Warm Wednesday XXVIII

Today a short warm wednesday post but nevertheless a worthy one. I just heard this artist some days ago and I was flabbergasted. This wednesday is for Bachar Mar-Khalifé

Bachar is born in Beirut, Lebanon, and the son of musician Marcel Khalifé (who is actively committed to the Lebanese secular movement). He moved to Paris when he was 6 years old and graduated from the Conservatory of Paris. Bachar Mar-Khalife is a classically-trained pianist and percussionist. First let's listen to the track that blew my mind here's "Distance" from the 2010 album Oil Slick. Convinced? I was...the precious and intimate compositions of "Oil Slick" (made with his brother Rami by the way) released in 2010 make way on his second album for songs fueled by stage experience. This new album includes covers of Serge Gainsbourg sublimated by the voice of Kid A, of his father, Marcel, but also alternate versions of songs from his debut album as well as original compositions. Here you can see him perform the song "Mirror Moon" from the 2013 album: Who's gonna get the ball from behind the wall of the garden today? Here's the laidback single with Virginia producer/songwriter KID A, this song is called "Machins Choses" For those who like to hear the full album "Oil Slick", here it is: via Bachars' Bandcamp page, enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XXVII

Let's welcome troubadour Nick Mulvey to warm up this wednesday.

I saw this London based singer-songwriter on a documentary about the SXSW festival.
He was dropping his hypnotic tunes and his briljant way of playing the acoustic guitar on the streets of Austin playing the song "Nitrous"...

wait a minute isn't that the 90's song "Youre not alone" by Olive, yes it certainly is, nice way of blending :). Nick studied music in Havana, Cuba. He played the Hang as a founder member of 2008 Mercury Prize nominated band Portico Quartet, until 2011 (when he got the hang of it), he left to pursue his career as a singer-songwriter. In this next song his guitar sounds a bit like a Hang, this is the song "Juramidam"... His debut album "First Mind" is going to be released on the 11th of may. On June 2013 he released the EP Fever to the Form. Here's a soundcloud link to this EP And let's end with his latest song "Meet me There" have a nice warm wednesday!

Warm Wednesday XXVI

Superband Tired Pony has made a new album called "The Ghost Of The Mountain"

first track they are releasing is "All Things at Once". Originally Tired Pony was formed by Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) with the long term ambition of making a country album. I think their ambition is a bit fading away because for me this is no country, but that's my humble opinion. Anyway R&B isn't R&B anymore and I see some artists on North Sea Jazz that I can't call Jazz musicians...many music nowadays is crossing-over so let's not pigeonholing, call it country/singer-songwriter/guitarmusic/soft/rock call it what you want, it's just beautiful music and warm wednesday worthy. Nice isn't it? Here's the title track "Ghost of the Mountain"
 I love this song "Carve Our Names"
 In the US the album is coming out on the 1st of october...so enjoy møpkemuziek until then :) here's

"The Creak In The Floorboards"
 

Warm Wednesday XXV

How to get a song a little warmer? Just lower the pitch! Someone took Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and played it on 33 rpm instead of 45 rpm. I think it sounds great, it could be a hot indyband with a smooth singer with a golden voice, even the choirs still sound great....
The other way around is also possible, here's Bruce Springsteens I'm on Fire's album version played on 45 rpm, sounds like Dolly Parton :) For the generation who doesn't get this oldschool terms like RPM and don't know the smell of vinyl... click here

Here are the original versions

Warm Wednesday XXIV

Let's have a warm wednesday with Lodewijk Fluttert alias

 Bakermat

  Bakermat is a Dutch DJ/Producer making some groovy and warm house/dance songs. The songs are often completed with jazzy saxophone samples and fragments of speeches like the famous Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech in the song "Vandaag". It sounds a bit like St. Germain meets Laurent Garnier meets Parov Stellar. Imagine a beach party, a sunset, a BBQ, some cocktails and then this song "Vandaag" as the opener... Yep it's going to be a great night I can assure you. The template is simple, start a beat at +/-120 BPM, then some nice piano / organ / fender rhodes chords, ad a solo instrument and maybe a nice speech-sample as the cherry on the pie. His song "Zomer" (Dutch for Summer) is another nice mellow song with the flute in the leading role. I think it's going to be a long hot summer for Bakermat because his song "Vandaag" is predicted to be one of the 2013 summerhits in these regions. And here is "Leven" enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XXIII

Today it's up to the Treetop Flyers to give us some warmth.

