"A night out can ideally contain a multitude of experiences, from the celebratory to the despairing to the comforting to the frightening to the conventional to the transcendent. Very simply, to me this record sounds like a night out in New York, with all of the sex and the weirdness and the disorientation and the celebration and the compelling chaos. If you're out some night in NYC, I'm sure we'll run into each other. See, I go out way too much and always have."

I can really think of no other techno/electonic artist who has remained on the scene and retained as much visibility as Moby. I can also think of no other techno artist who did more to bring the genre into the mainstream and serve as the face of a throughly impersonal art form. Three years after releasing his last album of new material, Hotel, Moby is back with Last Night.

It's something of a conceptual album as it's supposed to represent an entire night out in the span of roughly 60 minutes. According to Moby, he "wanted to make an album that was a little more playful, a little more reflective of [his] life as it actually is." That being said, the beginning of the album is a total throw-back (in more ways than one). First off, they're total house cuts that will remind you of Moby's earliest work that was straight out of the clubs. Secondly, the second track, I Love to Move In Here (listen below), teams Moby up with truly legendary old school rapper, Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers, the man who provided most of the rhymes for hip-hop's first big hit, The Sugarhill Gang's Rappers' Delight.

As you get deeper into the album, the tracks shift from the dance floor to the more sublime, from the physical to the astral. Again, this work also hearkens back to some of his previous ambient work. About the only period of his career that he doesn't return to here is the hard-rock guitar work from Animal Rights. Along with Grandmaster Caz stopping in to add to the album, Nabila Benladghem, a Algerian French (my apologies Nabila!) vocalist graces the seventh track, Hyena (offered below), with her hypnotic voice.

The album comes out tomorrow (April 1st) here in the states. While you're counting down, enjoy the following tracks.






Cold Crush Brothers - The Cold Crush Brothers At The Dixie : Wild Style Soundtrack

Grandmaster Caz - South Bronx Subway Rap : Wild Style Soundtrack

The Sugar Hill Gang - Rapper's Delight : Sugar Hill Gang

James Carr - Let It Happen : Let It Happen 7"

James Carr - A Losing Game : Let It Happen 7" B-side

"My Blueberry Nights, my first English-language film, is the story of a young woman taking the long way to cross the street to true love. In order to understand how she might travel from one ocean to the other, I took that long journey myself, not once but three times - three different routes from New York to Santa Monica...Mile after mile, the view outside my window and the music from the car stereo synced in unexpected ways to give me my first glimps into the landscape of Elizabeth's heart. These trips not only shaped the story of MBN, but the soundtrack as well."

On April 1st, the film My Blueberry Nights will premier and the soundtrack will hit the street. Since I've only listened to the soundtrack, I can only share a few tidbits about the film that I know. First, it stars Norah Jones in her big screen debut (and the soundtrack includes a brand new song from her, The Story, which she wrote specifically for the film and which opens both the movie and the soundtrack) as the film's main character, Elizabeth. Jones/Elizabeth has just gone through a painful break-up and is heading across the country on a soul searching expedition, all the while dealing with her own heartache and inner pain. Having driven cross country myself in search of a change, I can somewhat empathize with that desire.

Even without knowing any details of the movie's plot, the soundtrack itself does a great job of conveying that melancholy longing which seems to define Jones' character. It's got a just-on-the-cusp of tragicness to it, a feeling of being on the edge of tipping into despair. There's a mix of material here, some new (like the Norah Jones track as well an another from Hello Stranger), some from fairly recent releases (two Cat Power tracks and one from Amos Lee), an obligatory soundtrack cover (Cassandra Wilson covering Neil Young's Harvest Moon), some instrumentals (three from Ry Cooder, a harmonica version of Yumeji's Theme from Chikara Tsuzuki, and the Central American flavored Pajaros - all of which give it a Tarantinoesque Kill Bill feel to it), and some classic R&B/soul tracks from Otis Redding, Mavis Staples, and Ruth Brown. Here's the full track listing:

1. Norah Jones - The Story
2. Cat Power - Living Proof
3. Ry Cooder - Ely Nevada
4. Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness
5. Ruth Brown - Looking Back
6. Ry Cooder - Long Ride
7. Mavis Staples - Eyes on the Prize
8. Chikara Tsuzuki - Yumeji’s Theme
9. Amos Lee - Skipping Stone
10. Ry Cooder - Bus Ride
11. Cassandra Wilson - Harvest Moon
12. Hello Stranger - Devil’s Highway
13. Gustavo Santaolalla - Pajaros
14. Cat Power - The Greatest

I'd love to tell you that the album ends on an upbeat note, but it doesn't. Looking for something to contemplate your life with? Give this soundtrack a spin.

