We're quickly approaching that time of year when my love of French jazz and pop ratchets into overdrive. (Hello, Valentine's Day - I've missed your delicious chocolate cheesecake and your love of all things pink and heart-shaped.)
You may remember a couple of years ago when Starbucks was really pushing this teenage phenom - she was signed to their Hear Music label. I don't know why she didn't catch fire then - she's got a unique, bluesy voice not totally unlike a Duffy or an Amy Winehouse and a sound that segues gently between Madeleine Peyroux and Joss Stone. Absolutely perfect for soundtracks or quiet evenings at home with a honey. So it's the perfect time of year to revisit this underappreciated album.
To get an idea, check out this live performance of "Can't Get You Out of My Mind:"
Happy 2009! If you'd like to start your year with a little upbeat soul, check out Jamie Lidell's excellent album, Jim. This British electronic-music guru had a change of heart last year and made a retro soul album worthy of the masters. Just the latest in a long line of excellent retro soul to come out of the UK lately (see Joss Stone, Duffy, Adele, Amy Winehouse.)
Standouts include the impossibly catchy "Wait for Me," the minor-chord triumph "Little Bit of Feel Good," and the sunny album opener "Another Day:"
When people lament the imminent demise of the brick-and-mortar bookstore, I cry a little inside. If not for bookstores, there are so many wonderful things I would never have discovered, like Chuck Klosterman, the QuirkyAlone movement or, perhaps most importantly, tons of great music.
Bookstores that carry CDs are some of the best sources to find out about new and promising artists - next time you're in one, keep your ears open and see what they're playing.
Borders proves this point beautifully with its new online series, "Live at 01" - a series of live performances and interviews filmed in Borders Store #01 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Each episode features a single artist or band playing acoustic versions of about five songs and speaking thoughtfully on the art of crafting music. Some of the artists so far include Rickie Lee Jones, Patty Griffin, Gomez, Joss Stone, and Ingrid Michaelson. Right now, I'm rocking out to the Magic Numbers (if you don't have time to listen to the whole episode, make sure you hear "Take a Chance," my favorite Numbers song, and no - nothing to do with Abba.)
Even better, the episodes are free and downloadable, so you can take them with you everywhere you (or your iPod) choose to go.
Check back often for updates, it seems like they add eps pretty frequently.
(Btw: They also have interviews with authors and filmmakers as well!)
Finally got a chance to catch some of the Live Earth videos on MSN tonight. I was generally very impressed with the video and sound quality, though in true MSN fashion, the player is kind of a pain. (The links below will take you to the right concert, but then you have to toggle to the correct performance. There doesn't seem to be any way to link directly to the performance - argh.) Anyhow, here's what I'm particularly digging.
Ok, so I have an apology to make to the United Kingdom: When I was last there (in 2001), I thought their music scene was dead. All they had to offer was whiny, maudlin, self-indulgent, low-energy alternative pop. Think Coldplay, Travis, Aqualung. The genre was so saturated with second- and third-rate music-making that the term "Britpop" had taken on connotations that absolutely made me cringe.
But in the past five years, the British music scene has rebounded beautifully. I don't know exactly what started it, but suddenly there was Joss Stone's incomparable Soul Sessions, and then the undeniably funky debut album by Little Barrie. There was the truly unique and majestic beauty of Imogen Heap's Speak for Yourself. And now, just in 2007, we've had Mika, Jamie Lidell, the Guillemots, the Feeling, Lily Allen, Field Music... the list goes on and on. (For direct links to the MySpace pages of these bands, click here.)
The most recent British album to tickle my eardrums is James Morrison's Undiscovered. The soul popper is one of Starbucks's latest darlings, but don't be put off by the commercialism - the folks at Hear Music have incredibly adroit taste in music and this is the real deal. Check out a 3-minute intro to his CD (with lovely shots of London in the background) here.
Or check out a couple of live, acoustic performances Morrison did for AOL's Breakers series below. (If for no other reason, check it out for the pretty, pretty guitar.) For more live James Morrison, visit his MySpace page.
The Gap started out selling clothes and records in San Francisco back in the day, and their love of music is still evident today in the many innovative Gap ads that use music and musicians in really interesting ways. Here's a list of some of my faves from the last 10 years or so (in no particular order):
1. Favorite Song - This is the full-length DVD version of the "What's your favorite song?" campaign they did in fall of 2005. Musicians interviewed include John Legend, Joss Stone, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd (of Incubus), Jason Mraz, Michelle Williams, and Keith Urban. Listening to Boyd's triple-tracked vocals on Elvis Costello's "Allison" gives me full-body chills every time. There is nothing I love more than listening to musicians talk about their favorite music, which is why I think this is possibly the best ad EVER.
2. Denim Invasion - Directed by my idol, Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Elizabethtown, Jerry Maguire). Love the look on Orlando Bloom's face when they start running.
3. "Give a Little Bit" - The classic Supertramp song gets a new interpretation from Sheryl Crow, India.Arie, Left-Eye Lopez and Liz Phair. SO much talent in 30 seconds.
4. "Dress You Up" - I just love the modern interpretation of Madonna's song, and the fact that they stagger several voices on the melody line.
5. Bike Riding - Ashton Kutcher, Zooey Deschanel, Scarlett Johannsen and Jay Hernandez riding bikes together? I never actually saw this one on the air, but it's GREAT. Excellent use of the song.
6. Old School - I like the simplicity of this one. It's just Nikka Costa a cappella. Powerful and beautiful.
7. "What are you doing New Year's Eve?" - Rufus Wainwright's interpretation of a classic holiday song. Possibly my favorite version of this song.
8. Denim Swings - I never saw this one when it was on the air either, but this is one of my favorite songs of all time. Truly lovely.
9. Back in Black - The recent Audrey Hepburn-meets-AC/DC mash-up. Props for combining such an unlikely combination in such a cool way.
10. Feelin' Groovy and September - There were two Gap ads that I just loved that I can't find on YouTube anywhere. I believe both were from the Fall 2003 ad campaign. The first featured a modern take on Simon and Garfunkel's "Feelin' Groovy" and the other used the original version of Earth, Wind and Fire's "September." Both featured models wearing clothes and dancing in streets, as I recall. Both were excellent. If anyone finds a link for either of them, post it please!
Update: Two version of the missing "September" ad have finally been tracked down on YouTube. (Thanks Fred!) Check them out below. (9/20/08)
