W♥M (Archive)

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 

Ada Jane at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (8/21/09)

Ada Jane - Down the Highway Ada Jane Tour Dates 11/06/09 Arlene’s Grocery - NY 11/17/09 University of Duluth/MN Duluth Discography [2006] Never Been Better [2009] Again... Again See Also Ada Jane http://weheartmus... One of the benefits of living in a small city is incest. Not literally, but definitely artistica...

vxting ♥ art by vu

Let me tell you: street parking is insane on a Friday night on Cedar. I thought I was late at 9 o'clock, even though the first band, the Thundercats-loving Magic Black Pumas (myspace.com), didn't go on until closer to 10. Off topic: there are no pumas in the original Thundercats crew.

The Escape Artists (myspace.com), previously known as MonthNumberColor, where singer Collin, through the power of his Three Wolves T-Shirt, tells us that he is "a mysterious loner who knows how to 'howl at the moon' from time to time."

Ada Jane Setlist ♥ 400 Bar, Minneapolis (8/21/09)

Ada Jane (adajane.com / myspace.com) seems comfortable on stage at the 400 Bar. I get the impression that they've frequently play or have attend shows here. Their fans seems to be an army of young dancing women, which is obviously a bonus.

Since this is a CD release party, they basically play the entire the new album, Again... Again, live - with the exception of "Near Mrs". Bonus "classic" songs from their Never Been Better album was also played: "On Your Level", "The Wayside" and "Show 'Em Your Teeth".

The highlight of the show was Dan on horns for "Down The Highway", and drummer Charlie Wilson singing on, I believe for the song "The Right Wrong".

Again... Again was recently released on CD and downloads, please refer to Lara's review. I couldn't quite figure out how their flashy website adajane.com (there's no information on how to buy the new album under the "merch" section), but thankfully there's always amazon. I see on their tour information that they are playing Arlene's Grocery in New York, which I discovered is actually not a grocery store.

 08/22/2009 11:42:18 ♥ vu () ♥ adajane.com ♥ myspace.com/adajanemusic 

Florence and the Machine

Florence and the Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) Florence and the Machine Tour Dates 08/22/09 Pukkelpop Kiewit 08/23/09 Lowlands Festival Netherlands 08/28/09 Reading Festival Reading 08/30/09 Leeds Festival Leeds 09/06/09 Electric Picnic, Co. Laois 09/11/09 Bestival - Wight 09/13/09 Freedom Festival (Free Admission) Hull 09/17/09 O2 Academy Bristol 09/18/09 O2 Academy Bournemouth 09/20/09 O2 Academy Birmingham 09/21/09 O2 Academy Leeds 09/22/09 ABC Glasgow 09/24/09 O2 Academy Newcastle 09/25/09 Academy Manchester 09/27/09 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London 09/28/09 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London 09/29/09 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London 10/05/09 Logo Hamburg 10/06/09 Luxor Cologne 10/07/09 Botanique Orangerie Brussels 10/08/09 Melkweg Amsterdam 10/10/09 Parkteatret Oslo 10/11/09 Vega Copenhagen 10/12/09 Frannz Club Berlin 10/14/09 Flex Vienna 10/15/09 59 To 1 Munich 10/16/09 Magazzini Generale Milan 10/17/09 Mascotte Zurich 11/06/09 Inrockuptibles Festival, Aeronef Lille 11/07/09 Inrockuptibles, La Cigale Paris 11/08/09 Inrockuptibles, Olympic Nantes 11/10/09 Inrockuptibles, Le Bikini Toulouse Discography [2008] Kiss with a Fist (Single) [2008] Dog Days Are Over (Single) [2009] Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Single) [2009] Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Single) [2009] Lung Read More Adele http://weheartmus... They are calling Adele Adkins (or better known as Adele) the new "Amy" (Winehouse). It is no sur...

