Underheard Music

Pink Panther Progresses

2011-05-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Henry Mancini's Pink Panther Theme. It has a beautiful and catchy melody and a good jazz beat to it. So, when I was exploring the acts for the 2011 Prog Day festival, I was intrigued by a link to a version of the pink panther theme by a German progressive rock group called Panzerballett. I clicked on it and was instantly in love. I found it exceptionally creative in its use of elements of prog, jazz, and metal to a well-known underlying melody. To me, this is talent and creativity at its finest. How can you twist a well-known tune without mangling it? Well, in my opinion, they have done it.

And, if that's not good enough for you, make sure you also listen to the fantastic version of "Smoke On The Water" at the same site. Both of these tracks are from their album Starke Stücke which you can find on Amazon here.

1. Panzerballett - Pink Panther (192kbps MP3; 7.28MB)

2. Panzerballett - Smoke on the Water (192kbps MP3; 4.62MB)

Say Goodbye - a Triumph!

2010-08-17T08:04:00.001-07:00

I have always enjoyed the Triumph songs I had heard, so I was delighted to find a stack of Triumph CDs at a yard sale for two bucks a piece. It helped me recall all the reasons I loved the clean rock sound. I started with Allied Forces and instead of adding the hits like Magic Power, I thought I'd introduce you to one of the other fantastic songs on this CD.

Say Goodbye is a beautiful rocker. I am a huge fan of guitarist Rik Emmett (check out his solo stuff, especially Absolutely, which features the brilliant "Drive Time").

Triumph - Say Goodbye (192kbps MP3; 6.28 MB)

Enjoy the music - Support a Cause ...

2010-03-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been ages since I posted new music to this blog. But, I know many of you are still enjoying the tracks on this blog based on site visits and song downloads.

How about you support a great cause as you enjoy the music on this blog and help bring it back?

http://www.justgiving.com/walk-rajiv/

This summer, I will be walking across England for a charity called the Joseph Salmon Trust. A group of us will leave Newcastle, on the East coast of England on July 5, 2010 and walk about 15 miles each day to reach Bowness-on-Solway on England’s west coast six days and 86 miles later on July 10, 2010.

It will be grueling, tiring, possibly painful, hopefully a lot of fun, and for a good cause. I am hoping you’ll be able to provide some support to the charity that is benefiting from the walk. While the more you can give the better, PLEASE do not ignore this plea because you don’t think you can give a large amount. Even a 50-cent donation would be appreciated, acknowledged, and move me one step towards my goal of $2,500 (or £1,500). You may sponsor me “by the mile” or just make a single contribution.

So, what’s the charity?

It is a UK charity called the JOSEPH SALMON TRUST (http://www.thejosephsalmontrust.org.uk/) and provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. The form of support is individual to each case and could include funeral costs, basic household costs during a grieving period, or simply to allow parents to take some time off work to come to terms with the tragedy.

Unfortunately, since it is a UK-based charity, your contribution will not be tax deductible if you’re based in the USA. If you’re in the UK, please consider making *some* contribution as the UK government apparently adds an additional 25% to registered charities in the form of a gift aid tax refund.

How do you contribute?

I’ve made it as easy as possible for you. I have created a page on “JustGiving.com” that will ensure that all the money you contribute goes directly to the organization. They even collect the gift aid tax refund from contributions made by UK contributors. Their costs are covered by 5% of the Government contribution, so NOT ONE CENT of what you contribute will go anywhere except to directly support the charity’s cause. Please remember ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE SITE ARE IN BRITISH POUNDS.

Just use the link below:

http://www.justgiving.com/walk-rajiv/

RIP Michael Jackson 1948-2009

2009-06-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

When I was in high-school and college, there was no escaping Michael Jackson. Among my peer group, it was cool to bash Michael Jackson's music as candy pop designed for unintelligent people. We couldn't get away from his music on the radio. Secretly, however, we watched the Thriller video every time it came on even as we outwardly sneered at its lack of substance.

Still, there was nothing better to blast through the speakers to get the dance floor active.

More recently, I began to appreciate his music, dancing, and production as the desire to be different gave way to waves of nostalgia and a true appreciation for high quality music production. Few albums sounded better than Michael Jackson's albums. The clean and tight bass drums, the crystal crisp highs, the vocals which were often spit out with a vehement passion ...

It is the music that has been overshadowed by the man over the last several years and I think his early death will serve to focus more attention on the man's incredible talent at composing, arranging, dancing, and singing.

Not sure there's much "underheard" Michael Jackson, but here's a previously unissued demo from The Ultimate Collection that you can find inexpensively on Amazon.com here. I always liked his ballds. They tended to be well written and were not as easy to dismiss as his dance-floor hits.

Michael Jackson - Fall Again (demo) (4.02MB; 128kbps MP3)

Richard Wright 1943-2008

2008-09-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

One of the bands that has been getting a lot of rotation on my car CD player is the Rocket Scientists, who are fast evolving into one of my favorite bands. I am certain that I will feature more Rocket Scientists here if I ever get back to making this blog more regular, but for today, in honor of Richard Wright of Pink Floyd who died on Monday, here is the Rocket Scientists cover of Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine from their Earthbound album.

RIP, Richard.

The Rocket Scientists - Welcome to the Machine (6.59MB; 192kbps MP3)

Going Deep With Leonard Cohen

2007-09-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Even those of you casual radio listeners who know Leonard Cohen probably have only heard his song Suzanne. Here are a few more selections from the "musical poet."

Leonard Cohen has long been considered more of a poet than a singer. His lyrics are haunting but oblique and his use of words is exquisite. However, to ignore his music and singing is to do him an injustice. He has an incredibly deep voice and you almost get a catch in your throat listening to him. His melodies are beautiful though most of his songs are, admittedly, like dirges. He sings these slow, deep, drawling songs that just suck you in with their weight.

Here are a few songs that are more upbeat than the typical Leonard Cohen. Everybody Knows has a nice, almost rollicking feel to it (yes, for Leonard Cohen, this is "rollicking"). The second selection, I'm Your Man is one of his bigger hits and also has a slight dance-y lilt to it. I was going to add a third selection, but decided that you should just buy some Leonard Cohen to get a good sense of his music.

These songs were taken from an excellent compilation of Leonard Cohen songs called The Essential Leonard Cohen. This 2-CD set is available relatively inexpensively on Amazon here. If you like this (and most of you will), you can find the rest of his discography on Amazon here.

You can read his wikipedia entry about his career as a singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist here.

1. Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows (5.14 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man (4.05 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Sniffling On a Train

2007-08-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

I apologize for this silent week. On Monday evening, I started sniffling and sneezing and it blew up into a full-fledged cold/flu episode that had me huddled shivering under a blanket each evening and in no mood to find, write, and post any MP3s. Not sure if anyone missed me this week.

But, I'm back anyway. I have some chest congestion and a cough that sounds worse than it feels, but I'm back with some classic rock.

Blackfoot was a brand with some impressive links to the rock world. A quick read of the Wikipedia stub here will show you that Blackfoot is closely linked with such legendary bands as Uriah Heep and Lynyrd Skynyrd. A great group with a great sound that somehow never lived up to its potential. The song featured here is probably one of their greatest hits - Train Train. The rhythmic beat that starts the song and the strong vocals should give you an idea of the capabilities of this band.

I strongly recommend this Greatest Hits album here. Find the rest of their discography here.

1. Blackfoot - Train Train (4.1 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Get A Dose of "Hinglish"

2007-08-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

One sub-genre of Indipop is those belonging to "remixes." This often involves taking a well known classic song and then "remixing" it with new beats and grooves.

I guess we could regard the Bombay Vikings as a sort of "remix" group. The group was formed in Stockholm, Sweden by a group of Swedes (one of whom was of Indian origin) who loved Indian music. Although they struggled with the hindi lyrics, they hit upon the idea of mixing some of the hindi lyrics with english lyrics and "modernizing" the music with dance beats and euro grooves. This interspersing of hindi phrases and english phrases is very common in India and has been referred to as "hinglish."

Here are a couple of examples. Both the songs featured here, are well known classic bollywood tunes from the sixties that have been re-imagined by the Bombay Vikings. The first is a tune called Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye (which roughly translates to Flying in the Wind) is a version of a tune from a motion picture called "Barsaat" (rain). The second, Woh Chali, Woh Chali (roughly translated into She Went, She Went) which in its original incarnation was from a film called "Padosan" (neighbors), has also been performed in true Bombay Vikings style.

Enjoy ...

1. Bombay Vikings - Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye (3.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Bombay Vikings - Woh Chali, Woh Chali (4.11 MB; 128kbps MP3)

[PS: Sorry for the delayed post - I was unable to upload the files to the server yesterday because of a technical problem]

A Song In One Breath

2007-08-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

Let me return to some "Indipop" music now. Indipop is the term given to Indian pop music that has exploded in popularity in India over the last ten or fifteen years. I had an earlier post highlighting the Colonial Cousins.

In that same vein, here's an intriguing song by Shankar Mahadevan called Breathless. This song was a huge hit for Shankar several years ago. Through some excellent editing, it appears that Shankar sings the entire song in a single breath. It is a fascinating exercise to listen to this song (you don't have to understand a word). For me, I can actually experience some interesting physiological symptoms when listening to the song. I mean, you almost hold your breath while listening to it. It is unnerving to listen to a singer who apparently is not taking a breath during the song. At the end of the song, you feel a little breathless, almost wishing that he had paused a little during verses.

Shankar is trained in both south indian and north indian classical music. He is a computer engineer who had a successful career with Lotus and Oracle before he turned to singing. He has composed several songs for films and is an ardent fan of jazz. He performs frequently with the Swedish group Mynta.

Fascinating stuff in terms of the music as well as your reaction to it as a listener. Tell me if you reacted in any way physiologically to this song as you listened to it.

If you'd like to watch the MTV video of this song, try YouTube here.

1. Shankar Mahadevan - Breathless (2.82 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Memories of Alma Cogan

2007-08-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I distinctly remember listening to some old 78 rpm records on our record player. Even thinking about this makes me feel old. But, this was in the early seventies and not as far back as some of you may think. This was in India and we had a collection of 78 rpm records that I used to love to hear whenever my parents would pull out the turntable.

One of these songs was called Sugartime by a British artist called Alma Cogan. There were a few other Alma Cogan songs that we had. If I remember right, Sugartime was backed with Mambo Italiano, but I can't be completely sure. But, I do remember listening to these songs many times. It is amazing how limited our media options were back then.

I found that Alma Cogan was a socialite in 1950s London and apparently carried on an affair with John Lennon. She was known to be close to the Beatles and even recorded an entire album of Beatles covers. She died at the young age of 34 of cancer. More on Wikipedia here. There's a very preliminary web site for her fan club here.

Some years ago, I found an Alma Cogan CD Box Set on Amazon.co.uk and I couldn't resist buying it. Of course that box set is now available on Amazon in the US cheaper here. Look for the Alma Cogan discography on Amazon here.

Here are those two songs from my childhood.

1. Alma Cogan - Sugartime (1.67 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Alma Cogan - Mambo Italiano (2.2 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Wine and History with Al Stewart

2007-08-21T17:06:00.001-07:00

Most of you probably know Al Stewart as a one hit wonder. Unless you're a fan, you probably haven't heard much beyond his hit Year of the Cat. As you might expect, Al continued to have a productive and fascinating musical career well past the 1970s. He is intelligent folk-rock singer with most of his songs drawn from his deep interest in history and world events (and now, wine).

Several years ago, he released an album only to fan club members that included songs that he recorded as demos but never released on any commercial album as well as several unreleased live gems. The album was called Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time and contained a number of astonishingly melodic and sophisticated songs. One of those songs is featured here - Soho (Needless To Say) a great recording of the song that originally appeared on Past, Present, and Future. In 2001 (or so), he released an album that highlights his love of wine. Down In The Cellar is a fantastic collection of Al Stewart melodies with clever and intelligent lyrics. The song featured here from that album is Turning It Into Water. Apparently some legal problems prevented the album from being released in the US until now. The album is scheduled to be released in the USA on August 28.

I urge you to revisit the Al Stewart catalog. If you have only heard Year of the Cat, you're in for many pleasant surprises as you listen to all his albums. You can find a nice greatest hits collection here. Past, Present and Future is here and Down In The Cellar is available for pre-order here. An import version is available here. Find other Al Stewart gems here.

1. Al Stewart - Soho (Needless To Say) (3.68 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Al Stewart - Turning It Into Water (4.23 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Elvis Blues - Extended

2007-08-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know Elvis week is over. But indulge me for ONE extra day.

I had an email from someone tell me that they weren't familiar with Elvis' Reconsider Baby - the great raw, pure blues performance. I found that unacceptable.

If you like the blues, it is unforgivable for you not to have heard Elvis singing Reconsider Baby.

So, here goes ...

1. Elvis Presley - Reconsider Baby (3.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Don't Cry Daddy

2007-08-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

My bonus post here to end Elvis week on this blog is a little self-serving.

Several years ago, I took a class at NYU on digital video film making. I have always been an audio and video enthusiast and since I had the time and money, I decided to take this intensive class. On the first day of class, I was surprised to find that we had to develop a screenplay, define a storyboard, and film the script. I had no idea where to even start.

I asked the instructor if it would be okay if I made my own music video (thus saving me the trouble of writing a script). He agreed. I had always considered Elvis Presley's Don't Cry Daddy to be a perfect "story song." I had also watched Toy Story 2 recently and there's this "music video" right in the middle of the movie as the cowgirl tells of her story and how she was forgotten as the kid grew up. If you haven't seen it, it's hard to explain, but it leaves a lump in your throat. I was amazed at the incredible use of video to manipulate emptions and wanted to see whether I could do that too.

So, I managed to find a couple of friends who agreed to act, recruited my son (who was all of seven years old then), and even found a cameo role for my wife (who agreed very reluctantly). We then stole into a local graveyard to film some scenes and then headed to our home in Highland, NY to finish the indoor scenes. The next two days were spent editing this video.

I was very proud of the finished product - as a first attempt from a complete amateur director (me!) It was a single camera shoot. So EVERY scene change required a different take that then had to be edited together so it didn't look like different takes. This is a lot trickier than it sounds. If you don't get the cuts exactly right, there is a tiny little "jerk" that makes the motion appear unnatural (e.g., the guy swigging the whiskey from the coffee cup and setting it down on the counter are two completely separate takes; the guy sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing his forehead and then getting up to leave the bedroom are two separate takes that need to appear like one fluid motion). Frankly, I thought my editing job was one of the best in the class. All in all, it was a busy, intense, but extremely enjoyable week in that class.

So, in honor of Elvis week here, I'm presenting the result of that film making class. You can find the video directly on YouTube here. Or just click on the image below to have it play right within this blog post. Feel free to post a comment either here on this blog or on YouTube.

Elvis Variety (Country, Hip Hop, Rock)

2007-08-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've managed to exactly put my finger (yet) on what makes Elvis' legacy so enduring. I mean, we usually evaluate musical talent in terms of stunning ability to play an instrument or the ability to write songs or melodies that touch people. Elvis was never considered a prodigy when it cames to any instrument. Nor is he considered to be a genius in writing music or lyrics. Sure he had an amazing voice, but so do thousands of other people. There are so many people with astonishingly good voices who haven't had close to the staying power of Elvis.

Some people say Elvis' success could be attributed to timing. He came along at just the right time and exploded on the stage at a time when the nation was in transition. But that sounds much more like a fad and not something that would lead to a phenomenon where thousands of people gather at his home thirty years after his death. There are all these "Tribute Albums" that highlight Elvis' music (even though most of them were just covers of other peoples' songs). Why is it that thousands of musicians a lot more talented than Elvis are willing to contribute to these tribute albums, singing songs that someone else wrote and Elvis just sang during his career.

He certainly had charisma. But attributing his musical legacy and astonishing staying power to just his charisma seems unsatisfying. So, he didn't write great music, never wrote a profound lyric, and was never a social activist in a public sense. Yet, here we are , THIRTY YEARS after his death still talking about him, listening to his music, watching his movies, and buying new tribute albums of "his" music. Strange.

Here is just a small sampling of the range of Elvis versions out there. From pure country (Faith Hill's version of Trying To Get To You from the It's Now Or Never tribute album) to hard rock (Robert Plant's version of Let's Have a Party from The Last Temptation of Elvis collection which includes Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney) and even a House/Hip Hop (no idea what the difference is between the two) remix of All Shook Up by Rick Lenzi from an album called Love Me Tender: 21 House & Hip Hop Remixes.

1. Faith Hill - Trying To Get To You (2.12MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Robert Plant - Let's Have a Party (3.39MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. Rick Lenzi - All Shook Up (Candy Remix Edit) (3.5MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Elvis Gospel

2007-08-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

When I initially became an Elvis fan (growing up in India), I wasn't even sure what gospel music was. I knew Elvis as a Rock n' Roll star and the first few gospel songs I heard did nothing to dispel that image. I'm not sure I even recognized them as "gospel" songs. I figured all Americans sang about Jesus no matter what their genre of music.

As a result, I became a fan of Elvis' gospel works. He had this great ability to turn these gospel songs into raucous, rocking, wildly enthusiastic songs that conveyed joy and happiness without appearing (to me) to be preachy. I'm not sure if I set people wondering about me in India as I walked around the house singing (in a loud voice), "I'm gonna walk, walk dem golden stairs, 'cause I know my Jesus, answers all my prayers ..." I also loved the great contributions of the Jordanaires in the background that made these almost seem like doowop songs. Great harmonies!

Here are two examples of what I mean - Swing Down Sweet Chariot and I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs. You don't have to be religious or a gospel fan to enjoy these songs. Just snap your fingers and smile as you listen to these.

If you're interested in Elvis gospel singing, I would strongly recommend this set Amazing Grace (buy the album here). It has been beautifully remastered and contains gospel songs to suit all tastes in music (okay, maybe not punk, rap, or heavy metal). There is also a newer compilation (which I don't own) which packs a single disc, called Elvis - Ultimate Gospel (available cheap here). Interestingly, both these songs are from his famous His Hand In Mine album, which was my first Elvis gospel album. You can buy this "rockin'" album here. Find other Elvis gospel albums with this link.

RIP, Elvis.

1. Elvis Presley - Swing Down Sweet Chariot (2.35MB; 128kbps)
2. Elvis Presley - I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs (1.71MB; 128kbps)

Elvis Pop

2007-08-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

This blog has been overwhelmingly favoring catchy pop music. I would be remiss if I didn't focus on Elvis' fantastic pop repertoire.

Here are a couple of fantastic examples. Nothing profound in the lyrics ("You say you wanna hold me and stick to me like glue ...") but a great rhythm, simple and entertaining lyrics, fun backing vocals, and a catchy tune. That's all there is to it. Less than two minutes of foot tapping that'll put a smile on your face.

Both these selections are coincidentally from the same album Elvis Is Back! The lyrics to both these songs are by songwriting legends (Otis Blackwell & Leiber/Stoller). Dirty, Dirty, Feeling showcases Elvis' great voice and ability to actually infuse his voice with the "fun" that the song is supposed to convey. Make Me Know It is another great fun "throwaway" ditty that while not profound is a lot of fun and great excuse to get off your feet. I'm also going to throw in another song from these same sessions that is in exactly the same vein. I Gotta Know follows the same formula. There's something simple, beautiful, and naive about these songs. The recording sessions took place in early 1960 and we seem to be caught on the edge the musical drift from the innocent Ricky Nelson days (e.g., Lonesome Town) which is reflected in these recordings to the harder revolutionary music that was to come a few years later.

I have also selected to highlight Take 1 from the recording sessions. If you have any knowledge and experience with recording sessions, you may recognize how astonishing it is to have the artist run off relatively polished and complete versions of new songs on the first take. Elvis biographers have often commented about Elvis' incredible level of preparation at recording sessions and his uncanny ability to listen to a song once or twice and then sing it almost perfectly immediately. Now, you don't have to take biographers' word for this and experience Elvis' fantastic ability to record fantastic versions of songs on the first take. Do you believe that the final master used in the released version of I Gotta Know is Take 2 (included here along with Take 1)?

Both these selections were taken from the FTD release of Elvis Is Back! As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this is BMG's collector's label that legally releases studio outtakes and live recordings. I'll say it again, if you're even minimally interested in Elvis's recording career and "behind the scenes" views of Elvis in the studio, these collections are incredible. I personally prefer the studio outtakes to the live shows as Elvis seemed to have a pretty standard concert repertoire that didn't vary a great deal. FTD also has been re-releasing some classic Elvis albums in their unique style. For example, the Elvis Is Back! album was released in this 2-CD version that includes the complete album (beautifully remastered) as well as numerous outtakes from the album's recording sessions. Well worth the money. This album is available for a high price on Amazon here. Other FTD albums are available cheaper on http://www.shopelvis.com/. If you're looking for other FTD releases that are not available on ShopElvis, try this link to Amazon.

1. Elvis Presley - Dirty, Dirty Feeling, Take 1 (1.55 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Elvis Presley - Make Me Know It, Take 1 (2.41 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
3. Elvis Presley - I Gotta Know, Take 1+ (2.73 MB; 128kbps)

Elvis Does the Blues

2007-08-14T21:24:00.001-07:00

Elvis actually was a great blues singer. In addition to the astonishing range of his voice, he could really get down and dirty with some powerful blues songs.

You've all probably heard his hit Reconsider Baby. Here are a couple of slightly lesser known blues numbers from the King. In 1969, Elvis went into the American Studios in Memphis with Chips Moman producing. The day Elvis showed up at the studio, he had a cold (that later worsened) and the rough early studio takes highlighted here definitely show the hoarseness in Elvis' voice. Still, these sessions were fantastic and yielded Elvis' first number one hot since the early sixties (Suspicious Minds)

The first song is Stranger In My Own Hometown a nice bluesy number. Here, I have featured the undubbed master which obviously sounds much rougher and unpolished than the final released version. The second is a beautiful country-blues number called Long Black Limousine with really nice "story" lyrics that end with a nice twist. This again, is an early take (Take 6) that shows Elvis having some trouble with his voice. Still, these sound fantastic. If you happen to be familiar with the released versions, you'll notice two problems. First, the artificially added echo (missing in the takes here) drowned out Elvis' powerful voice. Second, the addition of overdubs and strings changed the tone of some of the songs from raw blues to more syrupy ballads. Enjoy these rare gems here.

Both these outtakes are from the FTD release Memphis Sessions. If you are even slightly an Elvis collector, I very strongly recommend these releases. FTD (Follow That Dream) is a legal Elvis collector's label run by Sony/BMG. The contain rare and unreleased studio and live material that is meant for collectors. The CD runs tend to be smaller than commercial releases, but contain high quality, beautifully remastered rarities. I think this is a model for how music companies should treat fans. If you can provide fans with carefully researched, high quality rarities, why would I ever be interested in a bootleg?

You can find the album on Amazon here. Most of the other FTD releases are also available on Amazon here. Although Memphis Sessions is not available, you should also look for FTD releases on http://www.shopelvis.com/ as they're cheaper than Amazon.

1. Elvis Presley - Stranger In My Own Hometown (4.5 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Elvis Presley - Long Black Limousine (3.93 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Blues for Elvis

2007-08-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

Perhaps spending all weekend baking in the sun at the Bayfront Blues Festival has me in the mood for blues this week. Or, it could be that it has been an amazing 30 years since Elvis Presley died (no, I don't believe he's working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo!)

Let's start with a real Blues King doing Elvis. In 1970, blues legend Albert King released an album called blues for Elvis that contained bluesy versions of Elvis hots. I have always liked cover versions of songs that were different from the original and so I loved this album. It appears to be available on Amazon in two versions. The one here is the one I have and is really an excellent collection of blues covers of Elvis. The version here appears to contain the same album, but has a different cover and is half the price. Go figure!

Anyway, here is a great rendition of the Elvis classic, Hound Dog done in a style quite unlike Elvis' own. Tomorrow, I'll prove to you that Elvis was a pretty good blues singer in his own right. Wouldn''t it have been great to have him headlining the Bayfront Blues Festival?

1. Albert King - Hound Dog (3.7 MB; 128kbps MP3)

You CAN Mock This Music

2007-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Instead of making you wait until Monday for Elvis week to begin, I thought I'd do an unusual "Sunday Post" to kick off the week.

Mexican singing artist El Vez has released several albums in his zany "Weird Al Yankovic" style of music. The "Mexican Elvis" takes (for the most part) recognizable songs (everything from Elvis to David Bowie and BTO) and rewrites the lyrics to fit the Mexican-American experience. I really think "Mexican Weird Al" is a more appropriate moniker for him than "Mexican Elvis." But wikipedia will tell you more here.

Here are a couple of songs from his album G.I. Ay, Ay! Blues. The first is his version of Viva Las Vegas and the second is the Mexican remake of American Trilogy. A cheap used copy of this album can be found here. You'll find many more fun El Vez albums here. Even just the album cover art is worth pursuing.

1. El Vez - Viva La Raza (2.8 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. El Vez - Mexican-American Trilogy (3.52 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Don't Mock This Music

2007-08-10T20:42:00.001-07:00

Let's end the week with another of the power pop CDs in my collection. Here are The Mockers who sound like a cross between Squeeze and Elvis Costello with The Turtles thrown into the mix. Like yesterday's group, this is foot-tapping music that is instantly likable. No deep understanding of musical styles is necessary to appreciate this fun guitar-based music. This is sixties music with a 21st century sound.

From yesterday's west-coast group, we travel across the country to the east coast where The Mockers are (were?) based. The selections featured here are from their 2001 album, Living In The Holland Tunnel. Their other albums are available from their web site or from Amazon here.

Next week is Elvis week on this blog. Can you believe it's been 30 years since he died?

1. The Mockers - Coronation (3.53 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. The Mockers - Comes As No Surprise (3.55 MB; 128kbps)

Wonderminty Power Pop

2007-08-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm going to end this week by featuring some pure guitar power pop groups. A friend of mine (probably one of the few regular readers of this blog), sent me a whole series of CDs from different power pop groups that I had never heard of a couple of years ago. They all have exactly the clean, melodic pop with excellent harmonies that I seem to enjoy so much.

Today's featured group is an L.A. group called The Wondermints consisting of Darian Sahanaja, Nick Walusko, and Mike D'Amico. The sound is reminiscent of The Beatles, The Beach Boys and ELO. If you like that sound, you won't be disappointed. This is another of those albums that is consistently strong from beginning to end, making the choice of songs to feature here difficult. Their MySpace page is here. Some info can also be found on Wikipedia.

The songs featured here are from their fourth album (2002) called Mind If We Make Love To You. Absolutely classic power pop. The rest of their oustanding catalog can be found on Amazon here.

1. The Wondermints - Time Has You (2.83 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. The Wondermints - Project 11 (3.38 MB; 128kbps MP3)

All We Are Saying, Is Give Opera A Chance

2007-08-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Now here's a change of pace. As I have said in my introduction, I have eclectic tastes in music, but have never been a huge fan of opera. All that changed when I was visiting Milan a few weeks ago and attended a performance of La Traviata at the famed La Scala opera house. Fortunately, my brother gave me a recording with a one-hour introduction to this opera. The recording provided some backgrouond and historical context for the opera, some information about Verdi, a summary of the story, and then some detailed analyses of certain scenes in terms of how the music relates to the emotional turns in the tale. It was all very fascinating and I went to the show with a much greater appreciation for what I was supposed to be listening for.

