New Radicals, You Get What You Give

New Radicals were an American rock alternative band, created in 1997, focused on one unique member, Gregg Alexander along with some studio members. The only considered important member was the actress Danielle Brisebois who made the backing vocals and percussion and also who helped Alexander and Debra Holland to write the second known single from New Radicals Someday We'll Know.

After a frustrated release of his second single Someday We'll Know in 1999, he left his project to focus on producing music like Game Of Love by Michelle Branch and Carlos Santana.

They are considered to be a one-hit wonder band thanks to the song You Get What You Give, belonging to their first and only album - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too (1998) influenced by 70's soul and rock music with a mix of modern rock and romantic songs.
The album was criticized for being too judgmental with the society and frequent references to drugs and sex being considered as "shallow posturing" and "empty social pronouncements."

You Get What You Give is a controversial song, mostly due to this excerpt:

"Health insurance, rip-off lying
FDA, big bankers buying
Fake computer crashes dining
Cloning while they're multiplying
Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson,
Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson
You're all fakes, run to your mansions
Come around, we'll kick your ass in"

Alexander revealed he had written this part as a test, to see whether would the media focus on the important political views or the celebrity criticism. As predicted, the press focused mostly on the celebrity part and ignored the political issues.
On this music, Gregg Alexander was the lead vocals and had Brad Fernquist as lead guitarist, Sasha Krivtsov as bass guitarist, Jim McGorman as keyboardist and backing vocals and Stuart Johnson as drummer and backing vocals.

The music video for the song is a metaphor - with the mall representing the society - "a fake, controlled environment engineered to encourage spending." On the video we can see a group of teenagers led by Alexander making their own "revolution" against it.

"Wake up kids
We've got the dreamers disease
Age fourteen
we've got you down on your knees
So polite
we're busy still saying please"

Rob Thomas, Her Diamonds

Rob Thomas is north-american alternative rock singer and composer, better known for his band Matchbox Twenty and for appearing on Santana's album Supernatural (1999) where Thomas also sings.

In 1999, Robert "Rob" Thomas co-wrote Smooth, receiving three Grammy awards for this fortunate participation, being Smooth one of the most recognized Santana's song. Thomas also composed songs to artists like Mick Jagger and Marc Anthony.

Since 1996, Matchbox Twenty have released several singles broadcast, including hits like Push, 3 a.m. and Bright Light.
In 2004, Songwriters Hall Of Fame gave Rob Thomas the Starlights Award, for his impact and contribution in the music industry.

In 2005, Thomas decided to achieve a solo career releasing from his ...Something To Be first single Lonely No More which was very acclaimed by critics and well received by audience.

In 2009, he released his second album Cradlesong, which first single was Her Diamonds.
The song is about his wife Marisol Maldonado's battle against an auto-immune disease - Lupus erythematosus, and how helpless he feels because there's nothing he can do to help. The ice that appear on the official video represents the fear and doubt.

"And she says oooh
I can't take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can't help her now
She's down in it
She tried her best and now she can't win - it's hard
To see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down"

Santana + Rob Thomas, Smooth

This song is one of my favorites!!
Here Carlos Santana, one of my forever favorite guitarists, shows his amazing work how simple it is for him to play with the guitar and make a purely genius song.
I love Rob Thomas' voice, he makes it so amazing, so awesome that it is irresistible.
A perfect collaboration full of energy and good music, love him!!

"I'll tell you one thing

If you would leave it would be a crying shame

In every breath and every word i hear your name calling me out

Out from the barrio, you hear my rhythm on the radio

You feel the turning of the world so soft and slow

Turning you round and round

And if you say this life ain't good enough

I would give my world to lift you up

I'd change my life to better suit your mood

Cause you're so smooth"

Love, 

P x