If you haven't heard yet, Boston Tennessee punk band Be Your Own Pet released their eagerly anticipated (at least by me at the very least) follow up to their self-titled debut last year. It's titled Get Awkward, and you can tell the band has grown up since they hit the scene last year, but by no means would I call it growing pains. Whereas their debut was full of material that the band had perfected while playing for years before getting signed, this new one is full of new tracks that the band has cooked up since. And although I don't think it will ever fully apply to his band until after they retire, I dare say that they've matured since their first outing!

If you heard their first album, Jemina and crew were cranked up to 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. There was an immediate urgency to rock hard, fast, and as loud as possible. Listening to it brought forth images of a sonic tsunami just crushing down on you. It was almost downright scary how much angst was projected from Jemina's voice as she wailed out lyrics. With this new one, although there are some tracks that still convey that desire to be louder than loud, but there are also tracks that you might even describe as melodious (that being a relative term to their previous material!) which are toned down to, oh...say...a 9. Compared to a lot of other music being played out there, it's still at the upper end of the loudness spectrum, but the band isn't just relying on sheer intensity anymore (even though sheer intensity is still there).

While the album came out last week, unfortunately the US release was three tracks short of what the rest of the world will be able to listen to. Lawyers decided that they were "too violent" and the band was given the choice to re-work the songs or remove them. You know how the story ends. Once you listen to the two tracks below, order the album for the criminally insane price of $7.99 from Amazon (brand new), then you can search around though, and you'll be able to find all three deleted tracks to piece the album together as the band wanted it to be.




and one from their last album:

Be Your Own Pet - Wildcat! (Live) : Be Your Own Pet (iTunes only)

Looking at the group seated around the table above, you'll guess that they're not a bunch of raucous knockabouts. As a group they're known as The Rosie Taylor Project, and listening to their debut album This City Draws Map will only codify that initial assumption. Its eight tracks wistfully glide along sporting delicate and airy instrumentation with nary a hiccup. About the most rousing part of the whole affair are some horns that devilishly sneak in here and there to ease out a few notes before disappearing back beneath the surface. Imagine Camera Obscura in their quieter moments with a male vocalist but even slower and mellower and you'll be in the right neck of the woods.

The album comes out next month on the 21st from fledgling label Bad Sneakers Records. Coincidentally, the album is not only the band's debut release, but it's also the debut release of the label. The album is chock full of beautiful melodies that sweep through your ears as smooth as honey. If the album is any any indication of good things to come, hopefully both the band and the label will be around to put out more tunes.



and one from the first 7" single:

While it's easy to think of the Boston indie scene in the 80's and early 90's as belonging to all the girl bands (Throwing Muses, Belly, The Breeders, etc...), you just can't forget the contributions of Evan Dando and The Lemonheads. The band labored in obscurity for roughly five years until they majorly hit the big scene with the release of their 5th album in 1992, It's a Shame About Ray, which sky-rocketed the band into the public's gaze. Fueled originally by their alt-punk cover of Simon & Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson (recorded as publicity for the video release of The Graduate), the album brought the band much critical and popular acclaim. Interestingly enough, the album was originally released without Mrs. Robinson and ended with the twelfth track, Frank Mills (which gives the album's closing notes a completely different feel). I actually never knew that fact until I read the liner notes for the re-released collector's edition, which comes out today.

Another interesting factoid which I didn't previously know about Frank Mills, which happens to be my favorite track on the album, is that it is a cover of a song from the Broadway musical Hair. Expanded liner notes with facts like that alone are enough to convince me to pick up re-issues of classic albums like It's A Shame About Ray. Then, add on ten more bonus tracks: a B-side (Shaky Ground) and nine demos (see the list of additional tracks below). And then then throw a DVD with 45 minutes of videos and live performances that were previously released only on VHS as Two Weeks In Australia, and you've really sealed the deal.

14. "Shaky Ground"
15. "It's A Shame About Ray" - Demo
16. "Rockin Stroll" - Demo
17. "My Drug Buddy" - Demo
18. "Hannah & Gabi" - Demo
19. "Kitchen" - Demo
20. "Bit Part" - Demo
21. "Rudderless" - Demo
22. "Ceiling Fan In My Spoon" - Demo
23. "Confetti" - Demo

Honestly, if you've never heard this album, it's worth every bit of the hype. Don't judge it on the Mrs. Robinson cover alone, as there's much more to it than that. Besides this fabulous re-issue, the band is due to release a long awaited album of brand new material next month.


