He’s a Soul Man

My latest album purchase is Raphael Saadiq’s The Way I See It, his second solo album.  It’s not new, but it is a great one.  Saadiq was the lead singer of the band Tony! Toni! Toné! and is now a solo artist doing music in the style of 1960s Motown and soul, but with a bit of a modern twist.  He’s worth a listen if you’re into that kind of music. 

Here’s the video for “Let’s Take A Walk”:

New discovery: Eliza Doolittle

Sometimes you find the most wonderful music in the most random places.  I was browsing a message board last night, and I clicked on a link to a Youtube video someone mentioned.  That video happened to be for Eliza Doolittle, an up-and-coming British singer-songwriter:



I really love this girl’s vibe!  All of the songs I’ve heard so far are just completely upbeat, happy, and carefree.  It’s the kind of music you can use to take away your troubles and remember that the world can be fun.

Check out “Pack Up,” which has an awesome jazzy, retro sound:



I’m definitely going to check out more from this girl and keep an eye on her promising career.

Edwyn Collins - Home Again

I’m sure most of you remember Edwyn Collins from his big 1990s retro hit “A Girl Like You.”  What a fantastic song and fantastic sound.

Last night and today, I’ve been watching a documentary about Edwyn and his amazing comeback after two strokes.  A few years after this documentary was produced, it seems his comeback is still going strong.  What an amazing guy.  You can see he is really determined to let nothing slow him down.  Here’s the first part, and the other three parts are also on Youtube:

Overdue: Echo & The Bunnymen

Overdue is a series in which we check out artists whose work we should already be familiar with, but aren’t (yet).  We’ll right some wrongs and check out great new-to-us music along the way.

Ok, I have heard Echo & The Bunnymen before.  Just on internet radio and such.  I’ve heard enough to know that I like their sound, but I don’t really know their songs too well.

That’s going to change tonight.  I was inspired by the following video for The Cutter:



This seems like a fairly recent performance, and it really rocks!  The guitar is just amazing; they’re all really playing well and bringing the rock and roll spirit.  This is quite fun to listen to, and Ian McCulloch’s voice is very addictive.  This song has quite a lot of energy.  If this is what Echo & The Bunnymen are like, I think I like them a lot!

So what other songs do Echo & The Bunnymen have in store for us?  Next up is “Lips Like Sugar.”  That’s probably their biggest hit, as far as I know.  It’s one song of theirs I’ve definitely heard.  It’s certainly a catchy little song.  I really like the soaring chorus, and of course the simile of lips to sugar is so 80s.   This song really shows off what Ian McCulloch’s voice can do.  He can go deep, or he can belt it out.  Overall, this is an above-average song.  It’s pretty typical for an 80s hit.



Now I’ll take a listen to “Silver.”  The sound on this one is a little rough, but still has charm.  I really like the use of cello at the beginning.  And the drumming is really awesome!  I like its pounding echo.  McCulloch’s voice here is a bit weaker, but you can still hear his talent. I actually kind of like this!  The strings, the acoustic guitar, the awesome drumming – all very nice.  This has a nice groove to it, even if it’s not the best-produced song out there.



Now on to what is apparently one of their bigger hits, “Bring On The Dancing Horses.”  I’m really digging the bass here.  Other than the bass, this seems to be a very pretty song.  The backing vocals on the chorus are a really nice touch.  So far, it seems like E&TB are excellent at finding a good groove and riding it to pop success.  Their songs seem to be custom made to get in your head and stay there.  They sound like many other 80s rock bands, but unfortunately aren’t as well known, at least to me.  That’s pretty sad, because they have a lot to offer.



Next, I’ll go for a deep album cut.  I’ll see what I can find on Grooveshark.

I’m going with “Nocturnal Me” from the album Ocean Rain. 

Well, isn’t this interesting!  It’s not your typical rock song, that’s for sure.  It’s almost a waltz.  Maybe it is a waltz.  All I know is you don’t usually find a big bombastic arrangement like this from your typical new wave band. 

Ok, now another random song.  I’ll go with “Zimbo.”  Sounds intriguing.



Very haunting!  The loud drums are kind of distracting.  This veers a little more gothic than their other songs, as far as I’ve heard.  That’s ok, there’s always room for gothic music.

So, what do I think about Echo & The Bunnymen from what I’ve heard today?  The first few songs made them seem like a hard rockin’ 80s pop band, but digging deeper revealed a lot more than that.  They’re not afraid to use unusual arrangements or instruments.  What holds it all together is Ian McCulloch’s authoritative, echo-drenched voice.  My first instincts about the band were correct.  I’ll have to listen more and see what else I can find to enjoy in their music. 

Review: Jake Lee Rau, "Joy"

I admit it, I first heard Jake Lee Rau on the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer episode "The Initiative" like almost every one else has. I fell in love with the song instantly, and spent a good few years trying to hunt down Rau's album, "Joy."

Rau seems to be a bit of a mystery. Searching for her on the interwebs is near impossible. No offical website, no albums on itunes, not even a video on youtube. All I've managed to find is that she's a Canadian born artist and has worked with both the Cactus Hunters and Brad Scribner, and Buffy creator Joss Weedon has *incredible* taste in music.

Somewhere between folk-rock and alt country, her bluesy raspy voice shines on this album. "Welcome," the song featured on Buffy is a gorgeous, haunting song, while "Open road" has a definite rock feel to it. The album has an honest, simple feel to it complete with deep, gusty vocals that are easy to fall in love with.

She's that good.

A wonderful debut album, One can only hope she produces more. If anyone can help with more information on the artist, please let me know!

Russ says: She has a really amazing voice. Very powerful and bluesy. Kind of reminds me of Janis Joplin on some songs. I also really love that album cover!

Track List:

1. Light On My Feet
2. Another Day
3. Welcome
4. Open Road
5. Let Them In
6. Empty Room
7. My Own Way
8. Lost Hope
9. October
10. Joy

"Welcome"



"October"




Please note that songs are only for preview purposes, support the artist and buy the album! It's available here from Amazon, and here from CD Baby.

SPC ECO: Music of my dreams

In the past year, I've become a lover of the Shoegaze genre of Alternative Rock.  You can expect to see quite a few Shoegaze posts from me in the future.  It all started with My Bloody Valentine (which of course led me to buying the outstanding Loveless) and eventually led to the kind-of-shoegazey Curve.  I'll cover Curve in another post, they're outstanding.

One night a couple weeks ago I was browsing YouTube for Curve videos when I saw a comment about Curve bassist Dean Garcia's new project, SPC ECO (pronounced Space Echo, after a piece of favorite gear).  I was curious, of course, so I searched for any videos of them I could find.  I clicked on the following, the clip for "Telling You," and I was blown away:

Did I mention I was blown away?  I was hooked from the get-go.  This, friends, really speaks to me!  It's hazy, dreamy, soft, smooth, calming.  But what really sets SPC ECO apart is the ethereal vocals from Rose Berlin.  Her last name?  Garcia.  Yes, she is the daughter of Dean Garcia!  Her voice really soothes me and almost puts me in a trance.  Just the kind of thing I really like.

Other than Dean and Rose, the other members of the band are guitar master Joey Levenson, Monti (ex-Curve) on drums, Debbie Smith (also ex-Curve) on guitar and HKG on guitar.

SPC ECO has one full-length LP and two great E.P.s for your enjoyment.  I have purchased one of their E.P.s myself and am currently awaiting its arrival.  The LP is available on Amazon (mostly through the third party sellers) and all of their music is available digitally through their website.  You can also get their music physically by ordering through the Electric Label, like I did.  I'm not sure about iTunes availability.

So, what can one expect from SPC ECO?  Spacey, buzzy guitars (that aren't too loud, like you might find in Curve).  Slower, more atmospheric songs, nothing to rock out to.  And you'll definitely find some of the most sensual, heavenly female vocals anywhere.  If you like dreampop, shoegaze, or just good music, check this band out and support them.  I want them to stick around.

Find them at:

SPCECO.com
SPC ECO on Wikipedia
SPC ECO on Youtube

And, lastly, my favorite SPC ECO song: