Thursday, February 28, 2008

Duffy at The Cluny, Newcastle - 24/02/08

My first live music review of a gig I haven't been to!



It is exceedingly seldom that I find myself even vaguely interested in music that bothers the charts, never mind the very top of the Hit Parade! I make the odd exception for Britney, but truthfully this is rarely about her music, and more due to a lack of immunity to rubber-necking and being dazzled by all the National Enquirer type reporting...as opposed to experiencing any overt interest in her recorded output (with an exculpation for Toxic, which is simply a stonking good song).

Anyway, I am not here to talk about Britney, but the current inhabitant of Britain's number one spot - a young, Welsh lass by the name of Duffy. There is just something about the (few) songs that I have heard from her so far that has caught my attention.

Here is a young woman with not just a great voice, but a good dollop of soul...before you think of Joss Stone, please, have a listen if she for some reason has not yet reached your shores. Her single, Mercy starts out all Stand By Me and morphs as it goes into Chain of Fools. And, as you may be able to tell from the picture above, it really would be difficult for this girl to be any whiter, which adds an interesting angle to her old-school Motown style sound. For this reason I am reminded very strongly of Chris Clark.

By the time I heard that Duffy was due to be appearing at local venue The Cluny it was already too late. On the Cluny website, SOLD OUT was emblazoned in large letters (this almost never seems to happen at the Cluny, despite it being a small venue. Perhaps this is precisely because I don't tend to want to go and see chart-botherers...and it's not generally the sort of venue that they play anyway. But even with the much-net-hyped Johnny Flynn I was able to get tickets on the night). I telephoned to check - yep, definitely sold out.

On the night itself, a friend and I decided to head across there anyway, just in case...it is the kind of place where you will often find people selling any spare tickets they might have in the queue. I have never, in the entire time that I have been frequenting - and I mean frequent-ing - The Cluny seen it so busy!

As I fought through the throng to the door to the venue itself (handily right next to the toilet had anyone chosen to be funny with me about my journey there) in order to enquire of someone 'in the know' if there was likely to be any chance of getting our mitts on two tickets, or indeed if we could be alerted should some unneeded tickets come to their attention, I was looked at by the queuing masses with equal parts disdain and curiosity - who might be so important as to be allowed in, or so un-British as to jump the queue?!

The man with whom I spoke said that there were about 40 people on a waiting list for any tickets that might come free...bummer!

Is it just me that finds all this Duffy mania, this frenzy, completely crazy? The majority of people have only heard one song and, correct me if I am wrong, one is not yet even able to buy anything by her. Talk about media hype!

Prior to Sunday night, in an attempt to try and wangle some tickets (even this was a good week before the gig itself), I attempted to message Duffy on MySpace. I got as far as receiving some script from her (pre- me being able to type anything) saying that she is receiving so many messages that no-one is allowed to send any more! I have never even seen this message before! I then tried to contact 'her people' via her own website, explaining that I write a music blog (yes, yes sporadically at the moment, but anyway...), would very much like to write about the gig, was not asking for a freebie yadda yadda...and never heard a peep back.

Back to Sunday. Whilst waiting about for the gig to start, biding our time loitering outside smoking, we talked to a man with a pass around his neck...absolutely no idea who he was, but he seemed like a nice and chatty sort of chap. He told us that, outside the gig in Edinburgh the previous night, there had been people touting tickets for £150! He, too, found this to be completely bonkers. All on the merit of one single? This is nutty business!

Shortly after door opening, and after another brief chat with man-at-door (who was also very personable, on both occasions, incidentally), me and my aforementioned friend roundly gave up and actioned Plan B...local band Blackflower for free at The Tyne, a pub just a hop, skip and a jump down the road.

Blackflower had been a band I was keen to see...songs I had heard, ooh a long time back now, of theirs on the net had sounded good and, hell, it was free and in one of my favourite drinking establishments in Newcastle! They were fine, but sadly under-inspiring. And it was hot and loud in there (am I turning into a grown-up?)...although I'm willing to bet that it was not nearly as hot nor loud as Plan A would have been.

In summary, we didn't get into the Duffy gig, we didn't even manage to stick out the whole of the alternative gig...instead we headed to meet some friends at proper cask ale and folkie singalong boozer The Cumberland Arms. I even joined in a little on my way to and from the toilets. And do you know what? It was a cracking good night! (I even managed to do a bit of hob-nobbing with a guy involved in local music-booking legends the Jumpin' Hot Club).

So don't be dismayed if Duffy also spurns your advances...she may be very good (I couldn't say), but it will all turn out alright in the end!


mp3: Mercy - Duffy

mp3: Rockferry - Duffy

mp3: Breaking My Own Heart - Duffy


Links:

Duffy on MySpace

Website

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Albums that you have forgotten you love: Come On Feel The Lemonheads



It is difficult to believe that Come On Feel The Lemonheads was released 15 years ago, but it's true...and makes me feel very old! This is by no means the greatest record ever released, but if you are late 20s/early 30-something, you are likely to remember it with fondness. Equally likely is that the first image that will come into your head is Evan Dando in a flowery dress sporting bunches. Don't ask me why, but I loved those pictures of him when I was a young teen...maybe it is akin to Lisa Simpson and her subscription to 'Non-Threatening Boys' magazine!


The picture on the left is not the exact one with which I was so enamoured, but it's the closest that I am able to find on this ole t'interweb. So was the indie-grunge success of The Lemonheads just down to their undeniably easy on the eye front man? This Divinyl thinks not. And my evidence is their 1993 album.
Come On Feel The Lemonheads was, if you like, their country album; for example, Dando could hardly sound more like Gram Parsons on hit Big Gay Heart. Previous release It's A Shame About Ray may be a better all-round offering, but it is this later album that I continue to return to...and which always makes me smile.
The smiles are, of course, a lot to do with reminiscences, but they are also to do with the endearingly simple sentiments, the sunshiney accompanying vocals of Juliana Hatfield (and even Belinda Carlisle) - epitomising that 90s sound - and, whilst the lyrics can be hit and miss, there really are some gems herein.
Try:
"Patience is like bread I say/I ran out of that yesterday" (It's About Time),
"Why Can't you look after yourself and not down on me?" (Big Gay Heart) or
"Would you trust me not to break you/I'm just trying really hard to make you/Notice me being around" (on a song with otherwise questionable lyrics about "booger"s and suchlike - Being Around).
If you haven't listened to this album since those heady teenage days, stick it in the player, or download a couple of sample tracks from here...and smile! These are well written, unfussy songs (ok, with a few dodgy lyrics strewn about!). I know that I can't be objective, and I have no idea what I would think of this album should I be listening to it for the first time now but, you know what, I don't think that it's one that I could ever just dismiss.
Tracks worth revisiting: Into Your Arms, Paid To Smile, Big Gay Heart, Rest Assured, I'll Do It Anyway, Being Around, Favourite T.
Skip past: Rick James Style...a pointless, rambling and, frankly, rather rubbish revisiting of the song Style. Closing Track The Jello Fund...a complete waste of time, particularly as this runs into the 'hidden' track (such a 90s mainstay) which, at 15 minutes and 33 seconds is ridiculous use of studio and CD time...it is mostly tuneless guitar tinkering.
That said, with those disclaimers in situ, this album is still, on the whole, a winner!


mp3: Into Your Arms - The Lemonheads (not to be confused with Nick Cave's irresistably beautiful Into My Arms)

mp3: Paid To Smile - The Lemonheads

mp3: Big Gay Heart - The Lemonheads
*Previous 'you've forgotten you love' album review of Sneaker Pimps with Becoming X.*

Listen up! It's The Correspondents


Wandsworth's The Correspondents make me want to dance! And nothing makes me want to dance...well, except for maybe The Jackson 5 and I Want You Back!

The tunes on their MySpace page are seriously kick ass and they sound like they'd be great fun live...if I could find out where they're playing! There also doesn't seem to be a way to actually own any of their music yet...either in 'get your sticky mitts on it' or download form, but as soon as there is, I'm there!

Describing themselves as "1930s Hip Hop", throwing in some swing and big band sounds, as well as some nifty turntablism, this is proper catchy stuff. In places it reminds me a lot of Chumbawamba (back when they were good) or The Avalanches...with some foot-shuffling, scuffling ska thrown in. And you just have to hear their version of The Jungle Book's I Wanna Be Like You!

They are DJ Chuckles (aka Tim Cole) and Ian Bruce, the former being the DJ/producer and the latter MC/singer/general trouble maker and they site such diverse influences as Ella Fitzgerald, Fatboy Slim and Donovan.

Their story, as told on their MySpace blog:

"The Correspondents formed in a small coffee shop in the French Riviera while waiting for the bar to open. They both set eyes upon the same unfinished glass of 1987 Bordeaux, and after an extremely gentlemanly yet dubiously romantic cuffuffle, managed to spill it down Ian's hand tailored tweed waistcoat. A crime Chuckles is still paying for today.

The Correspondents found that large quantities of port, Swing and Hip Hop go surprising well together.

The Correspondents found that while decks will skip, sound systems will cut out and microphones will feedback... Ian's two tone spats will without fail maintain the contrast of the ying-yang.

The Correspondents spent an illustrious couple of years peddling imitation moonshine in a Glaswegian suburb.

The Correspondents thought about becoming a Phil Collins tribute act... But then thought that time is better spent doing just about anything else.

The Correspondents have heard a rumour that Ian hangs his tie collection on a rhinoceros horn he acquired from an ex-pat colonial adventurer he met once in his local... This is nearly true.

The Correspondents realise that lying is bad, so want to tell you that really they just met in South London."

Catch them now and you can say you were there at from the start...they have only 121 friends and 9 comments on their MySpace page.


mp3: I Wanna Be Like You - The Correspondents

mp3: Course Of Last Night - The Correspondents

mp3: Rentaclown - The Correspondents



(P.s. Apologies to all for my dreadfully sporadic posting, and replying to messages, of late...there is a lot going on in Divinyl World, outside of Blogland...no immediate promises of any improvements on this, but I'm still knocking around and will get back on the horse eventually!)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity



The title of this CD (and indeed of this blog post) says it all really. Cinnamon Girl is a two disc, 21 song, all female compilation of covers of Neil Young's music. Well, except for Jill Sobule's track, on which she cheated a little, as you will see in the track listing below. The songs in question are all from the period between 1969 and 1979. And, after what has been a very long wait, it is released tomorrow (February 12) on American Laundromat Records.

ALR is the record label that was also responsible for the Pixies tribute CD Dig For Fire, which featured the likes of Mogwai, They Might Be Giants, British Sea Power, Joy Zipper and Dylan in the Movies. There is also a tribute to Kim Deal (Ceci N'est Pas un Blog hearts Kim Deal!) out in April, so for your tribute compilation CDs, they are clearly the ones to watch!
Contributing artists include Tanya Donelly, Jill Sobule, Veruca Salt, The Watson Twins and Ceci N'est Pas un Blog favourite Kristin Hersh. A gold vinyl 7" split of Donelly and Luff's songs has already been released (limited to 500 hand-numbered copies...I've got mine!), and the album has been available for a little while on iTunes in the US (which is bugger all use to the likes of me!), but finally it's here in touchable, kissable physical form!
Tanya Donelly says of Neil Young and Heart of Gold:
"I always want to hear everything he has to say. He makes me feel better. I just love this song. I think it's perfect actually - structurally, lyrically, musically. There aren't very many words, but they say everything and I can relate to every single one of them. I love that such strong images and heartbreak and hope all come through in a few lines, and that harmonica is a killer. I just love it."
All proceeds from the CD (and the 7" too) are to be donated to Casting for Recovery, in memory of Norine R. Spadaro (the mother of ALR founder Joe Spadaro), who lost her six year battle with breast cancer in July 2005. Casting for Recovery is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1996 that works with women who have, or who have had, breast cancer, offering support, counselling, education and relaxation. The no-cost-to-the-participant weekend retreats promote physical and emotional healing by allowing women to gather in a peaceful and natural environment and learn fly-fishing. No really...it's all about the fly-fishing apparently!

The track listing for Cinnamon Girl is as follows:
Disc 1
01. Heart of Gold - Tanya Donelly
02. I Am A Child - Britta Phillips (of Luna)
03. Comes A Time - Kate York
04. The Needle and the Damage Done - Lori McKenna
05. Down By the River - Jill Sobule with John Doe
06. Burned - Veruca Salt
07. Cowgirl In the Sand - Josie Cotton
08. A Man Needs A Maid - Dala
09. Ohio - Darcie Miner
10. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere - Carmen Townsend
Disc 2
01. Cinnamon Girl - Euro Trash Girl
02. I Believe In You - Julie Peel
03. Tell Me Why - Luff
04. Ohio - Dala
05. Helpless - Elk City
06. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Amilia K. Spicer
07. Sugar Mountain - Louise Post (of Veruca Salt)
08. Powderfinger - The Watson Twins
09. Like A Hurricane - Kristin Hersh
10. Old Man - Cindy Wheeler (of the Caulfield Sisters)
11. Walk On - Heidi Gluck (of Some Girls)
I can't wait to hear the whole album! Let's hope that it's less of a mixed bag than 1989's The Bridge: A Tribute To Neil Young as, whilst that featured some great artists (including Soul Asylum, Victoria Williams, Pixies, Nick Cave, The Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr.) the success of the covers on that seemed to be very hit-and-miss.
Head to MySpace to hear clips from four of the songs (Donnelly, Phillips, Cotton and Hersh).

Or go to Juno to listen and purchase it as downloads.
And of course, get your CDs from American Laundromat Records.


Here are a couple of female cover versions of Young songs for you to download me sweets (not from this album):

mp3: Helpless - Patti Smith (from the album Twelve)

mp3: After the Gold Rush - KD Lang (from the album Hymns of the 49th Parallel)


Album artwork by Katy Horan



Whilst we are (kind of) on the subject of Kristin Hersh, have you checked out CASH Music recently? Kristin has now released three songs over there, and Donita Sparks and Xiu Xiu have also joined up. Keep your eye on it, as it's all getting pretty exciting!

Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim

This one is just a super-quick post to let you guys know that, this week, you can download Laura Marling's excellent album Alas I Cannot Swim in its entirety for only £5.00 from 7Digital. The nifty widget above will let you preview each of the tracks and I think you will see, and I can assure you, that this album is a steal at that price!

Saturday, February 9, 2008

It's A Zip: Volume 1



I thought I would experiment a bit with zip files (yes, I am very much learning as I go at this...I am not particularly technically able!), as I've been thinking about posting some kind of weekly 'mix tape'...of a range of music I like, not just new stuff...songs you might not have heard, songs that will bring a nostalgic smile to your wee faces, songs that are just plain great, that kind of thing. It has taken quite a bit of experimenting, I can tell you! But this one seems to work...please could people leave some feedback in the comments...on whether they can indeed download the zip file, the songs are in the right order when it opens etc.? Any constructive criticism very much welcomed. And then if this one has worked ok, I will be back in future with further zip-stylee offerings.
Ok, so this one was thrown together rather hastily just for the sake of the experiment, but the track listing is as follows:
01. Funnel Of Love - Wanda Jackson
02. Les and Ray - Le Tigre
03. Sssipppee - Teeth!!!
04. Suzanne Beware of the Devil - Dandy Livingstone
05. If I Had $1,000,000 - Barenaked Ladies
06. 5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale
07. Bring It On Home To Me - Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward (a great cover of one of my faves - Sam Cooke!)
08. Oleander - Sarah Harmer
09. Strongmen and Acrobats - Laura Sings Liver
10. Chinese Children - Devendra Banhart



