Chicks In Music: Nelly Furtado

She first hit the scene in 2001 with "I'm Like A Bird", and even won a Grammy for it. And even if her 2003 releases weren't so huge, she more than made up for it with the 2006 album Loose- which cranked out "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come To an End)".

So yeah, unless you've been living in a cave these past couple of years, then you must have heard of Nelly Furtado. She's pop all the way through- and I like it that she experiments with all kinds of sounds and genres.

Yeah so some people bring her down saying how she's sold out, got all sexed up, and abandoned her more folksy roots- I say, hey, with 8 million units in sales worldwide, who the frack cares? After all, she did manage to get it all- sales, downloads, massive airplay, endorsements, awards, and the public attention.

On a personal note, I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Nelly Furtado before. Her collaboration with Timbaland on Loose was a brilliant move. I only started digging her with "Say It Right", really. "Promiscuous Girl" I dug a little later on.

In fact, here's a video of an unplugged Nelly Furtado performance of "Promiscuous Boy" which I saw a little more than a year ago. This was what made me appreciate her even more. Check it out.

So cool. Gotta appreciate her skills.

What I'm Listening To From Nelly Furtado Now:

"Say It Right" and "Promiscuous Girl" are still playing a lot on my iPod and my Creative Vision M. Also that Timbaland track which featured her and Justin Timberlake, "Give It To Me".

No word yet on a new album or a new single up for release, but you can always check out Nelly Furtado on her Wikipedia entry, on MySpace, or visit her official website here.

Cheers, everyone.


Chicks In Music is a regular feature on My Thoughts In Stereo. We pay tribute to the hottest ladies in the music industry- with updates, trivia, video clips and links to their websites and social media. Checking out your favorite females in rock, pop and R&B online has never been so gratifying- Chicks in Music!

So Much for Web Radio?

ASCAP scores another legal victory. The American Society of Composers, Artists and Performers, or ASCAP now stands to collect some US$100 million from Webcasters like Yahoo, AoL and Real Networks for streaming their music online.

ASCAP- the largest union of musicians and composers in the USA- has been hounding the online groups for paying them for the music streaming. The courts have now to award them said payment from 2002 to today.

Last year, webcasters were already ordered by courts to cough up cash to pay recording companies, so this development is really just bad news for anyone running an internet radio station.

Well at least those playing commercial music. I say it's time we check out the thousands of other great independent artists out there, and look into the more interesting podcasts.

What do you think?

Last Song Syndrome: Andy Taylor - "Take It Easy" (1986)

Probably one of the most underappreciated pop-rock songs of the 1980's, "Take It Easy" is arguably Andy Taylor's best work outside The Power Station and Duran Duran.

The song was featured on the OST of the 1986 movie American Anthem (which I never got to see- but still probably worth checking out), and featured Andy's preference for a more rock-oriented sound, versus the more synth-pop sound of Duran Duran at the height of their popularity- one of the reasons he left the band just after laying down some guitar tracks for the 1987 album Notorious.

In any case, he was able to take some time off his gig with The Power Station to work on this particular solo project, something he'd work on with ex-Missing Persons drummer Terry Bozzio and bassist Patrick O'Hearn, and ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.

Found this music video the other day on YouTube- definitely something worth listening to and watching after a long time.


Andy Taylor
"Take It Easy" (1986)

People say I'm crazy, just a fool
But I'm the pigeon and baby, you're the stool

I always dug the color your hair
I always loved the clothes you wear
I can't say that you turn me on
But why'd I stay all night long

Take it easy - on yourself
Take it easy - there ain't no one else
Don't give me reasons
And I won't ask for nothin'

Take it easy - on yourself
Take it easy - there ain't no one else
Don't give me reasons
And I won't ask for nothin'

Rich girls, they run after me
They break my heart, you know I fall in love so easily
I always dug the color your hair
I always loved the clothes you wear
I can't say that you turn me on
But why'd I stay all night long

Take it easy - on yourself
Take it easy - there ain't no one else
Don't give me reasons
And I won't ask for nothin'

Take it easy - on yourself
Take it easy - there ain't no one else
Don't give me reasons
And I won't ask for nothin'
Yeah!

Take it easy - on yourself
Take it easy - there ain't no one else
Don't give me reasons
And I won't ask for nothin'


Check out Andy Taylor's official website here, or his entry on Wikipedia, here.

Can't get that song out of your head? Then check out more of Renzie's Last Song Syndrome Project, the only blog service dedicated to getting that persistent tune out of your system- by giving you lots more of it!

Cheers, everyone!

Last Song Syndrome: Boy Meets Girl - "Bring Down The Moon" (1988)

The pop duo of Boy Meets Girl- keyboardist and vocalist George Merrill, and singer Sharon Rubicam- is actually best known for their hit song "Waiting For A Star To Fall" in 1989 (a song featured on the OST of the movie Three Men and a Little Lady), but is also known for their song-writing creds- most notably for Whitney Houston on her hits "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "How Will I Know?".

Oh, and they also did backing vocals for Deniece Williams' 1985 hit, "Let's Hear It For The Boy", as well as other collaborative efforts with other artists.

