CTV. – Dream Cycle
January 6, 2010 by joshuainwood
Tiombe Lockhart and Cubic Zirconia: Ready to Slide
December 5, 2009 by joshuainwood
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Tiombe Lockhart glows with a kind of consuming, natural New York night light and soulful glitter that fuels the raw talent in her writing and singing. While influenced by soul, jazz, and hip hop, Lockhart transcends titles and genres as she seeks inventive production methods within a futuristic sound all her own.
Having gathered the members of her Army of Love and refined her musical talents at The New School in Manhattan, Lockhart then collaborated with Machine Drum, Platinum Pied Pipers (PPP), P’taah, and the recently formed Cubic Zirconia.
Cubic Zirconia, a four-member group with Tiombe Lockhart on vocals, brings dance and electronica to the forefront of a hip hop and R & B-inspired concept. The result is a playful and nasty bundle of breaks, sweeping effects, and smooth melodies.
After releasing the single “Fuck Work” in the US and UK last year, Lockhart and other members Nick Hook, Daud Sturdivant, and Todd Weinstock followed the release with the EP Ready to Slide. Since then, it’s clear that in the midst of other hipster wave artists like Addiquit, Theophilus London, Dam Funk, etc., Cubic Zirconia has spawned a new kind of big city dance party. Full of jokes and always clever, they don’t attempt to live up to certain industry standards, interested instead in making people dance no matter what the cost.
Songs of note (mp3):
“Fuck Work” (from Ready to Slide EP)
“Fuck Work (Nacho Lovers Remix)”
“d.f.a.d.” (from Ready to Slide EP)
Similar artists: Maluca, Addiquit, Dam Funk, Machine Drum
A Tragic Kind of Love
November 27, 2009 by joshuainwoodThis is the last aria (“When I Am Laid in Earth”) from Henry Purcell’s Baroque opera Dido and Aeneas, based on the fourth book of Virgil’s Aeneid, in which Dido, Queen of Carthage, awaits her death while Aeneas leaves to found Rome. The libretto is by Irish writer Nahum Tate.
Here, soprano Jessye Norman performs Dido’s lament:
“Thy Hand, Belinda … When I Am Laid in Earth” (mp3)
Thy hand, Belinda; darkness shades me.
On thy bosom let me rest.
More I would, but Death invades me.
Death is now a welcome guest.
When I am laid, am laid in earth,
May my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;
When I am laid, am laid in earth,
May my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, remember me,
But ah! forget my fate.
Remember me,
But ah! forget my fate.
Remember me, remember me,
But ah! forget my fate.
Remember me,
But ah! forget my fate.
♥
Written by Frank Domínguez, “Tu Me Acostumbraste” has been performed by Andrea Bocelli, Luis Miguel, and other well-known singers. I chose the version by Chavela Vargas, easily my favorite:
“Tu Me Acostumbraste” (mp3)
Here is the translation:
You got me used to
All of those things,
And you taught me
How wonderful they are.
Subtly you came to me like a temptation
Filling with anxiety my heart.
I didn’t understand how love could be
In your strange world,
And because of you I learned.
For that reason I wonder,
Realizing you forgot me.
Why you didn’t teach me?
How does one live without you?
For that reason I wonder,
Realizing you forgot me.
Why you didn’t teach me?
How does one live without you?
Why you didn’t teach me?
How does one live without you?
Why you didn’t teach me?
♥
Here is a song from the classic American film Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), for which Bernard Herrmann wrote a tense and dramatic score. It’s based on lyrics from the famous poem in Scots by Robert Burns, rewritten and arranged by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen.
Pat Boone sings to Diane Baker: ”My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose” (mp3)
♥
This track is sung by Diamanda Galás, based on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s poem “Supplica a Mia Madre.” Pasolini is well known mostly as a controversial film director, but his poetry and other writing is equally provocative and important.
Here is the track:
“Supplica a Mia Madre” (mp3)
And the translation:
Prayer to My Mother
It’s so hard to say in a son’s words
what I’m so little like in my heart.
Only you in all the world know what my
heart always held, before any other love.