Download: Its A Zip Volume 1

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Pete Shelley - Homosapien

Another video for LGBT History Month - Pete Shelley with the excellent Homosapien.

And I may as well throw in Shelley with The Buzzcocks singing Ever Fallen In Love (With Somone You Shouldn't)...a classic. And it even has Sir Jim'll of Saville at the end of the clip! Seriously guys, what more could you ask for? ;o)


What is that song? The MacBook Air ad

Unless you have been whiling away your time under a boulder, you will no doubt, by now, have seen the new MacBook Air from Apple. You are also likely to have seen - and heard- the television advertisement. Apple have been savvy in their choice of sounds once again, as with Leslie Feist's 1234 in their iPod Nano ad. This time, they have plumped for Yael Naim. The song that everyone and his/her dog has been Googling furiously for (long before now) is New Soul and, well, is just gorgeous.

French-Israeli Naim was born in Paris in 1978, but moved to Israel, not far from Tel Aviv, aged four. There she fell in love with the piano and the rest, as they say, is history. New Soul comes from her latest, and sophomore, solo album, which is eponymously titled (her debut being the appallingly-titled In A Man's Womb in 2001) and was released on 22nd October 2007. It was recorded in the studio of her Paris apartment over the course of two years and owes a great deal to West Indian drummer and multi-instrumentalist David Donatien.

On Yael Naim, she sings in not only English, as per the song you have all heard, but also French and Hebrew. And, for me, it is the last of these that results in the most beguiling of her songs...it's not a language you often hear used in contemporary folk-pop music!

New Soul, as I am writing this, is currently the 39th most popular download at iTunes UK, although I understand that it's at #1 in the US. And you know what? The album is great too (although that is nowhere to be seen in the UK top 100 on iTunes). These are not songs that you will find yourself humming or singing along to, but as a whole the album is really rather nice. A lot of the songs sound like lullabies, so it is not one I would recommend as driving music. My concern is that, although I like this album from the five or so listens through I've had so far, her profile will be raised so greatly due to the ad that she will become like a Norah Jones or Katie Melua that I never want to hear again.

It's not that I am some obscure music snob (as this certainly isn't...used by Apple!), you understand, it is just that when something becomes so omnipresent the patina wears thin and it starts to grate...think Dido.

I can appreciate a good pop song...hell, I have Crazy Chick and My LA Ex on my iPod; they are catchy, well-written tunes...good at what they do and hitting the metaphorical nail. Another great pop ditty is Toxic, by the ever more pitiful Britney Spears...and that is covered here by Naim! (Nope, it wasn't just a random tangent). It's a lovely, ballad-y version and plenty nice to listen to but, shoot me for saying this if you wish, in this case I prefer Britney. And that is not something you will hear me say often! Have a listen for yourselves...what do you think?


mp3: New Soul - Yael Naim

mp3: Pachad - Yael Naim

mp3: Toxic - Yael Naim


And I feel that I can't leave without mentioning it, although it matters not a jot to the music, but she's certainly rather easy on the eye too!

Yael Naim's website and MySpace.

Willie Nelson - Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond Of Each Other)

Following that brief blip of an album review, back, for now, to LGBT History Month. This one's a song from the Red Headed Stranger. It was debuted by Howard Stern back on Valentine's Day 2006 (should I have waited until the 14th to post this?), however it was written waaay back in 1981 by Ned Sublette.


