Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
07 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: marina and the diamonds, valley of the dolls
Marina and the Diamonds: “Valley of the Dolls” (2012)
From Marina and the Diamonds’ second album, 2012’s Electra Heart (on Elektra Records no less). Marina and the Diamonds is actually Welsh-born Marina Diamandis who, in an era when “indie pop” is used pretty loosely, is truly a self-made artist whose idiosyncratic style, distinctive voice and quirkily interesting arrangements may bring Regina Spektor to mind.
07 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: kino, leave a light on
Kino: “Leave a Light On” (2005)
Like the more recent Flying Colors project, Kino combined the talents of some of neo-prog’s most respected bands on a collection of melodic rock (or prog lite if you wish).
Any project involving the likes of John Mitchell (Arena, It Bites) and Pete Trewavas (Marillion) is likely to yield tasteful, well-produced stuff, which this is.
07 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: cherry twister, maryann
Cherry Twister: “Maryann” (2000)
Cherry Twister are Steve Ward and a few of his similarly retro-pop minded buddies. As the title suggests, At Home With…is a collection of their homemade demos, recorded with obvious musical nods to sunny 60’s pop and maybe Fountains of Wayne, and occupying a place toward the bubblegum end of the power pop spectrum.
For pop fans with a sweet tooth.
04 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: another saturday, stuart murdoch
Stuart Murdoch: “Another Saturday” (2009)
Belle & Sebastian singer-songwriter Stuart Murdoch offers some perspective on this, another Saturday…
02 May 2013 4 Comments
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: calliandra shade (the cappuccino song), ian anderson
Ian Anderson: “Calliandra Shade (The Cappuccino Song)” (2003)
Although Jethro Tull albums are written chiefly if not solely by Ian Anderson, his solo stuff tends to be a complete contrast. 2003’s Rupi’s Dance, as well as The Secret Language of Birds of three years earlier, appear to be more of an outlet for the laid-back, more acoustic work Anderson seems to increasingly enjoy recording and performing these days.
“Calliandra Shade”, as the album’s first track, is a perfect declaration of intent for such a pastoral record. It’s a song too inconsequential, too casual for a Tull album, and a perfect slice of Ian’s other side. Here he simply invites you to join him at his favorite table at an outdoor café, sip a designer coffee and enjoy the warm sunshine and loose conversation. It’s deliberately about nothing–the anti-Jethro Tull song. And it’s delightful.
I sit in judgment on the market square
I have my favorite table and I have my chair
Natives are friendly and the sun flies high
All kinds of crazy waiters, they go drifting by
Hours last forever in the Calliandra shade
Conversation going nowhere and yet everywhere
Kick off those sad shoes and let the bare toes tingle
Slip off that shoulder strapless and the thick black hair
Come, sit with me and take decaf designer coffee
Come, laugh and listen as the ragamuffin children play
Lame dog and a black cat, now they shuffle in the shadows
You got cappuccino lip on a short skirt day
Electric afternoon and shrill cellphones are mating
Lame dog is dreaming, dreaming of a better life
Where bed is fluffy pillows, table scraps are fillet mignon
Flicked indiscreetly by the lazy waiter’s knife
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/06/04/songs-you-may-have-missed-118/
02 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: butch walker & the black widows, day drunk
Butch Walker & the Black Widows: “Day Drunk” (2011)
A nice slide guitar riff, a philosophical lyric about growing older, and a cathartic release of a chorus. It’s a simple and effective formula here and elsewhere on the second Butch Walker release to feature his new backing band the Black Widows.
The album’s swaggering, bar-band feel is equal parts roots rock and power pop–a great throwback party band sound.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/04/09/songs-you-may-have-missed-73/
Every Moment Has A Song 