New Music 2009 - Major labels and foreign language music.

Don't say that I didn't warn you because I did so yesterday. Why am I suddenly being positive about some major label releases? That is easy to answer and, really quite selfishly, because they are releasing music that I want to listen to and I have no problem with that whether it is self-released or done under the auspices of a major label.

I have no problem with foreign-language music either and have posted about this before. I've got most of the released recorded output of both and so, on that basis, I don't reckon I'm taking much of a risk here!

Strange to relate that Shakira is here, but with the album that is mostly in English although her native language is Spanish (and three albums with major releases in that language alone), but the all-Spanish album is this...

She is Canadian, of Portuguese origin, but has chosen to release her fourth album entirely in Spanish and the reviews that I have read, of both these albums, are glowing. If you have a open mind about new music, and given the kind of music I like, you can probably see why they are both on my wish list.

Not that I have any details, yet alone album art, but another to watch out for, and another Canadian singer/songwriter on a mission to surprise, is the album 'Joy' by Fefe Dobson (21 Records) and failing that try this instead.

For the background to this, her third album, which I said I would buy even if I had heard nothing from it, see this link:
http://rpgreenhalgh.blogspot.com/2009/02/driving-to-idaho-what-happened-to.html

Dne Na Ot Emoc Sgniht Doog Lla Od Yhw - melody matters!

The title to this post might seem like complete jibberish and no, it is not sung in Welsh or any other slightly obscure language!
Some songs are instantly recognisable in just a few seconds, if it takes that long as merely just a couple of notes are enough if one knows it well. That is a fascinating reflection on the way the human mind has developed to distinguish sounds by nuances such as pitch and timbre. The above "song title" is simply spelt backwards but it is hard to spot that in a similar time, just as samples of well known songs often are when used as sampled elements in remixes of songs of a completely different genre and style. and this is often the basis of "phone-in" quizzes on the radio. I have for some time subscribed to the theory that the best clues almost always lie in the melody, if that is present in the sample, as it tends to survive in a recognisable form almost regardless of genre and style.

The above title is that of a recent (late 2006) UK single release that is quite recognisable from the melody even when the song is played backwards and once I have worked out how to add such content to my blog I'll add clips from the song, played in both directions, so you can see if you agree with me!
The melody writer might also be apparent, even though he does not sing on it (well not on this version at least) though it rumoured that it is to be re-released to be shortly and, this time with the aforementioned on backing vocals.