Scotch - Poppins

Okay brace yourself, because this is some good sh** coming up. My friend Sara showed me the music of her friend who's part of a group called Scotch. They're based here in Montreal, very local, very underground. They have a very jazzy smoky piano bar feel and some awesome awesome instrumentalists. The person who really takes the spotlight here, however, is the lead singer/piano/guitar, Declan O'Donovan. Not only does this guy have some tight tight piano solos, he has the sexiest voice you'll ever hear. The way he croons those lyrics, a weaker woman would feel violated. Okay, enough intro, just listen. If you want to check out their myspace (because it's really hard to find for some reason!) here it is: www.myspace.com/scotchisgood.

--Vivian

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Cheek to Cheek

In my mind, there are very few things more romantic than a little Ella and Armstrong, some 50's jazzy love songs. There's just something so genuine and beautiful about old-school love. So here's wishing you a happy Valentine's Day.

--Vivian

P.S. I'm turning 20 today!

Amy Winehouse - "You Know I'm No Good"

Yes, yes, I know. She's a trainwreck. But hey, if being perfectly mentally balanced and drug-free was a pre-requisite for good music, we'd miss out on some amazing stuff (Kurt Cobain? Elliott Smith? Anthony Kiedis? Thom Yorke? I rest my case).

Amy Winehouse is by far one of the most promising people right now on the pop-jazz scene. And not soft pop jazz like Norah Jones -- whose album (while good) we'll be hearing in romantic restaurants for the next decade. She’s got a strong contralto voice, reminiscent of the old female jazz powerhouses like Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone.

Contrary to the image proposed by her first single “Rehab” (which was massively overplayed, and not even the best song on the album), most of her songs are not about alcoholism and drug use – they mostly centre around love gone wrong (very wrong). But hey, it is jazz -- it’s gotta be sad.

--Eithne

Nicole Atkins - "The Way It Is"

My philosophy behind good music is quite simple: if it makes me feel something (be it good, bad, sad, happy, psychotic, etc), it's worth listening to. This has led me to appreciate all kinds of music, finding gems of musical genius in the most unlikely places. It also leaves me listening to songs on repeat for hours, riding high on the waves of emotions that somehow the songwriters have managed to make me feel. Even better is when a song can invoke an entire memory. When I was young, my mom would listen to old Patsy Cline songs when she would make dinner. Since then, her voice automatically throws me back into my childhood, sitting in my room and hearing my mom downstairs, singing along while she fried onions and chopped vegetables. Patsy Cline is considered one of the quintessential figures in classic country music (sorry if I'm treading on your turf here, Karah!). She has a strong, low voice which practically breaks your heart when she sings about love.

However, the main song choice of this post isn't a Patsy Cline song (but I'll post it after the main video for the sake of completeness). I'm posting a song by another singer, Nicole Atkins. Her voice is beautifully low and powerful as well, and she's got a strong sound reminiscent of Patsy Cline. Nicole Atkins gives me a nice hybrid feel, she's got the sound that reminds me of my mom's love of old, classic country, but a more modern feel that places her in our time.





(Check out that tiny waist!!)

--Eithne

Julie London - Sway

Time to do it old school! A little 50's classic shall we? This is Julie London, one of the most beautiful jazz singers imo, goes right up there with Lady Ella. Now, when I was searching for this video, I found in the "related" column that the Pussycat Dolls has done a cover of this. Needless to say I just had to click on it and see what sort of train wreck they made of this song. Don't even get me started; PCD, ladies, let this old classic show you what it means to be sexy.

--Vivian