Can you believe is this the very last Monday of the month of April?  I keep blinking, and time keeps flying by.  Hopefully you had a great weekend – I know I sure did.  Especially since the first half of the weekend was spent with some fabulous bloggers learning all about Auntie Anne’s most delicious pretzels.  More on that later, I promise.

Meanwhile, since it is Monday, that means it’s time to start off the week right with excellent music.  This week is a freebie week with a twist – it’s “Bring a Friend Day and you get a Freebie and so do they”.  If you don’t bring a friend, post a song about a friend or friends.  You’re all my friends, right?  You’re here, and technically I brought you, thus the freebie mode shall reign eternal.  Or something like that.

Let’s start off with a song that will never be forgotten, from a show that will always live on in syndication (and entertain as thoroughly as it did the original 10 years it was on from 1994 to 2004).  I think it only fitting that with this being Freebie Friends Day that we enjoy the theme song from FRIENDS.  I love this video, because it’s the official music video (remember those days, when MTV actually  had music videos?) that The Rembrandts made incorporating the cast from FRIENDS – it’s hilarious.

TheRembrandtsFRIENDS

Here’s The Rembrandts with “I’ll Be There For You”:

Next up is one of my newest artist friends (hey, she followed me on Twitter and has even re-tweeted some of my tweets, so we’re buds now.  In my own mind, of course.) whose song I’ve shared before but it’s worth sharing again because it’s that good.   Besides, she recently performed it live on the Juno Awards, so it’s a new video for you to enjoy the awesomeness of the song.

From her most personal and ambitious album yet, which is robust, passionate, optimistic, adventurous, haunting and addictive.  I know, right?  She’s already the recipient of three JUNO Awards and two GOLD Albums, so with this album she decided to experiment more freely with the different musical parts of herself that make up the whole. 

She has been asked how much she’s evolved as a singer and a person since she started out as a fourteen year old – I love the answer she gave: “They say at a molecular level that the body replaces its cells every seven years.  So I guess I’ve evolved three times.”   It’s that kind of wit and intelligence that makes Serena so endearing and it comes off wherever she plays.

SerenaRyder

Here’s the amazing Serena Ryder performing at the 2013 JUNO Awards with “Stompa”:

Next up is the first single from one of my favorite New Country trio’s upcoming new album.  There’s an interesting story behind this song – originally another favorite, Miranda Lambert, had ‘dibs’ on it.  But when she heard that this trio was interested in the song, she selflessly released her hold in it so they could record it instead.  How cool is that?

I love the video they made of this song – it co-stars one of my favorite actresses.  If you are a 2 Broke Girls  fan, you’ll recognize Beth Behrs (who plays Caroline Wesbox Channing, a former rich, high society girl who lost all of her money when her father was jailed for a Ponzi scheme.)  She was actually born right here in Pennsylvania (in Lancaster, as a matter of fact – where I had my amazing weekend) so it was fun to see her in this video.

BethBehrsHillaryScott

Here’s Lady Antebellum with their newest fun song, “Downtown”:

Next up is a brand new song from another of my favorite country boys – one of the song writer’s (who’s dad happens to be Rhett Akins) favorite singers in 1994 was country crooner Joe Diffie.  When he and his writing partners were brainstorming on a song, originally they were working on a slow song but decided to change it up to a more uptempo tune.  The original love song was about a guy and a gal in a favorite romantic spot, listening to the writer’s hero, Joe Diffie, on their boom box.  The writers morphed that idea into a more upbeat number and this song was born.

One of the writer’s suggested they include the “Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie” phrase at the end of the chorus, because he felt like the song needed a little something extra.  There is also a line about “doing the Diffie,” and during his live shows, the singer-songwriter busts out a few dance steps to accompany the tune.  The writers also included the titles of a few of Joe’s songs as well.

JasonAldeanGive a listen to Jason Aldean with “1994”:

Last, but certainly not least, is an artist from Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  Her earliest memories feature her performing – belting it out in church at four years old, providing the evening entertainment for her parents and their friends at age 7.  In spite of those great memories, her youth was hardly picture-perfect.  When post-apartheid crime ravaged her hometown, her parents decided to pack it in and start anew elsewhere – in Nashville of all places.

At 16, she found herself over 8,000 miles from home, a flame-haired Afrikaner in the land of the Grand Ole Opry.  The transition was as tough as it sounds – it took her a long time to adjust, everything from the size of fast food portions to the fact that people didn’t understand what she was saying.  She recalls having to repeat herself 10 times before they’d figure out what it was she was saying.

Not long after the move, her parents divorced – she and her younger sister stayed with her mom in Nashville, while her dad returned to South Africa.  She took her parents’ split hard, and ended up falling into the wrong crowd in rebellion mode – hanging out with an older crowd, drinking Southern Comfort and going out to bars.  When she was 21, she relocated to Los Angeles, and was discovered quite accidentally.

She happened to be singing at a popular Hollywood nightclub when a rep from Chameleon Entertainment (a joint venture with the Island Def Jam Music Group) happened to be walking through and overheard a powerful, unforgettable voice coming out of the ladies room.  Yes, you read that right – from the ladies room.   He was eager to meet the woman with the killer pipes, so he waited.  They had an instant connection and have been working together ever since. 

This song happens to be her first single, and is a great dance floor anthem that showcases her many sides and powerful vocals.  In addition to writing for herself, she recently co-wrote Demi Lavato’s new single “Heart Attack” which flew to #1 on iTunes in 16 countries.

NikkiWilliams

Here’s Nikki Williams with “Glowing”:

You, my friends, light me up like I’m glowing in the dark – thank you for that.  Have a great Monday!

 

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

Photobucket

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohorts, Callie from JAmericanSpice, and Cathy from Cathy Kennedy’s Blog.

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!

 




NewDivider

 

The awesome Run DMT also hosts Music Monday (who graciously helps out with our hostessing every time we need it, and who I had the privilege of meeting in person at BlogHer – she’s even more adorable than I imagined):

NewDivider

More awesome Monday Music Hops:

NewDivider

More Monday Hops – hop along, won’t you?

 

Super Sunday Sync Super Sunday SyncLet's Get Social Sunday

17 Comments

  1. As usual great show you put on here girlfriend. Nikki Williams is very new to me, but great voice, and well can’t be enough said about FRIENDS! I think the one I liked the best was by Serena – she’s a cutie for sure! Thanks for putting this show on the road my friend!
    xmasdolly would like you to read ..Monday’s Music Moves MeMy Profile

  2. I only have seen a few epi’s of Friends on re-runs, but sure did loe that song. thanks for sharing & co-hosting. my 1st time linking up to MMMM.
    Faythe would like you to read ..Music Moves MeMy Profile

Comments are closed.