Aurgasm

vocal harmony // close harmony // country-folk

The Living Sisters might be releasing their debut album Love To Live, next month, but they certainly aren’t new to the scene. LA-based singer-songwriters Inara George (The Bird And The Bee), Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond) and Eleni Mandell have been performing for years with their own respective projects. Mandell first proposed the idea of a harmony group to Stark in 2005, and George jumped on board the following year. Since then, the trio has been working on The Living Sisters in rare stolen moments when all three were available, and the result is well worth the wait. Love To Live is a gorgeous collection of songs with nods to classic country harmony groups and a healthy splash of gospel, soul and folk for good measure. Throughout the album their crystalline voices take the spotlight; the trio’s heartfelt and pure harmonies give an intimacy to each song, and the end result is lovely and effortless. Take a listen to “Double Knots,” a sweet doo wop-inspired track, to tide yourself over until Love To Live becomes available in March.

Pure, unfiltered loveliness.
The Living Sisters - Double Knots
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Downtempo // Jazz // Soul

Adam Scrimshire’s music fascinates me with a quality that I can best describe as being patient with the listener. As if built from maps referencing harmony’s emotions, this introspective and worldly odyssey flourishes with sublime enrapture and plush vitality. It’s spacious and grand, uplifting and cinematic, yet personally affective to the tune of something nestled deep inside. Along came the Devil one night… transpires awe, friendly accord and console; a beautiful achievement by a gracious music lover and maker.

Mellifluous embodiment of music.
Scrimshire - All Roads Lead You Home
Scrimshire - Springtime (with Claire Laurent)
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folk // acoustic blues // world

Soul, folk, jazz and creole influences shine throughout Camphor & Copper (2008) — the first full-length of self-taught guitarist and singer-songwriter Mélissa Laveaux. On her debut album Mélissa displays impressive musical range and clever lyrics. Mélissa’s folk-blues arrangements, catchy hand claps, whispery vocals and her unique percussive finger-style guitar will be appealing to the fans of Ayo and Aurgasm featured Asa. Of special quality is Mélissa’s sharp and powerful cover of Elliott Smith’s “Needle in the Hay”.

From world music rhythms to brutally honest blues.
Melissa Laveaux - Needle In The Hay
Melissa Laveaux - Koud’lo
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afrofunk // jazz

The opening to “Too Many Prisoners (Elewon Po)” sounds like it could be taken right off an Isaac Hayes record (one extremely well-known one in particular…), which is funny because Hayes is one of the few people not commonly listed as an Allen influence (viz. Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, James Brown, Fela Kuti, etc.). After that, though, the Shaft theme is quickly dropped for something more like Pucho Brown: a breezy, carefree collection of bass, vocals, and the drumming for which Allen is most renowned. The single was released May 11 and is available on iTunes; the album (Secret Agent) comes out June 8. (We also covered some of Tony’s other work way back in August 2007.)

Bright and flavorful
Tony Allen – Too Many Prisoners (Elewon Po)
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neo-soul // remixed rock

Sometimes on a fluke I’ll pick a song I like, and google the title along with “remix”. Generally it turns up plenty of results, but a dearth of quality. But I think I struck gold when looking around Radiohead’s “15 Steps”, as I found this cover by Amplive, a Bay Area remix specialist, and half of the hiphop duo, Zion I. Amplive put out Rainydayz Remixes, a solid collection of tracks, build from In Rainbows samples, and layered with hip hop vocalists. Featured in the Fukstronaut mix, “15 Stepz” is the most polished—Codany’s baritone playing off an irresistible bassline.

Monsieur Yorke meets Bay Area soul.
Amplive - 15 Stepz (feat Codany Holiday) [Aurgasm quick edit]
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