Down in the mines: From bhangra-hip hop blends to synth pop, artists offering up musical gems
Chris Picks Music is a weekly playlist of songs that have aired on CBC Radio's Morning Edition
I've been down in the music mines this week and I'm bringing up gems.
Vancouver-based band Delhi 2 Dublin blend Punjabi and English vocals with hip hop, world pop and bhangra to create a joyful fusion in their music. The group has just released a new album called We Got This and now our playlist has its title track.
If you were a teenager in the mid-eighties then you might recognize the UK synth pop artist Howard Jones. He had a number of hits back in the day, including "What Is Love?" and "No One is to Blame."
At 64, he has just released his 13th studio album calling it Transform. The final song off the album makes my playlist. "Stay with Me" is a throwback track that shows Jones has not lost the beat over these passing years.
Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Marissa Burwell released her debut self-titled five-song EP earlier this year. This is an artist at the beginning of her journey and the song "Missing Number" creates an expectation of much greater things to come.
Getting to know a little bit about a songwriter can help you understand where their music comes from. Kail Baxley describes his father as an outlaw he only met twice and his mother as a person he'd visit on Sundays at the state penitentiary as a child. His latest single "Shakedown Blues" will get you in a groove.
PEI singer-songwriter Rachel Beck goes big on "This Little Light," a track off her self-titled album. It's dusty and down in the dirt but comes out a gem. It may be just what you need some day, like musical first-aid, so add it to your playlist.
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