In last week's W♥M Podcast, Sally and I talked about how The Mercury Prize played a role in Pulp's Different Class album. Looking over the nomination for 2009's Mercury Prize, we've covered about four of the twelve nominees. Based on hype, I would bet La Roux will win, but based on the Mercury trend (they seem to like the youth rock thing, like Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, and Elbow), I would suspect Sweet Billy Pilgrim, or even Kasabian, will win this year. Well, watch this September 8^th to see who takes home the prize.

For those outside the UK (that's me), you might not know many of the nominees, including this album, Lungs by Florence and the Machine. The album, as far as I know, is not available in the US until October 20^th, at least physical CD is concerned - as it's available as a download. If they win the Mercury Prize, a slim chance, seeing as the award rarely gives to female artists (only Ms. Dynamite and PJ Harvy have won in the 16 years), you will bet there will be a bigger promotional push everywhere.

Florence and the Machines is basically Florence Welch, who originally called herself "Florence Robot is a Machine" before dropping to simply Florence and the Machine (incidentally, why not just shorten it to just "Flo the Machine"?) Anyroad, they had a huge boost in popularity when they appeared on the BBC Introducing early on in their career.

Lungs came out in July 6^th in the UK, on Island Records, a misfortunate release date, as it was the following week after the death of Michael Jackson. So they suffered the number two spot on the UK charts because, understandably, The Essential Michael Jackson dominated the charts for months to follow.

So what I instantly like about them is that Welch's songs are often revenge or depressive-driven, you know, stuff you can relate to. At the heart of it, songs like "Girl With One Eye", "My Boy Builds Coffins", "Hurricane Drunk", however muderous, really is about love. Not exactly typical love songs, and I can see why the BBC calls them "a choir girl gone horribly, desperately wrong".

She can be funny too, I think a lot of these songs have a little irony in them. Check out their first single, "Kiss With A Fist", a song about a lover's quarrel. See how Welch blends violence and love: "You hit me once, I hit you back. You gave a kick, I gave a slap. You smash a plate over my head, then I set fire to our bed.". What it comes down to is, "a kiss with a fist is better than none".

Welch's vocals reminds me a little bit of Adele, sometime bluesy, but where they differ is when the band sound like indiepop. Songs like "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" and "Drumming Song" are great example of when the band is most excellent. Both songs have this constant vocal and musical buildup, making it sound epic... but when you pull back and look, it's really great radio pop songs.

Look for Lungs in mid-October from Universal Republic in the US. If you can't wait, there's always the download option as I mentioned above.

 08/21/2009 07:45:00 ♥ vu () ♥ florenceandthemachine.net ♥ myspace.com ♥ twitter.com

Jaz Dhami - Theke Wali

Another random pick from the "no one's ever heard of" bag... here's something I just caught on some obscure digital channel over here - 301 (aka. BBC's "red button") UK freeview viewers, it's looping regularly if you want more. Anyways, it's a track by Jaz Dhami performed at Nottingham's Mela festival, and thanks to the BBC's terrible video content security, you can watch below too (original found here) :o)

Jaz Dhami - Theke Wali (Nottingham Mela)

- क्रिस्टोफर

Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Soundtrack

Bear McCreary - The Signal Bear McCreary BSG Discography [2005] Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 [Soundtrack] [2006] Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 [Soundtrack] [2007] Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 [Soundtrack] [2009] Battlestar Galactica: Season 4 [Soundtrack] [2009] Battlestar Galactica: Caprica [Soundtrack] Read More Battlestar Galactica http://weheartmus... Am I the only person that was disappointed with the very last episode of the new Battlestar Galac...

With the recent announcement that Bryan Singer has signed on to direct the movie adaption of Battlestar Galactica, fans and science fiction nerds have taken an interest in BSG once again. 

Let me remind you that in 2004 when the show first aired on then-named Sci-Fi Channel, people were poo-pooing the series. "Starbuck is now a girl?" they cried in anger. But they were soon won over by the great writing team, special effects, and production. This clearly wasn't the campy late-70s show, this was a whole new thing - yet the characters and story remained strangely true to their origin.