So, I must tell you something terrible to know:
From within your kindness my anguish grew.
You’re irreplaceable. And because you are,
the life you gave me is condemned to loneliness.
And I don’t want to be alone. I have an infinite
hunger for love, love of bodies without souls.
For the soul is inside you, it is you, but
you’re my mother and your love’s my slavery:
My childhood I lived a slave to this lofty
incurable sense of an immense obligation.
It was the only way to feel life,
the unique form, sole color; now, it’s over.
We survive, in the confusion
of a life reborn outside reason.
I pray you, oh, I pray: Do not hope to die.
I’m here, alone, with you, in a future April….
♥
This is a song written by Des’ree and Timothy Atack for Baz Luhrmann’s film Romeo and Juliet. Des’ree is a British pop/soul singer known mostly for her hit “You Gotta Be.” “Kissing You,” however, showcases her range and vocal talent, which hadn’t really been heard before in her other work. Beyonce and Taylor Dayne recorded covers of the song, both with substantial changes and none for the better.
Here is the track:
“Kissing You” (mp3)
Julee Cruise: Floating into the Night
November 26, 2009 by joshuainwood
Iowa-born singer Julee Cruise, now living in Manhattan, gained initial attention by contributing to the T.V. series Twins Peaks, working with David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti as a lead vocalist on the theme song “Falling.” Following the success of the show, the three collaborated on Cruise’s solo album Floating into the Night, a collection of airy, dreamlike songs about love and loneliness.
Her dazzling, 50s-pop inspired work stands quite strong on its own though she’s mostly associated with the Lynch series. She has performed live on several stages worldwide, including a set on Saturday Night Live.
Currently, she is in pre-production for a new album with NY musicians Jesse Krakow, Clifton Hyde, and Mike Pride.
Songs of note (mp3):
“The World Spins” (from Floating into the Night)
“You’re Staring at Me” (from The Art of Being a Girl)
“Falling” (from Floating into the Night)
“Rockin’ Back inside My Heart” (from Floating into the Night)
Similar artists: Enya, Angelo Badalamenti, Juana Molina, Love Spirals Downwards
Leslie Low: Meandering Loss
November 25, 2009 by joshuainwood
Whether confronting conventional instrumentation in folk or expanding his musical vocabulary through electronic means, Singapore’s Leslie Low consistently pursues an introspective, organic quality in his sound.
His work as a front man in the band Humpback Oak has gained Low much attention and popularity in Singapore’s local scene. He also plays in The Observatory and Snake Blood Union (an improvisational band). Through his involvement in various projects, Low has exhibited an unflinching attention to harmony and melody while at the same time diversifying the degrees of his technical abilities.
Unlike similar artists Elliott Smith and Melpo Mene, Leslie Low, though introspective and vocally apparent, doesn’t create a stage for his voice; instead, Low’s musical combinations, subtle lyricism, and vocal spotlighting work equally on the same platform, leaving little room for exaggerated sentiment.
Songs of note (mp3):
“All Things New” (from Worm)
“Sack of Bones” (from Meandering Loss EP)
“A Chinese Song” (from Volcanoes)
“Hanging on the Trees” (from Worm)
Jim Varney, in Ernest Goes to Camp
November 22, 2009 by joshuainwood
CTV. – Dream Cycle
November 8, 2009 by joshuainwood
CTV. – Dreamscape 2 (mp3)
Raz Ohara: A Realtime Voyeur
October 29, 2009 by joshuainwood
Raz Ohara is Patrick Rasemussen, a Danish singer, songwriter, and producer who now resides in Berlin. He is the youngest signed to Kitty Yo (original home of Jeans Team, Peaches, Gonzales, and Gold Chains & Sue C.) and has since released 9 additional LPs, EPs, and singles.
Ohara draws influences from R & B, pop balladry, reggae, hip hop, and dance. The result of this energetic combination is a fresh, danceable sound set to often sexually charged lyrics and held together by classic songwriting.
From his first release, Realtime Voyeur, to his recent project, Raz Ohara & the Odd Orchestra, Ohara has never put out the same kind of record twice. He is constantly reinventing pop within his own singular style while pushing his skills as a producer and performer.
