What Were You Doing When YOU Were 12?

/ / New Music, review

When I was 12 years old, I collected Star Wars cards. Topps had a line of Return of the Jedi cards that were over-the-top uber-geeky, and I had them all. I also spent a fair amount of time avoiding getting my ass kicked. That alone was a full-time job.

I played in my backyard, climbed our tree, walked down to the park, played in the woods, walked home from detention, and stuffed broccoli in the crack between our wall unit air conditioner and the window frame.

I did not, however, make music and put them on iTunes. This chick (and I mean that almost literally) has written 4 songs and has proudly displayed them for the world to hear.

Now … in my defense, when I was 12, there was no iTunes. In fact, there was no such thing as an mp3, let alone an ipod or mp3 player. No … the most we had were huge, bulky tape players. “Walkman.”

Some of you may be wondering, “Well, she’s 12. How good could these songs be?”

Ever heard of Feist? How about Regina Spektor? Tori Amos? No? Well, okay … she’s not quite in the same league as them. YET. Give her a few years. She’ll bypass them all.

She wrote the music. She played the instruments. She wrote and sang all the lyrics. She was her own recording engineer. People … if this doesn’t have you scratching your head, you’re too dumb to realize what we’re witnessing.

She plays piano. She plays guitar. She plays the violin. She programmed the drum loops. She. Did. It. All.

And these aren’t plush, cushy, “OMGZORZIAMSOINLURVEWITHBIEBERHOTBOY” songs. There is a depth that transcends pre-adolescence. How she is able to write about relationships at this level is beyond me, but write and present she does. In “Unbound, she writes, “Don’t wait the time is now. Brace yourself in flight for all that you love. Raise your eyes to the sky and tell yourself you’ll never give in. Never fall. Fly away now. Can you feel the wind? It’s going your way. You’re unbound now–free to take to the sky and go where you want to. Fly away.” At least, that’s what I got from several passes with my phone and earbuds. Haunting. I wonder if she’s referring to someone who’s close to passing away. Regardless, to hear the song, you’d never guess that a 12 year old wrote and performed it.

What haunts me more than the musical abilities is her vocal ability. She just doesn’t sound 12. Granted, I don’t think the musical world has much of a benchmark upon which to ascertain what a 12 year old should sound like, but if Miley Cyrus is any indication, then … well, no. Mari’s voice does nothing to betray her age. She has a very Norah Jones quality to her vocals. Norah is 31–19 years Mari’s senior. The fact that she is able to pull off that voice at her age is such a rare gift.

So, listen … in a nutshell, you’re only doing yourself a dis-service by not spending the $4 on iTunes to check out her undeniable talent. Again, if you haven’t picked up on this dead-horse-beaten point, SHE IS FRICKING TWELVE YEARS OLD. Imagine what she’ll make in the next 5, 10, 15 … who knows how many years?!

Review: Gypsy Death and You – e.p. no. 1

/ / New Music, Opinion, rantings, review

Well, it showed up today. I’ve ordered and won literally hundreds of CDs over the last month. Far and away, this has been the most anticipated one. I have, in my hands, the first EP from Gypsy Death and You. That’s THE BAND–not the song by The Kills.

This is why I’m a big fan of sites like Feed the Muse and Kickstarter. These guys *need* a site like that, if they don’t already have one. If they do, I’m not aware of it, but a search of both those sites reveals nothing, so … hmm.

First off, a big thanks to the band for sending this. I couldn’t imagine working or communicating with a nicer couple.

Gypsy Death and You are Alex Wilson and Emily Cahill. They’re from the Philadelphia area. If they’re any indication of the music scene in Philly, then the City of Brotherly Love is in most excellent musical hands.

The overall sound is amazing,–very raw and un-refined. I consider this to be a beautiful, beautiful thing. Here’s why.