I am now the proud owner of two different recordings of La Traviata. Like anything else, a little knowledge can lead to much greater appreciation of the art form. Plus, La Traviata is possibly more accessible and familiar than many other operas.

The Preludio featured here first is what starts the opera. It is supposed to introduce you to the themes of the opera that is to follow. It starts in an almost haunting manner that foreshadows the death of the main protagonist (Violetta) before heading to the more sprightly tone showing the other carefree party life she leads. It is true that the music conveys the mood of the scenes.

The first "song" in the opera is also a relatively familiar one. Many of you may have heard Brindisi which is sung by an admirer of Violetta at the party that opens Act I. He is a relatively shy admirer of this girl and he is egged on by the folks at the party to sing a toast to Violetta. He launches into this drinking song that extols the virtue of wine and partying (something college students should be able to relate to) - "Libiamo."

The one question I used to ask before I was "initiated" into the opera brotherhood is why these women have to screech at such a high pitch during opera. I discovered the answer is very simple - that's because it is the nature of that form of music. It is like asking "why do they have to distort guitars in heavy metal music?" Well, that is the nature of that musical style. So, don't judge on the basis of just some high pitched excerpts you have heard. Accept that this is the style of operatic music and start to appreciate the incredible vocal prowess needed to pull off these performances. While singing at that pitch, these sopranos have to maintain astonishing control over their voices. The role of Violetta is famously considered to be a very difficult role to pull off given that Violetta is on stage for almost the entire show.

The performance I am including here is from a 1960 recording featuring Anna Moffo as Violetta and Richard Tucker as her admirer Alfredo Germont. You can find it on Amazon here.

1. La Traviata - Preludio (3.53 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. La Traviata - Brindisi (2.68 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Irresistible Pacific Music

2007-08-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

I hate to do this as it seems like I'm "buying time" by featuring an album on two separate posts to this blog. I swear that isn't the case. Yesterday, I featured Don McGlashan's Naming Number Two soundtrack. I also mentioned how difficult it was to find my favorite songs on this blog.

After listening to the album a couple of more times, I just cannot get the songs of this album out of my head. While I featured some of the more traditional songs on this album, giving the "pacific islander music" just a brief mention, I think it does this album a disservice.

Here's another great song from the album that highlights why pacific island music is so irresistible. Enjoy Mila with Eddie Lund and His Tahitians singing Chulu Chululu from the same album.

1. Mila with Eddie Lund and his Tahitians - Chulu Chululu (2.44 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

McGlashan & Smith Bathe In The River

2007-08-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you followed the instructions in the Crowded House post here, you are now the proud owner of their new album Time On Earth. If you took the next step and bothered reading the liner notes on the album, you would have noticed that one of the artists appearing on the album (euphonium and backing vocals) is Don McGlashan. Don is a very well known New Zealand artist. Crowded House fans probably know him from his band The Mutton Birds (discography here).

Don has composed the soundtrack for a new movie called Naming Number Two (German import DVD available here) and I was sent a promo version of the album. If you like music from the pacific islands (like the Hawaiian music I posted here), there are some delights on this album. There's also a beautiful and haunting vocal by Hollie Smith (Bathe In The River) that alone makes this album worthwhile. Her smoky voice will make your hair stand on end.

I must admit I am prejudiced against most rap music (I just haven't learned to appreciate it yet) and so the opening track (by Samoan rapper Tha Feelstyle) was a turn off. but if you can get past the two rap songs, there's much to like on this album. Some snippets of music from the soundtrack are interesting (e.g., Nanna's entrance) but not impactful without having seen the music in the context of the film.

I was tempted to feature the Fijian Festival Performers "Wai Ni Bu Ni Ovalau" on this blog too, but I ran into the interesting problem of having too much that's worth introducing to you. Don McGlashan's "Sai Levuka Ga" is also an interesting experience that reminded me of the Andy White-Liam O'Manlai-Tim Finn collaboration ALT. It sounds like some friends sitting around a campfire singing folk songs. On the other hand, you have the pure operatic experience of Shaun Dixon's Core'ngrato. To have rap, opera, jazz, folk and more on the same album lends itself to a unique and enriching experience. If you truly consider yourself to have eclectic tasts in music, this album is for you.

On the blog, I have featured the unforgettable Bathe In The River as well as Che Fu's Hold Tight. You can find more information about the movie and the album at http://www.myspace.com/namingnumber2/. The movie won the "audience choice award" at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The soundtrack is available on iTunes.

UPDATE (5/17/2010): Although these MP3s were placed here at the request of the music publisher (who sent me a CD to review), I have been told it violates the DMCA and been asked to remove the MP3s. These two MP3s have therefore been DELETED.

1. Mt. Raskil Preservation Society feat. Hollie Smith - Bathe In The River (5.1 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Che Fu - Hold Tight (4.34 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Musical Complexity - Take Another Listen

2007-08-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

It was recently reinforced to me how your appreciation of music is based on context and mood. I also was reminded that it is important not to judge music with any degree of finality in one listen. As a Neil Finn fan, I've always found that some of his music tends to "grow on you."

Recently, I was sent a CD by a band called Astronaut Down that I decided to feature on this blog. I made the mistake of putting the CD in and listening to it with the express objective of writing a post about it on this blog. Because I was working at the time, I didn't read too much about the band or bother to think about what kind of music it was. While it was certainly not jarring in any way, I came away from the listen not super excited about the sound. The vocals were average and the sound seemed to range from heavy rock with distorted guitars to more melodic jangling guitar sounds.

Then, I decided to wait a couple of days and listen again - this time focused more on what I was listening to. Immediately there was a difference. This is not a saccharine pop band, but one that I would classify as serious prog rock. The first thing that struck me on the second listen is that the music was a lot more complex in structure from the standard pop melody. The rhythms and time signatures were not formulaic, but exhibited a sophistication that does not lend itself to toe-tapping and head-bobbing on first contact. The moment I classified it in my mind as a "prog rock band," my appreciation for the album suddenly changed. Instead of wondering why I wasn't tapping my toes at every song and singing along to a catchy chorus, I started to appreciate the complexity of the music. It reminded me of my first real introduction to modern prog rock at the NearFest many, many years ago. There, I fell in love with a band called Djam Karet which had a similar sound.

While I still think that the band could benefit from an upgrade to the power of the vocals, I liked the album enough to give it a third listen (and then a fourth on my home system). Imagine my delight (and soaring self-confidence as a music reviewer) when I went to their web site and found that they consider themselves to be a prog rock band! You can find them at http://www.astronautdown.com/ and buy this album directly from that site for $10 plus shipping. Four of the songs from their album are also available for download on their MySpace page here: http://www.myspace.com/astronautdown

If you're looking for simple pop melodies, you can give this album a miss. If you're looking for excellent musicianship and complex prog rock/metal sound that will bear repeated listenings, this band's for you. Here is one of their compositions from their album God's Eye.

1. Astronaut Down - Dawn (5.48 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Yo Frankie!

2007-08-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Most people only remember Dion as the 60's singer with the hits Runaround Sue and The Wanderer. The true Rock 'n' Roll fans may remember that he was the one who escaped death in the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper because he couldn't afford the $36 fare.

Most people are not familiar with his work from the 80's and 90s. One of my favorite albums was the 1989 album Yo Frankie! It is a very mature piece of work with some outstanding tunes. The songs featured here are Always In The Rain and Written on The Subway Wall with Paul Simon. The entire album is spectacular and well worth your money. You can find it on Amazon for less than 5 bucks. His other 80s-90s-00s albums are also excellent and well worth checking out here.

Here are a couple of songs from the album. Because they're encoded at 192kbps, they're larger-than-usual files. I apologize.

1. Dion - Always In The Rain (5.96 MB; 192kbps MP3)

2. Dion - Written On The Subway Wall (5.38 MB; 192kbps MP3)

Back to Poland

2007-07-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

Oops! I ran out of time to get a post in today. Although I want to keep this blog going with as few interruptions as possible, life keeps getting in the way.

So today's post will be a continuation of an old post on a Polish group called Blue Cafe.

Here's another great song from their album Ovosho. It gives you a little glimpse into a different , but equally attractive side of the group.

1. Blue Cafe - My Road (3.65 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Wish I Had Said This Earlier

2007-07-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite musicians is J.J. Cale and it amazes me that he is not more widely known by mainstream music fans. Most lay people probably know him as a songwriter, writing Eric Clapton's mega hits Cocaine and After Midnight, and Skynyrd's Call Me The Breeze. However, he is an accomplished musician with a great voice and a knack for melody.

One of the first albums I owned by J.J. Cale was Shades which is probably why it remains my favorite album. Here are a couple of cuts from that album. Although I would be remiss in not including his fun hit Mama Don't from the album, I'm going to resist and instead feature the equally upbeat Carry On. I also want to feature another cut that I think portrays his sensitive side. His ability to hit you in the gut with his lyrics and music is quite astounding.

For some reason, Amazon only carries Shades as an import. You can find it here. Although the Anthology collection is my favorite, the track listing on Definitive Best also seems like a great starting point (and at a lower price). It is definitely worth buying some Cale (if you don't already have some in your collection. You can find other albums here.

1. J.J. Cale - Wish I Had Not Said That (3.1 MB; 128 kbps)

2. J.J. Cale - Carry On (2.14 MB; 128kbps)

Rare Crowded House

2007-07-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'll end Crowded House week with a couple of rarities off one of the fan club compilation albums in my collection. The Crowded House Fan Club is a great community of Finn fans and they have been able to put together some great rare and live collections that are then sold exclusively to fans through the club. One of these collections of rarities is the Homebrew album. It has numerous live delights.

The first song featured below is Walk Tall, a Crowded House song that never made it on to any album. It actually is quite a fun and catchy song and I'm surprised it hasn't made it on to any compilation album. It was recorded at The Brighton Centre in the UK on June 3, 1994.

The CD also featured a "hidden" track with exceptional version of The Chicken Song by Crowded House, which I've also added here as a bonus.

Have you bought the new Crowded House album yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get it at Amazon here. It's a good album at a good price.

See ya next week!

1. Crowded House - Walk Tall (2.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Crowded House - The Chicken Song (0.5 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Leading You Into Temptation

2007-07-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

As you've seen in this blog, I love listening to covers of songs I'm familiar with. I think it gives me an excuse to re-listen to my favorite songs without getting bored.

Today, I have an interesting Crowded House cover for you. Then, a song from Paul Hester whose suicide death recently was instrumental in getting the group back together. Plus, as a Split Enz fan, I'm adding a cover of a spectacularly beautiful Split Enz song.

I enjoy international language versions of well known songs. I started this CH week with an Italian cover of Don't Dream It's Over. Today, I have a Dutch language cover of Crowded House's Into Temptation from Dutch artist Rob de Nijs. The second song, Get It On is typically zany Paul Hester. It is a simple and beautiful good night lullaby, but with a Paul Hester twist: "Sleep, baby, sleep. Mum and dad might just get it on ..." Finally, 80's popster Belinda Carlisle had a sensitive cover version of Split Enz's spectacular Stuff and Nonsense. Enjoy.

You can find the CD catalog of the artists featured in this post by clicking on their names above.

1. Rob de Nijs - In De Verleiding (6.81 MB; 192kbps MP3)
2. Paul Hester - Get It On (3 MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. Belinda Carlisle - Stuff and Nonsense (6.31 MB; 192kbps MP3)

Can You Hear Neil Finn?

2007-07-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'll continue my Crowded House week with a somewhat rarity from frontman Neil Finn. I have always assumed that almost any video clip you could ever imagine is available on YouTube. So, imagine my surprise when I thought I'd link to this video of Can You Hear Us by Neil Finn and was unable to find it on YouTube. I just uploaded a copy and hope it is within fair use guidelines. Otherwise you'll find this video not working and this post pointless.

Neil wrote this as an anthem for the New Zealand rugby team the All Blacks. This song was written in 1999 when the All Blacks were headed for the World Cup (or something like that - I know nothing about rugby). I don't think it has appeared on any album and remains somewhat of a rarity even though it is a really beautiful song. Enjoy the video ...

Here are the lyrics:

CAN YOU HEAR US?

(Neil Finn)

We're right where we belong
Where mountains meet the ocean
Beneath the Southern Cross
A symbol of our devotion

Can you hear us
We'll never let go
Can you hear us
And carry our hopes
Can you hear us
We'll never let go

The fire is coming back
There's magic in your touch
Silver fern on black
Somehow it means so much
The time is running down
The shadows getting longer
But don't you hang your head
‘Cos brother it's not over

[Chorus]

And the final moment in your hands
You feel the power from the stands
And it's like thunder coming to fill the silence

[Chorus]

Can you hear us...Aotearoa.....hear us....Aotearoa

Enjoy Your Time On Earth

2007-07-24T16:34:00.001-07:00

So, the new Crowded House album is out after a break of over ten years. As would be expected, the album has been subject to much speculation and discussion.

Is it really a Crowded House album or a Neil Finn solo album superficially packaged to make it a "band" album? Can Crowded House really be Crowded House without Paul Hester? The album started as a Neil Finn solo package and ended up as a Crowded House album after Neil decided to get the band back together. I think discussions of the "band" versus "solo" sound are bound to be pointless. I am not sure there is a distinct "band" sound that can be distinguished from a Neil Finn "solo" album sound.

