To Music

To Music

ASIN: B0001WALVA

Track Listings

1. Freedom Waltz

2. Arthur C

3. Parallels

4. Adagio

5. West End Strut

6. Hypnotic Nights

7. Miro

8. Yesterdays

9. Lost and Found

Editorial Reviews
Dan McClenaghan, allaboutjazz.com
...highly polished, well-crafted set... It's got to be on the short list of debuts of the year.

Product Description
WCS 021 - NEW!

To Music

Jim Robitaille Group

Improvisational jazz guitarist Jim Robitaille debuts on Whaling City Sound with "To Music," featuring eight of Jim's original award-winning compositions performed impecably with supporting musicians Dave Liebman on tenor & soprano sax, Matt Richard on piano, Dave Zinno on bass, and Chris Poudrier on drums. Jim was the winner of the 2002 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composers Competition, as well as winning the 2001 Great American Song Contest first place prize in the Instrumental Category for his composition "Miro." He was also the winner of the 2001 Great American Song Contest Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting Award for his composition "Lost and Found." Hear for yourself what the buzz is all about on this inspiring improvisational release.

To Music,Jim Robitaille Group,Whaling City Sound,Jazz,Pop,Winner of the 9th annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composers Competition. "Jazz guitarist Jim Robitaille has a clear sound and an advanced style all his own." Scott Yanow - All Music Guide. "To Music" made #1 Chartbound at JazzWeek

Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Average customer rating:

Instant Karma's gonna getcha!!!

still great songs

Nice CDs for an excellent cause

A Must Have

Decent Compilation . . . GREAT Music!

Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Icky Thump

ASIN: B000PMG9G2
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

Instant Karma -- U2
#9 Dream -- R.E.M.
Mother -- Christina Aguilera
Give Peace A Chance -- Aerosmith with Sierra Leone Refuge All-Stars
Cold Turkey -- Lenny Kravitz
Whatever Gets You Through the Night -- Los Lonely Boys
I'm Losing You -- Corinne Bailey Rae
Gimme Some Truth -- Jakob Dylan Feat. Dhani Harrison
Oh, My Love -- Jackson Browne
Imagine -- Avril Lavigne
Nobody Told Me -- Big & Rich
Jealous Guy -- Youssou N'Dour

Tracks:

Working Class Hero -- Green Day
Power to the People -- Black Eyed Peas
Imagine -- Jack Johnson
Beautiful Boy -- Ben Harper
Isolation -- Snow Patrol
Watching the Wheels -- Matisyahu
Grow Old With Me -- Postal Service
Gimme Me Some Truth -- Jaguares
(Just Like) Starting Over -- The Flaming Lips
God -- Jack's Mannequin feat. Mick Fleetwood
Real Love -- Regina Spektor

Amazon.com

John Lennon would have turned 67 in 2007. If alive, he could well be at the forefront of bringing peace to Darfur, where more than half a million have died from violence and disease during four years of rebel discord. So to create awareness of the ongoing conflict, Amnesty International (with permission from Yoko Ono) has mined Lennon's solo work and rounded up nearly two dozen current artists to reinterpret the music, which spans the ex-Beatle's entire post-band catalog (plus a pair from while the Fab Four were still in business). As with any attempt to cover Beatles-related music, results are hit and miss, with kudos going to Snow Patrol and the Postal Service for capturing the starkness of "Isolation" and "Grow Old with Me," respectively, Mexican rock band Jaguares for uncovering the fear and fury in "Gimme Some Truth," and (surprise!) Christina Aguilera for nailing the complex composition and mood of "Mother." Other highlights include Jackson Browne's piano-led "Oh My Love," Green Day's louder straight take on "Working Class Hero," and the Black Eyed Peas turning "Power to the People" into a gospelly protest. Will resurrecting 30-to-40-year-old messages of peace and love be enough to help end the brutalities in Darfur? That remains to be seen. But selecting John Lennon as the author of those messages will make people listen and, with this collection, may keep them listening. --Scott Holter

Album Description

Featuring songs by the iconic John Lennon newly recorded by some of today's biggest as well as emerging artists, Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur is a major benefit-album project. In an effort to mobilize activism around this catastrophe, musicians unite to save lives. Some of the biggest artists in the world, along with today's emerging artists, all coming together for an unprecedented, brilliant collection of JOHN LENNON "covers." Proceeds from the campaign will go directly to support Amnesty International's urgent work on Darfur and other human rights crises worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

Instant Karma's gonna getcha!!!.......2007-07-10

Leave it up to those Amnesty International geniuses to make huge profits off of other people's talent while capitalizing on a human rights horror show!!! The plan: take the popular name of ex-Beatle John Lennon and the excellent songs he wrote, take today's hottest musical artists, and say it's to help with a human right tragey, how about the Sudan. There's a recipe for success. Now Lennon probably wouldn't have cared about the Sudan, a fight between Muslims and Christians, being the good little commie atheist that he was, he would have liked to see both sides lose. But that's why we have Yoko, Yoko who never ceases to miss an opportunity to cash in on Lennon's success and talent. But I digress, the real point of this is to help those poor people over there. They need the money right? Not according to amnesty international because THEY are keeping all the money!!! That's right the whole thing is just a Amnesty International fund raiser, with you, the unsuspecting doofus footing the bill. Of course, Yoko and the artists on this album will surely get their cut, but in the end AI is the true benefactor. Let's hope Instant Karma gets them and their criminal organization is taken down under RICO statutes.

still great songs.......2007-07-08

I always always always by chairity albums and this is a good one but I was hoping for a more diversified group of performers and perhaps some previously unreleased lennon stuff

Nice CDs for an excellent cause.......2007-07-07

If you're a John Lennon fan, you'll find most of the cuts to your liking. A few are so-so, but most are nice listening. Given that Darfur is to benefit, the CDs are a fine investment.

A Must Have.......2007-07-04

Even if you hate John Lennon music (gasp!!), this is a CD that everyone on earth should purchase. Give it away if you don't like it. The proceeds go to the Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, so it's a win-win situation. All the songs are favorite Lennon classics, and hearing them performed by today's artists is a joy. I'm not a music expert, but I've always been a Beatles fan, particularly Lennon and Harrison, and I can easily recommend this CD for the beauty of the music as well as for the human cause it stands for.

I hope everyone who reads this will buy the CD, and rather than make copies for friends and relatives, ask them to buy it, too.

Decent Compilation . . . GREAT Music!.......2007-07-03

I bought this compilation cd because I am a fan of Lennon's works. I was a little disappointed to see that on these two cds there were repititions of some of the songs. Given the huge library of Lennon's post-Beatles work, it shouldn't have been that difficult to have every song be unique. Still, listening to these covers is a solid reminder of what an artistic genius Lennon was.

I would like to think that most people are politically aware enough to already know about the horrors occurring in Darfur and do not need to buy this cd to be enlightened. However, if even one oblivious person buys this cd and learns something then that is a very good thing. It is wonderful to see so many different artists coming together for Amnesty International.

