little kid and poof he's gone. Just goes to show you how fragile life really is (especially when you live it on the edge as many celebrities do). Read more in the NY Daily News here:
Michael Jacksons biggest Record Deal Ever!

Well the week is almost over folks...tomorrow is Friday and I caaaan't wait. This weekend I'll be posting info about my upcoming Mothers Day week mini-tour (8 Borders in 4 days - slowing it down a little so I can actually see the people I'm playing to :)). Will be another fun time with some musical moms joining me along the way.

Have a great nite all and will be back tomorrow with a new featured song and some music biz news!

~Vincent

Featured Song "Light On" by David Cook

We're going Idol-themed for the rest of the month and our featured songs. On Monday we hit ya with "Whaddaya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert. Today we'll talk about "Light On" by David Cook who won the 7th season of American Idol in 2008. "Light On" was David's 2nd single from his debut album and it went to #17 on the Billboard chart after his Idol coronation song "TIme of My Life" hit #3 right after the 2008 AI season finale. I heard "Light On" again on the radio today and it just reminded me how great David's voice really is and when match with a powerful song like "Light On" he can compete with almost anyone on the charts in my opinion. If you haven't heard "Light On" or its been a while you are really missing something check it out here: "Light On" by David Cook (YouTube)

David also sang tonight on the Idol Results show with "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Stones...definitely was a rockin' rendition that was very well received and for good reason. David has a new CD in the works (maybe this summer?) so we're definitely looking forward to that one!

My pick for going home - goes home tonight on American Idol

Last night I picked who I thought would go home and this time I was right on the money with Lacey Brown. She seems like such a nice girl but her voice is just not steady enough and on pitch enough to really make it through. I definitely wish her the best and hopefully she'll keep singing and improving as she goes. Also in the bottom this week was Paige Miles and Tim Urban. Paige definitely deserves to hang around a lot longer, hopefully she'll recover from her laryngitis and will knock'em dead next week!

That's all for Weddddnesday..have a great nite and we'll be back tomorrow with another post on waz happening in the music world!

~Vincent

American Idol Top 12 Does the Stones!

Its hard to believe that Mick and Keith from the Rolling Stones first met forming a band way way way way back in 1962. And this past summer their tour is one of the biggest live tours ever by any artist. I mean isn't that just incredible. There are many Stones songs I've always loved and most have been the softer ones..."Angie"..."Beast of Burden" (ok not totally soft) and mysterious songs like "Paint It Black" and the classic "Ruby Tuesday". Then there are the classics played by almost every bar band for the last 40+ years..."I Can't Get No Satisfaction" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and so so many more.

Well our American Idol Top 12 took on the Stones tonight and for the most part did a pretty good job. My favorites tonight were definitely Siobhan Magnus with "Paint it Black" and Aaron Kelly with "Angie"....and Casey James did a great job with "It's All Over Now"....Didi Benami did "Playing with Fire" which honestly until tonight I had never heard (or don't remember hearing). She definitely pulled something out of what was a slow moving song and made it pretty cool (although I'm sure Mick Jagger did a fine job of it as well :)).

My least favorite performance of the night was Lacey Brown with "Ruby Tuesday"..the judges praised it for the most part but I just felt it was way too pitchy and unsteady throughout. I'm afraid Lacey's time may have finally come. Also in my bottom three for this week would be Andrew Garcia with "Gimme Shelter" and Katie Stevens with "Wild Horses"...both kinda boring performances...decent vocals but just nothing you could grab onto and say wow that's good.

Well stay tuned tomorrow nite to see who goes home and see how far off I am with my bottom 3 guesses :) Have a ggggreat nite all we'll back on Wednesday with a new featured song tooo!

~Vincent

Today's Featured Song - "Whaddaya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert

I have to admit I wasn't initially a big fan of this song but after hearing it a few times it definitely grew on me. I always loved Adam's performances on Idol last year...to me he was already a star and just needed to be launched. "Whaddaya want from Me" definitely showcases some of his amazing vocal talent especially near the end. The haunting verse starts to draw you in after a few listens and after that the song builds into a powerful chorus that holds nothing back. Check out the song and video here and stay tuned for Adam Lambert's next single:
"Whaddaya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert (YouTube)

Babies Boogie to the Music

Well they say that babies start to boogie to music at a very early age (and I mean very early age). Apparently they love music a lot more than they like spoken voice so maybe we should all be singing to the little ones (and not just when we want to sing them to sleep :)). Check out the full article and info on the study here: Babies Boogie to the Music

Hope ya have a great Monday nite - we'll be back tomorrow with a blog update after American Idol's Top 12 go at it 8 PM EST. This is where we start to separate the men from the boys (or the girls from the boys :)). Either way should be much fun and we'll all be talking about it tomorrow nite!

~Vincent

Flashback Love Song - "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton

Perhaps the sweetest love song ever written and recorded, "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton which went all the way to #1 in 1975. Minnie's voice featured a 5 octave range, the beautiful melody and real chirping birds in the background all helped make "Loving You" stand out as a timeless classic. Sadly, Minnie was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after releasing "Loving You" and passed just a few years later in 1979. She was one of many talented artists that passed on way way before there time. If its been a while or perhaps you've never heard "Loving You" I invite you to listen here: "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton (YouTube)

Romantic St. Patricks Day Gift Ideas

Who says you can't be romantic for St. Patty's day which is coming up next week on Wed March 17th. I mean not all of us are Irish but this is the day we all get to be Irish for a day and wear our green. LovingYou.com has come up with a list of romantic gift ideas for St. Patricks day and the list includes many interesting items including specialty green underwear (hmmmm) to a custom love song by yours truly. For the full list with some really neat ideas please visit Romantic Gift Ideas for St. Patricks Day

That's a wrap for the week folks...enjoy "LovingYou" by Minnie Riperton and LovingYou.com with their St. Patty's day suggestions. You know I didn't even plan that tie-in (really I didn't) but man oh man that's just amazing :) Have a wonderful weekend and we'll be back on Monday with a new featured song!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

American Idol - Looks like I picked only 2 out of 4 this time

2nd post for the day - just an update on AI. The final 12 are in and looks like my average is slipping this week as I only picked 2 out of the 4 folks that went home (see my blog posting from a few hours ago above). I was right on the money with the guys both Todrick Hall and Alex Lambert said goodbye...Todrick gave an even better performance tonight of "Somebody To Love" by Queen and almost brought the house down. Alex was visibly upset at missing the cut but managed to get through "Trouble" again....Alex has a lot of talent too just needs more experience.

