Singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer ‘s latest single “Captive” is a delightful female-driven pop song that revolves around the idea of love in a way that is far from overbearing. Not once does she mention the word “love” but through lyrical images, instrumental layers, and of course her welcoming vocals, the message most assuredly comes across as such.
Joy Ike is a woman of faith – in love, in others, in strength, and in self. Rumors – sophomore album to her debut, Good Morning - is most assuredly her manifesto on the subject, one that offers a voice that knows the value of beliefs and values. It is almost therapeutic, her unmovable take on the need to feel connected to others. Whether it’s to another spirit being, to the universe, to the human race… well, we’re thinking everything is up for grabs, perhaps the whole network. But most especially the spirit, at least in Ike’s heartfelt opinion.
After nearly fifteen years – resulting in three albums, twelve singles, and numerous collaborations – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings’ have served up another fantastic album, entitled I Learned the Hard Way. Working a tried and true formula of varied tempo and musical temperature harkening back to the Motown era, their sound is all at once hot and smooth. Sixties and seventies soul and funk is still quite the underlying current of countless modern acts. Of course, it takes a special talent to live and breathe the sound so effectively, transporting listeners back in time while existing in an era that is eyeballs deep in auto-tune.
Whether refreshing, brand-spanking-new, or executed in a way that is enough to inspire knowing smiles, many artists’ take on pop[ular music] can be, for the most part, highly entertaining. Dan Black‘s solo US debut, (Un), is less about the artist but more about the listener – cool but not arrogant, self-inspired but all inclusive. Looking for “I’m the flyest sh*t”? You won’t find it here (thank God). The most you’ll find is a strong full-length album by a male contemporary artist in the pop genre with complete, sound tracks that simultaneously tickle and cradle the mind.
It’s a conversation between London and New Jersey. The infamous singer-songwriter Elvis Costello sat down with the legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen on his show Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… The attention was geared toward Springsteen’s inspirations, his time on the Jersey Shore, and his humble beginnings.
The audience was filled with seasoned faces, all of whom were eager to see The Boss perform a song. After Springsteen talked about his road to stardom and made references to Bob Dylan, Costello asked him to play “Wild Billy’s Circus Story.” Costello, accompanied by Nils Lofgren and Roy Brittan (on accordion), played the song harmoniously, it was definitely one of the highlights of the night.
Being that we are only in the month of March, we are probably a bit premature in saying that Via Audio‘s latest album, Animalore, should hold one of the coveted spots for the best album of the year. We’re known tend to cast bets early around here; it’s a confident one, to be sure. The East-Coast-based band’s sophomore album dabbles in most everything they have proved to love best – modern and classic rock, varied electronic influences, and a nostalgic sixties/seventies sensibility. It’s theme is as energetic as much as it is sultry (“Hello”), mellow as much as it is quirky (“Lizard Song”), and on all fronts it is mm nom nom delish (a real definition; we looked it up). For purposes of comparison, if Oingo Boingo had come out with an album somewhere in between Only A Lad and Boi-Ngo, it probably would have aspired to scoot this one off the charts.
Even on a Saturday morning BeatCrave finds a way to go check out some live music. The non-profit organization 826LA was responsible for putting on the music for this day. The event was hosted by Diana Argon from the show Glee and was mostly accompanied by many of the kids that participate in the program. However, with acts such as The Pity Party and The Submarines, hanging out with little kids was worth it.
Ayler Young‘s Back in the City is an ode to New York. Young was born 30-years-ago in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, but now he’s got a new place to call home. In Back in the City, Young sings about homesickness, desires, and distractions.
Like the popular Johns of today, John Mayer and John Legend, Young mixes rock, pop, and R&B. There’s a wide variety of instruments used, from jazz pianos to acoustic guitars to drums. Backing Young are bassist Darryl Jones of the Rolling Stones and drummer Charley Dayton. There’s a mature sound to the instrumental component of Back in the City. For example, “Brand New Girl” includes a saxophone solo, and a lot of cymbals.
Við og við, the debut album from Icelandic singer/songwriter Ólöf Arnalds, overcame much on its way to being released. Arnalds’ musical background stems from having been a member of experimental electronic band múm for many years, but it is on her debut album that she finds her sea legs as a solo artist. Originally released in 2007, Við og við - translation: Now and Then – has received much praise and recognition from various media outlets, including having been voted record of the year by Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið. Suffice it to say that nearly three years of anticipation in reaching the States helps in our evaluation – considering it more of a privilege than usual to have finally been allowed accessibility.
