New Music December 13th

Interesting week of new music. Slim pickens but enjoyable. I always love to be more musically informed, and I was this week. Hope you will be too.

Singles
'Pile Of $$$' by Caged Animals –
If I hadn't read the lyrics or watched the video, I would have thought this song was eerily pretty, a ghost town lullaby. However, the video shows a couple go on a shopping spree then the girl lights the boy (singer) in fire while he plays the guitar. And she sheds a single tear. The end. Video killed this radio star.
Chew on these lyrics. Eek.
"I doused the house in flames, whoa ohh
I got a pile of money
I set the world ablaze, whoa ohh
With my pile of money"
Yeah, no one calls me by name
No one calls me by name

'Happy This Christmas' by Mick Hucknall –
The perfect christmas song for a 1987 television theme song. Micks voice challenges that of Mr Hall and Mr Oats, rivaling Andrew Golds lyrical talents...
Its a positive and wishful original that I could listen to and not be annoyed with. You know, it being a new christmas song. Like we need more of those, right? Thanks Hucknall. I hope you're happy this Christmas, too. :)



Albums

Jai McDowall – 'Believe'
Won talent show in UK, sounds exactly like Josh Groban... which - you know, isn't entirely bad. From the little bit I've
read and heard of Jai, he seems to have more spunk than Groban (well so does a door knob). The whole Believe album are covers which leads me to believe that Jai isn't an artist, just a guy with a voice. Please write something for us, show us your skills, man. Jeeez, Jai. Also, when you sound so much like another popular singer, don't sing 2 songs on your album that they've already recorded. I'm just tired of talent show winners coming and going, wasting out time and energy on 4 months of auditions and voting only to become a copycat. What would Simon say?

Please Please Please by Slow Moving Millie from her album Renditions.
Her version of Please Please Please Please let me get what I want by the Smiths -Beautiful. First studio album. I think we'll hear a lot from this Amelia Warner, ex of Colin Farrell. Check out the commercial running this holiday season.


Memoirs from Charlotte Gainsbourg's album Stage Whisper
The daughter of rascal Serge Gainsbourg, who didn't treat himself very well but produced some wonderful French music like Black Trombone and J'taime Charlotte is so special, Beck produced and wrote (besides one song) her 2009 album IRM. I can hear the Beck influence on this album in 'Paradisco", and her dads influence in 'Out of Town'. Lovely voice. Sure to be a hit. Not coming to the US to tour this year it doesn't look. Too bad. She'd be wonderful in the Schnitz.


Why Not - by Jonsi from the soundtrack to Cameron Crowes film We bought a zoo. (Which Jonsi is the entire album)
Gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing - cover,website http://jonsi.com/, sound. Soft, continuous movement of tracks flowing into the next.
With that said, Jonsi has collaborated with Sigur Rós, and musically collaborated with his boyfriend Alex Somers, creating 'Jonsi and Alex.'. This Icelandic wonder is partially blind and plays the cello bow on his guitar. Oh and according to Wikipedia (the gods truth) Jonsi also fiddles with bass, synthesizer, organ, piano, harmonium, mellotron, banjo, ukelele, and the harmonica. And he sings.
I don't see him coming to Portland soon, but he was here in 2010 so we may be graced with his presence soon.