Green Garden

I absolutely love this song, it's infectious and fun. The song is entitled Green Garden and it's off the debut album by Laura Mvula. Her voice and sound hearkens back to the days when singers just "got it". The production on not just Green Gardens but on the rest of her album, Sing To The Moon is stellar and it highlights her voice over everything. There are times, like on Like The Morning Dew where she sounds eerily reminiscent to Nina Simone. On Can't Live With the World, she sounds like something fresh out of the sixties. She can't be categorized really because her album touches on all musical styles.

I love the minimal production on Green Garden. The hand claps, the backing vocals, and the xylophone are perfect to bring the song in. Then the song evolves, more backing vocals come in with the drums and the slight bassline. And when Laura starts singing I'll go/Wherever you go/Wherever you take/Me I'll go I smile because it's the perfect balance sonically to her vocals and the backing vocals.

This a happy song and I can't stop listening to it. It's a groovy, sun shiny track and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

The Final Minutes

This piece is entitled The Final Minutes and I stumbled upon it completely by accident. I heard a snippet of it, grabbed my iphone, activated my Shazam app and found it. I now cannot stop listening to it. The group responsible for this is Network Music Ensemble and it's off their 2012 album. They have other delicious pieces of music, this one though in my opinion is by far the tastiest.

All instrumental, it's all drama and the beat behind the "orchestration" definitely adds a different dimension to it. I know music like this isn't everyone's cup of tea but I think it's worthy of a listen. It may shock you, you may shock yourself and actually like it. Maybe not as much as I do, but hey, you never know. Enjoy!

And The World Was Gone

I came upon this song by accident. I wasn't looking for it, it just happened to be in my facebook feed, suggested by a band that I like. They liked this song so I gave it a listen and it's absolutely beautiful. The name of the song is And The World Was Gone by the Snow Ghosts. It's off their debut release A Small Murmuration.

The song has a creep factor (as well as the attached video), but I think that's what gives the song it's bite. Produced by Ross Tones and lead vocals supplied by Hannah Cartwright, World is such a lovely song to listen to. The bass rumbles through the bottom end of this song in almost a primal way. I recommend the big boy speakers for this tune.

The video is disturbing but amazing in it's own right and I felt this song needed to be shared. I am now a fan of Snow Ghosts, and if you like the sound of this song then you will love their album. It's dark and moody just like this song, every song is gripping and haunting. I hope you enjoy their work like I do, I'm almost sure you will :)

The Memory Remains

This is a true headbanger, pure and simple. From one of my all time favorite bands comes The Memory Remains. Off of Metallica's 1997 offering Re-Load, The Memory Remains is my favorite song off of that incredible album. Re-Load came at a time when the group was at their creative zenith, Re-Load being the follow-up to their 1996 release Load. The band recorded so many songs that they had enough quality material for two full length LP's. Some questioned the bands approach and wondered why they didn't release a double record instead. The band met that question with a raised eyebrow and raised middle finger.

The Memory Remains features Marianne Faithful, a British singer, songwriter and actress who has had her share of hard times with drugs in her career. A career that has spanned five decades. It's her performance of the melody that gives this song a sort of creepy feel to it, but it also adds one hell of a musical dimension. Seeing footage of Metallica performing this song in concert, they let the crowd sing that melody back to them and they always seem to stand in amazement at the moment.

I have been a fan of this band for years and I will always be. They craft some great songs like The Memory Remains, and their guitar riffs are second to none. That's probably why lead singer James Hetfield has the words "riff life" tattooed on the proximal phalanges of his fingers. Keep giving them the middle finger fella's and keep rocking!