Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

What an amazing juxtaposition Amy Winehouse's music is:

Without the vocals, this music could be pulled straight from the 50s. But then, Winehouse starts singing, with a voice that, too, could be pulled from ths 50s, but blasting lyrics which are cleary modern. My favourite example is the beginning Me and Mr. Jones: "What kind of fuckery is this?"

Quite honestly, I think this is a beautiful album, that, as I mentioned, seems to play these sounds that people know from a "better day" and lyrics which, at points, are harsh, direct, and occasionally obscene.

The album also manages to show some pain, which seems clear based on some googling and the self-destructive path that Winehouse is on. Then again, every good artist has a lot of pain inside.

I'm currently enjoying Me and Mr. Jones (for the aforementioned lyric), Love is A Losing Game (a beautiful but sad song), and Rehab (A seemingly self-mocking tune).

In the end: You know, I won't lie, if you don't listen to closely to the lyrics, a lot of song scould definitely be playing in the background during more... intimate times. It's a great package who's only fault is that it finishes at 35 minutes.

Technorati tagged: Amy Winehouse | Female Vocalists | Jazz | 2006

Casey Dienel: Wind-up Canary

Oh women and their pianos, will you ever not be a weakness of mine?

After taking a look at the music section in the Boston Globe, I found a note that Ms. Dienel (a former Boston native) would be playing in town. Well, gee, she looked cute, and that was enough for me to check out her myspace page. Which led me to the opening track of Doctor Monroe. Four notes in, I was sold. I hadn't even heard her voice but I knew, somehow, it would be good.

And so it continued. Wind-up Canary is 12 tracks spanning just shy of 50 minutes, and contains a lot of the playfulness that a similar songstress uses, that being Nellie McKay.

Unlike your standard woman-at-a-piano music, Dienel's work isn't just about longing, pain, and heartbreak, but also some fun narratives and keen observations. Plus, she ends up involving a banjo at one point, and I can't lie: I'm a sucker for a banjo.

Doctor Monroe, Baby James, Frankie and Annette (and, please, tell me you don't here the Ballad of Brenda and Eddie hidden in there), and All or Nothing are, perhaps, the most telling tracks of both the albums seriousness and light-heartedness.

In the end: I've got room in my heart for another Boston gal, and Casey happened to slide on in. This may not be Grammy award winning music, but it's fun, it's enjoyable, and it's better than the shit that does win Grammys. To me, that says "good record."

On the web: Behold the power of MySpace. And if that frightens you, there's always her Official site.

Technorati Tagged: Casey Dienel | Female Vocalists | Piano | 2007

KT Tunstall: Acoustic Extravaganza

Another Rock N Roll crush is my Scottish heartthrob, Ms. KT Tunstall.

On the heels of her wildly successful, awesome, amazing, and wonderful disc Eye to the Telescope, KT goes the more acoustic route, doing an "Unplugged"-style disc comprised of 10 tracks. It's fairly standard fair for Ms. KT, but she handles it well.

Tunstall throws us a few ropes with the inclusion of some as-of-yet unreleased songs, including my personal favourite, Ashes. Change also manages to pick up some haunting atmosphere done on the acoustic guitar.

In the end: Sure, standard fair from Tunstall is still far above most of what we have these days, but it still feels fairly standard. It's a great way to get some new material out to the fans without doing a full album, but it really doesn't help to understand the direction she's going. If you like KT, you'll adore this.

Technorati Tagged: KT Tunstall | Rock | Acoustic | 2006

Trisha O'Keefe: Live!

I've got a back log of things to report on, so let's start with a pair of acoustic albums. First up, my darlin' from Philly, Ms. Trisha O'Keefe.

After picking up her All the Honest Liars, listening to it, and then saying my peace. Well, sometimes people listen.

If you recall, I said:
"Not having seen her live yet, I don't know if her look matches with the rock sound she strives for, but listening to it, I feel like she should be accompanied by just an acoustic guitar more often than she is."

And, lo and behold, Live!, who's greatest failure is it is only 6 tracks long. Over the course of the tracks (recorded at the Tin Angel), Trisha manages to turn an acoustic guitar into a sprawling rock conerct while still maintaining the intimacy of a coffee shop. In my mind, it takes a great talent to do that.

Take a listen to Never Enough, Nobody's Love, and Drowning Me Slowly for a good sampling of this gal's range.

In the end: Acoustic fans will love it. Rock fans will love it. Anyone who likes Trisha, of course, will love it.

On the web: The EP is only 6 bucks on iTunes. Or, if DRM frightens you, hit up ItsAboutMusic.com and get it in wide open and clear Em-Pee-Three. Also, only 6 bucks. You won't be let down.

Technorati Tagged: Trisha O'Keefe | Small Artists | Rock | Acoustic