22 posts tagged “soul”
On our way to crush the revolution
12/10/09 Lizottes - Newcastle, New South Wales
12/11/09 Lizottes -Newcastle, New South Wales
12/17/09 Quarry - City Beach, Perth
12/18/09 Quarry - City Beach, Perth
[1981] Of Skins and Heart
[1982] The Church
[1982] The Blurred Crusade
[1983] Seance
[1984] Remote Luxury
[1986] Heyday
[1988] Starfish
[1990] Gold Afternoon Fix
[1992] Priest=Aura
[1994] Sometime Anywhere
[1996] Magician Among the Spirits
[1998] Hologram of Baal
[1999] A Box of Birds
[2002] After Everything Now This
[2002] Parallel Universe
[2003] Forget Yourself
[2004] Jammed
[2004] Beside Yourself
[2004] El Momento Descuidado
[2005] Back With Two Beasts
[2006] Uninvited, Like the Clouds
[2007] El Momento Siguiente
[2009] Untitled #23
thechurchband.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter
Although, admittedly, I am not a mega-fan, as I haven't kept up with the band in the mid-90s, I am happy to report that with Untitled #23, their 23rd album, that Steve Kilbey's songs have not much changed. And that's very comforting to me. Kilbey's voice is so familar and friendly, that Untitled #23 feels like it was written in 1996.
Some of the things I've noticed is that Kilbey seems to really like medieval themes (for Pete's sake, he sings "Minotaur" in "Sunken Sun"). Another really good example of Kilbey's "past tensed" can be found on my favorite song, "Deadman's Hand":
The lyrics are like poetry to me. And, really, who writes lyrics like that anymore? Colin Meloy would be jealous.
Camp by a lake in the blackened lands
Dealing out love and retribution
Dealing out the deadman's hand
As I have previously mentioned, I have not kept up with the band, but reading quotes online, I got the impression that this might be The Church's best album in a long time. Australia's Rolling Stone gave the album a 5 star review calling it "[a] return to form with a stunningly ambitious album of shimmering rock".
Not much to add to this, except if you love and remember The Church from the late 80s to the 90s, this latest album will fit comfortably in your discography. You can pick up the album, released in May via Second Motion Records, from amazon.
PS, too bad I don't live in New South Wales, as that intimate "dinner & acoustic show" sounds deliciously awesome.
myspace
Ignore that first paragraph, Church's album is called Song Force Crystal and it comes from my favorite silk-screening record label called Tender Loving Empire. I have mentioned before that I think their products are very attractive and reasonably priced (most albums are handmade and under $10).
I'll be honest, I don't really get this really spacey, psyschedelic album. There's a lot of weird noises, "organic" sounds, and electronic farts inserted in their music, which sort of distracts me from their music. When I do like the band, it's when they're doing simple songs like the first part of "Golden Girls", which is mostly (I think) the two brothers, Brandon and Reechard Laws singing over some acoustic plucks. But since they're more focused on the layers of Moog synthesizers and experimental noise, there's plenty of those on the track "Aquamarine".
Where I think the best will be best experience is seeing them play live, I've read they've got quite a "sizable following along the West Coast... with their intense tour ethic". So check them out live if you get a chance:
Song Force Crystal is available in CD/digital from TLE and vinyl fromsohitek.com
09/04/09 Berbati’s Pan Portland, OR
09/11/09 The Woods Portland, OR
09/19/09 MFNW 2009 Portland, OR
09/23/09 Northern Olympia, Washington
09/24/09 The Silver Moon Bend, OR
09/25/09 The Crawlspace La Grande, OR
09/26/09 Visual Arts Collective Boise, ID
09/27/09 Backyard Show Bellevue, ID
09/28/09 Idaho State Pocatello, ID
09/28/09 SHO Salt Lake City, Utah
09/29/09 Flying Goat Boulder, Colorado
09/30/09 Rhinoceropolis Denver, Colorado
10/01/09 Everyday Joe’s Fort Collins, CO
10/02/09 Velour Provo, Utah
10/03/09 Beauty Bar Las Vegas, Nevada
10/04/09 The Smell Los Angeles, CA
10/05/09 Che Cafe San Diego, CA
10/06/09 Dtown Brewery SLObispo, CA
10/07/09 Muddy Waters S Barbara, CA
10/08/09 Boo Boo’s Record SLObispo, CA
10/09/09 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz, CA
10/10/09 Amnesia San Francisco, CA
10/12/09 North Bay Art Santa Rosa, CA
10/13/09 UC Davis Davis, CA
10/13/09 Luigi’s Sacramento, CA
10/14/09 Downtown Eatery Redding, CA
10/15/09 Lil’ Red Lion Eureka, CA
10/16/09 Jambalaya Arcata, CA
10/17/09 Sam Bond’s Garage Eugene, OR
10/18/09 The Space Salem
10/27/09 Portland State Portland, OR
10/30/09 Doug Fir Portland, OR
lowanthem.com ♥ myspace
Their all-things Americana record label, Nonesuch Records, re-issued the album for a second printing, due to their popularity, with new silkscreening artwork.
