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  • I think I’m in love with Mr. and Mrs. F…

    I think I’m in love with Mr. and Mrs. F…

    These two make the cutest videos on YouTube and for that reason, I think I’m in love with Mr. and Mrs. F…

    Today’s post is inspired by YouTube, which I am using for entertainment purposes until my furniture gets here on Tuesday. I am sitting on the floor with my new laptop, which has been a lifesaver since I have become one of those people who can’t live without Internet anymore. It’s just me and my two dogs, whom I am trying to keep quiet so my new German neighbors don’t get upset and start complaining. I’m wearing a new Saint Obnoxious beer drinking shirt that says “Life is too short to drink shitty beer” in German and, well, short of starting drinking at noon, there’s not too much to do. So I went to YouTube and started watching videos and I was reminded of an adorable couple whose baby’s development was immortalized in a cute video…


    From Bump to Buzz has over 9 million hits and was all over my Facebook a few months ago… I just watched it again and I’ll be damned if it didn’t make me weepy.

    I thought this video was so delightful that I started watching some of the other videos starring singer-songwriter and children’s book author Tom Fletcher and his lovely wife, Giovanna, also known as “Gi”.


    The next video I found was the one announcing Giovanna’s pregnancy. Appropriately enough, it’s Halloween themed and just as sweet as their From Bump to Buzz video.

    At first, I wasn’t sure if Gi was singing with Tom, until I found the next video dating from March 2013…


    Mrs. F does indeed have a very pretty voice and the two of them are just flat out irresistible in this video. Their baby is destined to be able to sing. Check out Tom’s guitar licks, too.

    Here, in February 2014, Mr. and Mrs. F sing L-O-V-E and look like they are very much into it.

    I bet this couple is a lot of fun at parties. I would love to do something like this with my own husband, but he can’t sing and probably wouldn’t do it on camera even if he could. I’m the show off in our house.

    Tom Fletcher is one of the lead vocalists of the band McFly, which I must admit I know very little about at this point. Realizing that he was born in 1985 and I still remember that year very well, I wonder if I will enjoy McFly’s music as much as I do the videos Fletcher makes with his wife. Let’s see…


    This is the video for McFly’s song “Love Is Easy”, which was released in 2012. It’s pretty catchy and not at all unpleasant.

    I think I’m too old for boy bands, though… so I prefer Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher’s efforts on YouTube. Watching Tom Fletcher play makes me wish I’d stuck with guitar lessons.


    They are so damn cute!

  • #19 album of 2013 – Yetchalal by Ukandanz

    #19 album of 2013 – Yetchalal by Ukandanz

    Artist: Ukandanz

    Album: Yetchalal

    The band name Ukandanz can be pronounced as “You can danz” (“dance”), thus I pronounce it that way. They’re a French band (sax, bass, guitar, drums) that plays loud, highly energetic Ethiopian-style pop music sung by immigrant Asnake Guebreyes, so I have Ukandanz-Yetchalalno idea if I’m pronouncing it correctly, or what the name might in fact mean. But I *can* dance, and the music on Yetchalal makes me want to, and now this review has a cheap hook, so there.

    The strangeness levels on Yetchalal, to Western-trained ears, vary quite a bit. Belomi Benna is Ukandanz at their most catchy and straightforward: bopping along in 4/4 time, with simple call-and-response vocal hooks and a horn section not that far away from Dixieland jazz. Wub Nat could be taken as a variant on ’90s indie guitar rock: some of it based on a choppy percussive 6/4 bass riff Soundgarden could’ve authored on an inventive day, other sections built on dreamy floating guitar closer to Ride or Swervedriver — all of it made unfamiliar only by the very busy and complicated horn sections, and by Guebreyes’s lithe, ululating, wiggly voice and exceptional breath control. Tezalegn Yetentu‘s guitar, bass, and drum work start at punk-pop, then spend the rest of the song not far from Led Zeppelin doing one of their Mideast-inflected epic buildups; Lionel Martin’s horn blasts here are simple and rousing, and shouldn’t scare anyone who’s ever heard a marching band (unless they were stomped over and crushed bone-by-bone by said marching band, in which case, ouch!, but I was just trying to use a sonic comparison).

    Addis Abeba Bete slides on very slippery rhythms, but the bass guitar is set for blasting out of car speakers, and Guebreyes’s smoothest, lowest singing and the saxophone’s sway are probably damned seductive until the song accelerates into double-time. Semmenawerq pushes the drummer Guilhem Meier forward for his best showcase, while Ben Lecomte’s bass tolls like doom, or just an insane clock. Aykedashem Lebe is the most ominous, heaviest song here (and quite possibly my favorite), but Martin’s sax still slips a folk-dance feel into the otherwise tense action-adventure setting. Then again, the bassline of the dreamy Senadere feels almost disco. Or at least it does after nine previous Ukandanz songs have already stretched my musical horizons — and until it climaxes as a fierce guitar rave-up.

    Last year I suggested that the Debo Band’s self-titled debut, also Ethiopian-styled, had become my favorite African-pop album. I can still recommend it happily, but the superlative is no longer true; Yetchalal has walked away with that title. Both bands seem equally talented, and I can express the differences in neutral, objective terms: Yetchalal is faster, denser, trickier, and louder than Debo Band, and Asnake Guebreyes’s singing, though smooth, is high-intensity where Bruck Tesfaye’s voice is calmer, more studied. You might prefer either; but those differences translate in *my* head as “Yetchalal is better, better, better, and better, and also the singer is better”. My interest in “World Music” began, a few years ago, with a certain level of artifice: of trying new things in the belief that trying new things is a Good Thing To Do. The novelty hasn’t worn off yet, but the artifice is gone; it’s just fun now.

