At age 19, I was taking a break from college and working at Subway until I decided if I wanted to go back and for what. I can't say that I'd accomplished anything to write home about at that point. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (who goes by simply Adele) has put together 19, her debut album, which blows anything I had created at that point in my life right out of the water.

Adele is another tasty import from the UK, and although still at a tender age, is making music beyond her years. I've been listening to her album a lot lately, but it only took me one listen to really get into it. My first impression / comparison was between her and Australian via UK singer Sia. She's got a strong soulful sound that at times also dips into Amy Winehouse territory (minus the car-wreck of a drinking problem and rough-around-the-edges vocabulary). For an example of the former, check out Chasing Pavements below; for the latter, try Right As Rain.

As is the usual case with those crazy Brits, the album is already circulating in the streets there. On this continent you can get it digitally though through Amazon or iTunes, but will have to wait until June 10th for the physical album. If you enjoy either of the previously mentioned artists, I'm almost positive that you'll enjoy Adele and her album.






Zero 7 (Feat. Sia) - Distractions : Simple Things

So after chatting about Jon Regen yesterday, I have another piano driven album for you, albeit one quiet different than Let It Go. Tonight's ebony and ivory album comes from Londoneer Mark Northfield and it's titled Ascendant. While the album is presented under Mark's name, its composition is somewhat unique in that although all the songs are written and arranged by him, all but one track are sung by nine other vocalists (the one track you can hear Mark's voice on, Zero, is below).

Mark labels his music Alt Classical, and while all of the compositions primarily balance around his piano and strings, I wouldn't pigeon-hole it under that genric title. The album starts with Waiting for Green, which although is sung by a man, very much reminds me of Tori Amos with its playful interplay between the piano and strings and its echoing flitting about. Following this is Resistance, which starts as if a slower tempo continuation of the first track (with a different vocalist), but quickly veers into new territory with the infusion of a saxophone punctuating and accentuating interludes about a third of the way through. From there, once again the scene shifts with The Calm, which opens with what sounds like monks or a choir, as if you had stepped from a jazz club into a cathedral.

And those are only the first three of nine tracks on the album. The unifying aspect which weaves itself through from beginning to end is the piano playing of Mark Northfield. Overall, the album paints a somewhat dark, melancholic, introspective picture (think a piano-hued version of This Mortal Coil's softer work) perhaps best enjoyed late at night with a fine glass of red wine (preferably not from a box). It's complexity and intricacies belie its use of few instruments, and Mark's choice of employing a diverse range of vocalists help add touches of uniqueness to each track.





This Mortal Coil - Mr. Somewhere : Blood

I've been listening to Jon Regen for a few weeks now, and every time I'd listen I'd scratch my head wondering who he sounded like. Try as I might, I just couldn't place my finger on it. My thought process went something like this: He plays piano. Who else plays piano? Billy Joel. No. Ben Folds. Nope. Elton John. Negative. Tori Amos. Definitely not. Mozart? (at this point I was clearly grasping at straws)

Until, that is, I read Andrew's thoughts on it over at Carry You Away. Of course - Marc Cohn! Good call Andrew. With the name came his big hit Walking In Memphis playing in my mind, and the connection became clear. In terms of style, both men have got that bluesy / jazzy feel to them that carries the tunes. Strong piano playing, both in terms of presence as well as prowess. Going beyond the choice of instruments, vocally they're quite similar as well. It's smooth as well, but not in the Kenny G sort of way.

The album's titled Let It Go. It's out now. Forget Mozart, and listen to the following.






Marc Cohn - Walking In Memphis : KBCO Studio C - Volume 10

Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine : Ain't No Sunshine 7"

Bill Withers - Harlem : Ain't No Sunshine 7" B-side


Isaac Hayes - Ain't No Sunshine : Live at the Sahara Tahoe

The Harlem Underground Band - Ain't No Sunshine : Harlem Underground

This week’s Sunday Spotlight shines on a couple that have been in the spotlight for the last few years with the release of their major label debut album Say I Am You back in 2005. Since then Deb Talan and Steve Tannen (a.k.a. The Weepies) have toured incessantly, been featured on commercials and TV shows across the networks, married, and gave birth to Theo, perhaps the biggest cause for celebration. Oh yea, and somehow they managed to lay down fourteen tracks for their new album Hideaway.

In between changing diapers and reading bedtime stories, Deb and Steve took the time to tell me about Hideaway, the title track and the third track on the album. As always, text in red is theirs, and questions in black are mine.


We had been listening to a lot of old blues songs, where the guitar playing often plays the main melody along with the singer. A lot of acoustic guitar playing is simply chords, over which the melody is sung; we wanted to do that thing where the guitar plays the same notes as the singer sings, so they're both doing it at the same time. The lyrics came out of our experiences of needing some time to hide!

The recording was a real collaboration. We recorded the acoustic guitar and Deb's lead vocal first at home in our living room. Frank Lenz came up with a classic rhythm pattern that worked, and then we sent that whole track via email to bassist Whynot Jansveld in NYC (we were in LA). Whynot came up with a really fun bottom end, and sent it back to Meg Toohey in LA. Meg's electric guitar is the groovy "chunk-a-chunk" you hear that's WAY back off the beat, almost in the previous bar every time. Then we took all those pieces, added those 60's harmonies and some organ to fill it out. It was the last track to make it onto the record.
1.) With the overwhelming popularity and visibility of its songs in movies, TV, etc..., and the hectic schedule you ran supporting it, is there a tiny part of you that hopes this album doesn't break as big?

Nah. It beats waiting tables.

2.) Do you foresee an album of children’s music in the near future?

We certainly have some very silly new songs, but we're a little afraid of kids' albums, given the amount of terrible kids' music that's out there. If we did one, it would have to be something that *we* loved too - no talking down to the kids or oversimplification of the music. Interesting idea though.

3.) You mentioned that you’ve been listening to a lot of blues music lately. Any style in particular that you’re fans of – Delta Blues, Chicago, the 60’s electric revival? Any certain musicians you’ve been keen on?

Robert Johnson is Theo's favorite (and ours too). You can't beat those early Delta blues guys. We also love Son House and Charley Patton. But Theo likes Robert Johnson's voice best - that high keening quality can stop Theo in his tracks whatever he's doing.

Robert Johnson - They're Red Hot : The Complete Recordings [Box Set]

Son House - County Farm Blues : Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways


The album title probably stems from the fact that the couple hasn’t had a chance to breathe or relax since releasing their big league debut as The Weepies together. Deb says, “We were empty. We both felt dark after being in the bright lights for a year. We were looking to reconnect with what moved us about music in the first place. We needed to hide out and write.” As a whole, it still retains a wistful playfulness, but it’s a little toned down compared to the last album, dark almost when compared to what you might be used to from them. Still present though is the beautiful interplay between the two, which is the magic which makes the couple’s music so attractive to listeners I think. The album hit shelves on the 22nd, and is available digitally as well of course.



The Weepies - Hideaway : Hideaway

And here are some live tracks:

The Weepies - World Spins Madly On : Live from the World Cafe (from Say I Am You)

The Weepies - Gotta Have You : Live from the World Cafe (from Say I Am You)

The Weepies - Rocks & Water : Live from the World Cafe (from Deb Talan's album A Bird Flies Out)

The Weepies - Somebody Loved : Live from the World Cafe (from Happiness)

"I've been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams."
I first listened to Pretty Hate Machine in 1991 during my Freshman year at college. More important that my engineering classes was the musical awakening I undertook through new friends from far off lands (New Jersey). PHM was different from anything I had yet encountered in my life up to that point and I was enthralled by it. In those pre-wikipedia days, information on bands was hard to find, and the liner notes to the album offered little more than the lyrics.