His current project showcases his distinct voice against a backdrop of hypnotic beats and string arrangements. Compared to his solo work, the new music is larger and bolder, big enough for both clubs and concert halls.
Songs of note (mp3):
“Gone to the Moon” (from Realtime Voyeur)
“This’ a Beautiful Day” (from Very Political)
“Miracle” (from Raz Ohara & the Odd Orchestra: II)
“I Wanna Be Where You Are” (from Realtime Voyeur)
Similar artists: Laub, Schneider TM, International Pony, Gudrun Gut, Finn., Console, Barbara Morgenstern, Seelenluft, Michaela Melián
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu: Nu-Jazz and Afrobeat in the 4th Dimension
October 23, 2009 by joshuainwood
Jimi Tenor is a Finnish futuristic pop star with enormous range and stage presence, drawing influences from jazz, electronica, and pop. His extreme style is as much a part of his craft as his involved compositions and performances are – colorful and striking.
He manages a multi-tasking creativity like few others: A fashion icon, instrument inventor, photographer, and film director, Tenor never overstates his work in these varied mediums – audiences are always left with an inspired listening experience.
His musical ambitions have built him a repertoire of collaborations and unsurpassed journeys through sound, geographically and aurally, while constantly expanding the terms of his sonic odyssey. Such is the case with the last two albums he has released with the West African group Kabu Kabu. Tenor’s intense sound grounded with Kabu Kabu’s funky, heavily rooted rhythms makes for an exciting fusion unheard of before.
Kabu Kabu, a Nigerian group now based in Berlin, has diversified the techniques and exposure of afrobeat as much as Jimi Tenor has with jazz, setting this project above the heights of ordinary collaboration.
The sincerity and straightforwardness of the lyrics on both albums amount to an engaging and provocative space in which song titles such as “I Wanna Hook Up with You” and “Anywhere, Anytime” could as easily stir up an erotic fantasy as they could a psychedelic mind trip.
In an industry with much failed effort and excessive success of other similar projects, Joystone and 4th Dimension (the newest release) stand out as albums worthy of clubs, household record players, and perhaps even an enthusiastic nod from Fela Kuti.
Jimi Tenor has released much of his work on the Finnish record label Sähkö and worked with Tony Allen on a new project.
Songs of note (mp3):
“Smoking” (from Joystone)
“Mystery Spot” (from 4th Dimension)
“Global Party” (from 4th Dimension)
“Dede” (from Joystone)
Similar artists: Fanga, The Matthew Herbert Big Band, Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics, Jori Hulkkonen, Tied & Tickled Trio, United Future Organization, Flanger
Linda Perhacs: Parallelograms
October 19, 2009 by joshuainwood
Linda Perhacs is only now seeing the success of her 1970 release Parallelograms, with the recent emergence of New Weird America and a call back to the L.A. psychedelic folk scene of the 60s and 70s. She left her work as a dental technician to record the album, then returned when it received little attention.
On October 7, Linda Perhacs performed at Redcat in L.A. as part of Dublab’s 10th anniversary celebration. Hecuba, We Are The World, Rio en Medio, and other local artists covered songs from Parallelograms, proving the album’s importance and ingenuity even now.
Perhacs’ distinct, pure sound is a product of her straightforward recording technique combined with tape manipulation and collected sounds that harmonize with her ethereal voice. Artists such as L.A.’s Nite Jewel, Ariel Pink, and Geneva Jacuzzi capture a similar bedroom sound in their music, though a bit more extreme.
Perhacs collaborated with Devendra Banhart on his song “Freely” and is currently working with him on a new album.
Songs of note (mp3):
“Hey, Who Really Cares?” (from Parallelograms)
“Chimacum Rain” (from Parallelograms)
“If You Were My Man (Demo)” (from Parallelograms)
Similar artists: Nancy Elizabeth, Devendra Banhart, Simon Finn, Judee Sill, Gary Higgins, Pearls Before Swine, Sibylle Baier, Nite Jewel