Now for the ladies I was completely off...I had Lacey Brown and Paige Miles going home but in the end it was Lilly Scott (my runnerup for going home) and Katelyn Epperly. Both Lilly and Katelyn sang old songs ("I Fall To Pieces" from 1961 and "I Feel the Earth Move" from 1971) and didn't do anything to update them. When your possibly on the edge of being voted off that will do it every time. Paige also sang an old song "SMile" but she got away with it this time probably because she wailed on a Kelly Clarkson song last week (so that girl can sssssing!).

Next week its the Top 12 with one singer going home each week (most weeks sometimes its 2). We'll be blogging after each show what we think, picking our favorites and also featuring 3 new songs each week. Have a great nite all and we'll be back tomorrow with another post and the featured song for da weekend!

~Vincent

American Idol - My Picks to go home for Top 12 tonight!

This is part one of a two part post tonight :) Here are my picks for who is going home tonight and who will be left in the American Idol Top 12 this season. Last week I was 3 for 4 going from Top 20 to Top 16. Lets see if my luck continues :)

For the guys I believe Todrick Hall and Alex Lambert will be saying goodbye tonight. Todrick is just too over the top with not enough real emotion in his voice to last too long, and Alex has a great sound to his voice but he is still too experienced behind the mic to connect with the audience...I'm hoping we see him again in another year or so as he continues to develop.

For girls I think it will be Lacey Brown (that was such a boring performance this week) and quite possibly Paige Miles. Paige has an incredible voice but her song choice this week was mystifying ("Smile" by Nat King Cole)..just too old fashioned and no pizzazzz

Other folks possibly in trouble tonight (Going home runnerups :)) would be Lilly Scott ("I Fall to Pieces" from like 50 years ago---really???) and Aaron Kelly (pick a song thats for your age Kara was right on - you can't connect on a song thats not you - it just doesn't work at least not with his level of experience).

That's my picks and runnerups to go home tonight Thursday March 11th. Stop back later again tonight and we'll see how I made out :)

~Vincent

Wednesdays Featured Song - "Naturally" by Selena Gomez

Okay I admit it, there are some non-adult shows I really enjoy watching. Two of them are music related, "Hannah Montana" and "Wizards of Waverly Place". For HM even if you take away the music, the writing is funny, the casting perfect and the acting pretty darn good for a kid-friendly comedy. I will definitely miss this show when it stops at the end of the upcoming 4th season. "Wizards" is another one..there is no music there but good ensemble cast, lots of funny lines and deliveries. Out of Wizards comes Selena Gomez who at 17 is starting to make inroads in the music biz as well. Her latest is "Naturally" which is so far up to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Most songs by actors/actresses from Disney/Nickolodean shows are not very good with some of Miley Cyrus's material being a notable exception (for us pop music fans). However Selena's song "Naturally" has an intriguing beat which leads into a haunting verse and pretty powerful hook in the chorus. If you haven't heard this song yet you should check it out at: "Naturally" by Selena Gomez and the Scene (YouTube)

American Idol Girls - Crystal the one to beat!

The Top 8 Girls of AI performed last night and for the most part it was an unforgettable night. Even Lilly Scott who sang yet another song from another generation was just not interesting. The judges praised her performance but I just don't get it...she is a great singer/performer but without something new/original/unique its just not happening for me. The one bright shining star of the night was Crystal Bowersox who showed right away why she is the front runner with her version of Tracy Chapman's "Give me one Good Reason". She took Tracy's version and give it her Crystal spin and it was allll that. Other performers who had a decent night were Didi Benami and Siobhan Magnus. I've been a fan of Siobhan for a while but Didi surprised me with a laid back version of Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac which was pretty tasty. The top 8 guys are up tonight - tomorrow we'll post again with our picks for who is going home.

That's all for tonight folks....we missed our Tuesday post yesterday cause it was my birthday YEAH ME I'm 19 again ha ha! It was a fun day and at the end I just didn't feel like spending the end of the night on the computer. We'll be back again tomorrow though and again with a weekend post on Friday. Have a great nite all!

~Vincent

Monday's Featured Song - "Do You Remember" by Jay Sean

Exactly one month ago we featured "Down Down Down" by Jay Sean and we're back pushing his tunes again. "Do you remember" is one of the best R&B flavored pop songs I've ever come across with a bit of tasty hip-hop thrown in for good measure. His other hit "Down, Down Down" went to #1 on the Billboard chart while this one stalled at #10...but truth be told I like 'Do you Remember" just a bit better. When you're done listening you will want to listen again and you will remember I promise...check it out here: "Do You Remember" by Jay Sean (YouTube)

Male Mice sing Love Songs!

Did you know that male mice sing ultrasonic love songs to drive the females wild. Maybe there is something we can all learn from our little rodent friends...they seem to know the right way to attract a new mate ha ha. Check out the full article here: Male Mice sing Love Songs!

That's all for today folks...like most Mondays its always a hard adjustment back to the grind of everyday life (can't Sunday last twwwwo days all by itself :)). Oh well we'll be back tomorrow with another post after the American Idol Top 8 Girls showdown (is it girls on Tuesday or guys who knows :)). This is the last week before they start the Top 12 Format next week and start eliminating one singer per week (most weeks..some weeks it may be 2). Have a great nite all!

~Vincent

Fridays Featured Song - "Old Fashioned Love Song" by 3 Dog Night

Almost 40 years ago there was this really cool song that with its opening organ-driven melody almost put you in a trance. "Old Fashioned Love Song" for me will always be a very special song...it was 3 Dog Nights' 7th top 10 hit and this one went all the way to #4 on the Billboard chart. If you have never heard it or its been a while check it out here: "Old Fashioned Love Song" - 3 Dog Night (YouTube) . By the way one of those other top 10 hits was "Joy To the World" (not the Christmas song) which starts out with a line about a bullfrog...talk about a very cool song that is unlike anything you've ever heard :)

Welcome to Corporate Sponsored Music :)

With CD sales continually heading downward more and more artists are turning to corporate sponsorships and product placements to help earn a living. From Lady Gaga to Chris Brown to Iggy Pop, musicians of varying styles and substance no longer find it objectionable to tie their music to a corporate brand. I personally don't think its such a bad thing and if its not done overboard by any one artist (or brand). A recent LA TImes article really delves into this topic check it out here: "Welcome to Corporate Sponsored Music"

That's all for Friday we almost didn't make it to post by Midnight but here goes..we'll be back on Monday with another post and a new featured song from the modern times :)

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

VH1 Behind the Music is Back!

