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So, I caught the news about how 90s dance diva/pop singer, Cathy Dennis, is still making a living in the music business - not as a performer, but as a music writer. She's responsible for huge hits for Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, S Club Juniors, and Janet Jackson, just to name a few. I'm happy to see her doing so well!
Anyway, this news caused me to flashback of my high school youth. I had seen her beautiful 60s haircut and neon green album cover and fell in love with her. I got her debut album, Move to This through my primary way of purchasing semi-cheap CDs: BMG Music Club (which I'm still currently a member).
I think at the time, she had "Just Another Dream" as a hit single, a dancey number with that catchy line "is it for real or is it just another dream (just a dream)", followed by "Touch Me (All Night Long)" which shows off her dancing skills on MTV.
Once I had the album, I was drawn to her sweet lullaby love song, "Too Many Walls". This song, complete with the violin parts, did really well on the Billboard charts.... and I believe it was the last time we heard from her in the States.
I don't know what happened really, she disappeared as quickly as she appeared on pop radio.
Looking at her discography, I can tell you that she did release two other albums, and a greatest hits, but as far as I know, they were only a blimp on the radar in the US. I'm sure she fared far better in her home country.
As luck would have it, Discopop reported a brand new Cathy Dennis album called Sexcassettes should be out in 2008:
Her manager, Spice Girls svengali Simon Fuller, adds that the album has “a real contemporary guitar feeling” - which is less encouraging.
I don't know about 'less encouraging', but it should be interesting to hear her new original songs.
Dennis, from the recent Yahoo article, adds more details:
Actually, yes. I've been working for the last year-and-a-half with a band I put together called Sexcassettes. We're shooting a video for the first single, "Killer Love," this month, and I hope to have it out by the end of the year. It's more of a band sound than produced pop. As usual, I have no idea what to expect.
1. Grey days
2. Meeting old friends
3. Meeting new people
4. Being in new places
5. Heading towards unknown destinations
6. Feeling that I am losing
7. Not being centred
8. Wondering why I am not centred
9. Guilt
10. Feeling I don't belong
11. Not knowing where I am heading in life
12. Realising it is all pointless
13. Wondering what might have been
14. Not feeling I have endless shots at anything
15. Being reminded of my mortality
16. Wanting to go to the toilet
17. Being dehydrated
18. Feeling sweaty and dirty
19. Knowing I am not with the ones that matter
20. Being with the ones that matter and feeling it is not working the way I want
21. Coming down from a high
22. Bad coffee
23. Feeling I have stepped on people's toes by being rude
24. Admitting that I am jaded and have stopped dreaming
25. Being sick
(Outdoors at the Cafe Umbria, Pioneer Square, Seattle - waiting for the bus to Vancouver.)
At Seattle's King's Street station, the lady who sold me the ticket to Vancouver had only ever been to Vancouver once. She is black and looked not older than 50.
Me: What did you think of Vancouver?
She: Well, sir, um, ... It was a bad day.
Me: A Vancouver bad day, or a you bad day?
She: I had my grandson with me, and he's on a wheelchair and it was just so difficult. Just didn't feel like here. But it was just one day, and I gotta go out there again.
Me: You have a grandchild?
She: Uh-huh.
Me: You don't look that old at all.
She: Thank you, sir.
Me: You don't look it at all.
She: I actually have twelve grandchildren.
Me: Twelve. Wow. My God!
She: I have a great grandchild too.
Me: Great grandchild!
She: Yep.
Me: How do you feel? Are you happy?
She: They're beautiful, it's just wonderful to have such lovely family. I just can't believe they all came from me!
Me: Hahahaha.
She: Enjoy your trip to Vancouver, sir.
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07/23/08 Ramkota Exhibit Hall Souix Falls, South Dakota
07/24/08 Grandmas Sports Garden Duluth, Minnesota 07/25/08 Riverside Ballroom Green Bay, Wisconsin 07/26/08 Streeters Traverse City, Michigan 07/29/08 Vans Warped Tour: Pittsburgh, PA 07/30/08 Vans Warped Tour: Riverbend Music Center OH 07/31/08 Vans Warped Tour: Verizon Wireless Music, IN 08/01/08 Vans Warped Tour: Marcus Amphitheater WI 08/02/08 Vans Warped Tour: First Midwest Bank IL 08/03/08 Vans Warped Tour: Canterbury Park ,MN 08/05/08 Vans Warped Tour: Credit Union Centre SK 08/06/08 Vans Warped Tour: Race City Speedway AB 08/08/08 Vans Warped Tour: Idaho Center Amp, ID 08/09/08 Vans Warped Tour: Gorge Amphitheatre WA 08/10/08 Vans Warped Tour: Columbia Meadows OR 08/13/08 Vans Warped Tour: Save Mart Center CA 08/14/08 Vans Warped Tour: Coors Amphitheater CA 08/15/08 Vans Warped Tour: Shoreline Ampitheatre CA 08/16/08 Vans Warped Tour: Sleep Train Ampitheatre CA 08/17/08 Vans Warped Tour: The Home Depot Center CA 09/04/08 MSU Auditorium East Lansing, Michigan 09/06/08 Crocodile Rock Cafe Allentown, Pennsylvania 09/07/08 House of Blues Atlantic City, New Jersey 09/08/08 Recher Theatre Towson, Maryland 09/10/08 The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina 09/11/08 The Music Farm Charleston, South Carolina 09/12/08 40 Watt Club Athens, Georgia 09/13/08 Real Big Deal Festival Gainesville, Florida 09/15/08 House of Blues New Orleans, Louisiana 09/17/08 Canopy Club Urbana, Illinois 09/18/08 The Blue Note Columbia, Missouri 09/19/08 Liberty Hall Lawrence, Kansas 09/22/08 Club Oasis Louisville, Kentucky 09/23/08 Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio 09/25/08 Magic City Music Hall Johnson City, New York 09/26/08 Northern Lights Clifton Park, New York 09/27/08 Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, RI 09/28/08 Toad’s Place New Haven, Connecticut 09/30/08 The National Richmond, Virginia 10/01/08 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, North Carolina 10/02/08 Rocketown Nashville, Tennessee |
I'm always excited about acoustic releases. I generally prefer them since they strip away the flashiness and give you the raw talent of the band. Motion City Soundtrack's Acoustic EP is no different. The EP features five tracks from their 2007 album "Even If It Kills Me". For those who don't know Motion City Soundtrack is an increasingly popular indie rock/alternative rock/pop group formed in Minneapolis. The band has released three albums under Epitaph Records.
