Crazy in Love

Song: Crazy in Love
Artist: The Puppini Sisters
Album: The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo




So if I can pat myself on the back… I wanted to celebrate something I didn’t even realize I had recently achieved last week… my 300th post! Three hundred?! It doesn’t seem possible! Well it is (officially this is my 302nd post on blogger) and to celebrate this week I am going to jump back (sort of,) jump forward (in a way,) and celebrate my readers, who also introduce ME to music.

A couple weeks ago I had a few of my readers (though they are friends first) over for a “Listening Party.” We hung around my apartment, iPods and CDs in hand, and took turns playing new (and a lot of old) music in the hopes to introduce people to something new. It was a blast actually, and I look forward to doing it again. My entire blog’s existence is really due to the fact that I get frustrated that good music can fall through the cracks for me, even if I am keeping tabs on new releases and constantly going back to older stuff. So, thank you all for sending me music and suggestions, and being readers!

Okay, so at my listening party one of my main music guys Brian brought over the new Puppini Sisters album “The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo.” While I was familiar with the group (actually, they were one of the first acts I posted about on the blog, and thus the inspiration for this week of “discoveries” in my 300th post week) I didn’t realize they had released a new record. If you’re not familiar with the band, they are comprised of one Italian and two English gals whom sing 30’s swing style covers and originals. Their debut “Betcha Bottom Dollar” was released in 2006, and their latest came out late last year.

While their style doesn’t change throughout their records… they have basically re-worked the template of their debut for the sophomore effort. “Ruby Woo” is comprised of old time covers (“It Don’t Mean a Thing [If it Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”) swing-style covers of contemporary pop hits (“Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Crazy in Love”) as well as a handful of originals (“Jilted,” “I Can’t Believe I’m a Millionaire.”) In a way they’re a one-joke band… and their success is really dependant on your interest in 30’s/40’s style swing. I personally get a little bored about half way through the whole album as the style grows cold on me… but what they are doing, they are doing very well.

To their credit, what separates the Puppini Sisters from other cover bands like Nouvelle Vague, is the fact that they actually write original tunes. And while you may or may not recognize more obscure covers (like Manilow’s “Could it be Magic”) originals like “Soho Nights” seamlessly blend with everything, holding some surprises as the album chugs along. It’s fun… and if you like the genre, it could be your new favorite record.

While “Crazy in Love” is the one you might play the most (and the one Brian played for us all) check out the originals, which raise the Puppini Sisters above the novelty act they are usually presented as.

Enjoy.

Jilted (Third single and an original for the ladies)


Spooky