The Bad Plus – For All I Care (release date: Feb. 3)
Those longing to hear Avant-garde jazz cover versions of Nirvana’s “Lithium” or Heart’s “Barracuda,” look no further than the upcoming release from The Bad Plus. The odd collection of material somehow melts into an interesting whole. Every two-bit bar band in Holiday Inns across the country may have covered Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb,” but I’m willing to bet it never sounded like this.
The Bad Plus on myspace.com.
Lisa Hannigan – Sea Saw (release date: Feb. 3)
Lisa Hannigan’s voice will be familiar to fans of Irish folk singer Damien Rice. Hannigan sang on Rice’s stellar debut album “O.”
Her newest effort, titled “Sea Saw,” sets the singer’s smoky voice dancing over lush string and horn arrangements. Hannigan’s melodic and melon collie vocals blend perfectly with the classical accompaniment. While the wheel isn’t being reinvented here, a lot can be said for a talented singer who sings – and does so beautifully.
Lisa Hannigan on myspace.com.
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (release date: Feb. 3)
When was the last time you heard a great pop song? A toe-tapping, head-bobbing, sing-a-long pop song seems hard to come by in a world of artists concerned more with doing something unique than making great music.
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele brings a quirky sensibility to his tunes, but if all the madness were stripped away, a refreshingly upbeat and infectiously catchy pop sensibility would remain. One word of caution: these melodies will stay in your head long after the song ends.
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele on myspace.com