Sarah Harmer

Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer.

I know, I know! This has got to be one of my latest posts ever… but I had to work from the the early am and I only got home an hour or so ago. Plus, everyone is still kinda in holiday mode today so I spaced that it was Monday, a regular posting day.

You Were Here, I'm A Mountain, All Our Names, Oh Little Fire.



So, normally on a Monday I share my movie or music likes old and new. Today is no exception. I got a gift card for Amazon so I decided to use it on my Kindle and my phone’s mp3. I got a romance novel (hey, don’t judge me!) and I bought You Were Here by Sarah Harmer.

Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer songwriter whose music is a blend of stripped down folk pop perfection. Her voice is sweet but not twee. She writes songs about love and life that are catchy but not gag inducingly so. I adore her music!

I was first introduced to her through a promo copy of You Were Here while was working at Borders Books. I got to keep the copy from the store (and I still own it, it is just stuck in the purgatory that is my storage unit in Seatown). I play it regularly when I have it physically with me… so when I was surfing Amazon mp3 earlier today and saw that the digital copy was only $4.99, I jumped at the chance to listen to it again. I wasn’t disappointed! My favorite tracks include the tracks Open Window (The Wedding Song), Lodestars, Uniform Grey, Hideout, and Around the Corner. Really the whole album is a wonder, as is the follow up record she made, All Our Names. I find myself humming the first track on that disc, Pendulums, at odd times, like when I’m walking to the grocery or waiting for the bus. Her tunes are that good.

She has two newer releases: I’m A Mountain, which is more in the alt-country vein (I’ve only heard a few tracks) and Oh Little Fire, which came out last year. If you like the kind of music that makes you think of coffeehouses and hanging out with your friends in the den and talking all night then you’ll like her. Plus, $4.99 (apparently the price i got today is through the mobile version of Amazon mp3) is hard to beat.

See you tomorrow!

Coldplay: Parachutes

Sometimes the best things aren’t the new, new, bleeding edge thing. Sometimes it’s that old, familiar thing that gets shoved to the back of closet and becomes a victim of “out of sight, out if mind”.

I moved to Charlotte in mid-January. A total leap of faith move; I left everything in Seattle and brought only myself and my clothes. That meant that my collection of 600+ CDs stayed in storage and hied myself over here without the benefit of my comfortable, comforting stack of go-to bands and music. Not a good place to be in when you’re a hardcore music lover like myself.

So yesterday I decided to check out the $5 MP3 downloads at Amazon. Every month they feature 100 albums that are only $5 each. Sometimes they’re themed but mostly it’s a good mix of old, new, and a different genres. It was a FEAST for me! This month features quite a few of my favorite artists, some of it was even the latest albums by those artists… but I chose to go with a favorite and classic album: Parachutes by Coldplay.

What can I say about this record that hasn’t been said before? Probably nothing. I will say this: it’s hard to find a record that is as perfect from the first to the last track than this. My favorites are High Speed, Spies, Shiver, and We Never Change but I love the while record. If you’ve never heard it or only heard the singles, I encourage you to give it a whirl this month  while you can get the whole thing for $5.

I hope your Monday goes like a Friday!  Have an awesome week!

Kings Of Leon

I have my sister to blame for my current musical addiction: Kings of Leon. I kept hearing this guy growling about how he could use somebody on the overhead at work… and singing along to it. So, I called her and asked her if shed heard the song. What I’d I do that for? She waxed poetic! Then she told me about how awesome Only By Night, their US breakthrough, was and I told her I had to have it. My wonderful sister got me a copy and sent it to me. I’ve been listening to it ever since. Highlights for me include the aforementioned Use Somebody, Revelry, Crawl, and Sex On Fire, just to name a few. The whole album is amazing though.

I’m so enamored that I bought the CD they released before that today from Amazon. If I like it as much as Only By Night, I’ll have to continue procuring their music. I think they’ve got a newer one out. It might have my name on it. 🙂

The Bird and The Bee

Happy Monday, everyone! The sun is out, the air is hazy and hot, but the IKEA gods have seen fit to have the air on. Whoot!

Monday Music Pick: The Bird and The Bee.

This duo hails from Los Angeles, CA. They met when producer/keyboardist Greg Kurstin began producing singer Inara George’s solo album. They decided to form a duo instead and The Bird and The Bee was born. They have a cool, jazzy-synthpop sound that is totally easy on the ears. This is fun music, a little hipster-ish… but not so much your eyeballs will be rolling.

I have Hall and Oates to thank for introducing me to this band. I was looking for song by that venerable 70’s duo when I ran across a clip of The Bird and The Bee doing “I Can’t Go For That”. I loved it!

Check out this video of them doing an original song at an ASCAP showcase.

The Bird And The Bee – Again And Again (Live – ASCAP “I Create Music”) from The Bird And The Bee on Vimeo.

Over the last two weeks, I tried to come up with a slightly more coherent posting plan and today is day one of that plan. On Friday, I posted about self taught British singer Andreya Triana… and that was just a taste of the new regular feature here: Music Mondays. Yep, every Monday I’ll be sharing my faves and new discoveries. (FAIR WARNING: I like most genres of music, so there’s bound to be something for everyone!)

Andreya Triana

I skulk around the Amazon mp3 site looking for free music… well, a lot! They have a free song everyday and I find that it’s a really good way to discover new music. It’s how I discovered Warpaint and the artist that I’m writing about today: Andreya Triana.

She’s a singer/songwriter from the UK. She’s completely self taught; she started out recording harmonies on two old tape decks in her room. She’s come along way from there… her debut album Lost Where I Belong was released on the Ninja Tune label last August.

I’m taken by her amazing vocals… she reminds me a little of Alana Davis (someone else who has an amazing voice). Her sound is sultry, soulful, jazzy… and did I mention that she’s gorgeous and rocks her frocks too? Well, Ms. Triana is definitely a complete package!

I grabbed her single, “A Town Called Obsolete” from a Ninja Tune label sampler that is free to download on Amazon. Two additional free tracks are available:  “Wonder When” – a swingy, uptempo jazz swirl by Bonobo on which Triana does the vocals, and “Lost Where I Belong” – the title track from her debut CD. Grab them at Amazon mp3.

Andreya Triana – Far Closer from Steve Glashier on Vimeo.