SHOWCASE: BELLE'S WAKE

I've written about Belle's Wake in the past, but only in passing. Since naming them one of 2008's most promising newcomers, I've neglected to mention them despite keeping tabs on their progress from afa When better to properly revisit them than as 2008 draws to a close?

So, who are they? A four-piece band whose style makes me think of ancient, abandoned castles and elegant rundown graveyards. 'Gothic' is a tragically overused word, thrown at everyone from Amy Lee to Amanda Palmer, but here it really is relevant. From the Macbeth-inspired "Toil and Trouble" to the haunting ghost story "Penelope", these songs always seem to touch on hints of the supernatural and the ghostly.

As for the music itself, it's sublime. The band's use of strings and piano are particularly well done, and both lead singers Andrew (who takes the lead on tracks like "Wild Creatures of Doubt") and Ashley ("Penelope" and "Persephone", as well as their cover of Joanna Newsome's "Balloons and Bridges") have extraordinary, distinctive voices.

The production isn't as glossy as much of the music making the rounds, mostly because this gang is still working on a smaller scale than the typical Hype Machine darlings, but they have something special. Though they haven't completed a full new release for 2008, a handful of strong tracks have been recorded and released that have got me pretty excited to hear more.

Belle's Wake recorded their The Nature of the Ground EP last year, which they've offered up for free download here, and are now working on The Riot Sessions.

Belle's Wake - Wild Creatures of Doubt [The Nature of the Ground EP, 2007]
Belle's Wake - Penelope [The Riot Sessions, 2007]
Belle's Wake - A Fevered Dream [The Riot Sessions, 2007]

TRACK SHOWCASE: BRISKEBY'S "ASPHALT BEACH"

"I don't believe we can believe anymore..."


A song from Norwegian electro-pop band Briskeby, this is the one song from their discography that haunts me long after I moved on to other artists. It's beautiful, hazy, and cutting, as it tears apart the building superficiality of society. The above line is the core of the song, a reaction to the shallowness of the cult of 'beauty' and the advancing of so-called 'progress', while losing anything deep or real about our lives.

Wonderful stuff, worthy of recognition.

Briskeby - The Asphalt Beach [Jeans For Onassis, 2001]

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

DISCOVERY: MOTHER MOTHER

"I made a fist and not a plan; just call me a reckless wrecking ball."


Now, it's a bit early for a showcase; usually I do those for bands with a bit of history, a few albums I know and love under their belts. So, introducing (kind of) 'Discovery' - mini-showcases for bands I've just discovered or don't have enough material to have a proper Showcase.

This time round, we're meeting Mother Mother, whose new album O My Heart has captured my own heart, though I'm still digging into the album. That said, though, they are immediately impressive, both rocking and being ridiculously cute and funny, something almost no band can pull off credibly. Take "Hayloft", which is led by childish vocals, and somehow manages to fuse creepy and cute in a bizarre way. Or "Arms Tonite", about a lover dying and trying to get back to their lover. Or the lovely "Ghosting", or the sweetly aggressive and self-deprecating "Wrecking Ball"

Mother Mother have my heart, and my ears, because they make great music that just cheers me up, and that is a type of music I want to see more of.

Mother Mother - Hayloft
Mother Mother - Wrecking Ball

IF YOU LIKE: Los Campesinos - You! Me! Dancing | Boney M - Hooray! Hooray! | Cloud Cult - Everybody Here is a Cloud

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

TRACK SHOWCASE: JEM'S "I WANT YOU TO..."

"I want you to love me, I want you to touch me, I want you to know me..."


This song may not be a flat out work of beauty like other given the track showcase, but there's something so infectious and sexy about it (even if it's a little obvious about it) that I just can't help myself. From Jem's upcoming album, this Spanish-inspired piece is about the sexuality of dancing, and I just love it.