Neil is a master of catchy melodies and pop hooks. There are several standouts on this album even though I just received it today and have listened to it a few times. The most accessible and catchy tune has to be the one I have featured below. You'll be amazed at how Neil takes a rather dark and somber lyric (of lost love) and turns it into almost a "happy" song.

This is a depressing lyric set to an upbeat rhythm and melody. The song is called She Called Up and is classic Crowded House (or should I say, Neil Finn).

The album is available at a VERY reasonable price on Amazon ($9.99 only). So, please buy it here. You won't be disappointed. You can also buy the Crowded House back catalog here.

1. Crowded House - She Called Up (2.65 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Don't Dream The Italian Trip Is Over

2007-07-23T21:06:00.001-07:00

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am a big fan of Crowded House (and the various source/spin-off groups like Split Enz, Finn Brothers, etc.) So, I will spend this week celebrating the release of the newest Crowded House album, Time on Earth.

But first, let me bridge the Crowded House theme for the week with my trip to Italy which led this blog to be dormant for two weeks. I had assumed that I would have regular and easy access to the Internet in my hotel and was surprised to find no WiFi in my hotel room. So that led to my putting the blog on hold for a bit.

Well, I'm back. Probably one of the most recognizable Crowded House songs in the USA is Don't Dream It's Over. The song was a huge hit for the group in the eighties and even showed up on an MTV album of "One Hit Wonders." To me, labeling Crowded House a "one hit wonder" is an outrageous injustice.

While in Italy, I happened to hear the familiar strains of Don't Dream It's Over, but sung to Italian lyrics. I discovered that an Italian superstar, Antonello Venditti had rewritten the lyrics to the song and released it in Italy as Alta Marea. I found it unique, interesting, and well done enough to buy the CD in Milan and present it here as my first offering during Crowded House Week here on Underheard Music. As usual, the album (the 3-disc special edition) is available via Amazon.com at a price considerably lower than the price I paid in Italy. Go figure!

1. Antonella Venditti - Alta Marea (4.83 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

This blog is NOT dead

2007-07-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I promise to get back to this blog soon. I am in Milan, Italy and my hotel room does not have Internet access. Since I usually do this blog thing late at night, that poses a problem. Plus, I have been getting back to my room well after 1 AM each day, so it has not been conducive to blogging.

I promise I'll be back soon. A week at the most!

Bombay Dreams - Andrew Lloyd Webber in Bollywood

2007-07-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

As a long time Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, I was delighted to hear that he was producing a show inspired by Bollywood movies. Even better, he had snagged the person considered to be a genius on the scale of Mozart to compose the music - A.R. Rahman. For those of you not connected with Indian popular music, A.R. Rahman is a young composer who has an astonishing talent with an ability to blend influences from western classical, pop, south and north Indian music.

I bought the CD some time ago and listened to it several times and liked it a lot. Then, all of a sudden my wife and kids happened to put the CD on again upstairs on the boom box and the house has never been the same. They all seemed to get obsessed. The CD played several times every day until I actually took the CD away and hid it. Finally, my wife asked for a copy that she could play in the car when I wasn't around. Very bizarre!

I have no choice but to put Shakalaka Baby on here as it is the one song that gets all the kids dancing wildly in the living room. Then, to slow things down, I'm going to feature The Journey Home which is just a beautiful melody. Unfortunately, despite some success at London's West End, I heard it flopped on Broadway. I never got to see the show and would be very happy if they released a DVD of the show. I have the Salaam Bombay Dreams documentary on the making of the show, but not the entire show.

You can buy the CD on Amazon here. They also have the Salaam Bombay Dreams documentary, which is a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary on the creation of a huge musical production. The CD is well worth the money. Enjoy the songs, but don't blame me if you get addicted!

1. Bombay Dreams - Shakalaka Baby (3.9 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Bombay Dreams - The Journey Home (3.98 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Roger Waters Opera - Polish Performance

2007-07-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to go for the Roger Waters concert in St. Paul, Minnesota with a friend who had fortunately just broken up with his girlfriend (so he had an extra ticket!)

The concert was fantastic show. Roger performed numerous Pink Floyd classics and the entire Dark Side of the Moon album. The show was spectacular, with great props and massive high definition screens.

This gives me an excuse to present to you a (somewhat) rare selection today. When I was in Poland last month, I saw a CD on the shelves which claimed to be an opera by Roger Waters called Ça Ira. Frankly, I had not heard of this opera, but since it was a recording of the opera performed during its first full production in Poznan, Poland on August 25, 2006. The back of the CD dedicated it "To all my Polish friends." You can read more about the opera here.

The Roger Waters catalog is available on Amazon here. You can also get a reasonably priced 2-CD set of Ça Ira from Amazon. They also have a special version that is a hybrid SACD with a "making of" DVD here that seems like a slightly better deal overall. I have not been able to easily find the Polish performance that is featured on this blog.

Even though I'm not a huge opera fan (I don't mind it sometimes), I enjoyed this opera. Here, I present the overture from the opera and a song from the third act that is very slightly reminiscent of The Wall (probably because of the youth choir). So, here are songs from the Polish performance of Roger Waters' Ça Ira.

1. Roger Waters - Ça Ira Overture (3.76 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Roger Waters - To Take Your Hat Off (2.45 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Happy July 4th!

2007-07-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

As a special departure from the primary theme of this blog, I'm going to put something on here that is not particularly unusual or "underheard." In fact, if most of you have not heard these songs, I'd be surprised.

First is, in my opinion, the most perfect rendition of the American national anthem I have heard. I have heard many versions of the anthem, and this is the one that consistently sends chills up my spine no matter how many times I hear it. It is the Star Spangled Banner as sung by LeAnn Rimes. There is no instrumentation, just her soaring voice and a boatload of echo. Still, the resonance created by the echo is an instrument in itself. Truly, this is the version I listened to over and over again after 9/11.

Second is another beautiful rendition of God Bless America by LeAnn Rimes. I think these majestic, soraing, patriotic songs are perfectly suited to her voice. Even though you've heard these before, it's worth another listen. Just spectacular.

You'll find both these songs on LeAnn's album You Light Up My Life which is available quite cheap on Amazon here.

1. LeAnn Rimes - Star Spangled Banner (1.82 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. LeAnn Rimes - God Bless America (2.84 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Duluth Music In A Blue Haze

2007-07-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

I've got another local (Duluth, MN) artist for you today. Also a friend of mine and also someone I met through my kids.

Some months ago, there was some "culture day" or something like that at my kids' school and I was invited (along with numerous other parents) to make a brief presentation in my daughter's class on my Indian heritage. One of the other parents there brought a guitar and performed some great folk songs.

Later I found out that Greg Tiburzi has released a couple of CDs locally and I recently bought his latest CD release. The songs here are taken from his newest album, In a Blue Haze. These are delightfully simple folk songs that will have you hummin' and enjoying the lyrics.

As usual, I had a hard time selecting a couple of songs to feature. I really liked How You Gonna Get Up? and almost picked Blue Feelin' as my second song. At the last moment, I switched to the Musquetor Two-Step because I had to laugh out loud when listening to it. Anyone who has spent any time in Minnesota during the summer will be able to relate to this song. If you haven't spent any time enjoying the state bird of Minnesota during the summer (the "musquetor"), consider yourself lucky!

You can read a brief review of the CD here. The easiest way to buy a copy of the CD is by emailing Greg at gregtiburzi@yahoo.com. The CD costs a mere $12.

1. Greg Tiburzi - How You Gonna Get Up? (3.3 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. Greg Tiburzi - Musquetor Two-Step (4.48 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Soaring Multi-Octave Vocals & My Return

2007-07-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been VERY neglectful of this blog. It really is unforgivable. I set out to keep this blog as uninterrupted as possible, but failed recently as work overwhelmed me. Usually, I'm able to build up a few posts on nights and weekends, but I have had relatives visiting since last week and so have neglected this posting.

I was inspired today by Mr. Tibbs (see recent comment) to jump back into this. Frankly, I had no idea anyone was even reading this blog (except a few of my family), so it was invigorating to get that message. Hey, Mr. Tibbs, you aren't some relative of mine using a pseudonym, are you? So, let this be a lesson to you. If you find me slacking off, just add a comment and it will drive me back to action immediately!

Anyway, I will have a few local treats for you this week. There are a couple of local (Duluth, Minnesota) musician friends of mine who I think have some fantastic offerings.

Today, I'll focus on Billy Q. Effinger who I met through my very young kids. Two of my kids (aged 6 and 5) were cast in a local playhouse production of Carousel as the "Snow Kids." Mr. Snow in the play was played by Billy Effinger and I met him at a cast party and he told me of his CD as I was praising his singing in the play. He has written, composed, and performed several songs and this first self-produced CD of his is a combination of original songs and covers. I am going to focus on the originals here, frankly because I think they are really standouts. Oddly, I would recommend the album for the originals and not the covers! Billy Effinger has an incredible vocal range and most of his original songs are written to take advantage of his soaring, multi-octave singing range.

The first song featured here highlights his incredible range. Willie The Warlock is an original song that conjures up incredible images of jesters and unicorns and magical fantasies, all with a very positive tone. The tune is incredibly catchy and almost everyone I've played it for has liked it on the first listen and got seriously hooked on it after the second listen. The second song, Blue Boy (Judy's Song), written by Billy in honor of Judy Garland (she's from this area, if you didn't know) also is a beautiful song with great lyrics and a catchy hook. I loved both these songs and am quite sure you will too.

You should consider buying the CD here. For only $8.88, you can't go wrong. If you drop Billy an email at bestqualityenter@aol.com, tell him you heard his songs here. You'll enjoy the covers too, but the originals are worth the price of this CD alone. This is my kind of music in the sense you don't need to be in any abstruse, elevated state of mind to "get it." Just great music and great singing.

1. Billy Q. Effinger - Willie The Warlock (4.1 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Billy Q. Effinger - Blue Boy (Judy's Song) (5.41 MB; 128kbps MP3)

India - America - Poland - Spain - Colombia

2007-06-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Here's an unusually international post.

Here I am, an American of Indian origin listening to the radio in Poland and finding myself really enjoying a song that turns out to be by a Colombian musician.

So, this song comes on the radio and I ask my hosts in Poland who this is and they say it is a popular song by Fuanes. I assumed it was a Polish artist fusing some Spanish melody with his singing. After failing to communicate with the salesperson at the CD store when I asked for the "popular Polish group Fuanes,", I was finally told that I was looking for the CD by a Spanish singer called Juanes.

I eventually walked out of the CD store with the CD. Then, Wikipedia tells me that Juanes is a very big star from Medellin, Colombia. He's a huge star with a record number of Latin Grammys. Not only that, I was embarrassed to find that the album from which this song was taken (Mi Sangre; 2004) has sold almost a million copies in the US!

Here's great Spanish music, coming to you from Poland (from a man of Indian origin who is an American citizen!)

You can find his complete discography on Amazon here. Mi Sangre is available here. Why he's not a fixture on American radio, I just don't know.

Visit the artist's site at www.juanes.net.

1. Juanes - La camisa negra (3.3 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Driving to Blue Café

2007-06-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

While one of our hosts in Poland were driving us around Olsztyn, she had a CD playing in the car that was pleasant. The tunes were toe tapping and never jarring. Although the lyrics were in english, I could detect a distinct accent at times.

I asked our host about the CD and she said that it was a Polish group called Blue Café. This is from their newest CD Ovosho. The lead singer has an incredible controlled smoky voice not unlike Diana Krall or Norah Jones. She also seems to have quite an incredible range. Most of the songs on this album are in english, with a few Polish songs thrown in. On an interesting note, this band's Love Song served as Poland's entry to the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest.

Frustratingly, this CD seems to be available on Amazon for about the same amount as I paid for it in Poland.

Again, I really did have a hard time picking a couple of songs to feature here. Given a choice, I would highlight about 6-8 songs here which all highlight different aspects of the group's talent. However, I'll stick to the catchiest melodies. The lyrics are not particularly sophisticated or subtle, but then again, let's not forget that groups like Abba took lyrics like "Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight, Take me through the darkness to the break of the day" all the way to platinum status mutliple times over!

Let's see how this is received. If there is enough demand, I may feature a couple more songs from this album later.

1. Blue Café - Barok (2.61 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. Blue Café - Baby, Baby (3.57 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Poland Trip Finds

2007-06-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my other blog know that I was having all sorts of adventures in Poland last week. I managed to pick up a few CDs there that I will feature on this blog at least during the first part of this week.

A well known rock band in Poland is Lady Pank. According to Wikipedia, this band has been around in various incarnations since the early 80s. There was even a time in 1986 that one of their songs got heavy rotation on MTV in the United States.

When I was in Poland last week, I picked up their latest album that has just been released and immediately fell in love with it. Very straightforward, clean, rock music which just happens to be in an unfamiliar language. I would classify it in the same genre as favorite 70s-80s-90s rock bands like Kansas, Boston, and Supertramp. Very catchy melodies and solid vocals.

Amazingly, I liked all the songs on this album (titled Strach Się Bać), so decided to relatively randomly pick a couple of songs to feature here. The first is the album's title track. The second is a more mellow track called Nie mam nic, prócz Ciebie (lady). I picked it simply because the title was so irrresistable! The big 25 on the cover of this album makes me think this is their 25th album. Quite an achievement for any band!

It seems Amazon lists several of their albums, but at outrageous prices. You can find the Amazon discography of Lady Pank here.

1. Lady Pank - Strach Się Bać (3.7 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Lady Pank - Nie mam nic, prócz Ciebie (lady) (3.69 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Beatles Pot Pourri

2007-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

We're at the end of Beatles Week and I thought I'd throw in a bonus song as I'm going to be gone for the next week and not updating the blog (unless I can find time in Poland to do this).

