Massive Attack (Collaborations #2)

It's been a while since we've heard something new from Massive Attack. I found myself listening to their albums on the last weekend, trying to decide which of the female collaborations was the best. I haven't got any rank but here are my favourites (No particular order). Do you think I missed something?

Unfinished Sympathy (With Shara Nelson) - Blue Lines, 1991

Protection (With Tracey Thorn) - Protection, 1994

Teardrop (With Elizabeth Fraser) - Mezzanine, 1998

Special Cases (With Sinead O'connor) - 100th Window, 2003

Paradise Circus (With Hope Sandoval) - Helgioland, 2010

Mazzy Star

2013 is a year of comebacks, that's for sure. The first to reappear was My Bloody Valentine after over two decades without new releases and then came David Bowie, Suede, The Pastels, Pixies, Nine Inch Nails, Queens Of The Stone Age. After listening to Mazzy Star's new release, Seasons Of Your Day, after 17 years hiatus, it might be one of the best comebacks this year for a simple reason: They continued the sound that they created in the early 90's. Sometimes, innovation in music can put forward some acts, but sometimes it's better to stay on the safe side. Hope Sandoval and David Roback are returning with the familiar sound, minimal production and the soft voice of Sandoval, creating a beautiful winter time album. For those of you who don't remember how good they are, here are five reminders

Fade Into You (So Tonight That I Might See, 1993)

 

California (Seasons Of Your Day, 2013)

Flowers In December (Among My Swan, 1996)

Common Burn (Seasons Of Your Day, 2013)

Look On Down From The Bridge (Among My Swan, 1996)

Circus (Pick Word #13)

Circus is defined as a company of performing artists such as acrobats, clowns, tightrope walkers, jugglers and trained animals, who travels from town to town in order to perform for the people. The origins of the circus were in ancient Greece, while those talented artists performed in a circle in front of the aristocracy of the Polis. It became widely spread since the late years of the 19th century until the mid-20th century but it is suffering a great decline in popularity last years due to the emergence of mass media and struggles of animal rights activists. Still we can find some songs that deals with that issue, so here're five songs by Lenny Kravitz, The Cardigans, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Damien Jurado and Massive Attack  with Hope Sandoval.

Massive Attack Featuring Hope Sandoval - Paradise Circus (Taken From Helgioland, 2010)

 

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - The Circus Is Leaving Town (Taken From Ballad Of The Broken Seas, 2006)

The Cardigans - Sunday Circus Song (Taken From Emmerdale, 1994)

 

Damien Jurado - Circus, Circus, Circus (Taken From Waters Ave. S, 1997)

 

Lenny Kravitz - Circus (Taken From Circus, 1995) 

Hope Sandoval

Hope Sandoval is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California who is the leading singer of the Duo Mazzy Star and her late act called Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions. Starting in the late 80's, Sandoval Collaborated to David Roback to form Mazzy Star after Kendra Smith left their former band called Opal. Roback and Sandoval released three albums in the 90's and broke up so she wandered from one project to another, with her gloomy-hazy voice, until she formed Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions with My Bloody Valentine drummer, Colm Ó Cíosóig. Because the winter is coming and her voice is so warm, I hope that you'd also like some of her songs. I've chosen five of them, it's recommended to listen to them with a warm cup of tea/coffee. Enjoy

1) Suzanne (Taken from Bavarian Fruit Bread, 2001)

Favourite Line: Suzanne is waiting at your doorway, but all she does is waste your time

2) Wild Roses (Taken from Through The Devil Softly, 2009)

Favourite Line: And we're like the roses stoned in the backyard

 

3) Cherry Blossom Girl (Taken from Air's Cherry Blossom Girl Single, 2004)

Favourite Line: I don't think to feel like being shy, don't think i wanna stand it anymore

 

4) Charlotte (Taken from Bavarian Fruit Bread, 2001)

Favourite Line: Gonna Teach her to sin, 'cause I'm always knowing where she's been

 

5) Trouble (Taken from Bavarian Fruit Bread, 2001)

Favourite Line: The trouble with the trouble is the trouble in me