I suppose in 1997 I wasn’t ready for marriage. I was still playing video games and thought wrestling was awesome. I didn’t have a steady girlfriend and had not found financial independence. However, I would have looked past every single one of my setbacks to marry Natalie Imbruglia. She was probably the first musician I actually fell in love with and for good reason: she was incredibly hot. Admittedly, I wasn’t totally sold on the music at the time, but it had this certain nostalgia about it, and I wasn’t about to be the judge of whether or not she was a good musician. Her lips told me everything I needed to know.
Of course every time I heard the song “Torn”, I was reminded of my one true love from 1997. So naturally, when I heard it on the radio recently, I had to get the entire album. Besides the first single I knew all too well, Left Of The Middle also contains the single “Wishing I Was There” which also could have been our wedding song. I’m just saying.
Left Of The Middle is a very laid-back album with simple melodies and instrumentation. There really isn’t anything experimental or out-of-the-ordinary about it, but Imbruglia knows how to make appealing songs. And although “Torn” isn’t exactly the most romantic song of all time, I still love her for it.
Overall, Natalie Imbruglia was one of the more solid female singer-songwriters from the 90s and if you didn’t know her (or did but didn’t know at the time), we’re now giving you the chance to re-live what you missed out on. You’re welcome.
Check out the video for “Torn”:
Buy Left Of The Middle:
We all know that Sufjan Stevens can be kind of, well, weird. But I guess that’s a relatively loose statement. I mean, what do we consider weird? The fact that his music is appealing to the ear, but not in the same way as, say, Kanye West or John Mayer? I guess a more appropriate term would be unique. He’s unique because he creates music outside of the formula. He continually recreates the equation, not only in relation to the music industry but to his own style. You have to respect an artist that takes risks. Especially in an age where the formula is what’s proven to make the money. Sufjan Stevens is part of the revolution.
I first heard about Sufjan Stevens upon the announcement of his 50 states project. For those of you that aren’t familiar, the goal was to write an entire album of region-specific songs for each of the 50 states. It was a grand idea, but with only Michigan and Illinois complete, one can only speculate as to whether or not the project will ever see the end. But regardless of whether or not he makes it to your state, he’s still creating new music for all, as is apparent with his latest release The Age of Adz.
This album is definitely different than his previous releases, but still very Sufjan. You’ll still hear the guitar, horns, strings, synthesizers and random strange noises. But themes are a little more wildly spread out throughout the album to take you through many different moods in a single listening session.
Buy The Age of Adz:
So with it being new music Tuesday, I wanted to let you know about the new David Archuleta album. His angelic voice and boyish good looks make him the perfect treat for any 10-year-old girl wanting to take a break from their Tiger Beat magazine. But then I realized that you’re not a 10-year-old girl.
Then I wanted to let you know about the brand new WOW Hits 2011 which I imagine is like a NOW That’s What I Call Music! CD and, let’s be honest, we all have CD burners. For those of you that haven’t figured out that these albums are just burned CDs you are paying full price for, look it up on AOL or whatever old people use these days.
But then I caught wind of the brand new Guster album. I knew right then that I would have to let you know about Easy Wonderful. For those of you that already know about (and belong to) Guster’s cult following, humor me for a second. These guys became popular around 1999 for the release of their single “Fa Fa” which goes a little something like this:
Ah, it’s nice to remember. Their new album is a slight departure from their older sound, but they still keep the same light-hearted, melodic approach with perhaps a more fully-produced sound. Their music has matured like a fine red wine, and I have to say I was again pleasantly surprised with their latest release. If you’re a fan of Guster, you’ll love Easy Wonderful. If you’re not a fan of Guster, you’ll love Easy Wonderful. It’s a win-win situation.
Here’s the latest single “Do You Love Me” with a pretty seriously awesome video:
Buy Easy Wonderful:
Contrary to what you might believe my their name, Sleigh Bells have nothing to do with Christmas. They aren’t jolly and don’t offer up the type of stuff your grandma would listen to. Unless your grandma is super awesome. Then maybe they do. Classified as experimental pop, this duo from Brooklyn has the ability to rock your socks off. Trust me. I seriously can’t even keep socks in my apartment anymore because they keep knocking them off. It’s crazy.
The first song I ever heard from them was “Tell ‘Em” on their debut album Treats. The strange beat started toying with my emotions right from the beginning. I said to myself, “Self, do I like this song or is it too ‘experimental’ for me to enjoy?” The answer was, of course, that I loved it and it didn’t take long for others to start loving it too. I began to play “Tell ‘Em” and “Riot Rhythm” often, and often people would ask about the artist. People with all sorts of musical tastes. I was honestly surprised. It’s just that catchy.
It’s not hard to recognize the similarities in voice quality between lead singer Alexis Krauss and controversial rapper M.I.A. Coincidentally, Sleigh Bells is signed to M.I.A.’s N.E.E.T. Recordings (that’s a lot of acronyms I know) so it makes total sense that they would share some similar qualities.
If you’re looking for something that is super catchy, completely different and sounds like (but isn’t) a Christmas decoration, you have to check out Sleigh Bells.
Take a look at this feature from The New York Times. Do it.
Buy the album:
It’s not often two incredible artists come together to create something really special. If you’re thinking, “But wait! Miley Cyrus and Justin Beiber collaborate on stage all the time!”, you have obviously been inhaling paint fumes for the past few hours and need some time to come down off your dumb statement high. It’s ok, we’ll wait.
Now if you’re looking for a REAL artist collaboration (I’m looking at you imaginary guy from the first paragraph), look no further than the brand new album release Wake Up! from John Legend & The Roots. It’s a full on mixture of funk, hip-hop, soul, reggae, R&B – pretty much every genre ever created ever. Of course you might be thinking that too much of a good thing could in fact be a bad thing. Ye of little faith. You like John Legend right? You like The Roots right?? Then it’s not even a question of IF you are going to enjoy this album, it’s WHEN.
The first single is titled “Wake Up Everybody” and includes appearances by Melanie Fiona and rapper Common. I know, it sounds to good to be true. But if there’s anything life has taught me, it’s that it usually is especially when you find out it’s a pyramid scheme. This case is different though.
Buy Wake Up!:
