Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
27 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: honey come home, john alagia
John Alagia: “Honey Come Home” (2007)
The soundtrack to the Ben Stiller comedy The Heartbreak Kid produced this bewitching bit of musical esoterica.
John Alagia is a composer, producer, mixer, engineer–oh, and on this song, a performer. “Honey Come Home” channels the early 70’s gentle persuasion of solo McCartney, or perhaps Gilbert O’Sullivan.
This is precisely the type of fell-through-the-cracks song I love to discover and shine a little more light on.
26 Dec 2012 1 Comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: campo, criollo clasico, jose gonzalez
Jose Gonzalez and Criollo Clasico: “Campo” (1991)
Take a four minute mental vacation from those winter storms with the warm, enveloping sounds of Jose Gonzalez’ Puerto Rican cuatro music.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/02/28/14201/
26 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: arctic monkeys, baby i'm yours
Arctic Monkeys: “Baby I’m Yours” (2006)
From their overpriced 2006 CD single “Leave Before the Lights Come On” comes this B side, a wonderful cover of Barbara Lewis’ 1965 hit. The arrangement really goes for a vintage mid-60’s sound, and in fact they added harmonies the original didn’t have. Plus, unlike Lewis, they don’t mispronounce “satisfied” as “satistfied”.
25 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: new york, paloma faith
Paloma Faith: “New York” (2009)
Talented Brit Paloma Faith has just released this album’s follow-up. The big-voiced newcomer writes or co-writes her own material and combines the soul chops of Winehouse and Adele with a more adventurous and contemporary blend of styles.
Faith has previously worked as a magician’s assistant, burlesque performer and actress. Perhaps this background contributes to the melodramatic flair of her music. She’s also a trained contemporary dancer with an MA degree in theater direction.
22 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: la confession, lhasa
Lhasa: “La Confession” (2003)
Mexican-American World Music singer-songwriter Lhasa de Sela left us with only scant recorded legacy before breast cancer claimed her at age 37: two albums of husky-voiced Mexican ranchera, gypsy-influenced folk and French chanson, and a third album recorded in English.
“La Confession” is from her second, The Living Road. The English translation is in the below video.
21 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: jo-el sonnier, tear-stained letter
Jo-El Sonnier: Tear-Stained Letter (1987)
From an era when Country music’s banquet table served up a relative feast of diverse flavors comes Louisiana Cajun singer/accordionist Jo-El Sonnier’s top ten cover of Richard Thompson that actually beats Thompson’s original for raucous energy.
Lines like “she danced on my head like Arthur Murray/The scars ain’t never gonna mend in a hurry” and “my head was beatin’ like a song by The Clash/She was writin’ checks that my body couldn’t cash” are pure Thompson.
Every Moment Has A Song 