NEW VIDEO: Somebody That I Used To Know (Acoustic Cover)

Believe it or not, there are a handful of us who are not a fan of Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know.  I can appreciate artists expressing themselves in their work, but Gotye is just a little too out there for me.  His voice is INCREDIBLE.  But I found the music in Somebody That I Used To Know so strange and incredibly annoying, and as a result, I've never really given the song a chance.  Much to my dismay, it is ridiculously overplayed on the radio, so I had still heard snippets of it from time to time....I was familiar with the chorus, and with Kimbra's line, "Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over...." and I think the two of them sound fantastic together, but I just couldn't get past the music.  Most of the time, as soon as the song started on the radio, I would respond with a resounding, "Eww!! No!!" and quickly change the station (or turn off the radio altogether and turn to my trusty iPod.)

When I first heard that Boyce Avenue was covering the song, my first thought was, "Ughhh.....WHY?!"  Then I remembered, this is Alejandro we're talking about.  He can sing anything and make me love it.  I should know by now not to question the why's behind his choice of covers.  It doesn't matter how much I dislike a song.  If Boyce Avenue covers it, I stop and listen.  So that's what I did.  And this cover hit me like a freaking freight train.

Like I said, I had never listened to this song all the way through, so I wasn't familiar with the lyrics. But listening to Alejandro sing it, I realized that this song sums up perfectly how I feel about my ex-husband and our failed marriage.  And the way he sings it resonates so powerfully with me, it completely changed my opinion of the song.

I was married for eight years.  I am not exaggerating when I say that six of those years were unhappy.  When I first met Matthew, I thought I had found my soul mate, and he told me that I was everything he had ever dreamed of.  We decided to marry after a very brief courtship.  The first year or so was happy, and then, slowly, things changed.  The last two years of the marriage were incredibly lonely and unhappy for me (and most likely for him as well) but I kept trying and kept fighting to make it a happy marriage while he became more and more disloyal and detached. I always felt like it was my fault that we were unhappy.  When we decided to go our separate ways, he said that we would always be friends, but we haven't spoken since I left.

Our divorce left me shattered.  I moved back to Seattle to pick up the pieces and start over.  Almost immediately, he was involved with someone new.  Within months of our divorce, she had moved in with him.  A year later, they were married.  He moved on as if the nine years we were together had meant nothing to him. I fell into a deep depression, feeling like I had failed at the most important relationship of my life.

Over the past two years, I have come to realize that the failure of our marriage was not just my fault, and that it did not make me a failure.  He gave up on us long before I did, and I fought like hell to save it, but it just wan't meant to be.  I hold no ill feelings toward him.  I hope he and his wife have a long, happy life together.  My time with him has helped shape me into the woman I am today.  I am grateful for the love we shared, and saddened by the memory of those moments when we brought out the absolute worst in each other. And now he's just somebody that I used to know.

So, that's why this song hit me so hard when I finally stopped and listened to it.  And I absolutely LOVE the way Boyce Avenue does this song. It starts out quiet for the first verse and the first chorus, and you can really hear the sadness in the lyrics:

"I told myself that you were right for me,
But felt so lonely in your company.
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember."

(Sidenote: I really wish Alejandro had left the second verse in their version of the song, because I think lyrically it's the best of the three verses.  I'd love to know why he chose to leave it out.)

Then the third verse kicks in.  This is Kimbra's verse in Gotye's version, and in my opinion, this is where the lyrics transition from sadness and resignation to anger and resolve.

"But I don't wanna live that way,
Reading into every word you say,
You said that you could let it go,
But I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know...."

(Another sidenote: I love that Alejandro puts his own spin on this verse, adding a little "Ohhhh...." at the 1:23 mark, and the way he sings, "Somebody that I used to know" at the 2:19 mark....those little runs that are characteristic of his style and should sound familiar to the most hardcore fans.)

This is where the magic happens for me in this cover. Alejandro takes his vocals up a notch and puts a little more power into the chorus, which fits the transition of the lyrics, and subsequently the mood of the song, really well.  At the 2:31 mark, he belts out, "Somebody....Oh, somebody that I used to know...." with such emotion that I have to resist the urge to exclaim, "Woooh!!!  Sing it, Alejandro!!"  He does it again at the 3:31 mark, and it sounds just as sexy the second time he does it as it did the first time.





