Carl Barrat told me that “Winehouse” (which I usually called her and got a kick out of cos it’s kind of funny to call a girl by her surname) was a jazz singer, which struck me as bizarrely anomalous in that crowd. To me with my limited musical knowledge this information placed Amy beyond an invisible boundary of relevance; “Jazz singer? She must be some kind of eccentric” I thought. I chatted to her anyway though, she was after all, a girl, and she was sweet and peculiar but most of all vulnerable.

To when he realized her musical genius:

Entering the space I saw Amy on stage with Weller and his band; and then the awe. The awe that envelops when witnessing a genius. From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness. A voice that was filled with such power and pain that it was at once entirely human yet laced with the divine. My ears, my mouth, my heart and mind all instantly opened. Winehouse. Winehouse? Winehouse! That twerp, all eyeliner and lager dithering up Chalk Farm Road under a back-combed barnet, the lips that I’d only seen clenching a fishwife fag and dribbling curses now a portal for this holy sound. So now I knew. She wasn’t just some hapless wannabe, yet another pissed up nit who was never gonna make it, nor was she even a ten-a-penny-chanteuse enjoying her fifteen minutes. She was a f*cking genius.

I strongly recommend you read his post in full here.  If you want to read more of Russell’s story through fame, addiction, and recovery in his own unique voice, check out his books My Booky Wook and My Booky Wook 2.

We’ll leave you with classic jazz-y Amy, in “Back to Black”:

Still, quality aside, I have to give this fourteen year old props for continuing to cash in. “Friday” didn’t make as much as many people thought—Slate.com used their better-than-a-book-editor-with-a-calculator math skills to run the numbers and figured she netted $20K or less from the whole deal (full rundown here). I’m not sure what the minimum dollar value would be for me to agree to let professionals dress me up and teach me some dance moves, but I would probably do it for $20K. (Hear that, music pros? Call me.*) In fact…just how many downloads would I have to sell in order to make a living as an internet pop star?

Well. On InformationIsBeautiful.net, data visualization ninja (and author of The Visual Miscellaneum**) David McCandless decided to tackle the question of how much money musicians actually make online—and just how many downloads it would take them to make minimum wage. Check it out (full post here):

Conclusion: After a careful review of the numbers, I’ll leave the music career to Rebecca Black—but I’ll happily edit her memoir when the day comes! (Hear that, Rebecca? Call me.***)

**Full disclosure: I’m the editor, and the book is mind-blowingly awesome, thanks entirely to David. You can view more of his visualizations here.

***Seriously.

In college, I spent a month gallivanting around France “studying” abroad and loving life in a carbohydrate-induced coma from eating 5 million too many baugettes and croissants. I grew to really love France – the culture, the language, and of course, the food. Through my infantile knowledge of French phrases (“Oui!”, “Eiffel Tower!”, “Café Au Lait, s’il vous plait”, etc.), I spent some time on my trip trying to strike up conversations with French youth to get some hip, cool French music. My plan was foiled quickly. Everyone I talked to recommended bands and musicians that sung only in English – Soundgarden, Justin Nozuka, and Hannah Montana (Seriously, France? Hannah Montana?). It wasn’t until I took two semesters worth of French courses after my trip that my two teachers, Courtney and Mathilde, introduced me to some wonderful French music.

To start off Bastille Day week right, here are some of our French musical recommendations. Happy Monday!

Quelqu’un m’dit by Carla Bruni
Before she was the French president Nicholas Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni was not only a supermodel but also an aspiring folk singer. Check out her beautifully raspy voice in “Quelqu’un m’a dit,” which translates to mean “Someone told me.” Some may know the song, as it was featured on the movie soundtrack for (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (soon to be a published author with It Books) and Zooey Deschanel. You can also check out Ms. Bruni in Woody Allen’s latest “Midnight in Paris.”

Non, non, non by Camelia Jordana
At just 18, Camelia Jordana is just starting to make a name for herself in France. After participating in Nouvelle Star, the French version of American Idol, where she came in third, Jordana signed a deal with Sony Music. Check out her debut single, “Non, Non, Non.”

La meme Histoire by Feist
You probably know the lovely Leslie Feist by her hit song “1,2,3,4”, but you may have not known that the Candian singer also sings in French! Feist is also known for her quirky choreography in her videos. She has been on the music scene for some time, as a member of Broken Social Scene. Check out her song “La Meme Histoire” featured in the film Paris Je’Taime.
 

