Tunes worth a spin – I
I promised myself at least two posts a month, and although this is a bit of a cop-out…here are some thoughts ’bout music I’m listening to currently…
links to Amazon.ca - visit your local Amazon (.com, .co.uk, etc) to purchase
The Bird and The Bee: Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
I love their style. It’s clean, direct, smart, and deceptively innocent. The writing is very retro, but definitely has some 21st century bones, and a sonic soundscape that is lush without being fattening. Inara’s voice (the lead singer) is such a refresh from all the heavy, overwrought, avidly earnest singing out there lately – light and lithe, maneuvering deftly on tip-toes, but she isn’t anyone’s princess. You can sense the acid behind the words, and given the chance, she could hurt you with a glance.
links to Amazon.ca (good if you're Canadian - pick your own Amazon if you're elsewhere)
Jason Mraz: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
I like a voice that can maneuver. One that sounds like it doesn’t need Accu-tune to survive, and can negotiate more than one octave without breaking a sweat. Jason Mraz has one of those voices – he reminds me a lot of Jason Kay of Jamiroquai – a lighter voice that can dodge and shift fast, but with a gallon of soul that gives it some guts. Amazon classifies him as Soul, or Adult Alternative, and I can see why – he’s definitely got an ear for R&B. But there’s something about the singing and the writing that reaches out from those genres, and for me, that’s what keeps it fresh and sparkling. Definitely singing outside of the box.
Links to Amazon.ca (not Canadian? you know what to do by now)
Lily Allen: It’s Not Me It’s You
Someone told me Lily Allen has gotten boring. I hadn’t heard her before this album, so I can’t say. What I can say is this is a cute album with a kick-ass edge. The orchestrations are deft, lush, and brilliant. Her voice is sweet, easy going, and pretty damn listenable. And how can I not enjoy a sweet, bouncy little tune called ‘Fuck You’? She’s got what I like – she’s smart, she’s sharp, she’s musical, she’s pop without the pap, and she’s fresh in being who she is. I can’t deny Lily Allen, and I have to add – you ain’t boring, miss.
