It’s pop music, but it isn’t just the same old, same old. Enter UK singer/songwriter Natalie Holmes and Child from her August 2013 EP of the same name. Child is playful and serious at the same time. Ms. Holmes uses her voice as much as an instrument as a delivery mode for her lyrics. The instrumentation is light and textural, but very well done. Natalie’s keyboard work is a highlight here. At first, I thought that Natalie’s bandcamp.com site did not link to any of…
Read MoreCombining a penchant for jazz, rhythm and blues, pop and powerful vocals and harmonies, Lake Street Dive have a commanding presence, noted here with You Go Down Smooth from the band’s 2011 Live At The Lizard Lounge long-player. At home with pop gems, old favorites or original material, Lake Street Dive could be comfortable in your living room, a jazz club, a pop venue or on stage in an open-air concert. They are at once intimate and accessible. In May 2012,…
Read MoreScandinavian mistress of avant-piano, Flavia Faas has a background in circus performing, which serves her alternative music quite well. Here on the odd and wonderful Your Daughter, hear the carnival flair, the raucous, flamboyant exuberance of Flavia Faas in all of her quirky charm! Your Daughter is from the upcoming long-player, Love, Death & Vegetables, due out in just a few days (September 22, 2013). Check out Flavia Faas web site. It is nicely formatted and complete, and has a great little bio…
Read MoreA beautiful, natural voice is one of the staples of singer / songwriter Myla Smith, seen here on This Time I Mean It from her October 2012 EP, Drugs. Myla has been making great music since at least 2006 and is about to release (as of this writing) a new long-player, Hiding Places, due out this month. (Due to forward posting, it is probably already released, check the link below for status.) You can find a host of information on…
Read MoreUpdate: The video for this track no longer exists. There is no suitable replacement. (a poor quality live version exists) Safe To Say is from Russel Howard’s double EP City Heart +, which is six songs covered both in electric and acoustic settings and was released July 2013. Russel has a commanding high tenor vocal that projects the lyric with decisiveness, making sure your ears get every word and every nuance. Even though iTunes has apparently not figured this out yet, Russel Howard the comedian and Russel Howard the musician are mutually exclusive. Which is why a browse to the i-tunes purchase…
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