1 THE LOW ANTHEM – SMART FLESH
‘Ghost Woman Blues’ is the opening track from the latest album by The Low Anthem, the just-released ‘Smart Flesh’. It’s a beautiful record, and here’s a clip of the aforementioned track, recorded at WNRN in Charlottesville, Virginia, in November 2009:
2 MODDI – FLORIOGRAPHY
This beguiling talent, who hails from the Norwegian island of Senja, has been compared to both Bjork and Nico, but both observations do a disservice to this original and startling songwriter and performer. ‘Magpie Eggs’, exquisitely performed here in an utterly compelling liver version last year, is the opening track from the album:
3 YOUNG PRISMS – FRIENDS FOR NOW
Released a month ago, ‘Friends For Now’ is the debut album by the rather excellent Young Prisms. Check out this early live performance of a song from the new album – ‘If You Want To’, captured at their gig at the Rickshaw Stop, in San Francisco last March:
4 SEAN ROWE – MAGIC
Sean Rowe, signed to the great Anti Records, has a voice that is both a hundred years old and fresh as dew, somewhat reminiscent of Richie Havens. Here’s a stunning acoustic rendition of ‘Jonathan’, from his recently released ‘Magic’ album:
5 NEW YORK DOLLS – DANCING BACKWARD IN HIGH HEELS
The Dolls appear to still be able to cut the mustard, which is gratifying and remarkable, considering the obstacles they have had to overcome – death of key members primary amongst these. Here’s an audio track of the excellent ‘Talk To Me Baby’ from the new album:
6 LUCINDA WILLIAMS – BLESSED
It’s hard to believe that Lucinda Williams isn’t a household name, but she has carved out a great career by writing and performing bittersweet songs from the heartland. This performance of ‘Buttercup’, the studio version of which can be found on her latest album, was shot live in Fayetteville, Arkansas last September:
7 HOWE GELB & A BAND OF GYPSIES – ALEGRIAS
Gelb is a genuine maverick, and he’s got more a quarter of a century’s worth of recordings to prove it. His latest features the marvellous ‘Uneven Light Of Day’, the video for which is here:
8 PARTS & LABOR – CONSTANT FUTURE
Their fifth album is beginning to pick up positive attention in the UK, which is richly deserved, as they manage to sound original and experimental, whilst creating melody laden pop gems. Here’s an audio track of ‘Rest’ from the Rest album:
9 MEN – TALK ABOUT BODY
Geeky, freaky and strangely addictive, this version of ‘Life’s Half Price’, by Men, was filmed on June 12th 2009 at Get Weird at the New Museum NYC, for Younger Than Jesus – the first edition of The Generational, the Museum’s new signature triennial exhibit of young artists:
10 JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD – TELL ME
This track, ‘Somewhere In Your Heart’ is a stand out cut from Jessica’s second release, which is produced by Black Keys’ singer/guitar player Dan Auerbach. This live version was filmed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last August:
