Welcome to the latest edition of the VIII, where, as before, I’ll be featuring eight different performers, currently on the move, whom I have enjoyed in the past, with a few recent discoveries as well.
Danny Ross, is a excellent pop vocalist and pianist, very similar in style to Norah Jones and Bens Fold Five with the winter-appropriate “When You’re Down (And You’re Out)” from his 2007 release, Introducing Danny Ross! EP. We all go through moods like this, and this particular track could have easily been included in the Peanuts series if it were made now.
Official Digs: Web site and MySpace
Deeyah, nicknamed “The Muslim Madonna” by British tabloid The Sun, is a Pakistani-Norwegian singer and composer, of Punjabi and Pashtun descent, who is also a human-rights activist. She has an overall electro-pop sound, though the special Taj Metal “Deeyahcide Mix” has a bit of a rapcore flavor. You can hear it at her Official Digs (below), which also outline her amazing activism work.
Official Digs: MySpace
San Francisco’s all-female blues-influenced, hard-rock-inspired Dolorata brings an old-school ’70s rock-and-roll feel to their music without losing their ability to have a decidedly contemporary sound. The strings/orchestra-driven power-rock sound of “In the Epic Throes of Sadness” is particularly notable. I’m excited about hearing a full release from these women who know how to rock and roll.
Official Digs: MySpace
Darren Hayes isn’t a stranger to most music fans, as the former frontman of the ’90s pop duo Savage Garden. Now, on his own, Hayes has adopted an electro-pop sound, and is still putting out damn good music on his own. I love the positive message behind “On the Verge of Something Wonderful”, off of his 2007 release , This Delicate Thing We’ve Made. And don’t miss his new DVD, This Delicate Film We’ve Made, which explores his album in a 4-D, Surround Sound visual experience, coming out on Dec. 1.
Official Digs: Web site and MySpace
You may be surprised by my next pick, with The Ventures 1960 hit “Walk Don’t Run”. They were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, and have been called “The Band That Launched a Thousand Bands”, and this instrumental rock band, which has been credited of heavily influencing the surf-rock culture, are actually still recording.
Official Digs: Web site
The ever-popular Radiohead gave us “Creep” back in 1992. The band has basically disowned the track nowadays, notably eschewing their earlier alt-rock sound—despite its early mainstream success—and has made a critically-acclaimed metamorphosis into one of the stalwarts of the experimental indie-rock sound. I still love “Creep”, though… give it a spin, from a live show in Japan in 2003.
Official Digs: Web site
Seattle’s Common Market, a great hip-hop band of whom I’ve been a huge fan for a while now, are fantastic, most notably with “Every Last One” (Cornerstone Remix) from their self-titled album. The track has a jazzy tone with combined with an unmistakable hip-hop sound. They are not to be missed, and if you’re a fan of organic hip-hop, with a positive, activistic outlook, check them out.
Official Digs: MySpace
Finally, closing out this week’s show is one of my favorites and another organic hip-hop/jazz group, Organix, hailing from my hometown of Wilmington, N.C. Lead singer, the beautiful and talented McClain Sullivan (known as Mac), leads the festivities with her jazz-friendly vocals, while male hip-hop vocalist Fuzz Jackson and the rest of the group always get enthusiastic crowds dancing to their unique sound. “Lovely Weekend” incorporates a personified North Carolina weekend, is one of the best tracks and definitely a good starting point when checking out this group. I highly encourage you to check out their album, as well as Mac’s solo material, as they definitely have what it takes to hit it big. Look for more coverage on them in the future.
Official Digs: band MySpace and Mac’s solo profile
Thank you for reading, be sure to hear my new corresponding radio show of the same name, at The V at IRABBroadcasting.com, every Saturday at 8p EST. You’ll hear these great artists featured here every week. Keep rocking out and keep supporting up-and-coming artists.