The Lemonheads - Frank Mills (Hair cover) : It's a Shame About Ray (Collector's Edition)

The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray (Demo) : It's a Shame About Ray (Collector's Edition)




The Lemonheads - My Hero, Zero : School House Rock! Rocks

The Lemonheads - Stove : This Is Fort Apache

The Lemonheads - Purple Parallelogram (w/Noel Gallagher) : Unreleased

Shelley Plimpton - Frank Mills : Hair - The American Tribal Love Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast)

Today, enjoy a collection of EPs: some from older artists, some from new kids on the block (and I don't mean NKOTB)


The first is from a group that I've written about before almost a year ago back here. At that time, Midnight Movies was releasing their second album Lion the Girl. Earlier this month they released a new EP (titled simply Nights EP) with 6 tracks that make an interesting mix. Starting out the EP is a cover of the Moody Blues' Nights In White Satin (fairly admirably done), and closing the EP is the same song, but sung in French . In addition, there are two tracks from the last album re-interpreted: the album opener Souvenirs remixed by Nick Zinner, and the James Iha remix of Patient Eye that had been floating around previously. To round out the EP are two tracks that were recorded during the Lion the Girl sessions that failed to make the album: Should Have Known and Stormy Eyes. All in all, this is a fine addition to the library, especially if you were a fan of their last album - in fact these tracks feel like they should be added on for a special edition of the album some day.

Midnight Movies - Nights In White Satin (Moody Blues cover) : Nights EP



Another band I wrote about previously (back in December), The Terrordactyls, also released their Mike Bowers EP earlier this month. Just like their debut album, this 5 track EP is quick and quirky. All 5 tracks are covers of songs by a Seattle band who they're close friends with (and label-mates), The Pharmacy. They've taken songs that originally feel like garage punk and turned them into songs you feel you could hear in a daycare. Suffice to say, just like with Midnight Movies, if you enjoyed their debut, you'll enjoy this EP as well.

The Terrordactyls - Prince (The Pharmacy cover) : Mike Bowers EP

The Pharmacy - Prince : B.F.F.



The next artist is a new project from Davey La, who used to front the UK quintet Ambershades. He's gathered some mates together to put together a compact 4 track EP titled the Rotten in Denmark EP. It's definitely got that Brit-indie-pop feel to it (think Franz Ferdinand) with an uptempo feel, a very loud and thick instrumental backdrop, and a live track that wraps things up nice and tidy showcasing the bands concert chops. It's out April 15th, so in the meantime, enjoy this song that you won't find on it once you order it.

Davey La - Naked Jesus : Unreleased


And now for someone completely new: Boo and Boo Too. They're a five piece hailing from that hotbed of indie music: Lawrence, Kansas. Their music is loud, fuzzy, and swings from 2 to 10 on the drop of a hat. Think The Cure if Robert Smith stopped feeling so bad for himself and started feeling pissed off. The EP is self-titled, and like Davey La's, is a compact 4 track affair.

Boo And Boo Too - Couch on Fire : Boo And Boo Too EP




Last, but not least are the New Jerseyites Of Fate and Chance (that's right, music didn't end there with Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi). Whereas Boo and Boo Too turn up the noise and get a little fuzzy and distorted along the way, Of Fate and Chance rock out loud and clear. The group has been friends since Middle School, when they first came together to rock out. The music has a hard-driving quality to it that seems like the perfect soundtrack for rolling down the windows and driving fast once Spring shows up.


Of Fate and Chance - Bravery : An Atlas to Solutions

From my jukebox to yours, some smooth soul covers...


Aretha Franklin - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel cover) : Bridge Over Troubled Water 7"

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (live) : Concert in Central Park

Aretha Franklin - Brand New Me : Bridge Over Troubled Water 7" B-side


Solomon Burke - Proud Mary (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover) : Proud Mary 7"

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary : Chronicle, Vol. 1

Solomon Burke - What Am I Living For : Proud Mary 7" B-side


Ruth Copeland - Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones cover) : Invictus Soul Box Set

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter : Let It Bleed

So they might not be the bloody twins from The Shining, but Romy and Sari Lightman, the two members of Canadian band Ghost Bees, are twins who claim to be telepaths. What brings the Red Rum twins to mind (besides the whole twins thing that is) when listening to Tasseomancy, the Ghost Bees' debut album, is it's haunting eerieness. The strange thing is that they use fairly typical instrumentation, but it's put together in a quietly sparse arrangements. Think Joanna Newsom in stereo, but whereas Joanna makes you think of elfin dances in forest glens, Ghost Bees make the sunlight start to fade, with shadows falling over those flitting faeries.

