The other day, I was driving with my friend, John, and trying to persuade him to believe that my musical tastes have greatly improved since we first met in 8th grade. It was a short drive to our destination so I didn’t bother to play a cd, which would have proven my point. Some awful song then came on the local radio station and John commented he thought it was terrible. I agreed while stating “Yeah, radio is like junk food. It’s okay in moderation but after hearing the same stuff over the next 45 minutes, I get physically ill.” I pondered this idea for a bit: In the same way that I need to eat to live, I also need music. Then I thought, if we were to compare music to food, using the old school Food Pyramid, what would it look like?   Radio: The junk food of music. It’s fun for a small taste, then you get ill from the sugar high. I love my morning drive-time show but it always feels like I hear the same song when I wake up, get out of my shower, then as I am getting out of the car for work. At least they’re funny and that keeps it entertaining. Pandora/Amazon/Last.fm: These services suggest artists based on what you have already downloaded from them or by entering a song/artist you enjoy. Perfect if you know you are really into 80’s Synth-Pop but not necessarily if you’re trying to branch out. These are your dairy & proteins – you need them to survive and you like them a lot, unless you’re lactose intolerant or a vegetarian. For a part of your daily meals, these are fine. Just don’t go overboard or you’ll get meat sweats. Word of Mouth & Opening Acts: To tell you the truth, this is how I first heard The Veronicas (who opened for Natasha Bedingfield in 2008) and Coles Whalen, whose bassist is a friend’s friend (hi, Maura & Kim!) so I ended up at one of Coles’ shows. Now I am a big fan of both! Your friends know you and, chances are, they know what you like to listen to. I made my friend, Paul, give Lady Gaga a chance and now his wife sings their newborn to sleep with “Pokerface.” (Seriously she does but Meg changed the words a little.) Feel free to check out my pal Coles here first: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. She’s currently touring the country and is in a contest to get a solo spot on the 2010 Lilith Fair Tour – please vote for her! http://www.ourstage.com/go/lilith  These are your fruits & veggies – you might not want to eat your spinach but if you try it because your friend suggests it, you might like it. Feel free to take advantage of these recommendations and have a nice big salad!

Randomly walking into a venue and taking a chance: This is my favorite method of finding new artists and how I discovered Kyler England. Imagine moving into a college dorm, Freshman year, and knowing only your roommate. On our first day without parents, we heard our dorm was holding an artist showcase. We grabbed our free coffee, sat down, and awkwardly waited for the show to begin. I can honestly say that, other than my suitemates, Kyler was the first stranger I spoke to at school – I introduced myself after her 2-song set and we chatted for a bit. Ever since then, I’ve followed her career from Raleigh to Boston to Brooklyn and now to Los Angeles. She’s honestly one of the most talented people I know and I might not have had the opportunity to get to know her if I didn’t take that chance. If you’ve been paying attention, you know I am also a fan of the band Kyler is in, The Rescues, who are going to be headlining some of the Lilith Fair tour dates. Kyler tours as a solo artist, as well as part of The Rescues, so I thought I’d give you a taste of her most recent solo cd, Simple Machine, because she only gets better with time: 

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I highly recommend searching your local newspapers for events, grabbing a couple adventurous friends, and showing up, regardless of the type of event. Online you could search for art gallery crawls, symposiums held by your local symphony, talent showcases, or the like. These do not have to cost a lot of money and, if the locale is further away, you can carpool to save the gas money.This is your whole grain section – you need the carbs for the energy in your life. Without taking a chance, you’re missing out on major energy!   

So, my nutritonally well-balanced readers, I hope you guys take this to heart. If you’re stuck on Pandora’s “Notorius B.I.G.” station, like someone I know is, be sure you get out into the world and see some live shows! You never know when you might discover “the next big thing.” Until next time, remember – it’s your life, live it on tour! <3, MK

Every year, magazines and television shows predict who they think will explode during the coming year in regards to the music and fashion trends. I decided why not let Tourdrobe readers know upfront who we think will have a big year in 2010. Don’t put money on these but definitely be sure to check them out because, regardless of whether or not they hit it big, we still love them!

Florence & The Machine:

I’ve been listening to Florence & The Machine for many months now and am fully entrenched as a fan of the debut cd, “Lungs” – it hasn’t left my side since I bought it. I travel with it. I have multiple copies in case I lose one or the cd gets scratched. It’s on my mp3 player and my phone, which are not the same thing. In my opinion, this was the best debut cd of 2009 (yes, I also have La Roux’s debut cd and it was also very good, plus I consistently try to have the same hair as Elly Jackson but Flo’s is ethereally intricate). When Florence & The Machine’s song called Cosmic Love came on during the first new episodes of both “The Vampire Diaries” and “Grey’s Anatomy” of 2010, I knew I made a good choice. My personal mission for 2010 is to help Florence & The Machine take America by storm after Flo performs at Coachella in April. Wish me luck and check Flo out!