Personally, I think this cover is brilliant, and I can't stop listening to it.  If you love it too, you can download it, along with some other amazing covers, on the New Acoustic Sessions, Volume 3 album, now available on iTunes. (Click here to check it out.)

Since I am now a fan of the song, I went and checked out Gotye's video featuring Kimbra, and it's actually a really cool video. Watching them sing it, you can really get a feel for the gamut of emotions in the song. (Watch it here.)   But the music still drives me crazy, so I'll be sticking to Boyce Avenue's version. :)

NEW VIDEO: "Glad You Came" Acoustic Cover

This week's video from Boyce Avenue is a cover "Glad You Came" by The Wanted. I've heard this song on the radio a few times, and never really paid much attention to it, but whenever Boyce Avenue covers a song, I make a point to listen to it....they tend to cover songs that have great lyrics.  Turns out this one is really fun to sing along to.  I'm not sure which part of this song is a verse and which is the chorus....but there's one part where the last word in each line is the first word in the next.  Alejandro changes it up a little bit, but I still think it's cool.

Turn the lights out now
Now I'll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink
Drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time,
Time is slipping away,
Away from us so stay,
Stay with me I can make,
Make you glad you came

What a fun video this is!! This one features all three of the guys, and it also has a different feel to it with the split screens and the white and gray framing synchronized to the beat of the cajon. The upbeat tempo makes it virtually impossible not to tap your foot and bob your head along, at the very least. Like their covers of "Only Girl" and "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" this cover makes me want to get up and dance around my living room like a nutter. :)





The guitars in this cover are ah-may-zing!! I love the effect the e-bow has on the sound of Fabian's electric guitar. The way it fades in at the beginning of the song is really cool. The electric and acoustic compliment each other beautifully. It's really a genius arrangement all the way around.

I know Daniel is happily married, but holy hells, he's sexy playin' the cajon. Alejandro is doing that thing he does where he alternates between plucking the strings and strumming. The acoustic when he's plucking the strings is so pretty (you can really hear it on headphones.)

All three of the guys really seem to be enjoying themselves in this one. Fabian's bobbing his head pretty much throughout the entire song, Daniel's smile at the :58 mark is adorable, Alejandro gives a subtle little grin several times, and if you watch closely, you can even catch him slapping the strings at the 2:05 mark. It's fun to watch them get into the song like this.

So, yeah....I think it's safe to say, I love this cover, and it will get lots of plays on my ipod.  :)

"Glad You Came" and two other new covers (Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" and Fun's "We Are Young") are available on Boyce Avenue's New Acoustic Sessions, Volume 3 on iTunes.  Click here to buy them.

NEW VIDEO: David Gray's "Babylon" (Acoustic Cover)

When Boyce Avenue released this video, a friend of mine posted it on her Facebook Wall with the caption, "'If you want it, come and get it, for cryin' out loud'....is that an invitation??"  Haha, I know exactly how she feels.

I really love this cover.  Like, a lot.  I've always loved this song.  The story of the different phases one goes through after making a mistake in a relationship is depicted so well in the lyrics. Alejandro singing it just makes me love it even more.  It suits his voice SO well.

I really like the mood of this video.  The low light, the fact that it's just him sitting alone, adds to the loneliness of the song.  The acoustic is beautiful. He's really feelin' this one, and the moment when he really belts out the lyrics at the 2:46 mark is just..... *sigh* ....it's perfection.




I really just don't know what else to say about this cover.  I. LOVE.  IT.  It's just so mellow and relaxing.  This is how I love Boyce Avenue the best....their acoustic stuff is my happiest of happy places, musically speaking.  It has been added to my "Boyce Avenue Lullabies" playlist.  It will get a lot of plays.  ♥

"Babylon" is available on Boyce Avenue's New Acoustic Sessions, Volume 3 on iTunes.  Click here to buy it.

SPOILER: March 2012 USA Tour - VIP Meet & Greet Goodies

Boyce Avenue kicked off their Spring 2012 US Tour Thursday night in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and fans across the country are already talking about it. Word is, the guys have kicked off the tour with near-capacity crowds in Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville. Next up is a sold-out show in Atlanta, Georgia.