Average customer rating:

A lot to admire!
Interpol continues being... Interpol
Antics Pt. II?
A FEW NEW DIRECTIONS, BUT STILL INTERPOL AT THEIR FINEST (4 stars)

Our Love to Admire
Interpol
Manufacturer: Capitol Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PY32CO
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Pioneer To the Falls
No I In Threesome
The Scale
The Heinrich Maneuver
Mammoth
Pace Is the Trick
All Fired Up
Rest My Chemistry
Who Do You Think
Wrecking Ball
The Lighthouse

Amazon.com

Moving up to a major label has hardly lifted Interpol's spirits. This is a good thing. Even with the twisted Wild Kingdom album cover and bassist Carlos Dengler's unexpected Wild West makeover, on its third studio album the black-clad New York quartet still sounds inflexibly menacing, grasping tighter than ever to its doomy post-punk influences and delving further into frontman Paul Banks's emotional unrest. Everything sounds a little bigger and brighter, sure, but at their core songs like "Rest My Chemistry" and "Wrecking Ball" are heroically sinister, goaded on by prickly riffs and slow-bleeding rhythms. The group briefly jumps to life on the buzzing "Heinrich Manouver" and exhibits an unexpected dash of humor on "No I in Threesome," but it's the closing "Lighthouse" that best defines the set--a late-night lament that simply steals away into the dark. --Aidin Vaziri

Amazon.com

Our Love To Admire is at once unmistakably Interpol and undeniably new. The witty and perverse "No I In Threesome" is an upbeat ode to shaking up a staid relationship propelled by Carlos D's peerless bass melody while the tenderly observant "Pace Is the Trick" proves that the band are still the masters of the dramatic - check the painful pause right before the sinfully satisfying return of Sam's thundering drums and Daniel's ringing lead guitar. The band's impressively seductive evolution is obvious all over the record, but never more so than on tracks like "Mammoth," "Who Do You Think" and on the album's lyrical centerpiece, the ghostly "Rest My Chemistry." While Daniel is understandably proud of the song he cautions against reading too much autobiography into its lyrics. "We always leave the interpretation to the listener," he says. "I mean, you shouldn't watch a movie for the first time listening to the director's commentary!"

Our Love to Admire closes with "The Lighthouse," a funereal dirge that is among the most unexpected and memorable songs ever recorded by the band. Almost entirely percussion-free, the song is constructed around Daniel's mournful guitar and Paul's sparten lyrics. Not only is it one of their finest moments to date, it provides the album's most goose-bump inducing moment, the very same reflex shivers that make Interpol live shows such an exhilarating experience. As the very last song the band recorded for the album it was, they say, the hardest to play. The hypnotic guitar part was played on a 50-year-old guitar that had toxins on the strings, providing Daniel with a blistering and painful sensation in his fingers. The band weren't even sure the track would make it out of the studio, but once they heard Paul's remarkable vocals they were floored. The song - and the album - doesn't so much end as it bleeds to a close with a long, echoey coda filled with feedback and strings. A fittingly dramatic end to a stunning and emotional journey. Interpol is back, every bit as good as before but charged with a new spirit, a new direction, a new label and, most of all, a new confidence.

Interpol Photos

More from Interpol

Antics
Turn on the Bright Lights
The Black EP

Customer Reviews:

A lot to admire!.......2007-07-11

"Our love to admire" is my introduction to the music of Interpol. Chiming melodic guitars and a brooding melancholic feel best describes the sound of this CD.

Interpol is a New York based quartet, but you'd be forgiven for thinking they were British. Think an edgier Coldplay or Snow Patrol, or even better, Joy Division.

Opening is the gentle lilting "Pioneer to the falls" with tumbling guitar sounds. More upbeat is the humorous "No 1 in the threesome" which still manages to sound gloomy.

"Scale" is a midtempo charmer, and lead off single "Heinrich maneuver" is a dance rocker a-la Franz Ferdinand. It's a kiss off to an ex.

"Mammoth" is another upbeat number with wonderful chiming guitars. Other upbeat numbers are "All fired up", and "Who do you think".

On the slower side of things, there's the lovely "Pace is the trick", the choppy "Rest my chemistry", the atmospheric "Wrecking ball" (with a name like that, I was expecting a rocker), and the dirge-like ambient epic "Lighthouse" (with percussion kicking in towards the final minute) which to me wouldn't be out of place on a Radiohead CD.

There's a whole lot to admire on this CD.

Interpol continues being... Interpol.......2007-07-10

After a startling and instantly classic debut album (2002's Turn On the Bright Lights) and an upbeat but less ambitious sophomore set (2004's Antic), Interpol made the jump to the major labels, and then took its sweet time to come up with new material. Finally here comes the much anticipated new album.

The music on "Our Love to Admire" (11 tracks; 47 min.) generally seems to fall within two categories: on the one hand there is the continuation of more upbeat songs, with the prime example being the first single "The Heinrich Maneuver" ("Slow Hands" Part 2, but even catchier), but also on songs like "No I in Threesome" and in a strange way also on "All Fired Up" (with the main guitar riff seemingly lifted straight from Radiohead's "I Might Be Wrong"!). Other songs fall within the more ambitious TOTBL-like category, such a mesmorizing slowburner (and album opener) "Pioneer to the Falls", "Pace is the Trick", "Rest My Chemistry", and the closer "The Lighthouse", which is haunting in many respects and the perfect way to close things of. There are unfortunately also a couple of songs such as "The Scale" and "Who Do You Think" that don't grab you and really don't seem to fit in very well in this set.

Interpol has not gone into any new musical direction or even expanded dramarically on what it has done before, which some might call a lack in ambition. But there are a lot of great tunes on this album, and in the end that is what it's about. I saw Interpol play a number of the new songs at Coachella a few months ago, and live they sound better than ever, including on the new songs.

Antics Pt. II?.......2007-07-10

Interpol is back with their first major label release! They haven't "sold out" or written more commercial material, which proves to be both a good and a not-so-good thing. "Our Love to Admire" doesn't take Interpol in any new directions, unlike the band's growth from their first album to "Antics." In fact, most songs on this album could sit comfortably on "Antics," and feels more like a sequel to that album rather than anything "new" from the band. Since "Antics" is one of my favorite albums of all-time, that's not such a bad thing.

A FEW NEW DIRECTIONS, BUT STILL INTERPOL AT THEIR FINEST (4 stars).......2007-07-10

I have the joy in announcing the new Interpol album is as good as I hoped it would be. In fact it does exactly what it needs to do. It sounds like Interpol, it's got some great lyrics, and it timidly breaks into some new directions. Our Love To Admire is another step forward for the NYC band without abandoning the familiar waters in which they sail. I'll spare the Joy Division comparisons because after 3 records, that has gotten very old, and quite frankly it's a label not all that appropriate anymore. Sure, Paul Banks' voice still has the Ian Curtis gloominess about it, but musically I think Interpol have gotten more adventurous and playful on Our Love, and in some ways, much stronger for it. Again, this doesn't mean the band stray far from the formula, Our Love To Admire is a sweeping ode to relationships and the personal struggles that come with them.

The album starts off somewhat more experimental before settling in, but after a few listens, this start, particularly Pioneer of the Falls, might be one of the key moments of the entire disc. Nearly 6 minutes in length, Pioneer of the Falls sounds as if we are witnessing a funeral of sorts, with all kinds of subtle sonic rumblings going on. It's not over the top mind you, but it's enough to evoke a new and emotional starting point for the new material. A stunning start. The first single, The Heinrich Maneuver, is an up-tempo jab to an ex-love now residing on the opposite coast, it's fun and as accessible as Interpol can be. As always, Carlos D's commanding bass lines carry the single, and in many ways, anchor the whole of the record. More familiar footing can be found in, `No I in Threesome' which is about (obviously enough) someone trying resurrect a dying love affair with ways to spice things up. In it, Paul playfully sings, "maybe it's time we give something new a try". The result, both sonically and lyrically, is a relentless and interesting view of love and how certain people may handle the harder times. Mammoth, the album's dynamic fifth track, attacks the ears with Daniel Kessler's simple, repeated guitar riffs that fans may feel echo early work like C'Mere or PDA (not a bad thing at all). More ambient numbers are also present as well. The eerie, The Lighthouse, has Bank's crooning in a way that it almost turns into spoken word, it's strange and affecting.

