Ukuleles, guitars, stolen castanets, boxes of pasta, other things and Michelle Blades. http://www.facebook.com/MichelleBlades The Niece of Rubén Blades and folk ukulele singer/songwriter is rising up in Phoenix, Arizona, with performances and album releases on the River Jones Music Label. Think Indie and Stinkweeds liked her new release so much they thought it deserved a feature in their stores and are offering to stream the entire release online. Phoenix New Times wrote..."Michelle Blades stood out as a jazzy Regina Spektor with a interchangeable flourishes of Blossom Dearie and Devendra Banhart. Blades began her set on guitar with The Pioneers backing her, promptly switch to ukulele and brought out Tobie Milford on violin and Erica Shafer on upright bass. Enrapturing the crowd, Blades finished her set by making a song with the audience providing improvised vocals and percussion, while she scatted and freestyled." And also... "Blades sounds like an island-y Joni Mitchell — or a sweeter Jolie Holland — when she plays her jazz-inspired folk. There's a soulful edge to her timbre, but plenty of rasp and scratch in that voice, like something you might hear from a chain-smoking lounge singer in the 1940s."