Maná

posted under Latin Rock by Anonymous

With a career that has spanned nearly three decades, Maná has become a much-loved and internationally renowned band from Mexico. I haven't heard all of their albums, but I'm quite fond of "Amar es Combatir" (To Love is to Fight). I like the fact that even though they play rock music, it's pretty calming and it has a cool, distinct Latin flavor. Check out the song Manda una Señal (Send a Signal)on youtube and you can listen to all of the tracks on the album here. I've listened to the song "Relax" like 20 times today; I'm pretty obsessed, haha.

City and Colour

posted under Acoustic , Folk by Kate

My new obsession. Dallas Green's music is so beautiful and reflective, I really connect with it. Especially love "Hello, I'm in Delaware".

(By the way: the name City and Colour comes from his own name, Dallas and Green.)

Maksim Mrvica

posted under Classical Crossover by Anonymous

Hailing from Croatia, Maksim Mrvica is a musician that can appeal to a very broad audience. Not only is he a gifted classical pianist, but he also incorporates synthesizers and techno beats to the pieces he plays. Apparently there are strobe lights flashing and video screens to accompany his music during concerts. I want to go to a concert like that!! His music videos are pretty sweet too. Check out the New World Concerto, Nostradamus, and his signature piece Flight of the Bumblebee. I think you can also download a few of his pieces at his website.

Rachel Podger: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo

posted under Baroque , Classical by Kate

Rachel Podger's performance of the Bach Sonatas & Partitas is one of my favorite out there. Her musicality and technique is extremely impressive. Paired with the crisp, clear audio quality, it makes for an exquisitely beautiful recording.

Listen to the 1st CD & the 2nd.

Yann Tiersen

posted under Avant-Garde , Folk , Minimalist by Anonymous

Aside from composers within the realm of classical music, my favorite one is the French composer Yann Tiersen. The man can do no wrong; I have all of his albums and every single piece is both beautiful and lyrical. He has six studio albums, three live albums, and he wrote the soundtracks to the movies Good bye Lenin!, Tabarly, and Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (which also happens to be my favorite movie of all time). Easily recognizable, Mr. Tiersen primarily uses the piano, accordion, and violin in his music, but he also uses other random things like the xylophone, melodica, and typewriter. I'm having a very hard time deciding which is his best studio album, but the soundtrack to Amélie is a very good sample of his music. Among my favorite pieces by Yann are: Comptine d'un Autre Été: L'après Midi, Monochrome, and Rue des Cascades. Check them out!

Carla Bruni

posted under Alternative , Indie by Anonymous

Many of you may know that Carla Bruni is a former model and that she is married to the French president Nicolas Sarkozy. However, you may not have known that she is also a gifted singer and songwriter. I have not heard her latest album "Comme si de rien n'était" (As if nothing happened), but her other two are quite good. Her debut album "Quelqu'un m'a dit" (Someone told me) is my favorite, but "No Promises" is a really cool CD too because it contains poems by Emily Dickinson and Yeats among others that have been put to music. I love her voice and her guitar accompaniment; they're very relaxing and pleasing to the ear. Listen to some of my favorite songs; Raphaël, Quelqu'un m'a dit, La Derniere Minute, and Those Dancing Days Are Gone

Stars

posted under Alternative Rock , Indie by Anonymous

Stars is a Canadian band one of my friends told me about. It's hard to say what genre they fall into, since their sound is a mix of pop and rock, in my opinion. I really like the soft voices that are never yelling to get their point across; however, what really distinguishes this group from others are their lyrics, so pay attention! My two favorite songs on the album "Set Yourself on Fire" are "Ageless Beauty" and "What I'm Trying to Say."

P.S. Is it just me, or does the album cover of Paramore's CD "Riot!" look like the one for "Set Yourself on Fire?"

Lion King: The Musical

posted under African , Musical , World by Kate

Last week Marcela and I went to see the very popular musical, The Lion King. This was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and to see it this way was incredible. Not surprisingly, the musical won a Tony Award in 1998 for Best Costume Design. I'd have to agree. Aside from the music, the masks and costumes were the most amazing part of the show. The clothing showed both the human and animal sides, and it worked perfectly - leaving the audience to use their imaginations. Definitely a show worth seeing!

-Kate

Indeed, the costumes and sets were extremely impressive. And yet they did not distract in any way from the music, which was phenomenal. Even though the musical stays very faithful to the movie, I love how they mix traditional African music to the original score. For instance, the character Rafiki only speaks and sings in Swahili. Changes like this in the musical just add to the whole experience and thrill of seeing a live performance. As Kate pointed out, Lion King is definitely worth seeing and it's something everyone will enjoy.

