Currently really into Karmin, an act set-up through youtube that got a record deal in Dec 2011.

This is their first song and they make a reference to chess in it at 2:46 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOorxvAVqb4

Also they just played the following new song live yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbObh9iQ-dI&feature=plcp&context=C3a85e08UDOEgsTo...

I like that their songs are always fun and they write their own stuff. Plus she has an incredible voice.

I should return to my beloved Russian composers soon.
A rockband that has thrilled me lately is Gentle Giant - especially the dissonant songs that are hated by everybody, like Knots, So Sincere (studio version) and Design.

up and comer wrote on 10/28/09 at 06:17:27:


Philidor, Smyslov, Tajmanov and Eminem 

I have both Dionne Warwick's and Aretha Franklin's versions of Burt Bacharach's "Say a Little Prayer" on my music playlist.  Dionne's version is great to sing along with (remember My Best Friend's Wedding?).  Aretha Franklin's version is great to listen to.   

There are some songs that Dusty and Dee Dee (as she was known for part of her career) have in common.  Bacharach's symphonic touches make DW's versions much less interesting than DS' live versions.  Dusty's best album was probably Live from Memphis.

Of course, everything is a matter of taste here, except my opinions, which are Absolute Truths.

Alias wrote on 03/15/10 at 14:53:16:


Cilla Black. Cor Blimey.
Blame her for The Smiths breaking up. Moz wanted to cover a song of hers, Marr: not into such tripe, that's not rock music kinda thing. Cilla was the clincher.
Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick I get, but Cilla was just a cheap Brit-version surely?

Hey Alias! 

You're probably one of the few who truly dusts off the old albums to listen to them again!  I was just listening to my favorite jazz album a double CD of Max Roach and Clifford Brown called Alone Together.

Your mention of Collosus makes me want to listen to "SonnyMoon for Two" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" again.  They may not be his all-time best pieces, but I'm curious how I hear them now.

motörhead wrote on 03/12/10 at 03:38:06:


I own that one for about 30 years now. Hughes plays the bass well indeed, but his singing? He is the one who almost does the impossible: ruining the excellent opener Burn with his stupid "hai, hai, hai". Are you aware that Coverdale was the lead singer and not Hughes? I don't hate Coverdale like most serious reviewers do, but have serious doubts about his taste. The Whitesnake albums provide us with a new definition of mediocrity. And I don't want to discuss Hughes' career after 1975. It causes stomach cramps.
Despite their excellent duet singing on You fool no One Hughes and Coverdale had a big part in ruining Deep Purple. Though Blackmore was also partly responsible, showing up with too many inferior riffs in 1974/75. Even Lord is to blame with his lame usage of synthesizers; he should have stuck to the Hammond, on which he was the absolute master.
Still it is no coincidence that Blackmore was the only one to record interesting stuff with his next band Rainbow and also the only dinosaur of the early 70's to hold his own against the new generation of rockbands, both punk and hardrock/metal.

From those Motörhead songs you mention I only remember Orgasmatron. Plain boring and a perfect example of what I mean with superfluous. I have heard more - the three famous albums from the late 70's entirely - but have the habit to forget all music that doesn't make an impression (also like Dylan). It's a bit harder with music I plainly dislike.

What makes me distinguish Lemmy's bass is the quality of my device, providing a clear sound for all instruments in the entire sound spectrum (from about 13 Hz to 20 kHz). Btw Motörhead ows a lot to Blackmore - check Cry Free, Fireball (the song), Kill the King and Light in the Black.
I am not that impressed by Motörhead live - I know several tracks of the famous Hammersmith album - because they almost exactly reproduce the songs note by note. But I admit the band plays very energetically.