Jenny Owen Youngs Leads Us

Yesterday, Jenny Owen Youngs' latest release, her Led to the Sea single, hit digital shelves everywhere. The single is in preparation for her second album, Transmitter Failure, which is due out May 26, and which I haven't heard, but if the title track of this single is any indication, the new album packs a whole lot more complexity than Batten the Hatches, which was very much and acoustically driven affair. The four track single includes the following, all songs which the original versions appear on the album:

1. Led to the Sea
2. Clean Break (Mountain Mix)
3. Nighty Night (Strings Mix)
4. Led to the Sea (The Funny Energy Remix

Here's the title track for you to check out for yourself, along with one of my favorites from her old album.

Jenny Owen Youngs - Led To the Sea : Led To the Sea Single

and one from her first album:

Jenny Owen Youngs - Voice on Tape : Batten the Hatches

Visit her website, her label Nettwerk Records, and become her friend on MySpace.

The Very Best of Prestige Records

While I can pretend fairly well that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to the big names in jazz, truth be told my knowledge doesn't run as deep as it does in other genres. That's not to say that I don't enjoy it any less, because sometimes there's nothing better than groovin' out chill like with your feet tappin', fingers snappin', and head boppin' to some laid back jazz numbers. Just like with any other genre, there are some labels who instantly come to mind as the treasure troves of good tunes, and one of the first labels that (should) come to mind when discussing jazz is Prestige Records.

First started in 1949 (originally named New Jazz) by Bob Weinstock, a New York City jazz music store owner and music collector, the label would record many well known giants of the genre including Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Dexter Gordon, and many, many others, artists not as ingrained in the public conscious, but consummately skilled artists never the less. Their stable of artists ran deep, artists who ran across the spectrum of instruments.

In celebration of Prestige's 60th anniversary, the Concord Music Group (who now owns the Prestige label along with many other classics) released The Very Best of Prestige Records a few weeks ago. It's a double disc release that has culled twenty five gems from the catalog (and with a label like Prestige, one can imagine the immense task of choosing just twenty five) from artists like those named above to ones lesser known outside jazz circles. Accompanying the discs are some beautifully written (and informative) liner notes that share not only the history of the label, but the stories behind the songs here as well.

I'm not going to lie to you; if you're not a jazz fanatic the two and a half hours of music is probably more than you can handle in one sitting. Don't let that turn you off though. Take it one disc at a time and enjoy each ones subtleties. If you're like me, you won't recognize half of the artists here, which is why a collection like this is so enjoyable: to turn you on to new artists which would otherwise remain buried. To start you on your way I've included one track from each of the two discs below. One is from an artist that will probably be recognizable, Thelonious Monk (pictured above and one of my personal favorites), and one that probably won't be, Yusef Lateef (who'll prove to you that jazz isn't all about the loud horns with his middle-eastern influenced flute work).

Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk : The Very Best of Prestige Records (disc 1)

Yusef Lateef - The Plum Blossom : The Very Best of Prestige Records (disc 2)

Visit the Prestige Records Website.

Kate York's For You, for you

Today I share with you a guest post written by Jane, a frequent commenter here on MISB. A few weeks ago she suggested an artist that she thought I should check out named Kate York. I did, and enjoyed, and asked if Jane would like to share Kate with the rest of you, and here it is! Thanks Jane for the suggestion and the wonderful post!

-Sean

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Kate York seamlessly blends pop, electronica, and folk on her latest album For You. These eleven songs feature the honeyed vocals and introspective lyrics that fans of her previous work (an EP in 2004, and the album Sadlylove in 2006) have come to expect. And once again York delivers a full range of emotions, wrapping them in winsome pop melodies and driving drumbeats.

"I was going nowhere and then you came along," she sings on the title track. "How you broke through like the morning sun." Listening to this airy opening and glancing at the sunny album art, one might assume that For You will play out with an outpouring of happiness. But don't be fooled. As the album unfolds, York's honest lyrics capture the shared experiences of disappointment, heartbreak, and loneliness. "There's a vision of lonely that will not go away," she tells us in Runnin'. "I've been running with these teardrops runnin' down my face, but you're still not washed away."

For me, this recurring image of water in its various forms -- the tears in Runnin', the rain in Summer Rain, the sea in Love Is Like a Melody - demonstrates York's strength, her gift for metaphor. A lesser artist would be unable to avoid the pitfall of cliché, but York sings the sad songs with a quiet resignation. On Rains Here Too, my personal favorite, the singer
acknowledges:

It's never as easy as slammin' the door,
When it comes through the ceiling, spills up through the floor.
So I drove all this way to get away from you.
But it rains here too.

And she is equally pragmatic on the bleak yet lovely centerpiece, Go. With simple piano accompaniment, York's clear voice concludes, "So we're broken. Guess we were the last to know. If you're goin', go."