The album comes out on April 8th north of the border with no announced US release date yet. You can order the import from Amazon (a little pricey though), or you can get it digitally from Zunior.com (it's not listed yet, but keep your eyes open for it).

No, her name doesn't rhyme with Zamboni. It's Lee (like the jeans) - rone (with a long O sound - as in rhymes with zone). Leerone. And she's absolutely deadly behind the piano. Her first full length album (she released a debut EP back in 2003) is titled Imaginary Biographies, and it's eleven tracks are piano-rich compositions that remind you that the piano is for more than just classical music and Christmas carols. The comparison that instantly sprung to mind upon first hearing the album was with another woman whose career has blossomed with her straddling a piano bench: Tori Amos.

Leerone's voice just oozes that simmering sensuality which Tori also exudes. It's got a nobility to it that can soar in one instant, yet come back down to Earth and feel infinitely intimate the next. While delivering lyrics a little more down to Earth compared to Tori (although no less thoughtful of meaningful), Leerone's piano fills much of the musical space behind her. Some tracks have additional instrumentation in them, but the piano is always omnipresent, sometimes placing delicate notes here and there (try Happy + Homemade = below), and other times rollicking along (give Share a listen).






Tori Amos - Angie (Rolling Stones cover) : Crucify EP

"The songs collected here are the sounds that have helped me and keep me going as I struggle to find the strength to deal with my new physical limitations, while trying to find the energy to fight when many parts of my body and brain are telling me to stop and let the uninjured vets do the work, which I have to admit I have done at times."

Ella Fitzgerald. Sarah Vaughan. Nina Simone. I could listen to them all day, every day. Talk about true divas. You would be hard pressed to find a female vocalist today that lives up to that crowd. Ledisi would like to change that. Haven't heard of her? Neither had I until I spun a copy of her latest album, her third, titled Lost & Found. Considering the fact that she had been releasing her previous work on her own label, that's hardly a surprise, but with jazz giant Verve Records signing her, her underground status is sure to change. The album was nominated for a Grammy, and unlike the album it lost to: Chaka Khan's Funk This (a collection of re-workings of older songs), it's full of original material that spans the broad R&B spectrum.

It's got tracks that slow-cook (Joy and You and Me) , tracks that simmer (the opener Been Here and Best Friend - easily my favorite track on the album, listen below), and tracks that lightly touch on hip-hop (Think Of You). It's got a hint of that old-fashioned soul she's learned from those great vocalists before her blended with a contemporary urban R&B feel. In some ways the album reminds me of another vocalist's album I've really been enjoying and recently wrote about - Angie Stone's The Art Of Love & War (who coincidentally was also nominated for a Grammy for her song Baby and ALSO lost to Chaka Khan!, read my review here) - but whereas Angie draws upon a more heavily beat driven hip-hop influence, Ledisi feels a little more focused on the smoother groove.

Australian superstars The Cat Empire are hoping to break into the States with their third release, So Many Nights, set to hit shelves in the U.S. (physically and digitally) next month. The group is huge in their home country, as well as around the world, and they've played big-time shows at Glastonbury and Bonnaroo, which might lead you to ask why they don't have a bigger rep here in the States.

The album picks up where their last album left off - at times it's got an R&B edge on it that shifts from brassy horns boisterously engaged in the Latin laced Fishies (think Ricky Martin, but good) to more subtle tracks like the slower tempod funk of Lonely Moon. In between, be prepared for lots of horns. In some tracks they're front and center, in others they're pacing the perimeter. You might jump to the assumption that their sound is Ska-like, and in some places it gets pretty close, but it is more likely to exude a little more authentic Caribbean feel to it. Bottom line is that the horns really are central to what The Cat Empire is doing.

Check out this video, in which the band talks about making the album.


The album comes out in a little over a month on April 22nd. While you're waiting, enjoy the following tracks:


and one from their last album:

The Cat Empire - Two Shoes : Two Shoes

"I don't know if most Irishmen realize how thankful they should be to Mother England. I know four of them who do - Tommy Makem and The Clancys. We make a nice living out of singing Irish rebel songs, drinking songs, and laments of one sort or another. Without England on our backs, they would never have been made. The rebel songs, of course, come from a 700-year struggle to shake off John Bull's benevolence, the laments from all the times we were beaten down and, needless to say, a drink is always needed to raise the heart in troubled times."