-Marcela

The Hush Sound

posted under Indie , Pop , Rock by Anonymous

What I like about this group is that their album "Like Vines" is both jam-in-the-car and "chill" music. There are both female and male vocals, which is something rather unique; I don't know of any other band that has both. The best part is that you get to randomly here tamborine and piano riffs, haha. My favorite song on this CD is "Wine Red," but "Sweet Tangerine" is a cool piece too.

Rockin' summer tunes

posted under Alternative , Pop , Rock by Kate

Today being the first official day of summer (although here, it's felt like summer for the past 4 months), I though I'd share a few great artists to kick it off.

The Ting Tings. If you haven't heard Shut Up And Let Me Go, you are missing out on life. Have a listen.
Hot Hot Heat.
We The Kings. Great pop-rock, super fun and full of energy.
Spoon.

Jeremy Larson

posted under Alternative , Indie , Rock by Kate

Jeremy Larson has to be one of my favorite new artists. His music is simply gorgeous, ethereal; his voice, writing, and composing are something special. Starting out as a classical music performance major, his songs are rich and full of lush piano melodies. Not only that, but he plays every instrument on the album himself: drums, guitar, cello, trumpet, and mandolin. Talk about talent! See what I mean here:

Make sure you also listen to Swim, The Thief, and Make Believe on his myspace, and be sure to buy the album on iTunes.

Oh and, his girlfriend Elsie is crazy talented as well... check out her blog. (;

Cesária Évora

posted under Folk , Latin by Anonymous

Cesária Évora has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard and she sings in Portuguese, which is one of my favorite languages (which just adds to her awesomeness, hehe). Seriously though, I love both the lyrics and melodies of her songs; they rock! She just released a new CD, but I have not heard it yet, unfortunately. Without a doubt, one of my favorite songs EVER is "Tiempo y Silencio." She has other very good songs such as "Sodade" and "Petit Pays" but you should definitely check out all her work.

Amos Lee

posted under Blues , Folk , Soul by Kate

Amos Lee's music is an eclectic mix of blues, soul, & folk - and yet he blends them together in such a fluid and natural way. Have a listen to Shout Out Loud, Colors, Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight, and Sweet Pea (which I just realized is used on an AT&T commercial, hah). These are just the beginning though, he has so many other amazing tracks.

Mates of State

posted under Alternative , Indie pop , Pop by Kate

I fell in love with these two at first listen! Mates of State are a husband and wife duo with a super happy, joyful sound. Check out the awesome video for "Goods":

Be sure to also listen to Fraud in the 80s, Get Better, and My Only Offer.

Kaolin

posted under Alternative , Rock by Anonymous

I'm not gonna lie; I obssess easily lol. One of my biggest obssessions recently has been this French band named Kaolin. I think they only have one album out so far, but every song on there rocks. I think I've listened to "J'irai Mélanger les couleurs" and "Partons Vite" about half a billion times each, haha.

Derby

posted under Indie , Pop , Rock by Kate

"This Is the New You" by the indie-rock band Derby debuted over 3 years ago, and this summer they're finally coming out with a new album, "Posters Fade" on June 6th. Very addictive stuff - check them out!

Seabear

posted under Alternative Folk , Experimental , Folk , Indie by Kate

So I've been completely digging alternative folk music lately, and Seabear is definitely one of my new favorites. They are an amazing Icelandic indie-folk band from southwestern Iceland with a dreamy, soothing sound. If you enjoy Iron and Wine, you'll love them. Oh, and the lead singer's name is Sindri Snær Sigfússon. How awesome is that?

Download their single "I Sing I Swim" for free. After you fall in love with them, buy the album DRM-free from iTunes.

Navan

posted under A'capella , Celtic by Anonymous

Hailing from Wisconsin, Navan is an a'capella trio that sings traditional Celtic music in all sorts of languages (Gaelic, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Breton, and Celtiberean to name a few). Their voices are beautiful and the songs have haunting yet calming melodies; definitely worth checking out. You can read about them and sample their brilliant music on their myspace page

Lesiëm

posted under New Age by Anonymous

The first group I'd like to share with everyone is called Lesiëm. They are a German choir and all of their pieces are in the style of Gregorian chanting (except with a modern flare). All of their albums are fantastic, but my favorite is "Auracle", which is based on human vices and virtues. Their music is really unique and it's so cool how they mix a really ancient form of music with techno beats and that sort of thing... So check it out! Sample their music on Amazon.

Matt Costa

posted under Folk , Indie by Kate

I found Matt Costa's music while browsing music.download.com and totally fell in love with his sweet melodies and light-hearted sound. Great chill music.
Check out Cold December, Mr. Pitiful, and Sunshine.

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