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Gospel Gossip

Gospel Gossip Album Release Party March 21, 2013 at 7th Street Entry ////Gospel Gossip ///Ex Nuns //Flavor Crystals /Hollow Boys Read More Gospel Gossip Gospel Gossip have sent me to reverb heaven, again. The Minneapolis-based group’s new three-song 7”, Atlantic Blue, is an undeniably consistent offering from the band...

I realized recently why I like Gospel Gossip so much. I’m a sucker for epic finales. You know the ones; the emotional crescendos that finish your favorite albums, leaving you with that sense of “wow” that render you motionless for several minutes after the album has clicked off to silence, still hearing that repeated hook or fading chorus echoing between your ears. Gospel Gossip’s self-titled full-length, out today, takes that feeling and bottles it – impossibly letting it leak out slowly through each and every song.

For that same reason it’s impossible to pick out a standout track from this album. I can’t spot a peak when the whole presents a high plateau – it has the feel of an epilogue strung out over an entire album. Vocalist Sarah Nienaber conveys distant longing; her voice is reminiscent of a singer in the next room, audible but sill very much behind a foreground of psychedelic guitar reverb, resulting in a surreally haunting, forlorn tone. Always leaving, never gone.

This past weekend I had occasion to visit an Alzheimer’s wing. A few rooms down dwelled an elderly ex-opera singer, who periodically made her presence known during my visit: It seems she is prone to briefly singing out at the top of her lungs at all times of the day and night. Sometimes it’s a scale, sometimes just a simple “C.” I imagined that she had been singing so long, it was as natural as breathing. Or perhaps it was just her way of saying “I’m here. I’m not done.” Now, no one would confuse Sarah Nienaber’s diminutive whisper with the voice of an opera singer, but I would still argue that the tone this album captures is not altogether dissimilar: We all have one more epic finale in us. And another. And another. May they never end.

andrew () ♥ guiltriddenpop.com/grp/gospel-gossip

Gospel Gossip: Atlantic Blue

Read More Gospel Gossip Gospel Gossip's music is quite guitar heavy with sweet singing. If it works out this week I will bring up Gospel Gossip on this week's podcast on Shoegazing bands...

Gospel Gossip have sent me to reverb heaven, again. The Minneapolis-based group’s new three-song 7”, Atlantic Blue, is an undeniably consistent offering from the band; a trademark dreamscape of feedback-flirting chords that fans of shoegaze (hate that term - won’t use it again) have come to expect from the trio: The sort of turn-it-up-and-zone-out-as-the-party-grinds-down sort of feeling that evokes fond memories scored by the likes of Jesus and Mary Chain and Sonic Youth.

Coming in at a crisp not-quite-10 minutes, this EP – their first since 2009’s Drift, offers an all too brief glimpse of what may be on offer upon the release of their next full-length, which seems to be in the late stages of development.

While Atlantic Blue is certainly a worthwhile pick-up; the band’s real strength will always be in their live performances; often displaying grand, glorious instrumental outros, whose emotional crescendos may be impossible to convey on recorded medium. It was during one of these epic finales at their Dreamland EP release show in 2009 that I noticed singer/guitarist Sarah Nienaber appeared to tear a fingernail but continued playing for the several additional minutes, streaking blood over her guitar. How can you not adore a band willing to bleed for you?

Atlantic Blue is available via in a limited vinyl run of 200 (plus download) starting November 3rd at an EP release at the Turf Club in St Paul.

andrew () ♥ guiltriddenpop.com/grp/gospel-gossip

Halloween, Alaska - All Night The Calls Came In

Tour Dates 10/31/11 Trinity* (Bristol, UK) 11/01/11 Shepherds Bush Empire* (London, UK) 11/04/11 Library at HMV Institute* (Birmingham, UK) 11/05/11 Rescue Rooms* (Nottingham, UK) 11/14/11 Manchester Cathedral* (Manchester, UK) 11/15/11 Oran Mor* (Glasgow, UK) 11/16/11 The Cockpit* (Leeds, UK) 11/17/11 Sneaky Pete's (Edinburgh, Scotland) 11/19/11 Vicar Street* (Dublin, IRE) 11/20/11 The Empire* (Belfast, IRE) * w/ Anna Calvi Read More Halloween, Alaska The last band I saw before we left was Halloween, Alaska, who ended their set with a Bruce Springsteen song, "State Trooper". Which actually doesn't sound like any Springsteen song I've ever heard (and that's the best part).

Today may be October 31st, but Minneapolis-based Halloween, Alaska has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween (and just as much to do with Alaska), and I have to say first off; hell if I don’t love this band. But I have to concede: their fourth release “All Night the Calls Came In” falls short of the high bar set by the previous offerings.

On its face, everything sounds fine; soothing semi-ambient synth, largely vocally driven, never falling back on poppy electro drum beats to prop them up, though occasionally rocking out with a fuzzy guitar just to remind you they can – an extra gear they usually reserve for live shows but occasionally display in recorded material. The oh-so-lovely dulcet tones of James Diers’ vocals impart a relaxing warmth which immediately sets a calming tone. Nothing wrong there. Just what I’ve come to expect – and come to love – tracks that come to a slow boil, intelligent lyrics, a refreshingly askew approach toward verse-bridge-chorus conventions. Unfortunately, it only rarely comes together quite as properly as it could; there always seems to be a chorus that falls just short (“You Are Not Well,” “Analogue”) or a line that gets shoehorned into a verse which doesn’t have room for it (“The Jealous Ones”). Or the opposite; a mediocre song suddenly belts into an amazing chorus (“Dead Air,” “3:1”), abruptly reminding one that this is a great band which is capable of so much more.

It's worth noting, there are some lyrical gems worth mining in this album. The line “nonplussed by dissonance” from “Dance by Accident” is my favorite three-word turn of phrase since the Decemberists’ “purloined in Petrograd,” and I enjoy “Empire Waist” with its “peeling imperial skin.”

So what’s the verdict? Good band, fair album. It simply feels a bit rushed. I’m actually curious to see them perform some of the new material in a live setting as I suspect they will have sanded away some of the rough edges since the album was recorded. In the meantime, I’ll continue to appreciate their previous ones.

andrew () ♥ halloweenalaska.com ♥ facebook.com/halloweenalaska

Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps

Caroline Smith: Calliope Tour Dates 09/20/11 Hi-Dive - Denver, CO ^ 09/22/11 Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO 09/23/11 The Space for Ames - Ames, IA 09/24/11 The Mill - Iowa City, IA 09/25/11 Replay Lounge - Lawrence, KA 09/26/11 Soundpony - Tulsa, OK 09/27/11 White Water Tavern - Little Rock, AR 09/28/11 Earth House Collective - Indianapolis, IN 09/29/11 Schuba's - Chicago, IL # 09/30/11 Club Girabaldi - Milwaukee, WI # 10/01/11 The Terrace - Madison, WI # 10/04/11 Woodlands Tavern - Columbus, OH 10/10/11 The Middle East - Boston, MA 10/11/11 The Rock Shop - Brooklyn, NY 10/12/11 Cake Shop - New York, NY 10/13/11 Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY 10/21/11 AS220 - Providence, RI ^ w/ Ivan & Alyosha # w/ Dead Man WInter Read More Caroline Smith The first time I heard of Caroline Smith was when Brody was raving about her. I think at the time, she didn't really a record or a full band (?), but from the looks of things last night - she seems to be doing quite well so far.

Full Disclosure: I would pay $15 for an album of Caroline Smith singing the alphabet song repeatedly for 40 minutes. Fortunately for those who don’t quite share my fanaticism, today’s release of Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps’ second album “Little Wind” offers a vastly more appealing product.

Funded in part by fan donations, over $7,000 was raised last spring to help promote and distribute the album, Little Wind departs slightly from 2008’s superb “Backyard Tent Set” – which was much more deeply rooted in a timeless (never anachronistic) folk – and ventures into the surrounding musical neighborhood. Piano? Check. Banjo? Check. Glockenspiel? Check. Ambient electric guitar? Wait - what? It quickly becomes apparent that the band has taken one step further from the victrola and nearer the iPod. One thing that hasn’t changed; Smith’s incredible voice. Breathy, soothing and sultry, she dances a vocal juxtaposition that is simultaneously exciting and calming. “Seductive lullaby” is a term that often comes to mind; even as the band is instrumentally rocking out, Smith’s voice keeps the mind firmly anchored in an innocent dreamland. Can you be anchored in Dreamland? Never mind. I say you can.

