#783: L is for Laufey

Lo eh veh. Or Lo eu veh. Or LOI-vay. Not Laffey, please, as many of us likelymispronounced her name once we became aware of this young Icelandicsensation bringing what sounded likestandard vocal jazz to the world of pop. Right next door to k.d. lang in the stacks, a comparison seems appropriate. Whilethe quality of theirContinue reading “#783: L is for Laufey”

#721: G is for Grant, John

I stumbled upon a live studio recording of Elbowperforming a song called“Kindling” from the Little Fictions album with a guestvocal performance by a guynamed John Grant. Who’s this person, I wondered. And I concluded, if he’s a friendof Elbow’s, he’s a friend ofmine, and then I watched thatvideo. Whoever this JohnGrant person was, he wasContinue reading “#721: G is for Grant, John”

#621: B is for Björk

Who needs verses and choruses? Bridges, too. Who needs ’em?Recognizable melodies? Passé. Björk, as much as I love her, as much as I find herabsolutely irresistible as a creative force of singular visionand equally singular persona, gets weirder and weirder witheach new album. Fossora, an album consisting instrumentallyof woodwinds, horns, drum machines,some synthesizers, voice choirs,andContinue reading “#621: B is for Björk”