The post Podcast Rec :: Between Two Bald Girls first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Another reason for my absence is that I’ve been busy! In a pandemic? Yes! I’m taking a ton of classes on Coursera (Social Psychology, Anti-Racism, Brain Help, Sleep Neurobiology, and more), and also I have a new project that I don’t want to say anything about yet. But let’s just say, it is taking up a lot of my time doing the research for it. I’m currently slogging through about 100 New York Times articles and creating a timeline…One more hint…it’s not at all music-related.
But…today I learned that the band Overcoats (who I featured a while back) have started a podcast! It’s called Between Two Bald Girls. The hosts, Hanna Elion and JJ Mitchell are not only talented musical artists, but they’re comedians!
They describe it as “2 Dope Queens” meets “My Dad Wrote A Porno,” with a side of “Stuff Mom Never Told You.”
Listen here or on your favorite podcast app.
And if you’re still here, and you want me to keep this up let me know. Otherwise Collected Sounds will likely just turn into a social media presence.
The post Podcast Rec :: Between Two Bald Girls first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery :: Sandie Shaw first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Sandie Shaw
So for the last few months, every Wednesday and Saturday nights we make cocktails and watch Transmission on Twitch.
If you don’t know, Transmission is a show produced by DJ Jake Rudh who has been a DJ in Minneapolis for over 20 years and has a regular show on The Current.
Since the pandemic, he started doing shows on Twitch, in which he plays videos from these amazing 80s artists. He specialized “in punk, post-punk, dark wave, new wave, new romantic, synth-pop, dream pop, shoegaze, brit-pop & indie.”
Anyway, I thought I was an 80s music expert and more importantly, an expert on The Smiths. I have been listening since the beginning and I love them.
So imagine my surprise one night, while watching Transmission and Jake played a video of The Smiths song, “Hand in Glove” but instead of Morrissey, it was a woman singing lead. Apparently, this is lore and I just wasn’t aware of it. Back in 1984 when The Smiths played on Top of the Pops (Britain’s version of “American Bandstand”) they performed with Sandie Shaw.
Sandie Shaw was born Sandra Ann Goodrich in Essex England. She’s a very well-known pop star in Britain in the ’60s. You probably know her hit, “Always Something There to Remind Me” but you probably know it by Naked Eyes. I didn’t know Sandie’s but I heard Dionne Warwick’s version growing up, which was before Sandie’s but only by about a year.
According to Wikipedia, in 1983,
“a new phase in her career began after she received a letter from “two incurable Sandie Shaw fans” – singer Morrissey and lead guitarist Johnny Marr of the Smiths – telling her that “The Sandie Shaw legend cannot be over yet – there is more to be done.” Shaw’s husband was a friend of Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records, the label to which the Smiths were signed, and she agreed to record some of their songs.
In April 1984, her version of “Hand in Glove” (the Smiths’ first single) was released and peaked just inside the UK Top 30.”
She also had a single in 1969, called “Heaven Knows I’m Missing Him Now”, which was the inspiration for The Smiths song, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”, 15 years later.
I just thought all of this was really interesting and something I had no idea about.
If you’re interested in more, check out her Wiki Page
Sandie Shaw Official
Sandie Shaw YouTube
Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
Also come on over to Twitch tonight and each Saturday night to watch 80s videos!!
The post Discovery :: Sandie Shaw first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Matthew Sweet first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>I’ve been a fan of Matthew Sweet since I heard the song “Girlfriend” off the album of the same name.
That album was my soundtrack for that whole year it came out. My husband and my bestie both loved it too so we would go see him in concert together often. We have great memories of those shows. Even the one where Matt got food poisoning and had to leave the stage to barf, only to pop back on stage and play another song. What a trouper! His shows are always great.
So I was very pleasantly surprised last week when I got a notification on Facebook that he had just started a livestream from his home. I clicked over and was immediately transported to First Avenue in the 90s. His songs are so comforting to me. His banter was great too. He just seems like such an awesome human.
I’m usually not one to appreciate a guitar or bass line, but with his music, I honestly do appreciate the composition and great guitar playing on his songs. He really rocks!
He’s a beautiful songwriter too. Some of his songs remind me of The Carpenters (“If Time Permits”, for example), while others he shreds like Hendrix (“Sick of Myself”). He’s just so amazing. In one of my favorites, “Thunderstorm” there’s a line, “…and nothing is wrong when it rains, even from my eyes” *sigh*
In doing some research for this feature, I realized that there is not only one volume of Under the Covers, a cover album he did with Susanna Hoffs, but there are THREE!! Vol. 3 is 80s music (my heart). It has covers of “Save it for Later” (English Beat), “Kid” (Pretenders) and “Killing Moon” (Echo and the Bunnyman) for starters. I’m super excited to have found this!
As luck would have it, he also has a new album coming out on the 15th called CatsPaw. You can pre-order it now (and listen to three songs from it right away)
If you are not already a fan of Matthew Sweet, I really recommend checking him out.
**The audio version of this blog post, aka the Podcast, is up now too, just check your regular podcast app or go here. If you want to subscribe but can’t find it in your favorite app, copy and paste this into your app: < https://feeds.redcircle.com/990a2251-82b3-49e3-b3c1-fdee6585d958 > (without the carats)
Some of my favorite songs:
Girlfriend ( Girlfriend. If I’m being honest, ALL the songs on that one)
Sick of Myself (100% Fun)
Time Capsule (Altered Beast)
Thunderstorm (In Reverse) – this one is epic. It has movements!
Trust me, I had to stop or I would just list them all.
Links
Official
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook – here’s the livestream
YouTube
Discography
Inside (1986)
Earth (1989)
Girlfriend (1991)
Altered Beast (1993)
Son of Altered Beast (1994)
100% Fun (1995)
Blue Sky on Mars (1997)
In Reverse (1999)
Kimi Ga Suki (2003)
Living Things (2004)
Under the Covers (2006 60s covers)
Sunshine Lies (2008)
Under the Covers Vol.2 (2009 – 70s covers)
Modern Art (2011)
Under the Covers Vol.3 (2013 – 80s covers)
Tomorrow Forever (2017)
Tomorrow’s Daughter (2018)
Wicked System of Things (2018-this one is rare, I can only find it on eBay for $80)
Cat’s Paw (2021)
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Matthew Sweet first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Gracie and Rachel first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Photo credit Tonje Thilesen
Pianist-vocalist Gracie Coates and violinist Rachel Ruggles met as high schoolers in a modern dance class at their public high school in Berkeley, CA. They are now based in Brooklyn, NY. Lucky for us they live together and have been able to release a new record in 2020. It’s called Hello Weakness, You Make Me Strong and it’s wonderful.