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The Temper Trap:

If you saw the feel good independent movie of 2009 called “(500) Days of Summer,” you heard The Temper Trap song Sweet Disposition on the soundtrack. These Aussie boys spent 2009 touring everywhere but America and are on the precipice of a U.S. breakthrough. Again, another band playing Coachella this year so, apparently, those booking bands for Coachella and I are meant to be B.F.F.’s. Call me! If you can’t make it to Coachella, you can catch The Temper Trap in mid-March to mid-April on their first North American headlining tour. They’ll be touring the West Coast, the MidWest, and the deep South of Texas before hitting Indio, CA.

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The Rescues:

I went to college with one of the band members and have followed her career as a solo artist every step of her way into a band with 3 other amazing singer/songwriters living in Los Angeles (shouts out to Kyler, Rob, Adrianne & Gabe). I had the privilege of seeing them in 2009 at The Troubadour in Hollywood (where they are set to return on Wednesday, February 24, 2010) and they blew everyone away. You’ve heard them but you may not know it – they’ve been featured on so many television shows and movie trailers, you’re bound to run into them. Every person I bring to one of their shows loves them, so I know I am not wrong. With a new tour coming in 2010, including slots at South by Southwest in April (all in support of their eagerly awaited full-length cd being released in late Spring) and Lilith Fair in Atlanta in August, I’m calling it now – a big year in 2010 for my friends, The Rescues.

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Christy Altomare:

You can currently catch Christy in the national touring company of Spring Awakening. If the show is coming to your town, please go. Christy’s performance is truly inspiring which is incredible in itself considering most people remember the originator of her character, Wendla (Lea Michele, currently playing Rachel Berry on FOX’s GLEE). Christy’s voice has a beautiful clarity and she is promoting her first EP cd, “After You (LA Sessions)” so be sure to check it out. I had an opportunity to talk to Christy about her cd and we couldn’t decide which song to post here: she specifically had 2 - a ballad (“I Let It Slip”) and a more uptempo groove (“The Motion of You”).  I like the idea of being a random smoky jazz lounge somewhere in Miami when all of a sudden, someone is singing this song so that’s what I am picking for you as your first taste of Christy Altomare.

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So, dear readers, I hope you enjoy my picks for 2010 – do you have any faves for 2010? Share the wealth and pass the love, we need to know! Until next time, remember – it’s your life, live it on tour! <3, MK

Every year, people hope to have the Christmas #1 single in the United Kingdom. It’s a big deal and can set the tone for the upcoming year for some artists. For the past 4 years, an artist and song from “The X Factor” (Simon Cowell’s British musical television juggernaut, which he is bringing to the States in 2011) has been the Number 1 spot on the U.K. singles chart. At the end of 2009, things turned out a bit different.

Joe McElderry (2009 “The X Factor” winner) was almost a sure thing to be the U.K. Christmas #1 with his version of The Climb, which is a cover of the Miley Cyrus song.

Then, in stepped a grassroots Facebook campaign that thought it would be funny if Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name would be the U.K. Christmas #1. Killing In The Name sold 500,000 downloads versus The Climb’s 450,000.

Here’s my gripe: Killing In The Name was released in 1992 by a band that is no longer together! Great song by a great band, without a doubt, and it is still relevant, which is amazing (and a little sad, too). I’m just really confused – why all the hatred for “The X Factor” and the contestants (for those that are American, feel free to insert “American Idol” here)?

I know we’ve all reached maximum saturation with manufactured music; however, I would gladly take Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Leona Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Will Young, and this Joe McElderry guy any day, over some of the artists that currently grace our airwaves. Not to point any fingers but does anyone remember that song by that guy talking about that girl’s backside…oh wait, that seems to be 84% of popular music today. Sometimes this is what happens when we allow people to write their own music: we rhyme “you” with “you” and every song is about a body part.

Why can’t there be room for everyone? I will gladly take my world where Rage Against The Machine, Florence & The Machine, Kings of Leon, Muse and The Wu-Tang Clan happily reside next to Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jennifer Hudson who are just to the right of Madonna, Metallica, Michael Buble and Missy Elliott. Please come join my world. It’s nice here and the weather is warm.

Until next time, remember: It’s your life. Live it on tour! <3, MK

Did you ever wonder why Axl Rose always sang into a giant Q-Tip? And, did you ever wonder when Q-Tip went out on a date, if he brought his lady Axl Roses? To this point, in no particular order, and only in my opinion, below are the very best collaborations and mash-ups of artists & songs. First, a quick lesson on the distinction between the two and a disclaimer!

