“That Was Another Country” – Innocence Mission. When the plane takes off on my last day of vacation I need to hear this. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
It has been 30 years since Men Without Hats asked the world to dance (if they want to), and this year the Montreal New Wave group will ask the question again with the release of their highly anticipated new album Love In The Age of War (out June 5th on iTunes and everywhere June 12th …
“Parlez-Moi d’Amour” – Charlélie Couture and Mark Isham. From the soundtrack to The Moderns. Heart-stopping beauty; a stunner. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days http://youtu.be/Jo5ppbONfyA
“Miracle of Time” – Miles Ralston. He currently pays bass in The Volcano Diary but did you know he’s also a beautiful singer/songwriter? – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
“I’m Shakin’” – Jack White. I gave in to this record completely. Pies taste better when I bake to this. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days http://youtu.be/O35wdiYVYbg
Otis Rush has been acknowledged as one of the greats of Chicago Blues for so long that his reputation is almost taken for granted. This performance, and the five others from the same session, is a breathtaking demonstration of how great he truly was when he was young and in his prime. This set, recorded …
“Further Sadness” – Amy Denio. One of my alltime favorite Seattle musicians and a national treasure. Amy, please come to Twitter! – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days Further Sadness
“Pacing The Cage” – Bruce Cockburn. To make up for missing yesterday, here’s another Canadian superstar. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
“Drawn To the Rhythm” – Sarah MacLachlan. Old-school Sarah for my peeps in Vancouver. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days Sarah McLachlan – Drawn to the Rhythm (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Sarah McLachlan
MXPX are still going strong in Seattle and that’s a good thing. They played a raucous show Saturday May 26th at Seattle’s El Corazon. The place was packed tighter than that proverbial tin of sardines. I was literally squished against the stage and couldn’t move even a fraction of an inch. MXPX came on stage …
“Too Busy” – Sweet Secrets. Great show last night with these guys and 2 others. TVD heart’s SS! – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
“The Moon Said So” – Jean Mann Her voice is a treasure, and she is too. I’m a long-time fan! – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days www.jeanmann.net
“So Gentle Your Arms” – Shannon Stephens. Exquisite vocal control and a strong, deep melodic pulse. She is the real thing. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days Listen to or download the track here. Here’s the Shannon Stephens page at Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Tuesday May 22 brought San Francisco punk band The Avengers back to Seattle. The Avengers is another band I want to throw in the faces of those who say women can’t rock. The vocals of Penelope Houston defy that mentality. Her voice is crystal clear, yet sharp as a razor and sung from the gut. …
“Unnovae Nights” – XVIII Individual Eyes. My current favorite local band. Jaime’s drumming + the awesomest! – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days Band’s website is here – http://eighteenindividualeyes.com/ Eighteen Individual Eyes – Four Poses
“Exploring” – Land of Pines. Big ups to my friend Evan Easthope, a powerful singer with a great heart. LOP forever! – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
“Vega$” – Celia Chavez. My girl Chavez is gorgeous and gifted. She’s backing up Melody Gardot in Europe this summer. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
The last year has been a sad one in music. Amy Winehouse, Bert Jansch, Andrea True, Keef Hartley, Don Cornelius, Whitney Houston, Ronnie Montrose, Dick Clark, Levon Helm, Donald Dunn, Adam “MCA” Yauch, Donna Summer and now Robin Gibb have passed away. It is truly sad to lose these great talents, but sadder yet is …
“Mack the Knife,” which began life in 1928 as “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer” is a reliable evergreen, having been covered countless times by a multitude of singers from Nick Cave to Connie Francis to Ernie Kovacs (!) to Bertolt Brecht himself. It all comes from a Marxist remake of John Gay‘s 18th Century original …
“So Have I For You” – Nikka Costa. Brilliant funk performer but this song is personal, “don’t need a gun/ i got a microphone.” – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days
May 18, 2012 will go down in infamy as one of the best shows I’ve seen! It will also be remembered as the night that cured the common cold. Really, I was sick all week, feeling totally punk, but not the good kind of punk, but now I feel human again. The Real McKenzies and …
“Wicked Game” – Chris Isaak. Make the bed. – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAOxCqSxRD0
Ayron Jones and his band are good. But how good – and how good I think they’re going to be – well those will be fighting words. I took the gloves off and wrote an essay. It’s coming soon to the East Portland Blog. Here’s a taste of why you need to see them LIVE …
In recent seasons, American Idol has gone for a down-home kinda of singer. Also they haven’t had a female winner since Jordan Sparks in 2007. So, no, Jessica Sanchez will not be your next American Idol. All recent winners have been, IMO, quirky: David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery. With Joshua out …
Of all of Neko Case’s many skills, her most notable is the innate ability to make haunting music for those who yearn to be haunted. Blacklisted, the second “solo” album released after leaving the Pacific Northwest, is perhaps her darkest recorded hour. It’s also one my favorites; a disc that can change or enhance a …
It’s a great shame, she was very young indeed. I must have been 15 when ‘I Feel Love’ came out, it was like sex on a stick. Aural porn in the best possible taste. I listened to it again last night, with more musical sensibilities than I had back then, and it still holds up …
“Modern Love” – David Bowie. Sometimes an 80’s classic is just what the doctor ordered. PS – Where is DB lately? – Alicia Dara – @thevolcanodiary – #100songs100days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hDbpF4Mvkw
For me and countless others, Donna Summer will always be the Queen of Disco. Her reign was unique and absolute. She exemplified everything good about an era that was known better for its hedonistic ways. I first heard Donna Summer when she was still in Germany working with her mentor, Giogio Morodor. At that point, …
Copenhagen’s The Asteroids Galaxy Tour released their sophomore record, Out Of Frequency, earlier this year on BMG Rights. Brandishing a signature sound that infuses pop with psychedelia, funk, soul, and jazz, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour never fail to produce addictive tunes full of imagination. Having won over audiences globally, the band is now blasting into …