Sunday Spotlight | Vashti Bunyan

I post a lot of new music, it's true.  My cousin (a very smart guy) suggested that I not ignore the older stuff, though.  It gave me an idea.  I'm going to take one old track (or artist) each week and shine the spotlight on it... something deserving of your attention.  I think I'll start with Vashti Bunyan.  Think... a female Nick Drake.  She burst onto the scene back in 1970 with her debut album, Just Another Diamond Day.  Critics loved it, but the album sold poorly.  The first track above, "Love Song", was one of the great tunes on it.  She was devasted.  She gave up and quit making music.  Spent the next 35 years off the grid.  That album, though, became somewhat of a cult favorite, influencing scores of musicians.  She emerged from hiding in 2000 after they reissued the album.  It became a hit.  After being coaxed by some of my favorite artists (Animal Collective, Max Richter, Devendra Banhart) to make another album, she gave in and recorded Lookaftering in 2005.  The second song, "Lately", is taken from it.  Enjoy.

What a beautiful voice...

Friday Grab Bag of New Music

It's Friday, so put your stretchy pants on and get ready to be spoon-fed some good music.  Most of these were released earlier this week, but remember... this is stuff that's new to me - one way or another.  I posted the Katz song on Facebook awhile back, but it was finally released on iTunes this week.  Great song.  Definite Psychedelic Furs influence on the next one by the Horrors.  As for "Gold Forever", well..  what can I say.  I'm ashamed to admit that I like it.  It's bascially a boy band, I think (never heard of them).   It also sounds like a thousand other songs. Whatever.  I dig it.  The last track, by Twinsy (who names these bands?), is just a lot of fun.

I also liked "Some Nights" by Fun (they'd make a great Queen tribute band), "Olivia, In a Separate Bed" by Robin Pecknold, "Turn on the Sunshine" by Suckers, "Good as New" by Vacationer, "Lola's Lullaby" by Anoushka Shankar (very peaceful; listened to this all week to de-stress), "Smile Like That" by Esperanza Spalding (nice Jazzy track; she has a great voice), "Chevy Thunder" by Spector, "El Patron" by Stereofunk, "Man on Fire" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, "Rad Racer" (RxGibbs Tubular Mix) by Work Drugs, "Papers" by, well... no clue, "Straight from Bolivia" by Ben Sims (this is the kind of music I listen to at work to tune out my obnoxiously loud co-workers), and (finally) Zebra Katz, again, with a track ("W8WTF") I can't find on iTunes.  

I've also been listening to some Canadian folk singer-songwriters. Older stuff, mostly. "I Think of You" by John Gorka, "The Waking Hour" by David Francey, and "Night Drive" by Garnet Rogers. I'm not normally a huge fan of country music, but I bought a few songs this week - "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones, "Life's Little Ups and Downs" by Charlie Rich, "Fist City" by Loretta Lynn, and "Holding Her and Loving You" by Earl Thomas Conley.  I also bought a few tracks from The Descendants soundtrack... "Hapnua Sunset", "Hi'ilawe", and "Kalena Kai."  Great movie, by the way.  It's like a mini Hawaiian vacation.  Highly recommended.  Ok... I'm out.

Take Away Shows

Wow.  So beautiful.  You're in for a treat.  Welcome to the wonderful world of the Take Away Shows. Artists filmed giving live performances.  Single take.  Single camera.  Music site La Blogotheque and filmmaker Vincent Moon teamed up to create this amazing series.  Whether it's My Brightest Diamond (the first clip) singing a lullaby at a Berlin hotel bar or Lianne La Havas (second clip) singing as she walks around the streets of Paris, I can't get enough of this stuff.  They're some of the best live performances you'll ever see.  Superbly shot.  Gorgeous.