Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Slean has long been a favorite of mine and I'm happy to say her ambitious new double album, Land & Sea, is her best work to date. The two-disc set is grand in scope and beautifully complex, yet one of the most irresistibly accessible collections I've ever heard. This magnificent new song [...]
Muruch guest writer Brendan is back to discuss cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist Christopher O'Riley's new album, Shuffle.Play.Listen... Shuffle.Play.Listen is a collaboration between cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist Christopher O'Riley and it sounds mighty fine to me. Disc 1 features a new arrangement of Bernard Herrmann's score for Vertigo mixed up with classical pieces by [...]
Over the years I've sometimes described songs as "Lynchian" in reference to the moody music found on the soundtracks of director David Lynch's films, most of which was either composed by Lynch himself or in collaboration with composer Angelo Badalamenti. Lynch will finally releasing his own debut album, Crazy Clown Time, on November 8th. You [...]
Muruch's Mid-West reviewer/photographer Jen "Coble" Hopper had the awesome privilege of catching Irish singer Imelda May's October 4th performance at the Majestic Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. Coble's review and photographs of the concert follow... Irish rockabilly queen Imelda May rocked a house packed into the balcony at Madison, WI's Majestic Theatre on Tuesday night. The [...]
Siberia, the new sophomore album by Lights (a.k.a. Toronto singer-songwriter Lights Poxleitner), was just released this week via Last Gang Records. L.A. reviewer Laura Foxworthy shares her thoughts about the album below... There is a lightness that pervades Lights' new album, Siberia that is both infectious and lulling, an almost electro-pop lullaby at times, and [...]
Lady Antebellum recently released their third album, Own The Night. Lady A is a band who won me over with a live performance. I had barely heard of the band when I saw them open for Tim McGraw a few years ago. They sound even better live than on recording, which is always the mark [...]
Cate Le Bon's low key, French pop-folk style is similar to Nico, but with a modern indie-rock twist. Cate will join St. Vincent on their upcoming tour. You can download a free, legal mp3 of her new single, "Puts Me To Work," and see her tour dates below. The song will be featured on Cate's [...]
You can download a free, legal mp3 of Susie Suh's beautiful new ballad, "Feather in the Wind," by entering your email address via the link below. The song will be featured on the upcoming The Bakman Tapes. Susie Suh - Feather in the Wind (mp3 download page) Buy @ Amazon
The folling free, legal mp3 is from Peggy Sue's upcoming sophomore album, Acrobats and I think you'll agree that it sounds exactly like a duet between PJ Harvey and Cat Power. It's the stand out track on the album, but is also a good representation of the overall sound. Acrobats will be released by Yep [...]
John Wesley Harding's new album, The Sound of His Own Voice, will be released on October 11, 2011. The melodic acoustic pop and clever lyrics found on The Sound of His Own Voice fall somewhere between Pulp and Elvis Costello. The album features guest appearances by members of Decemberists and REM as well as Roseanne [...]
Portland rock quartet Wild Flag are Helium's Mary Timony, Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, and The Minders' Rebecca Cole . If you youngins haven't heard of those bands, get thee to the music purveyor of your choice. Helium and Sleater-Kinney were to the early aughts what L7 and Hole were to the early 1990s [...]
Matthew Sweet's record label is offering the following free, legal download of the singer-songwriter's latest single, "Late Nights With The Power Pop" from his new album, Modern Art. Locals can catch Matthew Sweet at Mountain Stage in Charleston, WV on October 23rd. Matthew Sweet - Late Nights With The Power Pop (mp3)* *mp3 provided by [...]
West Virginia Symphony Orchestra's "Mahler 1: Titan" concerts were held at The Clay Center's Maier Foundation Performance Hall this past weekend. Italian pianist Domenico Codispoti joined Maestro Grant Cooper and his orchestra for a performance of Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor" and Mahler's "Symphony No. 1 in D major." During the pre-performance [...]
London-based singer-songwriter Julian Velard's piano pop sophomore album, Mr. Saturday Night, will be released in the U.S. on November 1st. It may not be an artistic masterpiece, but it's one of the catchier albums I've heard this year. The influence of 19802s Elton John and Billy Joel are evident in the ready-for-radio piano pop opener, [...]
Singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd's ninth album, Cosmic Ocean Ship, is a collection of pretty, ethereal pop-folk songs. Mia's unusual, delicate voice is reminiscent of classic folk singers like Judi Colllins, but her music comes from another world. You can download a free, legal mp3 of "Summer Lover" below... Mia Doi Todd - Summer Lover (mp3)* [...]
Tori Amos's new album, Night of the Hunters, will be released on September 20th via classical record label Deutsche Grammophon. With an orchestra composed of Polish string quartet Apollon Musagéte, Berlin Philharmonic clarinet soloist Andreas Ottensamer and various other classical musicians, Tori incorporates pieces by Bach, Schubert and other classical composers into her own sprawling [...]
Muruch and Rounder Records are giving away one copy of The Jayhawks' new CD, Mockingbird Time. You can read my review of the album by clicking here and the contest details are below... The Prize: One winner will receive: 1 The Jayhawks: Mockingbird Time CD The Rules: Comment to this entry with "Mockingbird" and your [...]
Meghan O'Rourke's The Long Goodbye is a touching memoir regarding her mother's death. The New York poet wraps the raw emotion of such a somber subject in graceful and eloquent prose. Meghan shares the various intense emotions she experienced during her mother's battle with cancer and the agonizing void left in her mother's absence. As [...]
The Music Never Stopped is a wonderful indie film starring J.K. Simmons and Lou Taylor Pucci as a father and son who are brought together by music. A brain tumor leaves Gabriel's (Lou Taylor Pucci) mind trapped in the 1960s. With the help of a music therapist (Julia Ormond), Gabriel's father (the amazing J.K. Simmons) [...]
Muruch
Childish Gambino
The Shins: “September” (b-side of “Simple Song” 7”)
St. Vincent - 'Cheerleader'
OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Ni**as In Paris (Explicit)![Niki & The Dove - The Fox [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/l2f6UbMnlq4_130.jpg)
Niki & The Dove - The Fox [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
The Best Whitney Houston Covers: A Tribute
The Weeknd – D.D. (Chi Duly Remix)
Karmin – “Broken Hearted” and “I Told You So” 2/11 SNL
