A Czech gypsy and former prostitute, Věra Bílá is a Romany institution. This was the first song I ever heard from her, probably about 7-8 years ago, and you can hear elements of jazz and flamenco inside the tune.
Pop
[Video] Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass – Ladyfingers
A bit of schmaltz, courtesy of Herb Alpert and perhaps the most beautiful woman to ever grace a record cover ever, Dolores Erickson.
[Article/Podcast] Mickey McGowan – San Rafael, California: Culture’s Keeper
Mickey McGowan is a Southern California institution, and that’s saying something, considering how many top-notch record collectors live in this part of the world. Dust & Grooves, a wonderful blog covering vinyl-related topics, features Mickey’s shop, and we tie a podcast related to this article below:
Mickey McGowan – The Unknown Museum by Dust & Grooves on Mixcloud
[Video] Lotte Lenya – Alabama Song
Lotte Lenya was the wife and muse of master songwriter Kurt Weill. If this song sounds familiar to you, it should: The Doors, David Bowie and countless others have covered it.
The recording is from somewhere around 1930, and it remains powerful.
Lesley Gore, ‘It’s My Party’ and ‘You Don’t Own Me’ singer, dies at 68
The Los Angeles Times reports that Lesley Gore, the two-hit wonder, passed away today from cancer. She was 68. In her honor, here is the song that made her famous:
[Video] Ellý Vilhjálmsdóttir – Sveitin Milli Sanda
Long before Iceland gave the world Björk, they brought us Ellý Vilhjálmsdóttir. This haunting, wordless ditty was a massive hit for her in 1966.
[Video] Tuure Ara ja Dallapé-Orkesteri – Yksi Ruusu On Kasvanut Laaksossa
From progressive rock to atmospheric prog-metal to minimal techno, Finns place a creative spin on everything. Thanks to the Dallape30 channel on Youtube, I get to sample everything from big-band to tango from Finland during the 30s and 40s. Here is Tuure Ara (in Finnish, sorry) and the Dallapé-Orkesteri from a track done in 1942.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 