Drummer Arlen Peiffer (also of Minnesota indie flagship Cloud Cult), bassist Jesse Schuster and guitarist Colin Hacklander (recently replaced in the band by Dave Earl) are afforded the opportunity to flex their muscles creativity in an album that shows not just variety, but more maturity than the previous offering. Their turn toward a more traditional modern rock sound suits them, and the album doesn’t need a single track to carry the others. There’s no First-Song Hangover or Mid-Album Slump. It’s very decently balanced, from the surprising distorted vocals (so who decided to fuzz THAT voice?) of “Tank Top” to the charming girl-and-guitar (and glockenspiel) finale “Birch Trees & Broken Barns”, it’s a consistently great listen from front to back. I’ve always been a sucker for songs that start out slow and steadily build into a climactic crescendo; the a capella start of “Eagle’s Nest,” the lullaby-bell beginning of “Scholarships,” and the almost bluesy twang open of the lounge singer “Denim Boy,” each build to such an unexpected energy that I suspect more than a few casual fans on their upcoming tour, expecting acoustic guitar and tambourine, will be caught unexpectedly with ringing ears in want of earplugs. A somewhat more mid-level pace is on display in “Calliope,” which marries a space-echo-guitar-laid-over acoustic opening which gives way to a jungle drum chorus in a microcosm of the evolution the album displays. It lyrically shows growth as well, departing from Backyard Tent Set’s songs about relationships and focusing more on family imagery – frequently evoking the mother-child link – notably “Hannah,” written about Smith’s younger sister, an irresistibly adorable track brilliantly featuring Dark Dark Dark’s Nona Marie Invie on piano and vocals.

Following an unforgettable album release show in Minneapolis Friday, Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps have launched a fairly extensive US tour. Don’t fear the space echo. Embrace the glockenspiel. And if anyone can convince Caroline to call me and sing the ABC’s on my voicemail, I’d be in your debt.

Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09/16/11)

andrew () ♥ thegoodnightsleeps.com ♥ myspace.com/carolinesmithmusic

BNLX: EP#4

BNLX: When Doves Cry Tour 12/10/10 BNLX / Farewell Continental / Red Pens / Voytek at 7th Street Entry ($6) Discography [Mar 2010] EP #1 [Jun 2010] EP #2 [Sep 2010] EP #3 [Dec 2010] EP #4 Read More BNLX BNLX, having listened to their EP, is a bit more aggressive and noisy and a bit more electro-art than I had expected. I believe it's Ed and Ashley Ackerson, the couple is also in The Mood Swings (but that band is more pop-friendly)...

What do Prince, Rihanna, Black Flag and Can have in common? Nothing. Fortunately no one bothered telling that to BNLX, whose new album, “EP#4” is celebrated with a release party at Minneapolis’ 7th Street Entry Friday. This represents their fourth mini-album in less than a year for BNLX – made up of married couple Ed and Ashley Ackerson (referred only as e.a and a.a. in liner notes) – ensuring that the conversation never stops about their playfully stoic black-leather clad drum-machined stage exhibition.

As with their previous three EPs, this offering consists of four tracks, totaling around 12 minutes. This time around, however, each track is a cover. How these particular covers were chosen isn’t clear. A dart board may have been involved. Opening with Prince’s “When Doves Cry” is decidedly an uncontroversial choice for a Minneapolis band. Far from a standard homage, however, this version sounds more like something from a cartoon graveyard. I picture Ed Ackerson skulking around dressed as a caricatured vampire while he half-sings/half-narrates the verses: There’s even a damn theremin in use! If not for the lyrics, this version would be utterly unrecognizable from the original. I’m also reminded that I've always found something comforting and wholesome about Ashley Ackerson’s voice, even when she’s trying to sound tough (“Two-Fold!”), her level of emotional emphasis is akin to the tone of voice mom used when shouting at you for the third time to turn off the video game and come to dinner. She might be a little ticked, but she still loves you.

The EP only gets more interesting from there. The second track, “Shut up and Drive” is a cover of a Rihanna song which itself lifted the classic riff from New Order’s Blue Monday. The New Order cred gives you permission to enjoy it– absurd Rihanna lyrics notwithstanding (How, Does It, Feel… to make vehicular sexual innuendo?)

The final two tracks are a reasonably reverent version of Black Flag’s “Rise Above” and a cover of 70’s German experimental rock band Can’s “Soul Desert.” I’m not going to pretend to be familiar with the latter, but I do enjoy BNLX’s version. Again a bit spooky; near whispered lyrics with the ever-present drum-machine beat which pervades their highly satisfying live shows and only ostensibly changes time between songs. Just the way it should be.

