Battle of the Bands Results - Dont You (Forget About Me)

For this Battle of the Bands, our two contestants were performing the song, 'Don't You (Forget About Me)', from the 'Simple Minds'. Who performed the song the best? Here's what you thought.

In round one, the votes were pretty much split. But with five voters, Smash Mouth came out on top.

The second round was pretty much the same. This time, with an even number of voters, each contestant received three votes. Smash Mouth was still leading, but by a very narrow margin. Oddly enough, our third round was exactly the same. Three votes each, including my vote for Bouncing Souls. The current total was Smash Mouth 9, Bouncing Souls 8. Votes were bouncing all over the place. But could either contender smash through the competition? The answer is yes.

Our Fourth and final round saw one more vote for Bouncing Souls, but the final four votes went to Smash Mouth. This gave Smash Mouth the win, even if it were close and the battle continued right up to the very end.
Final Score - Smash Mouth 13, Bouncing Souls 9



Top Comments
Shady Del Knight –I, Shady Del Knight, proudly cast a write-in vote for the lovely Diana Krall. :)
Turning to today's BOTB, I am hoping to match your vote for a record setting second time by going with act #1 - Bouncing Souls. Their rendition sounds very close to the Simple Minds original and has that authentic New Wave 80s feel. I found the vocals on the Smash Mouth version a little irritating for some reason and didn't like the arrangement as much. Therefore, my vote does to Diana Kra... uh... to Bouncing Souls. Thanks, Jeffrey!

farawayeyes - I'm gonna go with Smashmouth, they have a very distinctive sound, and I generally like it. The Bouncing Souls sounded a little too 'garage band' to me.

Arlee Bird -I do remember the song well and I actually prefer these two covers to the original.
Of the covers, Smashmouth is a bit harsher than I'd like to hear--well, I guess they're called Smashmouth for a reason. I much prefer the smoother sound of the Bouncing Souls.

Guilie Castillo - Awesome song, Jeffrey, and awesome battle! Love this song. Bouncing Souls sounded too much like the original — not necessarily a bad thing, since I love that original — but, given the choice, I'd rather listen to Simple Minds. Smashmouth, on the other hand, gave it a spin, and the pseudo-metal feel worked for me. Vote for Smashmouth :)

Michele Truhlik - I LOVE this song! And you're so right: Simple Minds would've run away with the battle. Their version rocks! I'm voting for Bouncing Souls since they sounded closest to Simple Minds. But Smash Mouth's version was good too. Still it's Bouncing Souls for me. Great battle. Thanks for sprinkling this song into my day!

Stephanie Faris - Smashmouth is SO cool! Anything they do sounds perfect to me. One vote for Smashmouth!

Birgit - I like Bouncing Souls because they added the horns and made it slightly different. Smash mouth is good but it's just...them-nothing unique. so Bouncing Souls gets my vote

Chrys Fey -It's cool how Bouncing Souls sounds so much like the original. But I love how the Smash Mouth version is upbeat. It's fun. So my vote goes to Smash Mouth.

dolorah - I liked Bouncing Souls version. The deeper voice, the horns. That darker vibe appeals to me.

Madilyn Quinn - As for my vote in this battle: Smash Mouth. The horn in Bouncing Soul's version I really liked. Smash Mouth has their usual sound that I enjoy. Tough choice, but I think the fact that Smash Mouth really took their spin on it pushed it up ahead. Really great battle this time!



Winners Circle
Congratulations to Smash Mouth. You are the All Stars for this week.
Here's a video featuring them singing All-Star.



Thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Come back again for a new battle October 1st.
Who will you vote for?
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Stay tuned.

Don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
FAR AWAY SERIES
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Battle of the Bands - Don't You (Forget About Me)

One of my favourite movies from the 80's is the Breakfast Club. It's a film featuring a group of students from different social standings forced to serve detention together on a Saturday. There are several reasons why I like this film; it's an interesting social 'experiment', one of the characters reminds me of myself, (can you guess who), it features Ally Sheedy, and most importantly, it has awesome music. As an 80's fanatic, it's not surprising I love the music.

For today's Battle of the Bands, I'm featuring the signature song from the film. 'Don't You (Forget About Me)', by the Simple Minds. Instead of comparing Simple Minds (who I feel no one could compete with), to another band, I found two other artists who have covered the same song. These two versions can be found below. I hope you like at least one of the versions.

Additonal Questions:
Are there any 80s films you love?
Which character do you identify with from this film?
Can you guess which character I was in High School?

Bouncing Souls


Smash Mouth


So those are the two contenders. Ignoring the actual videos, who do you think performs the song best? I collected the two bands to battle it out, now it's your job. Time to vote on your favourite. Please vote for your preferred song choice and let me know in the comments. Also, please let me know why you feel the way you do. Voting ends on the 30th when I'll cast my own vote and announce the winner in a separate posting.

