ItoBlog

Work that bum!

What a great track by Mylo. Makes you feel like working out doesn't it? You can almost see Richard Simmons stretch to the beat.

Come on people, work that bum! One...and two...and one...and two....Yeah!

Mattafix me

Very busy week. Wanted to blog a few things and then, as it happens every time, my mind wanders elsewhere just when i am about to write a new entry.

Basically worked almost non-stop this week but still had time to buy some amazing CDs. The first one is the eponymous debut album by Pauline Croze, a french singer with a very seductive voice that blends pop, bossa, blues and a little bit of funk. This is one of her tracks that i've been humming all week long.

Another big discovery this week (courtesy of Yasmine) is electro-soul-caribbean-hip hop duo Mattafix. These guys are amazing, great beats, amazing voice, groovy riffs. Portsihead meets Moby meets Shaggy meets Black Eyed Peas. Here's a great track:

Hasidic reggae hip-hop superstar

Many of you must have already heard of Matisyahu Miller (aka Matthew Miller), the hasidic reggae sensation (yup, you read right) that everyone's been talking about here in Paris since his mind-blowing show in December. Now, for those who've never heard of him, here's the story of a regular kid from brooklyn who loved music, loved getting stoned, then decided to be a Phish groupie, followed their tours and discovered God when camping in Colorado. He began delving in Judaic studies, turned to his passion, reggae and beat-boxing, melded reggae beats with yeshiva-inspired lyrics and produced this :

(or download the mp3 here )

Busy times

As some of you may have noticed, my blogging has almost come to a standstill. Busy busy busy. Not sure if/when i will get back into the groove of things but bear with me, i'm working on it.

In the meantime, check out this amazing track by Feist. I posted about her a while back.. It's been a couple of weeks now and I am still completely under her spell.

Feist me

Long exhausting week, but still found time to discover canadian singer Feist this weekend (yeah yeah, i know she's been around for a while...). That peppiness and that wide repertoire (some folk, some jazz, and a twist of disco), and that oh-so sensual voice...Best album of the month hands down.

Check her out here:

Pitchforkmedia

A friend recommended a really good website at www.pitchforkmedia.com created by young indie music fanatics who spend all day hunting down and reviewing brand new releases (four new releases every weekday). Apart from the occasional space-cadet review (eg. ..."[the record] is full of melodies that are pretty without being obvious, tracks that aren't afraid to be songs, songs that aren't afraid to be tracks, and music that obeys the beat without ever depending on it....Uhh???)  I found most reviews quite enlightening and often right on target. Definitely worth checking out.

Listen up

I added a new music feature to this blog. It's a little gadget called a "dewplayer", apparently created by this french wiz kid a couple of weeks ago. Just plug in your headphones/speakers, adjust the volume, click on the little "play" button and voila! You'll find this feature in the right sidebar where I upload tracks i've been listening to recently.

Try it with Burning Spear's SOUL::

Anaïs

I am always raving about "new" artists only to find out that I've been out of the loop again and they actually aren't that new. Well, this time, I will challenge anyone, beside my friend Odile who kindly made me discover her, and ask them if they can honestly tell me if they heard of the french singer called Anaïs. She is, by far, the most original singer i've come across in a very long time. She is simply amazing, her music will blow you away. She doesn't compare to anyone, save perhaps Fiona Apple but even that is questionable. She has an incredibly crisp voice and a really unique repertoire. Download this track, taken from a live concert she gave in Marseille and tell me what you think. It's hard to believe that this woman is "alone" on stage, backed only by her guitar and some really creative playback.

Download 03_elle_sort_quavec_des_blacks.m4a

La Reine des Queens

The music of Cedric Klapish's latest film, Les Poupées Russes, is still humming in my head. Forget the poor script, the excessively long scenes, heck, forget Romain Duris, and go see this movie just for the soundtrack. Sit back and let the groove and dreamy photography envelop you.

Sneak peak:
Download Kraked_La_Reine_Des_Queens.m4a
Download one_fudge__bo_les_poupes_russes.mp3

Billie Holliday resuscitated

For all you jazz enthusiasts, there is a new voice in town. Ok maybe not that new. I don't want to humiliate myself like i did before and rave about a new act that's actually been around for a while. Anyway, her name is Madeleine Peyroux and is by far the most interesting female jazz vocalist I've heard in a while. Her soft smokey voice instantly reminds you of Billie, but she adds a smooth quirky dimension to her singing  which is quite unique. Check out a quick sample here or download a whole track here.