BNLX release “EP#4” Friday December 10th at 7th Street Entry with Farewell Continental, Voytek and Red Pens.

andrew () ♥ susstones.com ♥ facebook.com/bnlxmusic ♥ youtube.com/user/susstones

No One Said It Would Be Easy - A Film About Cloud Cult

Cloud Cult - Take Your Medicine Cloud Cult Tour Dates 08/23/09 Cabooze Outdoor Plaza Minneapolis 08/29/09 University of MN - Morris 09/11/09 University of Wisconsin River Falls Discography [1994] The Shade Project [2000] Who Killed Puck? [2002] Lost Songs from the Lost Years [2003] They Live on the Sun [2004] Aurora Borealis [2005] Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus [2007] The Meaning of 8 [2008] Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) [2009] No One Said It Would Be Easy - A Film About Cloud Cult (DVD) Read More Cloud Cult http://weheartmus... Minneapolis experimental rockers Cloud Cult are primarily the creation of singer/songwriter ...

     In a brief live track from 2005’s “Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus,” Cloud Cult lead singer/patriarch Craig Minowa instructs an audience “I want you to show the people of the world that you are alive.” Following several seconds of mike-busting screaming by the crowd, Minowa giggles and informs the crowd that they are officially been inducted into the Cloud Cult. Consider this the indoctrination video. In Cloud Cult’s DVD Documentary, “No One Said it Would be Easy” the band shows us their life as well, with a depth and breadth long-desired by fans of both their music and artwork.

Cloud Cult - No One Said It Would Be Easy

     Not that any could doubt their vitality. Minnesota’s Cloud Cult has exponentially upped their exposure in the year and a half since the release of “Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)”, including a performance at Coachella, on Last Call with Carson Daly and even an appearance as oil-field-fighting, eco-activist cartoon characters in an Esurance ad.

     Ever inspirational and yet emotionally devastating, Cloud Cult give their lyrical genius visual muscle in vivid computer art melded with interviews and concert footage in documenting the progression of the band from Craig Minowa’s one-man project to the introduction of painters into their live performances and the sudden death of Craig and Connie Minowa’s two-year old son. While the film is an extremely thorough review of the history of the band, with a wealth of footage from tours and performances, it focuses heavily on present-day interviews that display how the group’s experiences have shaped their motivations, inspirations and philosophy. Which is far more engaging; covering everything from environmentalism to spirituality to the hippopotami that appear in dreams.

     And, ooh, the artwork. Created by John Burgess and painter Scott West (the latter paints in the band’s live performances alongside Connie Minowa), the film is as visually stunning as befits the wealth of brain-melting poetry that is the norm for any Cloud Cult song. The vibrant pastels that have long adorned their albums and beautifully coated their on-stage canvasses float and dance and come to life…can I call it genius again?

     Cloud Cult are taking a long-postponed break from live shows after the next few weeks, as the Minowas are expecting a child in October, and don’t plan to tour, locally or nationally, until spring. Catch them now if you can, or catch them later, maybe check out the DVD in between. It’s a long, cold Minnesota winter.

Film Trailer for Cloud Cult Film: No One Said It Would Be Easy

 08/22/2009 17:01:00  ♥ andrew () ♥ cloudcult.com ♥ myspace.com/cloudcult 

Dark Dark Dark

Dark Dark Dark - Ashes Dark Dark Dark Tour Dates 11/07/08 TBA, Eindhoven eindhoven 11/08/08 TBA, Eindhoven eindhoven 11/09/08 TBA, Eindhoven eindhoven 11/10/08 Floere Foefke Gent 11/11/08 Radio Primitive Reims 11/12/08 Le Ludoval Reims 11/13/08 La Miroiterie Paris 11/14/08 Le Sonic Lyon 11/15/08 TBA, St. Etienne St Etienne 11/16/08 Ker Boui Boui MORDELLES 11/17/08 Jet FM (91.2FM or streaming) Radio nantes 11/17/08 Le Violon Dingue Nantes 11/18/08 El Inca Bordeaux 11/19/08 Loubieres house show in the countryside, Foix 11/21/08 La Médiathèque Associative Toulouse 12/10/08 Frequency Madison, WI 12/11/08 Heaven Gallery Chicago, IL 12/12/08 Elbow Room Ypsilanti, MI 12/13/08 Monster House Columbus, OH 12/14/08 Morning Glory Coffeehouse Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 12/15/08 TBA Philadelphia, PA 12/16/08  Cake Shop Manhattan, NY 12/17/08 Whitehaus Boston, MA 12/18/08 AS220 Providence, RI 12/19/08 Union Pool Brooklyn, NY 12/21/08 Skull Alley Louisville, KY 12/22/08 Cinemat Bloomington, IN 12/27/08 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN

Just in time for Halloween comes Dark Dark Dark, the band so gloomy they named it thrice. Largely accordion and banjo driven - with cello, standup bass and sporadic percussion and piano, the effect is an anachronistic glimpse at a troupe of gypsy minstrels, perhaps seeking a riverside campfire and a chance to play for their dinner. Oh, and there are ghosts there. Lots of 'em.

Ghosts, graveyards, bones, dreams, winter, drowning: this is the vocabulary of Dark Dark Dark. Water imagery abounds throughout. And why not? There has always been something rustically aquatic and 19^th century about a slow accordion song. Add a gently plucked banjo and a haunting vocal and it's impossible not to imagine a foggy, moon-lit Mississippi riverboat bedecked with ethereal waltzing couples festooned in patchwork finery under flickering oil-lamps in what amounts to a macabre Mark Twain fever-dream.

Come on, it can't be just me.

Yesterday saw the release of Dark Dark Dark's first full-length "The Snow Magic," which I think starts out with promise but in the end falls just short of delivering that promise. Opener "Ashes" is a beautifully morbid ditty which actually may qualify as an "anthem" but the passion fades a bit late into the album. That having been said; the damn thing is seriously growing on me. Their raw, slightly-under-rehearsed sound can be a bit off-putting initially. So why can't I stop listening? I love the tone of the thing. It's lyrically bleak, ominous; never in-your face. It's more Mary Shelley than Steven King, more Tim Burton than M. Night Shyamalan. There's no gruesome blood-bath here, more an overcast sense of foreboding. A requiem, not a murder. And considering the bleak nature of the lyrics, it's actually a fun album. There's some love imagery there. There's a nice interplay of male and female vocals that's rather endearing. Endearing...and sinister. I mean, obviously.

Having roots in Minneapolis, New York and I can only assume half the river-port towns in between, band members Nona Marie Invie, Marshall Lacount, Jonathan Kaiser and Todd Chandler seem to divide their affections equally to both aforementioned cities (In "Colors" they address the issue; "Which town do you like the best / it's too bad there's no ocean in Minneapolis"). Though the album's liner notes read like a who's-who in Minneapolis rock, having been produced by Rob Skoro, mastered by Dave Gardner and featuring guest-drummer Martin Dosh. If you don't recognize those names then don't worry about it. I guess I wasn't talking to you.

Links: myspace.com/darkdarkdarkband sad-music.net bloodonion.com

 10/29/2008 09:40:50  ♥ written by andrew ()

Mason Proper

Safe For The Time Being Mason Proper Tour Dates 09/24/08 Live on 107one Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan 09/25/08 CD Release Party w/The Silent Years, The Novel Citizen @ The Blind Pig (ALL AGES) Ann Arbor, Michigan 10/21/08 Dovecote Records CMJ Showcase @ Rehab New York, New York 10/31/08 Rubbles Bar w/ Those Transatlantics (18+) Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 11/01/08 Small Planet East Lansing, Michigan 11/07/08 New Horizon Winona Lake, Indiana 11/08/08 WIDR Presents Mason Proper @ Papa Pete’s w/The Mighty Narwhale Kalamazoo, Michigan 11/10/08 Black Cat w/Cloud Cult Washington DC, Washington DC 11/11/08 Bowery Ballroom w/Cloud Cult New York, New York 11/12/08 Heirloom Arts Theater w/Cloud Cult Danbury, Connecticut 11/13/08 Middle East - Downstairs w/Cloud Cult Cambridge, Massachusetts 11/15/08 Bug Jar Rochester, New York 11/22/08 The Intersection w/the Mighty Narwhale Grand Rapids, Michigan 12/13/08 The Beat Kitchen w/Everthus the Deadbeats (17+) Chicago, Illinois Discography [2007] There Is A Moth In Your Chest [2008] Olly Oxen Free [2008] Shorthand EP (iTunes Exclusive)

Michigan's Mason Proper make this whole Rock n' Roll thing seem effortless. Reminiscent of the Pixies or perhaps early Spoon, and occasionally uncannily channeling Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, their ambient but crisp mid-tempo rock provides a gloomy (though never overtly depressing) soundtrack befitting the first full day of fall in the Midwest.