VH1's Behind the Music is back with several update episodes including Judas Priest, John Lennon and Genesis. All three of those are available to watch online here: Watch VH1 Behind the Music . Also an updated Def Leppard episode debuts this Saturday March 6th on Vh1. Some of the best music-related television I ever watched was some of these behind the music shows. Its good to see VH1 bringing them back and hopefully they will continue and do new artists as well.

American Idol - Bye bye to 2 girls and 2 guys - I was 3 for 4 :)

Tonight we said goodbye to 2 girls and 2 guys as we're now down to 16 finalists. 3 of the 4 that went home tonight I picked in last nights blog posting and they were
Haeley Vaughn , Michelle Delamor and Jermaine Sellers. John Park also went home tonight so that means my other pick Toddrick Hall lives on another week. Check back next Tuesday and Wednesday as I review the shows and try to guess the next 4 going home (its gonna get harder and harder to do). After next weeks show we'll have the Top 12 which is where the competition really heats up.

Hey hey tomorrow Friday is finally here YEAAAH we'll be back with another post tomorrow nite and a new featured song for the weekend!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Wednesdays Featured Song - "Private Emotion" by Ricky Martin

This one goes back 10 years ago but it was and is one of my favorite love songs and recordings ever. Written by Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman of the Hooters, they put it on the Hooters "Out of Body" CD In the 90's...Ricky picked it up and put it on his self-titled CD in 2000 and it went to #67 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hhonestly I feel it deserved top 10 - the song really delivers on the emotion both lyrically and melodically. If you haven't heard "Private Emotion" you are missing out take a listen here: "Private Emotion" by Ricky Martin (YouTube)

Girls takin' the stage on American Idol Tonight - Crystal Rocks and Siobhan was AMAZING!

After getting switched with the boys last night the girls finally did their thing tonight and were some shining spots. Two of my favorites was the leadoff spot with Crystal Bowersox. Ill last night (which moved the girls to tonight) she delivered what I thought was an amazing performance. She's the one I can't wait to see each week what she is going to do next. Coming close to her is Lilly Scott....its great having two indie singer-songwriters on the stage and even cooler having so many contestants playing their instruments this season. Then the end of the show came with Siobhan Magnus and oh my goodness she was amazing. SHe performed "Think" by Aretha and is nailed that song to the wall and it aint never coming off. If you didn't hear it go find it online today and wait for that note near the end. Siobhan if you continue like that you ARE the one to beat this season.

Apple ITunes Playing Hardball with Amazon

Once again Apple is playing more like Goliath instead of David and is whining to the record labels because they are doing promotions with both Itunes and Amazon.com. At some point someone needs to put Apple in their place - they are not gonna be the be all and end all in digital music forever. They had a nice run being in the lead but at some point competition is going to surround them on all sides thats how capitalism works. I wouldn't be surprised if their complaining eventually backfires driving more people to Amazon.com and other sites to buy their music.

That's all for today folks...be back tomorrow with another post after the AI REsults show - my guesses for who's going home would be Haeley Vaughn (pitchiness continues) and Michelle Delamor (which I hope not - she is much better than the song she did tonight "Arms Wide Open". For the guys going home may be Toddrick Hall and Jermaine Sellers. Check back tomorrow to see if I'm right or waaaay off :)

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Lady Antebellum leads the ACM Nominations

We just can't get that "Need You Now" song out of our head and apparently neither can the country music industry. Lady Antebellum snagged 7 American Country Music Award nominations to lead the pack with Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert tagging at their heals. Its been a big year already for this talented trio after already appearing on the Grammys recently. I'm looking forward to hearing more great music from these folks! Lady Antebellum leads ACM Nominees

American Idol Top 10 Guys are finishing up now

Just finishing up watching the Top 10 guys for American Idol as they prepare to lose two more this Thursday after the voting. Overall as a group they have gotten better from last week but I haven't seen a lot that amazed me this week...although I missed almost all of Michael Lynches performance (will check the tape and feedback later). Once again though song choice is proving to be crucial..I wish I could spend 15 minutes with each contestant each week helping them pick a song and the arrangement. I mean I'm no musical genius but I think I'd do a bit better...its hard for them most are so young and inexperienced.

Most disappointing performance of the nite for me was Andrew Garcia..I really like Andrew but like the judges said he's continuing to take steps backward...strange song choices and pitching all over the place...he really needs to pull another "Straight Up" miracle out of his hat if he's here next week.

On a side note I really enjoyed Ellen a lot more tonight then last week. She's bringing a lot more humor to the panel with her comments tonight and it makes the show that much more entertaining.

That's all for tonight...featured song is still "Perfect Day" by Hoku - stop back tomorrow for another blog post and a new featured song!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Mondays Featured Song = "Perfect Day" by Hoku

Okay so the song actually came out several years ago but has gotten new life with TV commercials including JC Penney's and Sandals Casinos. Hoku, the daughter of the late great Don Ho, disappeared from the music scene for 5 years after parting ways with Geffen records but has recently surfaced again and appears to have a new CD out. The song "Perfect Day" only went to #121 on the Billboard chart back in 2001 but has just about the most perfect chorus hook I've ever heard - absolutely perfect for any spring/summer day (no pun intended). Since today is March 1st and we hit 50 degrees in Philly I say its a perfect song for the day :) Check out the song and "Legally Blond" movie clip that featured teh song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHybxGEcbZY

To see and hear what Hoku is up to nowadays check out her official YouTube Channel: "Perfect Day" by Hoku (YouTube)

LoveSongs.com Chart Update - Feb winner was "Need You Now"

Tonight we're resetting the current favorite love song chart and adding some new tunes in. February's winner was again "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum with runner up "Life After You" by Daughtry. Check out the updated poll on our homepage here at http://www.lovesongs.com/


LA Times reports that music is good for any age

Its never too early or late in our lives to enjoy music according to the LA Times. There are so many benefits ranging from increased brain/memory capacity to simply boosting our spirits. I've always said a song or 50 songs a day keeps the doctor away ha ha...now here's proof :) CHeck out the full article here: Music Good For You At Any Age

So glad March is finally here and looking forward to some warmer weather. Tonight when you go to sleep say a prayer for the folks in Chile and for Haiti again as well..mother nature has definitely putting them on the ropes.