What you hear is what you get. This music is precisely what you would hear if they decided to drop by and perform an impromptu concert in your front yard. It sounds like there is very little, if any, processing or “cleansing.” It’s real. There’s nothing other than the instruments and the band. In baking, raw, unrefined sugar is preferred to processed, white, refined sugar. Unrefined sugar has nutritional properties that are flat-out missing in refined sugars. Processed sugar is useless. I feel the same would be true if GDaY were to run their sound through a bunch of “refinement.” Their energy comes through with all the nuance and precision of a seasoned band, yet this is just their first EP. They’re not bogged down with all the baggage of someone like Bob Rock mucking up their sound (think what Metallica *could* have been if he hadn’t produced the black album. I’m just saying.)

The only exception to this is the beginning of “Capitol Jump,” where the intro is this wonderfully cacophonous noise barrage, filled with pounding drums, raging guitars, and a mix that leaves you shocked when they move beyond. They grab you with this infectious “Ah-ah-ah-ahhhh-ahhhh …” I like. A lot. Then we’re treated to the only song on the EP where Alex performs the primary vocals. On ReverbNation, they’ve uploaded a new version that has a more harmonic intro. Personally, I like the original! At least, I think that’s the original intro. Actually, I don’t know which is new version. Guess I should find out!

UPDATE: Boy was I wrong. I had it backwards. The ReverbNation version is the original. The one on the EP is the newer version. So, to be clear, prefer the newer, love the older. Capiche?

“Smile” has a very 80’s sounding, Molly Ringwald flavor to it. Odd, cuz as far as I know, she has never released a CD in her life. I don’t know if it’s Emily’s vocals or what, but the first thing I thought of when I heard this song was “Pretty in Pink.” I have no idea why. And it’s catchy. “A smile on you is a smile on me.”

The thing I like about “Sound of the Sun” is the tempo. For some reason, this strikes me as a very Lush sound to the music with a Kim Deal (though muffled through the distortion of the guitars) quality to the vocals, all the while maintaining their own sound.

If you’re a fan of The Jesus and Mary Chain, you’ll love their cover of “Something I Can’t Have.” It sounds like they’ve taken it up an octave to play to Emily’s vocal strengths, and it comes off with an awesome vibe.

In a nutshell, I *highly* recommend finding a way to pick up their CD. They’re good, they’re talented, they have more going on upstairs than most bands. They’re young, they’re inspired, and they have the potential to be around for long, long time.

There is just one small, tiny little nagging issue: the lack of availability. These guys deserve to have their music dispersed through some place like iTunes or Amazon … somewhere. They should be getting paid for their music. I don’t want to see them become another “flash in the pan,” you know?! They sent me the CD on their dime, even though I requested a PayPal address to help fund them. Were they to put their music on iTunes, I would buy it just to support them because they deserve it.

Emily, Alex … if you’re reading this, ya gotta get this out there. You are not just some other band. Your music is danceable. It’s at once up-beat and introspective. This has stratospheric potential. I’m begging you … do not quit. Do not give up. Put it on iTunes! Why not?! I can almost guarantee you you’ll have at least a favorable reviews.

Again, I want to thank these guys for the CD. I’m glad to have it, and I can’t wait to hear what else these guys come up with.

Facebook page

Muxtape page

Interview with NWSHoegazing.com

That is all.

Upcoming Releases for Fantastic Music

/ / New Music, upcoming music

This morning, as I was heading in to work, Alela Diane’s “White as Diamonds” shuffled through my phone. Having not listened to To Be Still in a while, I “unshuffled” my playlist and started from “Dry Grass and Shadows.”

There are few voices as distinct as hers. There are also few voices that can evoke such emotion–such raw, visceral feeling. She pours her soul into her music. Not that most artists don’t, but hers … sweet cabbage and mutton, how does she do it?

I started wondering if she has anything coming down the pike. In the “HUZZAH!!” category, we have this bit of news straight off her website: new CD coming out in the spring. No specific date, but her site is in a state of overhaul, I guess … at least that’s the illusion on the front page, so maybe more news will be forthcoming with the new site.

So THAT got me wondering who else has new stuff coming in the near future. Here’s a list I’ve compiled of potential releases in the next few months.