In 1992, I remember buying Broken the day it came out (the version with the 3" mini-disc), going home, playing it, and being blown away. Absolutely blown away. To this day, Broken epitomizes Trent Reznor for me.

I can remember getting the single for March of the Pigs the day before The Downward Spiral was released, and then going back the next day to pick up the album. Once again, NIN had re-imagined itself and put together an album completely unexpected.

NIN fell of my radar screen after The Downward Spiral with the five years elapsing before The Fragile came out and it wasn't until With Teeth was released that I revisited them. I guess my point in taking the trip down memory lane is to illustrate the point that Trent has never grown stagnant in the close to 20 years he's been creating under the moniker Nine Inch Nails. With the release of Ghosts I-IV last month, he continues with his evolution.

Two discs. Two "Ghosts" on each disc. Nine tracks in each ghost. "A soundtrack for daydreams," he calls it. Completely instrumental. Who saw that coming? Surely he's played with instrumental tracks before, but in the manner of transitions. Songs to move you from one place to the next on the album. Here, the instrumentals are the place. Some are hazy and indefinite. Some are throbbing industrialism. Others cold electronica. Others...

Even without lyrics, it still feels like Trent. It's not created to listen to at one sitting though, at least not with you intently focusing on it. I'm guessing Trent has divided up into the four sections to represent them as four separate entities, although I'd be hard pressed to figure out how/why the tracks were divided up into the four Ghosts they way they are. That being said, the two tracks are I picked out below are somewhat arbitrary are by no means able to represent the Ghosts they come from, the discs they're on, or the album as a whole. They're simply tracks that I particularly enjoyed for themselves.

You can either purchase the two discs physically for fairly cheap, or you can download them all digitally for the insanely cheap price of $5 from Amazon. $5 doesn't get you much now-a-days. It will get you these 36 tracks though. Plan on listening to it when you can completely focus on it though for you to really hear it. Be prepared for something different, again.






1000 Homo DJs - Supernaut : Black Box: Wax Trax! Records, The First 13 Years

Joseph Costa, formerly of L'altra, has delved out on his own to put together Lighter Subects, a nine track affair that he's released under the name Costa Music. It's a collection of mesmerizing electronic chamber soundscapes that drift along dreamily, taking the listener with it. As the title (and the cover) suggests, although primarily electronic, there are no thumping bass lines here or endless looping sound bites, just soaring instrumentals that are easy to get lost in. Several times I've played this album and have been surprised that it's over and I'm not sure where the last 40 minutes went to.

Besides expressing himself musically, Joseph is also a photographer, and you can see some of his work here. Experience the following tracks to taste the floating feeling of his audible work.






L'altra - It Follows Me Around : Different Days

So you know the question that goes something like this: If you could be anyone else in the world, who would it be? Well if you limited it to musicians, my choice would be Frank Sinatra, any day of the week, without a second thought. In terms of his music, in terms of his legacy, in terms of his appreciation of life and living it to the fullest, no one beat Frank. No one.

Long before Elvis hit the big screen, Sinatra was doing films for Hollywood. Starting in 1941 with an uncredited appearance as part of Tommy Dorsey's band in the film Las Vegas Nights (quiet appropriate really when one thinks about how he later came to dominate Sin City), then in 1943 his first credited role playing a character named Frank in Higher and Higher, Sinatra appeared in dozens and dozens of movies over the course of about 30 years, and then later in life, television shows (including Magnum P.I. for those of you who might remember Tom Selleck and the bright red Ferrari). For many of the films, Sinatra not only acted, but also recorded theme songs and other tracks that appeared in the movies.

And now, getting to today's post's point, Capitol Records has put together a collection of twenty tracks from various films in which he appeared. Some are quite well known and are some of Frank's signature songs (Chicago, The Lady Is A Tramp, (Love Is) The Tender Trap, and All the Way to name a few), and some might not be familiar to those who've only heard his greatest hits collections.

Somewhat coinciding with the album's release this month, in May the post office will be releasing a commemorative stamp, and throughout May Turner Classic Movies will be playing more than thirty of his films and four of his television specials. So while you're waiting to catch all of his movies that you missed (I know you've seen The Cannonball Run already), enjoy the following tracks, and check out the album.






Frank Sinatra - High Hopes : JFK Campaign version

Once some time passes, I think people are going to look back at the last 6 or 8 years as the Swedish Invasion. Artists have been coming over in droves recently, and I'm not talking just Scandinavian Death Metal. Off the top of my head I can think of Jens Lekman, Peter Bjorn and John, Kristoffer Ragnstam, Johnossi, Mando Diao, José González, and Loney, Dear. I'm sure there are lots more out there that are making international waves.

One more name that I can add to the list is Lykke Li. Lykke (don't ask me how to pronounce it) just released her debut album in her home country, and although it's not available on this side of the Atlantic yet (look for it later this year), you can grab an EP appropriately titled the Little Bit EP. It contains three tracks from the LP, plus an additional track, Everybody But Me. You can purchase the songs digitally already; look for the hard-copy on May 6th.

The four tracks are very airy and delicate sounding, and on top of it all is Lykke's voice, very distinct and delicate itself. Even on Dance Dance Dance, which as the title suggests gets its groove on, there's not a lot going on, but what is there pieces together nicely and musically is quite pleasing.






05.06.08 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
05.07.08 - New York, NY - Joe’s Pub
05.08.08 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
05.09.08 - Boston, MA - Middle East
05.10.08 - Montreal, QUE - Lambi
05.11.08 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
05.12.08 - Chicago, IL - Shuba’s
05.14.08 - Vancouver, BC - Red Room
05.15.08 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door
05.16.08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
05.18.08 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s
05.19.08 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre

You might remember me posting up the video for Madly, the first single off of Tristan Prettyman's sophomore release Hello. Well I finally got a copy of the entire album, and I'm absolutely lovin' it as much as her last album! Tristan has put together twelve new tracks that focus on what she does best singing about - love. Only this time, instead of the demure sweet voiced, soft-spoken, doe-eyed Tristan we met on Twentythree, she's got a little more spunk and sass (try California Girl below for a taste).

That's not to say she's turned into an Alanis Morissette for the 2000's. Her voice still runs the gamut from alluringly smoky to honey tinged and this time around her music has got a more pronounced bluesy feel to it (think Please from her last album) - maybe she's been hanging around G. Love too much.

Over the last week it's been out, the album has shot up the iTunes sales charts, which bodes well for Tristan. It opens up with the title track, which you can hear below, which most certainly feels like a transition from the first album. It easily could have fit on Twentythree as well as it does here. From there, the album smoothly moves forward, developing Tristan's sound beyond her previous work. I hesitate to say she's matured and give the impression that she's making music for your parents, but there's a definite progression in her sound and in her tone. There's much more wisdom and experience displayed in her lyrics - almost to the point that you'd think she's had a bad relationship in the last year or two that's she's gotten over.

