Tales From Terra Firma – Stornoway

This Oxford-based band take their name from the Scottish town of Stornoway on the Hebridean Isle of Lewis, and I’m not sure if that’s a sleepy little town or what but this music definitely reflects what a sleepy town would sound like. With soothing folk-like guitar melodies and calming vocals the self-recorded “Tales From Terra Firma” is a great second album from the guys. The album opens with the uplifting “You Take Me As I…

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Album Review: Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”

Tom Waits’ newest album, Bad As Me, feels like a nice change from boring ol’ Rock & Roll.  In fact, it’s everything but!  As one goes from track to track, there’s soul, jazz, folk, some Spanish-sounding ballads, and more.  Tom Waits has always been a versatile artist, and he sure shows it on his newest offering. Take the opening track, “Chicago.”  It feels like the studio engineer hit “record” just a few seconds after the band…

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The Prodigal Song: “Lost and Found”

Oh, okay, one more. This time, a snippet of something I’m probably going to review sometime this weekend: Kim Taylor’s “Lost and Found”, from her Little Miracle album. It’s a rather pretty thing – dramatic in its own chamber piano pop way, but somber enough to put one in mind of a sort of less sultry Hope Sandoval. Whatever your opinion of it, you can’t argue with the price: the free empeethree can be downloaded…

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Good Morning, Captain: Awake Young Soldiers

As I busy myself with preparation for an excursion to London for an interview with the lovely Amber Rubarth (here is my itinerary: day one shall be spent getting lost, mugged and settled; day two doing my journalism “thang”; day three missing my flight, and resignedly lying down on the unyielding London streets to await the frosty fingers of death) I chance to receive a text message from old friend Mairéad Kavanagh, informing me that…

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Saredren Wells: “Memories Are Hunting Horns…”

Album name: Memories Are Hunting Horns Artist name: Saredren Wells Genre: Folk-indie Released: 11 May 2010 Label: Rinehart Records ZME Rating: 6/10 Website: Myspace SCENE: A post-post-apocalyptic Earth – burgeoning cities arise next to arid wastelands, the human race who had for centuries abandoned this place having returned mere decades ago. As rugged off-road vehicles race along the desert trails, a passenger-carrying space cruiser glides past the screen, a child waving to camera from behind…

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Stealth Like a Canoe – Interview

A new, hip and alluring band, Stealth Like a Canoe, is bringing melodic love songs back to the windy city since Rue Royale left for the U.K.  Indie/Folk/Pop duo SLAC has a simple equation that is definitely working. Honest love songs from ironic lovers. Coincedently, Adam confirmed that, “Nicollette is his.” (In my interview with the band.) To get more of SLAC’s story, music and plans for the future check out the interview below. This interview…

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Interview with tada tátà !

tada tátà is a special musical project from Sweden, more exactly from Umeå/Falun. They represent a set of electro pop and folk, with songs mostly played on guitars and Ukulele. Listen to it and you’ll notice that it’s like music for toys. I know, it sounds a bit childish and blurry – it’s probably just their toy piano and glockenspiel toying with my mind. They sound, in fact, just great and their lyrics and use…

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