Video: Willie Nelson - Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond Of Each Other)

Check out the lyrics to the song here (the reference to 'Pansy Division' is not homophobic...they are a Queercore band that recorded the song in 1995!).

Whilst I'm here, it only seems right to mention Nelson's song He Was A Friend Of Mine, which was used in the film Brokeback Mountain (and which is a great song)...i.e. from a song about gay cowboys to a song used in a film about gay cowboys, and both from the same artist.


mp3: Willie Nelson - He Was A Friend Of Mine

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Album review: Paul Hickey 'Coolhouse'

Rather curiously, an album released in 2005 recently landed on my doormat via a music PR company. Never mind, music doesn't have to be brand spanking new to be good, does it? In fact, I'm a proponent of the argument that the opposite often holds a great deal more true. Anyway, moving on with the review, this particular album was Coolhouse by Paul Hickey.



This is not the kind of CD that I normally would have come across, but it is really pretty good. Coolhouse is not a high budget release, and therefore it sounds like Hickey has been able to record exactly what he wanted, without any record company interferences. The music we hear is honest...it is not 'try hard' and there are no alternative agendas.

All of the songs (12 of them) were written by Hickey, who has played with various outfits in his time - from Chessnut in the 70s, to The Alsations in the 80s, and others including Keep The Faith and The Critters. Coolhouse is his second solo album, after his 2002 debut with Cheap Cabaret. It was recorded in Hollywood...erm, that's County Wicklow folks! Yep, this is Irish music through and through; yet it is not just that, there are many other influences to be heard here.

The opening, and title, track, Coolhouse, is a sultry number about hot nights and cold beer. The vocal here reminds of Chris Rea or Joe Cocker, and there is even a chorus akin to Lou Reed's "coloured girls"...except here it is "la la lah", as opposed to "do do doo"! Those backing vocals come courtesy of Sue Jefferson and Lou Holden of Choral Sex, and work nicely with Hickey's voice, however can sometimes be a bit distracting, and could have done with being a little quieter in relation to Hickey's lead vocals. This is not a big criticism however and, all in all, this is a great opener and a track that you will want to hear again.

Second track And When I Walk is completely different in tone. A simple song (promising "no more funny stuff"), this has even more "la la lahs" and you begin to really hear Hickey's Irish twang.

Third is, for me, the stand-out track of the album, and is called Heuston Station. This is no Homeward Bound but, written at a station, this is the most obvious song to compare it to...well, except for the Littlest Hobo theme tune (which, laugh if you like, I love!), due to the lyrics "I'm not searchin'/I'm just wandering on".

My Love and Me is a lovely song about, surprisingly, love. The sentiments here are sweet, no frills and affectionate. By this, track 4, things are beginning to sound more Irish, musically-speaking...a little bit Saw Doctors, a certain hue of Shane McGowan (although, despite singing about beer on his opening track, Hickey does not sound like he's put quite as much moonshine away as McGowan!).

Straying into slightly political territory is track 5, In God We Trust, which Paul tells us a little about on his website,

"In 1986 there was a divorce referendum in Ireland that was defeated by religious power. I felt so angry, at the time, and I wrote this song about the hyprocrisy of the whole event."

A refreshing angle, then, from a country so veined with religion.

Jimmy Cliff comes to town on next track Watch Out Love. The reggae-lite backing here reminds me of Cliff's song Vietnam and has me bobbing my head along each time it comes around.

I can imagine that this album sells very well at gigs as, from what is recorded here, it sounds like Hickey would be good live. As I said before, this is honest music with no pretences. The playing is also very capable and, I can't think of a better way to put it but, I think the atmosphere at a Paul Hickey gig would be a good, happy, friendly one.

There are six further tracks that I haven't discussed, but I think that I have rambled on enough for now! Suffice to say that they are all, also, very listenable and, although this is not the usual kind of music I have been listening to recently, I've played this album a good few times.

