No more fluff, check out the amazing music of this beautiful young singer.
Nothing's Real But LoveMusic video by Rebecca Ferguson performing Nothing's Real But Love. (C) 2011 Simco Limited under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
Too Good To LoseMusic video by Rebecca Ferguson performing Too Good To Lose. (C) 2012 Simco Limited under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
Glitter and GoldRebecca Ferguson performing her new tune Glitter & Gold live in Studio 10!
Check out her version of a Bob Dylan classic on the X-Factor. Make You Feel My LoveThe X Factor UK Live show 5 Copyright music and lyrics reproduced by kind permission of Special Rider -- for original, exclusive performances by Bob Dylan.
Final X-Factor video today, a version I believe Chris Isaak would love. Wicked Game
So we still have room for one more, a beautiful live track. Shoulder To ShoulderRebecca Ferguson acoustic performance at Wave 105
Sydney Wayser is a French-American, New York-based singer-songwriter who plays guitar, piano and children's toys. Wayser grew up in Los Angeles, California, while spending her summers in Paris.
The Louvre and the Orangerie being only a few blocks from her apartment, she quickly gleaned much of French culture from her songwriter father, leading her to musical influences that include Edith Piaf, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Jacques Brel, among many others.
Obviously a young lady with good taste in music, it's fitting she should be at SXSW this year. I'm really enjoying this new album.
Here's track seven, lucky seven, on the album.
Wolf Eyes
Dream It UpSydney Wayser performs at Indaba Music's showcase at Bandpage HQ - SXSW 2012. Produced by Indaba Music Camera // Ian Perlman / Rishi LInley / Oresti Tsonopoulos Video Editor // Oresti Tsonopoulos Audio Engineer // Rick Louie / Josh Robertson
That same song was used by Billabong to promote their summer swim 2012 collection. Featuring model Zippora Seven from New Zealand. Couldn't resist it. :0)
You can hear the rest of the album right here, and damn good it is.
released 27 March 2012 Produced & Engineered by Dan Molad Additional Production by Sydney Wayser Arranged by Dan Molad and Sydney Wayser Recorded at Sounds Like A Fire in Brooklyn, NY Mixed by Shawn Everett Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice Sydney Wayser - Voice, Background Vocals, Piano, Harmonium, Wurlitzer, Ukulele, Percussion, Synthesizers Dan Molad - Bass, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals, Percussion, Synthesizers, Wurlitzer, Recorder, Melotron, Melodica Zach Mangan - Drums, Percussion, Drum Loops Peter Lalish - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Gilles, Background Vocals Evan Smith - Woodwinds Jessica Wolfe - Background Vocals Adam Tressler - Guitars on "Dirty Work" Craig Brodhead - Guitars on "Wake Up" Gabriel Duncan - Guitar on "This one goes out to Ethan Hawke" Matt Davidson - Background Vocals on "Wake Up" All songs written by Sydney Wayser except for "Dirty Work" written with Adam Tressler and "Wake Up" written with Craig Brodhead
With both population and man’s greed for money increasing at galloping speed, land mass on earth is turning into concrete jungle. People have already felt the pinch of property prices rising skywards which is due to shortage of space in urban areas. So it dawned upon few brains that lets plunge into the water bodies for is occupies as much as 70% of earth’s surface. And voila, we have Gyre, the Floating City Concept which will rest on humongous oceans and create a new space for modern human civilization.
Here’s the 10 most amazing albeit convincing concepts of floating cities.
1. Embassy of Drowned Nations: Floating City:
The Embassy of Drowned Nations, in Fort Denison, Australia, is specifically designed for people who have lost their homes to rising sea levels. But it not all about the ‘poetic justice’; this innovative conception also incorporates the inverted design which causes it to sink deeper into the harbor when the water level rises, while at the same time exposing new land in the center of the refuge.
2. BOA – A sustainable floating city:
The Boston Arcology (BOA) will be designed to provide safe and most importantly dry living space to over 15,000 people after the ‘post apocalyptic’ scenario of rising ocean levels washing away our cities. The floating city will provide housing along with other services such as hotels, offices, retail, museums, condominiums and a city hall.
3. Green Float – A carbon negative floating city:
A motley crew of scientists, engineers in Japan have embarked upon this momentous project, which aims to build a tower that is 1km tall and has a vertical farm counteracted on a floating concrete pad!
4. Lilypad – A green safe haven of the future:
The Lilypad will be constructed as a luxurious retreat for climatic refugees in the year 2100. Though inspired by Noah’s Ark, nothing will be ancient about the advanced green technology used here. The lower half of this floating city will be submerged in water, while the upper half will protrude above to harness the abundant solar energy.
5. Harvest City In Haiti”:
Thought of as solution to house the affected people of the recently earthquake ravaged Haiti, this innovative, gem of an idea by architect E. Kevin Schopfer and Tangram 3DS, is much more than damage control. The idea promotes the ambitious vision of – a number of floating island cities constituting of a 30,000 strong self sufficient community, all regenerated by several imbued agricultural and industrial facilities.
