W♥M

World Beat: Celtic Thunger, Bibb & Koite, Putumayo and Evergreene

Read more World Music.

CELTIC THUNDER
www.celticthunder.ie

Celtic Thunder is a so-called "Irish supergroup", consisting of vocalists Emmet Cahill, Ryan Kelly, Colm Keegan, George Donaldson, Keith Harkin, and Neil Byrne. The band plays a good mix of folk, traditional Irish, adult contemporary, rock… anything to give new meaning to the Celtic storytelling music.

Celtic Thunger's new CD and DVD companion called Mythology, was released last Tuesday (February 19th) on Verve Records.

The DVD is a live show, filmed at Dublin's Helix Theatre in 2012. The show tells the tales of the Celtic People through legends and cultures.

Mythology is already topping the Amazon charts in the World Music > Celtic charts as well as General AAS.

BROTHERS IN BAMAKO
ericbibb.com

Imagine this: American Eric Bibb and Mali's biggest pop star Habib Koité teams up to play the most interest traditional and contemporary blues.

The two 'brothers in Bamako', Bibb and Koité will be playing tracks from their 2012 album, Brothers in Bamako, available via Stony Plain Music, at the Dakota Jazz Club tomorrow - February 26th at 7pm and 9pm.

The duo is currently in their North American tour dates (for world tour schedule, check out ericbibb.com):

02/26/13 Minneapolis, MN Dakota Jazz Club
02/27/13 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music
03/01/13 Montreal, QC Scène Rio Tinto Alcan
03/02/13 Quebec City, QC Palais Montcalm
03/03/13 Somerville, MA Somerville Theatre
03/05/13 Starkville, MS Mississippi St. University
03/06/13 Austin, TX Paramount Theatre
03/09/13 New York, NY B.B. King Blues Club

PUTUMAYO
putumayo.com

The latest Putumayo world music compilation will be focusing on vintage French chanson music from the mid-1900s era. The release will be called Vintage France, and it is coming out on February 26th (tomorrow).

What can you expect but to hear Juliette Gréco and, of course, Serge Gainsbourg.

CEO and founder of Putumayo, Dan Storper, added his comment on this latest compilation, "French artists have created this beautiful, melodic music that has stood the test of time. Perhaps the greatest surprise, was discovering Norbert Slama, a blind octogenarian accordion player who performed with Josephine Baker and Edith Piaf, in my backyard in New Orleans. His performances in a small, vintage café in the Marigny transported me to a bygone era."

Remember, since 2011 you can get Putumayo digitally - but I still recommend getting the actual physical CD.

EVERGREENE MUSIC
evergreenemusic.com

Evergreene Music has released Balkan Arts 701: Bulgarian Folk Dances, the first installment of the Balkan Arts Series (a joint New York venture between Evergreene Music and The Center for Traditional Music and Dance).

What can you expect from the rest of the series? More original recordings were from the 60's and 70's, and to include folk music from Bulgaria, East Serbia, Greek Macedonia and Thrace, and Romania.

The next EP will feature East Serbia in February, Greek rarities from Macedonia and Thrace in the spring, and more Romania and Bulgaria in the summer of 2013.

Curator Martin Koenig talk about the importance of these recordings, "The Balkan Arts recordings are all old-time music and have the same power as the music from Appalachia-the Doc Watson's and the like, and I truly believe that we, the West, now have more of an ability to absorb and appreciate this music than we did in the 60s and 70s. Even my 18-year-old son and his friends now respond to it. With so little of this music around anymore, anything that's this real needs to be cherished."

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Putumayo World Beat: African and Latin

For the first time, Putumayo World Music is bringing their compilations to the internet with the launch of the Putumayo World Beat series, last Tuesday, August 30th, starting with two terrific showcases, African Beat and Latin Beat.

What took Putumayo so long? According to this great New York Times article, founder Dan Storper said this:

I’ve built a business focused on creating compelling physical packages that combine music, culture and travel, that make great gifts and that sound very good. I’m 60 years old. I still don’t own an iPod or iPad. I like reading physical books, magazines and newspapers, and buying CDs that have interesting liner notes. I’m certainly not an early adopter.

It is important to note that you can still find their albums at random shops, classy museums, or coffee shops, this is just another outlet for this record company... which I think it's a great idea to join the modern world, even though, at the same time, I am from that Storper's antique world and love holding books and magazines and flipping through the album's liner notes.

Anyway, right away, the first thing you might notice is that the two cover art for both African Beat and Latin Beat are slightly different than the typical Putumayo albums. The art is still by Nicola Heindl, who's been producing covers for them since the beginning, but, from afar, looks more abstract than her usual traditional/folky art. I like it, you can tell right away, from the maracas and hand drums (Djembe), what the music in the album should sound like.