The subtleness of Interpol's maturation and evolution as a band is more obvious in tracks like, Who Do You Think, Pace Is the Trick, and Rest My Chemistry. All have an underlining new spirit and fervor reserved for bands making drastic changes to what they do best. Not the case here, Interpol have employed these changes with the expected precision we've come to admire from them. And even with all the expected underpinnings, the band has grown perfectly into what they do. Fully realized, Our Love To Admire is more ambitious and more rewarding than their first two releases combined, and for me, that's speaking volumes. One only has to look upon to new (and great) art direction they've added to visual represent the change in the band's direction and growth found within.

Average customer rating:

Not as much like the old, but still worthy
Still haven't "Given Up"
What happened?
Linkin Park Nails What isn't Linkin Park
Are they a boy band now?

Minutes to Midnight
Linkin Park
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OCXMAE
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Wake
Given Up
Leave Out All The Rest
Bleed It Out
Shadow Of The Day
What I've Done
Hands Held High
No More Sorrow
Valentine's Day
In Between
In Pieces
The Little Things Give You Away

Amazon.com

Minutes to Midnight stands to defend Linkin Park's status as the hardest-rockin' softies in mainstream music. Like its predecessors Hybrid Theory (2000) and Meteroa (2003), Minutes to Midnight flexes plenty of decibel-heavy muscle ("Given Up," "Bleed It Out," "No More Sorrow") and made-to-order, melodic radio fare ("Leave Out All the Rest," "Shadow of the Day," "In Pieces"). But for all its volume, Linkin Park likes to paint its heart openly on its sleeve with suspicious sonic drama, as in the palpably saccharine "Valentine's Day." Fortunately, co-producer Rick Rubin brings all these elements to pinnacle effect with the surprise "Hands Held High." On past efforts, the combination of breezy keyboard, arpeggiated guitar, choral vocals, and a military snare-beat would yield another slab of smarm, here MC Mike Shinoda drops the two best verses of his career, blending vocal styles with singer Chester Bennington for a moving piece that's as welcome a repertorial addition as Linkin Park is ever likely to muster. --Jason Kirk

Album Description

"Minutes to Midnight" is rock's most anticipated album of the year. This album redefines one of today's most adventurous, accomplished and acclaimed bands.

Customer Reviews:

Not as much like the old, but still worthy.......2007-07-10

Yes, it's not like any of the old albums, it doesn't have the energy that their previous stuff used to have, but I must speak in their defense. I believe the song, "Leave out all the rest." is the best song they've ever written, and worth the price alone. The lyrics relate to something we all struggle with,,( unless your sociopathic, then you should probably just shop for more death metal.) Linkin Park has always written good songs and it's no diffrent here, even though they've made this album a little more diverse, and tried new things. SO, no matter what they do, I'll buy their albums.

Still haven't "Given Up".......2007-07-08

LP is one of my favorite bands and it still is. I appreciate the effort they put into stretching as a band and trying out new sounds. However, on many of the songs, I found myself wondering what happened to the unique LP sound I loved so much from Hybrid Theory, Reanimation, and Meteora. The rap-metal sound is sadly almost nonexistent, and the album seems very "monster-ballad" heavy. If I heard some of these songs on the radio (like Shadow of a Day and In Between, that starts promising but never goes anywhere), I'm not sure I would even know it was Linkin Park. . .shocking considering how strongly the other albums are imprinted in my brain. Still worth a buy, but the hardcore fans hoping for sounds of albums past will most likely be disappointed. Listen to: Given Up (sounds more like classic LP), Leave Out All the Rest (an infectious ballad that is just cool like the Pushing Me Away Remix), What I've Done, and No More Sorrow (one of the few edgy songs).

What happened?.......2007-07-08

I heard the "what I've Done" on the radio and went out and bought the album--I had been waiting like the others on this site for them to release one for what felt like forever....NOT the stuff I expected. Almost FELL ASLEEP driving listening to the other songs on the CD. Buy the single, not the album.

Linkin Park Nails What isn't Linkin Park.......2007-07-08

This will have to be the definition of change. There are two trends of thought when you hear this album. First "what happened?" which hit me instantly with an unsavory curiosity, and Two "This is genius".

What's genius about it is not entirely the music. I have a VERY wide taste in music, from Chevelle to Cold Play to Brand New to Afro Celt, but they all revolve around that thing we call Rock. What Linkin Park has done here is delivered, unknowingly to us, what they planned. Read the album book, you;ll understand

What band can change and perform each song in its respective genre as if they had been doing it all their career? Not many, and that is what LP is proving. These guys know ROCK MUSIC and its flavors. It forces you to rethink what a group of people making music means.

It is not experimentation simply because I've heard songs like these before, using similar note patterns and themes and melodies. So in that respect its not.

What it is is pure Change. Pure proof that Linkin Park can in-fact Play music. You will be confident that if you asked Linkin Park to sound like Box Car Racer, they could. If you asked them to sound like a fast up beat Ska band, they could. Thats the thing people aren't getting...And that may be the greater danger here. As consumers of music, we find niches that are comfortable, and our minds, as evolved "pattern recognition" intellectual beings, seperate them into categories. This is what was VIOLATED in this album. Linkin Park VIOLATED our expectations...for whoever that may mean dissapointment, curiousity, or just plain awestruck (my case).

Linkin Park Bravo! Thank you for this fresh album...it brings competion, to the other genres in my cd rack, but not to what we conservatively define as "LINKIN PARK". Which is pretty much why the Logo is changed.

LP fans rest assured, this was "proof" that they CAN play music, and perhaps we did not need PROOF at this time, but maybe the "group of guys making music" needed it..for themselves. to proove to themselves that they're not just some synthesizer beat box raspy screamers. Do you know how many people doubted the drummer's true skill saying that he put on a tecno cd and wasn't drumming?!!

so it is Minutes to Midnight..and LP fans, rest assured, Midnight is coming,the familiar sounds of LP are now ready to be injected with something called "evolultion"

Now that they know they can evolve its time for LP to evolve Their trademark sound. This is what LP fans are looking for next time, this is what they will appreciate, Experimentation of LP trademark sound..Evolution of LP trademark sound. And if this album isn't a sign that LP is getting sick of their old trademark sound and scratching their heads to Push it beyond, then i dont know what is.

Get this album, even if you're an LP fan...Get it because it's really good, and put it next to your other albums, and leave a slot near your last LP albums for the next one.

Are they a boy band now?.......2007-07-07

This album probably has some kind of musical merit, but the people who made this are just borrowing the name to sell more copies... this is NOT Linkin Park. I can't fault them for trying new kinds of music, but this is suicide. They will lose a lot of their old fans because they're not playing what those people want, and most of the people who actually like this kind of music are never going to look for a Linkin Park album because they're going to assume it's rap-rock. Half this album does indeed sound like a boy band, and I can't rate that, because I don't listen to whiney American Idol boy toy ballads. It gets one star from me because I was looking for harder music (which is kind of expected with this band), so I hated it. It's one thing to try something new, and it's quite another to completely change your style. If you're looking for something that sounds like Linkin Park, look elsewhere.