Looks like the band is still on tour!
Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is out now, you can buy it on Nonesuch oramazon.
09/03/09 Gaiety Theatre Dublin
09/04/09 Gaiety Theatre Dublin
09/05/09 Electric Picnic Stradbelly
09/06/09 Deaf Institute Manchester
09/07/09 Oran Mor Glasgow
09/08/09 Cluny 2 Newcastle
09/09/09 Glee Club Birmingham
09/10/09 Bullingdon Arms Oxford
09/11/09 End Of the Road Festival
09/12/09 End Of the Road Festival
09/13/09 Bestival Isle of Wight
09/15/09 La Salumeria Della Musica Milan
09/16/09 Atomic Cafe Munich
09/17/09 El Lokal Zurich
09/18/09 Broftabrik Frankfurt
09/19/09 Gebaude 9 Koln
09/20/09 Lido Berlin
09/21/09 Knust Hamburg
09/23/09 De Duif Amsterdam
09/24/09 Ancienne Belgique Brussles
09/25/09 Doornroosje Nijmegen
09/26/09 La Maroquinerie Paris
10/02/09 Austin City Limits Austin, Texas
10/15/09 Avon Cinema Providence, RI
10/17/09 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
10/18/09 Lola’s Room Portland, OR
10/19/09 The WOW Eugene, OR
10/21/09 Great American SF, CA
10/23/09 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA
10/24/09 Casbah San Diego, California
10/25/09 Plush Tucson, Arizona
10/27/09 House of Blues Houston, Texas
10/28/09 Granada Theater Dallas, Texas
10/29/09 The Parish Austin, Texas
10/30/09 Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, LA
11/02/09 Club Downunder Tallahassee, Florida
11/03/09 The Social Orlando, Florida
11/04/09 Earl East Atlanta, Georgia
11/05/09 Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN
11/06/09 University of NC Asheville, NC
11/07/09 Attucks Theatre Norfolk, Virginia
11/09/09 Cats Cradle Carrboro, NC
11/11/09 Black Cat Washington DC
11/12/09 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
11/18/09 The Tabernacle London
11/20/09 Crossing Border The Hague
11/22/09 Crossing Border Antwerp
donohoemusic.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter
In keeping with the Christian/Church theme of my own article, Songs of the Saints, as a whole, sounds very world electronica, especially because there's the traditional soaring singing and Italian chants combined with dance music.
My favorite of the saint songs is St Francis of Assisi, who is known as the patron saint of animals and Italy - which would explain the vocals (but does not explain the wika-wika warped sound). In many ways, the mixing of old and new makes for an interesting album.
Songs of the Saints is definitely worth checking out if you're into dancing with the spirits. You can purchase O'Donohoe's albums (and sheet music!) directly on his website.
beliefandhustle.com ♥ myspace
The title track, and opening song, is basically two songs: the first part with a smooth Howard vocals and the second part that turned into gospel dance floor. That second part comes out of nowhere and, I'll have to admit, it surprised me at how much I enjoyed the unexpected.
Also surprising is that I thought the vocals are by a woman. In fact, it's Howard singing in a weird falsetto... he'll sound normal when he slows down to a talk-like singing, like on "Life is a Mystery".
You can purchase God is in the City directly from CD Baby or via amazon.
♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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06/04/09 Atlanta, GA The Loft
Discography
06/06/09 Columbia, MD Capital Jazz Fest 07/09/09 New York, NY BB Kings 07/10/09 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre 07/13/09 London, England Jazz Café 07/14/09 London, England Jazz Café 07/16/09 Ghent, Belgium Jazz Festival 07/17/09 Copenhagen, Denmark Vega Jnr 07/18/09 Stockholm, Sweden Jazz Festival 07/19/09 Oslo, Norway Victoria Theatre 07/21/09 Koln, Germany Stadtgarden 07/22/09 Zurich, Switzerland Kaufleuten 07/23/09 Luxembourg Den Atelier 07/25/09 Nice, France Jazz Festival 07/26/09 Paris, France Trabendo 07/28/09 Hamburg, Ger Manderin Casino 07/29/09 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg 07/30/09 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg 08/09/09 Long Beach Jazz Fest, CA 08/12/09 Seattle, WA 08/13/09 Seattle, WA
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In a musical climate, that has made international stars of artists, and I use the term artists lightly like Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus. Its refreshing to come across someone as refreshing as Leela James. Hannah and Miley take note, if you want to know how to SING and stir people’s souls, listen to “Let’s Do It Again”.