  • Alela Diane – Spring release.
  • Sarah Fimm – A new release is immenently close at hand. She’s taunting us with talk of a new song on her Facebook page.
  • Azam Ali – From Night to the Edge of Day, March or April.
  • The Dears – Degeneration Street, Februray 15 (though this might just be a Canadian-only release date … not sure)
  • Dredg – early 2011 (nothing on their site other than a post from August targeting an “early 2011” release)
  • Eisley – The Valley, March 1

Brief interruption … looks like the good folks from Gypsy Death and You are hooking me up with some tune-age. Again, I refer you to NewBandDay‘s post about them for “Crocus” and “Something I Can’t Have.”

And now, back to the list. On with the show, as they say, blah blah blah.

  • Samantha Crain – coming at some point hopefully in 2011, but it looks like she has a lot of projects that are keeping her well booked, so we’ll hope. She’s writing new stuff, so that’s good!
  • Well, crap. I wanted to post that Rush will be releasing their new CD this year, but it looks like they’ll resume recording in the late summer or early fall for Clockwork Angels, which will probably be released in early 2012. Well *that* sucks.
  • Howling Bells – early to mid year (?). Looks like they’re done with the recording and they’re well into the mixing stage, if not past it. Of interesting note is the fact that Mark Stroemer, of The Killers fame, is producing the CD. Hmm.
  • Marissa Nadler – Her site has a donation page set up, and the funding has been met as of December 9th. Not sure if she’s in the studio or not, but you can follow her blog here.

Honestly, I’m sure there are a ton more, and I’ll do some more research later, but for now, that’s enough to whet just about any musical appetite. Stay tuned …

My Sydney Bristow Moment

/ / New Music, Opinion, rantings

If you didn’t watch Alias, this post might not make sense to you. And if you haven’t, I highly recommend adding it to your Netflix queue. Forgive the 4th and 5th seasons … they weren’t that great, but overall the show was just … wow. Very, very wow. Also, if you intend to rent the show, quit reading this post now cuz I’m about to drop at bit of spoiler info. Feel free to come back when you’ve finished the series. Or at least the first 2 eps of season 1.

No, seriously. You really don’t want to keep reading and risk a spoiler alert, do you?

Okay … can’t say I didn’t warn you

For those of you who are either not concerned with spoilers or are familiar with the show, remember in that episode of season one where Sydney confronts Vaughn about her involvement with the CIA? She wants to take down SD-6, and she promised to do it in record time. More banter/dialog/et al, then Vaughn asks Sydney to draw a map of what she views SD-6 has as far as contacts and ancillary groups. Her map is drawn on half of a sheet of legal pad. Vaughn then pulls out a rolled-up sheet of paper that looks like it measures probably 3′ x 4-5′, very densely populated with off-shoot groups, names and splinter organizations of SD-6. Her shock is evidenced by her reaction as she realizes exactly how large the organization really is and the depth  and extent to which their empire runs.

Such was my reaction to learning how involved the members of Broken Social Scene are in other projects. I knew that some members from BSS also provide us amazing music with The Stars, but … I thought that was it.

How wrong I was. How very, very wrong.

Mind you, the line-up has changed significantly over the years, and the list includes all members–past and present. Are you ready for this? Check out this link to Wikipedia’s page on BSS. I mean … seriously? I’ve heard of like 3 of those bands or artists: Metric, Feist and The Weakerthans. I find it interesting that Emily Haines used to be in BSS. Metric is pretty much nothing like them, so it’s interesting to know her background. And Feist?! Feist. This is like the greatest musical realization since … well, in a long, long time. I’ve always liked what little I had heard of Broken Social Scene, but holy crap … they’re like a nebula, except for bands and solo artists.

Anyway, if you’re into Canadian bands, that list will help you catch up on a TON of great music. I mean, THEY’RE ALL CANADIAN. My view of Canadian music differs drastically from that of the average American; I very much enjoy musical offerings from the Great White North (eh?). For decades, Canada has provides us with some seriously fantastic music.