Between African Beat and Latin Beat, I did rather enjoy the former a tad bit more. This is because the music on this compilation had a weird mixture of Africana rhythm and traditional vocals/lyrics, but it's backed by electronic and "future" dancey music. The mixture of old and new sound is refreshing.

Latin Beat, on the other hand, is a little more traditional, showcasing some salsa, tropical, big band (banda), and Cuban rhythm. There are some exceptions, like the rap/hip-hop flavor in "Chocolate" by Columbia's Profetas.

You can't really go wrong with either compilations, especially if you're new to the genre and want a map, it's a great start. Since now you have the option to download, you can find the usual digital places: iTunes and Amazon MP3. I still recommend buying the physical album, the CD booklet has biographies and photographs on each musician spotlighted in the compilation.

PS, One minor problem I have with the compilations is that some songs sounds like they were perhaps edited for brevity. Songs like "Alapomeji Anthem" seems to fade out before it's supposed to end. I understand why longer songs needed to be shorten to fit other songs, but, to me, it just felt like I'm missing something. But otherwise, this does serve as a jumping point, so if you can't get enough of that particular artist (9ice), you'll do yourself a favor and look up his other works.

vu () ♥ putumayo.com

Red Hot Bossa Nova

There's a movie about a bird that can't fly called "Rio", there's a popular game called Angry Birds: Rio, and even Vin Diesel and the Rock is "Fast & Furious" in Rio! With the next World Cup to take place in Rio de Janeiro, there's no denying that Brazil is hotter than ever.

>>>

Beirut: Leaozinho Free Download Beirut's cover of the Caetano Veloso song "O Leãozinho" at redhot.org Read More Red Hot Red Hot + Blue was one of the first CDs I've ever own. This was an AIDS-benefit CD which sold over 1 million records, put out by the good people at www.redhot.org.

RED HOT + RIO 2
www.redhot.org

Red Hot + Blue was one of the first compact disc that I purchased in 1990, so it's one of those albums that hold a special place in my heart. I loved every track, even the odd funky rap track, and over the years I have had the album stolen/lost and repurchased it three times (the last time was because I wanted the DVD version of the album!).

I'm happy to see that the Red Hot organization is still very active these days, from social networking to transforming their website as news and blog. It's quite a long way to go from their beginning of just bringing awareness of AIDS through music.

Red Hot + Rio 2 is the sequel to the 1996 release, which definitely has the flavor of that time period (Everything but the Girl, PM Dawn, Stereolab, etc). Version two basically updated to more modern artists, including Brazilian Girls, Beirut, Alice Smith, John Legend, Ceu, of Montreal; but also keeping timeless acts from the first version of David Byrne (Talking Heads), Bebel Gilberto, and Money Mark.

One thing to note, about all of the Red Hot projects, is that they only feature original recordings. There is the odd remix, for instance Beck's song "Tropicália" from his 1998 Mutations, which actually sound more like a mashup because there are some Portuguese cover of "Tropicalia" and then later you hear Beck's vocals. Still, for any Beck completist, this is a must-have release.

Alice Smith and Aloe Blacc set the tone for the album with "Baby". It's loungey and laid back. It's message is clear: "we live in the biggest city in South America" and that it's been a long time, but we're happy to be back.

As you might suspect, these songs are covers or influenced by musicians from the Brazilian music scene (in particular Tropicalia/Tropicalismo), and, yes, sometime they only sing in Portuguese. You would expect to hear natives like Ceu, Curumin, and Gilberto to churn out these Portuguese numbers, but surpisingly some Americans (Beirut, Mia Doi Todd) and even Danish (Quadron) did a wonderful job with their songs.

If you like latin music and you want to support the Red Hot Organization, this is a wonderful start. I hope this generation will pick up the album for one reason or another, only to discover this wonderful world of Brazilian music and the various musicians to help made this possible. I know that the original Red Hot + Blue made a special mark on me, I loved every one of those Cole Porter cover songs and it really opened up my eyes and ears.

Red Hot + Rio 2 will be out June 28, 2011. Pre-order here. From the look of the order page, you may also get some bonus extra tracks. The digital album will be delivered in high quality 320kbps MP3 on June 28th at midnight. While some organization only donate a portion to charity, I have to tell you that Red Hot donates all proceeds go to charity.

* PS, I didn't want to spend the whole article talking about Bebel Gilberto. But I think she's great. She sounds just like her mom (Miucha).

Read More Putumayo Putumayo World Music was established to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. Th...

BOSSA NOVA AROUND THE WORLD
www.putumayo.com

What I love about Putumayo is that it's not for the aficionados, it's for normal people that just wants an taste. It's perfect as a starting point for a particular genre, and with this release, they're introducing "Bossa Nova Around the World". Obviously with that title, they're emphasising artists from other countries outside of Brazil, for strictly Bossa Nova, you need to check out their first release of Samba Bossa Nova.

