The Hot List

Here's a sampling of some of the new stuff we've received over the last few months...

KT Tunstall, Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon:  I've liked KT Tunstall from the start, although I can't quite

pinpoint why. I wouldn't say there's anything particularly unusual about her but I've always liked her voice and song style. I heard an interview with her on NPR discussing this album (side note: are they still called albums?) and knew I would be interested in hearing it, especially after it was mentioned the album was recorded right here in Tucson with none other than Howe Gelb. (Longtime Tucsonans will know Gelb from way back in the day. He played in the legendary Giant Sand and has worked with many nationally known bands and musicians over the years.) Tunstall mentioned that she went through two big losses during the recording of this album, the death of her father and the end of her marriage. There's definitely a sense of melancholy and loss on this album, but I wouldn't call it depressing. My favorite tracks on the album are Feel It All (both versions) and No Better Shoulder.





Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park:  I think I read a review of this in Rolling Stone and was glad to see a copy come in. I'm not a big fan of contemporary country music; to me, most of it borders on pop. (For instance, I enjoy Lady Antebellum, but I would never call them a country act.) Musgraves has a definite twang and sweetness to her vocals but the music is neither "new country" nor a parody of what one might call traditional country. My favorite tracks from this album are Silver Lining, I Miss You, and Step Off.

Dido, Girl Who Got Away:  I didn't get on the Dido bandwagon back when she first arrived, but I remember so many people liking her music. I thought of her as a more contemporary version of Enya, which probably sounds like I'm trying to be insulting, but I'm not because I really did like Enya back in the day. I enjoyed this one even with some of the strained (I thought) attempts to be hip by including Kendrick Lamar on two of the tracks.

Various musicians, Sound City:  Real to Reel: I blogged about the movie a few months back (which I really enjoyed) and was looking forward to hearing the accompanying soundtrack.  It's.....OK. Some people have mentioned it's essentially the Foo Fighters backing various people and I tend to agree. The two tracks I liked the most were Stevie Nicks' You Can't Fix This (written after her godson died of a drug overdose) and Rick Springfield's The Man Who Never Was.

Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox:  I thought his first cd (Doo-wops & Hooligans) was pretty good, but it wasn't anything I really got excited about. This one is a different story. I listened to it once all the way through and immediately did a repeat listen, mostly because I thought, "That's it?" The whole album clocks in

at something like 32 minutes, but it's a fun and catchy 32 minutes. There's definitely a Michael Jackson vibe going on, and uh, a Prince vibe too with some of the lyrics and subject matter. (If you're sensitive to lyrics you might want to skip some of the songs.) This one has a bit of a waiting list but I think it's worth the wait. Fun stuff.

Until next time....

GingerMusicKid