Fans who purchase the VIP Meet & Greet for this tour get a few minutes with the guys before the show for hugs (or handshakes), autographs and photos, an autographed poster (designed by guitarist Fabian Manzano), a commemorative lanyard, and early entry into the venue for the chance at a coveted front-and-center spot.  I got the VIP Meet & Greet in Seattle and Vancouver for the Fall 2011 Tour, and it was worth every penny!!

VIP Meet & Greets sell for $30.00 per person and are limited to 50 people per city.  Most of the cities are already sold out, so click here to get yours before they're gone!

http://packages.artistarena.com/boyceavenue

PLEASE NOTE: VIP Meet and Greets are sold separately from tickets to the show. You must have a ticket to the show to be allowed into the venue for the Meet & Greet.

I got a sneak peek at the awesome goodies that fans get as part of the VIP Meet & Greet, and I gotta say, Fabian did an amazing job!! I can't wait to get mine!!


♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫     SPOILER WARNING!!!    ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

For those of you who don't care about the element of surprise, you can see the poster and lanyard by clicking on the "Read More..." link below.  If you don't wanna know, DO NOT click the link!! Just back away from your computer slowly.  :)

I Look To You: Boyce Avenue's Tribute To Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston's death on February 11th was mourned by fans around the world and by the countless artists who had worked with her in the music and film industries.

On twitter, Alejandro and Fabian tweeted their sorrow at the news. Alejandro said she had "one of my favorite voices, always" and Fabian called her "one of the greatest female singers of all time." I assumed they would pay tribute to her with a cover of one of her songs, but I could not imagine what song it would be.

My memories of Whitney Houston were of her earlier career, and I wasn't familiar with the song they chose....if I had heard it, I didn't remember it. But their choice couldn't have been more perfect. "I Look To You" is an incredible song of hope and faith. Written by R. Kelly, it is the title track from Whitney Houston's seventh and final studio album, released in August 2009.



Alejandro sings this song beautifully, hitting the falsettos perfectly, and even including some subtle vocal runs reminiscent of Whitney Houston's style. Listening to this song for the first time, I got very emotional....it made me think of my sister, who has always been a huge source of strength and support for me. It also made me reflect on my faith and the belief that God lifts us and strengthens us through life's storms.

Click here to buy Boyce Avenue's cover of "I Look To You" on iTunes.

VIDEO: "Set Fire To The Rain"

Boyce Avenue has covered Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain" and it is, in my opinion, their best Adele cover to date.





I really love this song, and I always love it when the guys play what my friend Vikki calls "the sexy guitar." The sound the electric guitar produces when it's used with a delay and reverb is so cool....it has a haunting, ethereal quality to it that really fits the mood of the song.

The Normandy guitar Fabian is playing in this video is my favorite out of all the guitars he plays. I've heard him call it a "manly guitar" ....with a metal body, it can't be a light piece of equipment. I just love everything about it....it suits him really well.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out Alejandro's incredible vocal skills. So many people define a powerful vocal by the volume or range of a singer, but for me, Alejandro proves time and time again that sometimes less is more. He does that so well in this cover, holding those long notes flawlessly, and putting all of his heart and soul into the lyrics.

Click here to buy Boyce Avenue's cover of "Set Fire To The Rain" on iTunes.

NEW VIDEO: Acoustic Cover - "Without You" by David Guetta & Usher

I'm just gonna put this out there....I have absolutely NO IDEA how people can listen to Boyce Avenue and not fall completely in love with them. It seriously boggles my mind.

I realize I'm a bit biased, what with my unrelenting obsession and all, but it seems I always love the covers they do so much more than the originals. This is especially true when they take an upbeat, techno, dance club song that has been painfully overplayed on the radio, and they turn into something completely different, and make it sound like a whole new song. They do it often, and they do it well.

Rihanna's Only Girl and We Found Love.

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, Firework, and The One That Got Away.

Bruno Mars' Grenade.

Their AMAZING Nothin' On You/My Love/Rocketeer mash-up.

The list goes on and on....

And now they've done it again, with David Guetta and Usher's Without You.

I really like the original version of this song a lot. It has an awesome beat, and it's virtually impossible for me to listen to it and successfully resist the urge to dance around like a nutter.

