Good afternoon my adorable punkins! I am currently counting down the minutes until I am sharing a laugh, some tunes and most likely a hangover with the hotties of Hunter Valentine, Killola and The Cliks tonight at their show. If you’ve got any questions you want me to ask them, feel free to send them my way and I’ll be happy to get the dirt.
We’ve got some great new tuneage for your ears this week and they’ve all got me itching to roast tofu-pups over an open campfire.
The top spot this week goes to Sarah Blasko, whose 2005 release, The Overture & the Underscore, was worn out on my iPod. If gorgeous melancholy voices are what you crave, look no further than this Australian with the silky vocal chords. Don’t look for too many happy tunes; but with the sad, there is also the empowered.
This solo debut from the former Immaculate Machine rocker (and keyboardist/vocalist for The New Pornographers) is filled with dreamy pop vocals and some surprising moments of folk and hard-hitting percussion. The album was recorded as Calder was taking care of her sick mother who, unfortunately, died about a year ago. It is very lo-fi, and I hope it never changes.
I’m kind of in love with Birgit’s voice and it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s Swedish, but that does help. She is listed under the pop genre, but she’s got a harder, bluesy rock sensibility. She reminds me so much of The Heartless Bastards and The Pack A.D.. The best way I can think to describe what I’m hearing is if The Pack A.D. and Kim Carnes had a musical baby, this would be it.
This is definitely the least tangible of today’s releases, but for some it will be a fantastic find. It’s hard to classify and better to just take a listen yourself, especially if you’re a fan of Beth Gibbons. For those of you who need some immediate gratification, I’ll try to paint a picture: you’ve washed up on a tropical island, you hear sounds of chanting and you’re not sure if the natives are about to crown you Queen or you’re about to get thrown into a pot of boiling water only to be eaten by cannibals. Go in with an open mind and you’ll exit safely.
The singer/songwriter brings an extra hit of sweetness and innocence to this week’s lineup. She’s got a pretty voice and a nice pop album.
Honorable Mentions: If you’re in to comedy albums, definitely check out Whitney Cummings. Musically, there’s Mike Posner, The Budos Band and a reissue from Nick Drake.
