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.

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!

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.

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.

Hymn to Him

Out of sure laziness and since I haven't posted in ages, I'm doing a cut and paste from allmusic.com on this artist. I'll be better next time. Enjoy in the meantime.

The pseudonym of Canadian singer/songwriter Jonas Bonnetta, Evening Hymns also features a revolving door of fellow musicians backing Bonnetta live and on record. Born in Orono, Ontario, Bonnetta first came to prominence with his 2007 debut, Farewell to Harmony. Although this was released under his real name, Bonnetta eventually opted for the Evening Hymns moniker for fear that his music would be pigeonholed as generic singer/songwriter material. The first official Evening Hymns album, Spirit Guides, was released in 2009. Recorded in just four days at an art gallery where Bonnetta worked, the album followed in the footsteps of his debut, a mix of acoustic guitars, field recordings, and eclectic instrumentation. After Bonnetta moved back to his hometown to help run his family's newly purchased sawmill, his father passed away. Channeling his grief into his songwriting, the results would become the basis of his third album. Relocating to Perth, Ontario and living in a small cabin that partner and bandmate Sylvie Smith's parents had just bought, Bonnetta was joined by members of The Wooden Sky, Timber Timbre, and City and Colour to record what would become 2012's Spectral Dusk. The remote location and his father's passing gave the album an almost spiritual feel, moving from brooding instrumentals to emotional paeans to his father.

Tex Mex

Okay. I'll admit, this isn't a new discovery. Alejandro Escovedo isn't a new artist on the scene. I had the honor of seeing him live a week ago and he totally blew me away. His music was poetic and moving and his voice was superb. He played an acoustic guitar and was accompanied by a violinist and the two of them meshed perfectly. If you get a chance to see Alejandro live, do yourself a favor and check him out.

"House" music

Another band with great vocals. What's up with that? It seems like the last decade was full of mediocre vocalists who developed this huge following. Or was it just me? Anyway, "Houses" features wonderful vocals and beautiful arrangements. I'm sure they're great live. Now this is kind of odd. I did a search of Houses on all music.com and it said there were no results! How weird is that? So I can't tell you anything about the background of the group. Listen and enjoy!