Yes I know, shameless self promotion is back in full force.  "Sin" by yours truly was a happy accident.  I had tuned my guitar to Open E so I could play slide (it is a resonator after all) but I couldn’t find any object in my room that would cooperate for the desired effect.  When I stumbled upon this song’s opening chord, I immediately felt that there was an emotion behind it that deserved words.  It’s still a demo, and the voice may come as quite a shock at first, but I’m really proud of the overall composition.

Sin- Hugh Willett 

I don’t think even Snorri Helgason would be offended to know you haven’t heard of him, but he would be if you didn’t immediately fall in love with his song “River” off of his new Winter Sun LP. 

If you happen upon a picture of him, you might be surprised to find he looks like a Icelandic equivalent of Bon Iver.  He may as well be, except his mellifluous vocal doesn’t quite reach the ethereal falsetto.  However Helgason proves immediately endearing with a beautiful melody and some nice background vocal touches.  With a natural lyric that’s simple but not simplistic, he’s sure to make a fan out of anybody he comes across.  Who knew Iceland could have such musical talent. Enjoy the video below, and if you dig it, right-click the link below and go buy the rest of the album. 

(For all you xenophobes out there, the lyrics are in english)

Snorri Helgason – River from Iceland Music Export on Vimeo.

River- Snorri Helgason 

I remember the first time I heard “Steal My Kisses” by Ben Harper I was transfixed by the rhythmic hook that the song possessed, from its beat boxing intro to the slinky bass line and clean guitar hook.  Fast forward a year later, and “Steal My Kisses” seems less of an original piece, due to hearing Bill Wither’s “Kissing My Love”.  Both songs are great on their own and it’s an interesting piece of how music is informed by previous music.
 
Kissing My Love- Bill Withers
Steal My Kisses- Ben Harper