Jem - I Want You To... (Down to Earth, 2008)

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

SHOWCASE: THE VITAMIN STRING QUARTET

One of the most steady, intriguing collections out there is Vitamin Records' set of stunning string quartet tributes. Running the gamut from Evanescence to Tool to Alanis Morissette, they've covered a lot of bases, and have done it beautifully. I'd like to introduce some of my favourite works from my small sampling of their releases.

Vitamin String Quartet - There's A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Though Of It Yet (Panic at the Disco cover)
Vitamin String Quartet - Nine in the Afternoon (Panic at the Disco cover)
Vitamin String Quartet - I Write Sins Not Tragedies (Panic at the Disco cover)

Vitamin String Quartet - Somewhere a Clock is Ticking (Snow Patrol cover)
Vitamin String Quartet - Run (Snow Patrol cover)

Vitamin String Quartet - How Soon is Now? (The Smiths cover)
Vitamin String Quartet - Miss Misery (Elliott Smith cover)

These are all flawless, layered translations that, while all performed by a string quartet, mange to have a variety in tone and feel while all sounding grand. Enjoy!

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

DISCOVERY: TRACY SHEDD

"Whatever it takes, don't let them break you down."


Tracy Shedd is being promoted as a Liz Phair slash Bettie Serveert type singer, and I have to say I agree. I'd moreso say that she's trying to be both, right now, and failing to properly emulate either or find a particular style that works for her. Her lyrics aren't particularly imaginative, sadly, and too often she allows herself to be buried under her music. Her voice, potentially the best part of her music, doesn't get any chance to shine.

However, despite this, if she'd just take charge of her own songs instead of being too quiet and too safe, there's a good artist under there. I'm hoping Cigarettes and Smoke Machines, her newest album TBR September 23, gives her the chance to do so. On "Not Giving Up", despite being pushed as similar to the artists above, she actually shares more with Laura Viers sound-wise, which is actually heartening. Maybe by scaling down the too-much electric guitars, she can find a way to use that to make some good music. Luckily, as her best tracks are from Cigarettes, I have hope for her.

Tracy Shedd - Not Giving Up
Tracy Shedd - Whatever It Takes

Also, her entire previous album, Louder Than You Can Hear, can be downloaded for free at her Myspace.

What do you guys think?

SHOWCASE: GREGORY DOUGLASS

"Hang around for me..."



Somehow, this guy has remained a great secret. Perhaps only from me, but considering the little love he's gotten according to Hype Machine, I'm thinking I'm not alone in considering Gregory Douglass a genuine discovery. He's released six albums, but I stumbled upon him in his beautiful cover of Imogen Heap's underrated tune "Come Here Boy". Where the original sometimes felt overproduced, Douglass does an amazing job giving it a sexual charge while heaping delicate synth layers on it. "Boy" is just the beginning however. All six of his songs I've gotten my hands on have been impeccably recorded and produced pieces of clean sounding music.

Gregory Douglass - Come Here Boy (Imogen Heap cover)
Gregory Douglass - Hang Around (Up & Away, 2006)

And remember, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

SHOWCASE: RADIOHEAD

"You'd kill yourself for recognition; kill yourself to never ever stop."


Yes, pushing the famous Radiohead as a band anyone but me still has to discover is a bit of a laugh. However, being my age I was too young for the first coming of Yorke and his gang, which left me aiting until digging out my older sister's copy of The Bends to properly begin to appreciate them. They're hazy and mysterious at the best of times, with a fantastic mix of piano and guitar. You can get lost in it, especially when they use their greatest asset to the max; that is, Thom Yorke and his fantastic vocals.

I'm not going to try and write extensively on the band, as many far better writers who know much, much more about Radiohead have walked that path before. Hopefully, though, as a new fan I can give a new perspective, and at the very least those who have not encountered Radiohead before will give it a shot.

Some backstory: The band formed a couple years before I was even born, back in 1986. Their first album, Pablo Honey, was released to poor sales in 1993, until the smash success of single "Creep" pulled them into the spotlight. Since then, they've released 6 more albums, most critically acclaimed, some commercially successful. Since beginning to look into them, the only piecesof the Radiohead puzzle I don't have are 2003's Hail to the Thief and their EPs, Drill and My Iron Lung. I'm still finding my way through what I have, though, and enjoying the experience very much.