Review: Sambassadeur – European

/ / New Music, Opinion, review

The funny thing about Sambassadeur is that it took me a few weeks to actually check out their video that my buddy posted on my Facebook page. Once I did though, I immediately bought everything of theirs I could find on Amazon. So far, I’ve ended up with European, New Moon EP, Migration, and their self-titled first full-length CD. All of them are fantastic.

I got into the Cranberries in the middle of 1994. I don’t think Everyone Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? had been out too terribly long when I stumbled across that little gem. My first reaction was, “Hmm. Catchy. Sing-songy. I can get into this.”

Same thing with these guys. The difference is time and location. Delores et al are now kind of in a state of indefinite hibernation, whereas these guys had a great new release in European just this past year. Sambassadeur is from Swenen; Cranberries … still European, but from the Emerald Isle.

There sure isn’t much info to be found on these guys. The most helpful page I found was on Last.fm. Even that is kind of scant, but it’s what we have. Even their own website basically refers you out to the Myspace page. Tragic. I refuse to pull up a single Myspace page for the ridiculous amounts of virii I’ve caught from their site in the past. I’m just not willing to risk it.

Some of the standout tracks include the 3rd on the CD. “I Can Try” is up-beat with a kind of Abba sound to it, but the subject matter … not so sure. If I’m hearing the lyrics right, this is a person who’s looking for something new after wading through some pretty dark times. What those dark times are left to interpretation, but I’m guessing it’s dealing with relationships. I mean, with a chorus like, “I can try to leave behond the wishful and the wiled, the ivory skyline of your smile. I can wipe you off in time and revise the play in mind my mind. I can try. There’s another way of thinking thoughts to say–another way of knowing paths to take. I can try to find a heart, and I can find a way to make it start.” It’s a seriously catchy song.

The song that hooked me–“Forward Is All”–is another great track. I love the rumbling timpani (at least I *think* that’s a timpani …) and the string section.

This is not to say at all that Anna and the boys are a Cranberries rip-off. Far from it. Yes–the styles are similar. However, they also have their definitive sound. Lots of the tracks have string backgrounds, all of which are well-layered and mixed.

Anna Persson has her own distinct voice that perfectly blends with the mellowness that exudes from all Sambassadeur music. Seriously … this stuff reminds me of lying on a beach chair, watching and listening to the waves relentlessly crash on the sand as you sip your drink and watch the sun lazily roll across the sky, heading for the inevitable horizon that brings such incredible hues and tones to what would already be considered a perfect day.

Again, I don’t know who plays what other instruments, but I can say this: whoever plays bass is slick. I mean … the bass lines aren’t anything like Geddy Lee or Les Claypool-like in their intensity or complexity, but they don’t have to be to be excellent. They’re subtle, they’re complimentary to the strings and guitar (yes … I know that the guitar is a string instrument … shut up), which really could be said of just about any good bassist, but really … there’s something different. Something perfectly in synch with the whole band. Some bands’ bassists just seem to be there, throwing down a non-useful and very forgettable bass line (yes–I mean you, Michael Anthony. Not that it’s your fault, living in Edward’s shadow …)

All three parts–guitar, bass and drums, combined with the strings, at times add a very slight edge of phreneticism that beautifully accentuates the subject matter. The last half of “Sandy Dunes” sounds pretty similar to the first half, but there’s just a different feel. The guitar is just a bit more intense. The bass line is just a hair more accentuated. The drums fills have just that extra “oomph” to them. Combine all of that, and there’s just something that evokes more emotion than you would have assumed with the first half of the song.

I have to give my buddy Russ an incredible shout-out for these guys. He and I throw musical ideas and suggestions across facebook like Serena and Venus volley tennis balls in their free time. Except we’re guys, and we’d probably suck at tennis … but we definitely do *not* suck at music suggestions. To Russ: I owe you for these guys. In them, I have my new work music set for the foreseeable future. They’re relaxing in times of chaos. They bring a mellowness heretofore unachieved by just about anyone. Not even Alison Shaw and Cranes have this affect, and I freakin’ LOVE them.

You’ll like these guys if you like:

  • The Cranberries
  • The Sundays
  • Frente’!

