Music Update

I'll be attempting to update the posted music on a (more-or-less) monthly basis. The basic theme is to present one known artist or piece juxtaposed with a lesser known artist, although I'm sure I'll stray frequently.

Other than Norah Jones, for whom I have "an infatuation of unnatural proportions" (so it says here on the restraining order), I have to place Paul McCartney at the top of my music list. My admiration for Sir Paul's music is huge, from the earliest Beatles recordings, to Wings, and his solo work. Memory Almost Full is some of his best work in years, and should be familiar to those who frequented any Starbucks last year, as it was co-promoted by the coffeehouse chain. Some view this as Paul's swan song, as it has a self-referencing elegy, but I wouldn't bet on this intentionally being his last work. (I think London Undersound is his next project) "House of Wax" is my personal favorite off the album, and, while not getting really any radio play, seems to tap into his deeper album-rock sound, that often was overshadowed by the likes of "Say, Say, Say."

I have a passion for downtempo world music, often found under the genre of "chillout/lounge" The Buddha Bar series of mixes probably best demonstrates this type of music. I am particularly partial to some of the smooth female vocalists' works in this area. Sheila Chandra is of South Indian descent, and is from the UK. She started with the group Monsoon at age 16, and has been known for her melodic and classic vocal style, often woven over ragas and other world sounds. Although her voice has only become richer with time, and her exploration into greater sounds increased exponentially, it is the young Sheila heard here in her first (and probably best known) hit "Ever So Lonely." While the video is very early 80's (1982, to be exact), the sound was groundbreaking at the time, and has set the stage for the likes of Nitin Sawhney (who is working with Sir Paul!), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Colonial Cousins, and many other Asian-influenced artists.