I think part of the fun and excitement each week was trying to figure out all the mysteries*. For instant, who were the human Cylons ? Characters you knew and love, suddenly were Cylons. Why were the robots programmed to believe in God ? Were the war between humans and Cylons simply a metaphor for "real life" with Americans and Talibans ? And what's this got to do with time travel and the underlying message and theme of "it's happened before and it'll happen again"? Like all great stories, they evoke a lot of questions. Sadly, the series ended.

The last season (Season 4) was full of twists and turns and you are never quite sure how conflicts would resolve. Characters you knew and love died (and remain dead!) and although I was sort of disappointed in the very last episode, the show was certainly the best Sci-Fi television could offer at the time.

So, while you wait for the movie version of Battlestar Galactica, you should check out the DVD (version 4.0 and 4.5 is already out), and if you're rich enough, the $200+ bluray complete set. The only way to watch action and sci-fi is on high definition, my friend.

If you're already a convert, might I also suggest the BSG soundtracks? Season 1-4 as well as the spinoff Caprica were are all composed by Bear McCreary and features music from the television show. Having to review nearly 40 soundtracks, I can tell you that most soundtracks are meant to either be repetitive or just "background" music. Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Soundtrack is quite bold, as far as soundtracks goes. Compared to Season 3, I feel like this season's soundtrack has a lot more Gaelic/Irish music to it. You can certainly hear its influence on "Gaeta's Lament", "The Cult of Baltar", "Farewell Apollo" (bagpipes!), "Assault on the Colony", etc.

Bear McCreary - Main Title

When it's not Celtic, the music is often orchestral, sweeping violins, tribal drumming and lifting choirs. You can find all that, plus or minus, and so much more on my song choice, "The Signal". The song is reminiscent of the "Main Title" song all the way back from the start of Season 1.

What I would've love to see are more guest vocalists. Alessandro Juliani, who plays Felix Gaeta in the show, offers a sad rendition of writer Michael Angeli's lyrics from the episode "Guess What's Coming to Dinner". I knew Juliani could sing, as during the progress of the show, he ends up losing a leg and would often sing, what they refer to as "the stump serenade", to ease his mind.

Bear McCreary - All Along the Watchtower

What makes this release of Season 4 Soundtrack so special is that it is the 100^th release from La La Land Records. As a bonus, you're also given a second CD filled with most of the soundtrack for the finale episode "Daybreak" (parts 1 & 2). That's not all, the 20 page booklet offers comments from the entire cast, talking about the music. Reading the quotes, you can see that the actors and directors and writers see the music as a very important - no essential to the show. After all, the plot for season 3 and 4 revolves around "All Along the Watchtower" song.

Battlestar Galactica Season 4 is available now from La La Land Records, whose specialty is television and movie soundtracks. The album is currently at a special offer of $15.98 if you order Season 4 and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold Limited Edition CD.

* I don't know if this is a spoiler, but I think enough time have passed that I can talk about it (hey that kid sees dead people in The Sixth Sense). This isn't a major spoiler, but when I discovered that the crew of Battlestar Galactica actually was lost and they basically were trying to find their way home to Earth - that just blew me away. I never really thought about what they were doing in space anyway.

 08/19/2009 21:53:46 ♥ vu () ♥battlestargalactica.com ♥ bearmccreary.com ♥myspace.com/bearmccreary

News: Manic Street Preachers' "Journal for Plague", Perez Hilton on tour, Radiohead still exists

Here are some news from news.weheartmusic.com for this week.

Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness

Manic Street Preachers

Fan-favorite Manic Street Preachers will be back with Journal for Plague Lovers, which all of the UK critics (Mojo, Q Magazine, Uncut, Sunday Times, The Guardian) have unanimously agreed that this is their best album yet.