Will be back at ya Tuesday with another post seee yaaaa!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Featured Flashback - "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks

Canadian singer Terry Jacks had some success in Canada along with his wife Susan in a band called The Poppys in the last 60's-early 70's. But when the Beach Boys decided not to release "Seasons in the Sun", Terry Jacks jumped at the chance to release it himself in 1974 and 36 years ago this week it went to #1 in the US, Canada and UK. Definitely one of the saddest songs ever written & recorded, you can't help but feel for the artist as the lyrics and melody work together perfectly to paint their very last goodbye. The song "Seasons in the Sun" is actually an English-language adaptation of the song "Le Moribond" by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel who passed away in 1976 sooner after the songs huge success. If you haven't ever heard this song take a few moments and take a listen. It will help you appreciate what you have and want to spend more time with the ones you love: "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks (YouTube)

Yeaaa weekends here and the Snow has finally stopped

I'm happy to report that the weekend has finally arrived and the snow finally stopped (although some reports call for yet another storm in the Northeast next week :)). I'm spending the weekend catching up on some song projects and making some new updates to the website.

Have a super weekend and please check back Monday for a new blog post, a new featured song and to see whats new on LoveSongs.com woooohoooo!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

ITunes sells its 10 BILLIONTH SONG!

In less than 7 years Apple's ITunes has managed to sell 10 Billion songs...that is a little more than one song for every second since they launched...that is just amazing. All that and they claim they still aren't making money hand over fist. Yes I know the record labels take a nice cut from each song sold (so the artists and songwriters can be paid and the labels kept on life support). But 10 BILLION Songs...I mean even if Apple was making just a nickel per song thats $ 500 Million dollars in just under 7 years. That's a lost of song cashola for any company don't you think? And add into that all the Apple hardward they sold along with it (Ipods, Iphones, soon the iPad maybe ha :)). Apple really has got a huge thing going on and by the looks of it will only get bigger and bigger. Remember when Microsoft was the big bad wolf to look out for and Apple was the underdog favorite....maybe just maybe those times are changing we'll have to wait and see. For an interesting article on the 10 BILLIONTH song, who bought it and what they got check out the full article here: ITunes sells 10 Billionth Song

American Idol says goodbye to 4

Just finished watching the first results show and there were a lot of surprises...Tyler Grady? Ashley Rodriguez? Even Joe Munoz really connected with his performance (not a great song but he has the stage charisma)...and Janelle Wheeler going home instead of Lacey Brown. I mean what is America thinking? I don't know but definitely some of the front runners in my mind went home the first week. I hope the trend doesn't continue or it will be hard to watch the final 12 be whittled down to one when its all over.

That's all for tooooday folks - its another snowy Thursday nite (but hey its not sticking yet :))....we'll be back with another post and our weekend song feature tomorrow!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Today's Featured Song - "Break Even" by The Script

I heard a very different and cool song a few weeks back and I didn't catch the name or band. Then I went searching today and found it - "Break Even" by The Script. An Irish rock band very popular across the pond, The Script has started to make inroads in the states. "Break even" really gets your attention from opening notes and by the time it hits the soaring end of the chorus "I'm falling to piecessssss ...." you are completely hooked. If you haven't heard it yet you are missing it out - please check out The Script right here: "Break Even" by the Script (YouTube)

American Idol Guys debut Tonight on FOX

I just finished watching the guys do their thing live for the first time on American Idol...I missed the first 4 contestants and unfortunately most of the rest never really got my attention either. Probably the one that really has potential is Joe Munoz...I wasn't bowled over by his performance but definitely a lot of potential..same thing for Tyler Grady and Casey James. Its good these guys and the girls will get 3 weeks to develop their chops some more before the Top 12 are announced in 3 weeks. Those that remain will really benefit from this extra development and some will start to shine even more as their confidence builds. In the end my favorite of the nite was Lee DeWyze who I almost forgot about simply because his name is kinda different (makes no sense right). Other then being a little pitchy his version of "Chasing Cars" by Sno Patrol was excellent. Tomorrow nite we'll find out which 2 girls and 2 guys are going home and see if my original Top 8 are still intact ha!

Have a great Wednesday nite folks we're in for more snow hear in Philadelphia (noooo nooo make it stop :)). Will be back tomorrow with another post!

~Vincent

American Idol Girls Debut - Song choice song choice song choice

Its like real estate - its all about location, location, location. If you don't have a great location then nothing goods gonna happen. Same with song choice for singers. If you don't sing a song that shows off your voice in a flattering way, no good can happen. Don't pick a song by the same gender artist and sing it the same way, especially if the original singer has a monstrous voice. Janelle Wheeler tried "What about Love" by Heart and you're just never gonna compare favorably to Anne Wilson from Heart not ever ever. Then Katie Stevens is all of 17 years old and they say she's gonna sing a song by Michael Buble....o my goodness I love Michael Buble but his music is geared for people 30+ years older then Katie. Pick a song that hasn't been done by a singer like yourself (ie. different gender is a start)...pick a song that's suitable for your age (ie. that's current) and sing that song in a way unlike anyone else has ever sung that song. I know this is a tall order for many singers especially when they are so young. But that is what is going to get attention from the AI judges and more importantly by America as they are voting.

Best performance of the nite was Michelle Delamore who sang Fallin' by Alicia Keys...she broke the song rule but she actually pulled it off. Another one I really liked which the judges didn't was Haeley Vaughn's interpretation of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles. Honestly I thought it was a bold move and that it was a refreshing take on a song thats been extremely popular for no less then 46 years. Well done in my book!

Worse of the nite was unfortunately Lacey Brown who was beat out by Megan Joy for a top spot last year. Lacey sang "Landslide" and between the pitchiness and the tone of her voice nothing really sounded right. I don't recall her voice ever being so annoying so I'm not sure what happened but it just didn't work for her tonight. For her sake I hope she gets another chance but she may be saying goodbye after Thursday nites results show.

