Got one more - not quite new, but somehow I missed Heather Nova's album "300 Days At Sea" when it came out last year. Very nice summer album, here's Higher Ground and Beautiful Ride.

Keeping up the tradition of covering the Eurovision. The winner one of the best songs in years. Next show in Sweden. Loreen with the song "Euphoria".

I thought that Swedish Eurovision song sounded kind of like a trance remix of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". They did have the most charismatic singer, though. Btw, I found it bizarre that the singers with the catchiest songs in this year's contest (Netherlands and Denmark) had to wear extremely silly costumes (to compensate for their unfair muscial advantge?).

Speaking of catchy, here's a country singer from Seattle with a nice little song, one of my current favourites: Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers, Hey Little Darlin'

Oh, and I really like this Le Figaro YouTube channel with excellent live performances mostly by French musicians. Some of the videos:
Claire Denamur, Rien de moi, Hound Dog
La Grande Sophie, Suzanne, Sucrer les fraises
Isabelle Boulay, Jolie Louise
Rachida Brakni, Terre Fatale

I'm already excited that my favourite singers will be releasing new albums soon: Tanita Tikaram next week, Bob Dylan the week after that. Feels kind of like waiting for Christmas. To get into the right mood, here's a funny song, cute video with Janeane Garofalo too: John Wesley Harding, Making Love to Bob Dylan

Alanis Morissette also has a new album out, sounds pretty good at first listen. Possibly her best in a while. I've already posted the single "Guardian", in the meantime there's also a nice official video.

There's almost too much good music coming out right now. Mark Knopfler has discovered the blues, which is a good thing since his last couple of albums were getting quite predictable and slightly boring. Here's Don't Forget Your Hat, and for something closer to a typical Knopfler ballad (of which there are still plenty on the double album), Miss You Blues.

All of this is kiddies' stuff, though, compared to the new Bob Dylan album, which can be streamed for free on iTunes. Mostly very dark and grim lyrics, yet musically quite pleasant (if you can stand his voice, which is even rougher than usual on some songs) and more varied than his recent albums which were more strongly based on traditonal blues and country. Great title track, a 14-minute Irish folk waltz about the sinking of the Titanic. There's also a (rather weird) video for the single Duquesne Whistle, a jaunty little country tune. Oh, and it's also nice that there's a statue from the Austrian parliament on the album cover.

On a tv show yesterday Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA said this. Most composers have a creative peak in perhaps a 10 years long span, often when they are young. I regard Mark Knopfler as a typical example of this. What he creates now is bleach compared to his earlier works. Bob Dylan has been able to create great songs over a very long period, but still his best years are of the past.

Over to political music. Pussy Riot with their anti-Putin song. I find their song and act in the church rater good. Two years in prison, well, Russia is Russia. If a punk band "crashed" a church in Norway and performed an anti prime minister song, they would probably get a litte fine. Pussy Riot - Punk Prayer

Some musical background for live-chess.

I just read the novel "Kafka on the shore" by Haruki Murakami. For some reason he mentions Beethoven with the piece "Archduke". I searched it up, and by the comments I understand that other readers have done the same. Nice listening. BEETHOVEN Trio op.97 "Archduke" 1st mov.(1/2) TRIO DI PARMA .
BEETHOVEN Trio op.97 "Archduke" 1st mov.(2/2) TRIO DI PARMA .
This is the first of four parts, the whole piece last about 40 minutes.

Some instrumental metal:
Dimmu Borgir - Glittertind .

Oh, I like Murakami. Haven't read "Kafka on the shore" yet, but in his novel "1Q84" (which is great, btw) there's also a classical piece mentioned, the Sinfonietta by Janacek.

For something completely different, two songs fitting the current weather (at least in Austria): Jewel, Cold Song and Winter Wonderland

To celebrate Willie Nelson's 80th birthday, here are some of his songs: Shoeshine Man, Pancho And Lefty (with Merle Haggard; and a cameo by the late great Townes Van Zandt, who wrote this song); and two of his most famous ones: Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, On The Road Again

And Neil Young Sings Happy Birthday to Willie Nelson

Where's Akselborg to comment on the Eurovision Song Contest? I really like the French song by Amandine Bourgeois. And the Greek one Alcohol Is Free is just hilarious.

More conventional, but fairly solid entries from Italy and Spain. The Netherlands have sent rock singer Anouk (who had a minor international hit with Nobody's Wife years ago), although that song about dead birds is rather gloomy. Austria had a decent pop song, but still didn't make it to the final.