But as she told us in the opening track, the sun does break through, and there are moments of optimism here. The poppy Give It Away, with York's voice at its huskiest, encourages us to give love a try ("I know if you don't you might regret it one day"). And the album closes with the inspiring and gospel-like Holdin' On, in which a community of voices joins York on the chorus, insisting, "I've been holdin' on." Despite all the dark moments on For You, Kate York leaves us with a sense of hope. The many facets of her work are well worth exploring.

Kate York - Give It Away : For You

Kate York - Go : For You

and an older one:

Kate York - Comes A Time (Neil Young Cover) : Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity

Visit her website and become her friend on MySpace.

Sunday Soul - Drowning

art of drowning

You warm me with your kisses
Then you leave me in the cold
How can I know your wishes
When you tell me
What I've never been told
I'm trying the best baby
Just trying to understand
You're pouring water
I've got to tell you about it
On an old drowning man

You're pouring water
You see I'm a drowning man
Oh, i got tears in my eyes
I'm a drowning man

Don't let me drown
Oh baby, I'm an old drowning man

James Carr - Pouring Water On a Drowning Man : Pouring Water On a Drowning Man 7"

James Carr - Forgetting You : Pouring Water On a Drowning Man 7" B-side

Find them both on The Essential James Carr.

King of Rock

Big news for hip hop fans. Tonight Run-D.M.C. is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (along with a bunch of other people). It's showing at 9:00 PM eastern time on Fuse TV. All I have to say is, it's about damn time!

Visit the official FUSE Rock and Roll Hall of Fame site.

Run-D.M.C. - King of Rock : King of Rock

Visit their website and become their friend on MySpace.

Leonard Cohen Contest

It's been too long since I've given anything away, so today is all about the prize. Up for grabs is a brand new, completely unopened copy of Leonard Cohen's new DVD Live in London (yes, that's the very one pictured above). It just came out on Tuesday, and is live concert footage filmed on July 17th, 2008 in, yes you guessed it, London, from his first tour in over fifteen years! Over the course of two DVDs, Cohen works through over two and a half hours of music including the following:

1. Dance Me To The End Of Love
2. The Future
3. Ain't No Cure For Love
4. Bird On The Wire
5. Everybody Knows
6. In My Secret Life
7. Who By Fire
8. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
9. Anthem
10. Introduction
11. Tower Of Song
12. Suzanne
13. The Gypsy's Wife
14. Boogie Street
15. Hallelujah
16. Democracy
17. I'm Your Man
18. Recitation w/ N.L.
19. Take This Waltz
20. So Long, Marianne
21. First We Take Manhattan
22. Sisters Of Mercy
23. If It Be Your Will
24. Closing Time
25. I Tried To Leave You
26. Wither Thou Goest

If DVD concerts aren't your thing, it's also been released as a double CD release (which ISN'T up for grabs here). If you'd like the above pictured DVDs, just leave a comment (or e-mail me) with your name and e-mail address and you'll be in the running. I'll pick a winner next Thursdayish and e-mail them with the good news. In the meantime, here are a few songs from the show:

Leonard Cohen - The Future (live) : Live in London (CD - disc 1)

Leonard Cohen - Sisters Of Mercy (live) : Live in London (CD - disc 2)

and if you don't win, the link to order Live in London (DVD)

Visit his website, his label Sony Records, and become his friend on MySpace.

April Fools

halo you fool

Aretha Franklin - April Fools : Young, Gifted and Black

Still

anticipation

I'm still an arrow unshot, fixed to a bow, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a fire unlit, ready to go, I'm still, I'm still

I'm still loaded and waiting, with anticipation to fly
I'm still studying the patterns in the night sky

I'm still a note that's unplayed, ink on a page, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a cry in the night, lonesome and high, I'm still, I'm still

I'm still tuned to an insturment of greater and unknown design
I'm still looking for direction, some kind of sign

I'm still tuning myself to the great key, I'm still, I'm still


Great Lake Swimmers - Still : Lost Channels

Visit their website, their label Nettwerk Records, and become their friend on MySpace.

Dillanthology

Just three years ago last month the world quietly lost one of its greatest hip hop producers, and most people didn't know it then and still don't know it now. For those who read liner notes, you knew that behind some of the dopest beats rhymed over by folks such as Common, The Roots, De La Soul, The Pharacyde, Erykah Badu, Slum Village, etc., etc., etc.., you found the name J Dilla. Although he flew under a lot of people's radar, fact is he was responsible for some big beats that hip hop fans are familiar with. The folks over at Rapster Records have taken the task upon themselves of educating the masses, of sharing the memory of a beat-master that deserves a lot more recognition than he ever gained while alive.