Check back tomorrow as we review the AI guys live on stage for the first time. For full-size edition of what happened tonight on IDOL check out the USAToday blog here: American Idol Girls take to the stage

New Featured Song back tomorrow!

We'll be doing a new song feature 3X/week Mon/Wed and Friday to give us a chance to really find the gems out there. So "Hey Soul Sister" by Train gets a ride for another day check it out here: "Hey Soul Sister" by Train (YouTube)

See ya'll on Wednesday folks!

~Vincent

Mondays Featured Tune - "Hey Soul Sister" by Train

The rock band Train hit it back in 1999 with the song "Meet Virginia" off their debut self-titled CD...then hit paydirt again in 2001 with "Drops Of Jupiter" that went all the way to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They took a break in 2006 to spend more time with family and came back in 2009n there was a bit of a dry spell before last year when they hit #7 with "Hey Soul Sister" which really is a catchy number. I'd only heard it a few times and then I came across it again tonight on the radio and its such a cool little song that makes you wanna dance around and sing it :) Check out "Hey Soul Sister" here:

"Hey Soul Sister" by Train (YouTube)

Voting starts on American Idol Tuesday Nite with da Girls!

The Top 12 girls of this years American Idol class kick off the live singing and voting tomorrow nite. Will be our first chance to see and hear Ellen live on the show and hear how some of our favorite singers this year do singing live. The girls kick it off Tuesday then the boys on Wednesday with the results for both coming on Thursday. I made my top 8 prediction last week we'll see if any of my favorites start dropping off (don't ask me why top 8 I just picked the 8 I thought could really win based on what I'd seen and heard so far).

Here's hoping for a great week for everyone - will be back at ya tomorrow/Tuesday with another post and possibly another great pop song to tell you about...I love finding great new (and old) songs!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Sunday's Flashback Song - "Shannon" by Henry Gross

Henry Gross first knew fame as founding member of the 60's rock'n'roll vocal group Sha Na Na that performed at Woodstock and other well known venues of the time. Henry left Sha Na Na to pursue a solo career in 1970 and after six years of mostly struggling hit pay dirt with this incredibly moving song that was dedicated to Beach Boy Carl Wilson's Irish Setter dog of the same name that had drowned. I remember first hearing this song back in the late 70's and really being drawn to it ....even today I still get chills whenever I hear it. If you have never heard "Shannon" or its been a while you are in for a treat please take a listen here:

"Shannon" - Henry Gross (YouTube)

Does Playing an Instrument makes us smarter??

A recent article suggests that those of us that play an instrument (any instrument) actually improve our ability to focus and remember as well as motor skills. That's great news for me - if I hadn't started playing piano and guitar all those years ago I would be a lot dumber than I already am ha ha :) Seriously though if you have children (or will have them somday) its probably worthwhile to get them hooked on an instrument and music early in life - you might just have some real smart kids on your hands and have a lot of musical fun along the way. For more info on how playing music makes us smarter check out the full article here: Playing Music Makes us Smarter

After last Saturday's running around playing at 7 different Borders (supposed to be 8 but the traffic was unwielding :)) this weekend has been quite and peaceful which is nice. We're in the planning stages for a big Mothers Day week mini-tour so stay tuned for more info on that.

Please enjoy the rest of your Sunday and weekend and we'll be back with another post manana!

~Vincent

Fridays Featured Song - "Our Song" by Taylor Swift

I first heard this song a year or so ago and thought wow this is a really cool uptempo pop song I wonder who sings it. This was of course before Taylor Swift had become absolutely huge on both both pop and country radio. "Our Song" was the 3rd single off her debut CD "Taylor Swift" from 2006 (when she was like 17 years old) and went to #1 on the Country chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...this is before "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" off her 2008 "Fearless" CD that is still hotter than ever. Also on her debut was another really good song "Teardrops on my Guitar" (my daughter just loves that song). Altogether Taylor has sold over 9 Million copies of her first two CDs in the US alone and holds the record (24 million) for the most digital tracks sold by any artist ever. Pretty heady stuff for someone who just recently turned 20 (think its too late for me to adopt her?? ha ha). Well "Our Song" was my first introduction to Taylor Swift and its as catchy as any uptempo pop ditty there is. If you haven't heard it recently or at all check it out along with the video here:

"Our Song" by Taylor Swift (YouTube)

New Free Austrailian Music Streaming Website launches March 30th

There's a new free music streaming site called Guvera coming online March 30th from the land down under. It will be ad-supported but instead of having the ads delay the music the webpages will be branded with an advertiser thats suited for that particular style of music. So you'll see the ads but won't have to wait to hear the music you want to hear. For more info on the beta launch coming next month check out this article on Wired.com

That's all for Friday fellow music lovers - I'll be back tomorrow with another post and perhaps another song post - We'll have a flashback weekend favorite coming right at ya!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Thursdays Featured Song - "Not Meant to Be" by Theory of a Deadman

Definitely one of the strange band names I've come across, but the song "Not Meant to Be" is a great pop tune...about love that maybes not gonna go anywheres and coming to grips with having to walk away...never easy. Theory of a Deadman (also known as TOAD) hails from Canada and is very popular up there and also managed to sell 500,000 copies off their 2008 CD "Scars and Souvenirs" where "Not Meant To be" is from. The song itself peaked at #55 on the Billboard chart and if they were more known in the states would have gone much higher - its thats good a song. Check out the song and video here:

"Not Meant to Be" by Theory of a Deadman (YouTube)


American Idol Top 24 is Ready to GOOO!!!

Watched both episodes of AI this week as they rounded down the numbers to the best 24 in the group. There were a few surprises in the selection but not many. Some of my favorites to make it to the top 12 are Aaron Kelly, Casey James, Ashley Rodriguez, Janelle Wheeler, Katie Stevens, Lily Scott, Todrick Hall and Tyler Grady. There thats my top 8 ha ha...I'll check back with you next week to see how many of these make it to the Top 12. Definitely looking forward this year as its a great crew of performers and as they get better each week some will be amazing (and of course some will falter as the pressure builds up). That's what makes it so much fun to watch because its as real as you get in the music biz.