Many, many years ago, I was in Melbourne for a conference (this was probably 1995) and at the "gala event" in a museum, there was a local group that performed for the conference delegates. Being a sucker for harmonies (as I have mentioned in this blog before), I was entranced by their beautiful harmonies and I didn't hesitate to buy the debut CD (titled Rhythm of Life) of this group called Pot Pourri. The group consisted of Tania de Jong (soprano), Antoinette Halloran (soprano), Craig Macdonald (tenor) and Jonathan Morton (baritone). According to the CD insert, the group has performed throughout Australia and overseas. They have appeared at the Melbourne Concert Hall and at many major festivals including the Melbourne International Festival, Castlemaine State Festival, and Next Wave Festival. A quick Google search suggests that they're still performing, although Antoinette is no longer a part of the group.

One of the songs on this CD was The Beatles' Fool on the Hill and that's the one I'm going to thrill you with today.

1. Pot Pourri - The Fool on the Hill (2.43 MB; 128kbps MP3)

The Jazzy Beatles

2007-06-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the most consistently excellent Beatles tribute albums I have ever heard is from the swinging jazz vocalist John Pizzarelli. John is a very well known jazz guitarist and singer-songwriter. He has established such a solid career himself that you can almost get by without mentioning that he is the son of the legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

John has an ultra-smooth voice and is obviously a skilled arranger, judging from the job he did on this album. His interpretations of these songs are clever and original without being weird. The jazzy, swingin', big-band arrangements are always pleasant without seeming cheesy.

If you collect Beatles cover albums, you almost certainly have this one in your collection already. If you don't, you are definitely missing out on one of the best. You can buy this album on Amazon here. You will hopefully be intrigued enough to check out John's complete discography here. And of course, no review of an artist or album is complete without a visit to his own web site.

So, to end Beatles week, here's John Pizzarelli - Enjoy!

1. John Pizzarelli - Can't Buy Me Love (3.31 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. John Pizzarelli - I've Just Seen A Face (2.57 MB; 128kbps MP3)

P.S.: I have so many more albums with hundreds of Beatles cover songs that I may just have to do this again if there's enough demand!

The Acting Beatles

2007-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

Is it true that people who go into the "creative arts" tend to be creative all round? I'm amazed at the number of actors who are musicians (and vice versa). When people rise to the top of their craft, it is often hard to imagine that they could be good (really good) at something else.

Some years ago, George Martin decided to produce his last album on his own terms. Realizing that he can never escape his Beatles legacy, he decided to do an album of Beatles covers done by people he has admired and associated with over the years. The result was an absolutely stunning album that everyone who considers themselves a Beatles fan should have in their collection.

The songs featured here are both from actors who tend to bring their personalities to their singing. Goldie Hawn brings a beautifully smoky lounge-singer voice to an interesting version of Hard Day's Night. Jim Carrey brings a zany and crazy enthusiasm to the crazy I Am The Walrus. Great songs, great singing, great album.

BUY THE ALBUM HERE!

1. Goldie Hawn - Hard Day's Night (3.11 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. Jim Carrey - I Am The Walrus (4.14 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Got My Mojo Working

2007-06-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last year, when I was in Australia, I stopped at a magazine shop and picked up a special Beatles edition of MOJO magazine that came with a free CD that covered the entire Revolver album.

Would you consider Revolver to be a meditative experience? Well, on this CD the artists took the songs from the album and turned them into surrealistic, contemplative experiences. I really like the album and it's unusual spin on Beatles' classics.

What does it sound like? Here are a couple of excellent examples. To me, if you can take Yellow Submarine and turn it into a deeply thoughtful exercise in brooding melancholy, you have achieved a pretty high level of creative genius. Kudos to Chris Eckman (of The Walkabouts) for this unusual cover. This will remind you a great deal of The Door's The End. You can check out Chris's work on the web site of his group The Walkabouts.

The other selection here is Neal Casal's I am Only Sleeping. Again, I can imagine early Pink Floyd jamming with Jim Morrison on this song. Fascinating. You can visit Neal Casal's web site to learn more of his music. You can find this album cheap on eBay.

Buy Chris Eckman's solo album on Amazon here.

Or, The Walkabouts on Amazon here.

Buy Neal Casal on Amazon here.

1. Chris Eckman - Yellow Submarine (4.33 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. Neal Casal - I Am Only Sleeping (2.62 MB; 128kbps MP3)

All Beatles, All Reggae

2007-06-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

As most people have experienced, there's something inherently catchy and toe-tapping in the reggae beat. Of course, you also know that the Beatles were master's at rafting the perfect pop melody. So, if you put these together, how can you go wrong?

I love cover songs that don't try to recreate the original, but instead put a unique spin on them. The Trojan Beatles Tribute Box Set certainly fits that mold. This is easily the best collections of reggae Beatles. The Trojan record label is legendary in reggae circles. So, it's fitting that they used their vast repertoire of reggae stars to build this 3-CD box set of Beatles songs done in the reggae style. I really don't understand how a relatively repetitive and monotonous reggae beat can be so consistently entertaining. But you'll have a hard time not enjoying this collection. There are numerous repeats (the same song interpreted by different artists) as well as several instrumental numbers (which I didn't care that much for). But, it's a pretty comprehensive collection. The first two discs are labeled simply as "The Black, Gold & Green Album," The third disc is called "The Black, Gold & Green Album... UK Stylee" and I have no idea what that means.

The first selection here is from Disc 1 while the second is from the third disc. The second, by the way, is from reggae legend, Desmond Dekker who just died last year. Remember the big hit "Israelites"? That was Dekker. Finally, I decided to throw in another song from a reggae legend on Disc 2 - John Holt. Here is John Holt's I Will.

This is a worthwhile purchase for a relatively inexpensive price. You can find this 3-CD box set for less that $25 on Amazon here.

1. Ernie Smith - You Won't See Me (3.69 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Desmond Dekker - Blackbird (3.01 MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. John Holt - I Will (3.39 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Welcome to Beatles Week!

2007-06-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of McCartney's new album and the 40th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, I'm going to be celebrating this entire week with a Beatles theme on my blog.

Underheard music will primarily focus on covers of Beatles songs. Actually, I'm going to start the week with a selection of "not-really-Beatles" songs. I recently found a CD called "Lost Songs of Lennon & McCartney." This a CD done by Kate Pierson (B-52's), Graham Parker (of Graham Parker) and Bill Janovitz (of Buffalo Tom). Actually, of these three names, the only one I had never heard of was Bill Janovitz. Interestingly, on this CD, I think the highlights are the Bill Janovitz songs. I'm only including one here, but I think the best songs on the CD are the ones sung by Bill Janovitz. I'm including one song by each of the artists, but believe me, the Bill Janovitz ones are the highlights.

The theme of this CD is to includes songs written by Lennon & McCartney, but never released by them (of course you'll recognize some of these songs that have been recently released in demo form on the Anthology series.

Clicking on the names will take you to the Wikipedia pages of these artists, so I won't go long here. You can find the album on Amazon here. Don't ask me why it's so expensive.

1. Bill Janovitz - Woman (2.72 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Kate Pierson - Nobody I Know (2.99 MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. Graham Parker - One And One Is Two (1.99 MB; 128kbps MP3)

P.S.: Okay, I'll be honest. I'm going to be out of the country next week and thought I'd leave you with so much fun stuff this week that you won't notice my absence the following week! :-)

Around the World and Back Again

2007-06-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

The source of my selections today is as roundabout as the artiste's travels.

My niece in Trieste, Italy sent me a couple of MP3s of an artist she likes called Lhasa de Sela and thought I may like it enough for my blog. I listened to the songs first and was intrigued enough by the beautiful smoky voice to want to find out more about the artist. While the music is interesting, but not exactly what I would regularly listen to, the story of Lhasa is fascinating.

According to the brief Wikipedia entry, Lhasa is " of Mexican and Jewish -Lebanese-American descent. born in NY, grew up in US and Mexico, started singing at a Greek restaurant, moved to Montreal, released an album, then moved to France. Phew! Of course, she sings in English, French, and Spanish.

You can find Lhasa's discography on Amazon here. Both these songs are from her debut album La Llorona which is available on Amazon here. Make sure you check out her web site too.

1. Lhasa de Sela - De Cara A La Pared (4 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Lhasa de Sela - El Desierto (3.66 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Go Watch The California Guitar Trio

2007-05-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

One of the most mind-blowing concerts I have ever attended was by the California Guitar Trio at NEARFest several years ago. Now, I am generally not much for instrumental concerts (I enjoy some classical music shows every now and then), but this group blew me away.

The California Guitar Trio (CGT for short) consist of three spectacularly proficient, classically trained guitarists who put on a show of dexterity and skill like you have never seen before. I was mesmerized by the guitar playing abilities and their incredibly coordinated playing. I can't even imagine how long they must have practiced together to be so in tune with each other (pun intended).

These two selections here just do not do justice to the experience of seeing this group live. Check out their site at http://www.cgtrio.com/ and pick up a couple of albums. However, more importantly, check out their tour schedule at http://cgtrio.proaudiowebsites.com/cgi/calendar.paw. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. To tide you over until they visit a city near you, here are a couple of selections from their Pathways album.

You can find their complete catalog on Amazon here. The Pathways CD is available here.

1. California Guitar Trio - Classical Gas (2.68 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. California Guitar Trio - Misirlou (1.76 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Experience Seandemonium

2007-05-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me a CD by Sean Altman a few years ago. Great catchy pop that is not pretentious and doesn't pretend to be anything more than catchy melodies. The CD he sent me was Sendemonium and proved to be one of those instantly likable CDs.

Some of the songs (like the first one featured here - Person) is completely acapella, while others have more instruments. But all the songs have catchy melodies. Great harmonies and clever vocal stylings. As a lover of harmonies, I tend to prefer the acapella songs, but they're all great.

I started describing the music as very similar to David Yazbek (who will be featured here soon)and the harmonies similar to Rockapella. It was incredibly gratifying to visit his Wikipedia page and find that he is a long time friend of Yazbek and was the founder of Rockapella. Now, you shouldn't be surprised at the sound. There are some songs that remind me of Julian Lennon and others that are very Beatlesque, such as the second song featured here, You're Mine.

You can find all Sean's CDs on Amazon here. If you're interested in his Rockapella discography, you'll find it here. The songs featured in this post are from the Sendemonium album which you'll find here.

As always, I recommend you always visit the artist's site and buy CDs there to support the talent.

1. Sean Altman - Person (2.85 MB;128kbps MP3)

2. Sean Altman - You're Mine (3.17 MB;128kbps MP3)

Getting Back In The Saddle

2007-05-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my "other blog," I finally fell off the wagon and missed an entire week of posts. I was out of town almost all of last week and was also out for half the previous week. As a result, I've been struggling to catch up and the blog posting fell off my list of priorities. So, I'm going to try hard to get back in line, straighten the wagon, hop back on the saddle, and try and relearn how not to mix metaphors.

On to business.

This weekend, the touring Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar was in town. Of course, I couldn't miss it. It featured Ted Neeley as Jesus (yes, he's been playing the role for 35 years now) and Corey Glover (of Living Color) as Judas. While Ted's voice was surprisingly strong for his age (he nailed the screaming tones of Gethsemane!). The rest of the production was okay. It wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular. I have always wanted to play Pilate in a stage production of this musical and I thought the Pilate in this production resorted to screaming too much instead of singing.

To celebrate my return to the blog and my weekend of Jesus Christ Superstar, here are two selections from "international" versions of the production from my collection. The first one is from the Japanese production. The Japanese production has a terrible Judas. He screams dischordantly through many of the numbers. Still, I selected Everything's Alright from the Japanese cast recording because it provides a reasonable sampling of the voices of Jesus (Takeshi Kaga), Judas (Minoru Terada), and Mary Magdalene (Hideko Kuno). The sound seems a little more synthesizer-tinged than the original. It appears that this CD is available via an Amazon seller at a very high price here.

The second selection is from the Spanish cast recording from Madrid. What I love about these different versions is how the local musical flavor influences the arrangement. The Spanish version has a stronger chorus of acoustic guitars than the original. Here's an extra energetic and rock version of Simon Zealotes. Note the great use of synthesizers on this song. I also include I Don't Know How To Love Him sung by Angela Carrasco as Mary Magdalene. The Spanish version is also available for a ridiculous price on Amazon here.

1. Everything's Alright - Jesus Christ Superstar Japanese Cast (3.7 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Simon Zealotes - Jesus Christ Superstar Spanish Cast (3.35 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
3. Es Mas Que Amor (I Don't Know How To Love Him) - Jesus Christ Superstar Spanish Cast (3.78 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Give! And Anything Is Possible

2007-05-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Oh no! I missed my first post. And it's only been a few weeks since I started this blog! I was out of town yesterday and never got around to doing my blog post for Monday.

Today, I returned to town and had a meeting with my friend Marty Weintraub who now runs a search engine marketing (SEM) firm AimClear.com. As usual, I remembered my initial introduction to Marty was through his work in the music industry. A long time ago, I served on the local United Way advisory Board and Marty was instrumental in creating a fund raising effort that involved producing an original CD by a Minnesota artist Pamela McNeill. Being on the Committee at that time, I was marginally involved in the process.