Their music is composed of beautiful pop melodies, piano, violin, and lovely harmonies. Rachel not only plays the violin as you would expect, but she plucks it similar to a guitar. She also plays the loop station and drum machine.
Their music is just so peaceful and what we can all use at this time.
They also do an awesome cover of Sia’s Elastic Heart
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Amazon
Discography
Hello Weakness, You Make Me Strong (2020)
Gracie and Rachel (2017)
Gracie and Rachel on Audiotree Live
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Gracie and Rachel first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Jax first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Jackie Miskanic, known professionally as Jax, is an American singer from East Brunswick, New Jersey. She finished third on the fourteenth season of American Idol. (Wikipedia)
So let me preface this by saying I’m an ‘Old’. I resisted TikTok because when it started, it was marketed to me so heavily through my language learning app (Duolingo) and I found it stupid. I even complained about it on Facebook saying “Stop trying to make TikTok happen! It’s just annoying!” and the comments I got were mostly “what is TikTok?” and “I don’t get those ads, they must be targeting you for some reason”.
Then a certain someone who shall not be named started hating on it, and I thought, that’s good enough for me; I will check it out. And now I’m hooked. I am especially loving all the posts from doctors, chiropractors, nurses, and psychologists with their tips and stuff (see, I told you I’m old). I’ve actually realized that I likely have ADHD though it was never diagnosed. But that’s not why you’re here…
One day while I was scrolling through all the medical posts I happened upon this loveliness. A cute young lady was playing the piano and singing a silly parody song. I just loved her voice. I believe it was THIS ONE
She writes a lot of short songs from people’s point of view that we maybe haven’t heard: “Bohemian Rhapsody” from “mama’s” perspective; a parody of the old Fountains of Wayne song, “Stacy’s Mom” from the mom’s POV. Very clever.
For a bit, she asked people to comment with their friend’s name or a song prompt and she’d write a song about them. It was really cute.
She doesn’t just do parodies or song prompts though. She has some great full songs. “Bitchcraft” could easily be on the radio. When she posted it on TikTok she said: “Wrote a song called bitchcraft when my best friend’s boyfriend cheated on her. Hope he hears it “
Some of my favorite Jax songs:
“Papercuts” gives me Sia vibes.
“Come Home To Me” (on TikTok)
“Ring Pop” (on TikTok)
“Teenage Dirtbag” – this is with Post Modern Jukebox
I hope you check her out, follow her, etc.
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
I found her on Amazon and Spotify, but I think there must be more than one artist called Jax because some of these songs sound nothing like her.
The post Artist Rec :: Jax first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Taylor Swift first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>Before you come at me, hear me out…
I wouldn’t say I was ever anti-Taytay, I just wasn’t a fan. I basically don’t care for 99% of country music so I never really paid attention to her. Then I heard her song “Mean”. For some reason it really hit me. I wasn’t really bullied as a kid, so it wasn’t that. But it made me feel for those who have been and I suppose for her as well, since I assume it’s autobiographical. I loved that song so much I bought the album, Speak Now. I think there was some kind of digital deal where her albums were $5 a pop or something and I think I bought most of them. I just put them in my rotation and didn’t think all that much about it, but was always surprised when I’d hear a song I liked and when I checked it was her. So I had to admit I was a fan. I mean, not on the scale of her actual fans, but I admire her, and I had to admit she’s the real deal.
Once she broke out of country music I liked her even more. Then I saw her documentary, Miss Americana. SOLD. I just love everything about her.
I love her humility, she’s on Tiny Desk Concerts, which I would think she’s too “big” for, and she seems genuinely honored to be invited and equally surprised that a lot of people wanted to show up to the space to see her. I’m sure there were 8 million people on the edge of madness because they DIDN’T get in, but it’s cute that she pretends she’s not that big of a deal.
This year she put out Folklore and it’s filled with gorgeous folk songs and I couldn’t be happier. I actually PRE ordered it. There’s a documentary special on Disney+ right now about the making of this album. I watched it the other day and I was mesmerized (barely even played on my phone), brought to tears, soothed, and charmed. I loved listening to her talk about the making of the songs, the recording of it, (virtually, since it was after the Pandemic hit), and hearing her and two of the writers (one is from The National) play them together for the first time. It’s a great doc if you can access it. I had a trailer all queued up for you, but NBC took it down. Here’s a video of “Exile”. Hopefully, that won’t be removed.
I started writing this on December 9th. On the morning of the 10th, I got the news that she was releasing a surprise new album! She is calling the sister to Folklore, called Evermore. So of course I ordered it and listened right away (well, OK not RIGHT away, I didn’t stay up until midnight to hear it. I’m old.)
It’s equally as good as Folklore. She’s got The National’s Aaron Dessner on board again and I really can hear his influence in these songs, especially in Coney Island (honestly, I didn’t even see the name of the song or that The National was on this one, LOL). She’s got HAIM guesting on a song and Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) is back too.
I really wonder what her long time fans think of this shift in her. I for one, am here for it. If you’re a lifer Taylor fan, let me know your thoughts about her evolution.
Some of my favorite songs:
“Mean” (Speak Now)
“The Man” (Lover)
“Death by a Thousand Cuts” (Lover)
“You Need to Calm Down” (Lover)
“Welcome to New York” (1989)
“The 1” (Folklore)
“Exile” with Bon Iver is amazing and heartbreaking (Folklore)
“My Tears Ricochet” made me cry. (Folklore)
Willow (Evermore)
..I’m sure there will be more Evermore songs the more I get to hear it.
Discography (Studio albums)
Taylor Swift (2006)
Fearless (2008)
Speak Now (2010)
Red (2012)
1989 (2014)
Reputation (2017)
Lover (2019)
Folklore (2020)
She also has a Holiday album!
Official
Instagram
Twitter I got curious why the actual person would have to have a number after her name, why can’t she be ‘taylorswift’? I checked and that account has been suspended. I’m sure there’s a good story there, that a proper fan would know. If you’re that fan, feel free to post it in the comments.
Facebook
YouTube
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Amazon Music
Amazon links NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Taylor Swift first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Gregory Douglass first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Photo By Natalie Williams
I “met” Gregory online about a million years ago when he wrote to me and gave me a very heartfelt and convincing argument for why I might want to feature him on a ‘women in music’ site (Collected Sounds featured only women back then). It was a sweet, and funny email and I immediately loved him. What a relief when I got his music and fell in love with that as well.
Not only did I feature him, but he came to our house to play a house concert. A few of them over the years, in fact! Each one a special, fun night filled with amazing music and great friends. And one not-so-great friend who got drunk and kept shouting “Play __**!” over and over again. We had a good laugh once the friend passed out. Oh, I miss those times. (**I don’t remember the song, it might have been “Freebird”)
I’m listening to Gregory’s music again today and realize that even though I am on his mailing list (and read all the emails) I somehow missed that he has an album I still don’t have yet. So, I’m listening to that as I write this. Sometimes I space on an artist and forget to listen to them on the regular. I regret that I did that here. A week or so ago he did a Livestream which I “attended” and realized how much I’d missed his music in my life. So, I made sure all of his albums are on my rotation playlists (I honestly don’t know why I missed some before).
I also realized he has a Patreon account so I am now supporting him there, I suggest you do the same!
Gregory not only produces beautiful music, but he has also developed some workshops. One of them is called Create Your Own Opportunity and it’s THIS coming weekend! Click on the name to register. It’s Sun, December 13, 2020, at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM CST
He also leads workshops on his unique brand of Intuitive Songwriting.
Some of my favorite songs:
“I Wanted to Run” (Pseudo-Rotary)
“Crazy Love” (Stark)
“The Garden” (My Hero, the Enemy)
“Broken Through” (Battler)
“Day of the Battler” (Battler)
…and I think all of Up & Away, honestly they’re all good.
He does some amazing covers as well (Florence + the Machine, Adele, Brandi Carlile, etc.)
I hope you check him out, follow him, etc.
Links
Official
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Patreon
Listen:
He has a Spotify Holiday playlist that features songs from his 2009 holiday album, Merry as well as some lovely tunes by other artists.
Listen on Spotify
Complete playlist
Listen on Amazon
Live video of the song “Point of View” Live at The Chapel in San Fransisco with a full band including Lisa Piccirillo, on vocals, who joined him for one of our house concerts.
Discography
If I Were A Man (1998)
Gregory Douglass (2000)
Teeter (2001)
Pseudo-Rotary (2003)
Stark (2005)
Merry (2009)
Up & Away (2006)
Battler (2009)
Lucid (2011)
My Hero, The Enemy (2015)
Amazon links
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
Disclosure: This page provides Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The post Artist Rec :: Gregory Douglass first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New Tori Amos Holiday music first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
She says:
“With the new songs it was so important to be positive and to try and help lift people’s spirits. This time of year should be full of thoughts of joyful reunions with family and friends but it can also sadly be a very lonely place for some.”
It’s out today!
Go here to buy or listen:
Spotify
The post New Tori Amos Holiday music first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Laura Marling first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Laura Marling was recommended to me by a relative who is a big fan. She knew what kind of music I liked and knew I’d like Laura too. I listened to a couple of songs, thought it was pretty, filed it away, and went on a trip to Scotland. This was in 2008.
While in Edinburgh we walked into a gritty bar (which ended up being our favorite place, Bannerman’s) and there was a poster on the wall for an upcoming concert headlining, Laura Marling! I took a picture of the poster to remind me to buy some of her music. The concert was to take place after our vacation was over. So, I wasn’t able to see her live.
Fast forward to when I bought her album A Creature I Don’t Know and played it almost obsessively.
It was my car go-to for about 6 months on my way to and from a job I hated. So sometimes those songs would take me back there, and it was hard to listen. But I had to just play it over and over again while in a good place, to kill those demons. Tell me I’m not the only one who does this.
In April of this year (2020) she released Song for Our Daughter which was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
Her voice is mesmerizing and the melodies dreamy.
If you need some soothing for your soul, this is one place to look.
Some of my favorite songs:
Don’t Ask Me Why (Creature I Don’t Know)
I Was an Eagle (Once I Was an Eagle)
You Know (Once I Was an Eagle)
Blow By Blow (Song for Our Daughter)
Fortune (Song for Our Daughter)
Rambling Man (I Speak Because I Can)
I hope you check her out, follow her, etc.
Read about Laura’s concert at Bannerman’s
Discography
Alas, I Cannot Swim (2008)
I Speak Because I Can (2010)
A Creature I Don’t Know (2011)
Once I Was an Eagle (2013)
Short Movie (2015)
Semper Femina (2017 – also nominated for a Grammy)
Song for Our Daughter (2020)
…and a bunch of EPs.
Find her in the Ether:
Official
Store
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Amazon
Buy her Music
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Laura Marling first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Meg Myers first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Meg is another one of my E-music discoveries way back in 2013. Her album Daughter in the Choir was recommended to me and I loved it. She’s been in my rotation playlists ever since. She continues to put out amazing music.
She was born Janice Sue Meghan Myers in Tennessee (which she sings about in “Tennessee” on Daughter in the Choir). She was raised as Jehovah’s Witness and I’ve got to believe that breaking free from that must be at least part of the reason for the intensity of her music.
Her voice is fierce and dynamic. Her music is filled with strong beats and interesting melodies. Her tunes don’t go where you’d expect, most of the time.
Some of my favorite songs:
Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush Cover 2018 – single)
Desire (Sorry)
Take Me to the Disco (Take Me to the Disco)
Make a Shadow (Make a Shadow)
Monster, Adelaide (Daughter in the Choir–Actually I love everything from this record as it’s the one I’ve listened to the longest)
I hope you check her out, follow her, etc. I find it quite entertaining that on Instagram while she has over 76,000 followers but she only follows 2 people. Enya and herself, 
Discography
Daughter in the Choir (EP 2013)
Make a Shadow (EP 2014)
Sorry (2015)
Take Me to the Disco (2018)
Thank U 4 Taking Me 2 the Disco (EP 2020)
I’d Like to Go Home Now (EP 2020)
Find her in the ether:
Official
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Store
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Amazon
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Meg Myers first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Lissie first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
I first heard of Lissie when I was preparing to set upon my first music festival cruise, Cayamo back in about 2010. I’d not yet heard of her, but I immediately downloaded all her EPs (that’s all that was out at the time) and listened obsessively.
By the time the cruise time arrived, I had planned to make it to every one of her performances on the boat. Especially after seeing her rock her first show. She is a very engaging live performer, stomping around in her bare feet, swinging that great hair. There’s something very powerful in how she is on stage. She’s having a blast and so you will too.
She has put out a bunch of great music since then, and I swear, just gets better every year. Lucky for us, she has been doing a lot of live streams since the pandemic hit. I’ve seen, I think, four of her shows. The most recent was just last week when she did a show with guitarist, Stanton Edward. Wow, what a fun show. When she does a live stream again do yourself a favor and buy a ticket.
She has some amazing covers. Her newest is “Bloody Mother F*ck*ng Asshole” (Martha Wainwright)
A few months ago she performed in a near-empty Parkway Theater here in Minneapolis and live-streamed it. Here’s a video from that, doing Mylie Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball”
She has a new EP coming out this week (November 20, 2020) that is all covers!
…but it’s her original music that hits it for me.
Some of my favorite songs:
Why You Runnin’ (Why You Runnin’ EP)
When I’m Alone (and pretty much every song on Catching a Tiger)
Blood and Muscle (Castles)
Best Days (Castles)
Find her in the ether:
Spotify
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Official
Discography
Why You Runnin’? (EP)
Covered Up with Flowers (2011 EP)
Cryin’ to You (EP 2014)
Catching a Tiger (2010)
Live at Union Chapel (2016)
Back to Forever (2013)
My Wild West (2016)
Castles (2018)
The Piano Introspective (2019)
Thank You To The Flowers EP (2020)
Amazon links
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Lissie first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Sucreabeille first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>It translates to Sugar Bee. And it’s a perfume company, owned and operated by a group of wonderful women. This is not a post about music or podcasts (well, not directly anyway) but I wanted to highlight this fantastic company so here we are.
A friend suggested them to me because they have a line of fragrances named after My Favorite Murder (podcast) quotes such as “You’re in a Cult, Call Your Dad” and “Here’s the Thing, Fuck Everyone”. They also have lines for Supernatural, Firefly, Game of Thrones, and Golden Girls to name just a few.
How does a perfume company sell fragrances to people who can’t smell them before buying? Glad you asked. Another amazing thing about Sucreabeille is that each scent has its own page with not only scent notes (what it smells like) but a blurb about the nature of the scent. Sometimes it’s a short paragraph, sometimes it’s a full story. Here’s an example of the description for “Here’s the Thing…”
You come home after a long day: you somehow ground dirt into your white shirt (HOW?), your friend ditched you, and the train held up your commute for 30 minutes – AGAIN. Now as you lay down to turn on some murder documentaries some asshole is knocking on your door, pleading with you to use your phone because their car broke down, and you don’t see a car in sight. So you leave them knocking, call the police, and turn the murder documentaries up to 11 after slipping on this rich scent of rich dark chocolate, dirt (yes I said dirt-trust me guys), and amber and tucking in with a nice shot of bourbon. Because here’s the thing-fuck everyone.
Scent notes: Bourbon, Rich chocolate, Dark amber, touch of dirt
I have that one, it’s the first one I bought, and it remains one of my favorites.
They come in wee sample sizes (the two little ones below) for $6 each so if something sounds like you might like it, you can get a tiny one and if you don’t like it, you haven’t wasted too much money. Also, there is a Facebook group of fans of these scents (yes, there IS a Facebook group for everything) and occasionally they do swaps. So you could get swap it for one you already know you like at a later date. But you’ll probably just like them anyway.
I now have placed eight orders counting my recurring monthly subscription and there are only a few scents I don’t like out of the 34 scents I have.
Also, these are handmade in small batches so they’re “fresh” when you get them. So sometimes letting them sit for a week or so changes the smell. They also smell different on skin vs. in the bottle. So, some that smell terrible in the bottle smell really nice on my skin. They’re going to smell different on different people too. I don’t pretend to understand the science behind perfume making. But I’m enjoying the results.
I like to put them in my essential oil diffuser. Some smell great like that, some are better on the skin. I also have a diffuser bracelet and that’s a nice way to smell it all day.
Below is my latest order. It was a mystery bag so I had no idea what I would be getting. I think it’s probably either new scents that are not out yet or retiring ones. I’m sure it said so on the card, but my dog ate it before I read it.
The order contains rollerballs of Mouthy Broad and Frozen Moon (I like these both, the latter better).
Drams of: High Strangeness (not for me), Danger Noodle (nice and light, doesn’t stay on long), and Irish Cream (another one not for me, it’s soooooo sweet. It might dry better than it smells in the bottle).
Samples of Jaime (Game of Thrones line) and Byzantine (I LOVE both of these, Jaime is my favorite of this batch).
I’ll keep posting on social media when I get orders I hope you try them out!
Note while I am an Amazon affiliate I do not have any sort of relationship with Sucreabeille, I just love them.
Check them out here: Sucreabeille.
The post Sucreabeille first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Ben Arthur first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Ben Arthur (Credit Bernie DeChant)
Ben sent me his music many years ago. I reviewed his 2004 album, Edible Darling. The cover still gives me the heebies but the music remains in my rotation.
I reviewed Mouthfeel in 2008. He also played a show at our house that same year. It was super fun. He had a bunch of friends in attendance and they were cool people. That is always comforting when you’re opening your home to strangers.
Ben’s music is quality songwriting, beautiful melodies, great musicianship, and clever (sometimes hilarious) lyrics. His voice is a calming force, it’s strong but can be sweet too.
He’s put out ten albums to date, the most recent being Collision which came out this year. I listened to it in its entirety today. The songs are fantastic.
Listen here
He also hosts and co-produces a songwriting video series and television show called SongCraft Presents.
Ben has some other creative endeavors going on too. One I will be posting about on Sunday…hint…
Some of my favorite songs:
“Keep me Around” (Edible Darling)
“Last Goodbye” (Mouthfeel)
“Halfway Home” (Collision)
“Precious Cargo” (Collision)
“When the Devil Knows Your Name” and “Pieces of Me” (Collision) Well, look at that, I like ALL the songs on Ben’s new record!
Find him in the Ether:
Instagram
Twitter
Official
Facebook
YouTube
Discography
Please support Ben by visiting his Bandcamp site. https://benarthur.bandcamp.com/
Curses and Rapture (1997)
Gypsyfingers (2001)
Edible Darling (2004)
Welcome to the Ongoing (2006)
Mouthfeel (2008)
Roadkill (2008)
If You Look for My Heart (2012)
Call and Response (2016)
American Castles (2017)
Perspective (2019)
Collision (2020)
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Rec :: Ben Arthur first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Rec :: Lex Land first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Today’s Artist Recommendation is Lex Land.*Sigh* what can I say about Lex? She’s simply amazing. She has a wonderful and unique voice, she writes incredible, sometimes heartbreaking, songs and she’s a beautiful soul.
I’ve been listening to her since she sent me her album, Orange Days on Lemon Street back in 2009. I loved it and it was my favorite album that year.
When I took a bit of a break from music and didn’t listen to as much stuff, she was still in my rotation (this mainly means the USB stick that I would keep in my car to play when I drove). But it wasn’t until the lockdown when I had free time again, that I found that she was doing a livestream every Friday morning. I started watching it and interacting with her and her very cool fans. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week!
Lex is a very generous artist with her fans. I support her on Patreon and I recommend you do the same. She puts out something new at least weekly if not daily. Seriously, this woman works so hard! She is currently reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as an audiobook for her Patrons. It’s wonderful!
She also does frequent Twitch parties (yes, she got this old lady into Twitch!) in which we, her fans, get to interact with each other and with her, request songs, etc. It’s like the Facebook streams except cooler. She has a beautiful jazzy voice and I just swoon to hear her do the old songs. When I say “old” I don’t mean the 80s, I am talking 1930s and 40s. I mean, my 87-year-old mother is a huge fan as well. Lex is an old soul and it shows.
I thought it fitting to end my favorite month of the year by featuring one of my favorite artists (who also loves this time of year)! I hope you’ll join one of her live streams! Once you do, she will offer you a bunch of free music (I told you she was generous!). Hope to see you on Friday at 10:30am on Facebook!
Find her in the ether:
Halloween album on Spotify
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Official
Spotify
Patreon
YouTube
She has two studio albums, and a bunch of special releases as well, check them on her store.
Amazon links
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program. It’s really better if you buy her stuff from her, on her site.
The post Artist Rec :: Lex Land first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Feature :: Ane Brun first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Today’s Recommendation is Ane Brun
She was born Ane Kvien Brunvoll in 1976 in Molde Norway. I recently learned I’d been saying her name wrong for years. I was saying it like the American “Anne” but according to Google’s pronunciation, it would be “Ahhn-NEH” in Swedish with an accent on the second syllable. At least I think I got the Brun part right (Broon). If any of you speak Swedish/Norweigian, please correct me if I’m wrong!
I discovered Ane Brun so many years ago that I don’t even remember how. But I think it was probably e-music. I was a huge fan of that site when it started. I discovered so much NEW good music. They had a really good algorithm that recommended things that I really loved. At any rate, I still listen to her music at least every week, if not every day. Even more than Sarah McLachlan (GASP!)
I brought her album Changing of the Seasons with me when I went on a music festival cruise. It helped me through a few panicked nights (being in the middle of the ocean with no way out, turns out, is panic-inducing to me).
Her voice is a balm for my soul and is so unique and beautiful. Her lyrics are stunning and powerful, and her songs are so gorgeously composed. I tend to prefer her quiet songs, but she has some fun rocking ones too.
Her album, Leave Me Breathless is made up of covers and they’re really good. Her version of “Always on My Mind” brings me to tears.
If you’re not already a fan, I assume it’s because you haven’t heard her yet. Check out her new song, Crumbs from her upcoming album of the same name.
Some of my favorite songs:
“The Puzzle” (Changing of the Seasons)
“Temporary Dive” is a beautiful song about depression (A Temporary Dive)
“Treehouse Song” (Changing of the Seasons)
“Changing of the Seasons” (Changing of the Seasons)
“Worship” (It All Starts with One)
Find her in the ether:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Official
YouTube
Spotify
Discography
Crumbs (out soon!)
Leave me Breathless (live-2018)
Live at Berwaldhallen (with The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra – 2018)
Leave Me Breathless (2017)
When I’m Free (2015)
Songs Tour 2013 (2013)
Rarites (2013)
Songs 2003-2013 (2013)
It All Starts with One (2011)
Live at Stockholm Concert Hall (2009)
Sketches (2008)
Changing of the Seasons (2008)
Live in Scandinavia (2007)
A Temprorary Dive (2005)
Duets (2005)
Spending Time with Morgan (2003)
Here are some videos:
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Feature :: Ane Brun first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Artist Feature :: Alex Wong first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
This week’s recommendation is Alex Wong. I’ve known Alex for a long time and have been a fan since I heard the first note. This was back in 2007 when Alex was on tour with Vienna Teng and they played some shows at our home. Yes, we used to do house concerts. We retired from that, only to come back for a revival in 2017 with Alex again (this time with Megan Slankard, who also joined him for our 2018 concert).
Alex has done TONS of work with other musicians. Aside from The Paper Raincoat, he was in a band called The Animators (those albums are great too) and has done numerous projects with other musicians.
When I first fell for Alex’s music he was in a duo called The Paper Raincoat with Amber Rubarth. I’m not kidding when I say that is a DAMN near-perfect album. Every song on there could be a huge hit. If only it got enough recognition.
I’ve been following him throughout his whole journey. I even went on a music festival cruise just so I could see him and Vienna play. I am not really sure how to describe his because other than beautiful and transportive. His songs are so exquisitely composed with so many sounds, instruments, feelings. Ugh, I know that’s not a great description but I want you to listen to him either way. So please follow the links provided.
Alex is also a producer and he takes that role quite seriously. I’m not kidding when I say he carefully crafts every second that makes it to the final product. I’m following him on Patreon and he has a series for his Patrons where we join him on Zoom and he explains how he creates a song, from concept to finish. He calls it Cooking Records because….oh yeah, not only is he a brilliant musician, and beautiful soul, but he’s a chef! I mean, staaaaph already! He created a concept where he invites people into his home and makes homemade meals for them. I just can’t. *sigh*
Plus I’m in love with his dog, Charlotte.
Some of my favorite songs: I’m going to try really hard not to name every single song…
“In the Creases” (duet with Amber Rubarth on Elephant and the Seahorse and The Paper Raincoat)
“The Quiet Voice” (Elephant and the Seahorse)
“Brooklyn Blurs” (with and on The Paper Raincoat)
“Wherever You Are” (Elephant and the Seahorse)
“Show Yourself” (Elephant and the Seahorse)
If you watch the video for this amazing song, you will see yours truly! It was a project he did with his Patreon fans, asking them to film themselves holding signs with their assigned lyrics. It was super fun and what an amazing song. Very timely!!
Wherever you are (Char is in this one)
Oceanside
Links
Official
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Spotify
YouTube
Discography
Elephant and the Seahorse (2020) https://amzn.to/33uCW4m
Fivalina (with Jesse Terry, 2019)
City on a Lake (2012)
The Paper Raincoat (as the Paper Raincoat, 2009) https://amzn.to/3ivr7z5
How We Fight (as The Animators, 2006) https://www.amazon.com/Animators/e/B001LHXO0Y/ref=dp_byline_cont_music_1
The Chamber Sessions (as The Animators, 2004)
Home By Now (as The Animator, 2003)
Amazon links
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
The post Artist Feature :: Alex Wong first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New Ani!!! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>“If you think your vote doesn’t matter, you’re not paying attention”
The post New Ani!!! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery :: King Princess first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Mikaela Mullaney Straus, better known by her stage name King Princess, is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer from Brooklyn, New York.
She is signed to Mark Ronson’s label Zelig Records.
In 2018 she released a few singles that gained her some notoriety, and then released her debut album, Cheap Queen, in 2019.
(reference, Wikipedia)
I discovered her when Amazon Music recommended her to me. I liked her enough to put her in my Ladies Night mix on Amazon Music. I shuffle that playlist every day and when I hear something I really like I ask Alexa who it is, and 9 times out of ten it’s King Princess.