Title of the new album is named after Richey Edwards' journal, whose lyrics and notes have written the entire Journal for Plague Lovers album! Yes, Edwards disappeared in 1995 (people have pronounced him dead as a possible suicide). I believe he drowned himself in River Severn, however conspiracists thinks he's still alive - like Elvis is alive.... Anyway, I remember even before his death, he guy was crazy! He often cut and scar his arms and not too shy about it either.

Well, if you pre-order the album, you'll get it by 9/15/09 - however, the digital version of the album, you will get right away if you want to hear the album now. The $10 digital order also comes with a bonus digital remixed album, available 9/15.

Of course, they're be on tour to promote the album in the US. I believe the album's already out in the UK.

September Mon -21 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
Tue- 22 Vancouver, Canada @ The Commodore Ballroom
Thu-24 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Fri- 25 Los Angeles, CA @ The Avalon
Mon-Sep-28 Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theatre
Wed-Sep-30 Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theatre

October Thu-01 Chicago, IL @ The Metro
Fri- 02 Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
Sun- 04 Toronto, Canada @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Tue- 06 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Wed- 07 New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
Thu- 08 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

Since I don't have the new album for review (yet), enjoy this previous Edwards song, "Motorcycle Emptiness" from their debut album Generation Terrorists.

Ladyhawke - Dusk Till Dawn (Pascal Gabriel Radio Mix)

Ladyhawke

"The most revered and feared celebrity blogger" Perez Hilton apparently loves music. Other people I've spoke with at SXSW (where Perez Hilton hosted his own shows), have remarked to me that he tends to like "pop shit" - such as help made Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Mika, into stars.

Well Perez Hilton have gathered a few artists on an upcoming tour, all the details are on perezhiltonpresents.com. For critics who calls it 'pop shit', the lineup will prove them wrong, especially because we love the co-headliners Ladyhawke and Ida Maria.

Here are the dates of the upcoming Perez Hilton tour:

September 10th Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
September 12th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 13th Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts
September 14th Boston, MA House of Blues
September 16th New York, NY The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza
September 17th Toronto, ONT Opera House Concert Venue
September 19th Chicago, IL Metro
September 21st Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Café
September 22nd Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
September 23rd Kansas City, MO The Beaumont Club
September 25th Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
September 26th Salt Lake City, UT Club Sound
September 28th Seattle, WA The Showbox @ The Market
September 29th Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
September 30th San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
October 2nd San Diego, CA House of Blues
October 3rd Hollywood, CA Avalon

I'm am assuming Hilton will be there to MC the event/introduce the band - so if you're a celebrity blogger trainspotter, you should check out a show.

Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words

Radiohead

Finally, I spotted our W♥M twitter with: "New Radiohead Song: 'These Are My Twisted Words' - FREE DOWNLOAD - http://tr.im/wysC" from 11:45 AM Aug 17th. Sure enough, it's a new Radiohead song, for free.

Jonny wrote this, via radiohead.com:

So here's a new song, called 'These Are My Twisted Words'.

We've been recording for a while, and this was one of the first we finished. We're pretty proud of it.

There's other stuff in various states of completion, but this is one we've been practicing, and which we'll probably play at this summer's concerts. Hope you like it.

Download the audio here or torrent here.

 08/19/2009 11:04:46 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

KaiserCartel – Rock Island EP

KaiserCartel - Carroll Street Station KaiserCartel Tour Dates 08/22/09 Private Party Plymouth Meeting, PA 08/28/09 Kirksville Arts Kirksville, MO 08/29/09 Vollrath Indianapolis, IN 08/31/09 Millennium Park Festival Chicago, IL 09/02/09 SPACE * Evanston, IL 09/03/09 Vaudeville Mews* Des Moines 09/04/09 Hi-Dive* Denver, CO 09/05/09 Road 34* Fort Collins, CO 09/06/09 Kilby Court* Salt Lake City, UT 09/08/09 Tractor Tavern* Seattle, WA 09/11/09 Hotel Cafe* Los Angeles, CA 09/12/09 Beauty Bar San Diego, CA 10/20/09 Living Room/CMJ Showcase NY 12/04/09 Old Town Creamery Maple Lake, MN * with Anni Rossi Discography [2005] Double Standard EP [2005] Live From Break...EP [2008] March Forth [2008] Okay... & Other Things... [2009] Rock Island EP Read More KaiserCartel http://weheartmus... Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel, together are KaiserCartel, a pop girl/boy band from Brookly...

