Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
New Releases - Or Lack Thereof
Nothing new to report this week. Sarah McLachlan's cd was released, but we already discussed her. I consider this to be the calm before the storm though because next week is loaded with desirable releases. June 22 will see the release of albums by Sarah Harmer, Stars, The Roots, Wu-Tang Killa Beez and Sia, among others. What are you looking forward to the most? For me it is Sarah Harmer. I am also dying to hear the Roots with Joanna Newsom. See you June 22!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Living Sisters
If you have not heard The Living Sisters yet, you need to. If you don't believe that you have heard The Living Sisters, you actually may have. The Living Sisters features Inara George, Eleni Mandell, and Becky Stark. So if you recognize those names or have listened to The Bird and the Bee or Lavendar Diamond, then I suppose you have heard elements of The Living Sisters. Each woman has found success in their other projects and the three have come together to form The Living Sisters.
The reason I bring them up now is because they were on Last Call With Carson Daly (you can watch their appearance here) last night and it reminded me that I started the blog after thier debut album was released. I would be remiss if I did not mention something about them. What I would like to mention is how The Living Sisters should serve as an example for some of the younger female singers out there. There are some performers (I will not name any names) that believe a bare midriff and raunchy lyrics equal sexiness and therefore, success. If you listen to a song such as Double Knots by The Living Sisters, you will discover something much more titilating than a bikini top. While the lyrics are certainly suggestive, at face value they are innocuous. Despite this (or perhaps because of this), it is still an incredibly sexy song. The vocal delivery and sounds are simply provocative in a way that skin-filled music videos cannot compete with. It is tough to watch some of these young women parade themselves and degrade themselves in an attempt to be sexy, but not succeed. They may look attractive, they may be gyrating and talkin' dirty, but it is too obvious and contrived. It also seems that those artists that are trying harder to seem sexy are ultimately less successful. If you have to try, you don't have "it". 95% of all female recording artists are attractive (and The Living Sisters are no exception) and any one of them can make themselves look sexy, but being sexy is an entirely different matter. Even more elusive is truly provacative lyrics.
So, I offer The Living Sisters for your consideration. Three gorgeous women singing beautiful harmonies. Am I crazy? Would you prefer some vintage Britney Spears or some such thing? Let me know.
The reason I bring them up now is because they were on Last Call With Carson Daly (you can watch their appearance here) last night and it reminded me that I started the blog after thier debut album was released. I would be remiss if I did not mention something about them. What I would like to mention is how The Living Sisters should serve as an example for some of the younger female singers out there. There are some performers (I will not name any names) that believe a bare midriff and raunchy lyrics equal sexiness and therefore, success. If you listen to a song such as Double Knots by The Living Sisters, you will discover something much more titilating than a bikini top. While the lyrics are certainly suggestive, at face value they are innocuous. Despite this (or perhaps because of this), it is still an incredibly sexy song. The vocal delivery and sounds are simply provocative in a way that skin-filled music videos cannot compete with. It is tough to watch some of these young women parade themselves and degrade themselves in an attempt to be sexy, but not succeed. They may look attractive, they may be gyrating and talkin' dirty, but it is too obvious and contrived. It also seems that those artists that are trying harder to seem sexy are ultimately less successful. If you have to try, you don't have "it". 95% of all female recording artists are attractive (and The Living Sisters are no exception) and any one of them can make themselves look sexy, but being sexy is an entirely different matter. Even more elusive is truly provacative lyrics.
So, I offer The Living Sisters for your consideration. Three gorgeous women singing beautiful harmonies. Am I crazy? Would you prefer some vintage Britney Spears or some such thing? Let me know.
New Releases
Nothing to report this week. I would love to be reviewing Samantha Crain's latest, You (Understood), but unfortunately I pre-ordered the digital download directly from samanthacrain.com. Apparently her store is operated by a company called TopSpin and they have yet to issue the downloads. An inquiry to customer service yielded this response:
Hey ~
I appreciate your concern! It looks like the email has been delayed, but you should receive one soon. Kind Regards
So, I am a little upset about that. The e-mail they mention would contain the download link. Do not preorder anything from an artist using TopSpin!
Hey ~
I appreciate your concern! It looks like the email has been delayed, but you should receive one soon. Kind Regards
So, I am a little upset about that. The e-mail they mention would contain the download link. Do not preorder anything from an artist using TopSpin!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
New Releases
There were several interesting releases this week, though I have not been able to dive into them. There is Tift Merritt's new release, See You on the Moon, which Amy found a link to listen to. My first impression is favorable, but I only have listened to samples so far. Now I can try the full album.
The biggest buzz this week is for the debut of Sleigh Bells. I have been hearing them on the radio and they seem fun, but I am afraid that dad might be too old. Treats reminds me of a poor man's Love. Angel. Music. Baby, only about five years late. Although Sleigh Bells has considerably more indie street cred, this is still a guilty pleasure for the younger generation. Have fun kids.
My personal pick for this week is Fossils and Other Phantoms by Peggy Sue. This UK trio has a lovely sound, combining the vocals of Katy Young and Rosa Slade. Their voices are almost more competitive than melodic and the result is a rather fierce delivery over accordion laced soundscapes. Here is Peggy Sue performing Yo Mama for BBC Radio
Also this week is a new single from Masta Killa called Things Just Ain't the Same. It is your standard "back in the day" rap track, but Wu-Tang is still the gold standard in hip-hop, so it is great to see all of the members riding the recent Wu Wave started last year with Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. My only issue with the track is the beat, which is way to similar to that of Last Drink. Still, new Wu.
Also out this week is a new EP from 8mm. I have only sampled this so far, perhaps Amy has heard it in its entirety. 8mm is not really my style, but I love singer Juliette Beavan's voice.
Not terribly informative this week, but hopefully you get some ideas. As always, please let me know what you have found and are enjoying this week.
The biggest buzz this week is for the debut of Sleigh Bells. I have been hearing them on the radio and they seem fun, but I am afraid that dad might be too old. Treats reminds me of a poor man's Love. Angel. Music. Baby, only about five years late. Although Sleigh Bells has considerably more indie street cred, this is still a guilty pleasure for the younger generation. Have fun kids.
My personal pick for this week is Fossils and Other Phantoms by Peggy Sue. This UK trio has a lovely sound, combining the vocals of Katy Young and Rosa Slade. Their voices are almost more competitive than melodic and the result is a rather fierce delivery over accordion laced soundscapes. Here is Peggy Sue performing Yo Mama for BBC Radio
Also this week is a new single from Masta Killa called Things Just Ain't the Same. It is your standard "back in the day" rap track, but Wu-Tang is still the gold standard in hip-hop, so it is great to see all of the members riding the recent Wu Wave started last year with Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. My only issue with the track is the beat, which is way to similar to that of Last Drink. Still, new Wu.
Also out this week is a new EP from 8mm. I have only sampled this so far, perhaps Amy has heard it in its entirety. 8mm is not really my style, but I love singer Juliette Beavan's voice.
Not terribly informative this week, but hopefully you get some ideas. As always, please let me know what you have found and are enjoying this week.
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