www.youtube.com/watch?v=11595607BEA93D06

Usually thought of as a middle-of-the-road popular singer, Françoise Hardy — at the beginning of her career, at least — covered more stylistic ground and owed more debts to pop/rock than she’s given credit for. Immensely popular in her native France, the chanteuse first displayed her breathy, measured vocals in the early and mid-’60s. Her (mostly self-penned) recordings from that era draw from French pop traditions, lightweight ’50s teen idol rock, girl groups, and sultry jazz and blues — sometimes in the same song. The material is perhaps too unreservedly sentimental for some (in the French tradition), but the songs are invariably catchy and the production, arrangements, and near-operatic backup harmonies excellent, at times almost Spector-esque. Fans of Marianne Faithfull’s mid-’60s work can find something of a French equivalent here, though Hardy’s material was stronger and her delivery more confident. [allmusic]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=40AFA6E0BF9C2054

www.youtube.com/watch?v=57E2E969A3E54FC8

“our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
-ralph waldo emerson

“it’s not that i’m so smart, it’s just that i stay with problems longer.”
-albert einstein

“it does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”
-confucius

“keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. i never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”
-charles f. kettering

“never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.”
-brian tracy

“perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.”
-henry wadsworth longfellow

www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0B2BCBC25AF3E8B

screamin jay hawkins

Jalacy Hawkins (July 18, 1929, Cleveland, Ohio – February 12, 2000, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France), best known as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was an American musician, singer, and actor. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of songs such as “I Put a Spell on You”, Hawkins sometimes used macabre props onstage, making him one of the few early shock rockers. [wikipedia]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF396E9FA844415E

Ayreon is a project by Dutch composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Ayreon’s musical style derives mostly from heavy metal and progressive rock, but combines them with genres like folk, classical and electronica. The majority of Ayreon’s albums are dubbed “rock operas” because the albums contain complex storylines featuring a host of characters, usually with each one being represented by a unique vocalist.

ayreon

Ayreon’s music is characterized by the use of traditional instruments in rock music (guitars, bass guitar, drums, synthesizers, electric organs) mixed with instruments more native to folk and classical music (e.g. mandolins, violins, violas, celli, flutes, sitars and didgeridoo). Lucassen writes the music and the lyrics, sings and plays instruments on all of the Ayreon albums, alongside many guest musicians. His regular drummer is Ed Warby. [wikipedia]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=41FBC6694855D58A

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C7AE387D3B1C221

The Ruffled Feathers climbed precarious cliffs and clambered over felled logs on the last sunny day of the season in a no-trespassing zone on a quest to find their spirit animals. A pair of seagulls and the crewmen of a tugboat were the only audience to a song about a castle floating over the Soviet Union. [the ruffled feathers]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DB4DB5CFB52555F

www.youtube.com/watch?v=59059BBD13E9A9A2

Sidney York is the folk music creation of musician Brandi Sidoryk. Sidoryk, a professional musician, is a music teacher and performer in Calgary, Alberta. After completing a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Music from the University of Melbourne, Sidoryk was fervent about moving back to her home province of Alberta to contribute to the growth of that music community. Since returning to Alberta, she has been teaching and performing, as well as promoting music education in Alberta as a board member of the Alberta Music Education Foundation.

It was also this Alberta homecoming that prompted Sidoryk to create her alter ego Sidney York in late 2007. The music of Sidney York soon became an outlet for Sidoryk to express her eclectic musical influences, experiences and tastes—from her classical music training, to the folk-country music of her childhood.

Since Sidney York became Sidoryk’s musical guise in late 2007, she has written many songs that have been described as lyric-driven and organic, rich in imagery and cutting wit. She performs regularly throughout Alberta, and was recently chosen as a finalist in the category of Best Song by a Newcomer in the 2008 Calgary Folk Fest Songwriting Competition. She is currently working on her debut album, which is projected to be released in the summer of 2008. [big rock untapped]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA6349597FCC0C4B

the song, which was a top-40 hit for baez on the u.s. pop singles chart, is regarded by a number of critics, as well as by baez fans, as one of her best compositions. it served as the title song on baez’s gold-selling diamonds & rust album in 1975.
for her 1995 live recording ring them bells, baez performed the song as a duet with mary chapin carpenter. in that performance, she changed the end lines: “and if you’re / offering me diamonds and rust / i’ve already paid,” to: “and if you… well i’ll take the diamonds.” and also : “i bought you some cuff links, you brought me something” turned out to be “i bought you some cuff links, you brought me troubles” and on 25 february 2009, in austin, she sang it, “and if you… well i’ll take the grammy.”

the song was later covered with edited lyrics by judas priest for the album sin after sin. it was originally recorded a year earlier for sad wings of destiny but not included on the album- and this early version appears on the best of judas priest, hero, hero, as well as some remasters of their first album, rocka rolla. a live version of the song is on unleashed in the east. the song remains a staple of judas priest live concert performances. in recent years, priest have been performing a mostly-acoustic version of the song that is more similar to the original than the rock version on their recorded albums.
cover versions have also been recorded by blackmore’s night, great white, taylor mitchell, model m (band) and thunderstone.
the song has been sampled in two popular hip-hop songs, “happiness” and “upgrade call”, by busdriver and andre nickatina respectively. the versions used in both songs are pitched-warped to sound squeaky.
[wikipedia]