I sample all kinds of music. This blog is my way of sharing with you all I've discovered along the way. I may jump, from time to time, to the pop side of things though so don't say I didn't warn you (I won't do it often though!).

As always, all songs here are for sampling purposes. Without our support, these artists won't be able to make awesome songs. Please do try to support them in any way.

If you own any songs featured here and don't want them to be shared, please get in touch and I'll promptly take it down. Lastly, if any of you have suggestions, comments or simply want to talk, don't be afraid to drop me a line.

So, let's listen to some music!
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Zoë Keating - Escape Artist
Into the Trees (2010) on Itunes | Official Website | Free Album Streaming



What else can be said about Zoë Keating that hasn’t already been said? As one of the more famous Web 2.0 musicians (she’s part of the suggested user list in Twitter - a fact she concedes has helped her success), her eclectic methodologies (as a one-woman orchestra) and her indie status (producing her own albums and keeping all profits) define the kind of experimentation and exploration that you don’t often see in mainstream music.

I was first introduced to her through a WIRED feature. As in the Jerry Maguire movie, she had me at her “hello” with that first caress of her bow with the cello’s strings. That first song (which I’ve embedded above) led me to a place of excitement and novelty I had not felt since hearing Yann Tiersen’s Amelie soundtrack. She sets up her tone not by lyrics but through the more difficult task of careful arrangements and layering of multiple instruments. The fact that her music sounds as full and vivid as a fully-staffed chamber orchestra is a testament to her skill both as a composer and as a performer.

On a side note, I recently listened to this improvised cello jam session that included Zoë and once again, it was refreshing to see the sense of experimentation and ultimately sense of fun at play.

Yes, her music jives more with certain moods and moments (it’s no workout music) but in times when you do want to feel and you do want to moved, her one-woman orchestra is something you wouldn’t want to miss.

Tags: american canadian cello songs classical
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Saturday, April 3
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

K’naan - Take a Minute
Troubadour (2009) on Itunes | Official Website



Out of all the songs in K’Naan’s 2009 album, Wavin’ Flag is probably the most famous. It stands out because of its haunting simplicity and honesty. Sometimes you hear a song and (stealing a line from James Cameron’s Avatar) you just ‘see’ the artist. Wavin’ Flag is one those songs.

With Wavin’ Flag setting such a high standard though, could the rest of his songs replicate that same vulnerability and humility? In a recent article, he says this: “…If I didn’t have “Take a minute,” or “Fatima,” or other songs that span years and years of my life. If I felt like I had nothing else except “Wavin’ Flag,” then I’d feel like I kind of cheated everybody, and I would be afraid of all the attention. But I think when people hear “Wavin Flag,” people are intelligent enough to know, if someone writes a song like that, there might be something more.”

And you know what, he’s right. Listening to the other songs in his album (especially the personal ones like Fatima, Take a Minute and People Like Me), he presents the same kind of honesty (with great beats to boot) as the flagship song, Wavin’ Flag. He lays and bares his soul without any bravado or even a pity-me attitude. He just says it as it is and does what most of us aspire to do in difficult situations; he survives and most of all, keeps his self intact.

Tags: canadian songs hiphop
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Tuesday, March 23