Average customer rating:

Powerful, evocative stories of life lived
I waited 3 months to write my review...
Best of 2007
Consistent with the first album, maintained her originality
great cd

The Story
Brandi Carlile
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NDIAWY
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Late Morning Lullaby
The Story
Turpentine
My Song
Wasted
Have You Ever
Josephine
Losing Heart
Cannonball
Until I Die
Downpour
Shadow on the Wall
Again Today

Amazon.com

The Brandi Carlile story so far is fairly short: fresh-faced singer-song writer from rural Ravensdale, Washington, quietly releases a 2005 debut that has critics and fans reaching for their thesauruses searching for appropriate adjectives to describe her voice. Patsy Cline, Jeff Buckley, kd lang, Beth Orton, Linda Ronstadt, and Aimee Mann get name-checked as Carlile and her guitar-and-bass-playing Hanseroth twins-led band criss-cross the country for two years, first as openers, then as headliners. Cue the overproduced, disappointing follow-up album? Not so fast. On The Story, Carlile teams up with veteran roots producer T Bone Burnett, who brings in vintage equipment and strips down her sound. Instead of using overdubs, the new songs--most of which were already road-tested--are recorded live, giving the ballads and midtempo rockers a tough, uncompromising edge and a fuller, more aggressive attack. Echoes of country and folk color the bucolic "Have You Ever" and the unadorned acoustic "Cannonball," but it's the sweeping drama of the more epic-sounding "Until I Die," "Late Morning Lullaby," and the U2-styled "My Song" that leave the greatest lasting impressions. Carlile and Burnett make a perfect team: he allows her malleable voice room to soar in the mix while she brings sharp original songs that exude confidence, pride, and emotion. It's a combustive combination and one that results in a sophomore release every bit as good, and in many respects better, than her first. Stay tuned as the story continues. --Hal Horowitz

Brandi Pics

From Amazon.ca

Brandi Carlile has a rare voice, consistently spilling over with honesty, purity, and passion. Her dynamic and tonal range is truly exceptional and on par with the likes of k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt, and Patsy Cline--at times soft, swooping, and clear as a bell ("Turpentine," "Josephine," "Cannonball"), and then ferocious to the point of breaking ("The Story," "My Song"). A voice like Carlile's when paired with the right material is a winning combination, and The Story's country-meets-Radiohead ballads and rockers do not disappoint. While the songs on are not as consistently stellar as those on her self-titled debut album, they are more often than not solid, and show off her talents and confidence as both an artist and performer, which have fully bloomed since her debut. This, coupled with T Bone Burnett's light, live production style, creates an album that is ultimately more rewarding than her first. The high points on The Story have raised the bar considerably for Carlile, and they are frequent. Her choice to record the album in a live setting inside the studio lends it a raw intimacy and authenticity noticeably absent from most studio recordings, and leaves us with not only an album, but a work of art. Carlile is a career artist still defining her sound, but her maturity as a vocalist cannot be questioned--this is an immensely talented singer laying herself bare before us, and one of the strongest releases of 2007. --Alan Wiley

Customer Reviews:

Powerful, evocative stories of life lived.......2007-07-07

One of the most emotional and communicative pieces of music and songwriting I have heard in a long time. This woman knows life and gives voice to her life and her lessons. Her songs unleash your heart and allow the tears to flow. It's beautiful.

I waited 3 months to write my review..........2007-07-06

Second efforts always get the critics wishing for this wishing for that blah blah blah...I liked it at first because I wanted to hear more, then I liked it more, after I got to "know the songs." I first heard her on KMTT out of Seattle and knew I had to buy her first offering. This one is good, sure its differnt but it's still good. It's the next offering that I'm concerned about...will the music industry taint her or will she be more like Emmylou Harris or DMB and skirt the music industries strong armed tactics. Honestly I buy 3 or 5 CDs a week and this one is still on the top of my rotaion and always in my Ipods "active" playlist.

Best of 2007.......2007-07-05

Like another reviewer, I bought this one based on "The Story." Although I've been listening to the CD since it was available a few months ago, I just saw Brandi in Newport and I had to post a review. Along with Amy Winehouse and Regina Spektor, I put this in the top CDs of the year. Unlike those two singers, whom I would describe as refreshing and eclectic but bordering on affected, Brandi Carlile offers something more organic. While some of her songs do sound like others on this CD, overall she demonstrates great vocal range, from elegant and lilting to raw and powerful. The more I listen the more I'm convinced that she can extend beyond the limits of any particular genre--country, folk, rock--in which people want to place her. That's why I'll keep listening, why I'll buy her older CDs, and why I'll see her again in Boston next week.

Consistent with the first album, maintained her originality .......2007-06-27

Have you ever bought a CD for one song? Were you pleasantly surprised to discover maybe 1 or 2 other tracks that you actually liked? "The Story" will give you a full CD to love from start to finish. Although slightly shrill at times, it doesn't offend the ear, somehow it adds to the sentiment she is trying to convey. I hate to compare her to other artists, I find her style and sound to be quite unique. I'm a huge fan of her debut CD and am pleased that this sophomore release is of equal caliber. A great addition to your collection, really a timeless CD.

great cd.......2007-06-27

i really like this cd.brandi carlile has a great down to earth voice,and she plays the guitar really good as well.i love singing in my car before work puts me in a great mood.and this cd makes it happen!

Average customer rating:

Great CDs
perfect disc
Beautiful album that grows on you
Eye to the Telescope
Eye To The Telescope

Eye To The Telescope
KT Tunstall
Manufacturer: Virgin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

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Corinne Bailey Rae
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Not Too Late

ASIN: B000DN5VJY
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

Other Side Of The World
Another Place To Fall
Under The Weather
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Miniature Disasters
Silent Sea
Universe & U
False Alarm
Suddenly I See
Stoppin' The Love
Heal Over
Through The Dark

From Amazon.co.uk

If the art of the female singer-songwriter revolves around coffee-table soliloquies then Eye to the Telescope--the debut album from Edinburgh-born chanteuse/guitarist KT Tunstall--is a pleasing mediation between the traditional demands of brooding egocentricity (espresso) and frothy commerciality (cappuccino). KT Tunstall has star quality. "Suddenly I See" is an effortlessly liberating pop fillip while, conversely, "False Alarm" redresses ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" for losers who had nothing to lose to begin with. However, Tunstall isn't entirely convinced by the compromise ("I'm struggling to cater for the space I'm meant to fill" she sings) and "Miniature Disasters"--one of several strong numbers showcasing her aptitude for wrapping up pop tunes in either folky bluesiness or ponderous jazz--catalogues her desires for unfettered self-expression. The opening cut "Other Side Of The World" might sound like Dido without the giftwrapped grief (she's none too flattered with the comparisons) but Eye to the Telescope is spiritually closer to Carole King and Elvis Costello than Katie Melua. And that's no bad thing. --Kevin Maidment

Amazon.com

KT Tunstall's debut album Eye To The Telescope is the creative consequence of her inquiring imagination. "My songs examine and explore little specific emotions or situations or stories," she explains. "They're kitchen table songs, like a conversation between me and one other person. It's almost like an alien has been sent to get emotional samples from human beings and put it all together on a record."