Radiohead - High and Dry
Album: The Bends (1995)

The song that kicked off my journey. It was fuzzy memories of loving the sound of this song (along with "(Nice Dream)") as a kid that prompted me to put The Bends on my iPod in the first place. The lyrics are very dark, very sad; I get a sense of a desperate need for escape from the world, a sort of doomed longing.

Radiohead - Creep
Album: Pablo Honey (1993)

The song that kicked everything off! For a while, the song that was both Radiohead's greatest success and the bane of their existence! The song that struck a chord with everyone who has ever felt awkward and inferior amongst others; essentially almost everyone. The story of a boy desperately wishing to be one of those 'special' people: beautiful, popular, and seemingly angelic.

Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Album: In Rainbows (2007)

The first song off of new album In Rainbows that I remotely connected with. There's just something about it that draws me in, the frantic-yet-chill beat combined with Thom Yorke's wonderful warbling. It really does recreate the feeling of "the bottom of the sea", as Yorke mentions in the song, and it's really quite beautiful.

Radiohead - Airbag
Album: OK Computer (1997)

Mysterious, sweeping and cryptically written, this song seems to express a sort of joy in living, of being 'born again'. I don't know whether the airbag and the various deaths are metaphors, but it does seem to be more life-affirming than its dark sound would care to admit. Very layered and frenetic music, here, as well.

And remember, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

TRACK SHOWCASE: LISA HANNIGAN'S 'SEA SONG'

"There's a man so bright he blocks the light, and he'll always be so; and he's like no sleep on the weekend."


I've been watching Ms. Hannigan since her split with better-known partner Damien Rice, and I'd be lying if I told you her solo debut wasn't up there on my list of most anticipated releases of the soon future (there with the new albums from Andrew Bird, Amanda Palmer and My Latest Novel).

Her demos, revealed on her MySpace, have been very nice, and the standout is the fantastic 'Sea Song'. A low, beautiful song that wonderfully showcases Hannigan's voice (often a high point of Rice's albums). Just listening to it, you feel like you're standing on the seashore at midnight, feeling the night winds and the water on your feet and listening to the wind sing. Next second, you're at the bottom of the sea itself.

Also, the writing here is of a much higher calibre than many others; it's very subtle. Hannigan takes the same structure of each set of metaphors, but the exact phrases are very different - for example, describing someone as 'a smile on a Monday' against 'no sleep on the weekend'. A sign of hope and kindness in a bad day, versus a feeling of sleeplessness and elation, while both using 'Days of the Week' metaphors. Excellent stuff.

This version is only a demo, but I'm hoping Hannigan doesn't do too much to it. It's brilliant as it is.

Lisa Hannigan - Sea Song (demo)

Search for more at The Hype Machine. Purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

SHOWCASE: THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

"Yes, it was profoundly meaningless."


What can I say about the brilliant Stephin Merritt? The man who spearheaded a triple-CD project called 69 Love Songs on a whim, who has headed four separate bands along with his own solo work, and who can write witty, sad, and funny songs - all in one. I haven't followed everything he's done, but I know much of his work with Fields, and it's great stuff. Merritt has practically invented the super-quirky love song. He wrote every one of the songs, from ditties to ballads to epics. I love his co-vocalists as well, particularly 69 Love Songs contributors Claudia Gonson, Shirley Simms, AD Beghtol, and Dudley Klute.

Though not all of their songs are hits, they produce so many that the amount of gems they produce far outweigh some other artists. They bend genres, styles, genders, whatever they want. Quite genius.

The Magnetic Fields - Too Drunk to Dream
The Magnetic Fields - If You Don't Cry
The Magnetic Fields - Reno Dakota
The Magnetic Fields - I Don't Want to Get Over You
The Magnetic Fields - The Night You Can't Remember
The Magnetic Fields - Meaningless
The Magnetic Fields - All My Little Words

That's a good starter selection - sad, funny, and wittily written. There are many others I could've included, but I thought that, if you do like them, you can easily pick up an album or two.