Her sound ranges from contemporary pop to R&B to hard rock. It’s apparent watching her videos that she is an actress as well. She seems pretty comfortable playing different characters in them and it’s a joy to watch!
She does a cool version of the old Turtle’s classic, So Happy Together with Mark Ronson. But my favorites of her originals are Cheap Queen, Homegirl, Tough on Myself, but her video for Ohio is a wild ride!
I’m excited to see what else she puts out there and how popular she gets. I mean, she has over 750 THOUSAND Instagram followers, so…
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”
The post Discovery :: King Princess first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery :: Overcoats first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Overcoats is a New York-based electronic-pop duo consisting of singer-songwriters Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell. They met on their first day of freshman year at Wesleyan University where they sat next to each other in an ‘Intro to Anthropology’ class. Their debut album, YOUNG, was released in 2017. Their latest album, The Fight came out in March of 2020.
When asked to describe their music the answer is: “It’s like Radiohead, but cool.”
I don’t know if Radiohead is what I think of when I hear them, but what I do hear are beautiful voices harmonizing wonderfully together. Think First Aid Kit without the country twang, maybe a titch of HAIM thrown in. The first song I heard of theirs was Leave the Light On and it remains one of my favorites.
When asked what is their favorite city to play in, they say: “We love all the cities equally. (Minneapolis)”. I hope someday to see them play here if the world ever opens up and it’s safe to go downtown again.
Here’s a cool article about them from American Songwriter magazine
Social Media:
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Support them on Patreon
NOTE If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”
The post Discovery :: Overcoats first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Nicole Atkins live stream returns first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
“Live from the Steel Porch” – The band goes to Nashville returns Wednesday, September 2nd with special guests Elle King and Cut Worms!
The post Nicole Atkins live stream returns first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery :: Katzenjammer first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
katz·en·jam·mer
nounINFORMAL•DATED
confusion; uproar.
a hangover; a severe headache resulting from a hangover.
plural noun: katzenjammers
However, my Alexa pronounces it: KAHTZ-en-yahmmah – which appears to be the German pronunciation. In German, it means Cats Wail (or Caterwaul)
Per Wikipedia: “Katzenjammer was an English-language Norwegian band from Oslo, formed in 2005. The band consists of Anne Marit Bergheim, Solveig Heilo and Turid Jørgensen. Former band member Marianne Sveen left the band in the beginning of 2016.”
The band Katzenjammer is not a NEW discovery but when you abandon your blog for 15 years you discover artists the whole time, without posting about them. You will hear them if you listen to my Amazon music playlist, Ladies Night. Linked over there —>
Even though they’re no longer active, I wanted to feature them because I still listen to their music on a regular basis.
I discovered this group around 2008 when a music friend (from the old Ecto mailing list) who lives in Norway suggested it to me. I was immediately smitten. The first song I heard was “Ain’t No Thang” and I saw the video. I just wanted to be in that boat with them singing and having a grand old time.
Watch video
So I searched out their other stuff and I’m happy to report that it’s all amazing. I particularly like this video for A Bar In Amsterdam. Their “regular” videos are great too, but they’re definitely a LIVE type band so watching them on stage is a treat.
I’m still amazed that they didn’t get super popular here in the US. I’m convinced that it’s just that they don’t have the right exposure. Go listen and if you like them, spread the word! However, I don’t know how much good it will do since they’re not still active.
Listen to Rockland on Spotify
Facebook – they’re still updating this.
If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these links to be ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”
The post Discovery :: Katzenjammer first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New Sarah Fimm! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>I’ve been a fan Of Sarah Fimm since well, probably the beginning. She was one of the artists that I featured early on. Her mystical, sexy sounds were all I filled my ears with for awhile. So I didn’t have to think twice before purchasing this one! Go to Bandcamp here
The post New Sarah Fimm! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Lotte Kestner first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
This is by no means a new artist. You might remember a band called Trespassers William from way back in the late 90s-early 00s.
I was obsessed with their 2002 release, Different Stars. It was so beautiful and calming. I went through a period many years later where I had pretty bad panic attacks. One of the only ways to shake myself out of them was to listen to songs from that album. So I made sure to always have it with me (on my phone) so I could pop in those earbuds and calm myself.
Well, part of what made that music so amazing was the voice of the lead singer, Anna-Lynne Williams.
Flash forward to about 2008 and Anna-Lynne is now known by her stage name, Lotte Kestner. I remember hearing that was still making music and being so relieved! I wanted to be sure you all knew about her too.
She recently released an album called Covers, Vol. 2 – Listen on Spotify. She covers Catherine Wheel!
Here’s the rest of her stuff.
If you are using an Adblocker, you’ll need to pause it for this site, so you can see the albums. It considers these ads. They’re just links to products, but it is through an affiliate program.
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”
Or on Bandcamp
The post Lotte Kestner first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post First Aid Kit livestream first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Virtual Musikfest is a 10 day music festival going on now. Each day is a different category: the Noise, The Indies, The Solos, etc.
It’s Free at Noon (11am central) -.Tune in now to see who is playing each day through August 9th (note, tomorrow the 2nd is the Pixies!!)
The Singers – Wed, Aug 5 @ 12:00pm EDT (11:00am central) features First Aid Kit along with The Lone Bellow,The Wood Brothers, I’m With Her, The Cactus Blossoms, Darlingside Various, Philadelphia Click here to watch
The post First Aid Kit livestream first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New Lissie Music first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Lissie’s unreleased song from “Catching A Tiger”, Just Because I Can, is out today!
Listen here:
Also she is doing a livestream TOMORROW form the Parkway Theater (in Minneapolis!) with her band .
A portion of the proceeds are going to the theater & the band and if you can’t watch live your ticket lets you watch later.
The post New Lissie Music first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Congratulations are in order! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>Mary Bue for Best Songwriter
and Katy Vernon for Best Acoustic Performer
Congrats!! You deserve this!
The post Congratulations are in order! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery :: Aldous Harding first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Have you ever gone down a rabbit hole on YouTube? You know, when you go there to watch just one video in particular and then it automatically plays another one right after that, that it thinks you will like and pretty soon it’s 3am? *
Well, I was goofing around on YouTube recently and came upon the song, “The Barrel”.
I was immediately mesmerized. I had questions. “What the heck is she doing? What is with the arms? Is she talking about…peaches?” But I could not look away.
Later in the day the song was still swimming around in my head and I scrambled to get back to YouTube to watch it again, and to learn more about the artist, Aldous Harding.
Wikipedia says she was born Hanna Sian Topp in New Zealand, but currently lives in Cardiff, Wales. She was set to perform at the End of the Road festival (with the Pixies!) but it’s been postponed to 2021. There’s not much else in the way of personal info readily available.
I added her album Designer, to my Amazon music playlist, Ladies Night, which is where I put the artists I’ve loved for a long time as well as my discoveries. So head on over there to listen if you wish!
I’ve been listening to all her songs all day and it’s official. I love her. Maybe you will too.
Give her a listen and let me know what you think!!
Aldous Harding on Social:
Official Site
Facebook
Instagram
Listen on Spotify
YouTube Channel
*if this is of interest to you, stay tuned for my next podcast recommendation.
I was unable to find photo credits for these photos, if you are the photographer, please let me know and I will give you credit or remove, whichever you wish.
The post Discovery :: Aldous Harding first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Wyvern Lingo: New song first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Here’s what they say:
Don’t Say It is a rather sad song about an inevitable end but musically we wanted this song to have movement and capture our live sound. We are so happy with the end result, and hope you guys love it as much as we do.
Listen here
Wyvern Lingo on CS
The post Wyvern Lingo: New song first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Catching my breath! Updates first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>I’ve been busy this week behind the scenes at Collected Sounds. Some of the stuff I’m working on:
Last week I published the Collected Sounds event calendar, but I did it with little fanfare in case I mucked it up. But I think it’s good now, so head over to the calendar and you can see all the livestreams that I know about. Feel free to let me know if I’ve missed any good ones! The link will also permanently reside on the right hand navigation bar.
I’ve reopened the original Facebook GROUP for Collected Sounds. It’s private and will remain that way (Facebook won’t let you go back once you’ve made it private and I did that years ago). But you can request to join! Please do, that way we can all talk to each other, share ideas, etc. I’m really hoping for support and input from you all in what you want Collected Sounds to be. I’m all ears!
I created a virtual bookstore on the site. I saw that Tori Amos had a new book out which made me think of all the other books that musicians have written, and I thought it might be nice to have them all in a collection. (see, I like to “collect” things). The link will also permanently reside on the right hand navigation bar on the site.
I’m also working on redoing the logo. I rediscovered my Café Press shop and wow that branding is out of date! So I’m re-creating the logo. It will be a similar graphic, just a little prettier, (and I will NOT be using Comic Sans font. Oh, what a naïve dumb baby I was in the late 90s!)
I took a 2-day writing seminar. I have always considered myself kind of a grammar nerd but sheesh, there’s a lot I don’t know or fully understand. How does ANYONE learn this language if they didn’t grow up with it? It’s very hard!
I also took a seminar on starting a podcast. More on that in the future.
So that was my week! What have you guys been up to!?
The post Catching my breath! Updates first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Natalie Merchant releases two digital albums! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>She’s now releasing them separately.
The first is Butterfly. The album is made up of 10 songs, both new and previously released, all arranged for string quintet. She says 4 of the songs on here she believes to be her best writing work yet.
The other is Rarities. In her words:
“After weeks of combing my archive, I put together a collection including: collaborations with David Byrne, Billy Bragg, Amy Helm, The Chieftains and Cowboy Junkies, live performances, studio outtakes, and unreleased covers by songwriters, Katell Keineg, Randy Newman, Ray Davies, Buddy Holly, and Joel Zoss.”
Now these are both available to stream and purchase!
Butterfly
Rarities
See the trailer for the records here.
The post Natalie Merchant releases two digital albums! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Azam Ali new song first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>I got an email announcing the new song by Azam Ali. The text was so wonderful that I didn’t think I could paraphrase it right for the blog, so here it is. In it’s entirety.
“My lifelong journey into the metaphysics of music began with hearing this 12th century piece “O Euchari” composed by visionary Christian mystic Abbess Hildegard Von Bingen. It awakened me to the ancient philosophy of “The Music of the Spheres.” That if the human body is made entirely of elements forged by stars, then indeed we are celestial bodies & the cosmos is within us. If the rotation of heavenly spheres produce tones & harmony, then they must resonate within us. Thus, music in its most sublime form, is our participation in the harmony of the universe. That we may bring some harmony to our souls in our longing to return to our celestial home.
With great pleasure I share with you all my live studio recording/performance of one of the most important pieces of music in my life. Those of you who are fans of my 2002 album “Portals of Grace” will be happy. Most of you don’t know this but I never set out to be a singer. I always wanted to be an instrumentalist. One day when I was in my apartment listening to the radio at 18 years old, this song came on & I simply froze. I will never be able to describe what I felt in that moment except that reality as I knew it was shattered & something indescribable awoke inside me. This was the first song I ever taught myself to sing & I suppose the rest is history.
Abbess Hildergard Von Bingen is one of my greatest inspirations & a true female icon. I am honored to have known & performed her sublime music in my lifetime. Let the music of the spiritual spheres ring.
Love- Azam”
Listen/watch here:
You know what? just let it play auto. I listened the whole time I was putting this together and heard some beautiful work.
Niyaz by Niyaz / 2006
[Buy at Amazon]
Elysium for the Brave by Azam Ali / 2006
[Buy at Amazon]
Portals of Grace by Azam Ali/ 2002
[Buy at Amazon]
Nine Heavens by Niyaz / 2008
[Buy at Amazon]
The post Azam Ali new song first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Charlotte Martin Revival and Live Stream (Saturday) – again! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
She says, “I originally wrote these songs as part of Eve Ensler’s “Stop the Violence Campaign” and feel compelled to formerly release them to a wider audience right now.”
The EP consists of 3 songs, “Revival”, “Grave Clothes”, and “Overcome”.
Listen and order the music from Bandcamp
She is also performing a live stream on Saturday, June 27th at 1pm Central.
Buy tickets through Stageit
The post Charlotte Martin Revival and Live Stream (Saturday) – again! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery :: Wyvern Lingo first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
From their website:
Wyvern Lingo have been writing music together since they met at age 11. They originally bonded over hand-me-down albums of Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkel along with the R’n’B of the 90s/00s that then dominated the radio. Their music stitches together this tapestry of influences, all united by their chilling vocal harmonies.
The first I’d heard of them is from Collected Sounds friend/reader Robert Cullen. He sent me a link to their video, Used. It took me a while to listen, partially because I was busy and then I forgot. Oops! But once I listened I was in awe.
The video shows three women standing in a circle facing each other, on what appears to be the middle of a street, and they’re singing a capella. The harmonies are amazing and they all have lovely voices.
I did the YouTube Rabbit Hole thing and listened to some of their other songs. The others have a sort of funky beat, sometimes a bluesy guitar, a little R and B. They’re really lovely.
Check them out at these links:
Official Site
Bandcamp: Order the new album
Bandsintown
YouTube
They also have a podcast!
