Music to soothe your mind

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If you've had a hard time at work or a hectic day Christmas shopping and your brain needs a bit of kindly massage to calm you down, perhaps this can help. So put on your slippers, dim the lights, turn off the phone and TV, pour yourself a glass of wine, open a good book and sit back and relax while listening to

Emiliana Torrini
profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=10909333

and

Lunik
profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=83078337

Emiliana Torrini is Icelandic, born to an Italian father and Icelandic mother. Her voice is so soft it's almost child-like and often her musical accompaniment is so minimal she's virtually singing just on her own. She has just released her third album "Me and Armini".

Lunik come from that musical hotbed that is Switzerland. The only music I've ever heard from Switzerland before is yodelling, but singer Jael certainly doesn't yodel - she's just the opposite. She has a soft, quiet voice too, usually accompanied by acoustic guitar and understated electric quitar, strings and piano. Lunik have released four albums, I think, the latest being "Preparing to Leave".

Now, don't you feel much better after that?

[Deleted]

Emilíana.... wow, she's brilliant! Very good recommendation. If you ever have the chance to see her live: GO! I saw her two months ago, she's extremely funny as well. I wrote something like a review of that gig:

www.ipernity.com/blog/timetunnel/101767

Never heard of Lunik, but definitely have to check it out.

[Deleted]

Lou Rhodes is another great artist of that kind:

www.myspace.com/lourhodes

I noticed her fist as one half of Lamb, when they releaed their magnificent album "What Sound", which contains one of the most beautiful songs ever written: "Gabriel". Lamb has broken up but Lou Rhodes pursues a solo singer/songwriter career now.

Just listened to Lunik: great stuff.

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Lou Rhodes musicianship is very similar to Emiliana Torrini, but I don't like her voice so much.

[chrome3d]

I have also had Emiliana in rotation lately. Wonderful stuff.

Other thing that has really soothed my mind lately has been Goldfrapp´s Seventh Tree. It has really endured many listens and been good for so many moods.

Also the debut album of Fleet Foxes has been such a harmonius phenomenon. The music of the previous generation but with a fresh new angle.

[Deleted]

Here's one I just discovered: Gemma Hayes

www.myspace.com/gemmahayes

For me, "Home" is THE song of the forthcoming summer 2009. Melancholic happiness in absolute perfection. I melt away when I listen to that song.

The video fits perfectly: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKvbnAjr6UU

[tealovertoma]

Probably linked to them before, but eh, what the hell:

www.myspace.com/oneeskimo

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I've listened and they're OK but for me any group with a male singer has to be really, really special to stand out and Oneeskimo aren't really, really special.

I first heard Gemma Hayes four or five years ago and even though she's female neither does she stand out from the crowd for me. She too is OK (to me). Can't really explain why.

But 'OK' isn't a derogatory term. 'OK' is many times better than Coldplay and Razorlight! 'OK' is how I would describe music I can listen to no problem but I wouldn't go out and buy.

[blade]

I've just re-read what I wrote last night and it sounds really negative. Sorry, it wasn't supposed to be. Blame the alchohol.

What I wanted to say was that it's impossible to explain why you like some music but not others, when on the face of it they appear to be a similar style. Music is such an individual thing and that's great, that's how it should be, and I've discovered plenty of brilliant music here that I never knew about before.

Keep those recommendations coming.

[mattcambie]

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_kLwQJUqYU&feature=related

Jose's song is a cover of The Knife's Heartbeats, and while the two are completely different, it is the one and only cover/original that I like equally.

The Knife's original version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWLuqly6uCQ

[mattcambie]

haha i ordered that dark wa the night cd from a store in town, was waaay keen for it, some of my fave artists were on it, and then it finnaly arrrived, i paid for it got home and it was a compilation album also called dark was the night... but it was "a tribute to the music of blind willi johnson. with some artists including "Bob Copper & the latest english country blues band"

mad

haha