The end result was a CD of original songs written by Pamela McNeill and other local artists, with a lot of the music composed by Marty Weintraub. When I heard the CD for the first time, I was floored. Here was one of those rare CDs where I felt every song was a classic. This truly was one of those complete CDs with no filler material. A perfect example of the incredible talent that isd often hidden in the heartland of this country. I bought several autographed copies of this CD to give to friends convinced it was going to be a huge hit. In a way, it was. One of the songs on this CD (The Gift) was picked up and used for the national United Way campaign. The song, The Gift was written in a short time by a local songwriter, Dick Wilson around our local United Way of Greater Duluth theme of "Give, and Anything Is Possible." Beautiful words, with music composed by Marty. If this song doesn't make you want to go out and donate to the great local causes of the United Way, nothing will!

To make up for my missed post on Monday and to highlight the fact that this CD is spectacularly strong, I am including FOUR songs from the CD here. Pamela McNeill has an exquisite and unusual raw voice that will tug at your heartstrings. She donated 100% of the profits from this CD to charity. Unfortunately, you can only get used copies of this CD from Amazon for as little as a penny here. I promise you that this is an album you won't regret buying. Great pop produced in tiny Duluth with catchy melodies and great lyrics. There isn't a weak song on this album. However, she has another album out, American Breakup. Although you can buy these albums on Amazon, I beg you to support such talented artists by buying these CDs from her own site http://www.pamelamcneill.com/. Please consider getting Pamela's CDs. Start with 2 Sides to Every Sky which is featured here and then move on to American Breakup. This is really good stuff that you wouldn't have heard of if it wasn't for this blog! :-)

Here's a deal. To encourage you to support the artists highlighted here, I am willing to mail one of my autographed copies of 2 Sides To Every Sky to the first person who posts a comment on this blog in response to this post AND buys a copy of another Pamela McNeill CD online through her site. First post a message on this blog and then email me (rvblogs@gmail.com) with a copy of your purchase receipt and I'll mail you (at my expense) an autographed copy of her debut CD.

1. Pamela McNeill - You Will Love Again (4.22 MB; 128 kbps)
2. Pamela McNeill - Let The River Come To You (3.99 MB; 128 kbps)
3. Pamela McNeill - 2 Sides To Every Sky (4.78 MB; 128 kbps)
3. Pamela McNeill - The Gift (3.94 MB; 128 kbps)

Welcome to an IndiPop Classic

2007-05-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm going to end the week on a nice intercultural, fusion theme. I have greatly enjoyed the pop music emanating from India over the last few years. The entry of MTV into India a decade or so ago completely changed the music scene there. Many talented musicians got a great deal of visibility and a huge new genre of music "IndiPop" started growing. One of the earliest acts to attain superstar status in India was a group called Colonial Cousins. It's fascinating to realize that this group is now so legendary that they're almost considered an "oldies" act there. There has since been an explosion of Indian musicians who skilfully blend western music styles with a range of Indian styles - from Bollywood to classical Indian music.

I'm planning to feature an entire week of IndiPop on this blog within the next few months, but for now, let me start with the people who started it all - Colonial Cousins. Colonial Cousins consist of Hariharan - a top notch musician trained in both the south Indian and north Indian classical styles, and Leslie "Lezz" Lewis - a long-time fixture on the music scene in India who was known for writing catchy jingles for the advertising industry there.

I think they were astonishingly successful at blending the extremes of classical Indian music with Western music. Many people who have not been to India are surprised to learn of the widespread use of "Hinglish" in Indian colloquial speech as well as in advertising. The mixing in of English words, phrases and sentences in a conversation otherwise conducted in Hindi is common. In the selections I have featured here, there is a great blending not only of musical styles but also lyrics in multiple languages. By the way, they were the first (and so far only) Indian act to be featured on MTV Unplugged.

Both the songs featured here are from their debut CD. You can actually buy the debut Colonial Cousins CD on Amazon here. If you like this, you can find their other CDs here. I strongly recommend you start with the debut CD and then move to the others. I think the weakest album of the lot is The Way We Do It, but I would recommend their third album, Aatma.

Krishna starts off with a brief religious chant and then an invocation of God in a very south Indian style. Then Lezz Lewis jumps in with his very secular lyrics in English. Spectacular! Sa Ni Dha Pa (the south Indian equivalent of Do Re Mi Fa) also starts with a south Indian chant followed by Lezz Lewis's great blend of western and north Indian melodies. The mix of styles here is quite astounding and brilliantly smooth.

1. Colonial Cousins - Krishna (5.34 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Colonial Cousins - Sa Ni Dha Pa (Never Know The Reason) (4.67 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Jangling Guitars for Years Around The Sun

2007-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog a few weeks ago, my goal was simply to learn a little about blogging as a form of word-of-mouth communication as well as share my love of more "unusual" music (that is, stuff you don't hear every day when you turn on the radio). I never expected that this blog would (so quickly) help me discover new music and artists -- something I love to do (as I mentioned in my post about bar hopping).

I was surprised recently with an email from the marketing coordinator of an artist management company that represents a band called Years Around The Sun with an attached MP3 file from the band as well as an offer to send me their debut CD Introstay. The moment I heard it, I decided that this was my kind of music. Catchy melody and toe-tapping rhythm. While it's possible the lyrics may be profound (as I've mentioned before, I am not really a "lyrics man"), I couldn't tell. I listen to music for entertainment and not some intellectual stimulation. This was a song with lush and layered sounds surrounding a nice hook. As I said, my kind of music.

I would like to assure blog readers that I am NOT paid for the review. They sent me the song, I liked it and decided it is worth sharing with all of you. I don't know if any of you know me well enough to trust that I won't feature anything I am sent by any band or company that I don't genuinely like myself. But, given my eclectic taste in music, the featured music here will span many genres.

The first song is a single Heart Delay which, as I said, will get your toe tapping. This is the first song I heard from this group. The second song linked below is a selection from their debut CD called Sinclair. I had a hard time picking a song off their Introstay CD to feature here. I didn't like the opening track (Align), but found Dead Man's Sea to be very catchy. But then, when I put my headphones on, I seemed to prefer Dry Lake Bed. Probably the easiest to like on the first listen is Sinclair. Sounds like a single should sound. Soft Soul has a funky groove to it that would work great in the evening with a glass of wine in your hand. Both Northfork and Warm Jets are great songs. For some reason Warm Jets sounds a little Beatlesque to me. The sound on most of the songs is quite similar with jangly guitars and synths leading to a nice melody and a steady beat. Overall, the vocals are somehow reminiscent of a British group, but their site seems to suggest they're all Americans. Let me know if you get the same sense of a "British accent" when you hear these songs. In fact, all these songs remind me a lot of Evermore who I featured recently on this blog. Maybe it's my imagination.

You can find the band web site here (including tour info). And their CD cover looks suspiciously like the Jantar Mantar ancient astronomical lab I used to pass by frequently when I lived in New Delhi! Like many independent bands today, you can hook up with their MySpace page. Of course, I urge those of you who like these songs to buy their CD here. After having heard the songs, how wrong can you go for ten bucks?

1. Years Around The Sun - Heart Delay (Deleted on artist's request)
2. Years Around The Sun - Sinclair (Deleted on artist's request)

10cc of Reggae-Rock

2007-05-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Since I seem to be on a roll here with my nostalgic tunes, here's another one that stems from my college days in India. A cousin of mine owned this album by 10cc. Since I considered this cousin of mine extremely cool, I had no choice but to like what he liked.

One song that was a favorite of his was Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc. If you listen to it, you'll see that it builds on the typically catchy reggae beat by adding some nice harmonies. It also has the word "cricket" in the lyrics, which for some reason, I always liked (I know this is all strange like a surreal dream, but you've got to realize that I'm grabbing at fragments of my memory here).

You can find the 10cc catalog on Amazon here. This song came from the album Bloody Tourists that you can find here. For a start, I strongly recommend this greatest hits collection available here.

You are all savvy enough to find out more info on this band at WIkipedia if you're interested, so I won't go into detail here in the post.

10cc - Dreadlock Holiday (6.92 MB; 192 kbps MP3)

Tony Brent - The Anglo-Indian Crooner

2007-05-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here's something you probably have never heard. This post again refers to music that strikes a chord with me purely because of nostalgic reasons. Growing up in India, I used to listen to several 78 rpm records in my dad's collection. One of these was by a singer who was very popular in India and reached his real fame in the UK. Tony Brent was an "anglo-indian" (one parent English and another Indian) singer who moved from India in the 1950s and reached some acclaim as a singer. I think he also moved later to Australia but there is surprisingly little informatoin on the man on the Internet. I have memories of my Dad singing this song off-key in a loud voice and both of us laughing hysterically when my mom would complain. That would only encourage him to sing louder and even more off-key which, for some strange reason, would delight me.

You can find a CD of his greatest hits on Amazon here. There's another CD with less information here. The song featured here is really quite good and has nice lyrics and a catchy melody. As you can guess, his contemporary in the US was Pat Boone.

Anyone who can fill in more information on Tony Brent, please post here.

Tony Brent - Don't Save Your Love [For a Rainy Day] (2.09 MB; 192 kbps MP3)

A Fine Hero

2007-05-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

An unexpected benefit of blogging is when it helps me discover new music that I otherwise would never have found. Recently, I was contacted by Dinesh Lalvani in Dubai about a song from his group The Fine. The music is a mixture of rock, electronica and strong vocals from fellow group member Claire Murphy.

They have a 4-song EP done that is available for purchase online. I understand they're working on a full album. You can find more information on Dinesh & Claire on their site at http://thefine.net/ which I urge you to visit. You can also head to their MySpace spot.

The first song featured here is Hero which couples a rock beat with some beautiful guitar work and Claire's clear vocals. It has a catchy melody and the combination of rock and acoustic ballad that I like so much (as you may have guessed from the selections of Triumph and Uriah Heep that were featured on this blog earlier).

If you like the song, why don't you add a comment to this post and I'm sure Dinesh and/or Claire will respond to any of your compliments or criticisms! Let them know if you want to hear more and maybe they'll send me another song for me to post here.

1. The Fine - Hero (4.69 MB; 128kbps MP3)

We All Make Our Choices ...

2007-05-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

For this weekend, I'm going to leave you with something special. Another one of those albums I thought was a classic when I was young. I'll admit I bought this album in the 80s because of the album cover. Any album with a massive, threatening, snake with blood dripping from its jaws has got to be good. So I thought.

The album quickly grew to be one of my favorites and I carried that with me over the years. It was only many years later, when I knew all about Uriah Heep did I come to find that this album, Innocent Victim was always considered one of their weaker albums. I am here now to finally dispel that myth. This is still one of my favorite albums. This is the kind of hard rock I like. It has the heavy overdriven guitars to classify it as hard rock, but the sound and vocals are clear. Like you should with most hard rock, please listen to these tracks with the volume turned up high to get the best effect.

The first track is "Free 'N' Easy" which is a good, hard rocking track that starts off with a great, confident guitar riff and keeps it up through the song. The second track is one that I found moving when I was young. I am not sure exactly why now, but I do recall feeling the lyrics hit me in the gut whenever I heard this song in my younger days. As an eighteen year old, for some reason, I was completely impressed with the lyrics
And we all make our choices
Like a blind man feels his way,
And the choice I've made is simple:
Passion over pain.

I'm sure there was a reason these lyrics affected this eighteen-year old so strongly. I've tried hard to recall what emotions led me to rave over these lyrics, but I'm drawing a blank.

Most of you are familiar with Uriah Heep. You can find more about the band here. Their complete discography on Amazon is here. This album, which I still maintain is their best, is available here with bonus tracks. Enjoy!

1. Uriah Heep - Free 'N' Easy (2.83 MB;128 kbps MP3)
2. Uriah Heep - Choices (5.33 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Listen to the pouring rain ...

2007-05-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I owned an album by Jose Feliciano. Although I think it was a greatest hits album, I recall the one song I instantly fell in love with was Rain. It has all the elements of a song I tend to like - simple lyrics sung in a heartfelt manner and a catchy melody.

It is easy to generate the visual imagery of a cool, cloudy, rainy evening with you all alone at home thinking of your love who is far away. The loneliness coupled with the mild depression brought on by the weather makes you realize how much you love the one you're missing and how much better it would be if she was there with you. The lyrics in this song just seem natural in that context. Even though the words seem to be sung to someone in the room with him, I see it more as the singer sitting alone and reassuring himself of his love for a woman. He almost seems to be trying to cheer himself up by singing about her.

Or, I could be reading way too much into all of this ...

Jose is a unique singer and a virtuoso guitarist. Some of his greatest hits were covers of other hit songs (probably his biggest hit was his exceptional and unique cover of Light My Fire). The second song I feature here is a cover of Lennon-McCartney's In My Life. Again, he puts his own stamp on it and doesn't try to recreate the original. According to his bio on wikipedia, he was born blind and taught himself to play the guitar by locking himself up in a room and practicing 14 hours a day. Now if that doesn't lead to passionate playing, I don't know what will.

As usual, if you're as enthralled by Jose Feliciano as I was when I first heard him, you can find most of his discography at Amazon here. As a start, I would recommend The Definite Best which seems to be a fairly comprehensive coverage of his hits at a reasonable price. You'll love the passion in Hitchcock Railway and enjoy his spin on the many covers on the disc.

As long as we're together, who cares about the weather ...

UPDATE (5/17/2010): MP3s deleted at the request of DMCA and Google. Don't bother trying to sample music here before buying.

1. Jose Feliciano - Rain (2.25 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Jose Feliciano - In My Life (3.09 MB; 128 Kbps MP3)

Buy Blackman!

2007-05-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

So far, this blogging has been fun. Even though I started doing this just for fun and haven't found the time to publicize this blog at all, it is delightful when it yields surprises. I'll admit it is exciting when I find someone is actually reading what I write. It is even more exciting when what I write is read by someone I write about.