To get a background on Bossa Nova, check out Dave's Jazz Note #13: Go Global, which goes into detail about how a jazz saxophonist Jewish kid from the Bronx help bring Bossa Nova to the world (hint Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto were reponsible for "The Girl from Ipanema" with Gilberto's then-wife Astrud on vocals).

As you listen to Bossa Nova Around the World, it's easy to see why this Brazilian sound caught on: you feel like you're on a beach with the music as a light breeze over you. This is the soundtrack that you can relax to a book.

While many of these songs try and emulate the winning formula of "The Girl from Ipanema" (rhythmic acoustic with loungey girl singer), I thought these bands stood out:

2raumwohnung, in particular, blew me away with "Melancholisch Schön", because, from my understanding, they are a dance/pop group from Germany, and here they are on this compilation doing a wonderful laid-back bossa nova song. Hilde Hefte from Norway had a very similar sound with "Vakker Natt (Corcovado)", but with acoustic and piano.

From Mexico (and Canada?), Amanda Martinez, did a nice job with a classic samba rhythm with distinctive Spanish-style with "Hasta Que Pueda". It's really a nice song, I'm glad they chose that song as a freebie (I just verified that the link doesn't work!).

Dusko Goykovich from Serbia did a really fun song, "Menina Moça". It has a big band sound and the horns and the flutes are singing to you, even though there are no words in the song.

As usual, each Putumayo release comes with biography on each band. For this type of music, it's perfect to sit band and read the various biography on each band. You can order some various Brazil Putumayo releases below:

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

JAZZ NOTE #14 – CAPTURE AN ERA

We here at We Heart Music are big fans of Putumayo and their focus on music from around the world.  They are like a cool friend who makes really great mixed tapes.  Forget splapdash and haphazard, the selections they chose have something to say and blend so well with the others. 

Anita O’Day: It Don't Mean A Thing Read More Jazz Notes If you don’t know much about jazz, I can think of no better introduction. I especially like Toussaint’s interpretation of “St. James Infirmary”, a traditional dirge of a funeral march, but he picks a pace between a skip and a strut.

If you go to their website www.putumayo.com you will notice they have compilations from every continent except Antarctica.  Espana and Brazilian Café are in my musical rotation and so will Jazz.

Jazz is a pretty broad musical term.  This compilation concentrates on an era when big band was on the wane and rock n’ roll was still on the horizon.  It was a time when jazz musicians were exploring and pushing the boundaries in tightly knit combos and singers were adding their own voice to the classic ballads of Gershwin and Hammerstein. 

What I like most about this record is it’s not the typical collection of usual suspects you’d grab while ordering a latte or picking out furniture.  This is a thoughtful compilation that both beginners and aficionados can enjoy.  There are singers on this record that I’m unfamiliar with like Blossom Dearie and Maxine Sullivan and there are well know icons playing recordings I never heard before: Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson in “I Was Doing All Right” and Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans playing a rather upbeat “Waltz for Debby.”  Then there is Anita O’Day’s interpretation of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”  If any person captured the feeling of jazz in the 5o’s it was her.  Hip, cool and non-conforming, she could swing with the best of them while adding her own sassy spin. 

Dave

It's a Putumayo Christmas

Maria de Barros: Alegria Download the song "Alegria" by Maria De Barros for free Read More Putumayo Putumayo World Music was established to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. Th...

Putumayo has been bringing the best of world music to the USA for over a decade, and continues with its latest release, World Christmas Party. Obviously the theme is holiday music from around the globe.

To start off with, a reggae version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" by Jacob Miller. Miller does a great fun version of the song by replacing various words, like "merry" with "ire" (a Jamaican term for good). I believe this song was taken from his 1978 album, Natty Christmas (which was re-issued in 2007 by VP Records).

My favorite track is "Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree" by Keahiwai. I instantly knew they were Hawaiian based on the laidback rhythm and the distinctive sound of the ukulele.

With such distinctive versions, like a Cuban version of "Winter Wonderland" by Jose Conde, a Brazilian "Deck the Halls" (retitled as "Alegria") by Maria de Barros, a New Zealander's version of "Santa Clause is Coming To Town" (retitled as "Kei Te Haere Mai A Hana Koko") by H.K. Crew feat. K11NA, etc., it's really hard to pass up this album if you love world music.

If you look at the track listing below and think "I don't know any of these musicians", hey, no problem! All Putumayo releases comes with extensive booklets that lists brief biography on each of their artists (written in English, French, and Spanish). Plus recipes!