Released today, Mason Proper's LP "Olly Oxen Free" is significantly less of a hard-rocker than their 2006 debut "There is a Moth in Your Chest," but it seems to decently capture a more measured, laid-back tone - stretching out the wavelength while managing to retain the same amplitude and intensity of their previous offering.

At the start, Jonathan Visger's ominous vocalizations have me looking over my shoulder, expecting stalkers in the form of electric-guitar-wielding apparitions. From spooky opener "Fog" and slow-ish head-bobbers "Point A to Point B" and "Lock and Key" to the progressively emerging pulse of closer "Safe For The Time Being," the whole tone captures a tune-in-and-zone-out feel, without ever approaching the fuzziness that often defines "shoe gaze."

It's not an album to consume in small bites - it works best as a whole. Start at Track One and let the guitar-driven melancholy draw you in and immerse you in its murky depths. Ten songs in thirty-seven minutes may be a bit brisk, but that's what "repeat" buttons are for.

Links: masonproper.com myspace.com/masonproper

 09/23/2008 20:53:50  ♥ written by andrew ()

Ruby Isle

Ruby Isle - Night Shot (feat. Tay Zonday) Ruby Isle Tour Dates 10-01 Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge 10-02 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 10-03 Fort Collins, CO - Road 34 10-04 Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge 10-06 San Diego, CA - The Casbah 10-07 Hollywood, CA - On the Rox at Roxy 10-08 San Francisco, CA - Annie's Social 10-10 Omaha, NE - Slowdown 10-12 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium Live Photo Ruby Isle - Kitty Cat Club (Aug 29 2008)

Known for years in Minneapolis as a solo artist with headline-grabbing stage antics (he once played a 52-hour marathon show, purportedly consisting of a single song written on some 600 pages of lyrics), vocalist/keyboardist Mark Mallman brings that same inhuman energy to his new project, Ruby Isle. He joins Wisconsin childhood friend Dan Geller (of I Am The World Trade Center) and drummer Aaron Lemay (International Espionage) to form one of the best party bands to hit my radar in a long time. There can be no argument: Ruby Isle is Fun. A hell of a lot of Fun. Ohh yeah; with a capital "F". The electro-dance-pop trio today officially release their debut full-length "Night Shot" on Kindercore Records.

This album comes together so nicely - and with such intensity - it's impossible to single out any one track as being head-and shoulders above the others. From the obviously drug-referential "So Damn High" and "One Trip" to the Na-Na-Na-laden super-anthem "Atom Bombs '09;" you WILL dance your ass off. Don't resist. Even the seriously-titled "How It Hurts" has me unconsciously twitching in my chair as I write this. There's also a mean up-tempo cover of Peter Gabriel's Solisbury Hill (featuring Amy Dykes of I Am The World Trade Center) which is nothing short of genius - balancing both originality and a measure of reverence for the original; which is really the hallmark of any decent cover track.

"Night Shot," the album's over-distorted-yet-strangely-poppy title track, features backing vocals by Tay Zonday. Yeah, that guy. But don't rush to judgment. His presence on this track is little more than an album footnote and should accordingly be treated as such. I only mention it because it serves as an example of the level of fun-for-fun's-sake on offer here. I was skeptical at first - immediately homing in on the song, prepared to express my disappointment/horror/outrage - but was quickly won over. And then some.

Ruby Isle evokes a future in which, not only do super-intelligent aliens rule the Earth, but they force the human race to pop caffeine pills and dance eight hours a day under blinding multi-chromatic neon lights. High-pitched vocal filtering is a consistent theme, giving much of the album that robot-glee-club feel the kids all go for. Some might call their style tongue-in-cheek, even cheesy. But it's extremely entertaining, without crossing the line into "novelty act." You won't find weepy love ballads or angry rants about social inequality with Ruby Isle. But you may just find yourself drenched in sweat on a dance floor somewhere with a red-lit Mark Mallman precariously perched atop a chair above you with neither a stray thought about the inevitable forces of gravity or the physiological dangers of dehydration. You have been warned.

