A few weeks ago i was trying to set up some weekly Thursday-morning item on Jazz. Because i love Jazz-music, but for some reason it hardly gets through on the blog and i'm a little unsatisfied with that. Since my workday on Thursdays usually starts at 12 o'clock i spent all morning reading the paper, drinking coffee and being totally relaxed (Thursday is also the least productive day at the office, go figure..). A nice relaxing Jazz-album on the stereo would be the perfect match and writing something about that should be really easy then, right..?
So far i have not yet succeeded with this idea, but i'm hanging in there, especially since i've discovered Ambrose Akinmusire yesterday evening. His debut-album When The Heart Emerges Glistening was released April 5th and gets good reviews all over the world. Unlike rockbands and singer-songwriters, jazz-musicians have the horrific habit of not putting any songs out on their website for those interested in their music. You can listen to 30 seconds of a few songs, which in my humble opinion is not only very stupid, but also very stupid (yes, i did mean to state 'stupid' twice). It makes it hard to form an opinion on this album, but based on the 1 track i could find on YouTube i can relate to those reviews.
I wonder why Jazz-musicians (but also their record-companies) are not more open-minded on how to distribute their music. I've seen the same things with other Jazz-bands and artists. Unlike the rest of the music-scene they hardly try to promote their music. Websites are small, never get any updates and they do not use tools as Twitter or Facebook. They do not release a song via the widgets that so many bands use nowadays. If you subscribe to the newsletter, you get a link and can download a song for free, are there better ways to get your music heard & reach those interested in your music? You have their emailadress now & they will remember who you are, cuz they have heard one of your songs. It is a concept that is being used by the smallest of the smallest folkacts in the deserts of Ontario, aswell as by internationally acclaimed millionsellers like The Strokes. I got all worked up about this earlier this morning, because i had a hard time finding some more decent material by Ambrose Akinmusire. There are live-recordings on Youtube, but those are from years ago and those tracks are not on the album. The quality is not that good and it's not put on Youtube by the artist himself or his record-company, hence the quality.. How is it possible that the jazz-world is not seeing the full potential of the internet?
i was planning on writing something about this, but not really at this point because this post was supposed to be about Ambrose Akinmusire. He's made a new record. I've heard one song and i'm liking it. I have no idea where in the Netherlands i could buy his record, and i'm not gonna get it on the internet, as i would like to hear the entire album before i buy it. So good job Ambrose on this one track. Bad job Blue Note Records (just only a major player in the jazz-industry, you'd think if anyone would be on top of this, it would be them) for not even trying to seduce me or anyone else slightly interested in this album. For the record, yet i can buy it on iTunes, but same goes for Ambrose's website, i can hear 30 seconds of a song, hearing the first 30 seconds of a jazzsongs that lasts 5 minutes is pretty useless..
This just oozes candlelight. Ruby Randall has a very special, melancholic voice and the gentle songs she has crafted for her debut-EP are pure and beautiful. It's not easy to stand out in the 1000s of girls playing guitar singing your own songs, but for some reason Ruby does stand out. Usually those girls end up as Jewel-wannabees or try and fail, but Ruby Randall has succesfully dodged that bullet and has made a 4-track EP that sticks. That left me wanting more, because it is thát good!
Have discovered this song over a month ago and although at first it wasn't that special to me, recently i keep looking for it in my playlist. The vocals on this track by NewVillager are pure crazy in a good way & this song just always puts a smile on my face. The website is something special aswell, as there is no info on the music or people behind NewVillager, it's an art-blog with a link to the Lighthouse-track in several images, so i'm pretty sure it's linked with the artist/band behind this great track. Strange little mystery..
There's a lot of Josh T. Pearson live music to be found on the internet after the recent weekend and luckely it found it's way to my inbox. For example there's a very good 4-song liveshow for Daytrotter he did just last Sunday morning. Read the fine writing Daytrotter's Sean Moeller did on this little liveshow & listen to Josh T. Pearson doing what he does so well on his latest album, but even more intense in this live session.
In a whole different setting, but at least as interesting and fantastic to hear (and watch) are 2 songs Josh played at the Mute Short Circuit last weekend. Doing covers of Erasure's A Little Respect and Moby's 'Natural Blues'. Both really great in a whole different way as the Daytrotter-session and all just adding to the respect this singer deserves.
The Horrors are releasing their new album somewhere this summer and although there is no title yet, this is pretty little exciting news.. Although not feeling very well inside (yea, i'll stop whining now, i promise) i may have been spotted dancing to this earlier this morning. With this in the back of my head, i'm really looking forward to the follow-up of 2009's Primary Colours, which i didn't really enjoy at the time, but is getting more to me when re-listening it now.. at least this track is!
So.. Over night the whole blogosphere went nuts over this new Bon Iver-track. As it's the 1st released song for the upcoming new album, set for end of June. I had to give it 4 spins this morning (not feeling that well, so got out of bed at 5 o'clock), but i'm getting into it now. Not ready yet to be saying i'm loving it, but i might there after a few more spins. Benefit of the doubt so far. I may get back on this one..
Monday Morning Kick-Off with the Givers. Great fun track 'Up Up Up' really puts a smile on my face after again a very good weekend. I really don't feel like working todat, but with this tune, i will manage..
First single of the new The Airborne Toxic Event-album called All At Once. A bit more poppy than fantastic breakthrough single Sometime Around Midnight (sweet acoustic version), but still very enjoyable!
Great little album by 2 students who write exciting little songs together. The early Thursday morning sunshine, coffee, the smell of clean laundry, newspaper, Vermilion Club: Perfect!
There is something about this song that makes me think of another great tune i fell in love with earlier this year, unfortunately i have yet to figure out which song that was (is that a bad thing?). Anyway, 'The Look' is a great track from Metronomy's recently released new album The English Riviera. If you like this one song, check our their website to get another free song & visit the shop to purchase the full album.