KaiserCartel – Rock IslandEP

When I saw KaiserCartel at the Cedar Cultural Center (Minneapolis, MN) back in May, I had this thought:  “ADORABLE.”  And yet, I did not upchuck, nor did I silently weep in my lonely chamber of loneliness.  Sure, Ben and Courtney are attractive, fashionable and talented, but it’s really hard to hate on the duo since both are probably nice too (also significant:  Kate pointed out that Cartel looks like a young, dark-haired Gerard Depardieu.  Le rawr).  More importantly, their music reveals a shade of melancholy that dissuades sensible abandonment (twee) and total hipster bastardization (boney, unwashed bodies).  Le whew.

If you read my review of their Minneapolis show, you may remember that I called the band “tame for children and the elderly” and “old-timey.”  I stick by these descriptions.  Kaiser never adopts the affected air that so many female musicians forcefully voice; instead, she allows her pretty pipes to remain, well, pretty.  This attention to classic detail makes Rock Island enjoyable, even if it breaks no new ground.  Recorded live during a Daytrotter session, the five-track EP contains three new songs plus a polished version of “Shira” (the cozy show-closer/audience pleaser) and a cover of “Something about What Happens When We Talk.”  One noticeable trend is a slight move away from the folk pop sound of March Forth, and a minor shuffle towards the confusing terrain that is “alt-country.”  Perhaps the Lucinda Williams cover makes ears biased.  Truthfully, I’m not opposed to a little twang, and Kaiser’s milky vocals still channel the loveliness of folk, with diminutive alterations (like a cup of tea with a single drop of malt whiskey).

Rock Island will be available digitally Sept. 1 (with a limited number of hard copies offered at shows and via their website).  September also marks the start of a West Coast tour; the band will continue touring through October, reaching the Midwest and Southeast.  Visit http://www.kaisercartel.com/ for more info and tour dates.  Additionally worth noting, “Favorite Song” will be featured in the premiere episode of “Bored to Death,” a new HBO series that looks mocking, nerdy, and mildly insulting (life’s necessary ingredients).  Check it out.

 

 

 08/18/2009 11:35:30 ♥ lara (/lara206.vox.com) ♥ kaisercartel.com ♥ myspace.com ♥ twitter.com 

Ramona Falls

Ramona Falls - I Say Fever Ramona Falls Tour Dates 08/19/09 Crepe Place SCruz, CA 08/21/09 El Rey Los Angeles, CA 08/22/09 Bar Pink San Diego, CA 08/23/09 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, CA 08/25/09 Cafe DuNord SF, CA 08/26/09 WhereHouse Ashland, OR 08/28/09 The Crocodile Seattle, WA 08/29/09 Doug Fir Portland, OR 09/09/09 7th St Minneapolis, MN 09/10/09 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI 09/11/09 The Chopin Chicago, IL 09/12/09 Beachland  Cleveland, OH 09/15/09 Great Scott Boston, MA 09/17/09 Piano’s New York City, NY 09/18/09 Bruar Falls Brooklyn, NY 09/19/09 Kung Fu Necktie Phila, PA 09/26/09 Reeperbahnfestival Hamburg 09/27/09 Gleis 22* Münster 09/28/09 ZAKK Club* Reader Düsseldorf 09/29/09 Cafe Zapata Berlin 09/30/09 Scheune* Dresden 10/01/09 Lagerhaus* Reader Bremen 10/02/09 Café Glocksee* Hannover 10/03/09 Schaubühne* Reader Leipzig 10/04/09 Cafe Central* Weinheim 10/05/09 Kamikaze* Freiburg 10/06/09 KFZ* Marburg 10/08/09 Chelsea* Wien 10/09/09 Teatar &TD* Zagreb 10/11/09 Kiff* Aarau 10/13/09 To Be Determined Paris 10/14/09 Garage* London *with Dear Reader See Also Death Cab for Cutie http://weheartmus... Death Cab for Cutie I know, I know, Death Cab is a serious, important band. Forgive me. By the...

