Song of the Day:End Of The World//Matt Alber

Mr. Patrick Duffy is presenting the enviable talent of two time Grammy award winning vocalist/composer Matt Alber.  His excitedly anticipated BES performance will begin at 11pm this Friday Febuary 25th. It is our esteemed pleasure to host such an exceptional artist, and in honor of Matt Alber graciously sharing his original song stylings...I give you...
Song of the Day:End Of The World//Matt Alber
I deeply believe, as Di Vinci did, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
Matt Alber's intensely emotive track, End Of The World from his album "Hide Nothing" is nothing if not proof of that.   His voice sonorous and sweetly sincere delivers the elegantly guileless lyrics, and it is soul stirring.  Though Alber has had exceptional training and the ability to trill in a falsetto that would make Donna Summer blush...he understands the beauty of simplicity; only oscillating swells of cadence are imposed over the quite backdrop of the pensive piano and empathetic violins.
Thank you Matt Alber for your exceptional execution,  and choosing beauty and simplicity over vocal autoeroticism.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna Douglas

Song of the Day: Love Out Of Lust//Lykke Li

With the Indie thing down, Lykke Li moves formidably into more esoteric realms of modern musings on her track Love Out Of Lust  from her new album “Wounded Ryhmes” due to release next week.  Swells of deep timpani drums, effusive reverberating bass, streaks of siren-like pan flutes signal, abound with low key percussion, create the enormous arena upon which Lykke Li lays her delicate vocal disclosure imposed with light plays of distortion.
 Lykke Li harkens her lover//(self), sharing a message of love that seems to speak to this operative moment being theorized by believers//followers of quantum physics. To aid those of you who may not follow I shall utilize Einstein as Lykke Li has utilized her seldom heard chest voice, “The least understood aspect of the universe is its being understandable.”…got it right?
Moving on…acknowledging the power of union;  Shared experience is more powerful as it rests in the memory of a collected consciousness.  There is a comfort in choral concurrence not found in the sole reassurance of the individual to self…hence giving power to “We” over “I”, “we will live longer than I can, We will be better than I was, We can cross rivers with our will”, and ominously requesting us to “Dance while you can, Dance cause you must, Love out of lust, Dance while you can”.  DANCE primordial, transcendental, communal….
Thank you Lykke Li for thinning the veils, contradicting the lies, and understanding the miracle of giving way to what you are for what you can become…LOVE.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna
Musical Director B.E.S.

Song of the Day: Careful What You Say//Class Actress

Careful What You Say  from Brooklyn based trio Class Actress's EP Journal Of Ardency is resolutely retro of the 80's vintage.   Goading bursts of synthesizers initiate excitement while the allure of the bass baits the listener.  Cleverly nonchalant, Harper's poised nebulous vocal's scintillate.  The lyrics portray a more subversive sentiment, and lightly paradox the redolent romanticism of the melodious synth and dance-friendly kicks.  Class Actress lies somewhere in the ambrosial ether of New Order's sullen synths and the chiding complexity Morissey's lyricism.
Thank you Class Actress//Elizabeth Harper, Mark Richardson, Scott Rosenthal for evocative electro-pop with a chic sophistication that leaves me wanting more.
Rapt in Beats and Love
Benna Douglas
BES Musical Director

Song of the Day: Magic Love//Bent

This beautifully warm track by U.K. duo Bent is from the album Magic Love released in 2002 on Ministry of sound.  Perfectly constructed with sophisticated elements of deep house Magic Love is nothing short of class.  Sampling the smooth vocals of seventies pop icons Captain and Tenille gives the gentle effusive melodies a bit of soulful swank.
Thank you Bent for this elegant track that never fails to leave a lingering warm loving feeling.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna

Song of the Day:Pleadging My Love//LaVern Baker

LaVern Baker's tenderly, intensely passionate tune Pleadging My Love is my dedication to all you lovely lovers.  May your night be as sweet as this song.

Happy Valentines Day.

Rapt in Beats and L O V E,

Benna 

Song of the Day: You Make Me Feel//Sylvester

In honor Rose Hartford's showcase and contribution to B.E.S//New Food//
I offer a most delectable disco track, You Make Me Feel by the resplendent (drag)queen of the disco scene...Sylvester. The thumping get down and groove back beat, funky guitar rif repeats, usage of layered syth sound construction impressively sophisticated for the time,  and the blazing sonorous Sylvester's powerful use of his remarkably robust falsetto; this song is a send up to everything disco.
Thank you Sylvester your ostentatious, unapologetic persona, and undaunted capacity to live your truth was magical, and inspired not only the brief moment you shared with this world but contributes to the continued call for full liberation through access to all civil liberties.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna

Song of the Day: To Turn You On//Roxy Music

Roxy Music is one of the most authentic and sophisticated synth bands of the early 80's.  To Turn You On is from the album Avalon released in 1982. A timeless love ballad, the myriad of ethereal textures created with delicate, enchanting waves of syths and longing guitar riffs is transcendent.  Bryan Ferry's tantalizingly seductive lyrics ache with sincerity over the ambrosial soundscape, and leaves a lustful, craving of the same sonorous avow.
Thank you Roxy Music for for your enduring singular sound.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4-0Wv0UAS8

Song of the Day: Up On The Catwalk//Simple Minds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3uzgFyUPo

Up On The Cat Walk by Scottish new wave band Simple Minds is evocative and cinematic.  The dark keyboard sounds add texture to the throbbing synth beats creating thick, atmospheric cadence. The intensely lustrous lyrics add attitude and energy that echos the urgency and allure of New York's operative moment//New York Fashion Week.

Thank you Simple Minds for your impassioned work that has ensured that we won't forget about you.

Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna

Song of the Day: Ride On The White Horse//Goldfrapp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Qw8gN4uag&feature=related
Ride On The White Horse off Goldfrapp's 5th album Supernature is nouveau retro electro-dance that feels like decadent sex glam disco. Though the distinctly desirous sentiment cast by Alison Goldfrapp's breathy vocals may lead some of you to libertine contemplation of the lyrics meaning...well your naughty, and I like it...but you're wrong.  She is wistfully referencing Bianca Jagger's infamous entrance to studio 54 atop a white horse.  Alison's right hand band man, Will Gregory's string and multi-layered synth arrangement creates a hazy gray sound with muted flashes of disco balls and glitter...oh divine!
Thank you Goldfrapp for this upbeat, down-tempo dance track that is sheer decadence.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna

Song Of The Day//Hot Like Fire//Aaliyah cover by The XX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaCnHl0XAVk

A couple of weeks ago I was inspired to blog about the original Hot Like Fire track sung by Aaliyah and written by Missy Elliot and Timberland by listening to this cover by The XX. So I thought it fitting to give much deserved kudos to the London born Indie Rock band. Along with playing most every notable festival in the U.K., U.S., and abroad, The XX went on to win the Barclaycard Mercury Prize in September of this year.

Covers by bands of other bands is generally a treacherous endeavor that either fails, or at best pales in comparison to the original, in my opinion. However, the slow sexy deliberate delivery of the 90's R&B lyrics create an orgasmic trippy listening experience that parallels the yumminess of Aaliyah's original...but firmly juxtaposed in style owns the 3 minutes and 26 seconds of listening time before you go, "wait isn't that an...Aaliyah song?!"

Thank you Romy Madley, Croft Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith//The XX for demonstrating such artful ability to recreate whilst maintaining the truth and intention. Your work has shown great respect and appreciation to one of my favorite R&B tracks.

Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna

Song Of The Day: Ring of Fire//Ray Charles covers Johnny Cash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhGZdSkX6IM&feature=related

Keeping with the inspiring theme of cover songs that judiciously recreate a tune rather than recklessly aggravate listeners...I give you Ring of Fire written by Johnny Cash and June Carter.  Opposed to the film version of events, June Carter first wrote the song as "Love's Burning Ring of Fire", and her sister Anita recorded it in 1963...Johnny graciously gave her unnoticed rendition 6 months before he recorded it Cash style.  It stayed at number one for 7 weeks and became his biggest hit... :( sorry Anita.

Ray Charles covered Ring of Fire on his album "Love Country Style".  The High Priest of soul baptized this country hit with soul serum and styled it his.   On Ray's 40th birthday he played his high compliment cover for the originator on the Johnny Cash Show.  Ray Charles' raw, soulful delivery invites a sexier illustration of the lyrics than Cash's.  And I do love sexy, but at the end... just after he goes close to falsetto then shifts back to his earthy chest voice...then whispers "burns burns burns, the ring of fire, your ring of fire" he inserts a pregnant pause and whispers "burns" sounds a little more unclean than sexy…better keep it in check Ray Ray.

 Thank you Ray Charles and Johnny Cash for the honesty of your work. Remaining aware, truthful to the frailty of existence, and publicly battling demons in less forgiving times has given your hugely successful bodies of work incomparable integrity.

 Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna

Song of the Day: I Hold No Grudge//Nina Simone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od0jO5_ltPM&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Heart felt and defiant in this bitter sweet anthem Nina Simone speaks of her relationship with America. When she recorded this song she had been living in Europe for some time, and as told in the liner notes, "In Europe, Simone says, she has finally found peace."

Nina Simone you provided decades of inspired work blending of classical, blues, and jazz genres with assured versatility and boldness only matched by the sound of your earthy brown voice. Thank you Miss Simone.

Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna

Song Of The Day: Etta James//I Just Want to Make Love to You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pu_AdU_NQg&feature=player_embedded

Etta James comes to this song with some serious directness. Miss Peaches delivers an impressively passionate, yet cool, and seductively brazen rendition of Blues singer/guitarist Muddy Waters original song I Just Want to Make Love to You.  This track lays testament to all that this gloriously versatile songstress brought to music.

Etta's sonorous contralto sound and exceptional execution of vocal soul expression gave music a dynamic body of work.  Etta you amaze me, thank you.

Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna

“I Just Want To Make Love to You” was written by Willie Dixon

Song Of The Day: Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams//Nico

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmcVsLIu-rY
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams is from Nico's debut solo album, Chelsea Girl. Lou Reed's dark, beautiful lyrics paired with Larry Fallon's string and flute arrangements create a most enjoyable acostical tune. It is one of my favorites from this album, and ever so fitting in NYC's current weather conditions.

The minimal string section and peculiar snowy sounding guitars accented with the flutist trills create a haunting orchestral quality that brings more a intimate reality around chanteuse Nico's monotone lament. It is esoteric perfection.

Thank you Nico//The Velvet Underground for the warm pool of luminous darkness in which I have swam this dreary day.

Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna

Song Of The Day: Marlene Dietrich//Something I Dreamed Last Night

Though this song written by Herbert Magidson, Jack Yellen and Sammy Fain has been beautifullly executed by the likes of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. However, only Marlene’s fascinatingly dark voice so unique, makes Something I Dreamed Last Night a song for me to cry with. The very talented orchestra lightly plays consistently quite emotive compliments to her glowing aubergine sound…a sound destined to turn your head down to the sorrows of the soul.

Thank you Marlene for your resolute solitary sound that speaks more to your style and sophistication than any writer ever could.

Rapt in Beats and Love,

Benna