New Music: Valerie June

When you first hear Valerie June's haunting voice, time seems to stop for a moment. Whether it's gospel, blues, folk, or country, this Tennessee native puts her heart into earnest songwriting and soulful music. Her latest album, Pushin' Against a Stone, was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Visit http://valeriejune.com for tunes and info...

Soundcloud Spotlight: Tora Music

Discovered this gem on Soundcloud the other day. Tora Music hails from Australia, and their music is an organic soundscape of interesting texture, instrumentation, electronic beats, and soulful melodies. Enjoy! https://soundcloud.com/toramusic/sets/eat-the-sun-ep

Music of the Day: Kat Dahlia

Kat Dahlia is a Cuban-American musician with a sound unlike anyone else's. You can compare her to Santigold, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, Bob Marley, or any other well-known musician, but you can't put your finger on exactly what her sound is, because it's new and it's unique. Steeped in jazz, blues, Cuban music, reggae, and hip-hop, Kat brings fierce songwriting chops to the table. Her voice is equally fierce, and deserves to be heard. Listen and watch:

Erykah Badu for Givenchy

Erykah Badu is the face of Givenchy's new campaign. Gorgeous. Check it out at style.com.

Photo by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Courtesy of Givenchy, sourced from style.com

Video of the Week: Kanye Goes Off On Sway

"I am Warhol. I am the #1 most impactful artist of our generation. I am Shakespeare in the flesh. ... Now who's gon' be the Medici family and stand up and let me create more? Or do you wanna marginalize me 'til I'm out of my moment?" -Kanye West during an interview on Sway's radio show, Sway In the Morning

If you haven't watched this video yet, watch it now. It's making the rounds on the internet. Fast-forward to 17:00 for the juicy part (or 17:26 for the part where Kanye goes off on Sway). I have a lot of thoughts brewing about this clip, but I'm going to let it sit for now.
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Happy Birthday Jimi

Jimi Hendrix: born November 27th, 1942. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Who has inspired more artists to pick up their instruments and simply let go? Check out this article on present-day musicians that Hendrix has influenced. And while you're at it, put on some Manic Depression or Red House and be thankful.
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Live Music In Pittsburgh At Pub I.G. By Anja Wade

Last Wednesday, I got to experience the cool vibe at Pub I.G.'s open mic night in Pittsburgh, PA. Located at 328 Atwood Street in the heart of Oakland, Pub I.G. is a fresh new venue offering live entertainment and great deals on drinks. Spearheaded by Ray Matthews (a.k.a. Uncle Ray), it's located where the former Spice Cafe used to be. When they're not hosting open mic nights, the guys at Pub I.G. and BC1 Productions are throwing wild events with their resident DJ, T.J. Harris (a.k.a. DJ Get Nasty). I'm glad to see a new establishment promote live music and local talent. Want to see for yourself what the hype is all about? Stop in on Wednesdays at 9 PM for the weekly open mic night. In the meantime, visit Pub I.G.'s facebook page to learn more about their events, and check out the pics below.
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 Local musician and producer Ivan Gabriel, singing his songs for us.

 The Pub I.G. mural.

 21 year-old Dominick Antonelli, showcasing his original tunes. Very cool!

 At the bar.

Yours truly (Anja Wade).

Unlikely Birds of a Feather: Yayoi Kusama and Mac Miller By Anja Wade

Tumblr is good for many reasons. One such reason is that it brings new images and sounds to your attention. A few months ago, I was scrolling through my Tumblr feed when I saw a post about Yayoi Kusama’s “Fireflies on the Water” exhibit at the Whitney Museum. Before I had even read the post, I was reminded of another exhibit of sorts – Mac Miller’s music video for “I Am Who Am (Killin’ Time).” At the surface, Kusama and Miller don’t have a lot in common. Kusama is a Japanese-born artist who spent a good deal of time making headlines in the avant-garde art scene of 1960’s New York City. She works in a variety of media – installation, painting, sculpture, film, drawing, and performance. Miller is a twenty-something rapper and producer who hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kusama is lauded in the international art community.  Miller, on the other hand, has received recent criticism for attempting to break free from his “party anthem” music with an introspective album entitled “Watching Movies with the Sound Off.” Many heavyweights in the hip-hop community are nonetheless fans of this album, which Miller concedes is a mark of artistic evolution.

                

Despite their differences, “Fireflies on the Water” (2002) and “I Am Who Am” (2013) provide a similar atmospheric world for viewers and listeners. In “Fireflies on the Water,” Kusama explores the concept of infinity by inviting visitors to immerse themselves in an installation created with mirrors, lights, and water. In “I Am Who Am,” Miller sits in a room of lights and mirrors while reciting verses that address depression, spirituality, and artistic transcendence. Both artists meditate on the duality of limitation and freedom while inviting viewers to do the same. From time to time, I revisit each work to explore their themes. Kusama asks me to step into a box and contemplate life from a birds-eye view. Miller asks me to watch as he himself steps into a box and contemplates life from a birds-eye view. When one steps into this realm, one realizes that human beings tend to understand infinity through the confines of a finite space. Perhaps our bodies are the finite spaces, in addition to art exhibits. We can see and hear that there is something beyond, but we cannot grasp it, save for a fleeting moment. Indeed, Kusama and Miller use sight and sound to evoke an endless space that is paradoxically its own end. For that, they are unlikely birds of a feather.
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Watch a video of Kusama’s "Fireflies on the Water" installation here: 

Watch Miller’s "I Am Who Am (Killin' Time)" video here: 

Read about Kusama here: http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/FirefliesOnTheWater

Read about Miller here: http://www.macmillerofficial.com/

Music Of the Day: Lianne La Havas

Also really into the music of Lianne La Havas... Yes, girl, yes...

Music Of the Day: John Lee Hooker “Tupelo”

 I have always loved this song. It’s heavy heavy heavy and rolls in like a quiet storm…

New Lauryn Hill

Y’all know you haven’t heard Lauryn Hill in a hot minute, but she’s back with a new track. Recently out of federal prison for tax evasion, she has a lot to say.

Music of the Day: Bat for Lashes

By Anja Wade

I first discovered Bat for Lashes a few years ago and fell in love. Natasha Khan, a.k.a. Bat for Lashes, is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who makes music the way artists create collages. Listening to her work is like listening to another planet, if one could do such a thing. Admittedly, I've fallen a bit out of touch with her music, as my head has been wrapped around other things (jazz, blues, etc.). But I'm looking forward to exploring the latest album, entitled The Haunted Man. You can explore, too: http://www.batforlashes.com/

Image sourced from: http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130125113460/lyricwiki/images/5/5a/Bat_for_Lashes.jpg

Perfect musical bliss for a cold autumn night. Ella and Joe.

Must-Hear Music From the Runway

By Anja Wade

Surely by now you’ve heard the summer hit “Get Lucky,” the collaboration between Daft Punk and Pharrell. What you may not have heard, however, is the cover version by Daughter. With washes of sound and the voice of a siren, this “Get Lucky” is as musically diaphanous as the clothes it celebrated on the runway of BCBG Max Azria during New York Fashion Week. Give it a listen as it plays in the background. It is perhaps the musical answer to the catchy, toe-tapping, and admittedly male version that touts lyrics like “she’s up all night for good fun, I’m up all night to get lucky.” This version is contemplative, quiet, and perhaps a touch melancholic. It’s the other side of the story. It offers the true voice of the “it” girl who might be found dancing at a club to the song in the first place. I think Pharrell would approve.

Wanna hear the cover by Daughter? Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Cp55MvX54