Category: Video

Sonya Cotton: Red River

Sonya Cotton is a San-Francisco based singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice, and a singular vision, who describes her work in this way:

Sonya’s compositions are deeply personal, drawing upon her dreams, family, and love; they often come from a place of profound reverence for the natural world and the creatures of the earth.  In singing about wild spaces (rivers, woods, mountains,) and the animals that inhabit them, she hopes to bring herself and others in touch with the sacredness of these spaces, and to contemplate and critique our culture’s compulsion to exploit and destroy these creatures and spaces.

The music is right in my comfort zone – eliciting memories of Joanna Newsom, Laura Gibson, Fleet Foxes, and even Joan Baez.  On Red River, a showcase of San Franciscan talents – “…including Ezra Lipp (drums; Sean Hayes, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Stitchcraft) Joey Chang (cello, Cello Joe) and Wayne Van Lieu (french horn, Monterey, Marin, and Napa Valley Symphonies)” – produces deep, languid arrangements of folk and Americana.  Sonya’s tenderness and reverence for the world around her really shine on “Red River,” which has a gentleness that I find mesmerizing.  But perhaps most intriguing of all is the way in which this music feels old.  Old in a sense that it plumbs the deeper corners of the soul, and finds sparkling gems of natural beauty and humanity amidst the dark.

So, if you’re in the mood for a little reflection, or if you need a bit of quiet, go ahead and follow me:

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Friday Night Videos: French Edition

This week’s Videos is on honor of my recent trip to Paris.  Not that York isn’t lovely, of course, but it would be hard to say that it’s just as good as sharing an apartment in Paris with my girlfriend.  As you can imagine, therefore, I’m feeling just a bit of nostalgia for all things French.  The bread, the frites, the crêpes… all those wonderful, edible things.  And let’s not forget the long, lazy walks through a city that drips with history and, yes, light…

Now, I have long mocked French Pop Music – that much is true.  As a student, in college, I was first introduced to MC Solaar, and it sort of went downhill from there.  (Honestly, is there anything easier than rapping in French?)  I’ve provided a taste, however, in my inclusion of Alizée.  For you geeks out there, you will find in her dancing the origin of the “night-elf female” dance in World of Warcraft.  You’re welcome.  For the rest of you, I hope the rest of the list will encourage you, as it did me, by suggesting the idea that “big in Europe” might one day become a genuine phrase of praise.

So, today’s list is a mix of francophone artists (Canadian and French), as well as a few tracks by others that have a direct, or implicit, connection to the French.  (I’m looking at you, “Killing an Arab.”)  I’ve substituted some official videos with some homemade ones, in those places where embedding rules have proven too tedious, and I hope you’ll find it entertaining.

So, grab some bread and cheese, perhaps a bit of the vin rouge, and enjoy!

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Now Playing: April 1st, 2010

Yeah, so, Milli Vanilli really happened.  What can I say?  I was young, and naive… sigh.  To help clean your brain from that last post, it’s time, once again, to share a little bit of what I’ve been listening to over the past couple of weeks.  It’s been another great period of exploration for me, and I’ve been working hard to share things with you each day.  I’ve decided that the site works best on a Monday to Friday schedule, and I hope that you’ve found it satisfying.  Also, I hope that you’ve had a chance to try the new music player.  If not, it’s over on top of the sidebar.   Let me know what you think, ok?  (Couldn’t hurt…)

So, yeah, lots of wonderful folk and indie rock to share with you, as well as a couple of classic gems.  So, why not follow me, and we’ll get started?

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Ólöf Arnalds: Við Og Við

On my recent trip to France, I decided to pass the time reading the French edition of Rolling Stone.  In its April issue, a review for Ólöf Arnalds‘ Við Og Við grabbed my attention with this description: “Imaginez une soirée au coin du feu, dans un salon cosy, en plein cœur de l’hiver” (Imagine an evening by the fireside, in a cozy lounge, in the heart of Winter…)  Few things have been so evocative to my imagination, as settings like this, and so I pulled out my trusty iPod touch…and I was immediately transported.

I have long enjoyed the dramatic splendor of Icelandic artists like Bjork, Sigur Rós, and Amiina.  Ólöf’ is a touring musician with Icelandic stalwarts Múm, and she also worked on this album (as well as her anticipated second album Ókídóki – out sometime this Spring ) with Kjartann Sveinsson of Sigur Rós. Her music is a perfect complement to these.  Featuring simple arrangements, traditional instruments (with a few unusual additions like the ukulele), and a lilting, sprightly voice (what Rolling Stone called: “…la musique pour les elfes…), her music exudes calmness and gentility.  And yet, in spite of this, it’s not ephemeral.  There’s a love of craft, and a seriousness of purpose, that curls about these sounds.  It is, as Rolling Stone concluded, “bewitching.”

Have a listen to her song Klara, and then check out some wonderful videos after the cut.  You can also hear more of her music at her myspace page.

[audio:https://www.shh-listen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Olof_Arnalds-Klara.mp3|titles=Klara]  Ólöf Arnalds – Klara

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Friday Night Videos – Covers Night!

Hey!  Been a while… Before I get on with the post, I wanted to thank everyone for stopping by this week.  Each day has been the “best day ever” for traffic to this site, and I’m really touched.  So, thanks!

For this installment of Friday Night Videos, I’ve decided to throw some covers at you.  One of the things about YouTube that really amazes me is the staggering number of people performing songs in their cars/bedrooms/showers and uploading them for the world to watch.  There’s some really awful stuff, naturally, but there’s also some absolutely wonderful music, too!  And more than that, there’s a serious amount of home audio/video editing going on here.  For the most part, this is impressive.  At other times, it sobers me with the reality that my beleaguered high school band was probably the worst band ever.  Sigh.

Anyway, rather than just throw you in the deep end, I’ve elected to give you a mix of unknown and famous covers.  So, without further ado (and because I really have to get on with my dissertation), let’s get to it:

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