The full track listing for Coolhouse is:

01. Coolhouse
02. And When I Walk
03. Heuston Station
04. My Love and Me
05. In God We Trust
06. Watch Out Love
07. Sometimes
08. If I Could Sail That Ocean Again
09. Teach Me To Fly
10. Live Before You Die
11. Revolution On Their Minds
12. See You Again

...and you can buy it here or have a bit of listen and purchase individual tracks over at Indie 911.


Saturday, February 2, 2008

Lesbians In Tune - Sapphic songs for LGBT History Month



February is the fourth annual LGBT History Month in the UK, so, in honour of that, here we have some lesbian-themed songs for your delectation. There are 20 of 'em and each song is downloadable by right clicking on the title and choosing 'save target as'.


BD Woman's Blues - Lucille Bogan (from 1935! The "BD" standing for 'bull dyke')

Carolyn - Phranc (an amusing one)

Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B. Hawkins

Genius - The Murmurs

High School Confidential - Rough Trade

I Kissed A Girl - Jill Sobule

If It Isn't Her - Ani DiFranco (for all the B's out there!)

Iowa - Dar Williams

Lick It - God-des and She (warning - the lyrics to this one are very explicit)

One More Hour - Sleater-Kinney

Prove It On Me - Ma Rainey (another one from an early girl)

Rebel Girl - Bikini Kill

Rim Me Isabella - NEED (surely the best title for a song ever??)

She's Amazing - Team Dresch

She's My Heroine - Skunk Anansie

She's So Lovely - The Butchies

Start Leading Me On - The Cliks

Tell Me Does She Love the Bass - Lesbians On Ecstasy

Where the Girls Are - Gossip



And a further 10 that aren't really lesbian songs, but could be with some interpretation!

Christobel - Joan As Police Woman

For Me and My Gal - Judy Garland (for all friends of Dorothy - what would a list of gay songs be without Judy?)

Gloria - Patti Smith

Just Like A Woman - Charlotte Gainsbourg and Calexico

Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson - Alison Krauss

Oh My God - Pink, featuring Peaches

Past the Mission - Tori Amos (just for the line "I once knew a hot girl")

Secret Love - Doris Day (a coincidence that, in Calamity Jane, she sings this as she is shacking up with Katie? Calam was a butch dyke if ever I saw one! Come on, there is even a line about daffodils!)

Starpower - Sonic Youth

When She Loved Me - Sarah McLachlan (actually a song from a toy to its owner, from Toy Story 2 of all places...but taken out of context...)

And I shall leave you for now with a WTF?? I can't believe this book (below) exists!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Free mp3s from Kellie The Eagle/Joy Tourette


I can tell you very little about Kellie The Eagle...except that I think it sounds good! This is the new name for the artist formerly known as Joy Tourette (she changed the name on 9th January 2008...hey, at least she opted for words, as opposed to some dumb squiggle!), who comes from Norwich, England, played her first solo gig on 20th July 2007 and...actually, that really is all I know.

Her music is beat-driven electro, with some folky influences...a bit Peaches, a bit PJ, vocals-wise, in places, a little bit Lamb. And what I've heard so far is rather tasty.

Have a listen for yourselves (all mp3s free and legal):

mp3: Metal Bird - Kellie The Eagle

And some from alter-ego Joy Tourette:

mp3: Lupine Man - Joy Tourette

mp3: Coqinelle - Joy Tourette

mp3: Autoharp - Joy Tourette

mp3: Duck and Swallows - Joy Tourette

mp3: Circles - Joy Tourette



Go to Monkey Love Records to buy the Joy Tourette EP Cassiopeia - either as a CD or to download.

Track listing for that -
01. Cassiopeia
02. Good Vibrations
03. Charms

Whilst you are there, you could have a gander at Kellie's artist page (still under the name 'Joy Tourette' at the moment)

Visit Kellie The Eagle at MySpace.