Right, so we are back to following connections between artists.  It always makes me happy to discover connections between artists or to see names I recognize in the liner notes of an album (which I one reason I love to by hard copy albums instead of mp3s!).  So it was a nice surprise to find that Harper Simon played guitar on Sean Lennon's album Friendly Fire.  It was four years before Simon released his debut album, so I did not yet know how much I appreciated him as an artist in his own right but I knew him through his band Menlo Park and because of his father.  Sean Lennon is another artist that I discovered through his father and I imagine most people could deduce who his famous father is!  His sound is not as clearly influenced by rock'n'roll in the way that his father's was, it has a more eccentric style which is particularly evident when you watch the film and music videos that go along with Sean Lennon's album Friendly Fire.  The album is his version of a break up album and to some it might seem melancholy, perhaps even melodramatic, and it's true that the album can in no way be called cheerful.  It's lead single is called "Dead Meat" afterall and the album wraps up with a song called "Falling Out Of Love" but don't let that deter you from giving him a listen.  Lennon's voice is unassuming and though it is in a more nasal range than most, to me it is beautiful.  It is suited to a more mellow mood and he knows how to use his voice to it's best effect, not trying to force it to go places it shouldn't.  Beautiful piano melodies and at times almost theatrical strings fill out the songs, accenting and lifting the songs, balancing out the humble, poetic and, at times, despairing lyrics.  I like all of the songs on the album for various reasons but just at this moment I am liking the short and sweet song Tomorrow.  His vocals are central to the song and they quickly build and then fade back ending on a guitar sound which I just noticed is actually very reminiscent of some early Beatles songs. Anyway, this is a long round about way of saying you should take a listen!

 

"Everyone has choice, when to or not to raise their voice, it's you that decides"

Now, I know that I said that I was going to follow the links between artists for a while but as it is George Harrison's birthday today I thought I would recognize that and then next time I'll return to my path.  George would have been 70 today and it is still hard to believe that he has been gone for over 10 years...  One of his most beautiful solo songs, in my opinion, is "Run of the Mill" from his 1970 album All Things Must Pass.  He was a man who could speak truths wrapped up in captivating melodies.  His songs were often philosophical and spiritual and there is an honest quality to his voice and guitar style which make you sit up and listen.  Whether or not you believe what he did, you will be better for listening to what this man had to say, his words and music can take you places.          

I figured I would follow the links between various artists for a while and see where it takes us!  So from Paul Simon we will go to Harper Simon...    Harper, you might guess, is Paul Simon's son.  If you didn't guess by the name (afterall Simon is not an uncommon name) you would likely pick up the connection just by hearing his voice.  There is no denying that their voices are strikingly similar.  He has been around the music industry for a number of years (he's now 40), but understandably, didn't release an album until 2010.  I imagine being the son of someone like Paul Simon would make finding your own musical voice a bit tricky and it makes sense to wait until you are comfortable with yourself, your sound, and your ability to create music in your own way before putting your art out there to be ripped apart by critics who say you're riding on the wave of your famous father etc...  In my opinion it was well worth the wait.  I enjoyed some of his earlier work with the band Menlo Park but his self titled solo album is wonderful.  The beautiful, well crafted songs, both musically and lyrically, show that he clearly has his own song writing skills and his voice, though it is very similar to his father's, is simultaneously striking and soothing in its own way.  The first song that I heard from the album was "Shooting Star" and it drew me in to hear more, hopefully it draws you in as well!  

 

Also, I just discovered that he has a new album coming out in March and the first single, called "Bonnie Brae" is out, and this song atleast has a harder edge, more of a rock sound than his first album.  And that would make sense as, apparently he has worked with a number of artists, including members of Elvis Costello's Attractions, The Strokes, Bright Eyes and Wilco on it...  

 

 

 

 

Paul Simon... there's not much you can say about the man that hasn't already been said so I will say this, he is a BRILLIANT song writer and lyricist, truly brilliant.  I only wish that one day I could write lyrics (or anything at all) half as beautiful as his lyrics.  The song "Further to Fly" has been in my head for a few days so I thought I'd share it.  It's from the album The Rhythm of the Saints (which brings in a lot of Latin American musicians and rhythms in the way that Simon's earlier album Graceland brought in South American music).  So take a listen and read the lyrics, they're something else!  And as usual I recommend that you listen to more of the album... it's worth it.

Last week I posted a song by Jim James and I thought today I would share the first song I ever heard by his band, My Morning Jacket.  The more I listen to this man's work the more respect I have for him.  Every song I've heard so far has sounded different and has lead me somewhere fabulous.  If you are willing to let go and follow where the music takes you, you can experience some unexpected and brilliant additions to your life!  The song that I chose is "I'm Amazed".  It has a classic Southern rock sound to it (they were formed in the late 90s in Kentucky so that influence makes sense).  But as I said when I posted about Jim James' solo work, there is clearly a multitude of musical influences in this man's life so not all of their songs sound like this!  One of my favourites is called "Wordless Chorus" and it certainly sounds a lot different.  Anyway take a listen to this song and read the lyrics as well, written in list form they are biting and honest yet poetic.   