Richard Julian has been kickin' around for a decade or so, although he hasn't garnered the attention that he deserves, which is a shame because in the heavily populated land of folksy singers/songwriters, Richard really belongs in the forefront. Although you might not recognize his name, he was/is a member, along with Norah Jones, of The Little Willies, who released an album of classic country covers along with some original material back in 2006.

I simply love the movie Singles. That being said, when I heard the above quote sampled in 65DaysOfStatic's track Retreat! Retreat!, I felt it was a sign that I just had to share it. So here it is, regardless of your negative energy.

I'm going to confess some geographic ignorance here. I really know just a smidge bit more than nothing about the Canary Islands. Here's the depth of my knowledge: they're located off the coast of Africa. That's it in a nutshell. Strike that, I now know something else about the Canary Islands: it's where musician Norma Wilow lives.

Norma fronted a Britpop band in the 90's named Tiny Monroe that I know about as much about as the Canary Islands. Thankfully they don't play an important part in this story. Norma parted ways with them, moved to the above mentioned Canary Islands, and started making music of a different vein. The Cyber Cafe, her third album, features her, her, and also her (and a guest guitarist on one of the tracks). It was recorded in her home studio with basic equipment which while readily apparent, does not detract from the album as a whole. It's a thoroughly acoustic set, fairly upbeat in tempo, laying the foundation for Norma's warm mature vocals.

Try the following two tracks and then head to Norma's website to hear a few more and order some for yourself.


Norma Wilow - The Edge of the World : The Cyber Cafe

Norma Wilow - Persuasion : The Cyber Cafe

No, that's not Alan in the picture there to the left, it's just the physical manifestation of his musical creational ability, which manifests itself audibly in The Alan Cohen Experience. Alan is not new to the musical scene, but he just released his debut solo album, Revolutions, last month.

The album starts and ends with different versions of the title track. Packed in the middle are eight tracks that are not only enjoyable, but entirely too educational. Imagine a beat poet inspired by the offbeat instrumentation of They Might Be Giants with the informativeness of a School House Rock! song and you'll start to imagine what Alan Cohen has in store for you. The album is aptly titled as you'll hear about such figures as Nelson Mandela (offered below), Che Guevara (hear the iconic Che's song below), Fidel Castro, and Ned Ludd (in a reinterpretation of a historic folk ballad which was also once covered by Chumbawamba), and historical events such as the French, Industrial, and Digital Revolutions. More historical information hasn't been brought together since Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire.

Although at times some of the lines feel a little forced, one can't expect Alan to rewrite history just for a jingle. You can buy a physical copy of the album through CD Baby or you can download the entire album for free at his website. Listen, learn, enjoy.






They Might Be Giants - (She Was A) Hotel Detective [Single Mix] : Miscellaneous T: B Side / Remix Compilation

Moby - Verb: That's What's Happening : School House Rock! Rocks

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start the Fire : 12 Gardens Live

In 1981, Denver’s Wax Trax Records co-owner Duane Davis formed the in-store label Local Anesthetic and released the debut single by Denver band Gluons featuring part-time Colorado resident Allen Ginsberg on vocals. With the fuse lit, Anesthetic would go on to release some of the most thrashingly good punk and hardcore music of the early 80's (while being the only lasting independent label in Colorado). And now, over 20 years later, Smooch Records has collected all of Anesthetic's rare 7" releases, as well as a few other Denver area punk band recordings, for a total of 33 tracks that fire off like a machine gun with their power and intensity.

While all the tracks would fall under the broad genre of punk, that's not to say it's that same sound repeated 33 times. There's a wealth of style here from a wide range of bands including Frantix (whose song My Dad's a Fucking Alcoholic was the biggest hit of the label and is included on the disc), White Trash (listen to Wake Up below), Bum Kon, the before-mentioned Gluons with Allen Ginsberg, Jeri Rossi (including a sick cover of James Brown's It's a Man's Man's Man's World), and several others. It's raw, sometimes unshaped sound that can overwhelm your senses. The album came out last month, so lace up your combat boots and get ready to pogo.

From my jukebox to yours...