KT Tunstall Photos

More You Might Enjoy

KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza
Corinne Bailey Rae
Not Too Late

Album Description

KT Tunstall is a sparkling new songwriter with Chinese blood, a Scottish heart, great legwarmers & a cool name. KT celebrates classic singer-songwriting in the tradition of Rikki Lee Jones, Carol King & Fleetwood Mac with an articulate, accessible, immediate brew of rootsy sass, wistful quandary & after-hours atmosphere. KT's unique perspective offers a rare emotionally connecting intensity through it's gripping lyrical bite & heartfelt melody. Her debut album Eye To The Telescope is the creative consequence of an inquiring imagination with production duties supplied by Steve Osborne (U2, New Order, Doves). 12 tracks. Relx. 2005.

Album Details

Kt Tunstall is a Sparkling New Songwriter with Chinese Blood, a Scottish Heart, Great Legwarmers and a Cool Name - "Well, It's Got a Bit More Attitude Than Kate which Just Says Farmer's Daughter to Me," She Laughs. Kt Celebrates Classic Singer-songwriting in the Tradition of Rikki Lee Jones, Carol King and Fleetwood Mac with an Articulate, Accessible, Immediate Brew of Rootsy Sass, Wistful Quandary and After-hours Atmosphere. The Latest in a Line of Outstanding Contemporary Scottish Songwriters Including Texas, Fran Healy, Teenage Fanclub and the Beta Band, Kt's Unique Perspective Offers a Rare Emotionally Connecting Intensity Through It's Gripping Lyrical Bite and Heartfelt Melody.

Customer Reviews:

Great CDs.......2007-07-08

Thank you. I bought one for me and another for my daughter. I love the music

perfect disc.......2007-06-27

I really love this CD, it puts me in a good mood every time I put it on. This girl is a talented singer and more of her should be heard on the radio. Her songs are artfully sung and she has her own original sound.

Beautiful album that grows on you.......2007-06-03

I had already purchased the track "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" as a single, and borrowed this album from a friend to hear the rest of the songs. Upon a first listen, I only liked about three of the tracks, but as I kept it in my car and continued listening to it, I found my appreciation of the album as a whole increasing, and decided that I needed to buy my own copy. My favorite tracks are now "Miniature Disasters", "Silent Sea", and "Universe and U"--not, to my surprise, the tracks that first brought me to the album.

Eye to the Telescope.......2007-05-19

After recieving this CD as a gift, I was dubious that it would be any good. I was never all that fond of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, it seemed to have no depth. I was shocked to hear the songs which were so DEEP and POWERFUL: Other Side of the World, Another Place to Fall, Under the Weather, and Through the Dark in particular. In fact, the only song that I didn't like on the CD was Black Horse.

"Over the sea and far away
She's waiting like an Iceberg
Waiting to change,
But she's cold inside
She wants to be like
the water"

I also like that KT Tunstall has VARIETY. The songs aren't all out of the same mold. I get so confused with other popular artists today because all their songs sound the same!

"You say you feel like a natural person
You haven't got nothing to hide
So why do you feel imperfection
Cut like a sword in your side"

And finally: The Lyrics. Not the same old "I want my boyfriend back" or "My heart is, like, so broken" type of song. Tunstall's lyrics have MEANING and are really beautiful.

"And I used to talk
With honest conviction
Of how I predicted my world
I'm gonna leave it to to star gazers
Tell me what your telescope says"

This has quickly become my favorite CD and I highly recommend it. KT Tunstall has really conveyed depth, power, beauty, and meaning all in one CD.

Eye To The Telescope.......2007-05-13

This is a great CD with a fresh new sound. Highly recommended

Average customer rating:

Over and over again
very listenable tracks
excellent album
melancholy melody
Awesome!

How To Save A Life
The Fray
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000AA301G
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

She Is
Over My Head (Cable Car)
How To Save a Life
All At Once
Fall Away
Heaven Forbid
Look After You
Hundred
Vienna
Dead Wrong
Little House
Trust Me

Amazon.com

On their full-length debut, Denver quartet the Fray don't exactly reinvent the wheel, but those looking for melodic, mid-tempo pop could do far worse. That said, the 12 songs on Top 40 hit How To Save a Life are barely distinguishable from each other. If you like one, you'll probably like the rest (and you'll be in the company of thousands of other listeners.) If you don't like one, it's unlikely the others will change your mind. Formed in 2002 and signed by Epic in 2004, the band consists of Isaac Slade (vocals, piano), Joe King (guitar, vocals), Ben Wysocki (drums), and Dave Welsh (guitar). Since their formation, the Fray have elicited comparisons to British groups like Coldplay and Keane, and American ones like Counting Crows and the Wallflowers. They've also toured with Weezer and Ben Folds and had songs--like first single "Over My Head (Cable Car)"--featured on such popular programs as Grey's Anatomy. Though they incorporate guitar, unlike Keane, Slade's expert piano playing is prominent on every track. To his credit, he can also hit the high notes just as gracefully as Coldplay's Chris Martin, but therein lies the rub: As with the band as a whole, Slade hasn't quite found his own voice yet. How To Save a Life is polished and professional, bland and inoffensive. It goes down easy, but evaporates into the ether just as quickly. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Over and over again.......2007-06-16

I heard "Over MY Head" on a TV cable series, found it catchy, and wanted to find out who recorded it. After an eventful personal odyssey, I finally discovered this. Unfortunately my journey was a wasted effort. HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, the debut album for this piano-based-sounding group (from Denver-if that has any significance), is pleasant enough, that is, on first listening, but it is clearly superficial and soon becomes redundant. The enticing single "Over My Head" does have an entertaining chorus and a memorable refrain that makes nice use of the cable car metaphor. The majority of the other compositions on this album, however, sound as if they were manufactured by a cookie cutter song machine. Indeed, I don't think I recall ever hearing selections that were so much alike: they use a very (VERY) similar musical structure, are almost identical in studio production, and follow the same form- opening with an understated verse which then moves speedily to a chorus (that sounds like the chorus of the previous song) and repeats ala loop to make the statement. A slight exception might be the title track "How To Save A Life" (apparently among those heard on Grey's Anatomy) with its delicate piano intro and tender ballad-like message or "She Is" which demonstrates a bit of a driving rhythm. But even those do not stray too far away from the mold. They both, for example, still employ the same repetitious chorus device (in fact, when I was listening to "How to Save A Life" I thought it was "Over My Head."). The rest aren't even worth comment other than to say they are undistinguished. At best, they are derivative in content (borrowing from other vanilla-type ensembles) which nonetheless still does not excuse their own absence of variety. Likewise, the lead singer's voice, reminiscent perhaps of David Gray's, fits the tone of "Over My Head," but by the time you hear its whining character on two or three of the other tracks [incidentally- NOT like David Gray], you may want to be rescued from the experience. The continued exposure will either annoy you or put you to sleep.
To the point, this first album for The FRAY indicates that the group understands the concept of formula far too well. They should appreciate, however, that comfortable and familiar often leads very quickly to boring. With that in mind, most, if not all, of this can be thrown in the waste bin unless you are looking for sounds that will induce deep slumber. To be honest, its most salient feature is monotony. It is unobtrusively bland and shallow, with little evidence of either creative or original effort.

very listenable tracks.......2007-06-04

I spend most of my time in Europe, so I don't get too much exposure to up and coming bands. By chance on a recent trip home I heard The Fray on one of the 'Top 40' programs. I liked what I heard, sampled a few tracks online, and bought the music. While I might agree with the numerous reviews that say many of the Fray's songs sound similar, I still enjoy them. I recommend giving a listen to the Fray and look forward to seeing what comes next from them.

excellent album.......2007-05-26

This album is a great album. Each song is really good. Very mellow.

melancholy melody.......2007-05-21

The story from "How to save a life" is what got me to buy the CD. If you are interested google them and read about it. The whole CD is inspiring and nice. It is definitly a road trip CD. enjoy!