That's all for Thursday folks - will be back tomorrow with another song and some more music fun for you!!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Wednesdays Featured song - "We are the World" for Haiti - 25 years!

After a crazy weekend with 7 shows at different Borders Stores on Saturday we're finally catching back up online today. We started at 9 AM in Newark, Delaware and ended up 7 stores later in Wynnewood PA playing at least 30 minutes in every store to a very receptive audience. We were soooo sorry to miss Plymouth Meeting Borders but traffic on Route 202 going to King of Prussia was unbelievable...combine cabin fever from the recent snow storms and two holidays in one weekend it was just too much :) We made it to King of Prussia about an hour late and then struggled to get out of King of Prussia area to make it to Bryn Mawr for scheduled time at 7:30. What a crazy fun day playing love songs for folks everywhere - can't wait to do it again!

"We are the World" - Hope for Haiti

"We are the World" 2010 Version was recorded a few weeks back and you can catch the entire video here featuring many of the great singers and performers of today plus spliced in footage of Michael Jackson singing some of his parts from 1985...its a moving song and video you won't want to miss:

"We Are the World 2010" - YouTube

Written by Lionel Richie and the late amazing Michael Jackson, the song was originally used to help raise funds for hunger in Africa. This time around the focus is on helping to rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake just a few weeks ago. I wonder if we'll also see another "Hands Across America" next year in 2011 for the 25th Anniversary of that historic event in 1986. Music wil always help bring people together..that's why I love it soooo much!

That's all for today - we'll be back with a Daily Blog again starting tomorrow and we'll be featuring just 2-3 new songs per week - The very best that we can find on radio and beyond!

~Vincent

Saturdays Feature - "Nothings Gonna Change My Love" by Glenn Medeiros

Perhaps the most romantic song ever written and my personal favorite is "Nothings Gonna Change My Love For You" by Glenn Mereiros. From his native Hawaii at age 17 , Glenn recorded a cover of George Bensons original version ..won a radio station contest with it and ended up with a huge radio hit going all the way to #12 on the Billboard chart and #1 in UK for 4 weeks. A few years after that Glenn had a #1 hit on the US with "She Ain't Worth It" with Bobby Brown on vocals as well. Now residing in Hawaii again Glenn teaches music and history and performs still on the islands. This song will always have special memories for me and my wife Joann as it was our Wedding Song and we had a chance to see Glenn perform when he did a radio tour in the early 90's. If you have never heard this beautiful song or want to remember please watch and listen here:

"Nothings Gonna Change My Love" by Glenn Medeiros (YouTube)

Whirlwind Valentines Tour - Today in Philadelphia area!

Todays the day I attempt to perform a 30 minute Love Song set at 8 different Borders Bookstores in the Philadelphia area. If you'd like to catch me along the way here are the locations:

9 AM - Borders Newark - 101 Geoffrey Drive, Newark, DE
11 AM - Borders Wilmiington - 4221 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE
1:30 PM - Borders Concordville- 968 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA
3 PM - Borders Exton - Exton Square Mall, Exton, PA
4:30 PM - Borders King of Prussia - King of Prussia Mall - The Court
6 PM - Borders Plymouth Meeting - Plymouth Meeting Mall, PA
7:30 PM - Borders Bryn Mawr - Rosemont SHopping Center, Bryn Mawr PA
9 PM - Borders Wynnewood - 80 E. Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, PA

And here is the Facebook Event: Whirlwind Valentines Tour

Just one more day to Valentines Day and it looks like a beautiful weekend (ie. no more new snow till at least Monday ha ha)

Have a great Saturday and will be back with a new post on Valentines morning!

~Vincent

Friday's Featured Song - "Stop and Stare" by One Republic

One Republic has a different single on the charts right now "All the Right Moves" which has a pretty cool chorus - but the song I really like (apart from their monster hit "Apologize") is "Stop and Stare" - haunting verse and chorus that are perfectly matched and the orchestrated background is just perfect. "Stop and Stare" went all the way to #12 on the Billboard Chart in 2008. One Republic originally formed out of Denver, Colorado in 2002 and at one point became the most popular unsigned band on MySpace (which will tend to get you some serious attention :)). "Apologize" from their debut CD hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and was followed up by this really cool song check it out:

"Stop and Stare" - One Republic (YouTube)

Warner Music may pull their music from Streaming Sites

Warner Music has said they don't support streaming only sites (aka Last.fm and Pandora) that are advertiser supported as they take away sales of MP3s through other sites. Instead they may support sites that offer paid subscriptions to hear unlimited tracks. This whole music streaming battle is far from over will be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next few years. Here's a recent article on Warner Musics position: Warner Music to pull music from Streaming Sites

Valentines Day just two days away!

Valentines Day is not just around the corner but its two doors up the street and moving fast. Fortunately the snow has actually stopped and we are almost dug out of our neighborhoods so maybe we can enjoy Valentines weekend. Tomorrow I'll be doing my crazy Whirlwind Valentines Tour visiting 8 different Borders - should be a fun time and I'll get to actually celebrate Valentines with the Mrs on Sunday whooo hoooooo!

Have a great Friday and will be posting another update and tune early tomorrow before we head out for the shows - first show is at 9 AM (man thats early :))

~Vincent

Thursdays Feature - "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl

Can't believe its been 22 years since this song first came across the radio airwaves. "Waiting for a Star to Fall" went to #5 on the Billboard Chart in 1988 and was the only big hit from pop duo "Boy Meets Girl" that hailed from Seattle, Washington area. Prior to this big hit they also penned two #1 hits for Whitney Houston "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and have written for many other big names as well. When I hear "Waiting for a star..." its like the most perfect pop song there could ever be - definitely in my all time Top 10 pop songs ever. If you have never heard it or want to remember what it was like check it out here:

"Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl (YouTube)

Just Three Days Till Valentines Day - Whatcha gonna do??

Well folks Valentines is almost upon us and will be here in just three days. I know in the Mid-Atlantic states we're digging out from the latest snowstorm and hopefully we'll be done in time to have some fun this weekend. We at LoveSongs.com would love to hear how you plan to spend Valentines. Email us at vj@lovesongs.com or simply post a comment here on the blog and we'll post some of your replies this Saturday before we head out on our crazy Borders/Valentines tour of 8 stores.

