i am so geeked, got new music last week. New music can be such a high especially when it's good. U pop it in the CD player or mp3 player and the first track trickles into your ears, and they start to perk up.

The two albums below had that effect on me, though i have not had a real "listen to both yet.

Needless to say, i almost bought Jay Z Unplugged since it was selling for 11.99 at Virgin. I instead ordered Sia's (pictured above) debut, Healing is Difficult (which go figure came out in 2000), through the wonderful Gemm website. Thanks to Monica, this website along with Amazon and HMV have become havens for me to shop for obscure and import music. However, Gemm provides the largets amount of places to purchase a record from. Anyway, i ordered Sia from Action Records in the UK. i am digging this spot more and more. CD's under 20 beans including shipping, plus fast delivery. It took the album only four days to reach me.

Healing is Difficult gives me the feeling i got when i first heard Esthero's 1998 debut, Breath From Another. It's engaging. the production is upbeat and eclectic, and Sia has that deceptively simple and soulful voice. The Australian-born singer does sound like a reformed alcoholic who went through some harsh times (refer to the song "Drink to Get Drunk"). And she has a website!

Next, i downloaded the whole Kenna album, New Sacred Cow, and will pay for it "when" it does come out.

Here is the one review i found on the album.



For the Mp3 heads here is the Track listing for New Sacred Cow:
01. Within Earshot (Intro)
02. Freetime
03. Man Fading
04. Sunday After You
05. Vexed and Glorious - A Better Control (Interlude)
06. Red Man
07. Hell Bent
08. New Sacred Cow
09. I'm Gone
10. War In Me
11. Yeneh Ababa (Rose)
12. Love Hate Sensation

Hopefully, this album will drop next year with some type of promotion.

Bonus albums:
-- No Doubt's fourth release, RockSteady, is dope but odd project. With so many producers on hand (Sly & Robbie, Nelle Hooper), who don't necessarily used live musicians, i wonder how much of a role the band played in the music. Second tidbit, the album is part 80's throwback, part dub/ska reggae, and old style No Doubt.

-- Nas' Stillmatic- Still digesting it, but i have to listening to it and Jay z's Blueprint (which i also just got).

-- Prince The Rainbow Children- What i have heard so far is surprisingly very good. Makes me wonder why i purchased the over-produced Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.