Tinariwen is a band from Mali whose music has become “the soundtrack for a whole generation of exiled Touareg youth, living a hand-to-mouth existence in exile in Algeria and Libya.” Their signature sound comes from transposing traditional Touareg melodies on the electric guitar and mixing in blues, rock, pop, berber and arabic sounds. They have opened for the Rolling Stones, and are now touring with Justin Adams (guitar player with Robert Plant) and Juldeh Camara (from Gambia, playing the one-stringed violin, the ritti), who have just collaborated on a great album, Soul Science. Medicine for your ears. Here are a few music videos to wet your appetite. Continue reading Tinariwen, Justin Adams, Juldeh Camara
Category: songs
Duffy: Mercy
Duffy’s song is my dancefloor ear candy of the year. Continue reading Duffy: Mercy
Aretha Franklin/ The BossHoss
“The Beauty of Anger”? These funny bad boys from Berlin really exploit every cliché, don’t they, to turn Lady Soul’s and Dionne Warwick’s song inside out completely. What would we do without the battle of the sexes? Continue reading Aretha Franklin/ The BossHoss
Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi
Here’s Joni Mitchell‘s lovely eco-yodel of 1970: Continue reading Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi
Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Goode
This song written and performed by Chuck Berry is not only the most influential song in the history of rock and roll, it is also an icon of the “American Dream”, of going from rags to riches (vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär). Continue reading Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Goode
Plant + Krauss = Raising Sand
Raising Sand is a duet collaboration between rock legend Robert Plant and country/bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss. The brains behind the project is T Bone Burnett, who explains: “The idea was to take them both out of their comfort zone – to take us all out of our comfort zones” (5:30) Here’s a video about the making of this unique album: Continue reading Plant + Krauss = Raising Sand
Alanis Morissette: Hand in my pocket
Woke up this morning to hear this song unplugged on Bayern 3, where Alanis was plugging her upcoming album (will be out in Germany on May 31). Nice interview there with her. Continue reading Alanis Morissette: Hand in my pocket