I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this album, and I haven't been disappointed. It's been in my ears fairly constantly for the last week and I'm not getting tired of it yet. With now two albums of solid material packed away, I'm now eager to catch her tour in support of the album. And who knows, maybe G. Love will show up, too!


Tristan Prettyman - Hello : Hello

Tristan Prettyman - California Girl : Hello

and one from her debut:

Tristan Prettyman - Simple As It Should Be : Twentythree


G. Love and Tristan Prettyman - Beautiful, Beautiful : Live at the Catalyst, Santa Cruz 10.8.04

Tristan Prettyman - Shy That Way (w/ Jason Mraz) : Live In Jacksonville, FL 11-28-03

Just because it's that time of year, it's absolutely beautiful out, and it's a beautiful song.

If you're not familiar with the Black Hen Music label from up north of the border (Canada for those of you who are geographically illiterate), you're missing some really solid and diverse music that digs to the roots. It's run by a man of the name Steve Dawson who, when not recording his own albums, pulls together some great talent. His latest release comes from Old Man Luedecke, who's put together his second album, titled Proof of Love.

If I didn't know the Old Man came from Nova Scotia, I'd swear that he grew up in the Appalachians somewhere down south. His music fully revolves around his banjo playing, at times plucking out distinct and raucous notes, and at others walking a rhythm that flows through the songs mournfully. If you at all enjoy the distinct sound of a banjo, you'll appreciate what the Old Man does with it. Behind him, he's gathered a few friends from the label to help out. The before-mentioned Steve Dawson contributes quite liberally, and The Sojourners (a gospel group - read about them here) provide some guest vocals on one of the tracks as well.

All told, the album's a fine slice of folksy Americana.







The Sojourners - Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb : Hold On

The Weepies released their follow-up to Say I Am You today. Check back Sunday to see what Deb and Steve had to say about the title track, Hideaway, in the Sunday Spotlight!

I know it's hard to dream up with a band name nowadays. It's too easy to come up with The ______ (fill in the blank with your favorite inanimate object or animal) and leave it at that. So when you come across Does It Offend you, Yeah?, it really makes a statement. It's kind of hard to spit out though. Doesn't quite roll off your tongue like The Platypuses.

Putting that all aside though, DIOY,Y? (even the acronym requires some thought to type) is a group of four blokes from the UK who released their debut album last week. Beings guys who like long multi-word titles, they've of course titled their album You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into. The first single off the album is We Are Rockstars, which is a track that's straight out of the 80's - think Rockwell meets Prodigy (listen to it below). In fact, much of the album has that updated retro synth-pop feel to it that just seems like it would be fun to get down and do the Sprinkler to.

To further prove these guys spend way too much time coming up with catchy titles, there's track six on the album, Attack of the 60 Ft Lesbian Octopus. I've never encountered a 60 Ft octopus, nevermind one that was a lesbian, but the frantic beat in this track gets my heart rate pumping. Then there's Being Bad Feels Pretty Good, yet another title that invites attention, and the song itself will give you flashbacks to Robert Smith and The Cure.

Seriously, if these guys fail in the music department (and that's probably not likely if they keep churning out music like this), I think they could have a career in coming up with titles for pulp fiction paperbacks.






Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me : 100% Motown: '80s


4/26 Indio , CA Coachella
4/30 San Diego , CA Casbah
5/1 Los Angeles , CA El Rey Theater
5/2 Pomona , CA Glasshouse
5/3 San Francisco , CA Slim’s
5/5 Portland , OR Hippodrome
5/6 Seattle , WA Neumo’s
5/7 Vancouver , BC Richard’s on Richards
5/9 Salt Lake City , UT Urban Lounge
5/10 Denver , CO Bluebird
5/12 Minneapolis , MN First Ave.
5/13 Chicago , IL Mansion
5/14 Cleveland Grog Shop
5/15 Philadelphia , PA Johnny Brenda’s
5/16 New York , NY Highline Theater
5/17 Brooklyn , NY Southpaw

Just a quick track for you that I've really been enjoying as of late. It's from Scottish artist Freddie Stevenson and it's off his second album, All My Strange Companions, which came out earlier this month. It's the lead off track, titled Easy Now, and the guitar riff completely reminds me of something The Clash would be rocking. And what might just top off the track and seal the deal is he name checks JK Rowling. Damn!

As an album, it has a few acoustic-punk numbers like this one, but it's not completely there for the duration. I completely recommend downloading this track, then stream the rest of the album HERE.

Soul is a word that has many meanings. In the pop-R&B world of today it usually means an intensely dramatic performance by a singer, projected with such feeling that it reaches out and visibly moves the listener. It means that the singer is saying something, sometimes even more than the lyrics themselves might normally convey. Soul is not something that can be feigned – you either have it or you don’t. Otis Redding has it, to a degree almost unrivaled by any other young singer in sight.

Mention the name Otis Redding to most people and the association they’ll make is with the song (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay. That fact is both ironic and a shame. Ironic because the song he’s most well known for wasn’t released until after his untimely death, and originally possibly wasn’t going to be released at all. In fact, the song isn’t really representative of the stylistic feeling of the majority of his work, rather a glimpse at where his creativity was leading him. It’s a shame because Otis was perhaps if not the best, at least one of the best male soul vocalists to ever come along, and that fact is often overshadowing by the overwhelming popularity and success of that one song.

Although Otis’ story was cut tragically short, it’s an interesting one. He had an incredibly lucky break in 1962 when he had the opportunity to cut a solo track (These Arms of Mine) in the famed Stax studios. At the time Otis was singing (and working as a chauffer!) for a musician named Johnny Jenkins and his band the Pinetoppers. The band had hired out the studio to do some recording, and finished up early, with 40 minutes left of session time. Otis stepped up to the mic, and as they say, the rest was history. Otis split from the band and went on to become one of Volt Records’ (a Stax subsidiary) most talented and successful artists.

Otis continued to record with Stax and his popularity grew immensely. Unlike many black soul artists of the time who were limited to primarily producing 7” singles, Otis was afforded the opportunity to create complete albums which sold quite consistently. Possibly the most famous and artistically crafted was cut in 1965: Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul.

The album is a collection of eleven tracks which are, to be quite honest with you, amazing from beginning to end. There is absolutely no filler here. There are Redding originals here, including his original version of Respect (with a different feel to it compared to Aretha Franklin’s equally satisfying cover), a stirring version of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, a BB King song (Rock Me Baby), a surprisingly refreshing Motown cover (My Girl), an equally surprising Rolling Stones cover (although perhaps not so surprising as the Stones’ love of Blues and Soul is well known and they in turn had covered many Redding tunes on several of their albums), and a powerfully heart-wrenching William Bell song (You Don’t Miss Your Water) to close the album out.

Almost as amazing as the sounds on the album is the story behind the recording process. The entire album was recorded in 24 hours. All of it. The musicians showed up in the studio and started to jam at 10 in the morning, worked through the day, woke up at 2 AM the following morning, and had it wrapped up by 10 AM the next day so Otis could hop back on a plane and get to a concert he was performing. Equally interesting is the fact that the album was recorded both in mono and in stereo simultaneously.

