Song writing is hard to do—and writing a song that's not about love must be
even harder, because 'non-love' songs seem to be a really small percentage of
what's out there.
So in honor of the musicians who work a little harder to explore stuff other than love, here's your friday mix—a collection of tracks about politics, religion and...a rabid child. No love songs here!
Folk songwriter Fred Neil said Karen Dalton "sure could sing the shit out of the blues," and Bob Dylan said she sang like Billie Holiday and played guitar like Jimmy Reed. Dylan's description wouldn't be the last time this under-the-radar folk singer was likened to Lady Day. Like Holiday, Dalton's haunting croon completely transforms whatever folk, blues, or pop standard she sang.
Break ups can be a real bitch, can't they? Wouldn't it be nice if both parties could just go their separate ways, cordially, without rancor, and without, say, the desire to take a Louisville slugger to anyone's headlights, to make harassing phone calls at dinnertime, name-calling, jealousy, screaming, crying on the kitchen floor, all five stages of grief, begging, pity parties, ill-advised sex, or way-too-long Dear John messages left on answering machines?
Well, here's a li'l mixtape to get all of that out of your (or your ex's) system, for any future break ups you might experience. These artists do all the heavy emotional lifting--and tire-slashing--so you don't have to. Once played, this mix will enable the listener to make a crime-free, self-respecting, graceful exit. I guarantee it.
The Kills have not stopped moving since the March 2008 release of their latest album, Midnight Boom. They have bounced back and forth from the US to Europe to Australia on tour, had their bus stolen out from under their noses in Texas, played gigs with The Gossip and The Raconteurs and made music videos for half the tracks from Midnight Boom. Yet they are still accessible, even in this latest bout of explosion into rock royalty status. Alison "VV" Mosshart blogs every few days about the journey they’ve taken, going into smoky detail about venues, friends they’ve seen, meals they’ve eaten and sleep they haven’t had, often signing off with a "we love you" or "cuts and kisses" to the fans she isn’t even sure are reading. It is an intimate and special glance into Mosshart and Jamie "Hotel" Hince’s road ragged existence, but just as their lyrics say, they continue to go steal ahead. Read more after the jump!
Even though I'm currently on vacation, I still need an extra boost to get out of bed sometimes. Coffee is great and a cold shower is effective, but neither are as fun as listening to jumpy, catchy music. So, consider this your 25.4 minutes slice of WAKE UP heaven.
Politically motivated and feminist-y hip-hop artist Nakaaya Sumari just signed to Sony Music after her independently released debut album, Nervous Conditions, took East Africa by storm last year. Will she be able to maintain the radical spirit of her music on a major label?
Singer, Fairuz
(Lebanese for ‘turquoise’), is one of Lebanon’s most celebrated
national treasures. Don’t take my word for it though—she’s often
referred to as the Soul of Lebanon, our Ambassador to the Stars, the
Arab’s Ambassador, Neighbor to the Moon and the Poet of the Voice. Listen to her amazing voice after the jump!
This edition of BitchTapes is dedicated to confidence, audacity and chutzpah. We can always use a little inspiration to hold our heads high. These tracks never fail to keep me faithful that I can conquer anything. So do what you’ve gotta do, because you can.
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