Awesome!.......2007-05-21

I love this CD! I listen to it all the time in my car. Every single song is really good! Must purchase!

Average customer rating:

Unexpected pleasure
One of the greastest singers of all time
Christina is on Fire!
Does Xtina (or Baby Jane) steal a little? CD more suited for Alicia Keys
What a talent!

Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000G759LW
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Tracks:

Intro (Back To Basics)
Makes Me Wanna Pray featuring Steve Winwood
Back In The Day
Ain't No Other Man
Understand
Slow Down Baby
Oh Mother
F.U.S.S. (Interlude)
On Our Way
Without You
Still Dirrty
Here To Stay
Thank You (Dedication To Fans...)
Enter The Circus
Welcome
Candyman
Nasty Naughty Boy
I Got Trouble
Hurt
Mercy On Me
Save Me From Myself
The Right Man
Back To Basics (Bonus Video)

Amazon.com

Back to Basics, Christina Aguilera's first disc in four years, refines and clarifies the--let's call it "sexy"--aura surrounding this platinum firebrand. Here, the best belter in a class that counts Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears on its roll call has turned her attention to love songs: the supercharged and ubiquitous first single "Ain't No Other Man," for one, and the hushed stunner "Save Me from Myself" for another. That doesn't mean she's foresworn being nasty, though. Dive deep into this set, past the gorgeous crackle that frames the old-school jazz-, blues-, and soul-inspired tracks on the first disc, and you'll reach a playful and familiar raunch; "Candyman" celebrates a "one-stop shop" who "makes the panties drop" to a boogie-woogie beat, and "Nasty Naughty Boy" sends out a heated, big-beated invitation to "sip on my champagne/Cause I'm gonna give you a little taste/Of the sugar below my waist." Thoughtful listeners should snap out of their fascination with Xtina's undiminished yet newly un-tramp-like sexuality, though, because what they'll really want to focus on throughout these 22 tracks is the honest-to-God artistry. While the rock producer Linda Perry helps disc two pop in interesting and unexpected ways (check the muffled blues number "I Got Trouble" and "Mercy on Me," an obvious nod to Fiona Apple), DJ Premier, a mainstay on Jay-Z and Nas projects, pipes a batch of aural high-fives into the nostalgia-bitten first disc (the deep-down funk of "Back in the Day," the strut-strut early hip-hop sound of "Still Dirrty"). Their nudges aside, though, Back to Basics is all Aguilera's baby--she executive-produced, and she's found herself artistically. Nobody would argue, in fact, if she swiveled around the chorus to "Ain't No Other Man," written for her husband, and aimed it at herself: "You got soul, you got class/You got style, you're bada--." --Tammy La Gorce

More from Xtina

Christina Aguilera

Stripped

Mi Reflejo

My Kind of Christmas

Christina Aguilera -Stripped-Live in the UK

Christina Aguilera-My Reflection

Customer Reviews:

Unexpected pleasure.......2007-07-05

I never thought I'd like any of these bubble-gum-pop stars, but I found myself really enjoying the songs on this CD. And I was pleasantly surprised by Aguilera's voice -- much better than the rest of the mouseketeer pack.

One of the greastest singers of all time.......2007-06-14

This album is fantastic. She is truley and talented musician and really sets herself apart form all of the rest. Keep on doing what your doing!

Christina is on Fire!.......2007-06-01

I've always been a fan of Christina Aguilera...She never "over does" her music. I think she decide to change her look and sound due to the ridiculous criticism she recived for the "Stripped/2002" album. I though that album was musically geinus. So that brings me to "Back to Basics/2006". I love this album, though it would have done her better to release it as a single album and the drop of two songs. I can listen to Disc 1 all day long, with songs like: Ain't No Other Man, Oh Mother, F.U.S.S. (which by the way means F**k You Scott Storch), On Our Way ect... She has definatley progressed as an artist and can't wait until her next album!

Favorite songs:

1. On Our Way
2. Without You
3. Still Dirrty
4. Oh Mother
5. F.U.S.S.
6. Ain't No Other Man

Does Xtina (or Baby Jane) steal a little? CD more suited for Alicia Keys.......2007-05-21

First of all, this is a very good cd(s). I love that she uses "old, old skool" samples in most of her songs. It is also very clear that she has talent and has taken control of her career(since "Stripped"). The slight problem I have is there is a lot to be said about white artists "taking" from the black experience when they have absolutely no relations within the black community. For example, on "Back In The Day," Xtina makes a reference to "Soul Train"-why? It's not like she could relate to thousands of black folk watching the program in question in the 70's. Also in that song (and on the album in general, one could tell she was heavily influenced by black artists of the day-"the innovators"[exclusively mentioned, i.e. Billie Holiday (Lady Day),(John)Coltrane, Etta James)]. In "Makes Me Wanna Pray" sounds of the black church experience are sampled onto that song with the gospel "call and responses." It's seems she tries so hard to imitate this, especially when she ridiculously calls out, "Thank you father!" Furthermore, many of Xtina's fans know that she was "home trained" in terms of her singing. This is also a copy of the great African-American singers (Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle) that were "home-trained" in the church (black folks couldn't afford private/otherwise singing lessons).
Overall, even though I believe this album is exceptional in alot of ways, Xtina should try to fine her own unique voice-this will truly make her an original.

What a talent!.......2007-05-11

The two CDs are great, entertaining, and dance-worthy. The sound and style on each of the CDs is different from the other, and these will be two of my favorite music purchases for a long time.

Average customer rating:

Bad Beyond Belief
Who thought this was a good idea?
ATribute to Joni Mitchell
Very disappointed. Only 3 good songs on the whole CD.
Above average covers

A Tribute To Joni Mitchell
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Tributes | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000NJXCG2
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

FREE MAN IN PARIS - Sufjan Stevens
THE BOHO DANCE - Bjork
DREAMLAND - Caetano Veloso
DON'T INTERRUPT THE SORROW - Brad Mehldau
FOR THE ROSES - Cassandra Wilson
A CASE OF YOU - Prince
BLUE - Sarah McLachlan
LADIES OF THE CANYON - Annie Lennox
MAGDALENA LAUNDRIES - Emmylou Harris
EDITH AND THE KINGPIN - Elvis Costello
HELP ME - k.d. lang
RIVER - James Taylor

Amazon.com

Tribute records live or die by the performers' ability to interpret the subject's work in new and inventive frameworks, or by how well they evoke the spirit of the original recordings. Joni Mitchell's poetic folk and jazz offers infinite possibilities for the former, which makes the notion of this collection by indie rockers, pop divas, and country and folk practitioners most appealing. Not surprisingly, for most of the men it turns out to be more of an intellectual exercise than an emotional foray (Elvis Costello's harder take on "Edith and the Kingpin," Sufjan Stevens's jumbled sonic landscape on "Free Man in Paris"). But there are some breathtaking performances from the women, starting with Björk's wide-eyed cover of "The Bojo Dance" and moving on to Cassandra Wilson's mahogany-voiced "For the Roses," Emmylou Harris's devastating reading of "The Magdalene Laundries," and Sarah McLachlan's goosebump-raising "Blue," where her vocals approximate Mitchell's so thoroughly some folks might be fooled. Hands down, the most peculiar track is Prince's doo-woppy "A Case of You," which nearly defies description. The project got started in the late '90s and was finished only recently, which probably accounts for a stilted unevenness and seeming lack of continuity. Think of this as an interesting companion to Mitchell's vast and vital body of work. But the revered Lady of the Canyon doubtless deserves a far more comprehensive and well-executed homage. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

A Tribute to Joni Mitchell features a strikingly eclectic roster of artists who share Mitchell's fierce intelligence, musical sophistication, and boundary-pushing experimentalism. The creative interpretations of some of her best-known songs illustrate Mitchell's breadth as a composer and lyricist while putting something of a unique flavor on the chosen songs.

