Elijah Drop Your Gun by Mieka Pauley

Afew months ago I borrowed the "10 Tracks" concept from my fellow contributor BC, and brought you all some music by one of my favorite artists, Mieka Pauley, a singer/songwriter/hot chick with a guitar from my hometown, the indie music mecca Boston Massachusetts, and to follow that up, I'm proud to bring you her latest album "Elijah Drop Your Gun" a title taken from the song "Run" which is as stated my last time out with her, is a personal favorite of mine. This time though, Mieka's taken a different turn form her down to earth basement studio style thats gained her critical acclaim and awards for so many years. This is a more stylistic and radio geared Mieka Pauley sound, and though I do miss the style I've come to love over these many years of watching her live, listening to her albums and downloading live shows, I don't overly mind the musical risks she's taking on this album. Plus every good artist knows that its a smart thing to change up their style just abit every few years anyway as to keep from getting stale or stagnant in their genre. So though afew songs probably shouldn't have been changed, over all this album is solid, incredibly done and takes Mieka's music to another level all together, which brings her just abit closer to finally being the success she deserves to be.

The album starts out with a new more rockish version of "All Of The Same Mistakes" which transitions well from a slow sad blues song into a somewhat angry chick rocker style which actually brings the song out more. the second song is "Be Like the Man" which is a pretty nice little southern rock style song, you wouldn't think Mieka's voice would lend well to a song thats music sounds like something akin to "Bad To The Bone" but it does, it really comes through when she starts bringing out the more angry tone to her voice near the end then drops back to her normal tone, this is followed by "Secret" which becomes a very upbeat but still sexy song over its simplistic guitar style of before, I love this song's transformation really. The next song is "Bravely" which goes from a somewhat uninteresting song into a very beautiful bit of music written over lyrics that make more sense with the new arrangement, love when a song makes me see it in a new light like that. The next song is 9:45, one of her newer songs I've not exactly heard enough of it to really judge any of its versions, but i'd assume its about getting up and running away in the middle of the night, if thats so the music on the studio version works so well with it as that, its the kind of thing you'd hear in a movie when a woman's trying to get away from an abusive relationship. The next one is "Devil's Got My Secret" not alot was changed for this, a piano is more pronounced and secondary guitars, but honestly, this song is so beautiful that anything they do to it is just amazing, it really is. Followed by "Fate Day By Day" which has become sort of a signature song for Mieka, its updated well but i'm still more in love with the latest live version of it, just so great.. the next one is "Stronger" another of her signature tracks, I rather enjoy this one's new take, the crashing guitars fit the chorus so well not much was done other then that to it from its original form, but still a very nice listen. The next song is "Run" the track which the album's name comes from, and though i love the bluesy "hunter" feel of the original version of the song, I am slowly gaining love for this more pop friendly version that just seems so, different, i understand what she's doing with the song and all, but, dunno just doesn't seem to fit 100% for me, but thats ok opened mindedness is key to life. the last two songs, "Left To God" and "Draped In Blue" though great songs live, seem so much more deep and meaningful in their new forms, no idea why but they just speak so much more, truly beautiful songs they are.

All and all as long as you aren't one of those closed minded "it must always be the same" kind of music fans and aren't open to new takes or ideas then this album isn't for you if you're a fan of Mieka's work before now. BUT, if you are open minded and willing to watch as a great artist comes into her own voice and her own musical space, then this album will be great for you, its not too pop for us not mainstream lovers and its not too indie that mainstream people will go "eww this isn't top 40 so it sucks" though really no one cares what anyone that thinks that way thinks anyway.. I would say this is the kind of album that everyone should atleast give a listen too, you might love it, you might like it, you might hate it, but its still something you could give a listen too just so you know..

here are some sample tracks and a video

All Of The Same Mistakes

Run



and the video for "Secret"

Artist: Mieka Pauley
Myspace: Here
Homepage: here
Album: Elijah Drop Your Gun
Year: 2007
Genre: Indie/Rock/Blues/Pop
Download: Elijah Drop Your Gun by Mieka Pauley

By: Just A Simple Poet

Those The Blokes by The Magic Numbers

From BC About this Album:

I'm finding alot of exspantion in the world of indie pop as of late. Now, I would normally be alarmed at this very idea of this, but I must say, alot of these newer acts are very good. Such is the case with The Magic Numbers, a band constructed of seemingly life long friends, Sean and Angelia Gannon and Romeo and Michelle Stodart. They started out as Sean and Romeo trying to be part of various musical groups in their area, and finding little joy in that, they decided to make a band with themselves and their sisters. That is how The Magic Numbers came to be.

Their music is very unqiue and stand out, its a throwback to the days of light fun all ages friendly retro 1960s/pre-disco 1970s sounding pop music that you would hear playing at a cook out in the summer somewhere, with all your family and friends around just laughing and smiling and having a great time. A true rarity in music these days. I find myself as I listen, missing those lazy summer days with a grill and abounch of friends all all chilling at a lake somewhere, or in a big field or something, that whole carefree upbeat before life becames all about working a day job and keeping your head above water. Ofcourse I think on some level we all long for those times.

The album itself, is a stand out from start to finish, I find it very hard to actually pin down favorite tracks, though "Undecided" is by far my frontrunner, followed by "This is a Song" and "Boy", though really the whole disc is steller. A definate must try for any music fan.

Artist: The Magic Numbers
Album: Those The Blokes
Genre: Indie/Pop/Retro


Those The Blokes by The Magic Numbers

By BC

Leave The Light On - Beth Hart

From BC about this album:

Beth Hart first became known to the world in the very tail end of the 1990s with her massive hit "LA Song" and her in your face "this is me like it or fuck off" take on life kept her and the song in the media long after sales for that album "Screaming For My Supper" slowed to a snails pace. The only problem with this was, LA Song was the only single released off the album that charted, and most assumed that Beth was a one hit wonder deemed for the 1990s related obscurity that acts like OMC, Fastball and The Heights now dwell in.

But this wouldn't do for Beth. She didn't care that the major lables weren't pushing her anymore, she kept working, she turned out afew more albums, and one of them, her newest one to date, from 2003, "Leave The Light On" is truely a jem that should not be passed by. It spans the spectrum from pop, to southern style rock, to jazz and blues, to gospel, to soul, to female vocalist. There is no real way to pin down this album, it shows that Beth has become so much more as she's gotten older and worked more and more on her craft.

Beth has really changed, she started out as what most dismissed as a foul mouthed Tori Amos rip off, but her voice and her style has changed so much that, it seems silly now to have ever compaired the two. Beth's voice is somewhere between Anastacia Newkirk and just about any soul diva you can think of, there is alot of Aretha in her writing she's claimed, I hear more Patte Le Belle, but thats just me I guess. Doesn't really take away from how good this disc is.

I would say this disc is for anyone thats not fully tired of the mainstream, but would like to see what some of those that the mainstream has forgotten are up too these days. Her subject matter jumps all over the place, from love, to drug addictions and drinking to sexual abuse against a child (what the title song "Leave The Light On" is about), self redemption, and afew other things along the way. Its a true masterpiece.

Artist: Beth Hart
Album: Leave The Light On
genre: Female Vocalist

Leave The Light On by Beth Hart

By BC