Which brings me to the point of today’s Sunday Soul. The album has been re-released in a collector’s edition by the folks over at Rhino Records as a 2 disc set. Disc one contains the original album in mono along with some bonus material including some alternate recordings and singles, and six tracks recorded live at the Whiskey A Go Go in 1966. Disc two reveals the album in stereo along with an alternate take of Respect (a mystery recording with a faster tempo) and five tracks recorded live in Europe from the Stax tour in 1967. As a package, it’s very coherent, and includes some well written and revealing liner notes penned by Rob Bowman, author of Soulsville U.S.A. – The Story of Stax Records, quite possibly the definitive tome on the historical Memphis label, and the liner notes of The Complete Stax / Volt Soul Singles Box Sets.






Otis Redding – (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay : (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay 7”

Otis Redding – Sweet Lorene : (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay 7” B-side

The Rolling Stones – I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (Otis Redding cover) : Got Live If You Want It! (original version on Redding’s Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul)

This week brings the solo debut from Bess Rogers to the Sunday Spotlight. If you’re not familiar with Bess’ name, she’s a consummate performer who’s been involved with music since she was a little child, listening to her mother playing harpsichords that her father built, and learning to play them herself at age 6. As she hit her early teens, Bess started writing her own songs, and then went on to study music at SUNY’s Conservatory of Music.

Since then, she’s played guitar for artists such as Jenny Owen Youngs and Ingrid Michaelson, and is a member of the synth-pop band The Age of Rockets. Although she clearly has loads of experience under her belt, Decisions Based on Information is her debut solo work and just came out earlier this month. Its recording started back in 2006 and has continued here and there amongst her other projects.

Bess was kind enough to take the time to talk about Only One, the sixth track on the album. As usual, writing in red is hers and questions in black are mine.



Only One was one of the first songs on my record to be recorded and actually the last to be finished writing-wise. I had written the chords and melody and had the line "see you're the only one like me", but for the duration of the recording process my producer and I had to listen to most of the song with "doo doo doo's" instead of lyrics. Those "doo doo doo's" actually hold a very special place in my heart. When we were flushing out the song, I recorded scratch guitar and vocals to use as a reference. But when we went back to it a few days later, something got messed up with the sampling rate. The result was that my vocals remained the same in speed and pitch but the sound of my voice was dramatically lowered so I sounded like a drunk transvestite singing these bizarre sultry "doo doo doo's". It was hilarious! And it stayed that way until we recorded final vocals, almost a year later. We both became so attached to them that we even considered, for a brief second, leaving it that way. Then, luckily, we realized we had been in the studio for way too long and were probably just going insane.

But on a serious note, this song is one of my favorites on the record and was really fun to record. The melatron sound in the beginning of the song is actually me playing the flute. I have been playing the flute since 4th grade and to Dan Romer's (producer) and my delight, I have not gotten much better since then. The result is that when quadrupled and low-fi'd, my flute playing sounds a lot like a melatron (that Strawberry Fields sound) but somehow different. The part that the flutes are playing is basically exactly what I was playing on guitar. We transcribed it all and I played each note individually and on separate tracks so it would have more of a carnival calliope sound to it.


I got the idea of the song from something that I think about quite often and it always boggles my mind a bit: the fact that when I and someone else are looking at the color red, I really have no idea and never will have any idea whether or not that person is seeing the same red as me. Or whether I see a completely different color than the rest of the world does. You can pretty much apply that to everything, including relationships with people and that's what this song is about. There's a bit of denial involved when you say that you've found someone who is exactly like you, because you can never get completely into someone else's head. That's where lines like, "bending my mind to see you're the only one like me" came from. You have to play pretend a little bit and you're probably better off for it in the end.

And now for a few questions for Bess:

1.) Is this song (Only One) biographical at all? Is there a particular person you are thinking of when singing about "bending your mind?"

This song wasn't written about a specific person - but it does deal with a specific feeling that I have experienced in my life. I think, at times, everyone has that sinking feeling that they are essentially alone in life and I wanted to express that in a way that other people could relate to. Expressing that theme through a relationship allows the listener to put themselves in those shoes... I hope!

2.) This album was put together over the last few years in pieces when you were able to get into the studio. Do you see yourself shifting your focus to your solo career with this album under your belt or will you continue to primarily work with your band (The Age of Rockets) and other artists?

My focus has always been my solo career and will continue to be. I play seriously in 3 other bands aside from my own and they are all very important to me. But the thing I work the hardest on and consider the most vital is my own music/career. I really enjoy playing in all of the bands that I do and would love to multi-task like this forever, although I think it will eventually become impossible. I'm just doing my best not to think about that right now and enjoy the ride.

3.) Visually speaking, the packaging of the album and your picture on the front is very librarianish. Should we assume that you’re an avid reader as well as music-maker? What’s next to your bed right now that you’re reading?

I would really like to answer that question in the affirmative... but unfortunately I can't consider myself an avid reader. I love to read but I just find I don't have enough time in the day to do it as much as I'd like to. The only time I really have to read is on the subway. (If I read on the road I will throw up in the car!) But right now I am (slowly) reading South of the Border, West of the Sun by Murakami.


I think what I love most about this song, and the album in general is its philosophical turning of the world on its side, its approach to such common subjects as love in a manner quite out of the ordinary. As a whole, the album covers a wide range of musical ground, and one gets the feeling that Bess perhaps is trying to define her work as her own, as opposed to the music she’s been a part of working with others.

Although a guitarist, this album is certainly not an album revolving around her guitar playing. There’s an eclectic exploration here of sounds employing a wide range of instruments, but never are they the centerpiece of the songs. Instead, you’ll find yourself focusing on Bess’ voice and lyrics. Even the style and feel of the songs varies from alt-country to alt-waltz, and everything in between.


Bess Rogers - I Would Never : Decisions Based On Information

Bess Rogers - Only One : Decisions Based On Information





04/22 Somerville, MA @ Johnny D’s
04/24 New York, NY @ National Underground
05/06 Brooklyn, New York @ Luna Lounge
06/13 Providence, RI @ Brooklyn Tea and Coffee


Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am : Girls and Boys

Jenny Owen Youngs - Drinking Song : Batten the Hatches

"Jewmongous is really just an extension of my bar mitzvah, simultaneously embracing and rebelling against my heritage."
-Sean Altman

Sean Altman, half of the now defunct comedy duo What I Like About Jew, is back, and although this time performing under the name Jewmongous, he's still having fun with his religion. And as his website proclaims, he's here to play unkosher comedy songs, and you'll find plenty of them on the album. You'll find bubble-gum rock, circus waltzes, an Irish shanty, big band swing, a jazz ballad, blues, a klezmer cover of the Ramones' I Wanna Be Sedated, and so on and so on. There is something here for everyone (so long as they can laugh a little).

And for today, Sean has cooked up They Tried to Kill Us (We Survived, Let's Eat) in the spirit of Passover! Think of Jewish version of They Might be Giants set to every imaginable musical genre available and you'll come close to Taller Than Jesus, this outrageous collection of 15 tracks

I really know next to nothing about Mohanski. Let me sum it up:

Fact #1 = I do know they're from England.
Fact #2 = They're re-releasing their oddly titled debut album Hotdog Chihuahua on April 29th.
Fact #3 = Said debut album has a cleverly designed cover that I dig (but strangely enough, lacking canines of any breed) .

And now for the conjecture:

Guess #1 = Based on their pics, I'd guess they're a 4 piece band, but in reality they have five members - Perhaps the fifth member is taking the picture?.
Guess #2 = They've obviously watched a lot of westerns because they know to have the sun at their back.

