Music Monday: April Smith and the Great Picture Show

Yes, I know it's not Monday. But I completely forgot to do a Music Monday post on Monday because, well, I was thinking about other things on Monday. So better late than never, right?

Name: April Smith and the Great Picture Show
Style: Folk pop
Sounds like/similar to: Adele, Kate Nash, The Hush Sound

It seems like very week a find a new favorite female singer. While my male favorites have remained the same for years now (Matthew Bellamy and Brandon Flowers for the win!), it's like there is no end to the sea of female voices I fall in love with week after week. The current #1 on my list is now Miss April Smith (I added the "miss", I actually have no clue if she's married or not) since I heard her on my Florence + the Machine Pandora station. That station never fails to amaze me every time I turn it on. Who knew there were so many talented female singers out there?

Anyways, I was talking about April Smith. What a neat, fun, fresh voice she has! She handles the fast paced songs very well, and then positively shines on the slower ballads. The CD as a whole has a very nice variety of styles, with a bit of folk, a bit of rock, a bit of pop, usually in some strange combination that somehow works together to form good music.

Listen on YouTube:
Songs for a Sinking Ship

1. Movie Loves a Screen
2. Terrible Things
3. Drop Dead Gorgeous
4. Can't Say No
5. What I'll Do
6. Colors
7. Dixie Boy
8. The One the Got Away
9. Beloved
10. Wow and Flutter
11. Stop Wondering

My favorites: Movie Loves a Screen, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Colors

Buy the CD on Amazon, or get the Mp3 Download.

Music Monday: A Fine Frenzy

Name: A Fine Frenzy
Style: Indie/Alternative Rock
Similar to/Sounds Like: Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Florence + the Machine

My Florence + the Machine Pandora station is the gift that keeps on giving. Practically half of my music library on iTunes is full of artists I've discovered from it, as is today's featured artist. A Fine Frenzy is the stage name for singer/songwriter Alison Sudol, who looks very similar to Florence Welch if you ask me. Yay for red-headed singers!

A Fine Frenzy first popped up on my Pandora station a few months ago and I liked what I heard, but never made any additional effort to look her up and get more of her music. Last night I did just that, though, and bought both of her albums on Amazon and have been listening to them non-stop since then. She has such a smooth, easy-listening voice. I can't wait to get familiar enough with her songs to try out some of my new-found guitar skills on some of her music.

As usual, I have linked up all the songs from her two albums to the YouTube videos. I haven't analyzed the lyrics, but nothing objectionable has jumped out at me so far, so I think you're safe to play this within ear shot of your grandma or young children. 

One Cell in the Sea - 2007

1. Come On, Come Out
2. The Minnow & the Trout
3. Whisper
4. You Picked Me
5. Rangers
6. Almost Lover
7. Think of You
8. Ashes and Wine
9. Liar, Liar
10. Last of Days
11. Lifesize
12. Near to You
13. Hope for the Hopeless
14. Borrowed Time

A Bomb in a Birdcage - 2009

1. What I Wouldn't Do
2. New Heights
3. Electric Twist
4. Blow Away
5. Happier
6. Swan Song
7. Elements
8. The World Without
9. Bird of the Summer
10. Stood Up
11. The Beacon
12. Silent War (I believe this one only comes on the Amazon download)

The word on the street (i.e. Wikipedia) is that she's working on another album due out sometime this year. I hope that's true!

SHAMELESS SING ALONG

his is one of the songs that I shamelessly sing along to in the car... At full volume (both for my radio and for me).

It's okay if you want to pity my passengers... I do when they get stuck with me in the car when I'm in a sing along mood :)

Marina and the Diamonds
"I am not a Robot"

:)