NeutralAxis

I saw The Sounds on Letterman doing a song from their new album Crossing The Rubicon. I have two of their past CDs, and while they were good, they weren’t really favorites.  They’ve stepped up their game with this new song, “No One Sleeps When I’m Awake.” And even though they’re not an American band, the whole album would be good for a Fourth of July picnic today.  Video of the Letterman appearance and a link to streams of the whole album after the jump. (continue reading…)

Sia is an artist I’ve come across lately whom I can’t get enough of. I’ve picked up all her solo CDs and also some from Zero 7 that she performs on. (Two sentence ending prepositions in a row.. I’m on a roll.) Check out the samples and a fantastic clip from a performance on Letterman after the jump. (continue reading…)

Every once in awhile I stop at the public library and pick out a CD from an artist I’ve heard nothing about.  My only guidance is the cover art and the genre printed on the label.  This week I found Miss Understood by Carolyn Wonderland on the shelf, labeled “Blues” and decided to give it a try.   Sometimes I make awful choices, and sometimes I find a gem.  This was a bit of a gem that still needed some polishing. (continue reading…)

If you’re the kind who likes an intelligent horror movie and don’t mind a little blood, you need to see Let The Right One In.  Its a Swedish movie about a 12 year old boy who strikes up a friendship with the little girl who moves in next door.  Making friends with a vampire turns out to have advantages as well as drawbacks. (continue reading…)

This weeks featured CD is As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls by Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays.  While I usually try to pick something that perhaps isn’t so well known, Pat Metheny will certainly be known to people who enjoy jazz.  I’ve owned this CD since at least 1986 and still enjoy listening to it while reading or doing other quiet things. (continue reading…)

I heard Diane Birch perform on Craig Ferguson this week and liked her performance well enough to see what else I could find from her.  This CD, Bible Belt, appears to be her debut.  Some of the reviews I’ve read have compared her to Norah Jones, but in my opinion, that’s not a valid comparison.  Ms. Birch is going for a pop sound rather than Jones’ smoky jazz style.  She’s also steering clear of the singer/songwriter/piano waif style that seems to be all too common.  Vintage Carole King might be a more valid comparison.  Give it a listen. (continue reading…)

The temperature is due to hit 90F today, so I”m picking a very summery CD by The Orange Peels called Circling The Sun for this week.  It has that “jangley”, happy summer sound that says its time to spend more time outside. (continue reading…)

Since finding the Amazon.com widget for easily putting legal song samples online, I decided I’d try to feature a different album/CD/download (whatever the kids are calling them these days) each weekend.  They won’t necessarily be new, but will simply be a favorite of mine, and maybe not so well known.  Last week was The Detroit Cobras (just pretend it was posted on the weekend.) This weekend is SO3 and their album, Lose The Girl. (continue reading…)

Amazon.com listed Detroit Cobras as a recommendation for me.  I’d never heard of them, but after giving them a listen, I decided Amazon.com knew what they were talking about.  I found several used CDs and have really enjoyed them.   Detroit Cobras seem to be entirely built around finding obscure early rock-n-roll songs and updating them with a modern garage band sound. The embedded player below plays selections from their CD “Baby”.  Favorites are the downtempo “It’s Raining” and “Just Can’t Please You.”

Wide grin!

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