This week's Sunday Spotlight shines bright on the sun deprived Portland band Loch Lomond. The group, which includes anywhere from six to nine members depending on the track, released their third album last year titled Paper the Walls. In tone it very much brings to mind a Henry David Thoreau quote: "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." It holds a desperate melancholy to it that aches while not sniveling or choking itself up on tears. The texture of the album is very reminiscent of another group that also got their start on Hush Records: The Decemberists, albeit perhaps a little less poppy and a little more contemplative.

Ritchie Young, who's responsible for writing most of the tracks on the album as well as providing the vocals and some of the guitar, bass, and percussion, was kind enough to tell me about the opening track of the album, Carl Sagen. Here's the track to listen to while you read its story. Any text in black is mine, all text in red is Ritchie.


Carl Sagan is one of the very few songs I’ve written that is about one of my personal stories; a moment in my own timeline. It was one of those perfect summer nights: a small group of us were running around in a park at night, horsing off as they say, and enjoying that time of year that we knew would end only too soon; not unlike childhood. It occurred to me that I wanted to remember that night as a special one. So, Carl Sagan was born.

I actually wrote Carl Sagan years ago, it just never culminated, until (relatively) recently. The amazing musicians I work with now allowed the song to come alive. I think Laurel’s piano came first, then Amanda’s viola, and all the other talents fell into place like we had been playing the song forever. I can’t remember how it got started, but at one point, we decided to add these silly whirlygig plastic toys (the ribbed plastic tubes that make high-pitched hollow noises when you whirl them in the air). I think we all fell in love with the eerie sounds they made and the idea that we were bringing it back around: loss of childhood, children’s toys… Not to mention, audiences seem to get a kick out of seeing those played in our live show.

I think each of us in the band has a special connection to the song; and it means something a little bit different for each of us. I hope people that hear it can personalize it and remember one or two of those care-free child-like moments in their own lives, too.

And a few more questions for Ritchie:

1.) Working with eight other band members must be challenging in several way I'd imagine. At the most rudimentary level, how do you coordinate nine people's schedules to ever get together and play? On a more meaningful level, is there ever any friction in determining the path the development of a song is going to take?

It was very difficult to organize such a great number of people at the beginning. We went through a lot of struggle, what it came down to is a core group within and then rotating members that float in and out. The core group is five and we have three that float in and out depending on their schedules. We are very good at this process now. As far as friction in determining a path is concerned we have never had even an inkling of a problem with that, We are very open. We are not made of steel but we communicate very well. There is no real method or over-thinking when it comes to writing we just shut off the self critical parts of our collective brains and work. When it is all over we open six bottles of wine and talk everything out and usually end up dancing to Stevie Wonder and dork out.

2.) On a similar note, do any of the band members have side projects going on in addition to their work with Loch Lomond?

Yes, Heather Broderick is in a band called Horse Feathers, Dave Depper is in Laura Gibson's band as well as Norfolk & Western. Scott Magee is in the Nick Jaina band and we all have private recording projects. We are not a jealous band we allow, with open arms, other projects to exist and apply no pressure to be monogamous.

Nick Jaina - Maryanne : Wool

3.) The album has a quiet but strongly tragic sense to it. Is the group just a mass of depression? Is this an album of cathartic purging? Can we expect the next album to be more upbeat or will it be filled with more doom and gloom?

Loch Lomond very much is our venue for cathartic purging. We are not, nor do we contrive ourselves to be sad bastards in our daily lives. We have so much fun together before and after practice or tours.

Again, the album has been out for a while, so you should have no problem finding a copy of your very own. Although not an album that will lift your spirits necessarily, it is one that is great to spin if you're in a pensive mood. Enjoy the following:


Loch Lomond - Carl Sagan : Paper The Walls

Loch Lomond - All Your Friends Are Smiling : Paper The Walls

and one from their last album

Loch Lomond - Bird And A Bear (I Am The Bird) : Lament For Children

Just a couple of videos to share quickly. The first is from neo-retro Cambodian rockers Dengue Fever, who I wrote about back here. They just released a video for Seeing Hands, from their third album Venus On Earth.





The other video I have to share is from Tristan Prettyman, who is quite pretty (sportin' a new short hair-do) and has a lovely voice to boot. This video is for a brand new song from her upcoming album, Hello...x. Check out the video here, and buy the audio on iTunes here.

Tristan Prettyman - Toxic (Britney Spears cover) : Live 7-3-05 at KPRI O'fest 2005

“New Orleans is on of the last places in America where music is truly a fundamental part of everyday life. People get together on the weekends and parade through the streets just playing songs; 12-year-old-kids learn funk on the tuba; everyone dances. Life elsewhere in the world simply isn’t as celebratory. If we allow the culture of New Orleans to die by leaving its musicians marooned around the country, America will have lost on of its freat treasures.”