BUY: Amazon | Amazon Canada | Indigo

SHOWCASE: POE

"Come here... I got the pieces here. Time to gather up the splinters, build a casket for my tears."


Ann Danielewski, or Poe, is a unique creature, and so is her album "Haunted" (2000). Approached as a partnership project in terms of promotion with brother Mark's book "House of Leaves", there is a great deal of crossover between the two. The songs are sampled with not just dialogue samples from "Leaves", but also samples of a set of tapes the pair's father left them after his death. In many ways, the album's a family affair, and it works superbly, especially on a few of the tracks. The tracks are deep, layered works with nuance and very interesting sounds.

Poe - Spanish Doll

What starts as simply a quiet, heart-filled song of regret is enhanced greatly by Poe's great grasp of additional samples and layers. A great beat is added, and running Danielewski's voice through various filters gives it a truly haunting sound, as do the many background inclusions. It recreates the feeling of drifitng, "tattered and torn". through a place filled with shreds of once-loved memories flitting between memory and forgetting. If you listen to one of Poe's songs, listen to this one.

Poe - Haunted

The album's title track, "Haunted" was the first of Poe's songs I really listened to. in a way, both this and "Spanish" deal with similar material, the dealing with the loss of a relationship, but they do it skillfully and differently enough that I love them equally. "Spanish" is about the dizziness and lost feeling that comes with being abandoned, while "Haunted" is moreso about attempting to heal and escape that. This also uses samples skillfully, with windy sounds and sound effects that make the song very creepy.

Poe - Not a Virgin

A song that, by the title and chorus, one would assume to be celebrating the pleasures of promiscuity, but is in fact a demand for honesty in a relationship. The protagonist here is sick of idealised fairytale stories and wants to know the honest, dirty truth about the one she's with, and attempts to shock them out of their folly with tales of her own promiscuity and maturity. She demands to be taken seriously.

Poe - Walk the Walk

Danielewski takes the attitude shown in "Virgin" and ramps it up here, in a call to individuality with a pace almost comparable to a rap and yet, undeniably, so very Poe. As she yell, music behind her raging, you can feel her passion and a degree of anger, too, at being pressured to conform.

Poe has a lot of talent and has a great sense of atmosphere. Unfortunately, it's been near eight years since the release of Haunted and there's barely any buzz about a follow-up album; reportedly she's begun it but no release date has been set, even tentatively. Still, I can't wait to hear more from her, as she shows a lot of potential here.

Get Haunted here or here.

SHOWCASE: KATE HAVNEVIK

"Misbehaviour could be your saviour."


I stumbled across Norwegian beauty Kate Havnevik via the work done by Alexandra Patsavas as music supervisor for TV drama Grey's Anatomy. Patsavas heard her and knew she was something special, and Havnevik's work has popped up sporadically since on the show. She even created "Grace" (see below) for the second season finale. Her debut album, Melankton, was released for the first time in 2006, and apparently she's got two more in the works. I've been waiting with bated breath for more from her, and the waiting has paid off; she's going to release another album this year.

Her work is beautiful, soaring stuff, sometimes straying into electronica, but all of it features her wonderful voice.

Kate Havnevik - Grace
Album: Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Soundtrack

Havnevik's most powerful composition, written and released specifically for the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, it recounts the empty, lost feeling of someone who has just lost someone they loved. It's quiet and powerful and real, as she struggles to find exactly what to say. It's very low key, full of humming and faraway noises, recreating the feeling of everything being quiet, far away. She sounds so confused, stumbling through a world that she no longer understands.

Kate Havnevik - Nowhere Warm
Album: Melankton

One of the more heartbreaking songs Havnevik has produced, this song is from the perspective of a woman waiting for her lover to rush to her side. It's full of yearning, and the piano and Havnevik's clear vocals raise to a beautiful crescendo. You can hear the need in her voice, and you know that no matter how fast he races, it won't be fast enough for her. I feel a chill just listening to it.

