Ispahan - channeling the sounds of the old Orient

Filed under Audio, Folk, International

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I live in Asia Minor, and when I first heard the melancholy and mysterious strains of Christian "Kiane" Fromentin's Ispahan, my first thought was that this guy must be making music in my local area.

I was surprised to find out that he's actually in France - he just has a very innate sense of what the region of the Near and Middle East sounds like, and a talent for evoking nostalgia... even for listeners who have never been to this part of the world.
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Written by Melissa · January 13, 2010 at 8:00 AM

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...anabase* "Le bonheur flou Le bonheur flou" - so good, you won't notice the language barrier

Filed under Acoustic, Alternative Pop, Alternative Rock, Audio, International

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People often ask me how many languages I speak, simply because my music collection holds so many international artists who don't sing in English. But to tell the truth, I don't require a song to be sung in a language I understand, in order for me to be able to connect with it.

If you never thought you could get into music in any language other than English, I urge you to give Anabase's Le Bonheur Flou a try.
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Written by Melissa · January 4, 2010 at 8:00 AM

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Ten and Tracer's Tsotsitaal - hurry and jump on the very slow bandwagon

Filed under Ambient, Audio, Electronic

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Ambient music is one of those things that people either hate or really hate, and I used to be in both those groups until an ambient-loving friend of mine sat me down to set me straight.

"You don't have to have songs shoved down your throat," he said. "Just close your eyes and float, and you'll find that music is all around you." At the time I rolled my eyes at the tree-hugginess of it all, but really I do take his point.
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Written by Melissa · January 1, 2010 at 8:00 AM

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Jan Felipe "Abril" - indietronica with a truly international flavour

Filed under Acoustic, Audio, Electronica, Indie Rock

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One of the things I really love about Creative Commons music is the potential to connect directly with artists. It helps increase my enjoyment of the music, knowing a little about what these musicians are like and understanding their drive to create.
Often they contact me via last.fm after seeing their albums in my library, and the conversation develops from there. Sometimes, as in the case of Brazilian songwriter Jan Felipe, it can lead to some very interesting things.
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Written by Melissa · December 27, 2009 at 8:00 AM

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