The post Discovery :: Wyvern Lingo first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Calling all Artists!! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Calling all Artists!!
I’m making a calendar listing all of your live streaming shows that I will share with my followers.
Please send me details either via FB messenger or at collectedsounds at gmail dot com
Please include
1. Name of the Stream
2. Link to where people can watch, or buy tickets
3. Date, time and if it’s repeated (weekly, every two weeks, etc).
The post Calling all Artists!! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New music from Liza Anne first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
She says:
This song is about feeling the weight of someone else’s sadness and feeling it, inevitably, bring you down too because when you love someone, sometimes you wear their emotions like your own.
Pre-order the album here
The post New music from Liza Anne first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Dar Williams Live Streaming 6pm Central first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>Dar Williams will be live streaming TONIGHT!
Dar Williams Facebook/Youtube LIVE on Tuesday, June 9th at 7 pm EDT : A Bulletproof Artists Birthday party – It’s Patty’s Birthday (Dar’s manager) and Dar will play a live online concert to celebrate. Tune in on Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm EDT to listen, sing along, and join the celebration.
The post Dar Williams Live Streaming 6pm Central first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New Artist Rec – Ali Barter first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
She did a series of performances in various places around her house, kicking off with a performance in her bedroom.
She release one song each night on Instagram TV, YouTube and Bandcamp.
This is the result of all the songs she did on that “tour”
Check her out on Bandcamp where you can buy the record and sample the songs. They’re all very good!!
Here’s her Instagram Channel where you can see her performances.
The post New Artist Rec – Ali Barter first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New Ane Brun song! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>““Song for Thrill and Tom” is about a complex, beautiful and extraordinary love story. The main characters are real people in my life, who I’ve tried to portray as authentic as possible, so that it becomes like a musical monument of the existence of their love. Like a ring on their fingers. ”Thrill and Tom”, are my dear friend Tirilleia and her Tom, the great love of her life, who tragically passed away two years ago.”
Buy the single: Song For Thrill And Tom
The post New Ane Brun song! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Nicole Atkins new album first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>Nicole Atkins has a new album now! Listen here:
I only just started listening but I love her voice!
Purchase on Amazon here:
Italian Ice
The post Nicole Atkins new album first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Jonatha Brooke revisited first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Today I chose Jonatha Brooke. Mostly because her concerts are another bright spot in my week! Every Monday she broadcasts from her kitchen for an hour (or so) long concert. She checks the chat and talks to viewers and answers questions. It’s super fun and I love hearing all her songs again. She’s a very engaging performer.
This coming concert, on Monday (June 1) at 2pm central time she will be doing requests and answering questions she didn’t get to in past concerts. Set your reminders to tune into her Instagram or Facebook page to watch. (I prefer Facebook since Instagram cuts off after 1 hour and the layout is funky.)
Also she is releasing an album of her songs, re-worked, called The Sweetwater Sessions and you can order soon, on her site. It will be released July 10th. Here’s the link to pre-order. I got mine! https://jonathabrooke.com/store
The single, Taste of Danger, is out now and you can hear it if you go to her Facebook page.
See you on Monday!
Note: the pic shown is one I took when she played the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis. Many years ago.
The post Jonatha Brooke revisited first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Nerina Pallot revisited first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Nerina Pallot
I plan to highlight one artist per week that I have discovered over the years.
Today’s pick is Nerina Pallot. She’s received a little more notice lately because she reworked the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and it appeared on a show called Normal People on Netflix.
I first heard of her back in 2004 when someone suggested to her that she send me her album Fires. I was very smitten. I did a spotlight on her in November of that year, I then did a review of the album which came out in 2005 and landed on my Best of 2005 list.
She’s put out a lot more music since then! But my favorite part is that she does a livestream concert from her home every Thursday (2pm central time). She gets all dressed up and takes requests, answers questions and you might get a cameo from her adorable son, Wolf, too.
Listen to Love Will Tear Us Apart and Subscribe to her YouTube Channel so you can watch the livestream this afternoon!
Click the pix below to order the albums on Amazon.
The post Nerina Pallot revisited first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Wednesday Discovery – Emily Jane White first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Each week I’m going to go to Bandcamp (or maybe other places as well) and just poke around until I find something I really like. Then I’ll share it here.
May 20, 2020 – Immanent Fire by Emily Jane White. Released November 15, 2019. Beautiful dreamy pop reminiscent of Lana Del Ray. I love that one of the tags was “ghost folk” which I am now following.
[Bandcamp]
[Facebook]
[Twitter]
The post Wednesday Discovery – Emily Jane White first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Hello Friends!! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
The post Hello Friends!! first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Is this thing on… first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Is this thing on… first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post House Concert! Alex Wong/Megan Slankard first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
We’re getting back into the house concert game, At least for this one! We are welcoming returning artist and musical genius Alex Wong and new to the house, Megan Slankard!
Date: February 20, 2017 at 7pm (doors at 6pm)
Comment on this post to get an official invitation and more details.
https://youtu.be/Ff9DkfwdBKc
Comment on this post to get an official invitation and more details.
The post House Concert! Alex Wong/Megan Slankard first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post WE HAVE A SHOW first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>WE HAVE A SHOW!!!!!
February 20th 2017 we are hosting Alex Wong and Megan Slankard.
Megan’s Website
Alex’s Website
More details coming soon!!!!
The post WE HAVE A SHOW first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Is anyone still here? first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Is anyone still here? first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post New stuff from Sasha Lazard first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>She’s preparing a new release and has offered some samples.
I really like what I hear so far. I can’t wait for the album which I’m told will be out in June!!
Here’s a little blurb about the record:
The 13-song album blends refined autobiographical songcraft with epiphanic interpretations of a selection of popular songs. Highlights are the evocative “The Marshmallow Tree/Winter” and the stirring confessionals “Hiding Place” and “Belong.”
The post New stuff from Sasha Lazard first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery: Vulkano first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>
Photo credit: Zoe Vintilescu
Another new Scandinavian band for your collection!!!
“Vulkano are an explosive new Stockholm duo pushing post-punk forward in their own charming way. With a passion for astrology, the paranormal and nature, healing stones, tropical landscapes, mythology and mountains, Vulkano are made up of the constantly-headbanging Lisa Pyk-Wirström (keyboards/percussion) and Cissi Efraimsson (drums/lead vocals), a real tour de force. Vulkano’s debut album will be released on July 1, 2014 through Vulkanomusik. Uncompromising, extrovert and maximalist, Vulkano captivates.”
The post Discovery: Vulkano first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>The post Discovery: Tati Ana first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>[ on The Village Voice].
Listen on [Sound Cloud]
The post Discovery: Tati Ana first appeared on Collected Sounds.
]]>