That's it. That's all I got. That being said, I suppose I should talk about the album now, and not them. It's totally got a laid back chill groove to it with organs funking and tambourines shaking. Imagine The Doors meet The Beach Boys, mixed up with your favorite jam band, Brit-pop-icize it (think Beta Band - try Airwolf below if you don't believe me), and then plug them in with some electronic exclamations snuck in between. It's completely an album to kick back with and contemplate the atomic weight of air.


Mohanski - Airwolf : Hotdog Chihuahua

Mohanski - I've Been Sold : Hotdog Chihuahua

So tomorrow is Record Store Day. What does that mean? It means you should get off you lazy, iTunes downloadin' arse and walk/bike/ride a horse/skydive/teleport yourself to your local small time music retailer and buy some music. Not just mp3's, but real solid honest-to-goodness music. Cassette, vinyl, CD, 8-track, I don't care what it is, just buy it. Lots of it. And before you do, talk to the guy or gal behind the counter and ask them what they recommend, because they love music even more than you do and might just have some suggestions that I might fail to make here on MISB.

Want to know more about it? Head over to the official Record Store Day Website where you can see if your local music dealer is in on the buzz. And while you're waiting for tomorrow to come, here is an mp3 for you to listen to!

There is a lot of really good music out there, and when I say out there, I don’t mean in Los Angeles (or Canada for that matter). If you think about it, most Americans stick to American music, or every so often get crazy when there’s a new British Invasion. It’s a shame really, as there a lot of different traditions out there that could add to our musical palette. In face, if you look back in history you’ll realize that other countries have been much more accepting of our music than we have been of theirs. For example, think of the massive exodus of jazz greats to Europe. Then again, we do listen to Irish drinking songs on St. Patrick’s Day.

At the turn of the month, Belgium collective Think Of One released their latest creation, Camping Shaâbi. The group is organized around leader and composer David Bovee, and whereas their last album was flavored with Brazilian music, this album circles around a collective love of Moroccan shaâbi. If you’re not familiar with shaâbi (and I wasn’t before hearing this album), it’s a modern day popular style of music that’s derived from traditional Berber music. To imbue it with a sense of authenticity, the group has brought five Moroccan musicians into the fold to collaborate with.

The product has an exotic flair to it that refreshingly feels most definitely UN-American. Instead of just copying a cultural tradition though and recording it as their own, Think Of One mixes in other diverse elements to claim it as their own. There are jazzy horns here and there to make exclamations, note altering electronica, and dub and hip-hop influences as well. On top of it all are vocals sung in Flemish, Arabic, French, and some English here and there (try below). If you’re at all familiar with OppressorZap Mama (who coincidentally is also Belgian), Think Of One is working of the same page.








Zap Mama - Yelling Away : Ancestry In Progress

You know how usually most albums are somewhat top heavy? Typically the first few tracks are the ones that stick with you the most, and as you get deeper into the album, especially at the end, it often feels like filler. When I first played Rare Child, the second album from Danielia Cotton, the first few songs struck me as good, but didn’t really completely grab me. It wasn’t until I got into the middle of the album that my ears really started perking up and paying total attention.

There are two things I take away from listening to the album in its entirety. First, and foremost, is Cotton’s voice. It’s the kind of voice that seems like would easily overwhelm a microphone if the singer really got up on it. It’s full, it’s powerful, but it still is graceful and feminine. It’s the kind of voice that I could picture singing gospel solos sans mic and still completely filling a room. Don’t think I’m simply suggesting it’s loud; that’s most definitely not the case. Even with its intensity, it still carries rich emotions and shades of subtlety.

The second aspect of the album which I enjoy, and which complements and even lifts Cotton’s vocals, is the blues tainted soul sounds that the music carries. While some of the tracks rock nice and loud, others convey a hushed intimateness. Regardless, both tones feel equally familiar with Cotton’s spirit.

Returning to my original observations about Danielia’s voice, she was raised listening to the jazz and gospel music that her mother and aunts sang, which could account for that strong presence her voice carries. The album is the follow-up to her debut, Small White Town, which came out back in 2005, and hits shelves on May 20th.

(looking in the mirror and practicing...)

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my mom, my great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Franklin, the four great artists in my brand new banner (especially Vanilla Ice for proving a white man really can roll in a 5.0), all Harlem Globetrotters (past and present...and future while I'm at it), the Dalai Lama (I'm not buying all that hype China's trying to sell us), Soul Train...

But seriously, it's really hard to believe that this party has been rolling along for two years now. This here is post # 537! Along the way I've told you about my first concert (Motley Crue - who coincidentally is coming around for Crue Fest 2008 this summer - anyone want to go?), confessed I love romantic comedies, and shared a whole boatload of music. I'm not going to get all gushy with you - that's not how I roll here at MISB. Instead I'll just thank you all for swingin' through.


Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - 2:22 : Nothing But the Water

Belle & Sebastian - Dirty Dream Number Two : The Boy with the Arab Strap

Bruce Springsteen - Two Hearts : The River

Wally Pleasant - Two For One Coupon : Hoedown

Page France - We Remain as Two : Come, I'm a Lion!

Ben Lee - 2 Sisters : Something to Remember Me By

Tricky - Carriage For Two : Angels With Dirty Faces

Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - It Takes Two : Profilin' the Hits

Johnny Cash - Two Timin' Woman : Unearthed I: Who's Gonna Cry

William Bell - Tryin' To Love Two : Tryin' To Love Two 7" (get it on Greatest Hits, Vol. 1)

Bitter:Sweet - Take 2 Blue : The Mating Game

Elvis Perkins - Moon Woman 2 : Ash Wednesday

Gemma Hayes - Two Steps : The Roads Don't Love You

The Fiery Furnaces - Two Fat Feet : Gallowsbird's Bark

You probably don't recognize the name 45 King. That's cool - consider this your lesson then, because if you consider yourself a hip-hop fan..ESPECIALLY an old school fan, you need to get educated. His name comes from the fact that he cooks up beats using 45's - some obscure, others well known. King got his start as the "record boy" for Bronx-based rap pioneers the Funky 4. This gave him an inside peak, and the savory taste, of what could be spun to pump out the breaks that initially kindled hip-hop as a genre unto itself. He's been spinning vinyl himself since the mid-80's, but the beat he's probably most famous for dropping is one that he took a looping tenor sax solo from Marva Whitney's Unwind Yourself for and used it in his track The 900 Number, which was in turn sampled by DJ Kool in his track Let Me Clear My Throat back in 1996.

Fast forward to 2008, when 45 King's beat has been brought back to life, this time with DJ Pase Rock laying down some brand new lyrics on the 2k8 version which you can hear below. Listen closely, and you just might catch on to the fact that the entire song is pieced together using lyrics and song titles from other songs opening up with Tag Team's Whoomp! (There It Is), and going on to Arthur Conley, Loose Joints, James Brown, Montell Jordan, Stardust, Ludacris, Mylo, Freddie Jackson, Outkast, Timbaland, Nelly, Eminem, M.I.A., Afrika Bambaata, The Beastie Boys, Eric B and Rakim, Fedde le Grand, 50 cent, East 17, Kanye West, LL Cool J, Kylie Minogue, Usher, Kanye West, P Diddy, Will Smith, Maze, Dr. Dre, Mims, Trick Daddy, R Kelly, This is Justice, Fat Joe, Chaka Demus, DJ Khaled, and Snoop Dogg. I know I'm missing some here - but I'm pretty sure every line comes from someplace else.

