Well Im back from the 'Big Easy', excuse my absence. During my time in the land of fatty foods, fat people, 'phat' cars, 'phat' music and even 'phatter' hurricanes I managed to sample a little piece of golden brown goodness. No it wasn't a fried shrimp po-boy, but a little band called Opanoni And The Raindrops. Whilst I was wandering the streets with the locals, bands popped out of the least likely locations. Jiving smiles accompanied each musician and in turn resulted in me stopping and instantly felt surrounded by a warm happy glow. When I returned to 'Ahmed Pod' an attempt was made to try and replicate that same sort glow. Scouring the playlists, Opanoni And The Raindrops instantly jumped out at me. The comforting resonance of Radi Safi's voice provided me with instant gratification as obscure samples stuttered in and out of the acoustic guitar's melody. Wilco, Belle & Sebastian, Lior and Elliot Smith would be extremely jealous to hear such polished beauty coming from a little Sydney indie band. With a debut Ep out (Stamps and Coins) in 2004, the release of the debut album 'EGBDF' should be a must have in anyones indie collection. Get out there and buy it from the website.

And now for a little track that reminds me of the soul of New Orleans. Funnily enough it comes from the least likely place, England. Jamie Lidell is notorious for groundbeaking live shows and capturing every audience with the essence of his music. His soulful voice echoed to me sounds that I had heard from my time in 'The Big Easy' and made me start singing those famous lyrics "sittin at the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away...." A worthy modern spin on the spirit of soul music. Listen below and you will know what I mean (if you havent already heard it before).

Jamie Lidell - Multiply.mp3
Jamie Lidell Website