For those of you reading this review and are unfamiliar with Leela James, this Los Angeles, California native and resident Houstonian has a voice that makes your heart take notice and makes chills run down your spine.
She may be an unknown to most of the music masses, but she has been involved in the music industry for some time. If you are a fan of hip hop, and the brilliant work of Pete Rock of Pete Rock & CL Smooth fame, you would have heard Leela’s voice as a feature vocalist on his 2004 release “Soul Survivors Part II” and she has toured as an opening act for The Black Eyed Peas and Macy Gray.
Leela, was signed by Ruff Nations Records shortly, that imprint had a distribution deal with Warner Brothers Records, but that label shortly folded and Leela was cast into the music industry’s black hole of artists that see their careers come to a sudden halt. Thankfully, Warner Brother’s was smart enough to realize they had a talent and in 2005 her debut album “A Change Is Gonna Come” was released. This project was executive produced by Commissioner Gordon, and featured production by Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq, Wyclef Jean, James Poyser and Chucky Thompson.
The success and positive press of this debut album, had kept Leela and her band on the road for three consecutive years, and contributed to her second release taking so long to be completed.
It’s rare for an artist to do something to creative and daring, but Leela’s decision to record this album completely live with her backing band was brilliant. This album of cover songs by artists as far ranging, as Angela Bofill, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Phillis Hyman and Foreigner takes on a life of its own. Upon first listen, my first impulse was to turn up the volume. I am a huge fan of Foreigner, Lou Graham’s voice was an original and it took Foreigner to great heights in the 70s and 80s, but Leela James’ version of “I Want To Know What Love Is” is taken completely to church and the live arrangement manages to take this song to places that would make Mick Jones and Lou Graham quite proud.
“You will hear a variety of range as a vocalist,” Leela James said about what the listeners will find on the CD. “I love all kinds of music, if the song is good, it's good!”
There are many highlights on this album, but a special note should be made of Leela’s backing band. This group of musicians are air tight and in the pocket and they bring a flavor to the arrangements that truly bring out the best in Leela.
Some of the tracks on the album include The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,” Angela Bofill's “I Try” and Bootsy Collins’ “I’d Rather Be With You.”, Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful and James Browns’ “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”.
Just when I start to lose my faith in REAL SOUL MUSIC, I stumble across a project as emotionally stimulating as “Lets Do It Again” and I am reminded as to what music can do to stir the soul.
I encourage all music fans to listen to the wonderful CD and support this artist, because she is a hidden diamond, in a sea of crystallized glass.
04/21/2009 00:47:56 ♥ carl (
)
♥ www.leelajames.com
♥ myspace.com/leelajames
- Chris"just spent how much on video games?!?"topher.
Update: From a YouTube posting:
painintheass66: "hi ...there is no name for the song..its just a 30 second piece written specially for the commercial...its not available..but i hear they want us to do a longer version...which i would love to try...
ps im the singer...angela mccluskey....wicked commercial innit xx "
Like Lara's previous Top List, here is my lame list. Yes, I know most of these are of the dance-variety, and yes, I know they are mostly (hot) women. That's a given.
1. Ladyhawke - "Dusk Til Dawn"
myspace.com
Named after an 80s movie of the same name, Ladyhawke is Pip Brown, a young woman from New Zealand. This song is pretty catchy, the repeating lyrics "bang bang bang on the wall, from dusk til dawn. doo doo doo doo" made it easy to remember.
What made this song awesome is the totally cool music video that paid homage to 80s horror flicks like Jason from the Friday the 13th movies and Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street.
myspace.com/jeremyjay
Certainly lanky tall-man Jeremy Jay has a hit on his hand with "Alpharhythm".
At first, I wasn't sure why I had liked this song so much. The more I started listening to just the bassline, I realized that this song is essentially a "cha cha cha" song. No, really, that's why you want to do the cha cha cha when you hear this song.
If you know how to read music, here is a break down of the cha-cha-cha notes.
lykkeli.com ♥ myspace.com
Lykke Li (that's her first name!) made it on various people's top 10 list for 2008, and it's not really a surprise really. The reason why I like her is that there's something in her voice. It's child-like and it doesn't exactly sound English, if you know what I mean?
In my favorite song, "I'm Good. I'm Gone" there is a basic clank clank rhythm that makes you want to jerk along to the music. Plus, the lyrics talks to me:
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And if you say I'm not okay
Then that's the goal
If you say there ain't no way that I could know
If you say I aim too high from down below
Well, say it know 'cause when I'm gone...
