Music Monday 161 :: Alice Smith's "New Religion: (Live)

Music Monday 161 :: Alice Smith's "New Religion" (LIVE)

After my recent purchase of an iPad Mini, my music library did not transfer smoothly to the new device. It's a bit cumbersome to add your own non-iTunes music to Apple devices - one of my biggest pet peeves about the company.

I say all that to say, one track that somehow weathered the storm is Alice Smith's "New Religion." Her rich and nuanced voice is ultimately relaxing. It's hard to believe that it's been, what, six years since this track was first released.

Check her out on Instagram too.

Here's a live version of "New Religion."  Or check out the original version. Enjoy.

Music Monday 37 :: "Dream" by Alice Smith

"Dream" by Alice Smith (2006)

Despite getting a Grammy nod in 2007, Alice Smith is just not getting her due. At least not in my book.

I got this cd before it's wide release, but I let it sit on my desk for a bit and I eventually gave the disc to my sister. She promptly asked me if I'd listened to the cd. Well, you can see how it went: I introduced my sis to a bomb diggity new artist and she in turn introduced the artist to me. Weird.

"Dream" is the first track on Smith's debut cd "For Lovers, Dreamers & Me". It's a sultry track and it's got a long slowness to it. I'm not a fan of ballads, so the fact that I'm hooked is a sign of a good thing. Smith knows just when to drag out a word and bend them in the most contorted ways. The way that "Dream" climaxes is astounding. It's not too overboard, but almost.

Check out Alice Smith's performance on "Ellen" last year.

The Grammy Nominations

I love awards season ... a chance to see all my pop culture heroes get their kudos! Just a quick post about the Grammy nominations:

• Alice Smith: I had this cd in my office for well over six months, then I tried to give it away to the students and they overlooked it, I listened to it again, thought that it was okay and ended up giving it to my sister who fell in love, love, love with it! She went to see her perform recently and said the live performance was quite nice. Alice reminds me (just a bit) of Macy Gray.

• Amy Winehouse: Tough time recently for this brit, but she's got the talent. I first became aware of her through ?uestlove of The Roots - he wrote about her in his blog. I got wise, purchased a copy via the interweb and gave it to my sis last Christmas - I enjoyed this one quite a bit myself. A few weeks after Christmas when I asked my sis if she had listened to it, she said no ... but she finally got around to it and shared the love w/her friends and co-workers. She is now a bonafide Amy Winehouse fan.

More to come later ... enjoy the list:

50th Annual Grammy Awards Nominations List