From the LP TO VENUS AND BACK, 1999 >>>
[A sudden and unexpected death in the family is preventing me from writing a proper introduction to today's selections. This next week is likely to be somewhat erratic as well, but I'll do my best to keep the music coming....]
Left-click [HERE] to download the Best of 2006, Vol. 1.
I first heard of the Bermuda-born singer-songwriter HEATHER NOVA around 1994. If memory serves, her song "Walk This World" received airplay on some of the alternative radio stations of the day and even found its way onto MTV. The track appeared on the album OYSTER, which, in retrospect, kind of bridged the distance between SARAH McLACHLAN-styled silky-sweetness and ALANIS MORISSETTE-styled aggro-angst. Also in retrospect -- to these ears, at least -- the LP sounds just a little bit dated today.
Seattle's GRAND ARCHIVES are led by former BAND OF HORSES guitarist MAT BROOKE. Their self-titled debut LP was released by SUB POP yesterday. 
L.A. trio BIIRDIE released their second album, CATHERINE AVENUE, in January. The word "whimsical" gets bandied about with them. Yeah, maybe, I guess. "Who Were You Thinkin' Of" is an irrepressible little singalong. Accusations of infidelity have never sounded so darned perky. "Petals," on the other hand, is just plain pretty -- coming to full, final blossom on the "ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh" outro.
With his former MOLDY PEACHES partner KIMYA DAWSON currently riding high with the "Juno" soundtrack, ADAM GREEN is back to say, "Hey, what about me, bitches?"
Oakland DJ/Producer AMPLIVE ran into a bit of a brick wall when he tried to make his RADIOHEAD remix project (RAINYDAYZ REMIXES) available to the public without first getting clearance from the band. It would seem that everything's all good now, seeing as the songs are available [HERE] for your downloading pleasure.
What to say about Brit quintet PETE & THE PIRATES? That their riffs are recycled and their name sounds like a kids' show on Nickelodeon? Yes, and... yes. But also: They seem to be rather young yet, so no need to damn them for lack of originality just yet....
A little context here: I out-and-out hated THE KILLS first two albums. Those would be 2003's KEEP ON YOUR MEAN SIDE and 2005's NO WOW. But the critics ate them up, tripped & stumbled over themselves to compare American girl ALISON "VV" MOSSHART & her Brit boy partner JAMIE "HOTEL" HINCE to THE WHITE STRIPES, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, and PJ HARVEY. Color me dumbfounded. Because all I heard was a loud, tuneless mess -- with none of the energy and excitement that loud, tuneless messes can sometimes be good for.
Not exactly sure how last Sunday's TRACY CHAPMAN turned into this Sunday's SINEAD O'CONNOR, but that's the way it is, so that's the way it goes.
Left-click [HERE] to download the Best of 2003 mix.
[Stop back later today for the long-awaited/much-anticipated Best of 2003 mix. Well, okay, maybe not "much-anticipated," but it did take me a hell of a long time to put together, so that's something, at least.]
About a decade ago, I wrote a review for an obscure little CD called EVERYTHING I LONG FOR. It had a rather elaborate intro (the review, not the CD) (perchance I was transfixed by drink)...
Moody Norwegian alternative rockers MADRUGADA released their latest long-player on January 21 -- six months after the death of their guitarist, ROBERT BURAS. If there's a silver-lining to be found here at all, it's that Buras had already completed his work on the album, so the songs necessarily serve as testaments to his life and talents.
The next AMY WINEHOUSE? Musically-speaking, at least? Some would say 19-year-old Londoner ADELE fits the bill.
So LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM has a DVD coming out. LIVE AT THE BASS PERFORMANCE HALL -- billed as "the first live DVD of his 27-year solo career" -- will see a March 25 release. It chronicles a performance in Fort Worth, Texas from January of 2007. But this post isn't really about that.
In which we conclude our generous, two-part helping of love & respect for TRACY CHAPMAN....
ROCKY VOTOLATO