You'll be callin' but I won't be at the phone
theasteroidsgalaxytour.com ♥ myspace.com
I think this Denmark band will be huge in 2009, but in the meantime, check out "The Sun Ain't Shining No More". What I love about this song is is that it sounds so very 60s pop. The song tells about meeting someone on the dancefloor and then suddenly turned into a one-night stand. The song is as brief as the encounter, and contains the brilliant line: "It didn't last very long, a week or maybe two. When he called me on the phone, saying 'baby, I don't love ya'".
myspace.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings
Speaking of 60s, Sharon Jones and The Dapkings are one of the bands bringing back Motown/Soul music in 2008. They are one of the more popular bands, if you like this, you'll definitely need to check out Lady Dottie.
Although the lyrics are kind of simple (you get it: it takes 100 days and 100 nights to know if a man is good for you), the soulful vocals of Jones and the horns and keys of her backup band made this modern song a classic. Listen to the whole song to get the punchline, by the way.
Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
podcast.weheartmusic.com
news.weheartmusic.com
| jaklumen wrote on Ladyhawke - Dusk Till Dawn (Pascal Gabriel Radio Mix) in reply to devonrex’s comment: Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 7:48 AM |
I'd be very interested to hear why you think so.
Various descriptions I've seen of New Wave range from the genre being an evolution of punk (particularly post-punk) to a rather frosty, indifferent bourgeois response to the harshness of punk. The latter might be fitting considering the synth sound being a very stark departure from guitars, and the look being very against hippie fashion.
I really liked the folk rock of the mid to late '70s (being heavily exposed to it as the college music of my parents) but by the time MTV hit my neighborhood music was awash in very cheesy hair bands, and the next trend of garage rock with the grunge fashion really wasn't to my taste. Depeche Mode started hitting the apex of their popularity, and I started combing back to see what was all the fuss about the "New Wave" that started MTV.
Being painfully shy in much of grade school, synth resonated with me more. It's the main reason why I've been doing a lot of electronica reviews.
| niggytardust wrote on Jeremy Jay - Alpharhythm: Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 7:52 AM |
[c’est top] That's cool it sounds a little like Tom Verlaine or Gang of Four! I didn't know it. Thanks for the discover. I've made my own 2008 list too, if you're interested it's here.
So below are a few albums that were released on November 4th that was largely ignored. I finally had the time to put them all in for a spin:
roguemotel.com ♥ myspace.com
Rogue Motel are an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. I've been noticing lately that there seems to be a ton of bands coming from the upper west coast (mostly between the Seattle and Portland), and they all seem to be pretty good.
Anyway, to start off, this is one of my overdue review, but to be fair, there was a lot of confusion about the actual release date. I try and schedule reviews to go up just prior or around the release date, so it's kind of important to me anyway to make it timely. Unfortunately, they moved the release date to election day... see note above.
I think the band might have been named after living in a cheap motel while recording their album, far away from their home, in Kentucky. The result is this moody but intense album called Daylight Breaking.
The title, I think came from their best song (in my opinion) called "Hurry Up": "Early morning but the sun's not up yet, I came to look for something to ease my head". This is a pretty upbeat song with a simple, but memorable and catchy, chord.
I also really dig, "Smoke and Vines", particularly the line:
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but the lyrics has a rebellious feel to it and that the band will continue doing what they're doing.you want to change me, get in line
You can currently get the album digitally via amazon or the itunes (I've been having a lot of crashes relating to itunes, so I hate them).
futurecloudsandradar.com ♥ myspace.com
I wanted to mention these guys for my Christmas 2008 for their song "Christmas Day 1923", but obviously a lot of songs were left out this year. Well, I reckon there's always next year.
To talk about them, you'll have to go back to the late 90s when they were known as a the power pop band called Cotton Mather. They had a string of albums before rising to fame when Noel Gallagher asked the band to tour with Oasis.
Perhaps he was tired of the power pop thing, but singer Robert Harrison went on to form Future Clouds & Radar, a more art rock/orchestral/psychedelia, much in the vein of, say the Beatles' Sgt Pepper.
Listening to their second album, Peoria, released on Election Day, it feels very sixties. Check out their perfectly 60s pop song, "Old Edmund Ruffin". Doesn't it sound like something John Lennon might sing on ?
I generally enjoy all the songs with trumpets ("Eighteen Months", "Mortal 926"), but not so much the crazy synthy chaos sounds (the middle of "The Mortal"). Thankfully it's just one song that I didn't really get along with.
If you've ever liked later-The Flaming Lips or psychedelic Beatles, you really need to give Future Clouds a try. Get your own cloud 9 at the usual locations (amazon, emusic, etc).
myspace.com/bstcollective
Finally we have Music for a Saturday Evening by BSTC, also released on Election Day. We don't normally get soul albums in house, but when we do, they certain stand out among all the indie-rock stuff we get.