Did you enjoy the Battle of the Bands feature? Come back on the 1st October when I'll have a new battle. Also, be sure to check out my friends below who have banded together to offer up their own musical battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Rotten Fruit

R.a.n.t. of week 09/14/15

Of all my goals, losing weight is high on my priority list. In fact, it's near the top of my least. Just below learning the Karen language and publishing a book. But anything worth doing, is never easy. When it comes to weight loss, there are several things that hinder my progress. Finding time to work out is one. After a long day at work, going to the gym is not exactly something I long to do. Not that I don't like going to the gym. I actually do like to go and run a 5K on the treadmill. I don't mind it. It's a great time for me to work on another of my past times, and that's writing. Huh? Yes, when I run, I'm thinking. And what do I think about? The current series I'm writing and how I can resolve some problems. But that's not the point of my rant.

Since managing my weight is a realistic goal, I need to have a strategy. My strategy is essentially what anyone trying to lose weight will tell you. It's a simple process of calories in vs. calories out. That is, eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. If you do that, no matter what you eat, you'll lose weight. And I'm not afraid of healthy foods. I'm fine with salads, fruits, low cal or fat free snacks, it's not a big deal for me. The problem I have is when I'm selecting healthier foods to consume. Why is it healthy food seems to cost so much more than junk food? And yet, that isn't even my biggest problem. Why is it when I am into the healthy eating, the food is always poor quality. I'm tired of buying fruits only to find they are rotten inside. So disgusting, so disheartening. I think I'll grab a Twinkie for comfort. Oh wait, that's probably my biggest problem.



Do you like to rant?
A few people have wondered where my R.a.n.t. series has gone. It really hasn't gone anywhere. It's still here. But having joined a few blog hops and working on my own short story series, my time for writing has been cut drastically. So I had a thought.

Is there anyone willing to join a blog hop if I organize it? Perhaps we can write on the second Monday of the month. Then I only need to write one r.a.n.t. a month and I can enjoy reading what other people are r.a.n.t.ing about as well. What you rant about is up to you, but it should be something that's been bugging you lately. Your writing? The supermarket? Annoying people? The sky is the limit. I've even created a banner. Thoughts on the banner? So, anyone interested?

Battle of the Bands Results - Wallflower

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Scott

 

In case anyone missed the memo, one of my favourite singers of all time is Diana Krall. So I have been anxious to feature her. However, I also thought it would be devastating if I were to feature her in a battle, only to find out no one else liked her, or preferred someone else. This is the one rare occasion where I was probably more vocal from the get-go, who I was going to vote for. I hoped that would help sway other votes. I little devious? Perhaps. But then again, the battle had it's own problems. Problems? What problems? Did my sweetheart lose? Is that the problem I'm talking about? Let's find out.

In the first round, six votes were cast. However, one of the voters could not see the competition. Reluctantly they went online and found another version of the song I featured from Doug Sahm and listened to that to cast their vote. All in all, six votes for cast for Diana this round. And yet, we have a little asterisk next to one of the votes.

The second round was asterisk free, but was also not a clean and clear vote for Diana all around. One vote cast, the final one, was finally for Doug Sahm But the rest went to Diana Krall. She was now leading 10* - 1. Was it even possible for Doug Sahm to catch up at this time? The third round would likely help answer this question.

Another six votes were cast in the third round. Another six votes for Diana Krall. My babe my be winning, but this battle has not been very exciting. 16*- 1 in favour of my favourite pianist an musician.

Some may have accused me of stacking the deck for this battle, but it was not the case. Id always thought people who liked jazz, didn't care for country. And those who liked country were not big fans of jazz. So say what you will about me, I was genuine when I paired Doug Sahm with Diana Krall. I'm not a country enthusiast, so I figured this country song was as good as another. But it seemed not to be the case. Even other country fans went against their genre. Our fourth and final battle had four more voters. But again, another asterisk was placed for Diana Krall, two more full votes for Diana, and one more vote for Doug. The current tally? 19** - 2. Still having my vote, should I even bother placing it? It wouldn't really make a difference, would it? But it IS DIANA KRALL. I could NOT not vote for her. So I'm casting my vote for Diana Krall as well. (Yes Shady, we finally vote the same).
Final Total - Diana Krall 20** (18 or 19 without the asterisks) - 2. Either way, our winner is Diana Krall



Top Comments

*Debbie D. - Not sure I'm eligible to vote on this one Jeffrey. The first video isn't available in Canada and all I could find is a live version.

Holli - I love country music and Doug's version has a touch of twang to it to keep me interested. Then I listened to Diana's version. She has such a gorgeous soothing voice. It was so pretty!! My vote goes to her.

CowgirlKate - Well once again you make this ever so difficult, Jeffrey. The version by Doug Sahm appeals to my very deep rooted love of bluegrass and old country. I could listen to it all day.
Then there is the lovely miss Diana Krall (yes... We know you're completely smitten with her).... Silky smooth voice. Beautiful tonal quality. And very real emotion in her voice that any wallflower would recognize. I was ready to cast my vote after the first version. But you'll be pleased that your leading lady , Miss Krall, has stolen my vote from Mr Sahm

Janie Junebug - I'm a wallflower. Doug Sahm is too twangy for me. I vote for Diana Krall. Her voice is sweet, but a little smoky. I ran into Diana the other day while I was grocery shopping. She told me she has a crush on you and to please wait for her. She's falling in love with you.