6. Floating City in Russia:
The Eco-Techno City is conceived as a floating mega city built on an elaborate framework of numerous small man-made islands. The main residential hub will be located in a central 500 ft ‘green’ skyscraper featuring vertical farms, solar panels and even rainwater collectors. This skyscraper will be surrounded by recreational and service zones on the outer perimeter.
7. Gyre- A Floating City Concept for Modern Human Civilization:
Contrived by home design studio Zigloo, this enterprising design would incorporate a ’sky’-scraper, named as the Gyre at a depth of 400m under water. The arduous conception will cover an area of more that 40 football fields with completely self-sufficient working and living zones.
8. Freedom Ship City concept:
Fundamentally this concept calls for a moving city-vessel in the sea albeit with gargantuan dimensions. This mobile floating behemoth will have a length of 4,500 feet, a width of 750 feet, and a height of 350 feet. The city will feature ostentatious living conditions, a duty free shopping mall and a commercial zone encompassing an area of more than 1.7 million sq ft!
9. Water-scraper – A Self-Sufficient City at Sea:
Water-scraper epitomizes the very evolutionary end result of green technology. The city will generate its own electricity by using wave, wind, solar power and even kinetic energy. Moreover there will be farms, a small forestland along with well defined quarters for working and living of people.
10. Floating City Concept by Ahearn Schopfer Architects:
Designed by Ahearn Schopfer Architects and located in New Orleans, this impressive conception is a perfect ‘floating’ amalgamation of residential and commercial zone. The grandiose design features 20,000 housing units at an average of 1,100 sq ft, three hotels, 1,500 time-share units and 500,000 sq ft of retail space. Also included are three casinos, 500,000 sq ft of commercial condominiums, parking for 8,000 cars, a school, 100,000 sq ft of cultural facilities and a 20,000 sq ft health facility.
Born in Malmö, Sweden Christine Owman lived a couple of years in the States as a child. She started playing the cello at the age of five, started to sing before she could speak and write songs before she knew how to spell.
Her latest collaboration is a duo with one of her own favorites - Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age).
This young lady has started to build up a reputation of explosive live shows: headbanging to obscure movie projections from the 20s & 30s, playing the saw, the cello, the ukulele and singing through effect pedals.
I stumbled across her album "Spelling Words" and I'm in love with it. Just amazing, don't know how I missed it when it was released last year. But making up for it now.
Much of women’s pop and rock seems to be primarily directed at men, packaging femininity in ways that confirm or overturn male-generated stereotypes. Throwing Knives comes at womanhood from the inside, painting a far more complicated, conflicted view that may or may not appeal to the opposite sex. That it’s couched in beautiful, eerie melodies, sometimes delicate, sometimes ragged arrangements, and a dream-like vocal prettiness can only add to the conundrum. Christine Owman is certainly not going for the obvious.
“Spelling Words,” the first song on this 3rd full-length album from the Swedish singer/songwriter Christine Owman, begins in a tipsy saw of cello, a regular plink and plunk of banjo, the soft-focus drift of folky female vocals. Traditional sounds turn slightly askew, sheer sonic pleasure turns into something slightly darker and more eccentric, as Owman questions the very nature of human connection, fallibility of human communication. It’s an odd song, seductively soft on the surface but full of sharp, jutting angles, familiar-sounding but, once examined, contrarian and vaguely unsettling. It’s an excellent introduction for Throwing Knives, too, showcasing the wiry, unconventional intelligence of an unusual artist.
Spelling WordsSong taken from the album Throwing Knives, released in Sweden Dec 2010. U.S release in July 2011. Listen to the whole album on Soundcloud Song and video by Christine Owman. Music and Lyrics by Christine Owman. Song is mixed and produced together with Ola Frick of Moonbabies. Guest singer is Andi Almqvist. Dancers are Betty Page and Sally Rand. All rights reserved. RevolvingRecords
Check out a snippet of a song from the forthcoming collaboration with Mark Lanegan.
Christine says about it: "This is a little treat for you, just to get a sneak peek of what's going on. The song is called Familiar Act with guest vocals from Mark Lanegan. This tune is part of a forthcoming vinyl EP which will include another duo with Mark Lanegan".
Mark Lanegan has this voice that just blends so well with the female voice, remember Isobel Campbell?
Here's another song from the Throwing Knives album, again with a tremendous video. Maybe here is even a clue to the title of the album.
I Live I DieSong and Video by Christine Owman Lyrics and music by Christine Owman All rights reserved. RevolvingRecords
Here's an acoustic version of another track from this amazing album. SinnersA wonderful performance for Balcony TV.
And now, just to see the comparison to a regular live performance, Christine is known for her astounding live performance, try and catch her some time. The Agreement
One more from this album. Again with the terrific videos. DanceSong and Video by Christine Owman. Music and lyrics by Christine Owman. All rights reserved. Revolvingrecords
This one's so good you have to have the lyrics.