1. Jacob Miller • Wish You A Merry Christmas
2. Poncho Sanchez • Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
3. Charles Brown • Christmas Comes But Once A Year
4. Keahiwai • Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
5. Jose Conde • Winter Wonderland
6. Maria de Barros • Alegria
7. Heritage Hall Jazz Band • Barra De Navidad Blues
8. Brave Combo • The Christmas Song
9. H.K. Crew feat. K11NA • Kei Te Haere Mai A Hana Koko
10. Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven • Carol And The Kings
11. Costa Neto • Boas Festas Moçambique
12. Ed Calle with Arturo Sandoval • Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

The album finishes with an instrumental version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Ed Calle with Arturo Sandoval. The brass sound reminds me of Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass (they didn't do this song off their 1968 album, Christmas Album, but I suspect it would sound very similiar to Ed Calle's version).



After I browsed around the Putumayo's website, I noticed that you can get $10 off if you spend $50 by using the keyword "GIFT". So, in case you needed other suggestions to try and take advantage of the Christmas deal, below are two more recent Putumayo's releases.

PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: YOGA This is a mostly Eastern type of music, and designed as a really soothing, relaxing music. Most of the vocals on this album are women, and they sound so cosmic sometime that I think DJs would love to get a hold of these tracks and put beats to them. Strong tracks include "Ghungate Ke" and "Purnamadah". Tracks: 1 Lucknow Project • Ghungate Ke 2 Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band • Om Hari Om/Sharanam Ganesha (Refuge) 3 Shantala • Purnamadah 4 Wah! • Bolo Ram 5 Ben Leinbach & Geoffrey Gordon • Cerulean 6 Karnamrita Dasi • Devaki 7 Niraj Chag • Bangles 8 Amounsulu • El Bosque Eterno de los Niños 9 Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits • Moods Of Kirtan 10 Susheela Raman • O Rama 11 Krishna Das • Hanuman Baba 12 Ablaye Cissoko & Volker Goetze • Sira 13 Lama Gyurme & Jean-Philippe Rykiel • Offering Chant 14 Yogini • Bliss I don't practice yoga, but reading the liner notes are by yoga instructor (and musician), Sean Johnson, he does a wonderful job on explaining yoga terms. If you are looking for a really calm background music for yoga or mental relaxation, this is the perfect album for you.		PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: TRIBUTE TO A REGGAE LEGEND Celebrating Bob Marley's music, this is a must-have for any reggae fan. What makes this even more extraordinary is that appearing on this compilation are five brand new recording, especially for this release. This is a big deal, because this is the first time that Putumayo produced these new original tracks. My favorite's Brazilian Ceu's version of "Concrete Jungle" (note her vocal beat-box at the beginning of the song). Tracks: 1 Three Plus (Hawaii) • Is This Love 2 Robi Kahakalau (Hawaii) • Do It Twice 3 Rebelution (USA) • Natural Mystic 4 Caracol (Canada) • Could You Be Loved 5 Céu (Brazil) • Concrete Jungle 6 Rocky Dawuni (Ghana) • Sun Is Shining 7 Freshlyground (South Africa) • Africa Unite 8 Northern Lights (USA) • Waiting In Vain 9 Julie Crochetière (Canada) • Mellow Mood 10 Funkadesi (USA/India) • Real Situation 11 Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars (Sierra Leone) • No Woman No Cry 12 Playing for Change (International) • One Love New tracks are: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars's "No Woman No Cry", Freshlyground's "Africa Unite", Caracol's "Could You Be Loved", Rebelution's "Natural Mystic", and Rocky Dawuni's "Sun Is Shining".

vu () ♥ putumayo.com

Putumayo Presents - South Africa and Latin Party

Read More Putumayo World Music http://weheartmus... Putumayo World Music was established to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. Th...

When it comes to world music, no one can hold a candle to Putumayo. This New York company started out in clothing, then to music, and now, ta-da, books. I should also point out that all Putumayo CD releases comes with 30+ page booklet, written in English, French, and Spanish, so it just made perfect sense to me that they'd venture into printing.

Just in time for the Summer, for a limited time, if you buy three Putumayo CDs, you get Putumayo World Party absolutely free. Can't decide what to get? Here are two albums for your consideration:

Putumayo Presents - South Africa

For the first time, 2010 FIFA World Cup, is taking place on Africa's soils, and to celebrate, Putumayo's latest compilation is called South Africa. Sadly, I think the South African team did not make it into the final rounds, but I don't think that would stop the vuvuzelas from invading the final knockout games.

One thing I've picked up from listening to this Putumayo's album is that South African's music is, it's quite calm and cool. There's some hints of reggae (Zoro's "Work" is a really good example), traditional Kwaito (Bholoja's "Mbombela"), and sometime rap (Blk Sonshine's "Nkosi"). The different style of music, reflects a rich and diverse culture found in South Africa. Although I could not tell you if all eleven official languages were sung, I can tell you that there's Zulu on the a cappella "Ngahlulele" by Soweto Gospel Choir.

