New Music Tuesday
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The holidays are here, and we're getting all sentimental around Amie Street. So light a fire, pour some eggnog, grab your girl or guy, and throw on some Sam & Dave.
...Or Mogwai. However you do!
One of the most famous and influential soul/R&B duos in American history, Sam & Dave defined the sound of "Southern Soul" in the sixties. With the energy of live performance and the infectious call-and-response of gospel music -- making for a decidedly less polished sound than Motown -- their recordings took over the Billboard charts from 1966-1968, with ten consecutive singles in the top 20. The Greatest Hits of Sam & Dave has a tracklist that speaks for itself, including "Hold On, I'm Comin'," "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar," and "Soul Man." What's not to love?
Melanie Horsnell is an angelic singer-songwriter who's seen success in her home country of Australia as well as abroad. Horsnell's 2005 album The Adventures of... (released on her own label, Inflatable Girlfriend Records) received much acclaim throughout Europe, with the French version of her song "I Just Want Some Love" helping the album get featured on national radio in France. Her music has also been featured in television commercials for McDonald's, Johnnie Walker, and J.C. Penney. With a light, breathy voice and lush, Beatles-esque, orchestral-pop arrangements, Melanie Horsnell will make an impression on the rest of the world in no time.
With a near-perfect score from the infamously critical staff at Pitchfork, Young Team caused waves upon its release in 1997, and has heavily influenced the development of post-rock ever since. Mogwai is a five-piece band from Glasgow, and has come to be known for its dramatic, cinematic sound; as a result, they were asked to write music for the films Zidane and The Fountain. All Music Guide calls Young Team "a record of sonic invention and emotional force that sounds unlike anything their guitar-based contemporaries have created," and Bloc Party's Kele Okereke claims that it changed his life. All this from a band who got their name from the movie Gremlins!
Jim Lauderdale is one of the most well-rounded musicians in country music. In addition to touring with Freedy Johnston, Nick Lowe, Hootie & the Blowfish, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, he's sung backup for Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams, and has had his songs performed by George Strait, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Kathy Mattea, and George Jones, among others. Throughout his career, Lauderdale has been involved in everything from country to R&B to rock n' roll, and on his album I Feel Like Singing, he and Ralph Stanley take on traditional bluegrass. I Feel Like Singing is a solid addition to this celebrated musician's rich catalog.
Aloe Blacc started his career as an MC in 1995, and has since expanded his musical horizons to include R&B, soul, and Latin music. His debut album on Stones Throw Records is a wonderful exploration of all these styles, and even includes a Spanish-language cover of John Legend's "Ordinary People." Vibe said it best: "In the tradition of '70s-era Stevie Wonder, Shine Through is a luminous soul record that celebrates a people-make-the-world-go-round spirit and showcases the adventurous musical heart of one man who actually believes."
After several self-released EPs, this young band from Berlin has completed its first full-length with excellent results. From the first notes of the album, it sounds like a perfect mix of Sigur Ros, The Postal Service, and Death Cab for Cutie; piano, electronic beats, and soft vocals make for a complex but entirely soothing piece of work.
By the time Rissi Palmer was 19, she was offered a pop record deal by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (producers for Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Boyz II Men). Although she was a fan of the urban/R&B sound, she passed on the deal in order to pursue country music. While chasing her dream, Palmer did everything from singing jingles for Barbie commercials, to performing on the television show Dance Fever. But after making it to the finals of the 2003 season of Star Search, judge Naomi Judd took Palmer under her wing, leading to a record deal with 1720 Entertainment. She's been making a mark on the country music scene ever since!
Shannon Crawford is no stranger to mainstream success. His former band, Cellophane, signed a record deal with Virgin Records in 1997, but eventually disbanded. After taking a few years off to paint, Crawford recorded some demos and gave them to his good friend James "Munky" Shaffer (guitarist for Korn). Munky loved the tracks and together they formed Monster in the Machine and the label Emotional Syphon. In addition to Crawford's multi-instrumental talents and Munky's guitar, Monster in the Machine's atmospheric hard-rock is filled out by ex-Cellophane/Puddle of Mudd bassist Douglas Ardito, drummer Josh Fresse, and violinist Imani Coppola.