Like the 60s-inspired music of Future Clouds and Radar, the BSTC (short for BlackStone Theatre Collective) is drowned in 70s disco, soul and jazz. They seem to be very proud to represent their deep roots in these genre of music.
The band/collective is mostly producer Andy C. and multi-instrumentalist, Tunji, with singer Keanna Johnson. I think Johnson only sings on a few songs, but she seems to be the face of the band.
I personally thought the two stand-out tracks for me are "B.S.T.C." and "Jazz in Outerspace". Both instrumental songs offers some outstanding beats and groove. Since I wanted to represent Johnson's vocals in the song, I thought the excellent hip-pop song "Get It" should be used.
Fans of soul music, Buena Vista Social Club, or Jason Miles, should really take note of BSTC.
Can't get enough of their music? Check out that widget thing, it will play a few other songs from them.
You can get Music for a Saturday Evening from various places, usually amazon or emusic.
Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
podcast.weheartmusic.com
news.weheartmusic.com
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THE PIMPS OF JOYTIME thepimpsofjoytime.com ♥ myspace.com They actually sent me two albums, their 2007 High Steppin, and a remix album called Funk Fixes & Remixes. Just quickly on the remix album, it's pretty dancey and fast-paced but on one particular track ("Street Sound" remix by Nikodemus), it was hard for me to listen to on headphones because I started hearing all these "static" sounds which is actually part of the remix. High Steppin sounds to me as heavily influenced by funk, but there are some interesting genres thrown in as well. For instance, "Bonita", the Spanish word for beautiful, has obvious Latin/Spanish acoustics and rhythm. The remixed song for this song has a different take, focusing more on the drums and its chorus: "oh bonita, I wanna love ya like I need-ta". Although "Bonita" would easily qualify as the hand-picked song, I felt that it didn't really represent the band with its influence in Latin sound. However, there are enough hand drums and soulful singing on "H2O", that I thought would fit better. I reckon it's also their stand-out track because it features Cyril Neville (of the Neville Brothers). The remixed song by DJ Smash, again, change the song to something to more of a reggae dub song... an interesting take at the very least. If you're funk fan (or just a massive bass fan), you should give these guys a try. If you're in the New York area, be sure to check them out in December: Nublu w. dj nickodemus (12/04) and Southpaw (12/12). You can pick up High Steppin via iTunes. Physical copies can be gotten at Amazon. |
P GUTTA myspace.com/pguttatheantidote The album is pretty much hip/hop and rap with its influence particularly in 80s gangsta rap. The album surprisingly details very personal stories about P Gutta's life: he's a father, his everyday struggle, being the son of a dealer ("Son Of A Hustler") and growing up ("The 80's Made Me"). Some of the songs I did enjoy feature some infectious loops, like on "Failure's Not An Option". The song doesn't really say much in terms of lyrics, at least compared to some of his better lyrics. But that's not what this song is about; it's just an intro song and shout out to his peeps, hyping up the album (basically telling you that this album is for everybody, for the streets). There is an inspiring song on the album; it's the last song, "Head 2 The Sky", which sounds like it's a speech that he's giving to his child: "you got the power to be what wanna be, do what you wanna do, see what you wanna see. Through hard work you should see what you wanna, because there's one thing in life you don't wanna be is a wannabe." Never lose hope and just keep the faith, is the message and it's my song choice. One thing I noticed is that he seems to like to say "pit of the stomach", which is a phrase that's repeated on "Life Is So Strange" and "Failure's Not An Option". I wouldn't bring it up but is that a common phrase? If you enjoy Notorius BIG, I think you'll find P Gutta's your cup of tea. You can currently pick up the album on CD Baby (CD) and Digstation (MP3). |
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WENDY ST KITTS wendystkitts.com ♥ myspace.com After this thought, I was happy to see that St. Kitts confirms this: I did get something wrong though, I thought she sounded more soul singer/songwriter, but didn't even think about her Caribbean influences (which in retrospect seems obvious now). She's also really inspired by afro beats and reggae (we'll get to that later). The album goes into questioning true love ("So Good (Yeah)", "Should I Love Him or Walk Away") or expensive gifts (in the case of "Treasure"), and complete devotion (on the reggae-inspired "Water" song). Not to sound chauvinistic, but I hope she finds someone soon! If you enjoy R&B with a keyboard and soulful singing, Wendy St. Kitts definitely has that voice that will fill the void. She is playing a few dates in the New York area: The Bitter End (12/27) and Sullivan Hall (01/24). You can pick up the CD or MP3 via amazon. |
