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MUSIC
HUFFINGTON
02.16.14
Dog Ears: Born in February
In which we spotlight music from a diversity of genres and
decades, lending an insider’s ear to what deserves to be heard.
BY THE EVERLASTING PHIL RAMONE AND DANIELLE EVIN
B.ALONE
CLARA SMITH
SWEET
French multi-instrumentalist/remixer/ enigma B.Alone is an alt-ambientfunk powerhouse. Treading on wonder
and catchy oscillations, he’s made
his way from mixing for Salif Keita,
V.L.A.D., Super Preachers, Indochine,
La Grande Sophie, and Noir Désir
to holding down the stage. B.Alone
marked his solo debut with a ninetrack set in the late aughts — produced by Avril Bourdon, with original
lyrics by Pascal Regard — and can
also be found on various compilations.
“Time Is Love,” from B.Alone’s 2008
Beautiful is worth discovering.
Vaudevillian blues singer Clara Smith
(“Queen of the Moaners”) was born
in South Carolina in 1894. By 1923,
Smith relocated to New York, where
she cut wax for Columbia Records
for almost a decade, racking up over
100 sides. During this time, she was
backed by luminaries Louis Armstrong, Charlie Green, Joe Smith,
Freddy Jenkins, and James P. Johnson. Collaborations included Bessie
Smith and Lonnie Johnson. At the
depths of the Great Depression in
Detroit, Smith died of heart failure at
the age of 40. Remember her with
“For Sale (Hannah Johnson’s Big
Jack Ass),” from Street Walker Blues:
Vintage Songs About Prostitution
Volume 2 (Digitally Remastered).
’70s glam rock/power-pop pack
Sweet, sometimes known as The
Sweet, was born in the U.K. The
founding lineup included Brian Connolly (vocals), Steve Priest (bass),
Andy Scott (guitar), and Mick Tucker
(drums), among a rotating cast. Best
known for their hits “Little Willy”
and “The Ballroom Blitz,” Sweet was
produced by the writer/producer team
of Chin and Chapman (Suzi Quatro,
Mud, Tony Basil). Their four-plus
decades have seen the passing of
Tucker and Connolly, as well as tens
of millions in global appreciation. Revisit the band’s sugarcoated 1978 hit
“Love Is Like Oxygen,” from The Best
of Sweet. Still stands the test of time.
BUY: iTunes
GENRE: Pop
ARTIST: B.Alone
SONG: Time Is Love
ALBUM: Beautiful
BUY: iTunes
GENRE: Blues
ARTIST: Clara Smith
SONG: For Sale (Hannah Johnsons
Big Jack Ass)
ALBUM: Street Walker Blues:
Vintage Songs About Prostitution
Volume 2 (Digitally Remastered)
BUY: iTunes
GENRE: Rock
ARTIST: Sweet
SONG: Love Is Like Oxygen
ALBUM: The Best of Sweet