BB Brunes “Dis Moi”
Known as part of the “new French rock scene,” BB Brunes formed in 2007. Influenced by The Strokes, Amy Winehouse, The Clash, David Bowie, Ray Charles and the legendary Serge Gainsbourg (whose daughter, Charlotte, is also a singer and actress), this band makes some catchy tunes.

Comme Des Enfants by Coeur de Pirate
With a stage name that translates to Heart of a Pirate, the French Canadian songstress Béatrice Martin will easily steal your heart with this beautiful piano-driven tune. It’s hard to believe that Martin is just 21 years old. This song won Martin an award for best original song at Victoires de la Musique, France’s equivalent of the Grammy’s . Despite the fact that I only understand 1 out of every 30 words in this song, it’s beautiful, catchy and perfect. The whole CD is worth the buy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaUI6Tvd1sA

Pour un Infidele by Couer de Pirate avec Julien Dore
I should probably diversify and put another artist on this list, but I’m telling you, this chick the jam. Coeur de Pirate’s self-title album is wonderful through and through, and this duet with Julien Dore is no exception. You can expect to see Coeur de Pirate around more. In 2010, she started singing a few songs in English (before she sang exclusively in French), and she’s currently back in the studio recording a new album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heI6UT55ZZ0

 Jack White is best known for being part of The White Stripes. He was ranked 17 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” and is also part of the bands The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. (As an interesting side note, White was an upholsterer before he became a rock star. He loves upholstery so much that he named one of his many side projects “The Upholsterers.” You can listen to his 6-minute spiel about upholstery on NPR.)

Before he was a fake newsman, Colbert claims to have been in an 80’s power-ballad called Stephen and the Colberts. One of those power-ballad love-songs was the Pet Shop Boys-inspired “Charlene (I’m Right Behind You).” With White’s help, Colbert is attempting to get on the charts with a follow-up single called “Charlene II (I’m Over You).”With the help of the Black Belles, a mysterious band on White’s label Third Man Records, Colbert performed the song on his show Thursday. He also performed the song live over the weekend at New York City’s Highline Park.Colbert won a Grammy in 2010 for his record “Stephen Colbert’s A Colbert Christmans.”

Cover of MIRRORED

Really, I could never have predicted this love affair. Battles is a band that, say a year ago, appealed to me as much as a needless appendectomy. No offense to the band but, I couldn’t bear them–hadn’t taken to their shtick. The listening experience was something like being thrashed by synth bleeps, lawn mower tugs, and engine growls.

Now, I have a difficult time listening to anything else. After fortuitously revisiting Mirrored (2007), their breakout album, I was spellbound by their garbled vocals, croaking samples, and arrhythmic drumbeats. Favorites:

• Atlas
• Rainbow
• Bad Trails

Cover of GLOSS DROP

Gloss Drop (June 6^th), Battles’ newly released album, marks the loss of key member, Tyondai Braxton, but also the diversification of the band’s overall sound.

With this album, they seem to have made a stylistic leap from songs that sound mechanical to ones that could pass for carbonated. Favorites:

• Ice Cream
• Wall Street
• Sweetie & Shag

At the end of the day, Battles is definitely not for everybody. But I’d urge you to give them a try. Listen to them take chances. Here is the band’s new, sense-bombarding video for the single, “Ice Cream (feat. Matias Aguayo)”:

BATTLES | Ice cream from MGdM | Marc Gómez del Moral on Vimeo.

Adele’s 21, however, is definitely one of the exceptions.  Since this album was released in the UK in January, it’s just about all I listen to.  It’s become a constant because it plays in my car every time I get in.  I used to listen to the radio constantly, but since I found a CD I can play (and not get sick of…yet) I find it harder and harder to listen to the constant ads that appear on the radio.  I’m pretty sure most stations play about one good song every half hour. 

21, named after the age she was during production (just 21!), has become more and more popular over the past few months.  Adele recently toured in the US, and 21 has spent 10 non-consecutive weeks at number one.  Her single for Rolling in the Deep also debuted at number one in the US.

Her first album, 19, was released two years prior.  After four Grammy nominations and two wins, the album became more popular and made it to the top ten on the charts.  Chasing Pavements was the hit single in the US.

This past week, 21 was once again number one on the charts, 16 weeks after the album was released in the US.  It took the spot of Lady Gaga’s new album, just three weeks old.

Adele continues to amaze me and my only hope is that her next album is as good as this one.

A personal favorite song:

Shania Twain fell on stage, Sheryl Crow flashed the audience her panties while performing “Collide” with Kid Rock… and it’s still strikes me as odd to see Nicole Kidman walk the red carpet (she was there to support hubby Keith Urban).

