Preview: X Factor 2009 Live Finals, Week 3

It's Big Band week this week on X Factor. Michael Buble is the special guest and mentor, and Westlife will be the live performers on Sunday's results show.

Although how some of these songs are Big Band songs, I haven't a clue - especially the versions they are meant to be singing. Beyonce? U2? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Come on John and Edward!

Rachel: 'Proud Mary' - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Beyonce version)

Stacey: 'When You Wish Upon A Star' - Cliff Edwards

Lucie: 'My Funny Valentine' - Ella Fitzgerald

Joe: 'Sway' - Pablo Beltran (Michael Buble version)

Lloyd: 'Fly Me To The Moon' - Frank Sinatra

Danyl: 'Feeling Good' - John Coltrane/Nina Simone (Muse version)

Jamie: 'Angel Of Harlem' - U2

Olly: 'Bewitched' - Steve Lawrence (theme tune from the 60s TV show)

John and Edward: 'She Bangs' - Ricky Martin

Miss Frank: 'That's Life' - Frank Sinatra

Watch: Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood - In the Air Tonight

Words cannot express how awesome this is. Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood (and his band) covering Phil Collins' 'In The Air Tonight':

Blogs What I Like: I Love Charts

I like I Love Charts. In fact I love I Love Charts. It's a fantastic site, and although some of this has been done before, these guys collect everything. It's a fantastic tumblr blog, and shows how to do it right (like Garfield Minus Garfield).

Some of them are pretty basic like the one above, and then some are exceptionally well done. But all of them are interesting.




And some are downright geeky:


Check it out:
http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com/

Album News: Tom Petty - Live Anthology

Tom Petty's upcoming Live Anthology is due out next month, and the tracklist for it has been released. It looks amazing. Hopefully it'll sound just as amazing.

Disc 1

1. "Ladies and Gentlemen..."
* June 30, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
2. "Nightwatchman"
* June 28, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
3. "Even the Losers"
* March 6, 1980
* Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
4. "Here Comes My Girl"
* March 6, 1980
* Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
5. "A Thing About You"
* June 28, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
6. "I’m in Love" (Bobby Womack)
* December 7, 1982
* Wembley Arena, London, England
7. "I’m a Man" (Ellas McDaniel)
* September 21, 2006
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
8. "Straight into Darkness"
* December 7, 1982
* Wembley Arena, London, England
9. "Breakdown"
* June 30, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
10. "Something in the Air" (John Keene)
* November 4, 1993
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
11. "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (Willie Dixon)
* March 17, 1995
* Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
12. "Drivin’ Down to Georgia"
* November 4, 1993
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
13. "Lost Without You"
* November 4, 1993
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
14. "Refugee"
* June 11, 1983
* Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California

[edit] Disc 2

1. "Diddy Wah Diddy" (Ellas McDaniel, Willie Dixon)
* February 1, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
2. "I Want You Back Again" (Rod Argent)
* February 7, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
3. "Wildflowers"
* March 17, 1995
* Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
4. "Friend of the Devil" (John Dawson, Jerome Garcia, Robert Hunter)
* February 3, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
5. "A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me)"
* June 29, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
6. "It’s Good to Be King"
* September 21, 2006
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
7. "Angel Dream (No. 2)"
* April 19, 2003
* The Vic Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
8. "Learning to Fly"
* June 16, 2006
* Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee
9. "Mary Jane’s Last Dance"
* September 21, 2006
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
10. "Mystic Eyes" (Van Morrison)
* October 27, 2006
* The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, California

[edit] Disc 3

1. "Jammin’ Me"
* February 7, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
2. "The Wild One, Forever"
* March 6, 1980
* Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
3. "Green Onions" (Stephen Cropper, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones, Lewie Steinberg)
* February 6, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
4. "Louisiana Rain"
* December 7, 1982
* Wembley Arena, London, England
5. "Melinda"
* August 26, 2003
* UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana
6. "Goldfinger" (John Barry, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley)
* January 31, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
7. "Surrender"
* June 11, 1983
* Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California
8. "Dreamville"
* October 16, 2002
* Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
9. "Spike"
* July 29, 1986
* Portland Civic Stadium, Portland, Oregon
10. "Any Way You Want It" (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson)
* June 11, 1983
* Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California
11. "American Girl"
* April 13, 1983
* The Cow Palace, San Francisco, California