And we're desperate. Summer didn't show it's face until now and in a month time days are shortening again so.....some anti-depression music for the sunlovers:)
Treetop Flyers are a folk rock band based in London. Consisting of Reid Morrison, Sam Beer
Laurie Sherman, Matthew Starrit and Tomer Danan. They won the Glastonbury Festival Festival Emerging Talent Competition 2011 and released their debut album 'The Mountain Moves' in the UK on 29 April 2013 and it's a real beauty. Some oldschool rock songs that makes me want to drive a convertible on endless American roads with their music on the background!
First let's listen to the uplifting opening track of the album: Things will change

Nice choirs and guitarsolo's and the whole music's got a kind of "Summer Festivals Here We Come!!" sauce all over it. .... more, more we need more! Okay then we're going listen to the ballad "Rose is in the Yard", with a warm guitar opening this song, giving it a Rod Steward'ish "I am Sailing" feeling. I imagine myself on a warm summer evening with a piña colada in the hammock listening to this song.
Click here to listen to Rose is in the Yard It reminds me of an older song of them called "It's about time"
Convinced? I was! It's instant summer with these guys so here's the full album, enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XXII

A short post today, but todays warmth is brought to you by Anouk

Anouk is a Dutch rockbitch (her own words) and is this years Dutch contestant of the Eurovision Songcontest. She's not singing a typical Anouk-song but a very soft and warm ballad called Birds. My "douze points" go to her but I'm not objective I suppose :) Here's the song "Birds". She's performing this song on saturday in the ESC final, votes please! She's releasing her album Sad Singalong Songs this friday. From that album "The Good Life", I think there's some competition for Adele :) And to end with here's the song "Pretending as always" also a very warm ballad, enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XXI

Warm memories of Jason Molina (December 16, 1973 – March 16, 2013)

Warm Wednesday XIX

Today it's up to Blaudzun to give us the warmth we need.
Blaudzun is the moniker of Dutch singer- songwriter Johannes Sigmond and Blaudzun is called after a Danish cyclist (Verner Blaudzun) back in the 1970's. In these regions Blaudzun is a becoming a term, and now I know that he's programmed for SXSW to conquer the rest of the world I thought let's introduce him for the ignorant. First let's take a look at the beauty "Flame on my Head" from the album "Heavy Flowers" released in januari 2012 and due to release any moment in the USA.
His live performances are a great party with brass ensembles, glockenspielplayers, violins and his own remarkable appearance on stage. Lets take a look at the song "Elephants" live at last years Dutch festival Lowlands.
Via soundcloud we can enjoy the first 5 tracks of the album heavy flowers. And here's one of my favorite songs "Midnight Room" from his 2010 album "Seadrift Soundmachine"have a nice warm wednesday!

Warm Wednesday XVIII

Today again a warm wednesday with the Foals

 
Foals are an English rock band from Oxford and Foals are Yannis Philippakis, Jack Bevan, Jimmy Smith, Walter Gervers, Edwin Congreave. "Why is this a warm wednesday band?" you may think, just listen to those African sounding guitar rifs. Sounds a little like Two Door Cinema Club or Paul Simon in his Graceland era. I discovered Foals 2-3 years ago because of the beautiful video they had made for the song Blue Blood. Watch this kid! The band's third album Holy Fire was released a week ago, and it's a great warm sounding album. Or like NME says "The Oxford art-rockers cast off their spiky, mathletic shackles and head for the big league with their third album!" Listen for example to "My Number" which will get the most airplay on radio etc i guess.

Here are some grooveshark links to the latest album "Holy Fire" ..enjoy! And here's "Late Night" And we end with the warm wednesdaysong "Stepson"

Warm Wednesday XVII

Warm voice, quiet fingerpicking guitars Neil Halstead is giving us the perfect ingredients for this warm wednesday.

Neil Halstead is a British guitarist and singer. In 2002, 4AD (a British independent record label) released his debut solo album, Sleeping on Roads. Following his departure from 4AD, a second solo album, Oh! Mighty Engine was released by Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records on July 29, 2008. The album was partly recorded in Johnson's solar powered studio in Los Angeles before being completed at a Second World War airfield in Britain. The Guardian has compared Oh! Mighty Engine to the work of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. Halstead has said of his solo work that it's "really good doing something on my own" instead playing with the bands Slowdive and Mojave 3. Let's listen to the song "Tied To You", to understand the comparison with Nick Drake Neil's third solo album, 'Palindrome Hunches', was released on September 11, 2012, from that album here's the song "Full Moon Rising" On soundcloud we can hear his full album, thank you! Check that opening song...instant warmth, enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XVI

Today we have Radical Face giving us some nice warm sounds.

