Ленинград-Геленджик - Leningrad

A few weeks ago, we finally got around to watching the 2005 movie, "Everything is Illuminated" with Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello. Amazingly wonderful movie! See it! We loved it and the music so much that we bought the soundtrack as well as the DVD. It's that good. There are 3 songs from this band, Leningrad, on the soundtrack. Of course, this sent us off trying to find more from the band. So far, no luck (know anybody in Russia who can get some for me?), but we - rather, my husband - did find some on youtube. Thank god for youtube. So, here you go! Meet Leningrad.

Do not ask me the name of this song or what they're singing in it. I have no idea. But it's FUN! And the video cracks me up.



Leningrad website (it's in Russian)

Innocent When You Dream - Tom Waits

The sound isn't synced so great with the video on this one, so just ignore that and just listen to the song. It is absolutely one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful songs I've ever heard.

Innocent When You Dream by Tom Waits from the 1987 album "Frank's Wild Years"



Tom Waits website

Tom Waits MySpace page

Tom Waits Facebook page

What Did I Know - Juana Ghani

We had a burst of creativity not too long ago. I'm sure there will be more to come. Here's our latest.

What Did I Know by Juana Ghani



Juana Ghani Bandcamp page

Juana Ghani MySpace page

Juana Ghani Facebook page

So This Is the Night - Vic Ruggiero

Vic Ruggiero is a musician, songwriter and producer from the Bronx in New York. While he is a prolific artist, having played with several ska bands including The Slackers, The SKAdalous Allstars, The Silencers, the punk band Rancid and a happily successful solo project, I can't find out much about him (yet). He is primarily an organist but also plays piano, guitar, bass, banjo, harmonica and percussion and has his own record label, Special Potatoe Records, based in New York. His production style is very raw, choosing to leave in sounds/noises that other producers generally choose to omit - shutting doors, musicians cuing each other, etc. - giving the songs a raw, driving, live atmospheric energy.

So This Is the Night by Vic Ruggiero, the winning performance at the 2009 Saddest Music in the World contest held in London, England.



Vic Ruggiero website

Vic Ruggiero MySpace page

Vic Ruggiero Facebook page

November - Tom Waits

Yes, another Tom Waits song. You'd think I like him a lot or something. *grins* This one is from his "Black Rider" CD which is actually a collection of songs from a musical play, "The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets," that he wrote (music & lyrics) with William S. Burroughs (book). This musical fable is based on the German folktale, "Der Freischütz." It premiered in 1990 in Hamburg, Germany at the Thalia Theatre with the English debut in 1998 at Canada's Edmonton International Fringe Festival.

November by Tom Waits from the 1993 album "The Black Rider"



Tom Waits website

Tom Waits MySpace page

Tom Waits Facebook page