That's all for today folks - I'm totally beat from shoveling (again) and need to go find a couch to rest on. Hope you have a great day and we'll be back tomorrow with another great love song for Valentines week!

~Vincent

Wednesdays Featured Song - "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles

Yes its been almost 3 years since "Love Song" was released but hey its our first chance to feature it for Valentines week :) "Love Song" was offered as the free song of the week by Itunes in June 2007 and it gradually picked up steam from there week after week. After appearances by Sara on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Today Show it eventually peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went on to sell 3 Million copies. The album from which it came is called "Little Voices" and that managed to go Gold selling 500 thousand copies and peaking at #7 on the Billboard album chart. Unfortunately for Sara, recovering from this one monster hit song may prove to be impossible. "Love Song" is such a catchy uptempo tune - talking about how she doesn't have to write him a love song just to prove how she feels - it's infectious, so well written and performed that anything else Sara does will most likely pale by comparison. I have to say most likely because we just never know. Hopefully Sara will be out with a new CD sometime later this year or early next and we'll get to hear where she's going with her music. For now check out this amazingly good song and video for Valentines week called "Love Song"

"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles - YouTube

Ellen has arrived on Idol -and it was cool!

We all got a chance to see Ellen on American Idol for the first time and she was everything we hoped she would be. Funny, interesting and definitely honest when she needed to me (no more Paula praising how some one looks because the performance was terrible). Was absolutely a fun show and looking forward to more from Ellen. The one Paula related note that was a highlight was an amazing performance of Paula's "Straight Up" by 24 years old dad Andrew Garcia. His acoustic rendition and arrangement was exactly as fellow judge Kara Dioguardi stated last night...absolutely genius. I'm hoping Andrew can keep the momentum going as we go into group night tonight which always proves to be the undoing of some of the better contestants. Working well with others is such a hard thing to do for some :) For more info and clips of last night Idol show check out this article:

Ellen has arrived on American Idol

That's all for Wednesday folks - The snow is moving in again to the mid-Atlantic area so I see more snow shoveling in my future (as in today :)). Will be back tomorrow with another Valentines week feature and music news!

~Vincent

Tuesdays Featured Song - "Smile" by Uncle Kracker

Not as popular (or as egotistical) as his Top 5 hit "Follow Me", Uncle Kracker's newest hit "Smile" has a catchy bouncy hook with an upbeat message that feels so much better than "follow me cause I so goood la la la" ha ha :). Seriously I think "Smile" is the better song but unfortunately for Kracker his popularity had already started to wane (that old 15 minutes of fame thing) so this song didn't have as much of a chance. Uncle K also hit the Top 10 chart a few years back with a cover of Dobie Grays 1973 hit "Drift Away" with Gray singing again on the song bridge...it was nice to hear that song come back it was a good one. "Smile" did manage to hit 43 on the Billboard chart and if you want to hear a song that didn't get its due check it out here:

"Smile" by Uncle Kracker (YouTube)

Simon and Ellen together on IDOL - Tonight!

The long awaited pairing of Simon and Ellen DeGenerous on Idol will happen tonight as Hollywood round begins. Okay okay so it probably happened a few months ago but we're just getting to see it now. I'm looking forward to hearing the comments that come between them and how this years batch of performers holds up under the real pressure. If they thought auditioning was the hard part boy were they wrong :) When your in direct competition with other singers in the same room, on the same stage (and yes its a stage now) and with songs you haven't prepared forever its gonna be a lot harder. The audition round in the beginning is always amusing but when we hit the Hollywood round I think thats when the real fun starts.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday - we're due for another round of snow in the Northeast sheeeeesh its getting a little crazy up here :) Will be back tomorrow with another song, a LoveSongs.com newsletter and more!

~Vincent

Monday's Featured Song - "Down Down Down" by Jay Sean

Okay so its only one "Down" but this ones just so catchy I keep repeating "Down". Dance music may be making a comeback if this track is any indication - with a beat straight from the Freestyle music days, the melody is infectious and the lyrical hook pulls you in deep. Jay has been around a little while being signed to UK Virgin Records and having two top 10 UK singles in 2004. He later parted ways with Virgin records and made his American debut on Cash Box Records with the CD "All or Nothing". Definitely leaning towards the ALL as "Down" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard 100 chart in the US and 2nd single "Do You Remember" cracked the Top 10 as well. Check out "Down down down" :) here on YouTube - once you hear it you'll want to hear it again:

"Down" by Jay Sean - YouTube

Jay Letterman on CBS last night :)

No you weren't dreaming when you saw Jay Leno, David Letterman and Oprah together in a commerical on the Super Bowl last night. Dave complaining they were at the worse Super Bowl Party ever and Jay chiming in that its only because he's there ha :) Nicely done Jay and Dave with Oprah in the middle as mediator. When Jay returns to late night in a few weeks it'll make the Late Night wars interesting again with Jay and Dave going at it night after night. Nothing like real competition to get the creative juices flowing.

First AM Blog Post

This is my first time posting in the AM/Morning - So Mondays post is actually visible most of Monday instead of coming out Monday nite (and maybe even more typos :)). We'll see how long I can get up early and make this happen every day. Have a great Monday and we'll be back on Tuesday with another featured song!

~Vincent

Sunday's Flashback Feature - "Lonely Boy" by Andrew Gold

I first heard this song back in the late 70's and from the very first listen I was hooked for a lifetime - I must confess I don't know exactly what its all about (I'm a just a melody guy who occasionally writes a semi-decent lyric :)), but "Lonely Boy" is just a monster of a pop song....great verse melody and incredible hook...driving piano background - and then they hit you with a way cool guitar solo which just puts the icing on the cake that's already tasting good ha :) If you are not familiar with "Lonely Boy" I highly recommend you check it out - both a studio and live version are posted below. Andrew also penned "Thank You For Being a Friend" from Golden Girls TV show and many other songs covered by big artists. "Lonely Boy" went all the way to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 was a nice ride:

"Lonely Boy" - YouTube (Live version)

"Lonely Boy" - YouTube (Studio Version)

Super Bowl Halftime brings us The Who

Well tonight is SuperBowl nite (starts in about 30 minutes) and since the Eagles arent' playing I'm not too worried about who will win. The Saints are definitely a sentimental favorite so I'll definitely be happy for New Orleans if they win. At halftime this year, they'll bring out another super group that started well even before my time ha. The Who is one of my favorite bands from that era...so many of their songs deliver emotion like nobodies business..."This Song is Over", "Baba O'Reilly", "Behind Blue Eyes"...and songs from the Rock opera "Tommy" - quite a legacy that will live on long after Pete, Roger and John stop making music together. Sadly original members Keith Moon and John Entwistle won't be there to join them....both died of drug related incidents....Keith in 1978 and John in 2002...behind the sadness of them not being alive with their family and friends...the live version of the Who could never be the same after their passing.