A “collaboration” is considered 2 artists working together on a song (although, there are posthumous cases and varied # of artists that defy this description). There are 3 Grammy award categories existing specifically for collaboration in music:

Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (1988)

Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (1995)

Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (2002)

A “mash-up” is a song or composition created by blending two or more songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another. This is typically remixed by a DJ not having anything to do with the artists themselves.

• Madonna featuring Missy Elliott – Into The Hollywood Groove (The Passengerz Mix): This was originally released nationally as part of a Gap campaign so, if it sounds familiar to you, that’s why. It was never released to mainstream radio but was included on Madonna’s “Remixed & Revisted” cd, which is brilliant. You should download this song immediately.

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  ]

• GLEE – Halo/Walking on Sunshine: With Season 1, Vol. 1 of GLEE now over (at least in the U.S.), I thought let’s go ahead and give them more free pub! GLEE had at least 4 mash-ups in their freshman first semester (including an episode entitled Mash-up) and I thought this to be the best of them all. It’s high-energy, high-pitched girliness blending two of the greatest Pop songs ever. The Boys’ mash-up, if you recall, was Usher’s Confessions Part 2 with Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life. Mercedes & Rachel versus Finn & Artie?! Ladies first but you decide!

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• Jay-Z & Mr. Hudson – Young Forever: Let’s talk epic, shall we? Despite my being so young, Alphaville’s Forever Young was my personal high school exit song so it carries a special place in my heart, although I didn’t graduate in the 1980′s. When a friend brought the Hova mash-up to my attention after “The Blueprint 3” was released, I insisted for at least 60 seconds that it was the original by Alphaville. Well played, sir!

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  (Amended)]

• P!nk featuring The Indigo Girls – Dear Mr. President: Maybe, like me,  you’ve blocked a cetain political era out of your brain in the hopes of moving forward to something better, regardless of whether it’s Republican, Democratic, Libertarian or Independent. I thought this song was a defining moment in P!nk’s career – her vocals were on point and heartfelt, and the material is a direct call to President Bush to take some responsibility. With co-writing credits for P!nk, as well as backing vocals by The Indigo Girls, who are arguably still one of the best harmonizing duos in the game, this song definitely deserves a spot on my list.

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• Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson – Fancy: If you’re a Reba fan, you love this song. If you’re a Kelly fan, you love this song. I LOVE THIS SONG! It’s not really a collaboration because the song wasn’t original when Kelly came on board but with her bluesy rock swagger and Reba’s tangy country combining perfectly to focus on the ferocity of a need for a better life, I believe this version could be better than the original. It doesn’t hurt that I got to see them perform it live…Dear Kelly Clarkson, can we hang out? I totally voted for you on American Idol. A lot. And I watched From Justin to Kelly: With Love. Twice. The following video is courtesy of Country Music Television and their television show, “Crossroads.”

• Timbaland, Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake: It seems as if anything these three touch, it turns directly to Platinum. So, I’m not going to tell you about all the collaborations, just Give It to Me. The swagger and bravado of Justin, the booming low vocals and chirps of Timbaland, and the heat of Nelly Furtado. Guaranteed party starter.

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  ]

• Limp Bizkit featuring Method Mad – N 2 Gether Now: Do not hold this against me. I saw System of a Down, Limp Bizkit, Method Man, and Redman in concert and I have never seen a crowd react to a song like this. I was surprised no one left in an ambulance after all the slam dancing. As a Wu-Tang Clan fan, I was a little disappointed about the pairing originally but when I heard the song, I got over it.

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• Beyonce featuring Lady Gaga – Video Phone: Beyonce Knowles might be the most successful female artist of her time when all is said and done. Now, Beyonce has partnered with the woman that might be the most avant garde musician of her time when all is said and done. The song isn’t nearly as interesting as the video pairing and the behind the scenes but I love it anyway. The following video is courtesy of Vevo and Beyonce Knowles.

Cuts that just missed my faves: Paula Abdul & MC Skat Kat – Opposites Attract, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers – Islands In The Stream, 50 Cent & The Game – Hate It or Love It, Kanye West & Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger, Linkin Park & Jay-Z – Numb/Encore, Missy Elliot & Nelly Furtado – Get Ur Freak On (Remix), John Legend & Andre 3000 – Green Light, and T-Pain & Taylor Swift – Thug Story, this particular video is courtesy of Country Music Television and the CMT Awards Show 2009.

I left so many out so please feel free to tell the readers what YOUR favorite collaborations and mash-ups are in the comments of this post. Maybe we can all find a new favorite!

Until next time, remember – it’s your life. Live it on tour! <3, MK