in the meantime...

Hey Jude

Sung by a 3 year old boy that doesn't even speak English

check it out!

new music in the house

 

from my desk to yours 

these two came in the mail today

reviews coming soon

also thinking about a new "feature" for the blog - hmmm...

3 year old explains Star Wars Ep. IV

 

this 3-year old is incredibly sharp...and so cute!  Just hit play :P

I love the way she says "shiny" and describes the lightsaber as a "light up sword".

Oh...and don't talk back to Darth Vader or else... (finish it in the comment section!)

Beyond the Neighbourhood & Tourist

 

Athlete - Beyond the Neighbourhood [2007]

 

Athlete - Tourist [2005] 

This band took my completely by surprise.  I had read about Athlete in various magazines and referred to this quartet from London by a few music-savvy colleagues but never actually sat down to listen to them for a while. I had been told that Athlete was no far departure from my steady favorite from the United Kingdom, Coldplay.  So I let the tracks play their way through - once, twice and suddenly found myself putting my newly formed "Athlete Playlist" on repeat.  Track after track - my thoughts? Athlete is just plain solid.

 

 

Joel Pott, the leader singer, has very interesting intricacies and quirks in his voice that add a quality to the songs that can only be described as "Athlete".  Athlete's sound ranges from the intimate songs you listen to as you fall asleep (listen to "Trading Air" or "Street Map" on Tourist) to arena-filling rock anthems ("Hurricane" on Beyond the Neighbourhood has the roaring chord progressions to accomplish this).   

In their hit song "Wires", Pott & Co. sing of premature babies, their very being trapped in a plastic box and surrounded by wires, a musical expression of Joel's own baby who was born prematurely (but is healthy now - His Grace is truly infinite).

 

Whether you want music to reflect to by yourself or songs that you crank up to 11 in your car with your pals, Athlete has you covered.  Their older album Tourist has a more traditional "British Rock" sound that made Athlete famous.  Beyond the Neighbourhood, Athlete's 2007 effort, shows Athlete's progression into their next stage of musical evolution with incorporation of more electronic elements that blend incredibly with Athlete's already established voice.  With Beyond the Neighbourhood being their latest, and entirely self-produced work, it can be easily determined that Athlete has found confidence in their sound, and it shows. 

Sample Track: Yesterday Threw Everything at Me

buy | listen | download: Beyond the Neighbourhood | Tourist

 

coming soon - Athlete

 

 

On A Clear Night

Missy Higgins - On A Clear Night 

 

I think many people find their voices in their twentysomething's.  Missy Higgins, who started to find her voice while in high school, proves to be no different with her release from yesteryear release, "On a Clear Night".  Any of you who have already heard her smoky voice probably got a good dose of her single "Where I Stood" which has been a song of choice for many shows like Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill.

 

Very few here in the States have heard much of this talented girl.  The fact that she's a Melbourne, Australia native may prove to be more than enough reason for that, but one will easily attest to the fact that Missy definitely deserves more exposure here in the states.

 

"On a Clear Night" runs the entire gamut of emotions, with upbeat songs like her current single "Steer" to more emotionally charged numbers like "Forgive Me" and feisty ones in between like "Peachy".  Although I'd say her album isn't without faults, as with anything I post here, this one is worth clicking play for.

 

Sample Track: Sugarcane 

buy | listen | download album

*if you like the music, please purchase it - these artists are worth supporting!

yes we can

I don't fully stand by any one of the presidential candidates right now, but this is inspiring.  It's definitely an amazing work of art, whether it has political affiliations or not.

will.I.am, Common, John Legend, Scarlet Johansson, Herbie Hancock, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kelly Hu and many more contribute their voices to this project:

 

Leave your thoughts below.

Missy Higgins still coming soon.