Maximum Balloon – “Tiger”
The video for “Tiger” reminds me a lot of a cake induced nightmare I had after one of my childhood birthday parties. Maximum Balloon is the brainchild of TV on the Radio’s Andrew Sitek. Sitek brings his creative indie flair to this track which also features Aku, the frontman for Dragons of Zynth. Meow, meow, and meow.
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KT Tunstall – “Fade Like A Shadow”
We have enjoyed KT’s music ever since her debut with Eye to the Telescope. This Scottish firecracker always brings the goodness. “Fade Like A Shadow” is the lead single off of her upcoming release, Tiger Suit. KT Tunstall’s career is certainly showing no signs of fading…like a shadow.
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Dirty Heads – “Lay Me Down”
Hold on to the last remaining days of summer with the music of Dirty Heads. These dudes are the embodiment of Southern California reggae rock. “Lay Me Down” definitely has a Sublime feel to it. Oh, that maybe due to the fact that Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome appears on the track. Chill yourself out with this summertime hit.
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Today’s music scene is saturated with auto-tune, lyrics with no meaning and airbrushed photo shoots. Andrew Dykers has been placed on this planet to save our ears. Dykers embodies fresh music. His lyrics come from the heart, not a thesaurus. Prepare to feel his music and let it wash over you. Yeah, it’s that good.
Andrew never signed with a major label. He hasn’t had his songs featured in CW television shows. You most likely have never even heard of him. Yet, he has toured all over the United States playing venues large and small. He has shared the stage with music industry heavyweights. Mainstream music would make us question his success as an artist. For me Dykers’ album Zoot is one of my personal top ten favorite albums.
Andrew Dykers
For me this album was less about mainstream popularity and more about meaning. Listening to Zoot always reminds me of the fall. While listening to the tracks this morning I can almost smell the leaves on the ground. Well, it helped that there are leaves on the ground. More importantly though is the fact that I got a chance to see Dykers perform live nine years ago right in the middle of the fall season.
And that is why Zoot is so amazing to me. One listen transports me. Dykers’ music is so real and so raw that it dares you not to be taken in. It was always clear to me that when on stage he became his music. He channeled the emotion of soulful performers that have come before him. Every movement and every word is intended to provoke an emotional response.
My reactions to this album are why I love music so much. Maybe you won’t have the same response from Andrew Dykers. And that is ok. To each their own, right? I would be shocked though if at least one track didn’t speak to you. I dare you to listen. I double-dog-dare you.
I would highly recommend that you give “Saturday”, “Do What You Gotta Do” and “In Spite Of You” a listen. Oh, and don’t forget my personal favorite “Shine”. The video below showcases Dykers on this track when he recently stepped back into the studio after a temporary vacation from performing.
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If you’re anything like me, the first time you heard the name Colin Hay you were probably a little bit confused. How can this guy be a “throwback” when I don’t even remember him to begin with? Bear with me. Colin Hay is from a little group called Men At Work made popular by 80s pop culture. They are popular for the song “Down Under” and are from, you guessed it, Australia.
Colin Hay
But beyond the novelty of their popular single, Colin Hay has produced songs beyond his time with Men At Work that are powerful and catchy. I first came across his solo work through the show Scrubs. There is one episode that utilizes the song “Overkill” for a particularly emotional scene in an episode for an earlier season. I immediately fell in love with the song and had to find out who it was. Imagine my surprise when I googled it to come up with the lead singer for Men At Work. I thought to myself, “This isn’t right. I have to dig deeper.” So using my extreme computer hacking skills, I checked an underground website known for digging up this kind of information (Wikipedia) and confirmed that it was in fact the Aussie from the 80s pop band.
Upon further exploration I came across Hay’s album Man At Work which contained the song “Overkill” as well as some retakes on the popular single “Down Under”. The entire album is very pleasant, but what really sticks out for Hay are his simplistic “guy and guitar” tracks. In my opinion, he’s best when it is just the melody and the lyrics. With songs like “Waiting For My Real Life To Begin” and “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” (made popular by the movie Garden State) Colin Hay has a real knack for simple, powerful acoustic tracks.
Check out his appearance on Scrubs:
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As I motored down the interstate the other day I saw a guy kicking a box down the side of the road. That immediately made me think of Blake Lewis. Blake is best known as the “beatboxer” from Season Six of American Idol. Isn’t it funny how the mind works. You see, when I saw the guy beating the box I thought of beatboxing, which then made me think of Blake. You still with me?
As the seasons starting adding up over at American Idol, we the audience began to see a contestant pool that was blending together. Folks started looking alike and singing alike. So, it was like a hearty slap in the face when Blake Lewis hit the stage for the first time. Not only did Blake’s clubish clothing and faux hawk catch my attention, it was also his unique infusion of vocal percussion into his performances. As the weeks went on I found myself tuning in just to see what he would do next. In the end it was Jordin Sparks’ candy coated smile that kept him from taking the top spot.
Instant exposure ended up being the greatest prize for Blake. His 2007 major debut album, Audio Day Dream, just went through a major replay in my car stereo. It is safe to say that Blake has not gone on to super stardom, but his unique pop/soul/club style certainly did invade a lot of households across the globe. Audio Day Dream is something worth checking out. It is not your typical pop album. If A.D.D. leaves you wanting more, you can check out his 2009 sophomore album, Heartbreak on Vinyl. Fans of Justin Timberlake are gonna be lovin’ them some Blake Lewis.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Know My Name” featuring Lupe Fiasco, “Break Anotha”, and “Gots to Get Her”
Check out the video for “Break Anotha”
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How should I describe the music of Paula Fuga? Soulful? Bluesy? Sure, those will do, but that just doesn’t cut it. How about Hawaiian soul? Yeah, that hits the spot. Not familiar with Hawaiian soul? Well, you need to introduce yourself to the gifted beauty of Paula Fuga. This woman possesses something special and she is ready to share it with anyone willing to listen.
Paula Fuga and Jack Johnson
American Idol enthusiasts that have a freakish memory regarding past contestants will remember Fuga’s audition. If you want to see the judges blow a decision you can watch it here. So AI didn’t work out for her. Were the judges too concerned with selling an image and not finding amazing vocal talent? Well dawg, we will let you be the judge of that one. That “missed” opportunity has not held her back one bit.
Fuga’s 2010 EP, Misery’s End, is the follow up to her 2006 self-released debut album, Lilikoi. Fuga doesn’t need Simon, Paula Abdul and Randy. On Misery’s End she saddles up with Jack Johnson and Ziggy Marley. Yeah, we think she is doing just fine for herself. Fuga’s music is simply beautiful. Her style blends traditional Hawaiian sounds and instrumentation with contemporary blues, soul and jazz. Misery’s End is the perfect music to celebrate the remaining weeks of summer. Support amazing music. Support Paula Fuga!
KC’s Personal Picks: “Country Road” and “Parachute”
Jack Johnson joins Paula Fuga on a live version of “Country Road”
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*Thanks April!*