I have been thinking today about what I might consider the best love song and as usual I simply can't pick one...  And so I decided to pick one that is not the usual romantic (often sappy) Valentines love song.  Instead it is a slightly heartwrenching yet incredibly beautiful song called "You Can't Go Back" by  Royal Wood.  He is a brilliant Canadian talent with a soft, smooth voice excellently suited to singing the somewhat simple, yet heartfelt songs he has such a skill for writing.  His piano is also something that I find draws me in, particularly on this song.  So take a listen and if you like it and you want more I recommend checking out the song "I'm So Glad" a rather beautifully perfect song for Valentines Day!   

This song is one that I just heard for the first time today and while I have listened to is a few times now and listened to a few other tracks off the album I have yet to let it fully soak in.  However, I got a good first impression so I thought I'd share it right away.  The song is "A New Life" by Jim James (frontman of My Morning Jacket and member of Monsters of Folk).  It comes from his debut solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God which was released last week.  The song starts off slow and while it is pretty, it is very simple with just his vocals and basic guitar work, really there's not much too it. But then the percussion comes in and the song takes on a quality that harkens back to the simple percussive beats and acoustic guitar driven melodies of early rock 'n' roll (the song is compared to Del Shannon's "Runaway" by Rolling Stone magazine and it certainly wouldn't have sounded terribly out of place in a late 1950s sock hop).  Bit by bit a few other instruments and effects are layered in and as the music builds James' vocals take flight.  Early rock 'n' roll inspiration is writen all over the song and I'm loving it!  But don't expect all the tracks on the album to have the same vibe because the man clearly has many inspirations and his experimentations with them are reflected in unique and interesting ways on every track that I have listened to so far.  Although it is Jim James it does not have the heavier rock orientation that comes with My Morning Jacket, it is something entirely different and entirely intriguing!     

Over the decades recording music has become more and more focused on production and creating sounds and effects in the studio which, in some cases, could never be reproduced on stage (although as technology advances that is less and less of an issue).  Don't get me wrong, there are so, so many incredible recordings that have been created because of this and I likely would not be as big a fan of music if it weren't for that.  But along with that great music has come far too much over produced, over poked and proded music which in some cases is half decent and in other cases is just downright awful.  On top of that, albums take longer and longer to record and the money that goes in to some of them is staggering so it is refreshing and wonderful to listen to the album The Beatles' debut album "Please, Please Me" which was recorded 50 years ago today in an impressive 12 hours.  Their voices are raw and rich and there is both an energy and a sweetness that often gets lost in over production.  The album has two of my favourite covers that they did "Anna (Go To Him)" by Arthur Alexander and "Baby It's You" by Mack David, Barney Williams and Burt Bacharach.  Both songs are sung by John with a softness that is contrasted by his tearing vocals on Twist and Shout.  As usual I suggest you sit back and enjoy the entire album.  Stop doing whatever it is you are forever doing, sit down and listen to the whole thing from start to finish.  If you can't do that atleast listen to the two songs I'll put up here, one original and one cover both great songs that still sound brilliant 50 years later.    

Well I attempted to write a post and share a song with you yesterday but my words just weren't coming together but don't worry, you will get yesterday's song at another point (it's too good not to share!).  Today I am going to keep it short and sweet.  Dr. John has been around the music scene since the 50s and has had his own fair share of troubles throughout his life but he is still going.  His 2012 album, Locked Down, proved that, he may be in his 70s but the man has still got soul and a groove all his own.  So take a listen and see what you think!

  Every year, if you are lucky, there is at least one album that catches you, effects you in some way.  Perhaps it is one that you have been waiting impatiently for, the latest album of your favourite artist, or it might be one that catches you by surprise, completely changing how you feel about an artist.  There were a few such albums for me in 2011 and Sam Roberts Band's "Collider" was one that completely caught me off guard.  I knew of Sam Roberts, I knew his hits and liked them well enough but his latest release made me a fan.  There is a groove to the album that you can't deny from the heavy bass lines and driving percussion to the jazziness brought in by the saxophone.  The album still has Roberts' sharp, honest and poetic lyrics but for me there is a soul to it that I didn't catch from his earlier work.  So while I think that you should take a listen to a number of the tracks such as The Last Crusade, Without a Map, Graveyard Shift, Twist the Knife (the whole album really!) I will leave you with the one that got in to my bones.  Enjoy! 

This week I have been in a contemplative mood.  Considering life, the way that light streams through the trees in a certain way or how that one particular leaf on the bamboo bush catches a near inperceptible breeze and waves madly while everything else in sight remains perfectly still.  These moments of contemplation can some times turn into something confusing and sad or they can be magical and refreshing.  Listening to the right music at such moments can makes all the difference.  For me, right at this moment that music comes from the indie folk band The Paper Kites, from Melbourne, Australia.  With the likes of Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers (both great bands in my humble opinion), topping the charts all over the world there is chance for mellow tones of poetic, introspective lyrics and beautiful harmonies to be heard and appreciated.  So if you are feeling the need for something that may bring you a moment of clarity or perhaps your heart is feeling a little heavy and you want to see the beauty in the world that you have been missing lately then let The Paper Kites take you, let their beautiful melodies and vocal harmonies lift your heart.  It's a wonderful feeling that I recommend!