Category: Sun Mountain

Skinnie Dub

If you’ve read the All About Jazz review here about a new release from Skinnie, One Add One, you’ll probably have noticed the clip no longer works. I took it down. Not because of any copyright infringement. The clip sprung from my mind and my computer. No. It was taken down because of a happenstance. If you’re curious and would like to learn more, just click on the image and find out.

Storm in a teacup

On the way home yesterday, i could see the storm bursting out in a promising ouverture.
Trees were tested by the wind, old branches and leaves floated freely in the sky or covered the road.
The force of nature, as a fascinating presence.
Realizing we may count our blessings, for it is not as destructive here as it can be elsewhere on the planet…

| Music: Satellites (demo) by Rickie Lee Jones | The Duchess of Coolsville Anthology 2005 | http://www.rickieleejones.com |
(used with permission of RLJ)

In the nick of time

Or better yet, I nicked some time off a good night’s sleep last night. Had to go out for work (a book about the Haspengouw region in Belgium) in the evening and thought I was drinking decaf at this wonderful location, a medieval farmstead that has been beautifully restored by its owners. Or maybe I was just inspired by the peace and quiet, good entrepreneurship and genuine Flemish hospitality. On my way home I decided to let the cellphone camera roll and film the journey back and after having arrived at my destination, I switched on the computer and spent hours watching clips in YouTube and listening to music. The wee hours, as they say. I could hear the real early birds sharpen their toncils and exercise their vocal chords. If they have any.

There’s a lot to be thankful for. Honest to Jove. Cherries in the garden. One single tree feeding six households in the hood. Neighbours exchanging homegrown salad for a bowl of fresh handpicked cherries. The simple stuff can be so magnificent. It’s what draws one back to the essence of life, perhaps. Despite the whole lot of ugly that surrounds us. And music. Music is magic. Always. It was a trip down the 80s lane yesterday, most of the time. It started at a friend’s Facebook page with Robert Palmer. Every Kind Of People. And soon it drifted on to Thomas Dolby and an incredible version of The Flat Earth. From there, it went haywire. Medium Medium, C Cat Trance. Shriekback, Scritti Politti, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Big Country, Wet Wet Wet. And loads more.

I also found an interesting cover of Rickie Lee Jones’ Night Train. A couple of years ago, she said she would love for others to cover her songs. She realized that the general perception of her music is that she has such a distinctive voice, her compositions and lyrics might not be covered easily because each song is extremely authentic, breathing RLJ’s persona, spirit and imagery. Well, here’s a pretty cool version of Night Train, done by a duo, Joe and Ellen. And to end this in a Steely vibe, kinda keeping it close to its old Mizar5 roots, this same singer/bassist Ellen also has a clip up singing Josie…

Cats & Candles

(Click image for YouTube clip)

There has been a lot of quality music lately, we’d like to mention some of it in here as well, namely a few reviews for All About Jazz: get the blues with Memphis guitarist Billy Lavender and explore your “Boiling Point” with young saxophone sensation Brandon Wright.

Since writing about others seems to be a primal nature, it can’t harm to give into a little self-reflection sometimes by sharing the fun that can be experienced when using GarageBand, iMovie HD and various musical loops. It beats having to play the guitar again after too many years of absence in that area and it is interesting to discover and learn how to put together sounds as harmonically as possible. Should you be curious like our young cat Souris is when watching a burning candle… click the image above and see & hear for yourself 🙂

Everything Must Go

Sometimes we’re caught in cycles. This morning, the Royal Scam album suddenly warmed up the cold ambiance of an empty living room. Cold due to its ancient, but lovely tiles. Cold because it’s a damp light-greyish day today.

It wasn’t me who turned on the luscious tunes and imaginative lyrics and brilliant story-telling. And i was pleasantly surprised. So, out of curiosity, i figured why not listen to some more Steely music? And then Everything Must Go came in the picture after quite some time as well. And i REALLY liked what i heard, the cool horn arrangements, Fagen’s voice, the babe choir, the rhythms and beats…

But this idea of EMG kind of got prompted due to a photograph Nigey Lennon sent me yesterday: “This sign appeared a few months ago on a vacant Taco Bell building in East Northport. I’d been meaning to take a pic of it forever, but always forgot to bring the camera. Everything must go, indeed — except no one seems to want to buy an old Taco Bell. :)”

There are tides and cycles in the universe. Sometimes a smile is all there is to say while the rest is a matter of chemical reactions unfolding within one’s brain, or heart and soul.

Let’s Get Lost with Mark Sholtez

We Could Get Lost – a first taste from Mark’s upcoming album The Distance Between Two Truths.

Written By Mark Sholtez and Iain Archer (Snow Patrol)

The song was recorded in Hollywood’s famous Sunset Sound studios with producer Larry Klein and features Doug Pettibone – Fender Telecaster and Mandolin, Larry Golding – Hamond B3 Organ and Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Brian MacLeod – Drums and Percussion, David Piltch – Double Bass and Kate Markowitz – Backing Vocals.

This clip was shot in and around Melbourne, Australia.

Mark plays a Collings 003G Acoustic Guitar.

Find Mark on Facebook and become a fan for updates about the new album:
http://www.facebook.com/marksholtezmusic

For Mark’s upcoming tour dates check out http://www.marksholtez.com/