There are still some people in the twenty-first century who will try and tell you that being able to download music for free over the internet is killing musicians’ ability to make a living.

I still maintain this is crap. And this is a case in point:

On Sunday, having been reading in The Wire about Susanna, I decided that I had to investigate. I had heard one or two tracks on compilations, and used the Hype machine to find out some more. I downloaded a couple of tracks, and then went and downloaded two albums this evening – her 2004 album Melody Mountain (credited to Susanna and the Magical orchestra) and 2008’s Flower Of Evil. And that’s downloaded as in PAID FOR THEM.

Susanna has done a number of her own compositions but what the Oslo-based singer specialises in is haunting covers of other people’s songs. And if you think that songs like ‘Enjoy the Silence’ by Depeche Mode or Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ are pretty haunting anyway, hearing her cover songs like Abba’s ‘Lay All your Love On Me’ or Thin Lizzy’s ‘Jailbreak’ is a wildly different proposition…

See what you think. If you like them, then go and buy the albums!

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra -‘Enjoy the Silence.’ mp3

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra -‘Love Will Tear Us Apart.’ mp3

Susanna -‘Lay All Your Love On Me.’ mp3

Susanna -‘Without You.’ mp3

Susanna’s myspace