My favorite song is the English song, "Beautiful Feet" by Nibs van der Spuy. The slow acoustic really brings out van der Spuy's beautiful voice.

Be on the lookout for Putumayo's next release Tribute to a Reggae Legend (which contain a track from my favorite Bralizian, Céu).

Putumayo Presents - Latin Party

Salsa anyone?! The rhythmic sound of this compilation took me away to a sweaty dance floor in a packed Latin dance club - far from the Midwest where I reside.

This CD infuses sounds from many regions of Latin America, combining salsa, cumbia, Afro-Cuban, funk, soul, and jazz. The percussion, the brass horns, the vocals - muy caliente!

Putumayo, the company that put together this quality collection of tunes, successfully pieced together a variety of fresh faces in the Latin scene. I would recommend this to anyone who doesn’t already have an extensive collection of Latin music that includes these new artists. If you’re looking for some danceable music to throw on for your party this summer, this is perfect.

I really enjoyed the song “Asi Se Compone Un Son” by Cecilia Noël. Her voice is solid and she definitely sounds a bit like the “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz.

Also, keep your eyes open for the group Yerba Buena out of New York. Nominated for a Grammy in 2003, they’ve gained quite a bit of recognition and have a great, funky sound. The lead singer, Cucu Diamantes, recently released a solo album as well. Itunes has been recommending I buy both artists’ music for a year now. Time to get out the wallet

 

 06/29/2010 00:29:34 ♥ vu y nicole ♥ www.putumayo.com 

Putumayo Presents... Rhythm & Blues and Jazz Around the World

Lavelle White - I've Never Found A Man To Love Lavelle White Read More Putumayo World Music http://weheartmus... Putumayo World Music was established to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. Th...

What can I say? Putumayo's doing such an excellent job in what they do best: compiling the best music in genre, specializing in world music. I have a couple I wanted to mention:

PUTUMAYO PRESENTS RHYTHM & BLUES
Sit back and relax - no, wait, get up and groove, as these twelve songs were handpicked by the Putumayo people, guaranteeing some amazing R&B songs. A great mix of old 70s boogie music (The Emotions' "Me and My Honey") to modern artists (Irma Thomas' "River is Waiting"). Especially the later, I couldn't believe that some of these songs were produced last year.

As with the old/new mixture, the choice in songs ranges from "sad" songs (losing your girl and looking for a new one on "Before I Find the Right Girl for Me" by Rockie Charles) to "funny" songs (the line "Does anyone know what a 'Wang Dang Doodle' is?" from Sam Moore, Keb' Mo' and Angie Stone) to "feel good" songs (the feeling of burning love on Lavelle White's "I've Never Found a Man to Love").

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights

One song that I wasn't surprise to see on this compilation, was Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings' "100 Days, 100 Nights" on this compilation. If you recall, I had picked that song as my Top Five for 2008. I'll admit that the song's lyrics are simplistic, but the soulful voice and horns made this song an instant classic for me.

Although there are some great artists on this compilation, I was hoping to see Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials making it on - maybe next year? I would love to read what Putumayo has to write about him, since every Putumayo comes with a biography written about the artist in the language of North America (English, Spanish, and French).

Putumayo Presents Rhythm & Blues will be released in a few week on February 9^th. Head over to Putumayo to preview three songs - and get a free song! Personally, I always recommend buying the physical disc as it comes with photos and booklet. See the photograph I've attached.

PUTUMAYO PRESENTS JAZZ AROUND THE WORLD
This album was release pre-Christmas, to have a nice stocking stuffer for the jazz fan in your family. Unfortunately, due to the holidays I never got around to reviewing it (however, I did manage to cover A Family Christmas).

I did listen and made some jazz fans I knew have a listen to the album, and they gave me feedback on the album. First of all, everyone I spoke to said that they like the booklet that came with the CD (they also all asked if they can have it...)

While all these songs are from different parts of the world (Canada, USA, Cameroon, Guinea, France, Africa, Cuba, Mexico), they all share the common language of Jazz. The "accent" from the African jazz songs stood out for me, particularly the usage of the balabon from Keletigui Diabate with Habib Koite & Bamada's "Summertime at Bamako" to the rhythmic beats of Kora Jazz Trio's "Chan Chan".

The most interesting song on here is the New Zealand song "Te Reo o Papatuanuku" by Kataraina Pipi, which actually is more Pacific Islander in origin.

My favorite song, is Heather Rigdon's "Young and Naive" (and it's not because she's the only American on this compilation). What I generally like is the sensual voice of Rigdon, which exuberate of experience - yet at the same time she also sounds youthful and vulnerable. The song is about not being so young and naive, combined with the piano - I just think this would make such a great song for a dark & smoky movie soundtrack.

