Midsummer Night's Dream

Foolishly, I thought that summertime would mean I would have more free time. Boy, was I wrong! Well, the weekdays aren't so bad... but on the weekends it has been non-stop business and socializing! Which is quite unsettling to a recluse like me. :P
Anyhow, tonight I am posting the song 'Midsummer Night's Dream' by Noe Venable because today, June 23, is Midsummer's Eve!


Though really, this song isn't about summer's solstice &c. It also has nothing to do with the Shakespearean play of the same name. {Which actually, was the first Shakespeare play I read, aged 11. By the time I was 14 I had read the "Complete Works" .... I am told this is not normal. *shrug*}
I wasn't sure if I liked this song the first time I heard it... with her opening half-whispered, half-sung vocals and those two girls conversing in the middle of the song. But it was different! And different is {usually} good, I have come to realize... in a world where popular music runs together in a mass of inane lyrics and hypnotic beats. So, as it often turns out, I ended up loving this song. Noe Venable is an artist I am eager to hear more from as well!

Listen:

I've Been Lost

I'm not exactly sure what the "Soft Sounds for Gentle People" compilations are or where they came from but I stumbled across them one day on a blog. I don't know what I was originally looking for but I decided to download the whole collection because, well, as far as I can hear, these are fairly-recently made compilations of various, little-known, sunshine pop bands from the 60's and... obscure 60's music is something that is very near and dear to my heart. :)
There are 5 Volumes of the"Soft Sounds for Gentle People" albums and then also three other albums called "He and She", "Mystic Males", and "Sounds of She".
Though I've had them for a while, I haven't gotten around to listening to all of them. So far, my favourite has been the "He and She" album. When I first listened to it though, all the songs started running together in my mind and they all sounded like they were sung by The Mamas and The Papas...
My ears were beginning to feel a bit bored when I heard the song 'I've Been Lost' by Sunny & Phyllis {Practically all the artists on the "He and She" album are "boy's name here & girl's name here"}. My ears instantly perked up and it was an instant favourite!
Though now, I have found many more songs to enjoy on the "He and She" album, my favourite discovery is still "I've Been Lost". It has good vocals, a pretty, plaintive melody and a catchy chorus! And also, it is in a fantastic key for my voice! {It all boils down to that, doesn't it?}

Listen:



I hope everyone is having a great week! Ta-ta for now! :)

Evelyn Evelyn

Evelyn Evelyn is a musical duo formed by the conjoined twin sisters, "Eva" and "Lyn" {Evelyn and Evelyn} Neville.

Ok, not really. Evelyn Evelyn is really Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley. They're just pretending, you see. ;)
Evelyn and Evelyn were "discovered" (*winkwink*) by the aforementioned Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley who then helped them record their album, Evelyn Evelyn. Evelyn & Evelyn's rather tragic and bittersweet story is told through song and words on their album.
{They and their story also sparked a controversy! And personally, I don't feel it's worth going into.}

So, maybe this seems a little weird. First of all, why would people pretend to be conjoined twin sisters who love to make music? And why would one of them be played by a male? I have no answers. All I know is that their music, which covers many genres and moods, is awesome.
My favourite song is the self-titled 'Evelyn Evelyn'. I love how it starts out so calm and then escalates in frustration then goes back down again. An emotional roller-coaster, if you will. ;)

Listen to 'Evelyn Evelyn':

Blue Roses

After much deliberation I have chose Blue Roses as the artist of the month! Ok, not really... it only took me about a nanosecond to decide that I wanted Blue Roses to be the artist of the month. =D

Blue Roses is the recording name of Laura Groves. I recently bought her first, and so far only, album, Blue Roses. After listening to a sample of the first track, 'Greatest Thoughts' I was extremely impressed and quickly decided I wanted to buy the whole album.
I really connected with this album. Does that sound strange? Well, it's true at any rate. This is one of those albums I can just lay on my floor listening to and not get bored of it or wish for it to end.
My one bone to pick, though, is I wish she had better diction because I love her lyrics and they're not always clear. But it's a very minor grievance and I can easily find her lyrics on lyric sites. :)

On her site, it says; "She dreamt of writing, arranging, performing and producing an album that would be as treasured by someone else, and hopefully inspire them in the same way."
I'd say, as far as I am concerned, she has succeeded!

Listen to 'Greatest Thoughts':