[edit] Disc 4

1. "Runnin’ Down a Dream"
* September 21, 2006
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
2. "Oh Well" (Peter Green)
* June 16, 2006
* Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee
3. "Southern Accents"
* September 21, 2006
* Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
4. "Crawling Back to You"
* August 26, 2005
* The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, California
5. "My Life/Your World"
* June 23, 1987
* Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
6. "I Won’t Back Down"
* November 15, 2007
* The American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
7. "Square One"
* June 17, 2006
* UMB Bank Pavilion, Maryland Heights, Missouri
8. "Have Love Will Travel"
* July 5, 2002
* Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York
9. "Free Fallin’"
* August 14, 2005
* Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California
10. "The Waiting"
* June 28, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
11. "Good, Good Lovin" (James Brown, Albert Shubert)
* June 30, 1981
* The Forum,, Los Angeles, California
12. "Century City"
* July 8, 1980
* The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
13. "Alright For Now"
* March 17, 1995
* Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario

[edit] Disc 5

1. "Think About Me"
* July 24, 1987
* Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida
2. "Down South"
* September 17, 2006
* Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin, Texas
3. "I Need to Know"
* June 29, 1981
* The Forum, Los Angeles, California
4. "Billy the Kid"
* May 28, 2001
* Chronicle Pavilion, Concord, California
5. "I’d Like to Love You Baby" (J.J. Cale)
* April 21, 2003
* Soundstage Studios, Chicago, Illinois
6. "Image of Me" (Wayne Kemp)
* October 10, 1987
* Wembley Arena, London, England
7. "Born in Chicago" (Nick Gravenites)
* April 21, 2003
* Soundstage Studios, Chicago, Illinois
8. "Like a Diamond"
* October 16, 2002
* Grand Olympic Auditorium,, Los Angeles, California
9. "The Last DJ"
* December 7, 2002
* Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
10. "No Second Thoughts"
* July 27, 1981
* The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11. "Ballad of Easy Rider" (Roger McGuinn)
* July 24, 1987
* Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida
12. "Don’t Come Around Here No More"
* July 7, 2001
* Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York
13. "Too Much Ain’t Enough"
* December 31, 1978
* Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California
14. "County Farm" (arranged by Tom Petty)
* February 4, 1997
* The Fillmore, San Francisco, California

Live: Paul McCartney at the O2

Great news Beatles fans. By the time you've finished Beatles Rock Band, you can actually go and see one of the former Fab Four in Dublin. Paul McCartney will be playing the O2 on December 20th, with tickets priced €86.25 for standing, and €126.25 or €156.25 depending on where your seats will be. It'll be worth every cent!

They go on sale next Wednesday, the 28th at 9 a.m. and could sell out pretty fast.

Watch The Beatles in Dublin in 1963:

Stream: John Mayer - Battle Studies clips

Amazon has exclusive 30 second clips of each of the eleven songs on the new John Mayer album Battle Studies, which is due out on November 17th.

Tracklist:
1. Heartbreak Warfare
2. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye
3. Half of My Heart
4. Who Says
5. Perfectly Lonely
6. Assassin
7. Crossroads
8. War of My Life
9. Edge of Desire
10. Do You Know Me
11. Friends, Lovers or Nothing

Stream here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Studies-John-Mayer/dp/B002QEXN2K/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256133446&sr=8-9

Album Review: David Geraghty - The Victory Dance

Oftentimes when the guitarist of a band makes a solo album (or a second solo album, in this case), they're often filled with more noodling than songs. Their solo career gives them a chance to do those five minute solos they can never do with the original band. This is not the case with Bell x1's David Geraghty.

You wouldn't know it from his work with Bell x1, but Geraghty is a more than accomplished singer. His voice is perfect for an album like this - he's kind of like the male Lisa Hannigan. Except this album is better than hers. It's also a huge improvement on his debut Kill Your Darlings.

The album opens with 'Watch Her Win' a pounding keyboard led number that gives the album its name in the refrain "woah oh oh oh, it's the victory dance that's been drawing you in." Dave starts off well and then moves it up a notch to the utterly enchanting 'Tuesday's Feet'. It's got a memorable chorus, which packs a lot of punch. Plus, the backing is Arcade Fire-esque without going overboard.

Then it never really goes downhill. Beware, it's nothing like his parent band. Instead it's a gorgeous record, where each song is captivating in its own enchanting way. Whether it's the soft warmth of 'Instant Sunshine' or the beautiful banjo on 'Wear Out You Name'. It's all so beautiful.

'Soft Spot' sums up the album perfectly. It's an album you'll always have a soft spot for, and is better than the latest album by that other troubador, David Gray. 'Last Time Around' features a marvellous interplay between keys and guitar, and allows Geraghty the chance to show off, but he reins it in before it goes too far. 'The Emperor's Hand Me Downs' is the song Randy Newman never recorded, but with much better vocals! It could easily feature on a soundtrack.

'Change My Mind' is a lovely little love song, 'Stones' is a real grower with a wondeful climax, and closer 'Falter' eases you to the end of the album in style. At ten songs it never outstays its welcome, and will remain a visitor you always want to have stay. There's no doubt I'll be revisiting this album every few years, to bask in its glow once again.