If you're interested in finding out more about World Music, here's additional information: General information at putumayo.com. Read their blog, follow their twitter, and connect them them on facebook.

 01/22/2010 22:39:42 ♥ vu () ♥ www.putumayo.com ♥ twitter.com/putumayomusic 

W♥M Holiday Gift Guide 2009

 

Inon Zur - I am the One (Remix by DJ Killa)

Inon Zur

This is perfect for the upcoming Black Friday: I've filmed my W♥M Holiday Gift Guide 2009. These are the stuff that I want and/or own.� Other like-mind geeks out there here's where you can find these awesome stuff.


Music: Superdrag - 4-Track Rock !!! 1992-1995 + Complete "Bender" Sessions, Putumayo Presents - Jazz Around the World
Toys: Red Hulk, Grey Hulk, Green Hulk (all are from Marvel Universe 3 ¾" Series)
Games: Dragon Age Collector Edition
Books: Ghost World: The Special Edition (Hardcover), Adrian Tomine's "Summer Blonde" ($5!)
Movies: Star Trek Target Exclusive DVD. Bluray version not available on the crappy target.com website. I would also like to formally lodge a complaint about target search: it sucks. Also: Shaw Brothers Metal Tin: Epic Heroes (4 DVDs and T-Shirt Offer) , this tin case is a great gift for the Martial Arts fan. I already own two of the movies on this collection, but bought this anyway.

So, as you know, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to pop culture stuff, quite interested in collecting all of the Shaw Brother's movies on DVD. If you like that sort of thing, I'm maintaining a checklist of sorts at movies.weheartmusic.com. They're mostly only being released as DVDs, the only Shaw Brothers to get released as a bluray in the US market is Opium and the Kung Fu Master, and it's brilliant. Image quality is amazing for a 1984 film - much better than some of the dodgy bluray releases (I'm looking at you, Anchor Bay).

I have also been playing Dragon Age, quite slow-moving, but I love it. The best version to get is the PC version, surprisingly. First of all it's about $10 cheaper than the Xbox or PS3 version, and it looks fantastic compared to those console version. Plus you can zoom out for that top-view like those Baldur's Gate games. Love it.

The collector's version comes with some useless junk: in-game items (I hate these digital "extras") and cloth map. The best thing out of this collection is the soundtrack and "making of" DVD. I did watch the DVD features, they're professionally produced. Take the time to watch the strategy feature, there's some great insights on how to create your characters and what's the best weapons & armors in the game.

The soundtrack is composed by Inon Zur, who also previously did soundtrack work for Bioware's Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale II. Dragon Age soundtrack has the typical epic orchestral instrumentals, however there are a few songs on the album that features Gaelic-type singing by Aubrey Ashburn (particularly on "Lelianna's Song", "I Am The One", and the main theme song). From Ashburn's description on the DVD interview, it looks like the song writing process had quite a fast turn-around time.

There is one song on the soundtrack that I do not believe actually appears in the game, DJ Killa's remix of "I Am the One". Keep in mind that I haven't finish the game, so the song may be in the game... I was told that 30 Seconds to Mars also has a song on Dragon Age, but I've yet to encounter that either.

�11/24/2009 00:52:54�♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Christmas Music Guide 2009

You must think it's so great to review music, even as a hobby. That is until you realize that I've been listening to nonstop Christmas music ... in October!! Most of the smarter record labels are releasing their Seasonal music of or prior to that American tradition known as "Black Friday".

What we have in store for you are three very special Christmas albums that's already released or coming out soon-ish.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Is Zat You Santa Claus Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Read More Putumayo World Music http://weheartmus...

Putumayo Presents: A Family Christmas
putumayo.com

Putumayo's Christmas album came out at the end of October, and features eleven tracks of very well-known Seasonal songs, including "Winter Wonderland" and "Frosty the Snowman". The emphasis seems to be on "family", as these are all very cheery and traditional-sounding. Which should also translate to boring/age-old songs, but this being from the folks at Putumayo, is nothing but predictable.

Starting with appetizers, Johnny Bregar's banjo-like strumming and snapping to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". We move to some smooth drink with a jazzy "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Martin Sexton.

The main dish for me is a swingy big band "Is Zat You Santa Claus?" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Now, I've heard of these guys when "Swing was the thing" movement, but I had no idea they were so good. Based on this Christmas song, I can see why the band was honored to play the half-time at Super Bowl in 1999.

My other favorite off the album is the Hawaiian Christmas song, "Mele Kalikimaka", as a duet between Debbie Davies & Matt Perrine. The song sounds very retro to me, like something you'd hear in the 1950s by The Andrews Sisters, especially because I have visions of Ukulele and Hulu hoops, as I'm drinking my Kauai Cocktail.

