Music of the Month: 2007 Recommendations

I spent far too much time at Mashuptown.com this past week, too entertained to leave. Whether you like classic rock, doo-wop, rap, R&B, '80s New Wave, or anything in between, you can find a mashup in which a song you love has been combined with another to make something new.

Mashup artists take the vocal track from one song and the musical track from another. They edit them so that the beats match up and fiddle with samples, often throwing in bits of their own scratching and musical tidbits. Then they lay them over each other. The results? Anywhere from ambient to booty-shakin' tunes that let you hear songs a whole new way.

I'm linking to Mashuptown because they link to everyone else, give recommendations, and let you listen to music right on their site. If you are unfamiliar with mashups, this is the perfect introduction. If you already love them, Mashuptown is a terrific resource that offers a wide variety.

After hearing one verse of 1991 Grammy-Award-winner Mark Cohn singing "Dance Back from the Grave" from his newest album, I knew I'd found my Music of the Month for November. His raspy voice made me feel right at home and the message inspired me.

If you aren't familiar with his story, read this article at USA Today or this review at the NY Daily News. Knowing his difficulties over the past few years makes Cohn's new album even more impressive. You can listen to "Listening to Levon", the lead single on his new album, at Cohn's website. His country-crossover blues-folk style may remind you of half a dozen other bands, but the voice is all Cohn. You can buy all of his albums and other merchandise through the store there, as well.

I came to find Forro in the Dark through David Byrne, who sits in for a few songs on their most recent album, Bonfires of Sao Joao. In fact, "I Wish (Bundle of Contradictions)" bounces along like the Talking Heads covering Hank Williams.

The other songs are more Latin and less country and western. The album features Bebel Gilberto and Miho Hatori as well. Some of the pieces come off as nearly retro '60s instrumentals and other are packed with up-to-the-minute energy.

They have two EPs out as well, one focusing on "Asa Branca", one of the songs on "Bonfires" featuring David Byrne. The other is titled "Sour de Pele Fina" and features Seu Jorge.

These folks know how to put song together and make you want to dance. They give the World Fusion genre a good name. Check out their MySpace page for info and to give them a well-deserved listen. You can also read more about them on NPR's World Cafe, which is where I first heard them, thanks to host David Dye.

If you love old Simon & Garfunkel records or other folkie, mellow music, The Guggenheim Grotto out of Dublin, Ireland will steal your heart. Their sorrowful lyrics and lyrical sound make lost love beautiful.

You can listen to The Guggenheim Grotto's folkie, mellow tracks and download mp3s and ring tones at their web site. Their first full-length album, "...Waltzing Alone", has been very well received. The first track, in fact, was chosen as an I-Tunes song of the week. They released an EP in 2004 as well, one well worth a listen.

Update: The Guggenheim Grotto, which has had enormous critical and popular success on the folk scene over the past few years, released their second full album, "Happy the Man", in January, 2009. See below!

The FMTune site is just getting started, so it's the perfect time to get your musical foot in the door. You can influence the sound of the site and get your favorite songs out on the feed and podcast. [Rest of review deleted, see following notes.]

Never mind. FM Tune has disappeared from the radar as of 11/1/07. If you still want a pile of free music, check out Pandora Radio if you're in the US, where you can make your own stations but can't upload your favorite songs if they aren't there. The site seems to have a much wider library and simpler interface than LastFM but you can't play anything on demand at Pandora.

Never never mind. FMTune has reappeared but the focus has shifted to music videos, rather than mp3s. They are just getting re-started in February of 2008, so I can't recommend them whole-heartedly just yet. Still, it's worth a look.

Wait, never mind at all: FMTune has officially been disbanded and disappeared. Pandora and LastFM are still going strong, though, and I recommend them in place of the now-defunct FMTune.

What can you say about a band whose web page mostly focuses on their charity work besides how amazing they are? If that was the only thing they had going for them they'd still be fantastic. For much more information, check out my lens dedicated to WookieFoot.

As it happens, they are wild and wooly musicians who play in half a dozen different styles. Picture a reggae band that does Irish drinking songs. Their lyrics are edgy and their joys and frustrations fuel their music.

Their fourth album, Activate, was recently released. It takes a while to find their product page because it isn't well-linked on the home page. I'll save you the frustration - buy their stuff here. I also ran across this great review that gives you a glimpse of their live shows and a adjective-heavy review at the Detroit Metro Times.