Bess Rogers- Modern Man
Sarah Harmer- Don’t Get Your Back Up
Sera Cahoone- Tryin’
Gillian Welch- The Way It Goes
Ariel Abshire-Essex
Sarah Jaffe- Two Intangibles Can’t Be Had
Kina Grannis- It’s Love
Brandi Carlile- Us Again

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The series about music from places I’ve lived continues. This one is all about where I spent ages 4-26, TEXAS.

Little Brave- You DIdn’t Mean It
Sarah Jaffe- Clementine
Dana Falconberry- Please Sparrow
Eisley- Smarter
Jillian Edwards- July and June
Girl In A Coma- Smart
Cruiserweight- Balboa
Snow Tha Product- Holy Shit

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Florence + the Machine- Lover to Lover
An Horse- Camp Out
Mammut- Bakkus (live on KEXP)
Tune-Yards- Bizness
Sarah Jaffe- Clementine
Ingrid Michaelson- Parachute (acoustic featuring Bess Rogers)
Lissie- Bully
Lykke Li- Get Some

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I make no secret that I love Sarah Jaffe. Her last CD, Suburban Nature was one of my top 3 albums for 2010. She’s following up with the EP The Way Sound Leaves the Room, a CD/DVD collection of covers and demos. She views this as a gift while her fans anxiously await the release of her next full length album sometime in 2012. I love this collection of songs. Even though it’s covers, alternate versions, and demos, somehow, it just works. Below is my track by track review.

Shut it Down
I am not a fan of Drake. Since he burst onto the scene, I’ve said that he needs to go back to Degrassi (a Canadian soap opera of sorts geared towards teenagers that he was on). I find him arrogant, misogynistic , and all around annoying. I’ve heard his version of this song and hate it. That being said, I love this version Sarah has done. I am a big fan of covers, especially when they are unexpected and what’s more unexpected than a folky female singing the line “put those f—in’ heels on and work it girl”. The arrangement is fabulous and somehow, she’s managed to find an earnestness that Drake wouldn’t be able to find if you put it in front of him.

Louder Than Ever
This is a cover of the Cold War Kids whose original is fast paced and uptempo. Sarah Jaffe changed the arrangement and slowed it down and turned it into something breathtaking. This is my favorite track on the record.

Clementine (alternate version)
The song Clementine is what drew me to Sarah Jaffe in the first place. I heard the song and immediately fell in love with her and her sound. This is an interesting version of the song. Instead of being focused on guitars, the arrangement has been switched up to be piano driven. Her voice as usual shows a great deal of emotion.

Better Than Nothing (outro-demo)
Lyric free but full of texture.

The Way Sound Leaves a Room (demo)
Layered and brooding. And as expected from Sarah, amazing.

When You Rest (demo)
Sarah seems to be taking a jazzy approach. It shows her evolving. I can’t wait to hear this one done on the full length album.

A Sucker for Your Marketing (demo)
Layered with drums and clear voice. This song is the single from the EP and with good reason. I find it similar to some of the songs from Suburban Nature, but think that when it’s redone for the full length release, it is going to be an amazing song.

All That Time (demo)
Sarah Jaffe said “I wanted to write a really short intro to Clementine, but also kind of tip my hat to it I suppose. ” On The Way Sound Leaves a Room, it’s the closing track even though it was written as an intro for Clementine and it even ends with Clementine’s opening guitar riff. Somehow it just works being the closer. Like there is something going on here that we’re not going to find out about and I cannot wait.

Overall, this is a great record. I’ve listened to it a lot and like it a little more each time I hear it. However, it makes me extremely anxious to see what the next album is going to sound like.

The annual birthday show!

Concrete Blonde- Happy Birthday
tUnE-yArDs- Bizness
An Horse- Dresses Sharply
Rilo Kiley- Portion For Foxes
Ingrid Michaelson- Parachute (acoustic)
I Blame Coco- Selfmachine (acoustic)
Meghan Tonjes- Pumped Up Kicks (acoustic cover)
Lykke Li- I Know Places
Sarah Jaffe- Clementine
Amy Ray- Out On the Farm
Hank & Cupcakes- Ain’t No Love
Florence + Machine- Heavy In Your Arms
CocknBullKid-Asthma Attack
Ellie Goulding- Starry Eyed
Kitten- Kill the Light
tUnE-yArDs- Gangsta
Mammut- Bakkus
Sleigh Bells- Rill RIll
An Horse- Camp Out
Lykke Li- Get Some

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Brandi Carlile- Looking Out
Sarah Jaffe- Sucker For Your Marketing
The Do- At Last
The Unthanks- Queen of Hearts
The Civil Wars- Falling (live at Eddie’s Attic)
Bethany and the Guitar- Ups and Downs
Lissie- Little Lovin’ (live)

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Grace Potter and The Nocturnals- Goodbye Kiss Buy Here

The Civil Wars- Tracks In the Snow Buy Here

Lissie- Record Collector Buy Here

The Watson Twins- U n Me Buy Here

Sarah Jaffe- Even Born Again Buy Here

Kristy Lee- 45 Buy Here

Daughter- Run

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings- I Learned the Hard Way Buy Here

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Lucy Schwartz- Help Me! Help Me!
Sarah Jaffe- Watch Me Fall Apart
Rachel Brown- Bumblebee
Cady Groves- One In The Same
Washington- Clementine
Joan As Police Woman- Magic
Katie Costello- Ashes Ashes

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I love Sarah Jaffe and I know that I make no secret about that. Something else I love is free music!

Check out free MP3s of Sarah Jaffe’s Daytrotter session.

Daytrotter Sessions

These are 4 artists who had albums come out in 2010 that I was most obsessed with.

I Blame Coco- Caesar, Quicker, Selfmachine
Lissie- Record Collector, Bully, Pursuit of Happiness
Sarah Jaffe- Clementine, Better Than Nothing, Vulnerable
Hunter Valentine- Scarface, Revenge, The Stalker.

Happy New Year!

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