Radical Face is Ben Cooper from Jacksonville, Florida, who also makes up one-half of Electric President and Iron Orchestra and one third of Mother's Basement. The name Radical Face was chosen after seeing it on a flyer. He later found out it was a plastic surgery flyer saying 'Radical Face-Lift' with the word 'lift' ripped off. I love his music, nice layered songs with a light and happy kind of summer feeling, although the themes and lyrics are the opposite. I think most of us know the song "Welcome Home" it has been featured in several advertisements and films. On November 16, 2010 Cooper released a six-track EP titled Touch The Sky which serves as an appetizer for an announced trilogy of albums called Family Tree. Leading up to the release of The Roots, The Bastards: Volume One EP was released track by track. The first album, titled The Roots was released on October 4, 2011. The Roots will be followed by The Branches and The Leaves'. Clone, an album by Ben Cooper and Richard Colado was announced to be released through Bear Machine Records and available by fall of 2012. In September, 2012, it was announced that the record was delayed and will be should be released in january 2013..... probably they are on their way. The latest contribute on the Radical Face website is the Roots, the first of the Family Tree trilogy, here are the soundcloud links to "Ghost Towns" and "Always Gold" We keep you informed when there's some new material

Warm Wednesday XV

Let's have a warm wednesday with Benjamin Gibbard

Benjamin Gibbard is the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service and is also known for his project ¡All-Time Quarterback! and his first band, Pinwheel. In 2012 he released his second solo album Former Lives and I was catched by the Calexico'ish sound of the song Something's Rattling (Cowpoke). Let's have a listen so you know what i mean, put on your sombrero and go! Nice song isn't it? It also sounds a bit like El Camino with a Hawaiian touch. I thought his album would be more of this stuff but it isn't. It's a kaleidoscope of styles and moods. Lily is a beautiful short ballad like song, "Duncan where have you gone" sounds great (Beach Boys vs Oasis) and there's a song called "Bigger Than Love" featuring Aimee Mann. Sounds like a hit to me. Here are some grooveshark links first one to The song "Lily"

And here's "Lady Adelaide"

And we end with a Tiny desk session were Ben is playing "St. Peter's Cathedral", "Teardrop Windows" and "When The Sun Goes Down On Your Street" enjoy!

Warm Wednesday XIV

Today we have Little Comets giving us the warm wednesday we need. (Sorry for the people downunder, i hear they don't need warmth with temps up to 45 degrees celsius. For them...consider it as a wednesday with some cool music :)

First take a look to their live skills with the song Jennifer Little Comets are an indie rock trio from Jarrow and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They are described to play 'kitchen sink indie' music. In early 2009 the band were signed to Columbia Records and released their debut album In Search of Elusive Little Comets on 31 January 2011. The band released their second album Life is Elsewhere on 15 October 2012. They often have African sounding guitars in their music like The Two Door Cinemaclub and The Foals. What about the intro of the song "A Little Opus", you expect Paul Simon any minute to enjoy. This is from the latest album "Life is Elsewhere" You can enjoy the full album via soundcloud, enjoy

Warm Wednesday XIII

I need some warm music because the temperature in my region is dropped below zero. Some warm african guitars will do, maybe some nomads too and that's exactly what Tinariwen can offer us.

Tinariwen (meaning desert) is a band of Tuareg-Berber musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed around 1979 in refugee camps in Libya but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990s. The group first started to gain a following outside the Sahara region in 2001, with the release of The Radio Tisdas Sessions, the performances at Festival au Désert in Mali and at the Roskilde festival in Denmark. Their popularity rose internationally with the release of the critically acclaimed Aman Iman in 2007. First let's take a look at them playing at the NPR tiny desk session When making this item Mali and the band are having hard times, French and Malian troops are fighting Islamist Rebels. After large parts of Northern Mali were captured by Ansar Dine. Last week Bandmember Abdallah Ag Lamida was arrested by the Islamist authority (January 2013). In August 2012, an Ansar Dine spokesman announced: “We do not want Satan’s music. In its place will be Quranic verses. Sharia demands this. What God commands must be done.” .....Pffff this is so tiring, why can't people respect eachother. Do you think that a God would bother what music we make? So respect for Tinariwen, hope they keep on making good music and that they won't let themselves being silenced by bashfull people. Here's a warm and beautiful video of the song "Ishweg Attay"of the most recent album Tassili (2011). Here is a soundcloud link to some older work

Warm Wednesday XII

Today Trixie Whitley is giving us the warmth we need here because it's getting cold in these regions.

Trixie Whitley was born in Ghent, Belgium, into a family deeply immersed in the worlds of art and music. A nomad at heart, her early years were split between Ghent and New York City. In late 2008, legendary producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young) contacted Trixie and invited her to the Berklee School of Music, where he was in residence. Their stunning collaboration of Trixie’s song “I’d Rather Go Blind” – with drummer Brian Blade (Joni Mitchell, Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman) – was filmed and started to create an immediate buzz in music circles. Soon, with the addition of bassist Daryl Johnson (The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Neville Brothers), a super group – Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub – was born. Here's that beautiful song of that fruitful collaboration. Trixie Whitley’s magnetic presence and stunning voice captivated audiences worldwide in 2010 and 2011 as she toured the world performing with Black Dub. During the Black Dub recording sessions, she also recorded her second EP, The Engine, featuring her own music, and began preparing to record her debut as a leader. In late 2011, she released Live at the Rockwood Music Hall, a 5 song EP of her solo performance recorded at Rockwood in New York City. In early 2012, Trixie began work on her first full-length record, Fourth Corner, with producer/keyboardist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman, who’s also worked with Glen Hansard, Antony and the Johnsons, Grizzly Bear and the National) engineer Pat Dillett (David Byrne, St. Vincent, Mary J. Blige), and string arrangements by Rob Moose (Antony, Bon Iver). I think it is going to be a killer! Listen for example to the song "I need your love". I love the guitar feedback sound echoing at the background. Here she's playing the same song live...enjoy ...By the way she's also playing at Eurosonic Festival in Groningen (Netherlands) this weekend.

Best of 2012 Warm Wednesdays

And 2012's warmest wednesday was for Daughn Gibson.

Were back in business and today Daughn Gibson is giving us the warmth we need.

 (photo via www.tellallyourfriendspr.com)

I told you earlier that I like to compare voices with materials, Placebo for example has got an aluminium voice and Jonathan Jeremiah an oak one. Daughn Gibsons voice is a Red Cedar for me (like Ian Curtis) but a real big old Red Cedar :).  He released the LP "All Hell" april this year at the White Denim label and its a beauty. Nice build up songs with electronic beats, spheric soundscapyish synths all dressed up with his warm voice. Reminds me also of James Blake. Anyway, it's all well Daughn! Listen for example to the song  "Reach into the Fire"
Daugh Gibson grew up in Nazareth, Pennsylvania which was an hour and a half from New York, and an hour and a half from Philly. So bands that were touring came through one way or another. He got to see stuff people in other small towns didn't, like Wesley Willis. Daughn couldn't have asked for a better place to grow up and be into music. Here's a soundcloud link to the song "In the Beginning" And one of my favourites "Tiffany Lou".

Warm Wednesday XI

Let Ane Brun give us the warmth we need for this wednesday

Ane Brun is a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist from Norway. Since 2003 she has recorded eight albums, six of which are studio albums (including a collection of duets) and one live DVD. She lives in Stockholm since 2001, where she writes, records and runs her own label (Balloon Ranger Recordings) when not on tour. That record label is called after the song Balloon Ranger which is my favourite. First let's take a look and have a listen tot this song from her 2005 album "A Temporary Dive" I love her voice, a little hoarse and fragile but in combination with the tranquil and spaciously set up music a golden combination. Sometimes she sounds a little like Dolly Parton or Emmylou Harris. Before I lead you to some grooveshark streams first I want you to take a look at "Virvelvind" which means something like Hurricane I suppose. It's made for the Norway television station NRK and it was a national action for Amnesty International, some considerations before x-mas. Here are some grooveshark streams And one of the best coversongs I've ever heard Big In Japan live in Stockholm.

Warm Wednesday X

Today it's up to Gregory Alan Isakov to give us the warmth we need in these chilly and cold winterdays.

Gregory Alan Isakov was born in Johannesburg South Africa and moved to America as a child. There he grew up in Philadelphia. His voice is gold and his music also, quiet melancholic singer-songwriter songs, perfect for these cold winterdays. Last month I saw him in The Netherlands and it was almost a private concert, 20 maybe 30 people enjoying his wonderful voice and music. It was the most intimate concert I have ever witnessed. He was playing together with Bonnie Paine (playing singing saw, washboard and hypnotizing me with her beautiful voice and looks :)) and Ramaya Roskin (lap guitar & stomp-box). First have a listen to "That Moon Song" Convinced? I was... after hearing this song I immediately ordered the CD's "This Empty Northern Hemisphere" and "That Sea, the gambler" and they are packed with jewels like this "Virginia May" After the concert Gregory gave an encore in the hallway because of its beautiful acoustic sound there. In total he made 4 cd's here are some tracks from That Sea, the Gambler (third album 2007) And here's the title track "That Sea, the gambler". And sorry folks, that's "All there is", next time Gregory Alan is in the neighbourhood just go there and enjoy...

Warm Wednesday IX

It will be such a warm wednesday that it's safe to have
 "The First Aid Kit" within reach.

The First Aid Kit is a Swedish Folk duo composed of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg. They started writing songs in 2007, songs with close vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk/country-influenced sounds. They also remind me of the "Secret Sisters". Last Januari they released their album "The Lion's Roar" with some beautiful heartwarming songs packed with beautiful harmonies and wheeping lapguitar hooks like "Emmylou" And here you can hear the song "Wolf" with a native American feeling And to end this warm wednesday here's the title track
"The Lion's Roar" and a selection of other new & old First Aid Kit songs