In addition to the re-worked 900 Number tracks (there's a remix of the new version as well), 45 King's new EP includes a few new tracks as well featuring Pase Rock, Wale, and 4th Pyramid. All of this comes together thanks to Scion, the same folks who put out the Ghostface Killah tracks I wrote about last week. Here's the 900 track, along with some of the songs that are referred to in the lyrics.

45 King Vs. Pase Rock - The 900 Number (2k8) : Scion A/V Remix - 45 King

DJ Kool - Let Me Clear My Throat (live) : Let Me Clear My Throat

Tag Team - Whoomp! (There It Is) : Whoomp! (There It Is)

Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It : Def Jam's Greatest Hits

Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock (Old School Classic Mix) : Planet Rock Remixes Vol. 1

LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out : All World - Greatest Hits

“Paul and I wanted to develop an easy entry point for the growing global community where they could get more involved and learn something deeper about Africa. It’s really a focus on the key successes of several regions, and the African artists who originate from these areas. It’s our goal for the public to learn more about all the good that’s happening in Africa . We are trying to garner excitement about the culture, in addition to drawing people toward the struggles of Darfur , etc. This is a project which celebrates Africa !”

Say what you will of Bono and U2's music, whether you like it or not, you can't argue with the band's involvement with the world around them, the charitable work they've performed, and the money and awareness they've raised for issues of all types.

In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 is an album that serves two purposes: to pay homage to Bono for his efforts, and to showcase the talent of some current African artists, both known internationally and others who are not. In pursuit of these goals, twelve African artists (both solo and groups) have taken twelve U2 tracks (some well known, others not so) and interpreted them through their particular cultural prism. What comes out are covers that retain some familiarity while at the same time boldly jaunting off into original territory.

Besides the music, another appealing aspect of the album is the liner notes, which include background information on each artist such as their country of origin, its date of independence, population size, main export, major issue facing the region, recent actions taken to improve its current state, and relevant websites with additional information. Here's the page for the first track below, an interpretation of Mysterious Ways by Angelique Kidjo, which is performed multi lingually.


Each artist has their own page in the liner notes, allowing the listener to connect with more than just the sounds from the album. Not only is this a wonderful collection of music, but a portion of the album's proceeds will directly benefit The Global Fund. For far too long Africa's issues have been ignored and unresolved. Educate yourself, buy the album, support change.

You want to talk about a Dream Team? Forget about basketball - instead think of the Soul Clan. Formed in 1968, it included Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, and Don Covay, five heavyweights of soul at its artistic height. Originally Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett were going to be on board as well - can you imagine that line-up, damn?!!? Unfortunately, by the time the project kicked into gear Otis had died in a tragic plane crash and Wilson mysteriously pulled out.

The group got together and laid down just one 45 RPM single, two tracks, before dissolving and becoming the stuff of legends. Soul Meeting, the A-side, can be found on Solomon Burke's The Definitive Soul Collection. The B-side, That's How I Feel, was recently released with a slew of other dusty gems on Atlantic Unearthed : Soul Brothers. But to truly experience the magic, listen to the songs the way they were meant to below - on vinyl!

The Soul Clan - Soul Meeting : Soul Meeting 7"

The Soul Clan - That's How I Feel : Soul Meeting 7" B-side


Solomon Burke - Got to Get You Off My Mind : Got to Get You Off My Mind 7"

Solomon Burke - Peepin' : Got to Get You Off My Mind 7" B-side


Ben E. King - I (Who Have Nothing) : I (Who Have Nothing) 7"

Ben E. King - The Beginning of Time : I (Who Have Nothing) 7" B-side


Arthur Conley - Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack : Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack 7"

Arthur Conley - Is That You Love : Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack 7" B-side


Joe Tex - Show Me : Show Me 7"

Joe Tex - A Woman Sees A Hard Time : Show Me 7" B-side


Don Covay - Seesaw : Atlantic Gold: 75 Soul Classics From The Atlantic Vaults (Disc 2)

"On this record, we hoped to capture the joy of friends playing together in a relaxed way. We used a lot of first and second takes and tried to preserve a sense of immediacy and discovery that comes from putting things down before you really have a chance to think too hard. It's bolder, and at the same time more intimate, than anything we've done."


The French Kicks are not new to the scene, but with the release of Swimming, they've created perhaps their best album yet. I know that's a pretty heavy boast, and not one that I make lightly, but ever since I first spun the album, it's hooked me. As with their previous work, the album is very strongly percussively driven. The beat is strong and central to driving most of the tracks on the album. Not only is that beat ever present, but the album as a whole sounds, and feels, fuller, more complex, more complete. I enjoyed Two Thousand, but I'm LOVING Swimming. There's a lot of really catchy material here - and I don't mean in a Macarena kind of way.

It's already out digitally, but you'll have to wait until May 20th to pick up a physical version.



French Kicks - Abandon : Swimming

French Kicks - Carried Away : Swimming

and a few older ones:

French Kicks - A Delicate Hang : Roller EP

French Kicks - Knee High : Daytrotter Session




4/15 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
4/24 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
4/25 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
4/26 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
4/27 Asheville, NC @ Bald Eagle
5/15 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
5/16 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
5/18 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
5/19 Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp
5/22 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
5/23 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah

R&B, jazz, blues, country, Celtic folk - Van Morrison has been an artist who's played them all by his own rules since he first started making music back in the 60's, and he's not stopping any time soon. Ever since his first band, Them, and it's long-lasting, oft-covered Gloria, Van Morrison has created music that stands out as both unique and artistically diverse, with no regard as to popular trends or acceptance. On April 1st he release the aptly titled Keep It Simple, his first album of all new material since 1999.

The album opens up with the 100% pure blues track How Can A Poor Boy? (which you can listen to below). Morrison's love of the blues is common knowledge; listen to his 1993 album Too Long In Exile where he pairs up with blues' legend John Lee Hooker for proof. From there Morrison shift through his broad repertoire of genres. Try Song of Home for a different flavor, one of some clean country gospel.

There's not necessarily anything revolutionary here, just thoroughly solid music that Morrison continuously works to get as close to perfection as possible. And amazingly, after being at it for over 40 years, his voice still smoothly descends, ascends, and enticingly pulls you in like a gypsy fortune teller. The album has comfortably familiar warmth to it for Morrison fans, which some might interpret as staleness, but when you have such a unique and inimitable style, why would you want to lose that?

The album is already out, so enjoy the two tracks below for a preview, then head to Morrison's website to listen to the rest of the album and decide if it's a required addition to your collection.



Van Morrison - How Can A Poor Boy : Keep It Simple

Van Morrison - Song of Home : Keep It Simple



Van Morrison, Sinéad O'Connor & The Chieftains - Have I Told You Lately : Live On Letterman: Music From The Late Show

Them - Gloria : Gloria 7" (get it on Them Featuring Van Morrison)

Here it is: a classic battle between old school and new school, The Coasters vs. Ghostface Killah, infectiously fun doo-wop R&R vs. the street smart rapper. OK, so maybe they're two completely different songs - the gauntlet has been thrown down.