Dance
She's the best damn woman that you ever saw And she teases you to death When her eyes are on you you'll do anything To Make her eeeee for you the same.
And when you're closer now, you can see the drips, on her sweaty lips, the way she mimes the words to which she moves her hips
She's dancing baby but she's not dancing for you I'm dancing baby but not for you
Dance til I fall asleep, until my legs are numb and when I fall and can't get up I'll know I've just begun Dance til I fall asleep, until my legs are numb and when I fall and can't get up I'll know I've just begun
She's dancing baby but she's not dancing for you I'm dancing baby but not for you
The best damn woman that you ever saw Damn woman She's the best damn woman that you ever saw Damn woman And she teases you to death Damn woman The best damn woman that you ever saw Damn woman
She's dancing baby but she's not dancing for you Damn woman, damn woman I'm dancing baby but not for you Damn woman, damn woman
Annbjørg Lien (born October 15, 1971 in Ålesund) is a folk and world music musician from Norway. Annbjørg plays the ‘hardingfele’ (Hardanger fiddle), violin, and nyckelharpa.
Annbjørg Lien explores a broad range of traditions with true professionalism and playfulness. From her roots in Northern music she invites us on a sensitive and sparkling odyssey through a wide set of moods and styles. Annbjørg once again shows that she is one of Norway”s most innovative artists, combining new and traditional instruments and soundscapes.
Hopefully you remember the Hardanger fiddle from an earlier post about the amazing Valkyrien Allstars. It is a beautiful instrument, in addition Annbjørg has a wonderful voice.
Check out some music from her most recent album, Khoom Loy.
Til"TIL" is written by Annbjørg Lien and Bjørn Ole Rasch from the album "Khoom Loy" by Annbjørg Lien. Lyrics by Jakob Sande. Produced by Bjørn Ole Rasch. Recorded and mixed by Roald Råsberg at Kongshavn Studios for Grappa Records 2012.
And this of course is the title track Khoom Loy
And finally today a truly moving tribute To Victims in Oslo Norway.
After yesterdays post for Creature Breath I was intrigued to find out more about Heidi Harris who had so much influence on Creature Breath. Well Heidi hails from Brooklyn / New England.
She categorizes her music as "new weird america, folk, chamber folk". Whatever genre you wish to put it in, it sure as heck ain't boring. Interesting and cool would be my assessment. I'm digging it. Here's a little sample from the album, complete with cool video.
Steam Rollerwith clips from: "Hep Cat Symphony" (1949) "Steam Roller" by, Heidi Harris played on cigar box guitar...
No this is the opening track from the album Strum
"Though the music here can be categorized as folk, Harris also echos hints of blues legends such as Son House in addition to more abstract influences. Perhaps due in part to these wide influences, one is treated to a remarkable depth and variety of sound. The artist appears to embrace a simple DIY method of recording, in a comparable manner to PJ Harvey’s 4-track demos or Will Oldham’s earliest works. The music suits this stripped down method of capturing sound and rather than being found wanting in any way, the artist is revealed as a real talent." Review by, Adam Williams for Fluid Radio...
So why don't you check out the album right now. Brooklyn, New York/New England... all songs recorded and produced by Heidi in Sukisound Studio, Brooklyn.
And now for something completely different, the beautiful sounds of Creature Breath, aka Shawn Marie Westendorf.
This is what she has to say about her recent release.
I Am Creature Breathe would not have been possible without the beautiful efforts and vision of Heidi Harris, who created the bridge of opportunity and encouraged me to walk over it. Projecting gratitude and light to Heidi!
Thank you for believing in these songs and encouraging me to realize their potential. In addition to producing and mixing this album, Heidi’s contributions include supporting vocals, cello, theremin, clarinet, ambient percussion, piano, and laughter!
Also big Thank You! to all members of Little Bones, for helping me to realize the power of my own voice. To Elizabeth Deegan, for her inspiration, talent and keyboard/piano contributions on The Pull, Praire, and Darlin. To Unami and the farm family, PD, Dharam, and Tommy for inspiration, guidance and support in creating the space within for these vibrations to emerge. To the long hall of mirrors for your reflections.
To my parents for the gift of Music, my ancestors for the gift of their endless wisdom, sister for always listening patiently as I process and integrate, little brothers for shining their own lights, and countless friends who listened from the beginning, made pop songs with me, and contributed to growth and well being in so many ways! You know who you are! Thank you thank you thank you!
All that remains is for you to check out this beautiful album.
Spiral ArmsShawn Marie Westendorf (aka "Creature Breath") released her debut album "I am Creature Breath" on Oct. 31, 2011 via bandcamp.com! Album produced and recorded by, Heidi Harris in "Sukisound Studio" Brooklyn, NY. "Spiral Arms" with backing vocals by, Heidi Harris Video by, Heidi Harris with footage from "Hare and the Tortoise, (1947)" and "Deepest View of Space" NASA
