Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear

As I wrote in a previous blog post, I am a huge fan of Sia. The Australian singer's big break came by providing HBO with the epic closing number,"Breathe Me," for their hit show Six Feet Under. In recent years, producers and DJs have tapped the power of Sia's raw, incredible vocals to create smash hits including David Guetta's She Wolf and Titanium and Flo Rida's Wild Ones. This is in addition to Sia's writing credits for megastars Beyonce, Shakira, and Kyla Minogue among others...

As a musical lightning rod, I am pleased to say that Sia's new album, 1000 Forms of Fear, is a stellar pop album that differentiates itself from the pack with something few pop stars have: Sia. The "1000 Forms of Fear" in the title refer to the troubles Sia has experienced in recent years: alcohol and pill addiction, suicidal thoughts, diagnoses with Graves' disease, crippling depression...this album has Sia coming face-to-face with these challenges (with the listener a VIP seat in her therapy sessions). Sia's voice is a weapon as she combats issues of self-harm, empty love, and searching for hidden strength deep inside herself. Her voice will send chills down your spine as it dips to the lowest point of human darkness and soars to the loftiest heights. Read on to discover more about this fabulous CD.

Chris Isaak Puts On A Show

It's July 22 as I write this and I see some of you probably caught Chris Isaak at the Desert Diamond Casino on the 18th, because there are now waiting lists on all of his albums here at the Pima County Public Library. I was also at the show and wanted to share my review. This was my third time seeing Chris Isaak and his band, the first time being in 1991 at the county fairgrounds on a chilly night and the second time in 2011 at AVA on a very hot July night.

Tucson Live Music- What Summer Lull?...And into the Fall

The live music scene in Tucson typically slows down considerably in the Summer months.  This year, we seem to have ridden the wave of a fantastic Spring of live shows into an active Summer.  There have been plenty enough shows throughout town to get me out and about and musically enjoying my whole summer.  A few shows by Chicha Dust, a wonderful local cumbia band, have been among my favorite.

Heading into the Fall, here is a list of shows that have me excited.  In some cases, I even have tickets already!

Man on the Run: Paul McCartney and his Tucson connections

I'm doing this post on one of our living legends of rock and pop music, Sir Paul McCartney. This is a musician who's musical career spans from the 1950s to today as he continues to put out albums and tours the country.

Paul McCartney is one of two living Beatles, and he continues to add and grow to his legacy every year. Aside from releasing a brand new album this year, "New," Paul has only contributed the song Helter Skelter to the Hurricane Sandy relief album "12-12-12," seen a fully released concert DVD from his band Wings put out titled "Rockshow" and had a biography published about himself and wife Linda, "Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s."