On May 6, producer/DJ/multi-instrumentalist Static Revenger (or Dennis White to his mom) will be releasing his newest project, titled Love Song Surprise. And for those familiar with his previous work, this album will truly be a surprise. Although White hasn't completely ditched the electronic playground he's so well known to inhabit, this new album's tone and focus departs from his usual dance element and instead brings together a collection of, you guessed it, love songs. Don't expect sappy strings and piano tinkling ballads though; White still employs a strong helping of electronic beats to propel the tracks along. The entire album has got a quick feel to it as a result, although the shortest track is still three and three quarter minutes long.

If you can't wait until May to get your hands on the complete album, it will be available digitally April 15th. That being just as far away for all practical purposes, give the following two a try to give you the flavor. Sweetest Day has got a guitar line just under the surface that instantly reminded me of U2's One and along with the 7th track, Love, has the most organic texture to it. Satellite has got an electro-geekish pop to it that makes you want to root for the guy with the pocket protector.






U2 - One (live) : Tibetan Freedom Concert (Disc 1)

So coincidentally enough, only a day before Meredith from Saint Bernadette shared her story with me about Ashford & Simpson playing at her wedding for the last Sunday Spotlight, a copy of their latest release, The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities showed up for me to listen to. For those of you not familiar with the name, I can almost guarantee you've heard some of their stuff, whether sung by them or others. The pair, who married in the early 70's, was responsible, along with Holland/Dozier/Holland, for writing and producing some of Motown's biggest hits, until 1973 when the pair moved over to Warner Bros. because Berry Gordy wasn't providing the couple the support they deserved for their own performing careers.

It is from this period at Warner Bros. that the material for this double LP release comes. During this time, the pair was really able to put together some first rate albums that their new label was willing to stand behind. As a result, some incredible music was put down on vinyl. Don't think it's still relevant? Some of these early singles, really the birth of remixed music, go for over $750 on eBay. The first disc is comprised of songs from their nine albums released between '73 and '82 for WB and includes six songs originally released as promo-only 12" remixes. The second disc includes nine new versions of their songs from some of today's hottest remixers.

If you're still scratching your head wondering who this pair is and what they sound like, their material on this collection balances some soulful R&B grooves and some body moving disco beats. Give the two tracks from the album below a try, and while you're at it, download the two songs at the bottom from Aretha and Diana that Ashford & Simpson wrote. After you've tasted the goods, the album is available now.



Ashford & Simpson - Tried, Tested And Found True (12" Disco Mix) : The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (Disc 1)

Ashford & Simpson - It Seems To Hang On (Tommy Musto RE-Touch) : The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (Disc 2)


Aretha Franklin - You're All I Need to Get By : The Very Best Of Aretha Franklin

Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough : Ain't No Mountain High Enough 7" (available on The Definitive Collection)

“I don’t believe anything could ever sum it up, like nothing could ever sum up the Motown or Stax sound. So much goes into the fabric of those sounds: the studio itself, the engineers, the producers, the artists, the vibes of the time, and only the specific combination of elements—even though very disparate sometimes—does the job. And only Chris had the vision to combine an American engineer with Jamaican drum and bass, with British rock guitar, with African-French keyboards. Every film director will admit it: when it comes to directing actors, the main thing is casting.”



Although the name Compass Point Studios might not sound all that famous to you (I know it didn't to me until I picked up this disc), the truth of the matter is that there was some off-the-hook music produced there in the early 80's. The studio was set up by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, which was itself formed in Jamaica in the late 50's and which brought reggae music to the world through artists such as Burning Spear, Lee Perry, Toots and the Maytals, and of course, Bob Marley. Compass Point was designed to be Blackwell's own private studio, a place where he could record who he wanted how he wanted.

Because of its location and the diverse members of the house band referenced in the opening quote, many legendary acts came knocking on the door to record at Compass Point including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, The B-52's, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and many, many others. This compilation (thankfully) skips past these well-known artists and instead focuses on lesser know acts for the most part and tracks that have gotten lost in the shuffle and deserve to be dusted off. To go along with some great dusty gems are some incredible liner notes which open a time machine door into the past. For these liner notes alone I would sincerely recommend picking up a solid copy of the album.