Links: myspace.com/rubyisle kindercore.com

 09/16/2008 07:02:30  ♥ written by andrew ()

Jeff Hanson

Jeff Hanson - The Hills Jeff Hanson Tour Dates 08/23/08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock 09/15/08 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey 09/16/08 Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge 09/17/08 Davis, CA @ The Old Firehouse 09/18/08 SF, CA @ Bottom of the Hill 09/24/08 Denver, CO @ Hi Dive 09/26/08 Boise, ID @ Neurolux Discography [Jan 2003] Son [Feb 2005] Jeff Hanson [Aug 2008] Madam Owl

Milwaukee-born, St. Paul-based Jeff Hanson is full of surprises. Having been briefly acquainted with him socially through a mutual friend some seven years ago I was amazed by the news: Jeff had signed with Kill Rock Stars. THE Kill Rock Stars? Yes; he mailed them a demo and they went nuts for it. Who knew THAT actually worked? My second surprise came some time later, in 2003 when my roommate walked in the door proudly holding a copy of Jeff's newly released debut. He immediately commandeered the living-room stereo and plugged the disc in. Having no idea what to expect, I was pleased with Jeff's folksy, stripped down, singer-with-guitar style. I liked it immediately. So, who's the woman singing? I asked. That's Jeff. No, no, the SINGER, I enunciated. No, no, that's Jeff. None of us spoke again for a good ten minutes; weighed down by the enormity of that concept and stunned into silence as song after song washed over us. Because, you see; Jeff sings in a whispery falsetto that would make angels weep. There. I said it. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, upon first contact with his über-soothing soprano, mistakes it for a woman's voice.

It's at this point that I'd like to take a step back and point out that I asked for this assignment, in fact I begged for it. But in many ways what I was seeking was an impossible mission. I can't describe Jeff Hanson's voice. And I've given up on trying. It simply must be experienced. Listen to the embedded track. Listen to it twice if you need to. Listen to it twice, go make yourself a cup of coffee, smoke a cigarette, or whatever your vice of choice, then come back and read the rest of this. Because if you still haven't wrapped your head around the fact that YOU ARE LISTENING TO A MAN SINGING, you really won't be paying any attention to anything else I have to say. If you think I'm overreacting: you probably haven't clicked on the embed yet.

It is my theory that Jeff Hanson has suffered somewhat as a result of his unique voice. Many see it as an oddity, an aberration. It attracts gawkers and curiosity-seekers their to pay their nickel to see The Amazing Man Who Sings Like A Woman, and having only given him a glimpse, they soon move on, presumably in search of Dogboy or The Bearded Lady.

Those people will soon realize their mistake.

Jeff Hanson has finally recorded an album - his third, "Madam Owl," released today - befitting his amazing vocals. This should in no way be construed as a knock on his previous two albums, but I firmly believe that this is the album that will finally launch him from "That Guy Who Sings Like A Girl" to "Jeff Hanson." Certainly, there still need to be a lot of introductions that will likely begin with "Check it out: this dude sounds like a chick," and from personal experience I can tell you it's quite a conversation starter. But honestly, it's past time for this guy to get some respect. It can't be easy for a falsetto-wielding folkster signed to a label known more for its Riot Grrrls than its soulful balladeers. But he's long ago made peace with that and this album is an engraved invitation for the rest of us to follow suit. The solo, man-with-guitar style that has become his signature is well-represented in Madam Owl, but unlike previous offerings, an ensemble backing band makes this album at times downright orchestral. Violin, cello, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, accordion, and… is that "saw" I see in the liner notes? As capable as The Voice is, increasingly varied instrumentation frames it in such a way that he no longer has to concern himself with the need to vocally carry the album, supported only by his single guitar. He has long done that bit well - extremely well - but much of this album shows a change of tactics that works beautifully.

I'm going to repeat myself: It simply must be experienced. Listen to the embed a third time. Download "If Only I Knew" free from the Kill Rock Stars site. Buy the album. Play it for a friend. If you're looking for a conversation starter, try: "Check it out: this dude sounds like a chick."

Links: www.jeffhanson.net myspace.com/jeffhanson killrockstars.com myspace.com/killrockstars5rc

 08/19/2008 00:31:02  ♥ written by andrew ()