The rest of the album seems very snacky, especially with the acoustic version of "Winter Wonderland" by Deana Carter. This works because of Carter's sweet voice. The other girl-singer Kate Rusby, who brought an international flavor to "Here We Come A-Wassailing", you can tell with her English accent.

The album comes to a close with a dance-for-all jamboree "Frosty the Snowman" by Lars Edegran and his Santa Claus Revelers. This instrumental sounds very New Orleans to me, a bit of jazz and wild swing that grooves you to dance out of the restaurant.

As usual, with all Putumayo's releases, this release comes with a handsome packaging with large lyric book (two pages of biography is devoted to each artist, written in English, French, and Spanish). If you're not convinced, you can hear three more songs at putumayo.com with the option of downloading a free song from there.

Tour Dates 12/05/09 Vaughan’s, LA 12/07/09 Blue Nile New Orleans, LA 12/10/09 Bullet’s New Orleans, LA 12/12/09 Vaughan’s, LA 12/17/09 Bullet’s New Orleans, LA 12/19/09 Vaughan’s, LA 12/21/09 Balcony New Orleans, LA 12/24/09 Bullet’s New Orleans, LA 12/26/09 Vaughan’s, LA 12/27/09 Blue Nile New Orleans, LA 12/28/09 Balcony New Orleans, LA Read More What I like about jazz is how multi-dimensional it can be. From Dixieland, Big Band to a small t...

Kermit Ruffins
myspace.com/kermitruffinsmusic

Speaking of New Orleans and jazz and Putumayo alumni, Kermit Ruffins has a Christmas album coming out on November 10^th called Have Yourself a Crazy Cool Christmas.

As expected, this is an album of Christmas standards, but with a jazzy twist. Lots of trumpets and piano-playing on the album. Ruffins does some scatting "What Will Santa Say When He Finds Everybody Swingin’", which you can clearly hear some Louis Armstrong-influences.

While I say these are standards, these songs often have change in either musical shifts or lyrics have been changed or sung in a very different way. I noticed that "swing" replaces a few words, like in "Santa Claus is swinging into town". Also, as with most jazz improvisation, the music often become its own entity, usually stretching out the songs into five or six minutes, when traditionally they're two or three minute songs. For instance, "Little Drummer Boy" is now a sad New Orleans-style six minute epic song.

My favorite on the album is the duet "Baby It's Cold Outside". My review copy does not include liner notes, so I do not know who the part of the woman is sung by. Anyway, it's not as cheesy as the Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews version, but it's still pretty funny whenever I hear this song about a couple fighting and the guy is locked outside his home. Ruffins' humor can be found on his title track, "Have Yourself a Crazy Cool Christmas" where he warns people to have a crazy cool Christmas, but "don't get knocked up!"

If you want to hear Christmas songs in a jazzy style, you do need to check out Kermit Ruffins' Have Yourself a Crazy Cool Christmas. The album will be available next week on Basin Street Records.

Tour Dates 12/12/09 Regent Theatre Melbourne 12/13/09 Regent Theatre Melbourne 12/15/09 Canberra Theatre Canberra 12/16/09 Opera House Sydney 12/17/09 Opera House Sydney 12/19/09 Thebarton Theatre Adelaide 12/21/09 PCEC Riverside Perth 12/24/09 QPAC Concert Brisbane Read More Tori Amos http://weheartmus... Tori Amos is a pianist and singer-songwriter. She is married to English sound engineer Mark Hawle...

Tori Amos
toriamos.com ♥ myspace.com/toriamos

On a similar note, Tori Amos' Christmas album is a reworking of classic Seasonal songs. While it's easy to dismiss these Christamosed song, I think she's doing a fantastic job on changing your expectations of these songs. If you have ever heard any Tori Amos cover songs, you'll notice that she always transforms the original song into something completely new and different. And that's exactly what she's doing on Midwinter Graces.

While some of the more popular and traditional songs, "What Child Is This?" (retitled as "What Child, Nowell"), "Emmanuel", and "We Three Kings" (retitled as "Star of Wonder"), are reimagined, I think there might actually be some original Tori songs such as "Pink and Glitter" and "Our New Year".

What else is new is that she has a full orchestra behind her on this album. You can clearly hear all the sweeping arrangements on all the songs, in particular "Harps of Gold". In contrast, my favorite is "Snow Angel", a quieter song with lots of violins and pianos.

If you're a Tori fan, there's something to like here: a bit of traditional with a bit of modern... but clearly a Tori Amos product. I've stressed before that Abnormally Attracted to Sins will only appeal to Tori Amos fans, with Midwinter Graces, I feel people outside of the Amos circle will like and understand. I mean, who doesn't like Christmas music?

