Of the influences for Holy Fire, Foals vocalist and guitarist Yannis Philippakis lists “The Delta, voodoo, the swamp, sexuality, Byzantine iconography and music, syrupy rhythms, the mountains, the abyss, the decline of the bee populations, hip hop, and stoner rock” along with the folk music of the Deep South in the United States. Continue reading »
Whether you loathe his brand of operatic pop or love him like only a Grobanite can, there’s no doubting the sheer prowess of the 31-year-old Josh Groban. With piles of album sales and high profile placements in the worlds of music, TV and film, the Los Angeles-born singer has been turning heads and opening ears ever … Continue reading »
With delicate, slightly removed tones and saccharine sweetness tempered with an aptly cheeky ego, BETS takes to her self-titled debut EP with polish and wonder. This bi-coastal wunderkind delivers her brand of indie pop with her fourth glass of champagne in hand, embodying the night-gazing of New York and the beach parties of Los Angeles … Continue reading »
A deeply personal record, Ron Sexsmith’s Forever Endeavour is a cutely titled examination of what happens when an extremely gifted songwriter turns things inward in an almost overpowering fashion. The Ontario-born folk/pop/whatever artist has been inside before, but he has seldom cut things this close to the bone. Continue reading »
This here CD was available for purchase “only” at Sarah Brightman’s Harem tour and from the official website for a limited time. It is now out of print and a bit of a collector’s item, but I’ve got my trusty copy thanks to the miracle of modern shopping and technology. There may be a few … Continue reading »
It may seem odd to consider Holly Elle, the girl from Chestermere, Alberta, as a diva. Yet Leopardess, her new EP, seems to solidify that deep within the small Canadian town was a glam queen just waiting to burst out into the open and attack. Continue reading »
North Wales’ The Joy Formidable seems to have the knack for kicking off new years with panache. In January 2011, they released The Big Roar to considerable acclaim. In 2013, Wolf’s Law made its way into the public consciousness. Continue reading »
After an extended hiatus, I’m happy to announce that my Sarah Brightman discography series has returned. We’re in the home stretch and most of the Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff is in the rearview mirror. Also, Brightman’s newest album is in my possession so there will be a review of that to cap off To the … Continue reading »
Leave it to a pair of twins from Canada to provoke listeners in such joyful fashion. With Heartthrob, a contagious chunk of pure pop bliss, Tegan and Sara Quin have taken apart the apparatus and replaced it with something flagrantly appealing and, iniquity of all iniquities, “radio-friendly.” Continue reading »