But the real star of the night was Blake Shelton – the only multi-award winner, judge on the hit show The Voice, and recently married to fellow country crooner Miranda Lambert. Shelton won two awards (the only artist to do so): male video of the year award for Who Are You When I’m Not Looking, and best web video of the year for Kiss My Country Ass. Things are sure going well for Blake!

The new power couple of country took home some awards, besting their own idols and country music legends. Miranda Lambert beat out country queen Reba McEntire. Blake Shelton topped Toby Keith and Keith Urban.  

Other winners for the night included Lady Antebellum who won group video of the year for Hello World. And because what awards night would be complete without the Bieber, Justin Bieber was there to collect his award for the Best Collaborative Video of the Year for “That Should Be Me” featuring Rascal Flatts.

Confession: Although I can’t sing to save my life, I love karaoke. But I’m cursed with friends who all have incredible voices—as in, the only one who was never part of an a cappella group is a trained opera singer. So I’ve spent a good amount of time trying to figure out how to close the karaoke achievement gap.

Let’s start with the CLASSICS. These are safe choices for anyone, male or female, but only to a degree. They’re easy to sing and everyone else in the room will join in. But if it’s later in the night, you run the risk of repeating a song that someone else sang earlier (and perhaps, better). So belt songs like these at your own risk:

“Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison), “Dancing Queen” (Abba), “Don’t Stop Believin’” (Journey), “Friends in Low Places” (Garth Brooks), “Like a Virgin” (Madonna), “Livin’ on a Prayer” (Bon Jovi), “My Way” (Frank Sinatra), “Piano Man” (Billy Joel), “Rock and Roll All Nite” (Kiss), “Sweet Caroline” (Neil Diamond), “Sweet Home Alabama” (Lynyrd Skynyrd), “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (Bonnie Tyler), “You Shook Me All Night Long” (AC/DC), most other songs by these same artists 

GENTLEMEN: I’ll be honest…I have a soft spot for guys who can rock out old school Green Day (say, “Basket Case” or “Longview”), but just about the best thing I’ve ever heard at karaoke was courtesy of my coworker Mark, who skillfully yet hilariously crooned a Celine Dion ballad. Yes, you might want to practice beforehand for maximum impact, but the payoff is great. And the sillier it sounds, the funnier it will be. This strategy can also work with an over-the-top rendition of any boy band hit, from “MMMBop” to “Everybody.”

If your falsetto isn’t ready to go yet, it’s tough to go wrong with the Beatles or any of the classics listed above. And this may be controversial, but I’m going to say it: please skip “Black Hole Sun.” Just because it was a song option on Rock Band doesn’t mean it’s going to energize the room. 

LADIES: For whatever unfair reason, butchering songs by male singers as a joke just doesn’t tend to work as well for us (well, at least it doesn’t for me). So here are a few other tried and true ideas:

• Ace of Base: “Don’t Turn Around,” “I Saw the Sign,” “All That She Wants.” What’s not to love?
• Autotuned: My personal MO is to focus on singers who also can’t sing. Britney is my go-to girl—if you’re bored of “Oops I Did It Again,” “Sometimes” is an excellent, less overdone choice. Alternatively, Brit’s cover of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ’n Roll” from the classic movie Crossroads is both completely manageable and on every karaoke playlist I’ve ever seen. Warning: Old school Britney works much better than her newer stuff. Whatever you do, do NOT attempt “Womanizer.” Ke$ha and Katy Perry songs also are great choices.
• Daring: If you want something a little more challenging that won’t leave everyone in the bar clutching their ears, go with a song in a lower register, like “Criminal” by Fiona Apple, or “Spiderwebs” or “Just a Girl” by Gwen Stefani. Songs by dudes are also an option, and as a bonus nobody will be comparing your voice to the original singer.
• Group: Spice up your act with “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, or any other song (including many of those listed above) where you can drag 2 or more friends up to the mike with you. Boy band hits can also be used to good effect here. Think “It’s Gonna Be Me” or “Tearin’ Up My Heart.” Sure, you’ll be those girls—but at least the shame will be divided. An optional twist on this is the group Disney number. Although technically “Part of Your World” is a solo piece, you’ll sleep much safer if you let all the other Ariels in the room join in. After all, aren’t we all bright young women, sick of swimming, ready to stand?