Midwinter Graces is available next week on Universal Republic. You can pre-order the CD/DVD combo on amazon. Unfortunately, my review copy does not include the DVD portion, but I'm sure it's the usual interview and/or music video.

 11/03/2009 17:10:02 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

World Music: España

DePedro - La Memoria DePedro Tour Dates 10/15/09 BELLY UP*, SAN DIEGO, CA 10/16/09 Troubadour*, LA, CA 10/17/09 Solar Culture TUCSON, AZ 10/24/09 930 Club*, Washington DC 10/28/09 SOB’s*NY, New York 10/29/09 Sala Rosa*,Montreal, Quebec 10/30/09 Rivoli*, Toronto, Ontario 10/31/09 Schuba’s*, Chicago, Illinois 11/01/09 Schuba’s*, Chicago, Illinois 11/03/09 Varsity Theatre*, Minne, MN 11/13/09 Womad Festival, Palmas 11/28/09 BLACK NOTEA, Valencia 12/11/09 Sala Plateruena, Vizcaya 12/12/09 La Faktoria de Arts, Barcelona *with Federico Aubele

National Geographic's Music have been on my mind lately. First off, I got some free songs from Gabon People and Bibi Tanga et le professeur inlassable, via PNY's National Geographic Bonus Offer because I had recently purchased a 8 gig SanDisk for my Olympus Camera.

DEPEDRO
depedro.net ♥ myspace.com

While searching for shows coming to Minneapolis, I noticed that Jairo Zaval, aka DePedro, will be playing here with Federico Aubele, in early November. He's probably most famous for being the touring guitarist for Calexico, but in the Spanish world, he'll probably be known for being the frontsman for the rock group Vacazul, blues band 3000 Hombres, and surf group Los Coronas. Well, his self-titled debut album was released last August via the National Geographic Music Label.

Since I only have basic high school Spanish, I really couldn't tell you what many of the songs mean. There are a few English songs that I did understand (and enjoyed, particularly "Two Parts in One"), but the majority of his songs are written and sung in Spanish.

There are some welcomed surprises, including incredibly poppy song "Te sigo soñando", a latin-bluesy "¿Qué puedo hacer por ti?", and a partial duet on "Llorona".

His single and radio song that they seem to like is "La Memoria" (the Memory), which, if you can understand Spanish, it might convey how he felt about poverty and injustice when he visited Mexico. The song was a free giveaway on natgeomusic.net, but I couldn't figure out where on their website.

PUTUMAYO PRESENTS ESPAÑA
www.putumayo.com

Read More Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Café http://weheartmus... 08/01/09 JOHNNY BREGAR Seattle, WA • Woodland Park Zoo 08/02/09 JOHNNY BREGAR Portland, OR • Oreg...

When it comes to World Music, I think Putumayo's the label for these type of music. Each release is gorgeous, always including a gorgeous booklet with each artist's biography (in English, Spanish, and French). This is one of those company that doesn't really release their music on iTunes - which is fine, because the real experience is in its physical package. These releases are made to be on display on your bookshelves.

Beyond DePedro, of course I did not recognize any of these Spanish artist on this release. But that's okay, I trust Putumayo to do a great job compiling the best of the best, as they say. After all, they've been doing this since 1993.

Most of these songs are on the upbeat side. Sometime I feel these songs are mixture of traditional with modern mix. The stand-out tracks that does that traditional/modern thing is "Cumbia Caimanera" by El Combolinga, a band from Madrid. Judging from the translated lyrics, they are singing about "real life" of the state of things in Cuba.

From the other side of the river, where there are no streetlights
Foundtains are dry and we don't put foot to ball
That's where we the caimans live
Without a job or glamor
We have big mouths and our eyes are looking south
That's why we sing looking towards the south

The lone woman singer on this whole compilation, Uxía, certain stood out for me. According to her biography, she grew up very close to Portugal, so she's long felt kinship with the Portuguese culture. Her song, "Danza Ritual" (Dance Ritual) sings about a dance, describing it as a spider spinning the web of fate.

While I did mention that most of these songs are very Flamenco/Spanish, there is a surprisingly vaguely reggae song on the album called "Te Estás Equivocando" (You Are Getting it All Wrong) by Gecko Turner. I believe the chorus music might be stolen from "The Tide is High" by the Paragons (who was made famous by Blondie), by the way.

Also, this must be a reoccurring feature, but in addition to music, there's a few recipes for Bread Pudding and Torrijas de Natillas, by chef Eva Arguinaño. And as always, buying Putumayo means they will donate a portion of their profit to a charity. This release proceeds will go to Intermón Oxfam.

Look for their two upcoming release in late October, A Family Christmas and Jazz Around The World.

 10/13/2009 19:17:48 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com