More good stuff from Boulder: Jackie Greene & Corinne Bailey Rae

Friday night in Boulder was a tag-team lineup of great acts at the Fox Theatre, and then we were to scurry next door to Tulagi to catch the next act before repeating it all over again. It was great. Here were my two favorites:

Jackie Greene‘s absolutely marvelous set at the Fox on Friday night (and then chatting with him a bit in line while I bought a drink afterwards at the convenience store across the street). Kid’s younger than me, but sounds like he has amassed a lifetime of road-weary wisdom and tight musical chops. Definitely buy his new CD American Myth, post-haste. He’s on tour now.

JACKIE GREENE, SO HARD TO FIND MY WAY (video)

(or click this link if the stupid embedded video doesn’t work. This is my favorite video I’ve shot recently, just an excellent performance. Sorry about the three blips of loud audio.)

Corinne Bailey Rae is absolutely enchanting live – she commands the stage with her voice, but couldn’t be more adorable (and I say that in a completely non-patronizing way – it is effortless charm, not cutesy gimmick). Even though I was about to die during her set from the 147 degree barn that is the Tulagi venue on a hot summer night with NO A.C., I took these two videos for your viewing pleasure (and occasional audio displeasure, sorry for the loud spots), then I almost fainted.

CORINNE BAILEY RAE, PUT YOUR RECORDS ON (video)

(direct link here)

CORINNE BAILEY RAE, SINCE I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU
(LED ZEPPELIN COVER) (video)

(direct link here. Oh, embedded video, why do you hate me so?)

Monday Music Roundup

“Something In The Way“
Nicolai Dunger
Neither a Nirvana cover, nor a Beatles cover, this ex-footballer (and by footballer I mean soccer player) Swede has a pleasant backyard BBQ vibe, which is something I can appreciate in the cold brown of winter. When I first heard him, I thought “Sondre Lerche?” Similiar geography (Sweden vs. Norway), reminiscent sound, but different guys. Dunger has also been likened to Van Morrison in his use of harmony and the tone of his pleasingly rough voice, but I hear that comparison more validly on his 2001 album Soul Rush. This track is off his 1999 album This Cloud Is Learning.

“Cupid“
Otis Redding
This one’s just because.
It’s not new (um, obviously), but because I love Otis Redding and this is one of the best little songs ever recorded. I hadn’t heard Otis’ version until recently, being more familiar with the Sam Cooke stylin’ – who is also just a dose of good stuff. Otis makes it a little rougher, a bit more pained (unh). He throws down the fat bass riff & makes the drums more prominent to make you wanna stand up, maybe shake it. Add a little soul to your week.

“Lonely Soul”
Unkle featuring Richard Ashcroft
In honor (honour?) of Richard Ashcroft kicking off what is informally billed by some as his “comeback tour” in the UK recently, here is a downtempo trip-hop collaboration he did with Unkle on their 2003 album Psyence Fiction. This reminds me of Moby or Portishead, a very chill sound. Picture me on the Tube, with my headphones, speeding under the streets of London, listening to this. I might be wearing black, and/or sunglasses. But I am definitely feelin’ cool in the eardrum region.

“Quiet Town“
Josh Rouse
I really like Josh Rouse, and the deeper I dig into his back catalog, the more I am consistently impressed with the quiet quality of his releases. Underappreciated? Definitely. Here is a track from his upcoming March 21 release Subtitulo. It is gentle and harmonic, with plucky guitar and gorgeous strings. Josh recently picked up and moved to Spain (a variation on my ‘move-back-to-Florence’ dream), and this song is a paean to this sleepy hamlet of Altea where he first settled upon arrival. I would expect some more tour dates to be announced shortly to promote the new album – he just did a limited run in January, hitting Chicago, Nashville, L.A., San Fran, and New York.
Subliminal message: cometodenverpleasecometodenver.

“Like A Star“
Corinne Bailey Rae
From Leeds, England, this young woman’s voice possesses a straightforward honesty which I find extremely appealing. Corinne Bailey Rae sounds vocally like a cross between Nellie Furtado and India.Arie, with a hint of Billie Holliday. She’s got a unique & organic soulful sound which I like very much. Check out her recently released 3-song EP of the same name, and thanks to Aurgasm for the tip.

BONUS: iGIF has the new Vines song “Gross Out” for download. The Vines’ site has the new songs streaming, but unfortunately your favorite friendly blogger is not technologically competent enough to know how to rip mp3s from streaming audio. So thank God we have Connor.