If you're not anal-retentive like me and don't have your hundreds of discs in alphabetical order by artist last name or band first name but by category, you could easily file Jessie Baylin in "Soulful Chick Rock." That category would be HUGE in my collection.

I don't know much about this lady aside from the fact that she released her debut album, "You," on iTunes in March and she likes to play golf (random tidbit, I know.) So far, listeners are giving her rave reviews on iTunes which is impressive for a first-time album. She recently finished up a gig opening up for James Morrison and I think it's just a matter of time before people start to hear her name thrown around a lot more often.

Her MySpace is about the only place other than iTunes to catch her work. The stand-out track for me: "Leave Your Mark," a sultry, demanding tune with a subtly addictive melody.

 

 

 

KT's been a busy little bee over the last 12 months. Straight from touring behind her breakout debut, "Eye to the Telescope," she immediately got to work on her next project, the name of which I absolutely love. "Drastic Fantastic" hits shelves September 18th, and radio listeners are already getting a taste with the first single entitled "Hold On." And, as an added bonus and smart marketing move, her official website has been overhauled and now resembles an old-school black & white comic strip--well worth visiting.

Tunstall currently has one gig set for New York City before heading over the UK for a round of October dates. Be prepared for a North American tour announcement around the time of the album's drop.

 

I think it's safe to loosely label Josh Rouse a nomad--he was born in Nebraska and has since lived for some amount of time in California, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Georgia, Arizona, Tennessee and now Spain. Leaving the best for last, it seems.

I first met Rouse's voice on his 2003 release, "1972,"  a collection of funky pop songs like "Love Vibration" and "Comeback (Light Therapy.)" Before long, he showed up at Stubb's with one of my favorite ladies, Leona Naess opening. Although I can't honestly say if his set was stellar or not because of my focus on Naess, I do know that I've noticed every release since.

This latest album, "Country Mouse, City House," just dropped July 31st and I've taken immediately to it's bounciest track, "Hollywood Bass Player." Since the album's release, Rouse has been back in the U.S. on a massive tour through early November.

Hear my new favorite song, the aforementioned "Hollywood Bass Player," as well as other Rouse gems here.

If there was such a thing as the sound of a bird made of honey, it would sound like Jenn Grant.  The Haligonian songstress, who I first discovered way back last December, released her debut album Orchestra For The Moon in May and while most everyone I know who's heard her has been beguiled, the numbers that seems to amount to are far less than she deserves.

Continue reading "Dancin’ In The Wind"

Continue reading "The Bowerbirds : Live on MOKB SIRIUS Blog Radio, Left Of Center, Channel 26"

So late post today, but with good reason. With the stroke of 10AM EDT, an embargo has been lifted and I can happily announce to you a little something that An Aquarium Drunkard, La Blogothèque, Brooklynvegan, Gorilla vs Bear, My Old Kentucky Blog, You Ain't No Picasso and I have been working on the last few months - The Hot Freaks!, part the second - a sequel to our wonderfully successful showcases at SxSW this past March, The Hot Freaks! part the first.

Continue reading "Hot Freaks 2: Electric Blog-aloo"

Continue reading "Aesop Rock : None Shall Pass"

Continue reading "The Dodos : Beware of the Maniacs"

Strange contrast in musical experiences Tuesday night. Within the span of two hours I went from simple in-store performance from a veteran performer making a comeback of sorts to an industry-only showcase in a ritzy lounge featuring an up-and-coming young artist in a coming out party of sorts. And then I went home, ate a frozen pizza and did laundry.

Continue reading "Come On, Come Out"

Continue reading "Neil Young :: Where The Buffalo Roam"

Continue reading "Desmond Dekker :: This Is Desmond Dekker (1969)"

Continue reading "The Modern Lovers :: Reissued (U.S.)"

It's hard to believe that I was initially uninterested in going to see Camera Obscura at the Phoenix on Sunday night.  After all, I'd already seen them twice in support of 2006's wonderful Let's Get Out Of This Country - was a third time really necessary?  But when The Last Town Chorus was announced as support, it occurred to me that here was an opportunity to see two bands I really liked and who had nothing to prove to me. I could actually go to a show I knew I'd enjoy start to finish and know almost every song and I was hemming and hawing about it? Duh.

Continue reading "Let’s Get Out Of This Country"