r e l e a s e t h e s t a r s

I was very excited when the new Rufus album came out that I went straight to purchase the album the day it was released. After all - it's Rufus, and I am his biggest fan. However, I'm having trouble comparing his last two albums to Want One which, for me, is his best album. Release the Stars does offer some jewels, however, namely "Going to a Town," "Tier Garten," "Not Ready to Love," "Leaving for Paris," and my personal favourite track at the moment, "Slideshow." I just don't find it "moves me" in the same way that Want One did. Maybe I just have to give it some more listens? Not sure. If anyone picks the album up, let me know what you think.

Of course, none of this means my love affair with Rufus is over . . .

a m y w i n e h o u s e

This is your new summer album.

Get it.

k a t h l e e n e d w a r d s

Kathleen Edwards has a voice that anyone would want to claim as her own, and she proved just how well she could use it the other night. Both of her albums, Failer and Back to Me, are fantastic, but she really shines in a live venue. She has the ability to make each of her songs sound new, but not so new that you feel she has cruelly manipulated the original. You can also tell that she cares about her music, as was demonstrated with how emotional she got singing some of her new songs. If you haven't listened to her yet, I highly recommend it. Any song will do. A new album should be coming out within the year, which I will be highly anticipating.

f e i s t

Feist's new album The Reminder is amazing from start to finish. On the whole, I have to say I enjoy it more than Let it Die. It's a bit difficult to narrow down favourite tracks, but I would say start with "Sea Lion Woman," "Past in Present," and "How My Heart Behaves" if you want to slow things down.

You can watch the video of "My Moon My Man" at Pitchfork Media.

l a u r a v e i r s

I wasn't sure what to think about indie/alternative/folk artist Laura Veirs for awhile, but then I found she has too much decent stuff to pass her up. Some of her stuff is a bit too "clanging of instruments" for me, but a lot of her music is also very accessible, yet still maintains a high degree of originality. Her voice has that "imperfect" tone that makes certain artists stand out from the pack. Try "Galaxies," "Spelunking," "Fire Snakes," "Ether Sings," "Lonely Angel Dust," "Lake Swimming" and "Magnetized."


"If I took you darling, to the caverns of my heart, would you light the lamp, dear?"

o c a n a d a !

Ahh… this Canadian female folk artist delivers! You can detect influences from Sarah Slean and Sarah Harmer, and I do believe her voice periodically has a faint echo of Martha Wainwright on select tracks. I don’t know exactly what it is, but this songstress fills me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Probably because I’ve been waiting quite impatiently for a new artist to come along that would actually impress me. Listen for a musical mix of bluegrass, jazz standards, pop, and the help of artists like Jim Cuddy. To top it off, she’s played with Ron Sexsmith – that definitely proves her musical prowess!

Give her a few listens: http://www.myspace.com/jillbarbermusic. “When I’m Making Love” offers that something extra special.

c o f f e e a n y o n e ?

Those of you who have any interest in Alexi Murdoch, Nick Drake, Ray Lamontagne, etc etc will likely soon find Sweden-born Jose Gonzalez warming up your stereo speakers.

http://www.myspace.com/josegonzalez

Aside from his solo album Veneer, Gonzalez has collaborated with Zero 7 on their latest disc The Garden (listen to Zero 7's first album). Another interesting tidbit: Gonzalez does a cover of one of my all-time favourite Massive Attack songs, “Teardrop,” though being a Massive Attack fan (or, should I say, a fan of their early stuff), I will likely stick with the original.

Who wants to bet Gonzalez will be featured in an up-coming project by Zach Braff?

c o m e i n f r o m t h e c o l d

Sometimes a girl just wants a little bit of fun. Or a lot. I’d say British singer/rapper Lily Allen’s Alright, Still serves this purpose nicely. Allen’s music has been described as sunshine-friendly reggae-pop. This album will get those hips moving and the cocktail crowd grooving. Just what the doctor ordered for a mid-winter getaway.

Check out “Friend of Mine,” “Smile,” and “Everything’s Just Wonderful.” Visit her on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic. Allen was also featured on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in early December. You can listen or view her performance by visiting KCRW's website.

*Note: not all tracks are kid-friendly.