here they are:
"Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" by Boz Scaggs: Known to many as a two hit wonder from the 1970's (for "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown") who mixed rock music with soul music, Boz Scaggs also mixed elements of other genres, such as jazz and blues, into his songs, and the influence of this clearly shows in his latest song, "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl", originally performed by eclectic new wave musician Mink DeVille. This song doesn't have the relentless, raving energy of "Lowdown" or "Lido Shuffle", but it still has a sense of energy nonetheless, albeit in a more subdued form. Scaggs might have mellowed out a bit for "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl", but it's still a catchy song, reminiscent of some of the more upbeat material from Van Morrison's catalog. Nice to know that he still knows how to make songs with a solid hook nearly 35 years after his biggest hits came out!
"Tongue Behind My Teeth" by The Staves: One of a growing number of bands that combines bluegrass instrumentation with rock rhythms, what makes The Staves stand out from the rest of 'em is the fact that they are a trio of women, where most of said bands tend to be either mixed gender bands or all men. The fact that all three of them sing in perfect harmony with each other could liken The Staves to being a female Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The Staves' debut song, "Tongue Behind My Teeth", has a bittersweet melody and is written in minor key, yet it is accompanied by a driving, foot tapping beat. The scathing lyrics of the song (i.e. "I'd hurt you if I could") belie the benign melody and vocals of it. One more thing, their name, The Staves, just sticks out in my mind, perhaps because of how rarely used the word "stave" is.