The material in the compilation runs from the reggae which Blackwell was known for bringing to the mainstream's attention, to disco infused funk, to new wave courtesy of The Tom Tom Club and the 12" version of their oft-sampled classic Genius of Love (stream it below along with the bizarrely enjoyable Spasticus Autisticus from Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players). If diggin' for blasts from the past is your thing, this album is sure to butter your popcorn.




Buy Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986

Visit Strut Record's official site for the compilation.

No, it's not Aretha Franklin singing, although Fontella had a very similar background singing Gospel music before moving over to the secular side. This song was her biggest hit, and came out in 1965, two years before Aretha hit the national scene. Although she faded from the public eye, The Cinematic Orchestra invited her to appear on two of their albums, including their latest from last year.


Fontella Bass - Rescue Me : Rescue Me 7"

Fontella Bass - Soul of the Man : Rescue Me 7" B-side


The Cinematic Orchestra - Breathe (feat. Fontella Bass) : Ma Fleur

After a three week hiatus, The Sunday Spotlight it back, this time with a MISB favorite from last year, Saint Bernadette., who released their debut album In the Ballroom in October (read about it here). Instead of recording in the ballroom this time though, the pair has chose a more traditional studio located in the same town to put together the five tracks on the EP. The first track (In Between) feels like it could be a track that was dropped from the album. It's got that smooth jazzy sound to it that was such an attraction with In the Ballroom. The three middle tracks (including Love Is a Stranger - the focus of this post) have a larger, fuller feel to them that make them feel like a newer sound for the pair. The title track, which closes the EP, slows things down with a romantic invitation to that someone special that draws the EP to a close quite nicely.

All text below in green is Meredith's, red is Keith's, and gray is mine. Here's the track to listen to while you read about it:


Saint Bernadette - Love Is a Stranger : I Wanna Tell You Something EP


Meredith:

This was a very interesting song, the way it came about. And it’s kind of a sad song, really. Keith brought it to me and he had just the melody for it and the one line "love is a stranger". He thought it was just a placeholder lyric and was really singing it more for the rhythm and how it sat with the melody. But I just thought it was heartbreaking. I was hoping it wasn’t some subliminal message directed at me! It immediately made me think of when a person has sort of compartmentalized all their emotions. We all know people like this and we all have been like this at one time or another. After your heart has been broken, when you really just don't want to feel anything, not even anything good. You’re just kind of walking around like a zombie waiting for something to snap you out of it.

The verse is about a person who has always given his life for other people. Someone who compromised his own wants and dreams to remain safe and reasonable.

I can’t remember exactly why we both started to sing the verses together, but I think it’s really cool. Keith actually has a great voice as well. He could easily be the lead singer, but there’s just only so many jobs one person can do in one band. He could really play any role in the band, but the guitar spot is kind of the de-facto conductor so that’s what he does.

Once we started recording the song and had a first mix done, Chris Sanchez, our producer, told us just to go for it with respect to the backing vocals. We were going for Journey and I think we came pretty close. We just wanted this to be a big ole, epic rock song.


Keith:

I wrote the verse lick first, playing around with the guitar part. In my mind I could hear my brother doing those tom tom crescendos. It’s the kind of part that every drummer wants to play.

The 2nd part that came is the chorus. I came up with the chords and the melody line and started singing “love is a stranger” to it. At that point, I brought it to Meredith and asked her to sing something like the idea that I had but she thought that the idea was already right. But we knew we needed a bridge between the verse and the chorus and that’s when we came up with the pre-chorus section, which has become my favorite part of the record.

These kind of joint ventures have always resulted in our strongest material. We’ve written some really hot songs in this manner.

And a few additional questions for the couple:




The EP comes out in just a few days on March 4th. You're sure not to be disappointed if you enjoyed their album last year.




Saint Bernadette - Love Is a Stranger : I Wanna Tell You Something EP

Saint Bernadette - I Own The City : In the Ballroom

Just a quick blurb for you this morning about The Billie Burke Estate. Although it's quite a grand name, full of pomposity, the band is in fact one man: Andy Liotta. They/he self-produced and released their second full length album, Let Your Heart Break, back in January. Although it's only Liotta's second solo release, he's got over 20 years of experience making music in the San Francisco area where he had fronted two power trios: Smokin' Rhythm Prawns and Walrus. Since then, he's brought the decibel level down a few notches.

The album is truly a piano driven pop album at heart. Clear catchy lyrics to sing along with and piano chords that accentuate instead of overwhelm give the album an easy listenability level.