What brings today's battle to light? Remember reading about the Scion Sampler Vol. 19 - Daptone Records Remixed? Well our friends at Scion have struck again, this time dropping tracks by Wu-Tang rapper Ghostface Killah. They've taken his cut Charlie Brown and put out two singles which will be given away free at events across the country that Scion will be at (check the list here to see where you can get yours). The first single has the original track, an instrumental version, and an acapella version. The second singe has four guest DJs cutting and mixing the track with their own particular flair, resulting in four remixes very different from one another. The Orgasmic Remix for example, which you can check out below, not only has the best name but also has got a Euro-Mobyish house flow to it.

So which version ends up on top? Leave a comment, what do you think?

Although one cannot help but lament the loss of NYC's iconic CBGB's back in 2006, there is some small consolation in the opening of The Morrison Hotel Gallery in CB's former gallery space. With the arrival of the MHG comes a new exhibit named Rockers, slated to open April 24th from can't-come-up-with-adequately-grandiose-adverbs famous photographer Bob Gruen. If the name is not familiar to you, I can GUARANTEE you that some of his pictures, including the one of John Lennon above, are.

Much of Bob's work has become simply iconic, and the exhibit includes some 280 photographs, many of them never before exhibited in the U.S. - from John Lennon (with whom he served as personal photographer) to John Lydon (i.e. Johnny Rotten), Bob Dylan to Bob Marley. His work spanned genres and his art includes images of The New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Ramones, Patti Smith Group, Blondie, Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, KISS, Elton John and Alice Cooper.

Not only is the exhibit chock full of images of some of the biggest artists of the last 40 years, it's absolutely free. As in costs you nothing. As in the best deal going in NYC. So, if you're planning on visiting the Big Apple, absolutely work this into your itinerary.


Death Cab For Cutie - Pictures in an Exhibition : Something About Airplanes

Def Leppard - Photograph : Pyromania

Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories : Photographs and Memories : His Greatest Hits

The Cure - Pictures Of You [Extended Dub Mix] : Mixed Up

You might remember from a few months back when Kaki King shared the story for her song Life Being What It Is with me for my Sunday Spotlight feature. It came from her fourth album, Dreaming of Revenge, which hit shelves about a month ago now. This last Sunday night I was fortunate enough to catch Kaki and her band touring in support of the album in Northampton, MA.

Opening for the evening was Emily. That’s right, simply Emily (and her guitar). Kaki has included local artists to support the tour and Emily was brought on board for a handful of shows, including this one. Imagining a woman and her guitar will give you some preconceived notions as to what you can expect, and while Emily didn’t radically veer from what you might imagine, she did spice things up with a handful of diverse covers mixed throughout her short set.

The first surprise she dealt up was an acoustic cover of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Even with no introduction, the crowd almost instantly caught on to what they were listening to. After another original, Emily re-interpreted Antonia Carlos Jobim’s Bossa Nova song Triste. Amazingly, even with just a guitar, Emily was able to capture the Brazilian feel of the tune. She was also able to pull off The Allman Brothers’ Whipping Post (in the middle of which she worked in Jimi Hendrix’s Manic Depression) and The Beatles’ Oh! Darling. All were delivered with a bluesy voice over her single guitar. If anyone out there has a link to Emily's website, please share so I can add it.

The main event of the evening, obviously, was Kaki and her band. As can be expected from a guitar virtuoso, the stage was packed with guitars which Kaki drew upon, switching to a new instrument nearly every song. Most of the material from the evening was drawn from their latest release, which if you haven’t heard is a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks. I think for me, the most striking aspect of the album, even after having listened to it for a few months, is how different sounding and feeling some of the tracks are. On some there’s an airiness filled only by Kaki’s delicate vocals, but in others her voice picks up a deepness quite removed. Instrumentally, the album’s sounds parallel Kaki’s voice. In concert, this dichotomy is preserved.

Perhaps the most entrancing part of the evening, as you could surely guess based on her reputation, was seeing Kaki work alone on her instruments. Listening to the album is one thing; it’s easy to imagine all sorts of studio chicanery when it comes to intricately woven sounds. Actually seeing how Kaki persuades those sounds to come out in person is another thing. Within her grasp the instrument becomes part drum, part piano (with the way her fingers play over the fretboard), part guitar. Even in person it's hard to believe what she can do.

The band has a few remaining dates before Kaki heads down under to Australia. Catch her if you can.


Kaki King - 2 O'Clock : Dreaming of Revenge


The Allman Brothers - Whipping Post (live) : At Fillmore East

Previous readers might notice a little change this morning. That's right, after nearly 2 years, MISB finally got a makeover. New banner, new background, but still all the same musical meandering. Check it out, tell me what you think!

This week, I'm proud to introduce Kensington Prairie to you in the Sunday Spotlight. Although she gets some help on a few of the tracks, for all intents and purposes, Kensington Prairie is the solo project of Rebecca Rowan, the singer / songwriter of Vancouver band Maplewood Lane. She's stepped outside of the group to put together ten tracks that she's written herself and collected together under an album titled Captured In Still Life.

Becca was kind enough to take the time to tell me about Crooked Things Straight, the seventh track on the album. Text in red is her, black questions are mine.



Songs are often a mixture of reality and fiction, and the lyrics can come without even the artist knowing the whole meaning- the powerful thing about that is, that a song can then have multiple meanings at different times for the artist and listener. I think a lot of the time, this is the case for my songwriting. Although with the song, Crooked Things Straight, it came pretty specifically.

I wrote it within a year of having our first daughter. At that time it seemed a bunch of our friends were going through some rough stuff, especially a few of my friends struggling through post-partum depression. So, with my specific friends in my thoughts, I sat on my bed, looked out the window at the big whispering Fir, and tried to work through my feelings by strumming and writing.

The lyrics in the first verse, " ...all our friends are dropping like flies", refers to that sense of helplessness when you see people you love, walking through something difficult. Sometimes there are no easy answers to pain, and that's why I often use questions to work through what I see going on around me, "...tell me, tell me, is there a way to make crooked things straight, or to replace all the joy to your eyes?".

I think when you start to really look Life in the face, you realize everybody has their secret sorrows...none of us are untouched, that's what I'm referring to in the second verse's lyrics, "...seems so lately, all the rivers are flowing to the sea, and the sea's never full of her misery". I think we all go through seasons, where it seems bad things happen around us, and then we go through seasons of relative peace. When you're in that season of turmoil, it's hard to make sense of it and that's what the chorus speaks of..."you never really know, what kind of things will show up in your way/ you never really can tell, the ringing of those bells in your ears/ or what kind of black cloud's gonna start raining down on your parade".

When I was recording this song in the studio, laying down the scratch tracks I had one of those inspired moments and the ending of the song just came to me minutes before putting it down (I had never been satisfied with the way I'd had it before) and it just seemed to pull the whole song together, to end on a note of hope- "...don't let it get to you, it's the best you can do." There's a lot in life that is out of our control, sometimes we get dealt the wrong hand...but for me, this song is just about taking it one step at a time, and believing that you'll get through it. Subsequently, my friends whom I wrote this song for have found a way through to the other side, and feel stronger for the journey.

And a few additional questions for Becca:


1.) How did writing and recording this album differ from your work with Maplewood Lane? Did you find it less confining working on your own? Have these songs been kicking around inside you for a while just waiting to come out or did you give birth to them after deciding to record an album on your own?