Enter Dillathology, Vol. 1 (subtitled Dilla's Productions for Various Artists), a thirteen track compilation of cuts which Dilla produced over the course of his career for a variety of artists that you'll probably be suprised by if you aren't a devotee of Dilla already. Check it out for yourself:

1. The Pharcyde - Runnin'
2. Slum Village - Fall In Love
3. Common - The Light
4. Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know
5. De La Soul _ Stakes Is High
6. Busta Rhymes - Show Me What You Got
7. The Roots - Dynamite
8. A.G. Feat. Aloe Blacc - Hip Hop Quotable
9. The Pharcyde - Drop
10. Amp Fiddler - I Believe In You
11. Steve Spacek - Dollar
12. Chino XL - Don't Say
13. Frank N Dank - Push

As you can see, although the general listening public wasn't down with Dilla, musicians in the know sought him and his beats out. And now, thanks to Rapster, hopefully more people will know what they missed out on when they release this comp tomorrow. I'll share one of my favorites of the group, a relative oldie from Common that samples an even older oldie from 1982, Bobby Caldwell's Open Your Eyes.

And as a side note for Dilla fans (new or old), if you hadn't heard about it on February 22nd, Carlos Niño, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, and his 40-piece orchestra brought Dilla's music to life with an incredibly moving and creative re-imagining in contemporary chamber music style, which you can check out on the recently released (last month) Suite For Ma Dukes.

Common - The Light : Dillanthology, Vol. 1

the sampled:

Bobby Caldwell - Open Your Eyes : Cat In the Hat

and a classic:

J Dilla - Wild : Ruff Draft (2007 re-issued version)

Visit J Dilla's Myspace page and the comp's label Rapster Records.

Sunday Soul - Cherish

cherish you

when i was a baby momma wrapped me
in her arms whenever i cried
she picked me up when life dropped me
she was always there by my side
she said

one,
one day they'll be a man in your life
to take the place of a mother's love
he'll,
he'll give you joy
a happy life

but treasure this advice
cherish what's dear to you while it's near to you
don't wait till it's gone

Freda Payne - Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It's Dear To You) : Cherish What Is Dear To You 7"

Freda Payne - The World Don't Owe You A Thing : Cherish What Is Dear To You 7" B-side

Find both on Unhooked Generation: The Complete Invictus Recordings.

Fever Ray Rises

Some of you might be familiar with the Swedish brother / sister duo of Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer-Andersson who perform(ed) under the name The Knife. Well, after releasing their last album back in 2006, Karin has decided to pursue a different musical path under the moniker Fever Ray.

Her new, self-titled album, which came out earlier this week, is both similar and different to her previous work with her brother. Her sound is still heavily dependent on a multi-layered electronic assemblage of sounds that present an almost sterile beauty to them. The beats are perfectly struck, layers weaving in between each other, and Karin's quite distinct voice laying down obtuse lyrics. Take, for instance, the album's second cut, When I Grow Up, which you can listen to (and watch) below:

When I grow up
I want to be a forester
Run through the moss on high heels
That's what I'll do
Throwing out a boomerang
Waiting for it to come back to me

Even with its inorganic distance though, it doesn't quite push you completely away, and if anything begs you to make sense of vocals which approach at odd angles, much like the music.

Fever Ray - When I Grow Up : Fever Ray
(watch the video)

Visit her website, her label Mute Records, and become her friend on MySpace.

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The Knife - Silent Shout : Silent Shout

Beast is a Beauty

Beast, while imposingly threatening sounding, isn't so much so when you get past the bees, unless of course you're allergic to bees, in which case you might ask someone else to open up the CD for you. The group is a duo, pictured above, which includes Jean-Phi Goncalves and Betty Bonifassi (who appeared on the soundtrack for The Triplets of Belleville), both originally from France but now living in Montreal. Both came from pevious projects, but upon meeting up, the pair churned out the album's opening track, Devil, in their very first session together. At which point, their collaboration seemed inevitable.

The album broods with a dark intensity that Betty has dubbed "trip rock," a title which makes sense after having listened to their music. You'll experience shades of Tricky here, but Beast doesn't lurk quiet as deep as he has in his music. It still throbs with dark insistance though that brims with electro, rock, jazz, and soul influences. Both members of the band provide vocals over the course of the album, with Betty sounding very much like a sharper modern day Shirley Bassey and Jean-Phil offering creepy spoken word sections (listen to Dark Eyes below to see what I mean). The two work together quite well.

Beast - Mr. Hurricane : Beast

Beast -Dark Eyes : Beast

Visit their website, their label Verve Forecast, and become their friend on MySpace.

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Shirley Bassey - Big Spender : Goldsinger: The Best Of Shirley Bassey