Hafdis Huld
Singer/songwriter, ukulelist, and actress Hafdis Huld is from Iceland. By the age of 15, she'd helped form indie-electronica band GusGus, which toured around the world. She has opened for Paolo Nutini and Mika. Dirty Paper Cup released in October 2006, is Huld's first solo project. Her voice runneth over with mellifluous distinction. The sound of the track "Ski Jumper" is a very smiley ode. A highly interesting artist.
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Genre: Pop
Artist: Hafdis Huld
Song: Ski Jumper
Album: Dirty Paper Cup
A.R. & Machines
A.R. & Machines was founded in Hamburg, Germany, by Krautrock trailblazer Achim Reichel in 1968. His self-described "electronically psychedelic" music was ahead of its time: layered with special effects, delays, and ingenious looping techniques. The sound of A.R. & Machines is almost a displacement of one's consciousness, but in a good way. The album Die Grüne Reise--The Green Journey, released in 1971, deserves respect. The title "Cosmic Vibration" is just that.
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Genre: Progressive Experimental Rock
Artist: A.R. & Machines
Song: Cosmic Vibration
Album: Die Grune Reise--The Green Journey
Truckee Brothers
San Diego-based foursome Truckee Brothers is Cady Truckee (vocals, guitars, keys), Peat Truckee (vocals guitars), Hemiway Truckee (drums), and Ott Truckee (bass). First of all, they just rock. Their music is like being at a really great party. The flavors of this band are "mag-i-cally de-li-cious." Their intriguing and creative arrangements keep you hooked. "Hyacinth," from their 2007 EP In Pursuit of Happiness, has unexpected turns and treats. A fulfilling listen, indeed.
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Genre: Rock
Artist: Truckee Brothers
Song: Hyacinth
Album: In Pursuit of Happiness
Glenn Miller
Band/orchestra leader, composer, and arranger Alton Glenn Miller was born March 1, 1904, in Clarinda, Iowa. The mandolin was his first instrument, which he quickly traded in for the trombone. Miller attended the University of Colorado, where he met his future wife, but dropped out to become a full-time musician. Miller's collaborations include Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, and Gene Krupa. His compositions include "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (which sold a million units), "Tuxedo Junction" (sold over 100,000 copies the first week), "Moonlight Serenade," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me"), and "Old Black Magic." In 1944, Miller and his band were scheduled to tour Europe. Miller decided to travel ahead of the others to organize details for the band's arrival. On December 15, Miller boarded a plane to Paris that disappeared with all onboard. In 2003, Miller was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Remember this iconic maestro with the title "American Patrol," from the album Glenn Miller Orchestra, written during WWII to lift the spirits and hopes of the troops.
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Genre: Big Band
Artist: Glenn Miller
Song: American Patrol
Album: Glenn Miller Orchestra
Earl "Fatha" Hines
Jazz pianist and bandleader Earl Kenneth Hines was born near Pittsburgh in 1903 into a musical family. His early professional life began in the 1920s when he moved to Chicago and befriended Louis Armstrong. 1928 was a breakthrough year for Hines composing, recording, and working with Armstrong and debuting his first big band at the Grand Terrace ballroom (co-owned by Al Capone). By 1940, Billy Eckstine became the crooner, later to be joined by legends Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Hines's piano style was likened to that of a trumpet. "Stormy Monday Blues," a No. 1 hit for Hines and Eckstine in 1942, from the collection Earl Hines Masterpieces, is original and classic.
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Genre: Jazz
Artist: Earl "Fatha" Hines
Song: Stormy Monday Blues
Album: Earl Hines Masterpieces
DJ Spooky
Artist/writer/producer-mixer DJ Spooky is Paul D. Miller, who grew up in Washington, D.C. His father, a Howard University professor, is said to have been an adviser to the Black Panthers. Sadly, Paul lost his dad at the age of 3. A French-lit and philosophy major at Bowdoin College, Miller found himself in hosting a radio show, which sparked his interest in mixing. DJ Spooky's collaborations include Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Kool Keith, and Yoko Ono. His credits include writing for Artforum magazine and The Village Voice, exhibiting at the Whitney Museum, and releasing a Dead Sea-scroll list of albums. The title "Uganda," featuring Ugandan artist Saba Saba, from the July 2008 collection Rock the Net, is melody-infused hip-hop.
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Genre: Remix / Alternative
Artist: DJ Spooky
Song: Uganda
Album: Rock the Net