Thanks to blogger arrogant-genius: for this posting of singer-songwriter Jen Cummings just recently released video track Before We Sail. Jen has a nice vocal delivery and the lyric is a really great story, even if the subject covered isn’t really new ground (the inherently fragile state of relationships). You can find out more information on Jen Cummings by visiting her Facebook and MySpace sites. Keep on writing and singing Jen, you’re doing a great job! (Source: http://arrogant-genius.tumblr.com/ )
Read MoreThere’s no other way to describe 2010’s Red Rocking Chair by Portland, Oregon’s Black Prairie other than extremely sad. There is loss here-deep heart-breaking loss. The kind of loss that there is seemingly no way out from or to. Though musically drastically different in style, Black Prairie is partly made up from members of the Decemberists (Chris Funk, Nate Query and Jenny Conlee). Vocal duties on the rare vocal cuts are handled by Annalisa Tornfelt, who’s breathy vocal adds to the sadness…
Read MorePop music with a striking anti-smoking message. I’m not an anti-smoking evangelist, but this song probably does more to discourage smoking than all of the anti-smoking messages combined. I came across this video totally by accident so this was my first introduction to New Zealand popper Princess Chelsea’s simple pop formula. It’s bubbly, quirky and completely singable. Here, guest vocalist Johnathan Bree helps out on The Cigarette Duet from the full length Lil Golden Book. I can’t find an actual release date,…
Read MoreRainy Day is pure pop-nothing more and nothing less-and that isn’t bad at all, when the practitioner is Young Hines. Hines seems to be basted in the moorings of 60’s era roots rock and pop. His voice is a pleasing, albeit slightly strained tenor. His first full-length release, Give Me My Change, was released in April and he has been getting some play here and there ever since. It’s deserved! Check out Young Hines by visiting his sketchy web site, but don’t stay…
Read MoreThe Loudness Wars Continue One of the most frustrating things about music today is the extreme failure of the supposed “engineer” in charge of recording tracks, which insist on pushing each instrument to the saturation point. This tactic, argued and discussed all over the internet (Google “loudness wars”) and well demonstrated in this video, removes the dynamics of music and sets everything loud. It’s a failure of massive proportions. One of the things that almost always turns me off of a video track or group is the obvious use of this musical saturation in the mix. You can take a group with…
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