Robin – I really like country music but Doug Sahm was actually too twangy for me (those are words I never thought would leave my mouth). I think it might be that he's so twangy I couldn't understand a thing he was saying aside from Wallflower. I call that mouthful of marbles singing. And then there was Diana. Her version was sweet and delicious and delivered in just the way every wallflower wants to hear it. So a vote for Diana please.

Alex J. Cavanaugh – If I was with friends, I was outgoing. By myself, I was in that corner as well.
Afraid I don't like country music so Diana's version wins for me.

Dixie@dcrelief – Shucks, Jeffrey, why make it so tough on a country girl? I'd rather hang out with Doug and buddies. Sounds like some true drinking music... and is that an accordion I hear? Nothing beats a squeezebox. You know I'm part Polka, right? I'm voting for Doug! Silly, shy guy!

Cherdo - Polarizing versions, I'll wager! This will separate the men from the boys from the girls from the women from the cat lovers and dog petters and ....
I vote for KRALL, brother.

Yolanda Renee - Diana Krall, so much easier to listen too. The other one had too much twang! As one wallflower speaking to another, it never does leave, does it, that awkwardness in conversation. Guess that's why I write!

Stephen T. McCarthy - I don't like a lot of Country music, but that which I do, I generally love.
Nope! Doug was too twangy for me, too.
'Nother vote for Diana Krall.

Mary Burris –I knew you would try to get your girlfriend in the battles somehow! And i'm going to stack the ballots and do my part to help her win!

Sergio E. Benìtez –ESTIMADO, TANTO TIEMPO! DIANA KRALL ESTA EN MI PIEL! UN GRAN ABRAZO!

Cathy Kennedy – Jeffrey, Doug is too twangy to suit me, but even if he wasn't it would be hard to out do Diana Krall. I love her vocals! Give my vote to Diana Krall, please. Have a tunetastic evening and thanks for stopping by!

A GAL NEEDS – I'm going to go with Doug Sahm because I love the bluegrass feel to it. Bluegrass is a piece of Americana and lends itself to that simpler time, before things got crazy!



Winners Circle
Congratulations to Diana Krall for winning this battle.
To all you who voted for her, enjoy my favourite video of hers.
Does anyone know where I can find this wallpaper?



Thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Come back again for a new battle 15 September.
Who will you vote for?
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Stay tuned.

Don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
FAR AWAY SERIES
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

And now for something entirely different. That's right, this is going to be a new feature on my blog. I've decided to join a support group for writers. It seems I'm not the only one who feels insecure about writing. I guess most if not all writers do? But am I a writer? Do I get to call myself that without having anything published? I suppose this can be the topic of my very first article.

I read in a book (about writing) years ago, that if you write, you are a writer. I see the point, but I often wonder, do others perceive me to be a writer? Yes, that's always been one of my biggest fears. True, some friends recognize I love to write. But am I an author? If I have nothing officially published, can I call myself an author? Or is that title reserved for the lucky ones who have actually been published? Lucky? Or is it hard work and determination? Am I lacking the training I need? Do I not have the correct connections? Is my writing not good enough? All valid questions and ones I shall be addressing in the near future. For today, my fear is solely on the following question.
Am I an author? I do have an eight episode YA short story series. Unpublished, of course. Though I have been posting the polished bits to my blog here. But does that make me an author?
Am I really a writer?
What do you think?

Thank you for joining me, as I explore the rest of my insecurities and a few of the questions listed above in the following months.

My IWSG postings will be done the first Wednesday of every month. My fellow writers will be doing like-wise. Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? You can find out more information via the website found HERE.
The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

Battle of the Bands - Wallflower

As a youth, I was the shy and quiet type. If I were to attend a party, I'd be the wallflower, the one sitting by myself while others were off having a good time. If I had any companion next to me it was most likely another wallflower. We'd have nothing in common except our shyness and little to no conversations.
"Having a good time?"
"No, not really."
"Me either."
(An awkward minute would transpire).
"Well.... See you later."
"Bye, nice talking to you."

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm still that person. Which is what makes the following song battle strike a bit too close to home. And yet, I've been on both sides of the coin. I've been both the wallflower, and the person enamoured with the wallflower. So both versions of this weeks battle song have meaning for me.

The first contender is Doug Sahm. As he sings, I imagine myself singing the very same thing to the wallflower I'm fond of. Will she notice me? Probably not. Anyway, what do you think of the song?



Our second contender, Diana Krall, is one of my personal favourite singers of all time. As she sings, I imagine her coming to my rescue as I hold up the back wall at the dance. She's falling in love with me as she sees me sitting off alone. Geez, I think I need to get out more.



So those are the two contenders. Ignoring the actual videos, who do you think performs the song best? I collected the two bands to battle it out, now it's your job. Time to vote on your favourite. Please vote for your preferred song choice and let me know in the comments. Also, please let me know why you feel the way you do. Voting ends on the 8th when I'll cast my own vote and announce the winner in a separate posting.

Did you enjoy the Battle of the Bands feature? Come back on the 15th of September when I'll have a new battle. Also, be sure to check out my friends below who have banded together to offer up their own musical battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.