DANGER ZONE: Sometimes, songs seem like awesome ideas until you’re 10 seconds in and realize:

• You only know the chorus—or worse, you don’t even know the chorus. For me, this was MJ’s “Thriller.” Awkward.
• You can’t rap to save your life. In general, you should avoid anything that requires rapping skills, unless you A) got ‘em (and deep down, you know whether or not you do) or B) are singing TLC’s “Waterfalls.”
• The song is more than four minutes long. Yes, “American Pie” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” have their charms, but they’re also really, really long.

TIP ‘N TRICKS: If all else fails…

• Make someone who can sing join you. Hold the microphone far enough out that their voice carries the show. This way you get credit for rocking a song without actually doing so. Make sure to dance enthusiastically.
• Many people have only experienced karaoke in a bar full of strangers, which can be intimidating, to say the least. For those of us on Team Can’t Sing, private room karaoke is an amazing alternative—this way, you’re only embarrassing yourself in front of your nearest and dearest. Bonus: it’s much easier to sneak in drinks.
• If the worst happens and you’re in over your head, grab the nearest person, shove the mike into their hands, yell “sing,” and run away. 

This is just a start—obviously there are tons of songs I left out here! Help me out, because I know my friends are crazy sick of hearing “I Love Rock ‘n Roll.” What am I missing??

Ellie Goulding
The adorable British songstress fit for royalty.
In case you needed more reason to love Princess Kate Middleton with her perfect hair and her perfect clothes and her perfect life, she also has some pretty legit music taste. After she and Prince William watched one of Ellie Goulding’s performances (from backstage, of course), they asked her to perform her beautiful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” for their first dance as a married couple. The song catapulted Goulding to the top of the UK charts in November 2010. And, after appearing on SNL with Tina Fey hosting, her album reached the U.S. charts as well. Ellie Goulding’s rise to stardom has only just begun. Check out her catchy singles: “Starry Eyed” and “The Writer”

Goulding will be performing in New York City on July 29 at Terminal 5 and throughout the country. Check out her other U.S. tour dates.

Childish Gambino
Ain’t Nothing Childish About This Guy.
About a month ago, The Village Voice, posted an article titled “Donald Glover is More Talented Than You,” and in today’s world of musicians, writers, “singers” (lookin’ at you, Ke$ha), and reality fame whores, I’d have to say this is entirely true. He really is one talented dude; he is a stand-up comedian, an actor on NBC’s Community, a former Emmy-winning writer for 30 Rock (which he started while still an RA at NYU), AND a witty rapper under the moniker Childish Gambino. Although his IAMDONALD half stand-up comedy, half rap tour is over, he did strongly suggest on his Twitter @donaldglover (which used to be @donglover, but he ultimately decided that it looked too much like “dong lover”) that he’d be back to Brooklyn to play his new album before it’s released. He’ll for sure be back in NYC playing at Rock the Bells on Sept. 3 on Governor’s Island and there’s no doubt he’ll be back touring the U.S. before long.

Check out his breakout single, “Freaks and Geeks,” which was also recently featured on a Dwight Howard Adidas commercial. (Dwight, don’t ever leave Orlando!) Best of all, you can download all of Childish Gambino’s music free and legally. And if you’re opposed to semi-graphic language…well, he’s a rapper. Deal with it.

The Weepies
Get weepy for The Weepies.
I am in love this this pop-folk duo. Like King Midas, everything they touch is pure gold. Okay, fine, they did have a brief stint where they co-wrote a few tracks on Mandy Moore’s album, Wild Hope, but they at least turned Mandy Moore’s usual sugary pop songs to a respectable pop album.   Don’t be fooled by their sad name, not all of their songs are sad and weepy — “All This Beauty,” “Be My Thrill,” and “I Was Made for Sunny Days” are all upbeat folk tunes. The most famous songs by this husband-and-wife duo are probably, “World Spins Madly On” and “Gotta Have You.” The Weepies’ music has been featured on countless commercials and TV shows, so if you haven’t heard of them you probably have and just didn’t know it. They’re touring around the country with all acoustic sets and they’ll be at Irving Plaza September 3 in New York.

The Naked & Famous
New Zealand indie rock group.
Aside from providing the backdrop of Lord of the Rings, I didn’t know that New Zealand had much to offer, especially in terms of pop culture. (I think I just lost some major cool points for referencing LOTR). But as I learned this year, it has produced some pretty cool musicians: Brooke Fraser (on tour in Europe this summer), Natasha Bedingfield, Flight of the Conchords, Keith Urban (get off my back; I like country sometimes), and also a rock group called The Naked & The Famous.  Check out their upbeat tunes like Young Blood, Girls Like You, and Punching in a Dream. They’ll be playing in Central Park for FREE on August and around the U.S. and Europe this summer.