Named after a childhood hiking trail on Mt Hood, Ramona Falls' debut album, Intuit, comes out today on my favorite Barsuk Records. As expected, being on the same label, I thought the singer, Brent Knopf, and their music sounds like Ben Gibbard and Death Cabby - and there's nothing wrong with that FTW formula.

I mean, if you don't believe me, check out the free track, "I Say Fever" at Barsuk. It's a bit heady, but it ends with a wonderful piano-keys thumping.... it's really too bad that the song is so short, even at four minutes.

So, I found out that Knopf's no stranger to the music-thing, having spent the last nine years (and continuing) in an indie rock band called Menomena (whose name is pronounced like Piero Umilani's Mah Na Mah Na). They've managed to release three albums, and with their latest, Friend and Foe, also available on the same label. From my sampling of Menomena, they seem more or less like Ramona Falls, but with layers and layers of sounds and vocals.

While I think Knopf tries to do is make the music to be cohesive with the vocals. Take for example, "Always Right", a bitter song about someone he personally know who's "always right". The angry vocals with loud drums really makes for an antagonizing song. As an album, this song works quite well with the very pleasant, playful piano instrumental song that preceeds it.

I still think "I Say Fever" is the best song on the album, followed by "Russia", "The Darkest Day", and "Bellyfulla" - these three songs features backup singers. The review copy I have does not include backup singing credits, but apparently over 35 of Knopf's friends appears on the record.

Ramona Falls is currently heading out on tour to promote the album. If you want to check them out live, but not quite sure if it's your type of music, you can stream the whole album via barsuk.com/media (I am told it's only available for a week, so hurry). You can also pick up the album on various format at the above website. There's also always Amazon as an alternative.

 08/18/2009 02:47:42 ♥ vu () ♥ramonafalls.com ♥ myspace.com/ramonafalls ♥ twitter.com 

Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill

Daniel Rossen - Waterfall Daniel Rossen Discography [1971] Judee Sill [1973] Heart Food [2005] Dreams Come True [2006] Abracadabra: The Asylum Years [2007] Live in London: The BBC Recordings 1972-1973 [2009] Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill See Also Joni Mitchell http://weheartmus... Joni Mitchell is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small n...

Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill

If you’re asking yourself “Judee who?” don’t worry, nobody thinks less of you (except for Judee Sill.  But she’s dead and is probably not actively concerned with your ignorance).  I too said “Judee who?  What?  Why?”  Thankfully, Wikipedia exists.

 

Judee Sill - Jesus Was A Cross Maker

Judee Sill was a folk songstress during the early 70s.  Her sweet voice and gentle plucking placed her alongside fellow folkies Carole King and Joni Mitchell (see: “Laurel Canyon”); although Sill, who died in 1979, never reached the same popular mass as her peers.  As the first artist signed to David Geffen’s Asylum label, Sill released her debut album in 1971; nearly two years later she followed it up with Heart Food.  Neither album fared well commercially.  Career disappointment, a series of car accidents, and a history of drug abuse are the likely catalysts for her departure from the music scene and subsequent overdose in late 1979.  In 2005, Water Records released Dreams Come True, Sill’s “official” third album (most of the songs were recorded with the intention of release).  Also in 2005, Rhino reissued Judee Sill and Heart Food as limited editions with bonus material. 