Kate Havnevik - Disobey
Album: Unreleased (For future "Pop" album)

After two melancholy songs, this one is a bit happier, with Havnevik's protagonist setting aside her fear of risk, realising that if you do nothing extraordinary you can't see "what the world looks like from above". For the first real time, she even sounds a little sexy, with a nice little beat accompanying the song. This has been the theme of my life for the past month or two, after deciding to be a bit more adventurous.

Kate Havnevik - So:Lo
Album: iTunes Release

Kate Havnevik gets a bit lonely here, with her lover leaving her alone to think about "love affairs everywhere" and how there's only one person who can really make her happy. You can feel a nice vibe between her and the subject, though they never respond, and it's a nice song. The title is interesting, too, because she's not only "solo", alone, but "so low", in that she's pretty depressed about the whole state of affairs.

Kate Havnevik - New Day
Album: Melankton

To cap this off, the epic "New Day", which shows off Havnevik's more electronic side. This really does feel like a sunrise, with the mournful strings and brass slowly giving into the sparks of electronic beats. You can imagine Havnevik standing on her porch, looking out over the horizon and feeling the chilly morning as she watches the sunrise.

Now, give those a listen and if you like what you hear, check out her album, "Melankton". It's a keeper, though I've only teased it here.

SHOWCASE: THE DRESDEN DOLLS

"There is this thing keeping everyone's lungs and lips locked. It is called fear and its seeing a great renaissance."


The Dresden Dolls is an utterly fantastic 'Brechtian punk cabaret' act, known to their friends as Amanda Palmer (who has one of the best voices I've ever heard) and Brian Viglione. Their music is dark in nature, and alternately hilarious and vicious as it takes on society, sexuality and overblown singers' egos. The two hail from Boston, Massachusetts. They mix Palmer's amazing vocals with instruments such as the violin, the piano, the ukelele, and the guitar.

The Dresden Dolls - Sing (Sendspace link)
Album: Yes, Virginia...

Atypical for the Dolls in its inspiring nature, this is a powerful call to arms against fear and self-consciousness, urging everyone to, well, sing. This song gives me chills every time I listen to it as Palmer's voice swells, and the utter simplicity of its chorus allows for the genius writing. What artist, in this landscape, would urge us to "sing for the President, sing for the terrorists", just sing whatever is in your heart. My description will always make it seem sappy, but its just beautiful.

The Dresden Dolls - The Jeep Song (Sendspace link)
Album: The Dresden Dolls

One of their funniest offerings, this song has Palmer fixating on her ex-boyfriend's Jeep, and the similar ones everyone in Boston sees to drive. Even as she leaves him behind, she is haunted by the '96 Jeep Cherokee' that refuses to leave her alone. The witty lyrics are aided by a jaunty, slightly crazy music (including wonderful 'ba ba ba ba ba!' backing bits that slay me).

The Dresden Dolls - Backstabber (Sendspace link)
Album: Yes, Virginia...

Here, Palmer needles another singer, one who "only sleeps with girls who say they like [his] music" and has an annoying tendency to tell her how to write her own music. The anger here is a refreshing outlet, as she targets his ego, his appearances on 'popular magazines', and his hypocrisy in his advice to her. She doesn't hold back here, never reducing herself to shrieking, instead tearing him down word by word. Also note that the Dolls did a hilarious video for this song featuring them warring against Panic! at the Disco, guest starring as the subject of the song.

The Dresden Dolls - Mandy Goes to Med School (Sendspace link)
Album: Yes, Virginia...

The most madcap of my Doll favourites, this one bounces through hilarious and rather frightening lyrics related to the idea of Palmer becoming a med student. Take this lyric: "[I'm] giddy as a gangbanger with a set of sutures where his Magic Johnson ought to be..." She sings all of this with this dark excitement, kind of morbid joy as suggests "a nine month vacation and a two foot coffin". If there's a particular message here other than tokeep Amanda Palmer away from scalpels, I haven't uncovered it, but I love listening to the song anyway.

