Sleep.Shy’s Galapagos Inn is one of the more unusual online albums to come out of 2009. It is calm, witty and somewhat perplexing in its mix of sweetness and cynicism.
The opening “I nowhere I am” is typical with its switch of upbeat rhythm to classical choir and piano then back. The track “On Why No. 2 Pencils Have Erasers” shows that this band has their hard rock side but when you least expect it…Mood change!
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Pianist Paolo Pavan has been previously reviewed here for his excellent jazz album titled Inside.
The title refers to his fondness for mainstream tonal jazz which he continues to explore on Looking For a Way Out. Yet, as the title implies, Pavan becomes a bit more exploratory. Aside from his rather prodigious talent on keyboards, the musician also displays a gift at arranging.
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Dazie Mae plays a form of ragtime jazz and blues mixed up in a French cabaret environment. Their full length album titled Velvet Dress and Stockings has a sexy and smoky feel spearheaded by the sultry lead vocalist Jeanne Jattiot.
She reminds me of a jazzy version of Marianne Faithfull. The instrumental backing is almost perfect with snappy keyboards by Mathias Daval, guitars by Tom Lameche and bass by Serge Dejazz.
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As I was listening to this free and legal seasonal album by guitarist James Edwards, my wife shouted from the other room, “Is That Julian Bream?” I doubt if I can come up with a higher compliment. While Edwards may not be Bream, he is still an accomplished guitarist.
Christmas Bells offers 10 classical guitar renditions of classic Christmas songs.
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The neat thing about the net label Clinical Archives is that I never know quite what I am going to hear. After all, who would have thought that mixed in with all the avant-garde, electronica, and experimental music would be this very down-home country EP that reeks of dogwood, cicadas and Hank Williams. Live Candy gives us a very live and very authentic country honky-tonk experience that defines the terms “Alt-country” and “Americana”.
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Claire Hamill is a British singer/songwriter that has been composing and recording since the 70s. She has a slew of albums over the decades and most of them can be downloaded with her blessing from her website. If you have heard of this talented musician, it is probably due to the fact that she wrote “You Take My Breath Away”, a song that became a hit for Eva Cassidy. Hamill has a soft voice in which personal intimacy wins out over power.
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The Breathe compilations have become an anthology series that I look forward to with anticipation. However, the Breathe netlabel is also getting into single artist collections with this luscious album by Mexican multi-instrumentalist Ray Garrido. Tropicotrip is an exotic journey that is part hip-hop, part lounge, and very spacey.
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