A seasoned singer and budding songwriter, Emanuela Bellezza is a steadily developing artist whose full culmination will yield an artist with lyrical prowess to match her intense vocal delivery. So far, her newest EP Rain and Sunshine of Heart delivers Emanuela’s powerful bittersweet voice nestled in some rich soulful tunes.

I love Emanuela because she has a lot of talent and shows so much promise. She wrote all the songs on her EP (except for Arethra Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way”) and her first language isn’t even English! What she is unable to convey with words, she is able to communicate with her spirited vocals. And boy, does she ever. I think that is where her greatest strength lies. Her dynamic range, and at times raspy vocals accentuate simple lyrics and remind us that when it comes to things like heartbreak, sometimes words just don’t cut it.

On Rain and Sunshine of Heart, Emanuela also sings beautifully in Italian. “Stai Con Me” has a vulnerability and sweetness to it that is absent on the rest of the album. Just when you think that all this girl can do is sing at the top her lungs, she reveals a warmer and softer tone. The song’s feel is completely different from its English counterpart and the rest of the EP.  I think it’s one of the EP’s highlights, even if you can’t speak Italian.

Emanuela also covers Arethra’s “Ain’t No Way” and the result is a good mix of Emanuela’s emotional range. Some of the song even gives me chills. Emanuela is incredibly dynamic and when she taps into this talent, she has the ability to convey emotions as they truly are–complex and changing.

I can’t wait to see what she does next. This is definitely an artist with a lot of talent on the verge of a breakthrough. Check out her music at www. EmanuelaBellezza.com

-Sheena Felix

Well it is that time of year once again. If you are anywhere near a radio, are spending time in shopping centers OR have a overly-spirited friend or family member all pumping out “traditional” holiday music, you might have had your fill of the usuals holiday fare.

I and the guys over at Social Blend are right there with you. Soooo, to break up the monotony, we decided to put together a show filled with some fairly obscure Christmas music. We’ve got some Rob Halford, Dave Matthews, Robert Earl Keen, some guy named Elvis and some other guy that probably shouldn’t be singing.

Stop by and listen to Social Blend’s Cranuim II now.

Oh, and if you are still in the mood for more Holiday music, check out the podcast I put together last year.

Listen to the ‘The Christmas Show I Swore I’d Never Do” now.

And before I go, I just want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Thanks again Joe and Greg from Social Blend.

Today, I wanted to share a post with you from a blog I’ve been checking in on lately. The blog is Slowcoustic and they recently did a post which points to another post from a blog called ClickTicket. These posts list what they feel are the Top Twenty Music Review Blogs.

I figured some of you might be looking for a little more in music review department, because, as I’ve admitted in my latest podcast, I am not the most frequent blogger on the planet. (note: the fact that 500+ of you stick around points to the fact that I am possibly the luckiest music blogger on that same planet). Read the rest of this entry

Guest post: “Lets give a warm welcome to Sheena Felix. Sheena is librarian that is infatuated with rowdy music. She enjoys sticking it to the man, refuses to listen to commercial radio and loves all things Indie. Sheena is always on the lookout for music that is unusual and a bit weird.”

Allow me introduce you to an album that has been in my regular rotation the last few months by the name of Being Awesome. Being Awesome is the first full-length release from Amy Heffernan.

What I love about Amy Heffernan is that she makes pop music that I can admit to liking without feeling ashamed or embarrassed. The whole album is addicting guitar-driven pop and great for singing along to without making you feel as if it was made for a teenager. Read the rest of this entry

Make sure you are gonna be able to turn it up because I’ve compiled some of the hardest rocking, energy filled tunes ever to grace Musicgoat feed. Strap on your seat belt and prepared to be launched into another energy level.

Press play now

[audio:http://musicgoat.com/podcast/mmp038_rock-the-phuk.mp3]
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Here is something for your listening enjoyment. Earlier this week I had the honor of being a guest on the Social Blend podcast. The topic was “Underrated and Obscure Music”.

I am sure you are going to dig it because it really doesn’t get much more “Musicgoat” than the wide spectrum of music we played and discussed. What each of us – Joe, Gregg and I – did was picked a few selection  and then tell a story about each (which generated some good, meaty discussion as well).

Go listen to the Social Blend podcast now.

I have been on the show in the past and was honored to be asked again. It is always a good time hangin out. Thanks Joe and Greg!

Rythms Del Mundo - Classics

What do you get when you throw classic rock, salsa music and artists like Jack Johnson, The Killers, John Mayer, Amy Winehouse, The Stones and Fall Out Boy – to name a few – into a giant blender? You get Rhythm Del Mundo’s “Classics” of course.

The compilation is a charity release with all of the proceeds going to a charity by the name of Artists Project Earth (APE). Overall it is pretty interesting listen. Here are my thoughts as I go track to track – skipping a few here and there. Read the rest of this entry

When most artists and musicians dream about becoming stars they think of private planes, big houses, lots of bling (wow, did I just say bling?), hordes of willing groupies and pretty much anything else described in that Nickelback tune. But, after giving it some serious thought, I think that that kind of thinking is a little shortsighted and may be completely off base. I think that there is something that would be a lot better.

One of my favorite all time music related stories was about when Willie Nelson had to auction off all of his property to pay off his tax debt. The day of the auction, a large group of his fans showed up, purchased various pieces of property and then gave each piece right back back to Willie. Now that is a fan base!

How did he do it? I have a feeling that it had to do with most, or all, of the following; He stay true to himself, worked his ass off, stayed connected to the fans and worried most about how we could help others. I think if we can do that, the rest of the stuff – if it even matters at that point – will take care of itself.

What do you think?

The other day an old friend of mine – thanks Metul – sent me something on Facebook that was kind of cool and I figured you might like it too. It was one of those chain letter type things prompting you to do something. I usually HATE crap like that but this one was actually kinda fun.

What you do is hit shuffle on your iPod – or any mp3 player – and then list the first 25 tunes that come up. Then you show your list to everyone who cares so that they can see how eclectic – or should I say “Musicgoatish” – you are.

Anyway, What I figured I’d do here is show you my list and then offer you the chance to do offer yours up in the comments below. It is a pretty cool way to get to know peoples taste and maybe learn about some new artists. Plus I figured it would be even more interesting considering the crowd here, seeing as how you and I are all over the place music wise.

I’ll Show You Mine…

1. Chris Knight “Speeding Train”
2. Chris Knight “Move On”
3. Deflagration “Split Wide”
4. Metallica “Cyanide”
5. Darrin James Band “Thrones of Gold” Read the rest of this entry

In this episode, not only will you hear great acoustic music and get a great tip on how you can legally rob a bank BUT you will also find out what it is that I am doing with a Horny Goat.

You better listen now before your imagination gets the best of you…

Press play now

[audio:http://musicgoat.com/podcast/mmp037_acoustic_americana.mp3]
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