The Dresden Dolls - Coin-Operated Boy (Sendspace link)
Album: The Dresden Dolls

A fantastic song about the nature of loneliness and desperation, the Dolls spin a great tale of a girl who finds herself fascinated with her new plastic boyfriend, claiming that she "will never cry at night again". There are some interesting bits, such as when she seems to be caught in a loop, suggesting that in her state of loneliness she's become somewhat robotic herself. She pleads with a real-life person to pursue her despite her rejections, despite her seeming lack of reciprocated feelings, merely because she doesn't trust in the idea of love. This is a character study of a damaged, broken girl, and it fascinates, amuses and ultimately breaks your heart.


Of course, a post about the Dolls would be sadly remiss without mentioning Amanda Palmer's upcoming solo debut, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, due out sometime this Spring. I'd have to say, of all the albums due out in 2008, it's my most-anticipated album for the year. And what I've heard from it is fantastic, including the following song, which I'm desperately hoping is the lead single as it's just that good...

Amanda Palmer - I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Sendspace link)
Album: Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

The best preview of Who Killed is the gorgeous "Ampersand", but as I've already offered that in the Newcomers post, her studio-recorded cover of Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" fits nicely into this spot. The original is probably one of my all-time favourites, with sweet lyrics of devotion that I can't help but love, and Palmer does a great job with it. It's low, voice on the edge of breaking, piano-driven and heart-stirring. Doesn't quite match the raw feeling of the original, but damn close.

Also Check Out:
The Dresden Dolls - Modern Moonlight
The Dresden Dolls - Sex Changes
The Dresden Dolls - Missed Me

If you're impressed by what you've heard here, look into purchasing some Dresden Dolls albums.

TRACK SHOWCASE: PEOPLE IN PLANES' "PRETTY BUILDINGS"

"I will dive into my sleep and dream of the pretty buildings..."


Last post I mentioned a great song from People in Planes called "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)". It was the standout track from their debut album (at least under the People moniker, having previously been Tetra Splendour), entitled As Far As the Eye Can See, which was generally quite good. The band are now prepping their sophomore LP, which I've heard is titled Beyond the Horizon, and a new song is making the rounds.

It's called "Pretty Buildings", and after "Talk" its my favourite of their discography so far. It's got a great, soaring sound to it that I just love. It's being offered to everyone who signs up for their newsletter. I'm betting, though, that you guys'll wanna be impressed by the song first, and then you'll wanna check out the newsletter for info on the upcoming album. Am I right?

TRACK: People in Planes - "Pretty Buildings" (Sendspace)

And if you're interested in that newsletter, check it out here. Buy their stuff here or here.

SHOWCASE: THE DAMNWELLS

"If she is not the truth, I'll take the lie."


The Damnwells are a great indie rock band from New York, who I've been following a little courtesy of their biggest music blogger fan, I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS, a blog I occasionally visit. Their lyrics are often amusing, their tone wistful romantic but very down-to-earth. I've only tracked down few of their songs, but I've enjoyed every one.

The Damnwells - You Don't Have to Like Me to Love Me (Tonight) (Sendspace link)
Album: Air Stereo

This rather low key invitation to a worn down object of affection is a favourite, with the vocals keeping it very down-to-earth while the music in the back occasionally rocks out. The message is cocky, but there's something caring about the song, with the protagonist promising to 'take good care of you', and even a little pleading in what seems originally to be a song full of confidence.

(Unfortunately, I could only find the acoustic version of this to upload, which isn't my favourite. It's nice in its own way, though.)

The Damnwells - I Am a Leaver (Sendspace link)
The Damnwells - I Am a Leaver (alternate stripped version) (Sendspace link)
Album: Air Stereo (original), demo (alternate)

The alternate stripped version of this song is where I fell in love with these guys, long before I discovered their other material. The original rocks quite a bit, but the original is full of soul and pain in the vocals, something I really loved. Still trying to figure out what the lyrics mean, though.

