First of all, let me apologize for two things: one, I am still in a music lull, and haven’t really found that many new things to share with you. Second, we had the floors in our office torn out and replaced this week, and as such, I am without my computer, so even the few things I could have shared are locked on my unplugged computer. No matter though, I still have five songs for ya, and regardless if they are new or old, they are at least something for you to check out!
Hayden – Bad As They Seem
I booked tickets to see the upcoming Feist show at the Tabernacle, and I was pleased to see a name I hadn’t seen in YEARS. apparently, Hayden is opening for her, and for those that don’t know Hayden, this is the first song of his that I ever heard. When I was in high school, we had a satellite, but not cable, and at the time, Much Music was the music channel that we got (instead of MTV). As such, I got to know several Canadian acts (like Our Lady Peace), and Hayden was one of them. I used to have a couple of his CDs, but they fell victim to that crazy period where I thought I should get rid of everything that I wasn’t listening to on repeat. I downloaded his most recent CD last week in order to see if I still liked him (and to get ready for seeing him with Feist), and I have been pleased with what I have heard. I can’t find a video of anything new, but if this song sounds good to you, you should check him out. He reminds me a lot of Ray LaMontagne with his darker, more somber folk, but I quite like what I have heard, and I am glad to have been reacquainted with this old favorite.
Nicole Atkins – Neptune City
Now, those of you that pay attention will notice that this isn’t the first time that I have mentioned Ms. Atkins, but to be honest, she is deserved of more attention, IMHO. I randomly popped her CD into my car player this morning, and I was instantly reminded why I sang such high praises for her initially; I really love her sound. So, what better song to include today? This one has a strange-ish video, but it is definitely a beautiful song. I love her voice so much, as it sounds like it is from another era. She sounds so weathered and has this professional quality to her that I just adore. Be sure to check out her CD, which made my top 31 of 2007; because it’s great.
From the Movie Across The Universe – Let It Be
Wow. I watched Across the Universe last night, the movie-musical that uses Beatles songs to tell the story, and I was simply and utterly blown away by the arrangement in this gospel re-tooling of Let It Be. It is already an amazingly emotional song, and paired with the visuals, and the powerful singing that they used in the movie version, it is hard not to get a little tear in your eye when you watch it. I loved a lot of the versions of the Beatles hits that they used in the movie, and I would definitely recommend seeing it if you are fan of musicals. A very interesting movie with some great remakes of great old songs. Just a note, there is some graphic violence in this video, so just be warned.
Bjork – Declare Independence
This next song is a bit of a weird one, which, if you know Bjork, pretty much goes without saying. It is off of her most recent album, Volta, which is definitely good, but didn’t hook me in the way that I thought it would. While I really love the album, there are a few songs that distracted me, and as such, my attention wavered. However, recently, I randomly saw this video, and was again, impressed by Bjork’s ability to not only craft some amazing music, but she also has this uncanny ability to use video to take it to the next level. This is one of those songs that the video takes it totally to another plain; I absolutely LOVE this video, and I believe that it is almost necessary for the song. It is inventive, and moving. It totally captures the call to “declare independence”, and really does it well. Bjork may be a little misunderstood, even by me, but there are some times where she totally nails it for me, and this is one of those times.
Janet – Feedback
Since her CD leaked this week, I figured it would be appropriate to post this naughty little pleasure of mine. I will admit that I wasn’t impressed at all when I first heard this song, but it has REALLY grown on me. It is quite a nice little dance number, and the video is just so weird that I couldn’t avoid posting it too! I have hopes that the album is good (she has had some stunners and some duds in her past), and if it is anything like Feedback, I am sure that it will grow on me. I do have to mention, that perhaps my FAVORITE thing about the video is how she is all Mario Galaxy at the beginning. Maybe Janet should make a deal with Nintendo? Either way, this is a guilty pleasure of the moment, for sure.
Well, that was interesting! I can’t believe that I pulled that out of my hat! I hope you enjoyed this week’s five song Friday; there are some great ones in there! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Nicole Atkins was an amazingly unexpected, but fantastic, discovery for me. I went to see one of my favorite girl groups, The Pipettes, in concert, and after a not-so-great opening act, they announced that the next opening act would be Nicole Atkins. I had never heard of her before that moment, but that would quickly change, and I am thankful that it did. 
in a more polished form. She has some stories to tell, and you really get the sense that she has been around and unfortunately, has had some love and loss. I think that the slight raspy quality of her voice really allows you to feel the ache that she feels. I also love how she often borders on dramatics in her vocal play, and the effect really gives you sense of drama, love, and loss; all while keeping you entertained and enthralled by her performance. All of this “depressing” nature is still, however, kept upbeat by her rock-and-roll sensibilities, and the result is one of those records that you fall for, and love throughout (as I did). Nicole is definitely a fantastic artist, and this CD stands out among the others that I have loved this year. The only reason that it didn’t land amongst the top records of the year for me, unfortunately, is because I found out about it so late in the year (it came out at the end of October), and I haven’t had enough time to truly explore and enjoy the intricate nuances of Nicole’s sound. 