Enjoy the game and the music tonight and we'll be back with another song and some fun tomorrow!

~Vincent

Saturdays' Snowy Featured Song - "Misery" by Suzanne Gorman

Well the snow finally stopped coming down and when it was all over it was 2+ feet and higher due to drifting..unbelievable! I finally managed to drag myself in the house so I could do a blog post. Today we're featuring another indie pop song this time in the country vein. "Misery" by Suzanne Gorman has an extremely cool vibe to it and gets your attention from the first notes in the introduction..then the first vocal line seals it with "I don't feel real pretty today..."..totally not true in Suzanne's case but her delivery of the line is so sincere and heartfelt you are drawn into the rest of the song. We always say that "misery loves company" and this song makes it feel all too real for the listener. Another great song on her site is "Heartbreaker" - to hear "Misery", "Heartbreaker" and several other really good songs please visit Suzanne Gorman on MySpace here: www.myspace.com/suzannegorman

Whirlwind Valentines Tour @ Borders in 1 Week!

Just one week from today on Sat Feb 13th, I'll be running around the Philadelphia area playing a 30 minute set at 8 different Borders Bookstores...trying to keep my voice and my sanity intack at I go. For more information on tour locations visit me at www.vincentjames.com . We'll also be posting updates on Facebook from each location look for Facebook links on LoveSongs.com shortly.

That's all for today folks - I'm pooped and need to go practice some more - 8 mini-shows in one day is like running a marathon and have to almost train like one :) Have a great nite and we'll be back tomorrow with another song and some more music news!

~Vincent

Friday's Feature - "Replay" by Iyaz

Well I have to admit I thought he was saying "Charlene's like a melody...." but actually its "Shawty's like a melody..."...glad I looked that one up :) This is definitely a catchy song that you just want to play again and again. Born Keidran Jones, the artist known as Iyaz. Sean Kingston found Iyaz's music online and tried unsuccessfully to contact him a few times, then finally Iyaz responding just incase it really was Kingston's email :) Well the rest as they say is history...Iyaz signed with a Warner Brothers affiliate..his debut CD "My Life" came out in 2009 and "Replay" went all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (not a bad debut :)). More music is on the way from "My Life" listen for it on radio..for now check out this infectious tune and video:

"Replay" - YouTube

Record Label Giant EMI lost 1.7 Billion Pounds (as in $$$)

In the past year, UK record label giant EMI REcords lost a staggering 1.7 Billion pounds. Not sure what that exactly translates to in dollars (about $ 2.5 Billion Dollars I believe) but its huge. Home to Katy Perry, Coldplay, David Bowie and many other successful artists. Currently they have 4 albums in the Top 10 charts in the US and have about 18% of the market. But illegal MP3 downloads are continuing to take a big bite out of EMI and other companies as they try to stay relevant in the digital age (would have helped if they had jumped on the Itunes/paid Napster situation much sooner). Check out the full article here: EMI Records loses 1.7 Billion Pounds

That's all for Friday nite folks - BIIGGG snowstorm coming in tonight to Philadelphia area - 12-18 inches should be a long white weekend. Be back tomorrow with an Indie song favorite and some more music news!

~Vincent

Thursdays Feature - "All Around Me" by Flyleaf

Flyleaf and this song in particular reminds me of Evanescence at their very best. The haunting, silky voice of lead singer Lacey Mosley pulls you in, the amazing melody feeds on your ears and any song that sings "my tongue dances behind my lips for you" has got to be something special. The contrast between the verses and chorus is so intense with the chorus guitars and lead vocal pounding the message into you...its just way past cool. "All Around You" by Flyleaf actually came out in 2007 as a single from their 2005 debut CD and cracked the Billboard Top 40. They've been quiet on the Top 40 charts lately with one song "Again" from their new CD getting played on Rock and Alternative radio...but I wouldn't count these guys and gal out yet. Currently touring the US with Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace look for more good stuff to come from Flyleaf. Watch and listen "All Around You" here:

"All Around Me" - YouTube

Kenny Rogers to mark 50 years in the Music Biz with TV Special

That man who first brought us "Lady" (written by Lionel), "You Decorated My Life", "The Gambler" and many many other great hits will be taping a TV Special in April that will include Dolly Parton and other special guests. For more info check out the news here: Kenny Rogers TV Special

That's all for Thursday folks. A BIG Snow is coming our way tomorrow so I'll be snowed in, writing and playing music and will post another blog entry with a new song. This weekend I'm also gonna switch to posting in the mornings so starting Saturday morning the posts will be early...that way Mondays post will actually be out all of Monday (instead of Monday nite into Tuesday ha ha). Have a great nite all and see ya manana!

~Vincent

Wednesday's Feature - "Life After You" - by Daughtry

Talk about a Cinderella story. One moment he's working as a service advisor for a car dealership, and then a few short months later he's got 4th place on American Idol. In 2006 that same year his debut CD comes out and sells almost 5 million copies and spawns 7 top 40 singles. Perhaps the most amazing thing is that all 7 are really great songs which is so rare these days. Well Chris Daughtry and the band Daughtry are back with a new CD called "Leave this Town". The first single that I really liked was a song called "No Surprise" and #2 is this song called "Life After You". Once again he delivers with really solid songwriting, great lyrics and emotion for the listener. Check out Daughtry's latest musical offering here:

"Life After You" - Daughtry

The Day the Music Died - 51 years ago

Long long ago a small plane crash took the lives of 3 very special musicians along with some other folks. Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valenes ("La Bamba") all met their terrible fate that day and Don McLean memorialized is many years later with the song "American Pie". For some interesting details on the events leading up to that day and who traded fates before the flight check out this Wiki article:

"The Day the Music Died"

That's all for Wedddddnesday...will be back tomorrow with another tune and some more music newzzz!

~Vincent