Cat Power
Jukebox
Well, I have to admit, I find it very hard to review this album objectively. Possibly because I have a crush on Charlyn 'Chan' Marshall. It might be because of my incorrigible weakness for bangs, or it could be because Marshall has an amazingly unique voice and happens to be exceptionally talented.

Anyway, Jukebox is another cover album from CP, I use the term covers very loosely here, the original songs and tunes are little more than extremely vague and blurry guideposts seen in the dark. The first track 'New York' (yes, the Frank Sinatra one) starts out so differently that it took me awhile to recognize. Marshall covers her idols Mitchell, Joplin and Dylan among others and she does a wonderful impersonation of Dylan here in 'I Believe in You' and original 'Song to Bobby'. Not surprisingly, she also holds a contribution on the OST of Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" with 'Stuck in Of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again'.

With 2006's The Greatest, Marshall had found her voice and Jukebox feels like a audio diary for future retrospection. Whatever the case Jukebox is perfect for a lazy rainy afternoon or chilling out in the evening for some easy listening. This is one musician worth looking out for.
-Ed

Listen to: Blue, Lost Someone

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen, not to start off on sounding too morose but this is one of the saddest stories that I have ever heard and I want to share it with you.

I will be introducing one of my favorite singers, Eva Cassidy, today. Miss Cassidy was mostly known in her native Washington as an amazing voice being able to handle interpretations of almost anything from folk, rock, blues to vocal jazz. She started out as a session singer and went on to release a couple of albums, working with several different bands and people, even working with Chuck Brown.

However, she later developed melanoma and sought out treatment, but by August 1996, the disease had spread to her lungs and bones. In her final performance in September she closed her set with 'What a Wonderful World' and was subsequently admitted into hospital. Eva eventually succumbed to the disease and passed away. She was 33.


Although popular in Washington, she was an relative unknown outside. However, Four years later in 2000, one of her live performances was shown on TV in the UK. People were touched by her voice and by her story and requests for the video topped the charts. Subsequently, her posthumous compilation album sold more than 100,000 copies in the following months and later reached quadruple platinum status in the UK. Since then, her albums have sold worldwide reaching new heights, her life story also spawned a book, a musical and a Broadway act.

-Extracted from Wikipedia
Read it here

Here's a video of Eva singing one of my favorite versions of 'Over the Rainbow'.



Life is strange isn't it, but at least here some proof that good music can't stay hidden for too long. Though Eva never did get to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the rest of us still here get to listen to her wonderful voice, so lets be grateful.

A couple of her albums here.