Not Harsh, Karsh.

Karsh Kale was born to Indian parents and grew up in the United States. His music is an original blend of beat-driven electronica and Indian folk. His first outing was with the group Tabla Beat Science and he released his own recording, Realize, in 2001. The song, Light Up the Love, on this cd has to be one of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard. Although it’s not sung in English, the subtle, sensual power of love come shining through. Kale is an incredible tabla player and he’s played extensively with the group Midival Punditz and other like-minded groups.

Horsing Around

The New Young Pony Club is my pick for this summer’s cruising around with the top down on a hot summer evening band. Their music has a nice, dancy beat, sparse instrumentation that has a Talking Heads feel, talky vocals, and simple lyrics. The perfect combination for mindless background music. The London-based group put out their first cd in 2005 and just released their second recording this year. Play them a couple times and their music really grows on you. Not bad music for working out too, either.

Nuts To You!

This is going to be a short and sweet review. Okay, maybe not sweet. We're talking about the group Bullitnuts. There's almost nothing on the internet about them. So I'll just give you a brief description of their music and post a few of their songs. They're a spacey, techno, drum & bass, ambient group with a funky edge to their music. I discovered them on Soma-FM on their Groove Salad channel. I looked up their music on amazon.com and was surprised at how much their cds go for. A hundred bucks for a used cd? Wow! Anyway, they only put out three cds in the late 1990s and apparently broke up in 1999. But with the quality of their music, you'd think there'd be reissues. Oh well. Have to turn to youtube to hear any of their recordings. What a shame.

Caro Mia

Caroline van der Leeuw is a Dutch singer who I recently discovered. Not exactly a catchy musical name. So she understandably records under the name Caro Emerald. She studied music, focusing on jazz, at the conservatory in Amsterdam, and went on to work as a vocal coach. In 2009, she had a big hit in the Netherlands, “Back it up”. As my daughter pointed out, what’s a big hit in a country of, what 3 million people? She does have a point, but in all fairness, this woman can sing. Her music is reminiscent of 1920s Parisian swing. It’s fun, listenable, and catchy. It’s so new, there isn’t a lot available. But enjoy. I think there’s a lot more coming.

Mad About Madeleine.

The first time I heard Madeleine Peyroux I thought to myself, “Sounds like a cleaned up engineering-wise) version of an old Billy Holiday tune. But upon listening closer, she has her own sound and phrasing. Peyroux was born in Athens, GA, but was raised in Southern California, Brooklyn, and Paris. She started busking on the streets of the Latin Quarter when she was just 15. Her first recording, “Dreamland”, was released in 1996 and is absolutely flawless. It features a group of first-rate jazz musicians, who underplay, which helps showcase her unique voice. Most of the tunes are covers, but also has three original Peyroux compositions. For some unknown reason, she didn’t release another recording for eight years. Her subsequent recordings feature an increasing number of originals and are every bit as good as her first cd.

Eek! A Mouse!

The experimental group Mice Parade is the brainchild of Adam Pierce. They’re not a new group, but they’re one of those groups that I discovered, acquired some of their music, and then promptly forgot about. The other day I put them on and said to myself, “These guys are great! Why haven’t I been listening to them?” Mice Parade combines elements of jazz, folk, rock and their own genre-bending sound. Most of their early releases are instrumental, but more recently they feature vocals. The instrumentation includes acoustic guitar, keyboards, excellent percussion, vibes, and a whole plethora of other instruments. And their songs are rich and complex. Quite unique. In fact, the only group that I could compare them to is Anathallo. Another personal favorite group that I reviewed earlier. I wouldn’t describe them as the mouse that roared, but one that purred.

Out of This World

Galaxy 500 is one of my favorite oldies but goodies. They formed in the mid-80s in Boston and were a precursor to both the shoegazer and slowdive movements. Vocalist and guitarist Dean Wareham was the driving force behind the group. Their music is droney, dark, and subtle. Wareham’s voice isn’t for everyone. I guess it’s what you might call an acquired taste. But this group was sadly overlooked in its day. They did a bunch of recording for the Rough Trade label. But by the time Wareham decided to disband the group, the label went bust. Several years later, Rykodisc bought their entire oeuvre and released it on a box set. Dean went on to form Luna, which continued to carry the Galaxy 500 torch. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Note: If you enjoy the music, a ton of it is available on youtube. Search words: “Galaxy” and “Dean Wareham Luna”.