Here we go….
For the solstice, to kick off summer, one of my favorite tracks from Springsteen’s latest album, Magic: Bruce Springsteen – “Girls In Their Summer Clothes.”
Another song I associate with summer, since I saw these guys at the Guinness Fleadh in NYC in late June 1999 (and for the edification of The Minion, who tells me that her future college roommate is apparently a big fan): The Saw Doctors – “N17.”
Caught the Tony Awards on TV recently, where In the Heights won best musical. I’ve heard people calling it “RENT for the new century” — it’s the story of a few days in the diverse neighborhood of Washington Heights, and mixes latin music, soul and hip-hop. I immediately grabbed the cast recording. It’s brilliant. Here is the number they performed at the awards — a track where the neighborhood discovers via the newspaper that somebody in the city won the Lotto (New York Lottery): In the Heights Original Broadway Cast – “96,000.”
Duffy is a new singer out of the UK — same sort of retro-soul vibe as Amy Winehouse, with slightly less talent, but massively less train-wreck-drug-abuse factor. Good stuff: Duffy – “Mercy.”
PONI HOAX is a french electronic act, who are obviously influenced by the early 80s New Romantics and Italo-disco sounds. This is a fun one: PONI HOAX – “Antibodies.”
New singer out of Brooklyn, whose sound mixes 90s neo-soul, 20s jazz, and 70s funk and rock. There aren’t enough O’s in Smooooooth to describe this one. Maiysha – “Wanna Be.”
This is one that I’ve posted before, but it’s been stuck in my head all week long, and I’ve been listening to it daily. So, to exorcise the brainworm: Mademoiselle K – “Ça Me Vexe.”
There you go. Hope you like.