In a recent post, I had talked about this great Atlanta band called Starbuck. While researching the band for my post, I found out that the founder of the band, Bruce Blackman was still around and that the Starbuck releases available on Amazon were apparently not the original album recordings but instead some low quality demos released by someone looking to make a fast buck.

Imagine my delight when I found that Bruce Blackman himself somehow found his way to the blog and posted a comment about the imminent release of all the band's original recordings on his own label. I was relieved that he didn't yell at me for posting an MP3 of his song and I am ecstatic that the original recordings are to be released, I really hope to hear them soon. One of the best parts of the recording I had posted (as mentioned in my previous post) was the sonic quality of the recordings. I sincerely hope they have been remastered to preserve that sonic excellence.

I'm so happy to hear from Mr. Blackman that today's post has no song (you've had plenty over the last few weeks), but instead includes a link to MoonlightFeelsRight.com. I urge you to keep checking the site for information on the release of Starbuck recordings. Perhaps Mr. Blackman will drop by here and post a comment once those CDs are available on the site.

Visit http://MoonlightFeelsRight.com/

Quoth the Raven "Evermore"

2007-05-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. I know that that raven really quoth "Nevermore," but then I wouldn't be able to use Poe to introduce my band of the day - Evermore.

If you'll look through the blog I made of my Australia trip last year, you'll see my mention of the opening act for Split Enz that I thought was amazing. Evermore is a New Zealand - Australian band that is made up of the "Hume Brothers." When I saw them open for Split Enz last year, I was struck by the richness of the sound this three-piece band was able to create. It was a very full sound and the drummer for the band (who looked to be all of fifteen) was spectacular. I attended the concert with a guy who has played in a band for years (perhaps I'll feature his band on here some time) and he raved about the drummer, so it is not just my uninformed opinion that this kid was great. The songs featured here are all from this three-piece band and should give you an idea of how impressive their concert set was.

Evermore released their Dreams album in 2004 and their second album Real Life in 2006. I picked up a copy of their first single from the Real Life album during the Enz concerts last year and was impressed enough to buy a copy of their Dreams album. Although these songs have done well in Australia, I'm sure many of you reading this blog have never heard Evermore. They claim to be influenced by The Police (Synchronicity), Pink Floyd, and Silverchair.

As usual, if you like them, buy their Dreams album on Amazon.com here. The Real Life album is available only as an import so is a lot more pricey on Amazon here. From what I heard, these kids are young and will probably be heard more from in the future. Just remember, you heard them first here.

The first track is from the single I picked up in Australia last summer, Running. It is from the Real Life album. The second track here is a single from their debut album. Find out more about the band on their Wikipedia page or on their MySpace page. Of course, if you like these tracks, you should also visit their official web site.

1. Evermore - Running (4.03 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Evermore - It's Too Late (3.59 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Free Steadman NOW!

2007-05-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Several years ago (honestly, it was at the turn of this century!), when the idea of bands releasing their own music on the Internet was a completely new phenomenon, I ran across a band completely by accident on MP3.Com. In those days, bands could create an account and upload their music and then create a "space" on their site to sell their stuff.

One of the many songs I downloaded in those days was by this group called Steadman and this song called Life of Leisure was absolutely one of the catchiest songs I had ever heard. I was just convinced that this band was on the verge of really hitting it big. The song sounded exactly like the hits that was getting a lot of airplay in those days (Blues Traveler, Semisonic, Everclear, etc.) and I couldn't imagine how it could be long before some savvy marketer picked up this single and got it a ton of airplay. I remember being excited and telling friends about this band I had "discovered" so I could tell them all "I told you so" once the band became a household name.

Well, as far as I know, it never happened. I still love this song and think it has a catchy melody and great clear vocals. For anyone out there wondering what kind of music turns me on, here's a model! When I was creating this post, I did some searching online to find out what happened to Steadman. Of course, at Amazon, not only can you find the album with this song, Loser Friendly but also their newest album, Revive (released in 2003). Apparently they're an English band who has gained some fame after being featured on Smallville. Wikipedia provides more details about their current whereabouts and also clarifies that their sound is influenced by Oasis and Radiohead (shows what I know in my musical comparisons!) Most interestingly, I discovered from Wikipedia that Steadman got disgruntled with the "big label" business and have released all their albums and off-cuts online as free digital downloads with a creative commons license (feel free to download and distribute). Now if that isn't a reason to love this band, I don't know what gets you going. Please visit their site here and download anything you want! As they say, they want you to.

1. Steadman - Life of Leisure (5.376 MB; 160 kbps MP3)

Dance and Feel Sad

2007-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

One "family" of artists I promise to feature regularly on this blog is the "Finn Family." You can trace this family's musical roots to the groups Split Enz, Crowded House, Schnell Fenster, The Finn Brothers, as well as solo albums by brothers Tim and Neil Finn.

This year has been big news for the Finn folks as we heard that Crowded House had been reformed for gigs around the world. Yesterday, Tim Finn kicked of his U.S. tour with an appearance on KCRW in Los Angeles. Tim Finn is out promoting his new album Imaginary Kingdom which was just released in the U.S. Before I post a song or two from that album, I am going to jump back early to his solo career and post a couple of songs from his first two solo albums.

The first song is from his 1983 album Escapade and features very dated synthesizer-heavy dance music. While it certainly sounds like "an 80's song" Fraction Too Much Friction has the catchy pop melody and reggae-tinged beat to make it instantly likable. The second song is from his 1989 self-titled album and is achingly painful. The story is that Tim went through bouts of depression. Follow the lyrics in this song. There's one verse where he sings "Not even close to pulling through ..." with such feeling that it makes your hair stand on end. You can feel that this is not some meaningless lyric to him. Two very contrasting moods in these selections here.

You can find all Tim Finn CDs on Amazon.com here. Escapade can be purchased here, and the self-titled Tim Finn can be found here. You should buy his newest album Imaginary Kingdom here. And, if possible, catch Tim Finn at a city near you using the news here. Tim even has a MySpace page where you can listen to songs and watch videos.

1. Tim Finn - Fraction Too Much Friction (3.89 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Tim Finn - Not Even Close (3.96 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Soulful Jesus Christ Superstar

2007-05-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite albums is Jesus Christ Superstar. In general, I also love cover versions of songs I love (especially if they're quite distinct from the original). So, how could I resist when eBay promised me that ultimate salvation - a cover version of Jesus Christ Superstar?

The vinyl album on eBay promised a "soul version" of Jesus Christ Superstar that sounded intriguing. I have numerous versions of the album already (if you're interested, I'll post songs from the Japanese version on this blog sometime). So, during one of my spurts of vinyl-to-digital conversion, I transferred the album to my computer.

This appears to be one of those rare albums that I could not find on Amazon.com. It obviously is so obscure that it was never released on CD. The versions are certainly very different than the ones we're all familiar with and consists of songs sung by Sammy Turner (Jesus), Jaye Kennedy (Mary Magdalene), and Sam Taylor, Jr. (Judas). While I would love to post the entire album here, I thought I'd at least give you a taste for the style of the album with these two selections here.

Amazingly (maybe I should say "Amazoningly"), I found that Sammy Turner was apparently famous enough to have a Best of ... collection on Amazon.com. You can find that album here. I have no idea if the Sam Taylor, Jr. on this album is the same Sam "The Bluzman" Taylor listed on wikipedia. No information can easily be unearthed about Jaye Kennedy.

1. Jaye Kennedy - Everything's Allright (2.29 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. J.D. Bryant - The Last Supper (2.49 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Fountains of Wayne are Never Wet

2007-05-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

The music savvy among you probably are scoffing at the idea that people haven't heard of Fountains of Wayne. After all, they're gaining in popularity and may even have gotten some fair airplay recently. Again, my 11-year-old son (who I use as the barometer of what's "current") knew who Fountains of Wayne were and gave me the title of a few of their songs.

But, this CD was sent to me by a friend of mine some time agop and I found most of the songs instantly catchy and likeable. The one song that grabbed me and stayed around in my head all day was "Hat and Feet." I challenge you to listen to this song twice and not find yourself humming it all day.

Great midwest pop. You can find all their CDs on Amazon.com here. The CD from which I got these two selections is Utopia Parkway and you can find that CD here. Enjoy!

1. Fountains of Wayne - Hat and Feet (2.78 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Fountains of Wayne - Red Dragon Tattoo (3.23 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Beez on Beale Street

2007-04-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the theme of local bands and bars, here's another great bar experience of mine. I was in Memphis several years ago and stopped by the B.B. King's Blues club. The band that was playing that night was fantastic. Enjoying myself tremendously, I decided to buy their CD. Got all of them to autograph it too!

The band was the King Beez and the CD I bought was Against The Grain. This was a great, energetic band playing with a clean, strong, percussive sound. They handled the big band blowout songs just as well as the down, slow, groovy blues numbers.

The CD is outstanding, with the great instrumental title track and some good pure blues. Looking at the bios on their web site, it appears that the only members still playing from the lineup I saw are the founders James Jackson and Solomon McDaniel. Also, unfortunately, it almost appears that they have evolved into a blues cover band. The album Against the Grain has mostly originals except for one song. The key songwriter on the CD (David Bowen) seems to have left the band. Too bad. Listen to this tune - you won't be surprised that I heard this band at the B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street!

1. The King Beez - I Wanna Git It (4.43 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Your Next Boyfriend - Cam Waters

2007-04-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

After suggesting in my last post that music is universal and that melody is paramount, I'm going to do an about face. If you focus on catchy melodies and beat, you miss the emotion conveyed by the lyrics. Now, I'll admit that I'm not a "lyrics man." I almost never pay attention to song lyrics (about the only album I know all the lyrics to is Jesus Christ Superstar). But people who write their own songs generally seem to have something real to say - in a clever way. For example, read this lyric from Cam Waters' "Like Normal People Do."

And he said let's go to the living room and turn on the TV
And I won't speak to you and you won't even look at me
Then we'll be talking to each other like normal people do

Now isn't that a clever way to make a statement? Beautiful!

One of the things I enjoyed doing is (when possible) to pop into bars and listen to some local band. The best part of traveling in this country is that you can often find excellent singers in the smallest and pokiest bars and restaurants. These tend to be people who genuinely love the music and perform for peanuts. It just offers them a release for their pent up emotions. These are not the voices you're going to find on American Idol (Thank God for that!), but the music tends to be heartfelt. I'm not talking of the cover bands. I'm talking of the independent musicians - singers and songwriters who use music to express themselves - who don't perform to make a buck. Some are awful, some you feel sorry for, some are decent, some are great, but all are genuine.

So, I was in Rochester, Minnesota several years ago and stopped in a bar with Cam Waters. Not the voice that'll win awards, but he seemed to be enjoying himself while pouring his heart into his singing. I had such a great time that I could not resist buying his CD. Here are a couple of selections of pure American folk-blues from Mr. Cam Waters. The first song has simple, spontaneous lyrics with a catchy tune and the second also seems to have been written after a personal experience!

You can find Cam Waters' CDs on his web site http://www.camwaters.com. Both the selections here are from his album Shoetown. Unfortunately, when I checked his "gigs" page, it was empty. Sad.

1. Cam Waters - Your Next Boyfriend (2.01 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Cam Waters - Never Have Been Satisfied (3.11 MB; 128kbps MP3)

French In My Flesh!

2007-04-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hopefully that morbid title will get you intrigued enough to try this band. When I was in France earlier this year, my brother recommended this band when I asked him a sample of local rock music. I listened to it in the car a couple of times and decided to go buy the CDs of this band myself. The band is an (apparently popular) French rock band called KYO. I was able to pick up a reasonably inexpensive set of two of their CDs at a Carrefour. Of course, as usual, I find I could have bought it Amazon a lot cheaper. Here's a link to the 2 CD set.

Even my 12-year old son loves this band and he often voluntarily puts this CD in the player. Catchy rock in the vein of Semisonic, The Wallflowers, and Maroon 5. Truly an indication of the importance of melody in music - none of us understand a word of what's being sung, but truly enjoy the songs. Here are a couple of selections from their CD 300 Lésions. You can find their debut album on Amazon here.

By the way, I have no idea how accurate this is, but the song title Dans Ma Chair was translated by Google Translator as "In The Flesh" Someone with a better understanding of French, please correct me if this is completely off base.

Meanwhile, enjoy "Contact" and "In The Flesh"!

1. Kyo - Contact (3.34 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Kyo - Dans Ma Chair (3.09 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Merle on Elvis

2007-04-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Now here's a real rarity. There were numerous tributes to Elvis after he died but few that were really memorable. One country great to record a touching tribute to Elvis on his death was Merle Haggard. I purchased this album when I was in India and loved the opening song, From Graceland to Promised Land. The rest of the album consists of Merle covering several Elvis tunes and these are great too.

I was told that this album has long been out of print, but as usual, a search on Amazon turns up miracles. Apparently, MCA Special Products released this 1995 but kept me in the dark. Go figure! I've been treasuring this vinyl album for years and now I find I can just go out and get it on CD? What's that all about?

Anyway, now that I've saved you the trouble of hunting for it, buy the album here. If this puts you in the mood for more Merle, here are all his albums on Amazon's list. It really is a great album with heartfelt renderings of the songs. Here is the title tune as well as one of the covers. These are from my vinyl version. I just transferred them to the computer, but there's minimal crackle and hiss. Enjoy!

1. Merle Haggard - From Graceland to Promised Land (2.25 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Merle Haggard - That's Alright Mama (2.27 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Bizarre Beatles!

2007-04-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Interestingly, the site records show that the most downloaded posts on this blog are the Ananda Shankar versions of the Elvis songs. That is the only one that also resulted in a comment being posted. So, on popular request, I'll return to some weird cover versions.

