Monday has arrived again – and Monday means music! This week’s theme is songs that start with the first letter of your name – so for me, that obviously means “S”! This should be fun! Grab your favorites, and come dance with us, won’t you?

Let’s start off with an artist, who, while dealing with her husband’s alleged infidelity, vented her anger on the first half of her newest album, but with this and the subsequent songs, the vulnerable artist is now ready to reconcile.

She compares their relationship on this emotional, piano-driven ballad to sandcastles. Though the waves of broken marital promises have washed away the castles they had built together, she is now ready to start again.

Here’s the gorgeous Beyoncé with “Sandcastles”:

Next up is a group who gives their fans another taste of what’s to come with this brand new song on their brand new album scheduled for release on August 25th.

True to this band’s form, they have given their fans an unexpected music video for for this song as an additional element with the video that will no doubt put a smile on your face, which premiered worldwide just a few days ago.

Another ‘S’ song, and a subject near and dear to my heart, here’s Old Dominion with “Shoe Shopping”:

Next up in the “S” category, while this particular song became the familiar anthem for the TV show Ally McBeal, the artist wrote the song much earlier. It first appeared on her second solo album which was released on Reprise Records, who signed the artist after she appeared on the 1987 hit duet, “Can’t We Try.”

Unfortunately, the album tanked and she was dropped from the label. She continued performing – often around Los Angeles – and gained a fan in Michelle Pfeiffer, whose husband, David E. Kelley, was putting together a TV show about a young lawyer with extensive relationship issues. Kelley and Pfeiffer saw the artist perform, and Kelley decided that she would be perfect for a role on the song.

The artist parleyed the small role into a regular appearance on the show, becoming the first musician on a major series to have a regular role as herself. She appeared in every episode of Ally McBeal, almost always behind the piano in the bar scenes. The show was a huge hit, and when it took off, this song was released as a single, reaching #16 in the US.

Without further ado, here’s Vonda Shepard with “Searchin’ My Soul”:

Up next is a really fun, catchy, up tempo, sassy, different song with really fresh lyrics. The bright, fast-moving video features the artist trying out quite a few different looks. She was quoted as saying:

“I loved making this video! I had so much fun, and I wanted people to see that and have fun watching it. The song is sassy and fun, so I wanted the video to show just that. I wanted it to be really bright with lots of different setups and something totally different than any video that I’ve done – I feel we accomplished that!”

Give a listen to the gorgeous Jana Kramer with “Said No On Ever”:

Last, but certainly not least in the “S” category, is one of my favorite songs by this duo. The artist, a son of a preacher, was quoted as saying (with a laugh):

“When your dad’s a preacher and you have a song on the radio called ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,’ that makes for an interesting conversation.”

The music video has the duo celebrating with a huge parade on Nashville’s Shelby Street Bridge. They’re joined by dancers, marching bands, horses, and friends like Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy. Country singer Sarah Darling also cameos as a mannequin.

Get ready to dance, here’s Big & Rich with “Save A Horse [Ride A Cowboy]”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:   PhotobucketI have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, Callie from JAmericanSpice, and our awesome friend Cathy, from Curious as a Cathy.

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!



9 Comments

  1. Stacy,

    It’s great seeing you on the dance floor with the 4M crew today. I’m digging your mewsic selections to start this new week off. I thought it was cool that you featured Jana Kramer in the same post as Big & Rich. Why? Well, Jana was on DWTS a couple of seasons ago (I think) and then in season two, “Save A Horse (Ride a Cowboy) was used when Cheryl Burke and Drew Lachey took the Mirror Ball Trophy. 🙂

    Let me scat for now but I hope you join me in Calling Out Your Name Cathy Can We Dance. There’s an issue with my host server, so if you’re not able to access my site can then it may take 24-48 hrs. Would you be a love and let me know via email if you experience a problem. Have a rockin’ good week! Geez, I can’t believe it’s the last Monday in July!

  2. Great list of songs you have chose. I loved finding Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy On It as it was my daughters favorite song and she passed away at 16 so watching the video this morning reminded me of her smile and how much I love her. Have a Blessed day.

  3. Today is the last day to put your entries in for our giveaway! There will be three winners and three prizes to pick from for the first winner, then two and then whatever is left. GOOD LUCK & THANK YOU for playing Monday’s Music Moves Me. Today’s theme is to pick a song that begins with the first letter of your name! HAVE A ROCKIN’ WEEK MY FRIEND! BIG HUGS & THANK YOU for the introduction to an extremely lovely tunes! All brand new to me, but awesome! BIG HUGS

  4. Wow Stacy,
    This is a great post with awesome songs! All of them new to me, except the Ally McBeal theme song but it’s been ages since I’ve seen/heard that. It was interesting to read the backstory on that one and in particular on Vonda Shepherd. The first thing I thought when I heard her voice was “how on earth did this girl get dropped from her label?” She has a terrific voice and style.
    I also really like Jana Kramer’s song and video. Colorful indeed! 🙂
    The shoe-shopping one is fun too.
    Beyonce’s Sandcastles is a beauty for sure!
    I’m groovin’ on Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy right now. I’ll be adding that one to my playlist. I want an “Old Leroy” too… 🙂

    Another fabulous post! Thanks for brightening my Monday…

    Michele at Angels Bark

Comments are closed.