Customer Reviews:

Bad Beyond Belief.......2007-07-10

Amaze your friends with the worst tribute compilation ever recorded. Wow them with a rendition of Free Man in Paris that sounds as if it were arranged and recorded by a first year music student with access to too many horns. See to believe. Bring your camera.

Who thought this was a good idea?.......2007-07-10

A tribute album to Dylan makes sense. After all, Dylan can't sing and it has been proven time after time that his words, in the hands of others, really shine. But Joni Mitchell? It's hard to imagine a more beautiful and original voice. These artists do nothing to add to her body of work. While all talented in their own right, when singing Joni's tunes they offer pale reflections of the original works at best. This album seems like nothing more than a half baked money making scheme and should not be supported.

ATribute to Joni Mitchell.......2007-06-27

The CD arrived in great shape -- however, I was disappointed in the music selections. We gave the CD to our daughter, who thought it was great!

Very disappointed. Only 3 good songs on the whole CD........2007-06-24

Prince is good on his cover of Case of You (although my 3 yr old made the comment that he sounded more like a Princess, he is singing so high!, still, it was interesting, and the more I listen to his version the more I like it.
Sarah McLaughlin's version of Blue is good, but it's old. I've heard her do it before. Same with James Taylor and River.
Emmy Lou Harris's version of Magdalene Laundry is good.
The rest is unbearable. REALLY. Unbearable.
I am a die hard Joni fan, and I was very disappointed with this purchase.

Above average covers.......2007-06-18

First off, Etta James recorded a version of "Amelia" for this tribute. It's not here and I really want to know why! Having said that, when paying tribute to an artist that pushed the envelope as often as Joni has, pushing it any further can take its toll on the material. Considering that only one song covered here ever got serious radio play (Help Me), a more adult contemporary approach was not only safer, but ultimately delivered a satisfying tribute and served the material at the same time.

More works here than fails. Bjork is an example of the latter. This woman should be seen and not heard. At least leave her to butcher her own material and on her own albums. It was distracting hearing her struggle, then finally lose her battle with proper English annunciation. Her chosen backing music sounded like a sampling of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood." Hand puppet 'Lady Elaine' would have been a better artist choice.

Brad Mehldau makes a decent effort as does Elvis Costello. Elvis Costello's arrangement is so good it should have been left to carry its own weight and be presented without vocals. ANY singer would be in direct competition with this ambitious and satisfying arrangement.

Caetano Veloso, who returns the name "Dorothy" to its full, three sylable glory, has fun with Dreamland and you can hear it.

It is easy to cover a Joni Mitchell song, just ask Bjork, but few can plumb new depth. Prince, on "A Case of You" and Cassandra Wilson on "For the Roses" do the impossible in their respective songs. They are each at the top of their game here. Sufjan Stevens, who I never heard of before, has a refreshing take on "Free Man in Paris". Delivering portion of the refrain in emotionless, computer synth speach, was a clever way to realize "star maker machinery."

Aside from the original, already accessible version of "Help me" k.d. lang's version is sufficiently radio ready. the rest is simply ok. I was hoping James taylor would cover, "A Case of You," as a nod to the notion that song is Joni's "Fire and Rain." All in all worth the purchase price, almost worth paying more on iTunes to leave Bjork out all together.

Average customer rating:

annoying at first but then she grows on you
Regina has a Beautiful Voice, Insteresting Songs, and Instrumental Talents too
Some good, some bad...
Absolutely mesmerizing
Regina

Begin to Hope
Regina Spektor
Manufacturer: Sire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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Soviet Kitsch
The Crane Wife
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Corinne Bailey Rae

ASIN: B000FFJ80I
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Fidelity
Better
Samson
On The Radio
Field Below
Hotel Song
Apres Moi
20 Years Of Snow
That Time
Edit
Lady
Summer In The City

Amazon.com

The style known as "anti-folk," as realized by practitioners like Ani DiFranco and Billy Bragg, is derived from a punk aesthetic, and thus tends to be spare and confrontational. But while Regina Spektor's music is anti-folk in the way it subverts the traditional coffeehouse vibe, it's less interested in rebellion and more concerned with the joy of eccentricity, melody and surprise. Begin To Hope is full of surprises, and like her promising major label debut Soviet Kitsch, it displays an easy facility with song structure that enables her to go in different--sometimes wildly off-the-wall--directions without sounding scattered. Classically trained on the piano, she's been compared to Tori Amos, but her music isn't as delicate or precious. Fiona Apple comes up as well, but just because neither fits in the usual female singer/songwriter cookie cutter mold doesn't mean they sound the same. Her voice is actually the primary attraction, cracking and loopy on would-be lullabies like "On The Radio" and "Field Below," then punchy and cute on "Hotel Room." But the music, if understated in the mix next to her vocals, makes an impression as well, breaking in with twisty piano arpeggios ("20 Years of Snow") and occasional touches of electronica. It's a consistently intelligent and daring record, yet remains enormously listenable--a neat trick for anti-folk, or any other genre of music for that matter. -Matthew Cooke

Album Description

Regina Spektor's last album, 2004's Soviet Kitsch, garnered praise from Time, Rolling Stone, Spin, Vanity Fair, The New York Times and many others. But this Russian-born, Bronx-bred singer-songwriter-pianist, who emerged from the NYC café circuit, continues to expand her vision. On Begin To Hope, produced by David Kahne (The Strokes, Sublime, Sugar Ray), she broadens here palette with electric guitar, drum machines and seductive electronic loops, finding new canvases for her provocative vocal style. Hope for pop has arrived with Regina Spektor.

Customer Reviews:

annoying at first but then she grows on you.......2007-06-30

Regina Spector recieved radio play at the station I listen to as well as having a short article in Newsweek. I purchased her CD based on these things . The first few listens of her CD annoyed me. There were too many "clever hooks" that she does with her voice. But, after about 10 listens, her music started to grow on me. Like alot of young artists, she brings a fresh perspective on perpetual themes but also has themes that are unusual. She plays the piano very well and her voice is clear and strong. I don't know if I will want to listen to her CD 5 years from now when it's lost the novelty but it's a good start for a young artist.

