Shirli McAllen of Leftover Cuties and Blake Mills
Shirli McAllen’s recommendation: “It’s a real challenge to choose one artist when there is so much music I love. I was going to go with something classic like Bob Dylan, but then again, everyone already knows about Dylan and his brilliance, right? So I decided to go with something completely new that most people haven’t heard of yet and totally should. Blake Mills. This guy is the best guitarist/singer/songwriter around. He had played with so many huge artists as a session guitar player (Kid Rock, Cass McCombs, Lucinda Williams, Fiona Apple, etc.) and he was also a band member of Simon Dawes.”
New to Blake Mills? Shirli suggests you start here: “In 2010 he released his own solo debut titled Brake Mirrors. It has been my favorite and most frequently listened to album in the past year. Songs like Hey Lover and It’ll All Work Out get to me every time. Blake’s voice, lyrics, guitar parts and overall sound go directly into my soul and give me that bittersweet feeling that I live for. He is original, innovative and sincere. And when you find out how young he is, you won’t believe it. Treat yourself, really. Take a listen.”
Check the Blake Mills web site for tour info, album ordering and more.
About our guest author, Shirli McAllen: Shirli fronts The Leftover Cuties, a band whose rise to success started with a song that was literally written on the back of a napkin. Israeli born McAllin was working in a bar when she scribbled down lyrics for what would become the band’s breakthrough single, Game Called Life. She met up with Austin Nicholsen later that night and the two synched up the lyrics with a chord progression he had been playing on the ukulele. Karma would have it that the tune eventually would become the theme song for the Showtime show, The Big C. And, yes, there are other Cuties. Stuart Johnson (drums), Ryan Feves (bass), and Mike Bolger (keys, horns, and accordion) rounded out the rest of the lineup for their debut album, Places To Go
MP3: Places To Go by Leftover Cuties
. Song for song, I think it’s her most consistent batch, and the production is seductively gritty. My other fave is 
— released a few years prior to A Boot and a Shoe To me, these two feel like companions. (I’ve no idea if Phillips thinks of them that way.) Both records were produced by T-Bone Burnett, and the cast of session players is similar — including drummer Carla Azar and guitarist Marc Ribot.
About our guest author, Adam Levy: We at Rocktorch.com recently found out about Adam Levy on a 
for me and my siblings when I was growing up. Listening to them sing, made me want to pursue Life as a singer and performer. And here I am, in a band with my own sister and best friend for more than 20 years…still loving what we do together and how we make music and travel the world. Long live rock n roll.”
About our guest author, Amy Ziff: Amy is the lead vocalist for BETTY, the pop/funk band that formed in the ’80s in Washington, DC and later migrated to New York City. Some may know the band for their theatrical performances of BETTY:Inside Out and BETTY RULES (directed by Michael Greif (Rent). Others may know them from their appearances on The L Word (the show for which they also wrote the theme song for) or their performances at gay rights rallies and breast cancer benefits. But theater, fund raisers and television are only parts of the BETTY puzzle. They also have eight studio under their belt, the latest being 
, a collection that is produced by David Maurice (Garbage) and features a vocal collaboration with Kate Pierson of the B52s. The album is consistently packed with whip smart stories (watch the Did You Tell Her clip below to get the feel) and shifts effortlessly in styles, from funked up grooves to grungy guitars. Be sure to cath their fantastic live shows by checking 
, which was a compilation of his music that he curated. Of course, it contains the big arena-rock hits, but there’s a great selection of some deeper cuts as well, and it’s interesting to hear them all side-by-side. As far as individual albums go, I’d have to recommend 
, which is mostly characterized by his growing interest in synths and sparse arrangements. Great stuff!”
About our guest author, Mathieu Santos: Many will know Mathieu from his role as bass player and founding member of 
. Per