Musicapalooza

By: Kyle Elden

I've got myself a bad case a' download fever. iTunes can be a dangerous, gluttonous fly-trap of an invention if left in the wrong hands. I find myself downloading, from my iPhone, like crazy in waiting rooms (like my doctor's office for my 'annual' you know what), waiting at the courthouse for Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) cases for my job, or in the long-as-h-e-doublehockeysticks line as I wait to pick up my kid at school. My iTunes account linked so devilshly to my debit card, so easy, so hassle-free - and it's nothing....download, download, download until you are in a blissful music frenzy, a haze of beats, boppin' your head in your car like a mutha' - it's so easy! I think I've got it under control until I check my bank account and whoa momma....the numbers are dropping fast!! But, what is life without passion eh?!?!?

So, two albums I've been devouring are as follows:

First, there's this sweet little Birdy - a fifteen year old sweetheart with a voice that is tremendously mature and other-worldly ~ as my daughter Stella so eloquently put it, "momma, I can't believe she's 15, she sounds so old, like she's probably like about 20 or something!" Yes, that's right kid, she sounds old :) Her debut album is phenomenal - seriously, it's a compilation of covers from some of my favorite songs from my some of my favorite artists - the best 'covers' album since Cat Powers The Covers Record, which is amaaahhzingggg!! Stella loved Fleet Foxes version of White Winter Hymnal, but little Birdy, boy oh boy - it's good stuff. And c'mon, James Taylor Fire and Rain (they played that damn song at my grandpa Clem's funeral when I was twelve, it always wells up my eyes with tears)! And then throw in The National's Terrible Love, Phoenix's 1901, xx Shelter, and holy moly Bon Iver's Skinny Love....and it's all over!! My little girlie and I have been listening to this, singing along together all weekend long!! Check out some of the aforementioned songs:









and just go google like crazy to listen to the rest - or better yet, download the album :)

Okay, and then I've been diggin' Polica !! A friend had sent me a link to a youtube video a while back and then on the wearehunted website I came across them again. Damn, I tell you this is sweet, smooth, sexy music you can get lost in - feels like I'm being swept away in a sea of sultry beats and a sweet voice like honey taking me to another place that I like, a lot!! It's hypnotic!! As I researched the band a bit more they are from freaking Minneapolis and the lead singer is this absolutely adorable, stunning woman (admitted woman-crush :)) from the duo Roma Di Luna that I love too!! Another recent download Polica's Give You the Ghost is start to finish goodness! Check out a couple:






And that's all I've got!!