What Are You Listening To? Fall 2010

What kind of music listener are you? Are you up on the newest tracks from your favorite artists, or do you prefer to listen to nothing but oldies? Do you listen to rock, rap, country, or something else? Do your listening habits change from time to time or do you pretty much stick to your usual stuff? We all have our own habits for listening to the music we enjoy, and the variety of music that's out there is so vast that no two people have the same exact musical tastes or preferences.

One of my favorite things about having an iPod is the ability to organize your music into folders, or playlists (check out Creating Customized Playlists on iTunes and Creating Smart Playlists on iTunes ). With this feature, it's so easy to put songs together that will suit the way you listen to music. Some of the playlists that I keep in my iTunes library include titles such as "Party Songs", "Sad Songs" and "All Time Faves", etc. One of the most listened to playlists in my iTunes library is a folder that I like to call "Current".

"Current" is the folder where I keep the music that I like to listen to the most. It is the one playlist in iTunes that I'm most often changing, and is the purpose for this series. Music is as fluid as anything, and I enjoy adding great new stuff to my music collection. I keep all of my new stuff in the "Current" folder, as well as some favorites from the past year or so. My passion for music motivates me to want to share some of the good music I listen to with other music lovers who share my tastes.

Without further adieu, I present some offerings from my "Current" playlist this fall. They're the songs I listen to on a daily basis during my commute to work or in the house while I'm doing some house cleaning. Hopefully you'll find something new to get excited about.

Individual tunes:

Raise Your Glass - Pink

Pink is one of my favorite artists, and this is her latest smash coming off of her first "Greatest Hits" collection. Like most of her songs, "Raise Your Glass" is full of catchy lyrics coupled with a great track. Watch the entertaining video for "Raise Your Glass" here.

Glitter in the Air - Pink

Here's a song from Pink's 2009 album, "Funhouse," that has recently become a favorite of mine. Unfortunately for me, the song went without much notice by me during the days of playing "Funhouse" incessantly, but I was reminded of it during the latest Grammy Awards show, where the singer wowed everyone with her aesthetically moving performance. The tender ballad is beautifully written and the piano accompaniment adds to the dreamy fantasy portrayed in the song. If you check out any of the songs on this list, be sure to click on this link to Pink's poignant performance from the Grammys.

F**k You - Cee Lo Green

It seems that lately the "f-word" has been thrown around a little too much in pop music, and I wouldn't normally pay much attention to tunes laced with the profane word with the exception of Lilly Allen's "F**k You Very Much" and this one. This song, bad words notwithstanding, is as catchy as a song can get, with an unmistakable Motown vibe. Once I downloaded it on to my iPod, I practically wore it out within weeks. Check out the video for "F**k You" here.

Light Up the Night/Love You Long Time - Black Eyed Peas

These are two of my latest favorites, from the Peas new album, "The Beginning." They're the first two songs to appear on the set and quickly became favorites for the group's trademark use of samples. The first makes clever use of the music track from Montell Jordan's "This is How We Do It" and the other employs the familiar synthesizer opening of KC's "Give it Up." Great songs, both of them!

Who's That Chick? - David Guetta, featuring Rihanna

This collaboration between two hot commodities is catchy and fun! Take a look and listen to the video here.

My Chick Bad (Remix) /Sexting - Ludacris

It isn't any secret that I'm a fan of hip hop music, and though I caught on to these two tracks from Ludacris' latest album, "Battle of the Sexes", a little late, they've been in regular rotation in my "Current" playlist all season long. The first is classic, catchy hip hop and the second, "Sexting," takes a comical look at battling sex addiction as only Ludacris can do. Check out "My Chick Bad," featuring Diamond, Trina and Eve here.

Albums

Loud - Rihanna

With the exception of only one or two songs, this is one album that's a great listen from start to finish. Songs worthy of special notice include "Complicated", "Only Girl in the World", and "Fading." Take a look at my review of "Loud" here and watch the singer's latest video for "What's My Name?", featuring Drake, here.

Body Talk, Parts 1-3 - Robyn

The Swedish recording artist has been making a splash in the music industry this year with a trio of EP's designed to spread out her stellar recordings throughout the year. Some of my favorites from the trilogy include "Dancing on my Own", "Indestructible", "Hang with Me", and "Stars 4Ever." Take a look at a profile of the Body Talk series here and watch the dance remix version of "Indestructible", from "Body Talk, Part 3" here.

The Stoop - Little Jackie

A little over a month ago, a friend of mine suggested I try out a CD from a group called Little Jackie. I searched and downloaded the song, "The World Should Revolve Around Me." The tune was so catchy, so good that I soon purchased the entire album and I haven't been disappointed as it's in constant rotation on my iPod playlist. The band consists of singer Imani Coppola and musician Adam Pallin and the music can best be described as funky, catchy and contemporary, with lots of rhythm and blues thrown into the mix. This 2008 album, the group's one and only, is chock full of great music. Check out the funky "The World Should Revolve Around Me" here.

So that's a glimpse of what's been playing on my iPod these past few weeks. Maybe you'll find something to your liking within the links provided. You never know unless you try. So, what are you listening to these days?

Check out these related articles:

Album Reviews: Pink's Funhouse

Pink at Madison Square Garden

Pink's Top Ten Songs

Rihanna's "Loud": A Review

Robyn's "Body Talk" Trilogy Scores with Fans and Critics Alike

Top Ten Rap/Dance Songs of All Time

What Are You Listening to? Summer 2010

Sources:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5668168/what_are_you_listening_to_summer_2010_pg2.html?cat=9

http://www.islanddefjam.com/artist/home.aspx?artistID=7310