So Tara in our office turned me on to this soulful Seattle-ite who apparently played one of his first major NYC shows here last night. Great stuff. Great video. Allen Stone - "Quit Callin' Me"
So the day after I returned from Morocco, i found myself in London, hitting the hip streets of Shoreditch with my knowledgeable Brit friend in tow.
We came across a boutique-y storefront filled with replicas of the Moroccan lamps we'd seen all over Fez...but this time made from food cans awash in color.
What transpired next was a great conversation with the artist who also happened to be a photographer who's work has graced the covers of several album covers. He showed us examples of his new video project as well a clips of some of his favorite artists. It was a great transition from the streets of Fez back into the western world. A bridge built on art and music. He could not have been cooler.He played a bunch of stuff but this was definitely the winner of the day -- the track pretty much taking my breath away. An amazing talent.Marques Toliver - "White Sails"
Oh Summer of '88, how I miss you. Not sure why this popped into my head but I love this Roger Troutman ("I Wanna Be Your Man," "More Bounce to the Ounce") assisted spot of sunshine. (Sadly I can't find the original video) Scritti Politti - "Boom! There She Was" Though this is another Boom song from a little later that I still have gotta love MC Luscious - "Boom I Got Your Boyfriend" And here's the (edited) official video:
Chill-wavers extraordinairre Neon Indian are back with a new album and you can snag one of the tracks for free from Amazon here. The video for that current single is below though perhaps nothing will ever be as good as "Sleep Paralysist." "Polish Girl"
So I've just returned from a two week journey to London/Fez/London....--an amazing trip which really opened up my eyes.
As usual, I'm on the hunt for musical morsels to take back with me. Morocco provided little in the way of pop hits. The most powerful sound I'll remember was the 'call to prayer' which I felt a bit uneasy about but grew to anticipate and enjoy. Good taste and discretion suggests I shouldn't post it on some blog but I certainly have a record of it if anyone would like to hear/see it.
London proved more fruitful in the pop music department as my trip was frontloaded by my company's international marketing conference which on Day One included performances from Pixie Lott and Dev.
The most fruitful musical night was probably my last in London when Stephen invited friends over for booze and a home-cooked meal before we headed out to the bars in Shoreditch. These were my standouts as the ipod players rotated throughout the evening.
Out Pop Idol winner Will Young. A little cheesy but I still like it: "Jealousy"
and here's the Moto Blanco remix for those who need a bit more spring in their step
I love this track's early 90s sound ("Funky Drummer" sample, natch) Emile Sande - "Heaven"
And here's another TV contest winner, LL with a track that was just released in the States as well.
Leona Lewis - "Collide"
And this one we heard at a bar....my British pal was shocked I didn't know it. A YouTube search shows that I must've been under some sort of mid-90s rock as there are Frankie Knuckles, Paul Oakenfold and David Morales mixes aplenty. I think I like the original best but let's go with the 'classic mix' for these purposes.
