Thursday, October 29, 2015

Widow's peak or widow speak?

Not sure how to pronounce the name of the group Widowspeak. Interesting group. Their music is psychedelia mixed dreamy vocals. The band is originally from Tacoma, Washington, and formed in 2010 but has relocated to New York. They remind me of Mazzy Star and have 3 CDs out.



Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Okay, another heaven reference. Sorry

Sigur Ros
I know many of the followers of my music blog are familiar with this group. But for those who aren't, let me introduce them to them. They're from Iceland, which produces some of the most amazing bands in the world, for such a tiny country. The group is led by Jonsi, who has an angelic voice. I've tried to see them live for several years, but their shows sell out in a matter of hours. I finally got to see them last year and the experience was other-worldly. If heaven was as beautiful as a Sigur Ros concert, sign me up. Listen to these music videos and you'll be hooked.








Sunday, July 5, 2015

Harmonic Heaven

I haven't heard vocal harmonies this beautiful in a long time. This folk trio from Watford, England was formed in 2010 and features three sisters Emilie, Jessica, and Camille Staveley-Taylor. Emily was only 14 when they made their live debut at an open-mike night at a local pub. They were well received and began appearing on a regular basis. Since then, they've put out an EP and a couple full-length CDs.



Sunday, June 14, 2015

Un-prophetable

I have no idea why this guy isn't more famous. He has a voice like Lou Reed and his bad sounds like the Velvet Underground. What's not to like? Check this guy out.



Saturday, April 25, 2015

Sia later


Sia is quite a wonderful singer. She was raised in Australia and as a youngster was invited to sing on recordings with Zero 7. She released her first CD in 2000, and has released several CDs since then. I haven't found a whole lot of biographical info on her but, who cares?! She has a wonderful voice. Enjoy!



Saturday, April 11, 2015

Twin Peaks


Twin sisters Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz have and interesting background. Their father is the late Miguel Diaz who was the conguero in the Buena Vista Social Club. They were born in Cuba but were raised in Paris by their Venezuelan mother. Their music combines elements of Afro-Cuban roots music with electro-soul. You can definitely hear a bit of a Bjork in their music as well. They sing in English and Yoruban. Their self-titled CD was released in February of 2015.





Friday, April 3, 2015

A wing and a prayer

First off, I love the name of this group--A Winged Victory for the Sullen. It pretty much sums up the sound of the group/duo. It's made up of pianist/composer Dustin O'Halloran and composer/engineer Adam Witzie. They formed the group as an outlet for what they've termed "harmonic Robitussin." I'd describe their music as ambient chamber. It's a combination of contemporary classical and quiet, sountracky music. They've written music for dance companies and soundtracks for films. And from the looks and sounds of their live performances, appear to put on an amazing show.






Friday, March 20, 2015

Nick Drake Redux

It saddens me that we'll never hear any new Nick Drake songs. As you probably know, he took his life many years ago. However, I recently heard a tune on the radio and said to myself, "I've never heard this Nick Drake number before." As it turns out, the singer was/is the Israeli singer Oren Lavie.  I usually don't like to compare musicians, because they're all who they are. But darn it he doesn't sound like Nick Drake, in his phrasing, songwriting , and the overall atmosphere of his work. Plus, he freely admits that Mr. Drake had a big influence on him. Give him a listen and if you're familiar with Nick Drake, I think you'll agree with me.



Saturday, February 21, 2015

WISMF?

This stands for Why Isn't She More Famous? I'm referring to Alice Smith. I had the pleasure of hearing her live at the Detroit Institute of Arts last night and what a treat it was. It's rather hard to define her musical style. I'll try. A blend of gospel, blues, folk, singer-songwriter, jazz and a bit of soul. According to her bio she's either from  D.C. or NYC and she now lives in LA. There isn't a lot of info on the net about her, but she released her first CD in 2008. She was nominated for  Grammy and subsequently released an EP in 2013. That's about it. Enjoy!



Sunday, February 1, 2015

Shakin' all over!

What an amazing voice. If you grew up hearing Janis Joplin, you can relate to this amazing voice. I'm not going to say anything other than give her a listen.


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Bloody good!

Blood and Glass is quite one unique group. I really know nothing about this them. After doing numerous searches on the Interwebs, I have found nothing about this interesting  group. All I can say is they create some wonderful music. Give them a listen.

I just found this on their website:
Taking home the prize after playing a sold-out showcase at the Brooklyn Bowl in NYC, Blood And Glass creates a sound that embellishes you in a dreamy world. With lush, beautiful swells, crisp sampled sonics, and lyrics that paint images in your brain, Blood and Glass is fronted by an eccentric woman who has been described by journalists as the missing link between Grimes and Tom Waits. The songs are catchy and moody at once, Lisa Moore's voice goes from a soothing whisper to an edgy shout, taking you on a carnival ride through a glow-in-the-dark forest. As one song ends, she takes off her magic hat and bows into a world of noise rock, the band triggering Godspeed-like moments before starting the next, picturesque song.

Formed originally in Montreal first by Lisa alone, then Morgan Moore joined her ship and the two were married. Blood and Glass have been playing and collaborating with wonderful musicians from Robbie Kuster to Patrick Watson to Frank Lafontaine to Simon and Erika Angell from Thus Owls during live shows and on their upcoming debut record to be released on October 21st, 2014. The release party / concert will be held in Montreal on October 18th at Sala Rossa as part of the multi-disciplinary arts festival, Phenomena Fest.