KURUPT & ROSCOE youngotti.com ♥ myspace.com ♥ myspace/yaroscoe Although Tha Dogg Pound was not one of the premier Death Row artists, just being associated with such superstars of rap has some weight carried with its two members (Kurupt and Daz Dillinger). They went on to release a combination of over 20 albums between the two of them since 1998. With all that history on Kurupt's rap sheet, I was expecting this album, Frank and Jess Story, to be aggressive hardcore gangsta stuff but it's pretty accessible, as far as I'm concerned. The album was cut with the help of his brother Roscoe, who's previously collaborated with his brother on their debut album, Dogg Food. The usual theme applies here, as expected: they like the girls ("I Like Dem Girls" which sounds like an excerpt to a much longer woman-loving song, and "Lap Dance"), gangsta ("Game Been Missin"), name-dropping ("Bustin"), and, of course, self-loving ("Hate on Me"). The best song on the album is "Game Been Missin'", which features a very catchy chorus of: "this right here has been what the world's been missin'/this right here is why you're girl's been missin'". Frank and Jess Story was released on November 11th on Koch Records and can be found at most good record stores. |
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ANJULIE myspace.com/anjulie I would have to add that she's borderline on Pop music as well. It's not a bad thing, it reminds me of sixties girl pop music (especially on "Day Will Soon Come"). The EP features two songs co-written by her producer/collaborator Jon Levine, who was apparently famous for being in The Philosopher Kings. The Anjulie-written song, "Love Song" basically a love song in a fleeting three-minute pop song. The main song and single, "Boom", is really good. Easy, relaxing, and for some odd reason, it really reminds me of that 80s song that goes "boom boom boom let's go back to my room". I do think she's good and if they send me her debut album, I am looking forward to covering it. Unfortunately, she might be missed in a sea of similiar-sounding women artists like Adele, Nelly Furtado, and Lily Allen. |
RHODA rhodankojo.com ♥ myspace.com/rhodankojo Her self-titled album was released last year (although it is only recently available digitally via iTunes). I believe this is her sophomore album. The album has a very contemporary pop/R&B feel to it with some very good mixing and arrangements. In some cases, strings and violins were used to give the album a bit of class. The songs that used this really stood out for me ("Consequences" and "Rememeber You"). My favorite song on the album is the very poppy "Nothing Really Matters", which seems to have a eudodisco beat! I just love how the lyrics keep flowing on and on. At one point, I swear she is channeling Whitney Houston. Rhoda is making some appearances in 2008 at The Bitter End in New York (12/05) and Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey (12/31). You can pick up the self-titled album at CD Baby, iTunes or Digstation. |
Links: www.weheartmusic.com podcast.weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com
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brandicarlile.com ♥ brandicarlile.co.uk ♥ myspace.com Speaking of ridiculously hot, the first time I saw a picture of Brandi Carlile, I knew I was in love. She had shorter hair back then and had a boyish charm to her looks, reminiscent of Louise Wener (here's an example). She recently released her iTunes-only EP called Live from Boston, and it was a real pleasure to listen to. Of the four songs, I thought "The Story" was easily, easily the best. Her emotionally charged lyrics is best experienced live. By the way, a close second was her Johnny Cash cover "Folsom Prison Blues". You can purchase the EP via iTunes only, the most popular digital music store, so chances are, you probably already have an account. Incidentally, the reason why the 4-track is listed at $4.99, it is because it comes bundled with a video for "Josephine". As a bonus, enjoy her cover version of Radiohead's "Creep", recorded at The All About The Music Festival 2006. If you like what you heard, you can buy a superior recording from the same Live in Boston set via iTunes. |
www.thesafes.com ♥ myspace.com Released last week (Sep 23th), the Safes' Sight of All Light EP are a great mix of rock n roller. Rolling Stones calls it "Atomic Pop", while Paste Magazine compares them to The Kinks and The Who... so apparently the popular press loves these guys. The five-track fourth Safes release does start off strong and rocking, especially with the first track, "Sight of All Light". It looks like, starting in October, they are heading out for a national tour, be sure to check them out. Tour Dates
10/09 Champaign, IL @ The Courtyard
10/10 Carbondale, IL @ PKs 10/11 Saint Louis, MO @ Lemmons 10/12 Kansas City, MO @ Fred P. Otts 10/13 Wichita, KS @ The Anchor 10/15 Austin, TX @ Club 1808 10/16 Denton, TX @ J&J's 10/17 Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina 10/18 Phoenix, AZ @ Rubyroom 10/19 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick 10/20 Los Angeles, CA @ The Cat Club 10/21 Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club 10/22 San Francisco, CA @ The Hemlock Tavern 10/23 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt's Tiki Lounge 10/24 Denver, CO @ Bender's 10/25 Omaha, NE @ Universe 11/01 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks 11/02 Long Branch, NJ @ The Brighton Bar 11/03 Arlington, VA @ Galaxy Hut 11/04 Richmond, VA @ Rumors Boutique 11/05 Baltimore, MD @ Joe Squared 11/06 New York, NY @ Pianos 11/07 Boston, MA @ O'Briens 11/08 Philadelphia, PA @ Mojo 13 11/09 Danbury, CT @ Larry's 11/10 Sheffield, MA @ Off The Beat N' Track 11/11 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine 11/12 State College, PA @ Bar Bleu 11/26 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen |
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markwilliamsmusic.com ♥ myspace.com Mark Williams didn't give me much to work with. The EP is a five-track CD-R with no album artwork. No offense to anyone, but I have different priorities when it comes to music reviews and CD-R, demos, & MP3s are at the bottom of my list. I will mention that there was something in the package that did make me take a notice: there was a Lipton Herbal Peach Tea. I'm not saying to bribe me, but it was one of those WTF moment. So, his EP is called Shallow Eyes. I could not find any album artwork online, so I'm using a picture of his band. The whole EP has a Motion City Soundtrack feel to it, but slower. I would even bet Shallow Eyes would sound better live than what's on recording. I see a lot of potential in Williams, he's only 16, right now, it should be interesting to watch him as he grows up, and perhaps take up a different musical direction. The band's already found early success by being included on last Summer's Warped Tour. They are playing an upcoming show in Stroudsburg:
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brynchristopher.com ♥ myspace.com People tells me that they discover new music "Grey's Anatomy". I mean, who looks for new music on television shows? Well apparently it does work, and Interscope Records invested in having Bryn Christopher's "The Quest" to appear on an upcoming season of Grey's - so watch for it if you're already a fan of the show. "The Quest" is a lead-in single (released September 16th) to his January 13th, 2009 album called My World, and if the song is any indication I would have to guess that the album is pop/soul. If you like that genre, you definitely need to give "The Quest" a listen. The story I got out of the Quest was that he wrote the song on his mobile phone, and is about his brother's experience as a solider in Basra. He just finished up a few dates in the US, and is now heading through the UK supporting The Script: Tour Dates
22 Nov 2008 Barrowlands - Glasgow
23 Nov 2008 Academy - Leeds 24 Nov 2008 Academy - Newcastle 26 Nov 2008 Academy 1 - Manchester 27 Nov 2008 UEA - Norwich 28 Nov 2008 Academy - Bristol 30 Nov 2008 Academy - Birmingham 1 Dec 2008 Academy - Oxford 2 Dec 2008 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - London 3 Dec 2008 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - London * Supporting The Script |
Links:
weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com
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09/13/08 Valley View Casino
See Also
09/13/08 The Casbah -- CD RELEASE PARTY! San Diego 09/15/08 U31 San Diego 09/22/08 U31 San Diego 09/27/08 Adams Ave. Street Fair san diego, California 10/04/08 Valley View Casino 10/10/08 Valley View Casino 11/21/08 Valley View Casino 12/10/08 House Of Blues-- Hollywood, California 12/11/08 YOUR PARTY! SAN DIEGO 12/20/08 Valley View Casino 12/23/08 Valley View Casino |
I listened to NPR's story on Soul Music making a come back a few days ago, and I have to say that it's perfectly true. Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse, Angie Whitney, Jamie Lidell, and, to a lesser extent, Adele, are just some of the modern artists still producing some of the best Soul music today.
To give you a little background, soul music came from the gospel church, but mixed with rhythm and blues. I want to say that Motown Records really popularized the genre in the 60s with Gladys Knight and Marvin Gaye, to name a few, and by the early 70s, everyone knew about the hardest working man in showbiz: James "The Godfather of Soul" Brown.
It seems like after thirty years that Soul is making its comeback.
One of those bands that you'll probably hear about is Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, they're about to release their self-titled album next Tuesday, September 16th. I have been listening to this album for a few weeks now (despite what lastfm is reporting) and just refreshing the album as I write this.
The whole album is full of soul music, designed to get you to stand up and dance. I can only imagine what it would be like to see them at a live concert, with Lady Dottie infectious dancing and singing.
My favorite song off this album is easily "Livin' It Up", which was also their first EP they released last year. If you listen to the very end of this song, you can hear Dottie commenting how great this song is. I'm so glad they kept that in, as it gives you a glimpse of their personalities.
Other songs I dug was their BB King cover of "Why I Sing the Blues". The song is obviously a blues song, but there is an element of gospel thrown in there.
By the way, the last song on the album is a cover of "Movin' On Up", that famous Jeffersons theme song. I didn't know this until today, but apparently the song is sung actress Ja'net Du Bois, who you may know her as the maid in Sanford and Son.
Also, looking at the pictures of the band, I think they're mostly white guys and it made me think that the Dap-Kings are mostly white dudes too. This fascinates me for some reason.
