Big doin’s at the Laptop Sessions!

The Weekend Review returns, the Guest Sessions are revived, and more!

By Chris Moore:

Back in January, I had planned to take the month of February off to work on my upcoming album, the not-so-timely-titled 2010 Project.  I had the foresight to vaguely suggest that my hiatus might extend into March, but apparently not enough foresight to see all the way into mid-May.

Regardless, I’m back and re-energized for my several Laptop Sessions-related endeavors in 2011.  Before I kick it all off with my first review of the year tomorrow, I figured I would give a real quick run-down of what you can expect.

THE WEEKEND REVIEW will be in a new monthly format starting tomorrow, one which condenses the best of both worlds between the full reviews I wrote in 2010 and the Yes, No, or Maybe So? format.  I’ll be supplementing my new monthly reports with full reviews — rest assured I can’t resist going on at length about a single album! — but that won’t be until after I catch up on my January through May 2011 reports.

THE GUEST SESSIONS have accrued quite a back log of submissions over the past six months or more since the last Guest Sesh was posted, so I’ve begun sorting through those, and you can look forward to a new Guest Session video every week that a Laptop Sessions regular has not posted.  This will mean we’ll need new Guest Session submissions very soon, so click over to that page (via the link above) and submit today!

THE 2010 PROJECT, last but not least, is reaching 90% completion.  To light a fire under myself to get it out soon (like six months ago soon), I’ll be regularly posting Original Wednesday sessions in the order of my final track listing.  I began this months and months ago, but I only got to like track three, so look for that to be picked up again very soon.

And, with that, I thank you all for reading, and I hope you’ll look forward to more quality content on the site in the coming months of 2011!

A note from Chris on what’s to come in 2011

By Chris Moore:

This has been quite a year, one of new beginnings and of new avenues pursued.  I’ve spent much of the year working on my weekly music reviews, so as the new music year begins for me today with the release of the Decemberists’ The King is Dead, I thought this would be the best time to put things in perspective and set goals for 2011.

First of all, I’ll be taking the month of February off and plan to return to the blog some time during March or so.  At that point, I’ll have had time to think over what specific commitments I’ll be making in terms of videos and the Weekend Review, and I’ll return to posting the decent number of Guest Sessions that have been submitted over the last couple months.  Until then, here’s a quick sketch of what I’ll be spending my time on.

The 2010 Project

I was a little less than halfway through the recording of my first solo album in four years when I stalled for school (both teaching and being taught).  Since my graduate class ended a month ago, I have yet to delve back into recording, and it hasn’t been for a lack of desire.  So, over the next month, I’m making the time for these songs before they gather so much dust that I lose the passion and momentum I feel for them now.  (If you’re interested, I’m keeping a detailed record of my recording process at the all-new www.chrismooremusic.com.)

52 Pickup

I’ve kept a notebook with me much of the past year, and the result (which is more than three-quarters complete) is what will be my third collection of poetry, to be titled 52 Pickup.  It’s a fifty-two poem sequence that tracks the dissolution of relationships (both romantic and otherwise) and how one copes with loss and subsequent reassessment.  I’ve been writing often the past couple weeks and many of the poems I’ve written should make the cut.  (You can also read updates on that as they come at my website.)

Other Pursuits

Other January/February obligations and activities will include midterm exams, the closing out of the first semester of the school year, helping to organize two charity benefit events at school, and a slew of one-off commitments.  Thanks to my friend Mike, I’m hooked on Arrested Development and Dexter and nearing the end of both, and I’m gearing up to be as supportive of my girlfriend Nicole’s student teaching as she has been during my past several years of teaching.  And last, but certainly not least, there’s a tremendous music opportunity that has presented itself to me.  It’s called the Dry-Knuckle BedHeads, and while it pains me to say this, I’m going to keep that under wraps until I return.

So, until we meet again, take care and “see you next session”!

Jim Fusco Reaches 800,000 YouTube Video Views- Cover songs, music videos, and more.

Around Christmas Day, Jim Fusco (a musician, singer, and songwriter who’s recorded over 220 cover song music videos on YouTube) reached 800,000 total views on his videos!  Jim began posting videos in late 2007 and is now 80% towards his goal of a million total views.  Jim has recorded these cover song music videos in his home studio and prides himself on doing songs in the original key.  But, his solo acoustic renditions give songs new life and a fresh perspective.  Since the start of the Laptop Sessions, Jim Fusco’s goal has been to put an end to bad YouTube cover videos forever!

Jim’s cover song music videos have been featured in many Top 10 Cover Songs lists and at this point, he pretty much holds the title of most cover song music videos ever recorded by one artist!  Join Jim Fusco on his quest to rule the world of cover songs both on https://guitarbucketlist.com and http://youtube.com on a weekly basis!

Announcing: end of the year WEEKEND REVIEW festivities!

By Chris Moore:

To put it lightly, this has been a groundbreaking year for the Weekend Review and all its various off-shoots.  Featured here weekly on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song music video blog, the Weekend Review has gone “one-a-week” for what will be a combined total of 52 full-length album reviews by the end of the year.  In addition, there will have been over 30 “Yes, No, or Maybe So” one-sentence reviews, the “Top Five Rock Artists of the Decade (2000-2009)” five-part series, and various other one-off segments.

As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time to go out with a bang.  Thus, I am happy to announce that — starting tomorrow — there will be a music review list posted every day for the rest of the year.  In many cases, this will be in addition to other posts, such as the regularly scheduled sessions.  These lists will include the biggies like the top twenty albums and the top twenty-five songs of 2010, as well as lesser ranked items such as the top three debuts and the top ten music videos.

Be sure to check your LS Blog.  Check it often, as there are still six more Weekend Reviews, the New Music 2010 Special Report, and so much more before the year is over.

It all kicks off tomorrow — fittingly — with the Best Cover Songs of 2010 list.  Don’t miss it!