But the lyrics are vulnerable and sad, and in my opinion, they don't match the music at all. Even watching the video, I could never figure out why everyone was dancing around and happy when Usher was so full of angst.

Here's the video for the original version from David Guetta featuring Usher.



Boyce Avenue's version, on the other hand, is much more fitting for the lyrics.



I listen to so much Boyce Avenue that Alejandro's voice has become familiar to me. There are certain things about his voice when he sings that always stand out to me....the raspiness of it when he sings down in his lower register, the smooth silkiness of his falsettos, the steady control he displays when he holds the long notes, and the raw emotion when he gets really into it and just belts out the lyrics....it's all just very comfortable to me. I put on a pair of headphones, turn up he volume, close my eyes, and just curl up in it, the way you curl up in a warm blanket.

This video has all of that and more. I especially enjoyed watching Fabian in this one....you can tell he's really feelin' the music by the way he's bouncin' his head around. :) Daniel is always fun to watch on the Cajon, and I love how it's used to increase the energy of the song as it progresses. It makes it fun to listen to without distracting from the lyrics.

I love, love, LOVE the combination of acoustic and electric guitars in this cover. There's this subtle little lick in the chorus that I noticed and I just think it's so cool...the first time I heard it was at about 1:33, played by Fabian on the electric....but then, in the second chorus, you can hear it played on both the acoustic (2:30, 2:32, 2:34, 2:37, 2:39, and 2:41) and then on the electric (2:45, 2:49, 2:53, 2:55) and I just love the way it takes two instruments that sound so different and brings them together. It's a really awesome arrangement.

If you like Boyce Avenue's cover of "Without You" then show your support and Click here to buy it on iTunes.

Boyce Avenue on Belfast's Citybeat 96.7 FM

Boyce Avenue sat down with Emma Fitzpatrick from Belfast's Citybeat 96.7 FM on Thursday to talk about touring with One Direction, how they decide what songs to cover, and other fun stuff. Check out the interview below....

The guys also performed an acoustic version of their original song On My Way. I love the way they do this.....it reminds me of how they do it in their live shows. :)

NEW VIDEO: An Acoustic Cover of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles"

Boyce Avenue recently teamed up with fellow YouTuber Alex Goot for the second time to record an acoustic cover of Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles. The single is available on iTunes (Cover Collaborations, Volume 2) and the video was released today.



I really like this song a lot, so I was excited that Boyce Avenue decided to cover it. Their last collaboration with Alex, an amazing acoustic cover of Rihanna's Only Girl (In The World), is one of my favorite Boyce Avenue covers (easily in my Top Ten.) Alex is an incredibly talented pianist....add Alejandro on an acoustic and Daniel on the Cajon to the mix, and you just know it's gonna be awesome!!

What I love about this cover/video:

I love the sound that the piano and the acoustic create when they play the same notes in unison....I first heard it at about the 1:25 mark, and again at 2:49. you can hear it in other spots throughout the song, but those two spots are where it's most prominent...to my ear, anyhow. In Vanessa's version of the song, the notes are played on a violin, but the sound produced by the combination of the piano and the acoustic is just so different and unique...it's just cool as hell.

One of the things I love about Boyce Avenue is how much they love what they do, and that smile that Alejandro gives Alex at 2:26 is so fantastic....you can tell he's having fun. :)

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

NEW VIDEO: Adele's "Someone Like You" (Acoustic Cover)

A while back, a fan named Caoimhe asked Boyce Avenue's Alejandro Manzano (on his Facebook Wall) if he would ever cover Tom Petty's "Free Falling" and she posted this video of John Mayer's incredible cover of it:




Here's what Alejandro had to say:

"LOVE this! But probably not because John Mayer crushed it! There is no room for me in this cover, haha. I always ask myself that before a cover. 'Is there any room for Boyce in here?' If the answer is no then we don't. And sadly, the answer is no, there is no room for us here. :( He did SUCH an amazing job!"

When I first saw the new video for Boyce Avenue's versionof "Someone Like You" by Adele, I immediately thought of that conversation on Alejandro's Facebook Wall.

This is one of the things I admire and respect about Alejandro....he knows his limits, and he knows that nobody is going to sing this song like Adele does. When he decided to cover Someone Like You, he recognized that he would never be able to compete with the original version. So, he did what he does best....he re-worked it to fit his style and his vocal range. It's much softer than Adele's version, but it's just as heartbreaking. The pain and vulnerability of the song's lyrics are still there, and the acoustic guitar, combined with the violin, add a very intimate feel to it.




In watching the video, I saw exactly what Alejandro was talking about when he responded to Caoimhe's question. And while I might be just a tad biased, I think it's safe to say he found room for himself in this cover.....and in his interpretation of it, he pulled it off beautifully.

New Year. New Covers. New Video. New Acoustic Sessions. BOOM.

Boyce Avenue has kicked the New Year off with a bang!! They're currently touring in Europe with One Direction, and today they released their first video of the year: an absolutely incredible acoustic cover of Bruno Mars' It Will Rain.

The Bruno Mars cover, and an acoustic cover of Adele's Someone Like You, were released earlier this week on iTunes as the first two songs on the New Acoustic Sessions, Volume 3 album....Boyce Avenue's tenth album of acoustic covers.

I actually really like this song a lot. I love the lyrics and the emotion behind them. I knew that Alejandro would put his spin on it and make it amazing. But I was not prepared for how much I was gonna love it.

My initial reaction was just

....then I remembered to breathe.

I sat listening to it over and over and over again. And I found myself thinking, "Seriously?!  How does he manage to do this with every single song he sings?!?! "

Seriously.  The guy is crazy talented.  He never ceases to amaze me.  Ever.

The guitar is so pretty with the delay and the reverb.....the lyrics are desperate and emotional, and the angst in Alejandro's voice is SO fitting for them.....wait....is that.....yep....sure enough....he's beatboxing again. So awesome. :)

And that bass note he hits at the end of the chorus with the last "whooooooooo" (listen for it at about 1:42 and again at 3:14....wow, it just moves through me and gives me goosebumps.

Then he gets all into it in the bridge, and the echo of his "Don't you say goodbye...." is a nice subtle touch.







I know, right?!?! AMAZING.  Yeah, this one is an instant favorite. No question.

This isn't the first time Boyce Avenue has taken a Bruno Mars song and Boyced it.  Let's take a look, shall we?


October 10, 2010 - Just The Way You Are

This is one of those songs that I really did not like at all until Boyce Avenue covered it. And there's so much to love about this video. Daniel on the piano? Awesome. Fabian playing with his eyes closed, totally into the music? Adorable. The way Alejandro gets really into it and belts out the lyrics at the 3-minute mark? The control he displays? Un-freaking-believable.




February 10, 2011 - Grenade

Nothing but Alejandro singing and Daniel on the violin....man, this is just epic in every way. Alejandro's intensity at the 3:05 mark gives me goosebumps. Every. Single. Time.



And then there's this one....

February 27, 2011 - Nothin' On You/My Love/Rocketeer

I could write an entire post about why I love this one so much.

-- The mash-up of these three songs is just freaking genius.

-- The video was filmed at The Vera Project here in Seattle. Great venue dedicated to artists and the community.  Extra cool points to the guys for using it for one of their videos.

-- Everything about this cover and this video is just so damn sexy....The guitar....that falsetto?  (Are you freaking kidding me?)  I get completely lost in this song every time I listen to it.

-- When Alejandro starts into Rocketeer at 3:11, I just melt....and the way he sings, "Oh, oh, let's flyyyyyy....." at 3:37....it kills me. Not gonna lie. It takes my perfectly-harmless-and-not-at-all-inappropriate crush to a whole new level.

This one is, by far, one of my favorite covers.



I know I sound like a broken record, but I love these guys so much.  They are so incredibly talented.  I have yet to meet someone who isn't impressed by them.  I am so excited to see what they have in store for us in 2012, but if this latest video is any indication of what is to come, it's going to be a very, very good year indeed.  :)


Just The Way You Are, Grenade and Nothin' On You/My Love/Rocketeer are available on New Acoustic Sessions, Volume 1.  Click here to purchase them on iTunes.


It Will Rain is available on New Acoustic Sessions, Volume 3. Click here to purchase it on iTunes.