Regina has a Beautiful Voice, Insteresting Songs, and Instrumental Talents too.......2007-06-26

By chance, I clicked on one video on Youtube that played a very pretty song. After googling a few words from the song, I came up with the name Regina Spektor. Amazon was where I discovered Regina's album, Begin to Hope. Her songs are quirky and her voice is very sweet and unique. She really has a wide range of sounds that she can make with her vocal cords. Her voice is very lovely. She can play the piano, write songs, and make harmonious sounds with her vocal cords or instruments. I don't know the exact meaning of her song "Fidelity," but Spektor's voice vibrates with energy, beauty, and youth. Some songs are like an addictive drug. Fidelity" is one such song; I can listen to this song many times without getting bored. Spektor has such a refreshing sound compared to the more popular pop singers. This is a wonderful album that I purchased from Amazon after learning about Regina Spektor.

Some good, some bad..........2007-06-24

This cd has a few AWESOME songs on it. It also has a few AWFUL songs on it. First and foremost, I HATE any kind of drug reference, and had I known there would be some on this cd, I would have passed on it. So, with that said, I enjoyed the first 4 songs or so, and didn't like the rest. Very unique voice, great talent, but I think she needs someone to take her under their wing and help get her going with some good stuff that doesn't involve any drugs. We just don't need it. Call Mutt Lange. Maybe he can give you a clean boost to get those few great song hooks into the charts. Can I get my money back and just buy the first two songs?

Absolutely mesmerizing.......2007-06-12

I listen to this CD over and over again in the car and never tire of it. It's so unlike anything else out there, but in the best way possible. Regina and her piano are a match made in heaven. Buy and listen, often.

Regina.......2007-06-09

Regina Spektor is incredibly talented! This CD is full of original songs that never fail to amaze.

Average customer rating:

Great pairing
pleased
a good lesson on how a rock star gracefully ages
The Road to Escondido
Great CD

The Road to Escondido
J.J. Cale , and Eric Clapton
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000I5X81A
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Tracks:

Danger
Heads In Georgia
Missing Person
When This War Is Over
Sporting Life Blues
Dead End Road
It's Easy
Hard To Thrill
Anyway The Wind Blows
Three Little Girls
Don't Cry Sister
Last Will And Testament
Who Am I Telling You?
Ride The River

Amazon.com

J.J. Cale penned two of Eric Clapton's career-defining solo hits, "Cocaine" and "After Midnight." And since Clapton has often fashioned his persona in a WWJD manner (what would J.J. do?), this collaboration is long overdue. But despite the rather slick production and long list of guest backing musicians (including four bassists, four drummers, five other guitarists, and three percussionists), The Road to Escondido is still dominated more by Cale than Clapton. The relatively reticent Okie wrote 11 of the 14 tracks, and it's his low-key soufflé of blues, jazz, and country that shapes and directs the disc's tone, with Clapton along for the ride. The opening "Danger" sets the dusky mood as the duo rides a typical Cale swamp groove that gives way to a tightly wound Slowhand solo. They trade lead vocals on a lovely version of the after-hours jazz blues classic "Sporting Life Blues," and the ubiquitous John Mayer makes an impressive appearance on the subtle blues of "Hard to Thrill."

Clapton hasn't sounded this relaxed or involved in his own material for years. The traditionally laid-back, if not quite snoozy, Cale responds with a comparatively energized performance, likely due to the high-profile company. When the two harmonize on the mid-tempo foot tapper "Anyway the Wind Blows," the result is so natural and spontaneous it's a shame these two didn't join forces earlier. On paper, it appears that Cale has the most to gain from partnering with an established superstar, but the fact is this collaboration yields Eric Clapton's most engaging and contagious roots-rock release in a long time. --Hal Horowitz

From Amazon.ca

They say you can't go home again, but don't tell Eric Clapton. Quick on the heels of his vaunted Cream reunion/boomer wet dream, the English guitar legend teamed with influential Tulsa country-blues fixture J.J. Cale, writer of early Clapton solo hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," and a slate of then 'n' now all-stars (including some of the final performances by keyboard great Billy Preston) to reinvent the guitarist's laid-back '70s groove for a new era. The result is one of the most grounded and satisfying Clapton releases in many a year, a true musical collaboration with the guitarist's own longtime hero that coaxes their muses down familiar, if still refreshing, musical avenues.

The album's billing seems more than merely alphabetical: Cale pens 11 of the tunes, with Clapton contributing the gentle acoustic folk-pop of "Three Little Girls" and John Mayer offering up the slinky, jaded blues "Hard to Thrill," where fellow fret god Albert Lee adds his touch to Clapton's countrified revival. But it's the interplay between Cale and Clapton that carries the day throughout, from the signature sound of "Danger" and single "Ride the River" and the Deadhead-friendly vibes of the shuffling "Missing Person" and "When the War Is Over" to their deliciously languorous cover of "Sporting Life Blues." Clapton's playing is as lyrical as ever, yet channeled into a savory heartland mindset that's anything but clichéd. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

After years of admiring each other's musical masterworks, guitar great J.J. Cale and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer/Grammy-winner Eric Clapton have teamed up to create an original album together called The Road to Escondido. The resulting hybrid sound defies labels, and instead finds influence across the spectrum of blues, rock, country, and fold. The songs are warm and rich with deep-flowing rhythms while using an economy of words to express much.

More Cale & Clapton

Anyway the Wind Blows: The Anthology
Troubadour
To Tulsa and Back

The Cream of Clapton
Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton
461 Ocean Boulevard

Customer Reviews:

Great pairing.......2007-05-14

Finally, an album I can use for cruisin' in the car, or dance to if the mood strikes! Cale's and Clapton's styles are wonderfully complimentary. Sure, maybe the album is a bit reminiscent of the '70s, and doesn't explore new territory, but there was lot of FINE and fun music that came out then, which made us SMILE. It's great these two legends chose to reiterate that feeling, including other notables to team up with them.

pleased.......2007-05-13

the guitar playing by both is fantastic, I would like to see Eric and JJ on tour together, what a concert that would be, imagin!!!!!!!!

a good lesson on how a rock star gracefully ages .......2007-04-07

Eric Clapton has made it thru much in the past 40 years: drugs and alcohol, personal tragedy, and horrible 80's synthesizers. This CD is just plain good-it doesn't try to be something it's not, and Clapton doesn't have to prove he's a guitar god anymore. J.J. Cale writes some good bluesy rock songs and together they sound great. The addition of Dereck Trucks on slide guitar is terrific, as is Billy Preston on the organ. This recording is not "slick" or "overproduced" as some have said-it sounds smooth, clear and accurate. I have a feeling that this CD will receive regular playing time on my stereo for many, many years.

The Road to Escondido.......2007-03-30

This is the latest in the "Best-Of" For Clapton to unifiy with JJ Cale with Taj Mahal's harmonica, JJ Cale's band, this is sincerely one of the finest sounds I have heard from either of them. They have picked a few of John's best songs and melded their voices and their guitars. Clapton wanted to learn Cale's studio techniques and if he didn't he wasn't watching. This will be one of my favorites for a long time to come and one I will turn other's on to.

Great CD.......2007-03-27

Finally J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton have got together,
Tha album is great and shows Clapton in another light by playing Cale style. Great songs and an all Round listening pleasue

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music

Christina Aguilera	Stripped	Mi Reflejo
My Kind of Christmas	Christina Aguilera -Stripped-Live in the UK	Christina Aguilera-My Reflection

Anyway the Wind Blows: The Anthology	Troubadour	To Tulsa and Back
The Cream of Clapton	Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton	461 Ocean Boulevard