As the weather shows what autumn really looks like, playing this absolute Billie Holliday classic somehow coincided with a musical event and a trend in songs being released at the moment.
The event is the upcoming release of The American Dreamer box set by Laura Nyro, one of the best songwriters (and singers) in modern music. An absolute master of unchained melody, as she went through the history of modern music, as well as lyrics of depth and imagination. Gone too soon. No wonder she was covered by so many other artists who had more success with her songs than she really did.
At the same, it turned out that the best crop of new songs came from female artists, that let their imagination and creativity run free, or the quality of their songwriting got covered by their male counterpart(s), well, one for sure.
Ydegirl - Zodiac
Ydegirl is a Danish musician and visual artist Andrea Novel, and there are quite a few novel things in both her musical approach in combining subtle modern beats with classical musical elements in ‘Zodiac.’ If her upcoming self-titled album is as good as this one, we’re in for a treat.
Allie Dunn - Tom Petty
Doing a tribute to one of your favourite musicians or the music he/she created that worked as inspiration can end in both disaster and something worth spinning quite a few times and Allie Dunn brings everything into this one - From Nashville to New York and ending in Laurel Canyon.
Emma Ruth Rundle - Return
Some intimate melancholy stuff from Emma Ruth Rundle as the teaser for her forthcoming album ‘Engine Of Hell.’ Getting across some stark emotions can be a tricky proposition, and Rundle is able to escape any possible melodrama that can often characterise such music.
Jessica Moss - Is There Room For All Of It
Montreal violinist, composer, and singer Jessica Moss is probably best known for her work with the Montreal post-rock collective Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. Here she is able to channel all the best elements of her work both with the collective, solo or with the other artists she collaborated with.
Slow Crush - Hush
This My Bloody Valentine-inspired track from Belgian shoegazers Slow Crush is dominated as much as by their ‘crushing’ guitars as by the subtle, intriguing vocals of their lead singer Isa Holliday. Some better shoegaze of recent times.
Devin Hoff - Go Your Way
Bassist Devin Hoff has collaborated with almost everybody that has something inventive to say in music. On his latest album ‘Voices From The Empty Moor’, he has decided to cover the music of folk artist Anne Briggs with vocals from such artists as Julia Holter, Shannon Lay, and Sharon Van Etten, who sings on this beautiful track.