The Damnwells - She's the New York City Skyline (Sendspace link)
Album: Myspace

A mysterious tribute to an elusive figure, The Damnwells' latest tune may very well be their best. Rolling along, feeling a lot more personal than the others, this is a confession without a crime, a confession of love long gone. The lyrics are enigmatic, hiding but hinting at the truth. Small details ("She never signed her paintings with her name") and big moments ("She surrendered 'I love you's with bitter shame") are side by side here, along with a plethora of metaphors (even in the title) that, once properly added up, will finally tell you something about this hidden love.

If you wanna purchase one of their albums, try here, here or here.

SHOWCASE: DIANA ANAID

"I'm not in danger just because I'm here tonight."


I discovered the beautiful Diana Anaid via Amie Street, and though I'm still digging into her CD the two tracks I've fallen for deserve to be heard. Diana Anaid's sound is a bit rougher and angrier than my usual fare, with guitars raging and her lyrics filled with anger, without screaming or swearing her head off as many do. Her protagonists may not make the best choices, but they refuse to be told what to do, a qulity I like in the lyrics.

Diana Anaid - Dumb Opinion (Sendspace link) Album: Beautiful Obscene

This song, which I've been addicted to for the past week or so, has Anaid dealing with the fallout of her new relationship and people worrying too much about her safety. One can't help but wonder if she's blinding herself to the person's flaws out of rebellion and pride, and that actually adds a bit of shading to the song. Have you ever done the wrong thing despite knowing exactly what you were doing, or done it merely because it was wrong? Thjis is the vibe I get from this song.

Diana Anaid - Last Thing (Sendspace)
Album: Beautiful Obscene
"It is my mistake, and no-one's business," Anaid sings, almost like a complete sequel to 'Dumb Opinion'. Her voice has a totally different quality here, beautiful and mourning, with the chorus showing that she has indeed learning from her mistakes and that she needs someone who won't 'bring [her] down', while struggling to deal with and end things without hurting her partner or herself. This seems almost like a self-apology for crimes against her unknowing self, as well as to her romantic partner.

Diana Anaid - Beautiful Obscene (Sendspace link) Album: Beautiful Obscene

Anaid has a different take on acceptance of one's mistakes here, telling us, "give me a wish and I'd do it all again", refusing to regret her mistakes that have made her who she is now. There's a hint of self-deprecation, quite a bit of sadness, and maybe a bit of maturity that she didn't have in 'Dumb Opinion'. There's a degree of heartbreak here, too.

Buy some Diana Anaid here, here, here or here.

MUSIC VIDEO SHOWCASE: REMI NICOLE'S "ROCK'N'ROLL"

One artist I've fallen head over heels for recently is Remi Nicole, whose debut album My Conscience & I landed late 2007. She's young and very fun to listen to. Her latest video for new single 'Rock'n'Roll' showcases her great sense of humour: The song is all about her being black getting her pigeonholed by labels, and the video visualises her lyrics hilariously. I especially love the rapper. You'll know what I mean when you watch it.

SHOWCASE: SIA

"I'm a binary code that you cracked long ago, but to you I'm just a novel that you wish you never wrote."


Sia Furler (who releases albums under just Sia), popularised by her song Breathe Me being used in the final scene of the groundbreaking TV show Six Feet Under, has had a great career so far, in terms of output. After two iffy (and very rare) albums in OnlySee and Healing is Difficult, she finally broke out with the wonderful Colour the Small One and Breathe Me. Since then, she's released the Lady Croissant Live EP and, this year, standout album Some People Have Real Problems. I got my hands on the album a little early, and thus have heard most of the songs - including a handful that would have definitely scored on 2007's Best Tracks list.

The highlight of Sia's music is her amazing voice, as well as her often mysterious lyrics that seem to often allude to insanity or at least self-confusion and a search for balance and identity. Her voice soars among a cacophony of female singer-songwriters reaching out for attention these days, one of the purest around.

