Unusual

[greenman]

I don't usually rave about music. I enjoy it, but I don't generally get all enthused about any particular artists. At least not to the level that I am right now.

I've been hearing this song on the radio for a while, and I heard it again last night. It sticks in my head every time I hear it, but I'd never managed to get the name of the artist. Female vocalist, bluesy/rock, strong voice. And the lyrics that I'd caught were "big black horse and a cherry tree." So I decided to try and Google that, and see what came up. And sure enough, immediately found the artist, a woman by the name of KT Tunstall. Yes, I'm sure I'm way behind the curve, everybody knows who she is, right? Well, I didn't. And the song that I'd been hearing is in fact called "Big Black Horse and the Cherry Tree". As I'm doing more looking, I noticed that a song that I'd heard last week while I was watching "The Devil Wears Prada" that I'd really liked was also one of hers, another song called "Suddenly I See".

Next step was to look her up on YouTube. And I found this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIO2qpSsUTA - and was impressed as HELL. Good song, and she's doing all the accompaniment herself, with a loop box that she calls "Wee Bastard".
And here's Suddenly I See (actually playing with a full band this time): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tlU-1u1JC8&mode=related&search=

Alyse and I just bought her first album and her new acoustic album. I plan on listening to them a lot.

Comments

[ericcoleman]

I first saw here do Black Horse solo on the Today Show ... and was blown away ... I'll have to look at this when I get home tonight

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

If you're not familiar with the resource, you should check out allmusic.com - I love it. It will help find just about any song or artist, with all their albums and songs.

Now I'm on my way to You Tube to check out those videos. Thanks. :-)

[pheltzer.livejournal.com]

She got a lot of exposure last year when one of the finalists on American Idol performed "Big Black Horse" suddenly after that performance she was everywhere.

[greenmansgrove.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd been hearing it for quite a while, and just didn't know who the artist was. Seems like every time they played it on the radio, they never said who it was, or if they did, I had no way to write it down, so I'd never remember her name.

[jennlk]

I 'lost' my CD when my 15yo found it in the rack. :) I didn't even mention her when EVO was pimping music at Cap because I honestly thought that you'd already heard about her (especially since the radio station I usually listen to was already playing a -third- cut off the album ("Other Side of the World')-- they've since added "Another Place to Fall" into their playlist).

[eviltwinpixie.livejournal.com]

"Other Side of the World" was frequently listened to during large parts of my long-distance relationship. Music to cry to. ;)

I really like everything I've heard of hers so far.

[mycroftca.livejournal.com]

Good stuff, that. My first introduction was on NPR; I found her work fascinating, as she samples herself and plays every note on Black Horse and the Cherry Tree herself; or at least she did on that NPR show. Unaccompanied...

[drawshad.livejournal.com]

I really like that album. I liked Black Horse... and bought the album off of that. What a gem!