Lady Dottie and the Diamonds will be out next week on Hi Speed Soul Records.
Links:
ladydottieandthediamonds.com
myspace.com/ladydottieandthediamonds
"Carla Lynne Hall is like your cool aunt that gives you
the real deal about the music business."
Darrell McNeill,
Executive Director, Black Rock Coalition
It says on her website (carlalynnhall.com) that she is a D.I.Y. Diva or better known as a Do It Yourselfer. I like the way the cover art on her latest album, Super Nova, coveys this attitude, pointing to you, pointing to me, telling us both to stop and listen for she knows what she is doing.
D.Y.I. lends me to believe that Hall is prepared to do most of the heavy lifting. After all she’s worked for E.M.I. She even has a website called rockstarlifelessons.com in which she offers workshops on how to navigate the music industry. So making an album should be no trouble.
I read a couple of reviews comparing Hall to Norah Jones, Sade and India.Aire. I personally don’t think she does, but only as a compliment. I think any D.I.Y. shouldn’t fly too close to coattails. Besides, I like Hall’s warm, expansive delivery. I don’t necessarily want to use the term maternal or sisterly, but there is a female kinship in her voice that sounds inviting.
When it comes to the songs, Hall takes us through a number of genres: pop, soul, blues & even country. Some songs are hybrids. There’s even an interesting juxtaposition between the sixth tract, “Left Side Blues”, a saucy blues song about a woman up to no good, and the following tract “My First Child,” an earnest love ballad whole heartily in a country vein. It makes you wonder what happened to Hall in between the two tracts.
My favorite tract is “Pulling Me back,” a cool, fatalistic
love song. I really like the interplay
between Hall and Pam Fleming on trumpet, the overlapping voices and trumpet
responses building, layering; making a sensuous sound.
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Nothing's quite as good as a solid, soulful R&B record to chill you down or warm you up, depending on your mood or...ahem, your company. But real R&B has been hard to come by lately. Sure, artists like Rihanna are often identified as R&B, but that kind of hip-hop-influenced R&B is but a pale shade of the real thing that crooners such as Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Barry White, Grover Washington Junior, and Deniece Williams have put out. Fortunately, thanks to the good folks at Little Dizzy Records, a Sherman Oaks, CA-based independent urban digital record label, aficionados of real R&B--the smooth and soulful kind--will find their palates sensuously courted by newcomer Angie Whitney, whose first solo album, That's What Love Is All About, is out now.
Angie Whitney's been singing since the age of four. A native Californian, as a child she began singing duets with her twin sister Rachel, and soon became members of their father's church choir in Vallejo, California. The twins were soon in demand by many local groups and organizations, but Angie's career as a professional singer really gained credibility and notice when she and her sister and cousin formed their own group, The New Horizon, and were also selected as background singers for one of my alltime favorite soul groups, the legendary Spinners. Whitney now performs with the Angie Whitney Jazz & Blues Clique and Easy Street Big Band Orchestra, but her debut solo album is all her--and she's all you really need.
Despite its almost clichéd title, That's What Love Is All About is a lovely collection of soulful tunes that will heat up dancefloors and bedrooms. The lead track, "Don't Tease Me Now," is an upbeat, funky, almost disco-like dance track propelled by Whitney's smooth, silky voice and a sultry sax accompaniment. The song has a distinctly '80s kind of sound and calls to mind Sade, which is a very good thing--but Angie Whitney has a vocal identity all her own. The music, composed of soul staples bass, piano, and strings, is accented uniquely with smoky saxophone accents that play off of Ms. Whitney's voice as if she's actually singing a duet with the instrument in the intro to "Now Baby or Never," a finger-snappin' little number with a jazzy, 1920s Cotton Club sound. The title track, "That's What Love is All About" is a lovely romantic ballad, but is somewhat overshadowed by the minimalistic beauty of the eminently-soulful "Love Me By Name," which is smooth as eighty-year-old scotch and just as heart-warming. And definitely check out the straight-up elegant funk of "Excuse Me (I've Got A Life To Catch)" which features the slickest interplay between synths and sax that I think I've ever heard.
All in all, Angie Whitney's first solo effort is a sexy, sophisticated, accomplished album that gives its listeners a true, unadulterated soul/R&B experience. Her voice is not as powerful as Aretha Franklin's, but is much more energetic than Sade's, so I would say she covers a middle-ground between each...a territory little explored by soul singers these days, who all aspire for Aretha's mighty pipes or Sade's slinky purr. So put this album on the next time you come home from a long day at work. Mix up a martini, relax with yourself and a significant other, and let the music give you a nice mental massage that might...well, who knows what it might lead to, if you get my drift. ;)
Links:
angiewhitney.com
myspace.com/angielwhitney
www.littledizzyrecords.com
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