Ben L’Oncle Soul
A Soulful Frenchman.
I don’t think anyone, even the band themselves, has ever claimed that Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” is a good song. But that didn’t stop this soulful Frenchman from taking this terrible song and making it into a lovely tune. He also covers The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and has his own original tunes, such as “Soulman,” in which he sings in both English and French. He is incredibly talented and has a beautiful voice, and at the price of FREE in NYC, you should go check him out as part of Fete de la Musique on June 21 in Central Park, which also features a film about French music legend Serge Gainsbourg.

James Vincent McMorrow
Irish Folk God.
In the same vein as Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens and Ray Lamontagne (all three of whom are on tour this summer), James Vincent McMorrow is an Irish folk singer-songwriter who writes perfect music for a relaxing day. He wrote his debut album, Early in the Morning in the seclusion of a beach house in Ireland, and that feel really comes through on his album. His songs have already been featured on hit TV shows like Chuck, Parenthood and Grey’s Anatomy. Check out his beautiful song “We Don’t Eat.” McMorrow will be playing June 10 at the Mercury Lounge in NYC and touring the country with The Civil Wars, another wonderful folk duo.

The Decemberists
A band for many months other than December.
Having never been to their live show before, I have only read magical things about it. As their lyrics often deal with historical events or old folk stories, their eclectic shows sometimes involve audience participation, in which audience members re-enact historical events like sea battles on stage. They recently released their sixth studio album, with the summery single “Down by the Water.” They will be in Brooklyn on June 14, and touring around the country as well.

M. Ward
The Him of She & Him.
Before he was the “Him” of She & Him with actress Zooey Deschanel, Matt Ward had his own blossoming solo career under the stage name M. Ward. In addition to his solo act and She & Him, Ward was also a member of the band Monsters of Folk. He also has an impressive resume of co-writing and producing. Check out his song “Rave On” and “Never Had Nobody Like You,” both of which feature Zooey Deschanel on back-up vocals. He will be playing at the Newport Folk Festival and Festival d’été in Québec – both of which look pretty damn cool. Check out this list of full tour dates.

Other noteworthy summer shows to check out, not necessarily in order of awesomeness:
Two Door Cinema Club. Check out “Something Good Can Work.”
Kurt Vile. Check out “Overnite Religion.”
The Dodos. Check out “Fools.”
Theophilius London. Check out “Why Even Try?”
Florence and the Machine. Check out “You’ve Got the Love.”
The Kooks. Check out “Naive.”
Ratatat. Check out “Loud Pipes.”
Sia. Check out “Soon We’ll Be Found.”
Bon Iver. Check out “Skinny Love.”
Andrew Bird. Check out “Fake Palindromes.”
Peter, Bjorn and John. Check Out “Second Chance.”
Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs. Check out “For the Summer.”
Sufjan Stevens. Check out “Chicago.”

Adele!

Hi! I’ve not contributed to YourItList since approximately 1964, but I’m back! Get excited.

- Celine Dion – she is amazing after all.

- Justin Timberlake – now that he’s an “actor” I don’t guess this is likely to happen.

- Dolly Parton – it’s coming on June 28^th! Before the apocalypse(s)!

- En Vogue – but I’m probably Never Gonna Get It.

- Charlene – without her, I’d have never been to me.

And since it seems that I’m writing about music, I have to tell you … not that you asked … that I’m getting quite tired of this “Lady Gaga is trying to be Madonna” thing. It’s getting old and I have other things to think about … like the Tony Awards or what I’m supposed to watch until 30 Rock and Modern Family come back. Anyway, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it; probably too much time. If you like Lady Gaga, listen to Lady Gaga. If you like Madonna, listen to Madonna. If you like them both, well, then you have good taste and you should carry on.

Gaga vs. Madonna

I don’t understand the people who have the desire (or the time for that matter) to point out things such as that in her Beautiful Stanger video, Madonna drove along side Austin Powers and that Lady Gaga is seated next to Beyonce in the Telephone video in a similar fashion. Have you seen Lady Gaga’s tour schedule? She’s basically in 4 cities on different continents every day and performs concerts for needy pigeons on the side. Chances are good she’s not sitting around coming up with ways emulate to Madonna. When she adopts Kabbalah and starts dating a hot Brazilian model (anyone else miss the Jesus Luz days?) then we can talk.

Gratuitous Jesus picture