    – Brian Block

    To see the rest of our favorites, visit our Favorite Albums of 2013 page!

  • Smokey Robinson sings with friends!

    Smokey Robinson sings with friends!

    Smokey Robinson sings with friends on his brand new duets album, Smokey & Friends!

    Hi folks. I know it’s been a few weeks since my last post. I’ve been busy with this move from Texas to Germany and am still sitting in temporary lodging. Fortunately, I still have Internet access and was lucky enough to score a review copy of Smokey Robinson’s new album, Smokey & Friends!

    Smokey Robinson has had a very long and successful career in the music business. At age 74, his voice is still in great shape as he collaborates with an eclectic variety of rock star notables on Smokey & Friends. Though I can’t yet count myself among his most ardent fans, I do enjoy some of his best known hits as well as the songs he wrote for others. I had the chance to listen to Smokey & Friends yesterday morning and I really enjoyed it.


    On this video by the Associated Press, Smokey Robinson talks about how this project came to be.

    Smokey & Friends consists of eleven tracks written by Smokey Robinson and includes duets by everyone from Mary J. Blige to James Taylor. This new album was produced by American Idol star and record producer Randy Jackson. The production on Smokey & Friends is a bit on the slick side for my usual tastes; on the other hand, it was pretty good morning music and helped me wake up.

    A jaunty organ solo kicks off the first song, “Tracks of My Tears”, which is a collaboration between Smokey Robinson and Elton John. I have always liked this song and I think Smokey and Elton work well together, although I must admit that at first, I thought Elton was Van Morrison. His voice has deepened a bit and, on this song, it almost sounds like he has an Irish accent. It wasn’t until Elton cut loose on the chorus that I recognized his voice. Still, it’s a strong effort and I like it.


    Elton John talks about making his duet with Smokey Robinson.

    Steven Tyler was a great choice for the next song, “You Really Got A Hold On Me”. This sounds like a song Aerosmith could have easily covered. This rendition has edgy guitars that give it a straight rock sound. It works very well, although Smokey’s vocal contributions are less obvious on this track.

    Next comes a very smooth and sweet rendition of “My Girl” featuring Smokey Robinson singing with Miguel, Aloe Blacc, and JC Chasez. Although I am very partial to The Temptations’ famous cover of Smokey’s song, this is a really pleasant, soulful version of “My Girl”. As I listened to these guys singing together, I was reminded of Daryl Hall and I kind of wondered why he’s not on this record too. Their voices blending together reminded me of classic Hall & Oates.

    I first heard of Jessie J. when she was featured at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. I thought she had a pretty powerful voice during that performance. Singing “Cruisin’” here with Smokey Robinson, she offers even more power and soul. Before the song begins, Jessie J. explains that she first heard Smokey sing when she was 7 years old and that singing with him is “a dream come true”. “Cruisin’” happens to be one of my favorite songs by Smokey Robinson. To my ears, this version doesn’t surpass Smokey’s original, but I am impressed by the vocal chemistry Jessie J and Smokey Robinson have.

    I wasn’t familiar with “Quiet Storm” before I listened to this duet version, featuring John Legend. Legend and Robinson work well together on this relaxing, jazzy number; now I’m curious about the original.

    I had no idea that “The Way You Do The Things You Do” was a Smokey Robinson creation. Here, he sings it with CeeLo Green. I like this updated version of “The Way You Do The Things You Do”, which gives CeeLo Green the chance to show off his rich, warm vocals.

    The cool, sensual “Being With You” is another one of my favorite songs by Smokey Robinson. Mary J. Blige offers a sexy counterpart to Smokey Robinson’s silky voice. Though this song was originally a solo, it works great as a duet.

    I love James Taylor’s music and I know that he has a special fondness in his heart for classic hits from the 50s and 60s. “Ain’t That Peculiar” gets a Taylor makeover on Smokey & Friends, which is arranged a bit like Taylor’s most recent recordings. When this song started, I was immediately reminded of the songs on October Road. He uses lots of organ, electric guitars, and an interesting rhythm. He definitely made it his own, which I respect. It sounds like they had a lot of fun with it.

    Sheryl Crow gamely takes a turn with “The Tears of A Clown”, another classic Robinson hit. This is a solid effort; Sheryl Crow has a less tremulous quality to her voice that balances well with Smokey’s voice. Plus, I really like the song itself; it’s one of those numbers that never gets old.

    “Ooh Baby Baby” begins with an introduction by Ledisi, who joins Smokey on this very sexy hit. I have to admit, when it comes to cover versions of “Ooh Baby Baby”, I’m kind of partial to Linda Ronstadt’s take. Ledisi and Smokey Robinson give their duet more of a quiet sensuality and warmth than Ronstadt’s more torch like presentation. It’s appealing and entertaining and I can tell Ledisi is really into it.

    The last song is “Get Ready”, a great song for the morning if I ever heard one. Gary Barlow and Smokey Robinson update this into an exciting and hard driving rock song. I think they did a great job updating this hit and I really like it. It’s a great way to close out Smokey & Friends. This arrangement almost has an element of danger to it, which breathes new life into a true classic.

    Smokey and his friends did fine work with Smokey & Friends. I enjoyed listening to these duet renditions of Smokey Robinson’s classic hits and am very impressed by how great Smokey still sounds after all his years in the music business. This album also reminds me that Smokey Robinson is a great songwriter and inspires me to listen to more of his work. I know I already turned on one of his fans to this latest effort and I hope some of you out there will also give it a spin!


    Trailer for Smokey & Friends… a great place to hear some samples from this record.