If any of those band appeal to you, pick up Sambassadeur’s entire discography. NOW. If not, pick up their CDs anyway cuz your life cannot continue on its present course and not be as genuinely moved and happy as you could be if you had these guys.

Word of the Day: Deluge

/ / New Music, Opinion, rantings

From Mirriam-Webster’s website:

del·uge
noun
\ˈdel-ˌyüj, -ˌyüzh; ÷də-ˈlüj, ˈdā-ˌlüj\
Definition of DELUGE
1 a : an overflowing of the land by water b : a drenching rain
2 : an overwhelming amount or number

Thus began my extended weekend. Wednesday, the 450+ CDs showed up in the mail. Now … I must be fair. I was less than enthused when I saw the single box. I thought, “What …? How are there possibly 450 CDs in that box?” Easy. No jewel cases. Everything was in cardboard sleeves or paper/plastic sleeves. Not to mention that a lot of the CDs were compilations … mixes and such from various record companies. I *hate* compilation CDs. So, my philosophy on CD owning is this: I MUST have the full CD and, were feasible, I must have the entire discography. You can see where that would become problematic with a band like Rush, or the Rolling Stones.

So I went through the box and picked out what looked of interest to me. To be fair, there’s a good stack of stuff to still go through. This is what i still have to go through.

As you can see, there’s a lot. I’ve barely whittled down that left stack. So what I’m doing is sorting through those stacks and making piles of EPs and full-length releases.

I’ve ripped some, but not many. maybe 11 or 12. It’s good stuff.

Oh. Then there’s the NPR auction I won on eBay around the same time. 20 CDs in that stack. plus the four Sambassadeur CDs I bought on a buddy’s recommendation. *That* was a good choice. Those guys are amazing.

So, all told, I think I’ve won about 500 CDs, but I’d say less than 150 of those will ever grace my hard drive. And truthfully, I’m okay with that. the 20 I won from the NPR eBay auction only cost $7.20, so that’s a screaming deal, and even if I take away 100 CDs from that stack of 450, I’m still only paying 50 cents a CD, so *that’s* a screaming deal too.

You know I like listing what I got. I would … but that would scroll forever. No–I won’t do that to you. Just know that there’s some good stuff in here.

Review: Widowspeak – October Tape EP

/ / New Music, Opinion, rantings, review

So, apparently I like these guys a lot more than I realized. I’m now taking their band of the day and re-reviewing it. Oh to have an original thought for just once today. Alas–the sun has set; Orion peaks in the southern sky. and I … I am left bereft of the capacity for generating my own ideas.

Oh well! 🙂

Yah … I spent a good deal of time yesterday on their site, poking around and finding new music. Well, new to me, anyway. One band in particular stood out. Widowspeak hails from Brooklyn NY. I was *really* hoping that at least Hope Sandoval was from the same area, but no … she and the rest of Mazzy Star are from the SoCal Left Coast.

If Kurt Cobain were still alive, and he and Hope had a band-child, that band would be Widowspeak. If you think you would like a mix of Mazzy Star-type stuff with a slight edge of PNW circa 1992, AND you throw in Alison Shaw (of Cranes fame) toned down an entire octave for vocals, you will totally get off on these guys. AND, for the moment, you can check out and download 3 tracks from this EP from this site. Tragically, you can’t download the entire EP like I did. Imagine that I’m doing a happy dance. Cuz really, I am. Free music is ALWAYS cause for celebration. Unless it sucks, which this stuff does not. So … happy dance. In the computer chair. Actually, don’t imagine. It’s kind of a stupid dance. I never claimed to have a good groove move.

There are only 6 tracks, so I can’t justify discussing more than 2 without teetering on the edge of spoiling the whole thing for you. “Burnout,” the slowest of the 6, will lull you into a trance. Molly Hamilton sultrily croons away as she meanders through the song hand in hand with you. The melting riffs of (?=guitarist: Michael Stasiak; else=Robert Thomas) will pour out of your headphones and cleanse your semi-circular canals and right your balance like you never knew was possible. Conversely, on “Night Crawlers,” Molly softly pulls off her best Meg White impression while the guitars and drums churn away in a much more up-tempo beat than any other track.