Consistent with the last versions, I'll start with a "sitar" version of I Want To Hold Your Hand. When I was kid, I distinctly remember this vinyl LP record of "Balsara and His Singing Sitars" with catchy (fusion, I guess) sitar-heavy versions of a variety of songs. Well, the first oddity I'll post here is from Balsara.

I got this selection from one of my many Beatles cover CDs. This collection is called The Exotic Beatles, Pt. 1and includes many off-beat and outright bizarre versions of Beatles songs in many languages (Spanish, Japanese, Malay, and more). Some are more bizarre than others. I have also included here a strange flamenco version of She Loves You from this collection. Many of the songs in this collection seem to be recorded off vinyl without too much reprocessing so the quality on some of these are not that great. Still, you'll agree they're quite interesting.

If you like such bizarre covers, you may want to pick up not only Pt. 1, but also Exotic Beatles Pt. 2 and Exotic Beatles Pt. 3 at Amazon (just follow the links) or your favorite music store.

1. Balsara and His Singing Sitars - I Want To Hold Your Hand (2.03 MB; 128 Kbps MP3)
2. Emi Bonilla Y Su Caudro - She Loves You [Te Quires] (3 MB; 128kbps MP3)

On Popular Demand - Ananda Shankar Does Elvis

2007-04-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Completely unexpectedly, it looks like the links to the two Elvis songs from Ananda SHankar in my earlier post got the most response. Of course, that could be because the first place on the Internet where I posted any information about this blog was the forum on Vinyl Vulture - and that too in response to a post about this album. I'm already learning about the importance of targeting the promotion of this blog appropriately. I guess if I had the time, I could go all out and publicize the existence of this blog. But then it would be a commercial venture more than just a fun hobby.

So, by popular demand, here is a posting of the remaining two Ananda Shankar songs from the India Remembers Elvis EP. Please remember that I just got these off my EP without any cleaning or editing, so it does include some pops and crackle. I would welcome your comments on these and other recordings. Remember, you can find the Ananda Shankar catalog for purchase on Amazon here.

1. Ananda Shankar - Can't Help Falling In Love (2.74 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Ananda Shankar - How Would You Like To Be (2.94 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Hawaii on a Silver Platter

2007-04-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever I visit places, I like to sample music from the place I visit. Usually, I just try and find what is "hot" in the country I'm visiting and buy a sampling of the popular music from there. I find it much easier to evoke memories of the place from the music than just a plastic souvenir. Expect quite a bit of "world music" sampling in this blog down the line. In the near future, I have already lined up some music from France, India and Poland.

Before we travel that far, though, let me take you to Hawaii. While most of you have heard some Hawaiian music, I was entranced by CDs from Keali'i Reichel during my visit to Hawaii many, many years ago. Like most of my world music tastes, this is probably not "traditional" music but rather fusion music that blends traditional elements with modern melodies and instruments to make the sound easier for us to process. In addition to Keali'i Reichel, I also bought an album by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Facing Future) which was also great, but didn't find it as instantly likable as the one by Reichel. I just found myself putting the Reichel album on more frequently. Still, if you like these samples and decide to purchase a Keali'i Reichel album, make sure you also check out Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. You can find this album on Amazon here. If you'd rather see all the Keali'i Reichel albums carried by Amazon (including a Greatest Hits collection), click here.

The wonder of this album is that it consists of catchy melodies and a strong, clear tenor vocal. You may not understand a word of what is being sung, but you can't help but sway to the music. You'll also find it absolutely relaxing - nothing jarring or grating on this album at all. For you Beatles fans, there's even a cover of In My Life on the Kawaipunahele album. Even if you've never been to Hawaii, this album is bound to instantly generate the beautiful imagery of the islands. Now that's powerful music.

So, from the album Kawaipunahele, here are two songs from Keali'i Reichel ...

1. Keali'i Reichel - Ku'u Wehi O Ke Aumoe (3.63 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Keali'i Reichel - Kawaipunahele (4.38 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Cliff Who?

2007-04-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, to almost anyone except the masses in America, this is going to seem like a ridiculous post and not worthy of "underheard music." Anticipating the flaming, I'm going to get defensive and remind you of the fact that this blog is called UNDERheard music and not unheard music.

Cliff Richard (Sir Cliff Richard to you) is one of the most legendary singers of our time. It would be ludicrous for me to try and describe his career here. He has had a #1 hit in every decade since the 50s. You can read about him here or visit his official page here. He still sells out stadiums in most countries around the world, but remains relatively unknown in America.

Cliff's style of music has changed quite a bit over the years, so it is difficult for me to select one or two songs that characterize Cliff's music. However, for this initial post, I'll focus on his early years around 1959-1961 (maybe returning to Cliff's 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s stuff later this year).

Both these selections are among his greatest hits, so would be familiar to almost anyone except, as I said, the American masses. I would love it if you could add a comment here if you have never heard these Cliff Richard songs.

Both these songs are characteristic of his 50s-60s stuff in that it offers simple, beautiful melodies with very basic, heartfelt lyrics. None of the overproduction you see in today's music. I guess if you didn't have a real good voice (that would allow you to sing without much instrumental backing) you wouldn't have been able to hack it in the "old days."

Here are all the Cliff Richard albums available on Amazon. If you like the songs below, you may want to start with this 40 Golden Greats album that focuses mostly on his earlier hits. If you remember Devil Woman (one of his few American hits) you may want to move on to his 70s-80s hits with this Razor & Tie compilation called The Cliff Richard Collection.

Please let me know if this is the first time you're hearing these songs. What do you think?

1. Cliff Richard - Living Doll (3.61 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Cliff Richard - Theme for a Dream (2.4 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Justin Roth - Singer, Songwriter

2007-04-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

I teach at a University in the business school and am fortunate to have musicians as students every now and then. One of my former students is Justin Roth who I would describe as a troubadour (he may object, in which case I'd be happy to alter this description). While I enjoyed his first album, I think his 2003 album Shine is a particular joy to listen to. I think it is well recorded, well balanced, and I also think his voice has developed to have a better tonal quality than on his first album.

Although I missed him on his last visit to town, I did get the album and have listened to it many times since then. Both the songs I am featuring here are from Shine. However, the "fun" frolic titled "Dead Horse Trampoline" is not written by Justin (almost all the other songs on the album are written by him). I challenge you to listen to Dead Horse Trampoline without smiling.

You can find out more about Justin here. His touring schedule is here. Please buy his CDs here.

1. Justin Roth - Dead Horse Trampoline (2.85 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Justin Roth - Pull (3.21 MB; 128kbps MP3)

There's Starbucks in Atlanta?

2007-04-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, admit it - how many of you have heard of Starbuck? No, I'm not talking coffee, though this upbeat, happy song could certainly perk you up. This selection is another one from the "Maxell Rock Sampler" that I transferred from vinyl recently.

Starbuck was a 70's era Atlanta band that had a few hits, most notably Moonlight Feels Right. Frankly, I had not heard of Starbuck, even though I thoroughly enjoyed this perky tune. When I was writing up this little intro to the music clip, I decided to see if any of their albums were available. Amazingly, Amazon listed a couple of Starbuck albums, but the lead singer of the band, Bruce Blackman had posted on the Amazon page that these were illegally released demos and not the original album versions of the song. I guess Starbuck is still unreleased. Like all the "Maxell Sampler" recordings I'll add here, the sound is sonically clear. According to the liner notes, "full vocal harmonies and fuzz-tone guitars back an extremely clear, strong tenor lead vocal ... Listen for the clear ringing of the opening brush hitting the cymbal. Listen also for a rarity in modern rock music: a crystalline unfuzzed guitar solo that's completely free from intentional distortion." Don't these liner notes sound like wine tasting notes?

Enjoy this song and then hope that some more Starbuck is released soon. You can check out the Starbuck MySpace page to hear Moonlight Feels Right. According to that page, Bruce Blackman is still around and in the industry and has written a couple of movie scores.

Great pop/rock that actually makes you smile!

Starbuck - It Feels So Good (3.26 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

India Does Elvis

2007-04-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ananda Shankar was a musician way ahead of his time. He was a nephew of Ravi Shankar and an extremely talented musician. In the sixties, he moved to California and was one of the first to create some exceptional fusion albums that blended Indian instruments and melodies with those from the West. After moving back to India, he and his wife (choreographer Tanusree Shankar) would tour with a large troupe performing these multimedia extravaganzas with a full orchestra and a large dance troupe. With great lighting effects, the audience would be treated to a great show of dances choreographed by Tanusree while Ananda conducted the orchestra. I attended a few of these concerts in my early days in India and thoroughly enjoyed them.

His famous 1975 album Ananda Shankar and his Music was re-released in 2005 and is available at Amazon.com. You can find other Ananda Shankar albums on Amazon here. His self-titled first album, highlighted his initial experiments with fusion by including the Rolling Stones' Jumping Jack Flash and The Doors' Light My Fire in his trademark sitar-tinged style.

When I was in Calcutta in the early 80s, I had seen a few of his shows and, as an Elvis fan, was delighted to see that he had produced a 4-song EP called India Remembers Elvis as a tribute to Elvis Presley on his death in 1977. The record store I bought it from had hosted Ananda Shankar some time ago and this EP was autographed by Mr. Shankar himself. It included four Elvis songs done with all the usual Indian instruments. It is my understanding that these songs have never been released since their original appearance on this E.P.

So, from my record collection, here is Ananda Shankar and his orchestra performing two of the Elvis songs from the India Remembers Elvis extended play record.

[NOTE: I have also added the other two songs from this EP in another post later]

1. Ananda Shankar - Teddy Bear (2.42 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Ananda Shankar - His Latest Flame (2 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Triumph in Melodic Rock

2007-04-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Moving from one extreme to the other, lets go from Broadway show tunes to classic rock. A brilliant band that masterfully blended solid guitar rock with orchestral themes was the Canadian band Triumph. One of my first introductions to this band was from a widely distributed vinyl audiophile sampler called the Maxell Rock Sampler. That record included as its opening tune a sweeping, rocking, melodic, classic rock masterpiece medley Blinding Light Show/Moonchild. This eight-odd minute movement was breathtaking not only for its sonic quality but also for its extraordinary blend of classic rock with classical guitar and string instruments. The drums are tight and clear and the recording of the classical guitar interlude is heavenly.

Enough gushing, now you must be anxious to hear the tune. Although I did transfer this from my Maxell Rock Sampler vinyl record, there were a couple of loud pops and some minor distortion that I could not eliminate from my recording. So, I got a copy of this spectacular song from a CD. You can buy the whole CD from Amazon here. It really is worth it. Most guitar enthusiasts are familiar with the absolutely brilliant picking of Triumph's guitarist Rik Emmett. I strongly recommend his albums (here's a list from Amazon), especially the fiendishly addictive Absolutely. Perhaps I'll post my favorite song from that album (Drive Time) here in a later post.

Here's a recommendation: Listen to this LOUD. Close your eyes and imagine the classical guitar is being played right in front of you. And when the drums kick back in .... sheer joy!

Triumph - Blinding Light Show/Moonchild (8 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Unheard Fiddler?

2007-04-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

My wife is a huge fan of Fiddler on the Roof and at one point, I had purchased several versions of the record to pique her interest in record collecting. Recently, I hooked up my record player to my computer and attempted to digitize some of these records.

One particularly interesting version of the album was sung entirely by Herschel Bernardi. I found his voice to be particularly interesting and different. He's got a slightly whimsical tone to his voice that seems to suit my impression of Tevye. You can find it on Amazon here.

On this album, were two songs that were written by lyricist Sheldon Harnick and composer Jerry Bock for the original production but were eventually cut from the stage play. I actually found these two songs instantly catchy and likable. When Messiah Comes actually was released in the 30th Anniversary edition of the album of the Broadway Cast Recording. The other, Fiddler on the Roof may also be on the re-released album as a bonus track, but I'm not sure.

So, for my first post, here's a link to MP3s of these two songs from Herschel Bernardi's presentation of songs from Fiddler on the Roof. Note that these were transferred from the original vinyl record so contain all the crackling and hiss of vinyl recordings.

1. When Messiah Comes - Herschel Bernardi (3.63 MB; 192 kbps MP3)
2. Fiddler on the Roof - Herschel Bernardi (4.39 MB; 192 kbps MP3)

What's This All About?

2007-04-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

I enjoy a great variety of music. While most of my music listening is quite traditional (you'll find Pink Floyd, Elvis, The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, BB King and more in my music collection), I particularly enjoy finding music that does not get as much airplay on the radio.

A variety of things about a piece of music may pique my interest. Sometimes, it is just something I heard in my childhood that I haven't heard in ages. Sometimes it is a catchy melody from a regional band. Sometimes it is an unusual piece of history that isn't that easy to find.

I just figured there may be someone out there with an interest in listening to music that is not easy to find on U.S. radio. Some of the bands I'll feature here may be very popular in other parts of the world, but simply under appreciated in the U.S. Other names may be quite familiar to people who listen to a certain genre of music, but not to others. Still other songs may just be unusual pieces from well known names in music.

You'll also find a wide range of music featured here from pop to rock to jazz to Broadway. Hope you enjoy at least some of the selections.

There's no rhyme or reason to why I may select a piece of music except that I found it interesting for some reason I'll outline in my post. Let me know if you enjoy any of the pieces in this blog. If you do like any of the music, PLEASE buy the CD so the artist gets their well-deserved royalties.

The goal here is just to share music that I like for some reason. The goal is to give underheard artists a greater airing and help people find out-of-print recordings. If you are an artist (or their lawyer) and would like me to remove any of the music here, please let me know and I'll take it off immediately. No hard feelings and no need for threats! :)

Email me at rvblogs@gmail.com!