This brings us to the present:  independent label American Dust invited a smattering of current musicians to cover selections from Sill’s discography.  All artists, presumably fans of Sill, approached the task with unique styles, ranging from traditional to interpretative to faintly bizarre (Nicolai Dunger’s stripped down version of “Soldier of the Heart” warbles flamboyantly as birds chirp in the background).  Mostly, the songs remain faithful.  Sill’s posthumous presence amongst contemporaries is obvious—very few of the covers stray too far from the calming folk base (i.e. no psychedelic, droned-out, heavily rhythmic adaptations).  Standouts include Frida Hyvönen’s (blue-eyed) soulful “Jesus Was a Cross Maker” (yes, Sill’s lyrics are filled with religious allusions), Daniel Rossen’s restraint on “Waterfall” (popular on the Internet; Google ‘Judee Sill cover’ and note the first few results), and Marissa Nadler (ft. Black Hole Infinity) tackling the lush “Kiss” with Air-like flair.  As a tribute album, Crayon Angel certainly highlights the best of Sill, but for those of us unfamiliar with the artist’s brief legacy, the impact may be lost amongst the mishmash of soft-pop melodies and indie-familiar names. 

Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill is available Sept. 22.  Pre-order the album here.  For more information, visit American Dust’s website at www.americandust.net.

Track Listing:

1.  Ron Sexsmith – “Crayon Angel”

2.  Beth Orton – “Reach for the Sky”
3.  Daniel Rossen – “Waterfall”
4.  Frida Hyvönen – “Jesus Was a Cross Maker”
5.  The Shalants – “Lopin Along Thru the Cosmos”
6.  Final Fantasy – “The Donor”
7.  Nicolai Dunger – “Soldier of the Heart”
8.  Trembling Blue Stars – “Lady-O”
9.  Colossal Yes – “The Phoenix”
10.  Marissa Nadler & Black Hole Infinity – “The Kiss”
11.  Princeton – “Down Where the Valleys Are Low”
12.  The Bye Bye Blackbirds – “There’s a Rugged Road”
13.  Meg Baird – “When the Bridegroom Comes”
14.  Bill Callahan – “For a Rainbow”
15.  P.G. Six – “Til Dreams Come True”

 08/17/2009 10:35:28 ♥ lara (/lara206.vox.com) ♥ americandust.net 

W♥M051: Jarvis Cocker, with Sally

�� W♥M051 [download (37 min, 18mb)] Read More W♥M038: Andrea Gerak and meet Sally! http://weheartmus... Subscribe to our show at gcast.com (RSS) or mypodcast (RSS) (Update 12/29/08, currently mypodcast service is not working, this will be the last time I'm mentioning the awful service). We're back from Christmas hiatus. Considering the majority of my Sundays are taken up because of managing schedu...

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Schnitzel lover, Sally, joins us once again to talk more Britpop! Is there a britpopcast in the future?

Pulp - Countdown Jarvis Cocker - Angela Jarvis Cocker - Big Julie

Talks centers around Jarvis Cocker and Pulp, Suede.

Pulp started in 1978, but did not garner fame until His N Hers in 1994, followed by the international hit album, Different Class the following year. "Common People" is perhaps Pulp's biggest, most well-known hit song. By the time This is Hardcore came out, towards the end of the Britpop era, people had become disinterested in the band (although I thought This is Hardcore is a great album).

By 2002, the band released We Love Life and ultimately broke up, however singer and songwriter, Jarvis Cocker continued on by himself. It made sense, really, he was the creative driving force since the very beginning. So far, Cocker released two solo albums, Jarvis (2006) and Further Complications (2009).

Stay tuned after the "Angela" song (which is a free download from jarviscocker.net) for some even more random thoughts: the state of music and the kids, "Sally's music shop", music magazines, and Oasis.

�08/16/2009 18:24:58�♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com