Music of A: U2, Martina, and Amos

Welcome, boys and girls, to this year's A to Z Challenge!

I was still working on my theme late into March, but in the end I decided to stick with my original plan of MUSIC. It's been a trying few weeks for me and I've found myself going back to some good standby albums to get me through some of the ups and downs. I hope to share this with you and maybe get some great recommendations in the comments of new artists to check out.

This month, you'll get a series of blogs highlighting some of my favorite tunes, tracks from favorite albums, special memories tied to tunes, or my favorite artists. My plan is to link to YouTube videos of a song whenever possible, and if I'm really good, I'll even link to the artist's home page. No promises though. I'm not exactly on the ball with this year's A-Z...

Without further ado, I bring you the letter A.

1. "All I Want Is You" and "Angel of Harlem", U2
The first one is easily one of my all-time favorite heart breaking tunes. As I look over the list of songs I plan to share this month, I think you should prepare for a lot of heartache tunes. My apologies in advance.

"Angel of Harlem" from the Rattle and Hum album has been an instant mood-lifter since I was a little girl. I don't know if it's the horn section or the enthusiasm in Bono's voice, but I just love it. I try to strategically place this toward the end of my running play list, usually when I need the extra pick me up for the last few miles.

If you ever get a chance to see U2 live, do yourself a favor and get a ticket. Best. Show. Ever.

2. "Anyway", Martina McBride
If asked, I'd say I'm not much of a country music fan. But then I hear someone like Martina McBride and I have to admit--I'm a fan. Guys, this lady can sing. I remember hearing once that Martina participated in the VH1 "Divas" special but had to have her mic turned down compared to the other singers because her voice is just that powerful. I believe it. She can sing AND has mastered the smokey eye make up look. Ergo, she's a superhero. And she makes me feel like it's okay to chase this crazy writer dream.

"I sing, I dream, I love anyway."

3. Amos Lee
Everything this man has done (with the exception of "Flower", just not doing it for me, Amos!) is amazing. And lucky for Minnesotans, he likes to play here. Consider this an Amos teaser; I'll have some Amos tunes come up this month. But if you're really interested in checking him out, I recommend his latest album, Mission Bell. An extra ten bonus points if you can wait patiently to the final track for a duet with Willie Nelson.

You tell me:  Any favorite artists, albums, or track with the letter A?