With the Maplewood Lane recordings I had my guitar parts and vocal parts that I would put down in the studio usually after the drum and bass tracks were already done...so the songs were already in the form we had rehearsed. I think what was really freeing and fun for me with this solo project, was that I came into the studio with a set of songs that were really mine to make into something- and I loved that creative process. I think being able to tinker with xylophone, vibraphone, rhodes, guitar, harmonica, vocals, jingle bells etc. made each song feel personalized. Of course, having a producer like Jon Anderson around who has an ear for every instrument under the sun made it all the more fun! I think it is less confining working on your own, but it's also scarier...because you don't have the safety net of everyone else's parts and input.

Most of the songs on the album had been percolating in my head for awhile, songs that perhaps wouldn't fit on a Maplewood Lane album...so, that was really what prompted me to embark on a solo project. With Maplewood Lane becoming more electric, I wanted an outlet for these songs that would allow them to meander through a simpler landscape.

2.) Listening to and reading your lyrics, I noticed that all of your songs deal with time - either looking forward or, more often, looking back. Was that a conscious choice on your part or did they just develop on their own that way?

I think that I am a reflective person by nature, so most of my songs have this underlying theme...I guess I am fascinated a little with time, and the effects of all its experiences upon us. As a kid, I grew up partly in Africa, partly in Canada and partly in India...so I think the travels, the many goodbyes, the many places and peoples that I've seen have had a huge affect on how I see my world and the processing of my own story within that framework. So, no it wasn't a conscious choice to write these songs that way but it was neat to bundle them all together and notice how they flowed even though I had written some of them recently and some of them quite a few years earlier.

3.) Is the picture of the young girl on the cover you?

The picture on the cover is not me, but it is a picture of my husband Nathan's mom. She was about three in that picture, and there's something about her expression that really captures the feeling of the album.


The album comes out a little under a month from today, on April 22nd. It's full of dreamy Americana-esque tracks that really revolve around Becca's soft and sweet voice. Much of the album centers itself on two topics: separation and time (as noted above), and although somewhat melancholy, it carries an upbeat hint of hope. For those readers north of the border, you'll be able to catch two songs from the album, A Million Skies and Disappear from View, on the CBC’s brand new show Heartland. For those of us in more southern climes, enjoy the following tracks and then pick up the album.

Forty years ago this last Friday, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. How might this world be a better place if he was still with us?



Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Birmingham 1962 -- Keep Moving : Every Tone A Testimony : An African American Aural History

Nina Simone - Why (The King Of Love Is Dead) : The Very Best Nina Simone: Sugar In My Bowl (Disc 1)

The Chi-Lites - (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People : (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People 7"

The Chi-Lites - Troubles A' Comin : (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People 7" B-side

The Sojourners - Eyes On the Prize : Hold On

The Impressions - We're a Winner : We're a Winner 7"

The Impressions - It's All Over : We're a Winner 7" B-side

Mavis Staples - My Own Eyes : We'll Never Turn Back

The Staple Singers - Long Walk To D.C. : The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles 1968-1971 (Disc 1)

Just a little bit of down home fun for you on this fine Friday. The band's called The Loose Acoustic Trio and yes, you guessed it, that's the trio in the picture. They're putting out an album titled Sorrow Be Gone on May 20th, and although I haven't had a chance to check out the entire album, I did get lucky enough to check out their cover of the classic Who song Pinball Wizard. As covers go, this one is simply brilliant. It takes a song that everyone and their grandmother knows and turns it on its head, retaining the lyrics and the basic idea of a melody, but not much else.

The band puts together a combination of accordion, 6-string banjo, bedpandolin (a mandolin forged from a metal bedpan), upright string bass and three part vocal harmonies that when assembled give them an old-time Cajun jug-band feel that will bring back memories of the Squirrel Nut Zippers but with a little more hillbilly feel. Download it here, and if you like what you hear, you can listen to the rest of the album on their website.


The Loose Acoustic Trio - Pinball Wizard (Who cover) : Sorrow Be Gone

and of course, the original:

The Who - Pinball Wizard : Who's Better, Who's Best

I don't even know how to start talking about Ball of Wax. It goes something like this:

1.) gather together a bunch of skilled but diverse musicians - a whole bunch of them (35 if you're counting)
2.) split said musicians into eleven randomly selected bands - the only rule is no one already in a band together could be working together here
3.) give said random bands 24 hours to write and record one song
4.) each said band would come up with a name for themselves and a name for their newly birthed song
5.) assemble said songs into one collection
6.) title said collection Ball of Wax Volume 11
7.) listen to said collection and be amazed

OK, enough with the "said" stuff. To piece it all together, it's quite a creative project that gives birth to some truly diverse results. Due to the nature of the project, the album as a whole doesn't necessarily gel as a complete and well-rounded work of art, rather consider it a gallery of songs where each song is meant to be taken individually rather than as a piece of the whole. Keeping that in mind, there are some tracks that will amaze you when you consider the timeline of their production and leave you wondering why the members don't get together to make an entire album together, and there are one or two tracks that seem like the group's members never totally came together as a cohesive unit with a unified vision.

Check out the second track on the album, the exotically titled Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant, below. It's got a Lou Reed feel to it that I'm definitely diggin'. It was recorded by Kiernan (from Hecka Ar), Kenny Day (from The Luna Moth and Secret Highways), and Jon Rooney (from Virgin of the Birds and Morning Spy). The trio came together under the name Daughters of Darkness, inspired by a Belgium horror movie of the same name.

Few artists can boast such a diverse career as British musician Barry Adamson. In the late 70's Adamson joined up with ex-Buzzcock Howard Devoto in the formation of the group Magazine. From there he went on to join Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and stayed with that band for their first four albums. After that he began his solo career, during which he's produced several soundtracks. Later this month (the 22nd to be precise), his seventh full-length album comes out in physical form, titled Back to the Cat (you can get it digitally now though).

If you're not familiar with Adamson's work, Back to the Cat has got a smoky jazzy feel to it that would feel right at home in a old gumshoe detective movie. It's got a film noir sense to it that makes you feel almost dirty listening to it, but at the same time posing as the femme fatale that you just can't resist falling for. As the album progresses, you'll catch some organ and horns thrown into the mix to take you out of the juke joint and into the realm of soul and even a little funk. It's nearly impossible to classify the album as a whole as it shifts gears numerous times between beginning and end. Try the following two tracks to give you a slight sliver and then if you like what you hear you can either download the whole album now or order it later this month.

Out today is Place Between Places, the third album from Violin artist virtuoso Lili Haydn. Violin, you might ask...as in Stradivarius? That's right, although you won't find any classical lullabies to put you to sleep here. Lili takes an instrument that's been around for hundreds of years and employs it in novel new ways. Due to her skills with the strings of her instrument, she has shared the stage with such diverse artists as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (playing Kasmir), Tom Petty, Josh Groban, Sting, and is a sometime member of George Clinton’s Parliament–Funkadelic (which explains her cover of Maggot Brain which closes the album and is available for you to listen to below).

While the album clearly falls into the category of pop, don't be too quick to dismiss it. She does a wonderful job of composing melodies that weave in both her gorgeous voice as well as her skilled violin playing. Listen to both the opening track, Memory One, and the closing cover track below to try a taste of her string work.



and one from the end of last year:

Lili Haydn - Goodbye Stranger : Goodbye Stranger EP