"Bring Down The Moon" is the second single off their Reel Life album (same one that had "Waiting For A Star To Fall"), and was a modest Billboard hit in 1989. But I fell in love with the song when I first heard it on a countdown show back then, and Sharon Rubicam's vocals continue to give me goosebumps to this day.

Even better was that I found a video of the song on YouTube, so here we have it along with some lyrics for you to sing to. Enjoy!


Boy Meets Girl
"Bring Down The Moon" (1988)

I'm walking in darkness with no shadows
Tears fall in silence with no sound
I've got to let go of visions I've outgrown
Even I know, so let the rain come down

Bring down the moon
The mythic and mighty that fall when you lean
Bring down the moon
Building love on thin air and dreams
Perfect love is a desperate creed
And one that we all try to believe
So bring down the moon

I'm finding some comfort in closing the distance
Between my life and my dreams
Ooh if love's not forever I need to discover
The spirit of romance and magic
In living from day to day

Bring down the moon
The mythic and mighty that fall when you lean
Bring down the moon
Building love on thin air and dreams
Perfect love has no guarantee
Still we keep trying to believe
So bring down the moon, yeah yeah
Bring down the moon

Well, there's no guarantee
That there ever will be perfect love
(Perfect love)
(So let the rain come down)
I know that it hurts 'cause I used to believe
(So let the rain come down)
I know how it hurts, yeah!

Bring down the moon
The mythic and mighty that fall when you lean
Bring down the moon
Building love on thin air and dreams
Perfect love, there's no guarantee
(Perfect love, perfect love, perfect love)
And still we believe
(Perfect love, perfect love, perfect love)

Bring down the moon
So bring down the moon
Bring down the moon
So bring down the moon


Boy Meets Girl's official website is right here, and you can check out their Wikipedia entry here, and an informative interview on Songfacts, here.

Can't get that song out of your head? Then check out more of Renzie's Last Song Syndrome Project, the only blog service dedicated to getting that persistent tune out of your system- by giving you lots more of it!

Cheers, everyone!

Much More Music: Icehouse - "Electric Blue" (1987)

Did you know that Icehouse's biggest hit, "Electric Blue" was co-written by John Oates of Hall and Oates?

Yes, he did. It was also written by Icehouse's lead singer Iva Davies. It came from the 1987 album Man of Colours, which also spawned another great Icehouse song, "Crazy".

Even if the band would never surpass the commercial success or the popularity the enjoyed with Man of Colours, both songs- "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" would continue on as favorites for Icehouse fans everywhere, including myself.

And to everyone who's enjoyed the music of Icehouse, here's something you can check out. We found a video on YouTube, chords from Arabella Clauson, and lyrics to sing to. Enjoy!


Icehouse
"Electric Blue" (1987)

  Dm
If a boy had a chance
                       G        C      Dm
A chance with someone like you
          F                G
Are you gonna break his heart?
                       Dm
Let him cry for the moon?
            F                     Bb
Are you hiding somewhere behind those eyes?


(I just freeze)
F                     Bb
I just freeze every time you see through me
    F               Bb
And it's all over you, electric blue
   F
(On my knees)  On my knees
Bb                    Dm          Eb
Help me baby tell me what can I do?  Electric blue

 Dm
Oh I had a dream
                           G       C      Dm
For a moment I believed it was true
              F          G
Oh, I'd have given anything
                       Dm
Just to be there with you
            F                     Bb
Are you hiding somewhere behind those eyes?


(I just freeze)
F                     Bb
I just freeze every time you see through me
    F               Bb
And it's all over you, electric blue
   F
(In too deep)  In too deep
Bb                             Dm                Bb
Standin' here, waiting as I'm broken in two, electric blue
  F
(I can see)  I can see, can
Bb                        F                Bb
See that it may be just a vision of you, electric blue.
    F
(On my knees)  On my knees,
Bb                    Dm            Eb
Help me baby, tell me what can I do?  Electric blue


Cm  Ab  Cm  Gm


Dm               F                     Bb
Are you hiding somewhere behind those eyes?
     F
(In those eyes)
F                     Bb
I just freeze every time you see through me
    F               Bb
And it's all over you, electric blue
   F
(In too deep)  In too deep
Bb                             Dm                Bb
Standin' here, waiting as I'm broken in two, electric blue
  F
(I can see)  I can see, can
Bb                        F                Bb
See that it may be just a vision of you, electric blue.
    F
(On my knees)  On my knees.
Bb                    Dm            Eb
Help me baby, tell me what can I do?  electric blue

(In those eyes)
F                     Bb
I just freeze every time you see through me
    F               Bb
And it's all over you, electric blue
   F
(In too deep)  In too deep
Bb                             Dm                Bb
Standin' here, waiting as I'm broken in two, electric blue
  F
(I can see)  I can see, can
Bb                        F                Bb
See that it may be just a vision of you, electric blue.
    F
(On my knees)  On my knees,
Bb                    Dm            Eb
Help me baby, tell me what can I do?  electric blue

You may want to visit Icehouse's official website here, or check out their entry on Wikipedia here.

Check out more of the Much More Music Project- this blog's attempt to put together my personal views on favorite songs, along with lyrics to sing by, an embedded music video
from YouTube, and even guitar chords, if you feel like playing along with it.

Cheers, everyone!