So seriously, here’s why you need to pick up this CD: it’s hot. It’s moody. It’s slow … ish. It’s dark in a totally not macabre way. It sways. It hypnotizes. It will leave you wondering when the first full-length CD will hit the streets. I have an email in to the band asking if one is in the works. Hopefully we’ll know more in a bit! Until then, this 6-track offering will have to tide us over.

Follow them here on Facebook!

Blogs I Like

/ / fellow bloggers, New Music, Opinion, rantings

So I just discovered a couple of new music blogs that I’m really digging.

http://nwshoegazing.wordpress.com/

http://newbandday.com/

I discovered these in a Lortab-induced stupor this morning, so I can’t remember how I found them … I just k now that I did. They’re GREAT. I’ve been pouring through their material pretty much all day. Well, up until the Jets/Pats beat-down. Sorry, NE fans. That was ugly. Keep in mind that I’m a Bills fan, so I loathe the Jets and Pats with equal disdain and am strongly pulling for Pittsburgh to put Jets fans out of their misery.

The great thing is that they update really regularly and frequently, so there’s new material almost all the time. AWESOME. I have some local suggestions for NBD; I wonder how they handle stuff like that.

Anyway, these two blogs are great reads. I highly recommend checking them out. Specifically, both blogs mention Gypsy Death and You–a duo shoe-gazer band out of Philly that, to date, have one 5-track EP that is impossible to find. I tweeted and Facebooked them to see if I could get a copy. I’m fairly confident that one will be forthcoming. I hope so, anyway! They asked me to send them an email so we could find a way to get me a copy, so I’m guessing that’s a pretty good sign. Ha–speaking of “sign,” I asked if they’d be willing to sign the CD for me. Hey, it can’t hurt to ask, right? But that would just be icing on the cake. I’d be happier than a pig in slop if they can just get me a CD!

If you want to check out NBD’s page about them, here it is.

So hopefully I’ll have something new to review in the next few weeks … along with the 470+ CDs that are coming in the mail. WHERE am I gonna put all of those!?

How To Amass a CD Collection Overnight

/ / New Music, Opinion, rantings, review

Win this.

That will constitute approximately 1/3 of my collection.

Awesomesauce.

The beauty is that I have no idea what’s in the mix. Could be utter crap, for all I know. BUT either Graywhale or Gamestop will take all of them, and I’ll more than make my money back. At approximately 11 cents per CD, it wouldn’t take much to make my money back 3 times over, at which point I could just get a bunch of CDs I know I’ll want.

But I’m betting I won’t have to do that. Not with all of them, anyway. Guess we’ll know in a week!

New Music: Tuesday Edition

/ / New Music

I had to go to the hospital for a complication that arose after the surgery. Nothing major … just some excruciating pain where no man (there’s a subtle hint as to the location …) should feel anything of the like. This was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and I better *not* have to go through this ever again. Knock on wood. And pardon the horrible pun.

In need of some comfort after this traumatizing experience, I headed over to my local Graywhale store for some solace. I kept it relatively low-key for a multitude of reasons, the least of which was budget constraints, the greatest of which was the dire need to lie down and sleep … but not without my well-earned new stash of tuneage. Here’s the list:

  • From Leaf to Feather – Themes on an Imaginary Winter
  • Nina Nastasha – The Blackened Air
  • Amelia Curran – Hunter Hunter
  • Elizabeth and the Catapult – Taller Children
  • Erase Erata – Nightlife
  • French Kicks – One Time Bells
  • Get Cape Wear Cape Fly – The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager

Lookin’ good, eh?! I’ve sampled all of them as they ripped to iTunes. As always, seriously good stuff. I’m most excited to listen to Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and Amelia Curran.

Anyway, that’s the new stuff for today. OH! I also got Florence + the Machine’s Lungs CD, but I picked that up from iTunes.

I’m gonna review these at some point. Hopefully, I can review one or two a day for the next few days. We’ll see …

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