I've already shared her breakout track, Breathe Me, and last year's single, Buttons, with you guys. Luckily, there are plenty more great songs in her catalogue...

Sia - Numb (Sendspace link)
Album: Colour the Small One

This song, in the thread of Breathe Me and Buttons, seems to tie into the idea of mental instability, sounding like pieces of the products of therapy sessions for the titular 'numb' girl. Sia is numb here, without droning or boring the listener, bringing a vulnerability to it that really makes the song work.

Sia - Sunday (Sendspace link)
Album: Colour the Small One

This scattered group of phrases is all tied together with references to Sunday, the Sabbath day of rest in Christian religions, and a reference to Jesus implies this is very much meant. The sound is very mournful and depressing, the lyrics calling to mind possibly a prayer of some sort, referencing both drug users, migraine sufferers and regretters, telling them 'it will be okay, do not think today, give yourself a break, let your imagination run away', bringing the idea of the Sabbath and rest into the song. It's truly a beautiful song, no matter your interpretation.

Sia - Academia (Sendspace link)
Album: Some People Have Real Problems

This song is hilarious and yet touching in its phrasings, using both mathematical and literary terms (both sides of 'academia') as metaphors for relationship problems, presumably between two people who belong on each side of the fence - those relating to him are often literary, while hers are mostly mathematical. The song bounces from its soothing chorus to the frenetic lyrical ramblings that charm completely.

Sia - Soon We'll Be Found (Sendspace link)
Album: Some People Have Real Problems

A sad song about the disconnection between two people as they go to bed, trying to avoid the subject as they lay next to one another. "Shut your eyes, there are no lies in this world we call sleep[...] Tomorrow we'll be free," sings Sia, desperation in her voice as she pleads to have one more night before the storm. She's so tired, so ragged in this song that it's hard not to be heartbroken just listening to it.

BONUS: Sia - Paranoid Android (Radiohead cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads

I must admit, while loving the various Fake Plastic Trees covers that have made the rounds, I've never been a massive fan of Radiohead themselves. That said, I am a little familiar with them, and this is a pitch perfect cover in recreating the 'lost' feeling I would often get from them. The mournful strings in the background while she warbles hopelessly, bringing life to the mysterious lyrics. After all, she's used to the enigmatic, having a number of hits that require intense interpretation to make sense. Her voice here is better showcased than in many of her own tracks, and is probably the highlight of the tribute album it was recorded for.

I love Sia's music and I'm hoping she sees continued (and greater) success from now on. If you wanna support her and buy some Sia, look here, here or here.

TRACK SHOWCASE: ANNA NALICK'S "SHINE"

"Isn't it time you got over how fragile you are?"


Anna Nalick, whose song Breathe (2 AM) was showcased in a pivotal scene of the Grey's Anatomy 'Superbowl' episode back in season 2, which featured a Code Black bomb scare. The song was beautiful and I immediately sought out Nalick's debut album, Wreck of the Day. Since, she's stopped being a big influence on my musical life, but I'm hoping for a great new album to remind me why I love her.

She's just previewed a new single for her upcoming album, which I've heard will be called Acceptance. It's a nice pop song, much in the vein of her other songs, even if it doesn't have the epic feeling of Breathe (2 AM) or the quiet wonder of Forever Love (Digame). Give it a shot, even if you never liked Grey's Anatomy

DOWNLOAD: Anna Nalick - "Shine"

MUSIC VIDEO SHOWCASE: EUGENE FRANCIS JNR.'S "POOR ME"

Just discovered this intriguing new artist from the UK, Eugene Francis Jnr., and I have to say I'm liking what I'm hearing. Didn't find him in time to include him in the Newcomers post, sadly, but he did recently release this very quirky video for single 'Poor Me'. It's very Gulliver's Travels (you'll see when you watch it), and the colours are great. And I know I'll have a time working out exactly what the lyrics mean, but that's half the fun!



No links to Amazon this time round, as his debut album, The Golden Beatle, comes out April 28. However, you can listen to more here and here, and you can buy his singles for the album at the first link.