As with most acoustic releases, the songs all sound much more earnest and heartfelt. The versions of "Fell In Love Without You" and "It Had To Be You" should go down in love-song history for their incredible emotion-evoking sound. Unlike some acoustic albums, Motion City Soundtrack delivers complete studio quality throughout the entire EP. There are not only acoustic guitars, but chimes, drums, piano, bass-- the whole nine yards.
This wasn't just a sit-down in the basement; it was crafted with much precision. The vocals may not have been as smooth as in "Even If It Kills Me" but they are strong and hit all their marks (which is no small feat with all of Motion City Soundtrack's high octaves). Even if you've already purchased "Even If It Kills Me" I highly recommend you pick this EP up. The quality and effort put into the Acoustic EP is easy to recognize, and it's a whole new take on all of the songs.
Links:
motioncitysoundtrack.com
myspace.com/motioncitysoundtrack
epitaph.com
Improvised Music From Around the World: Reeds and Strings
Toumani Diabate, "Ali Farka Toure" (The Mande Variations, Nonesuch)
D'Gary, "Very Ny Bado" (Akata Meso, Indigo)
Anon, "Chek i Massakai" (Cameroon: Flutes of the Mandara Mountains, Ocora)
Tuk-Mon, "Roeung Moyolvong" (Cambodia: Folk and Ceremonial Music, Auvidis/UNESCO)
Blind Lemon Jefferson, "Match Box Blues" (King of the Country Blues, Yazoo)
John Fahey, "Orinda-Moraga" (The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death, Takoma)
Jack Rose, "Kensington Blues" (Kensington Blues, VHF Records)
Mohammed Saleh and Haitham Hasan, "Ya gariya khabirini" (Music of Arabian Peninsula, Celestial Harmonies)
Mang Eppen, "Mamaos (Comic Song)" (Music Of Indonesia, Folkways)
Harry Partch, "The Dreamer that Remains" (Harry Partch Collection, Vol. 3, CRI)
Anon, "Gondang Mula Mula" (Music Of Indonesia, Folkways)
Farhat Hasan & Mahmood Ali Ibrahim, "Shepherds' Songs From Syria" (Music in the World of Islam, Vol. 3: Reeds & Bagpipes, Topic Records)
Anon, "Misra Jati Triputa Tala Mallari" (Periya Melam - Chidambaram Temple, Ocora)
Anon, "Ulad Bambara (The Sons of Bambara)" (Al-Maghrib Gnawa Music, Celestial Harmonies)
Lotfi Jormana Group, "Medley" (Folkloric Music of Tunisia, Celestial Harmonies)
Alice Coltrane, "Isis and Osiris [Live]" (Journey in Satchidananda, Impulse)
Director Nanette Burstein reflects on being part of the “John Hughes generation” and bares her heart with stories of love and loss in a chat with DJ Chris Douridas. The Academy Award-nominated documentary director (for “On the Ropes”) shares her thoughts on the movie that broke open the world of soundtracks, sings a few bars and reminisces about life as a young NYC artist, and highlights a song that never fails to motivate and move her.
“American Teen” made a big splash a Sundance this year and will be in theaters this Friday. Chris was the music supervisor and Jason Bentley contributed an awesome Frou Frou remix to the soundtrack.
KCRW’s Guest DJ Project
p.s.: iTunes has featured the Guest DJ Project on their podcast page under "New Releases."
RR
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OK, show of hands: how many of y'all reading this have dropped acid? Strangely enough, considering my interests in neurology and altered states of consciousness, I never have. Nope. Not once. A friend of mine once said that I acted as though I were on acid all the time, just by default. Therefore, I've always been afraid that eating a tab or two might, paradoxically, make me normal. Can't have that now, can we?
Well, thanks to London, Ontario's Golden Death Music, you do not need to resort to illegal pharmaceuticals to experience seriously altered states--I'm talking the kind that can potentially mutate you into a Homo erectus or a telekinetic, maggotlike far-future form, so be careful when listening. Also, if you're forced to take a piss test at your job, do not be surprised if traces of Golden Death Music's stunningly beautiful first album, Ephemera Blues, turn up in your urine. This is the kind of bizarre, edgy, yet still tranquil music that will permeate your entire being after a few listens, lighting up your chakra, opening your Third Nostril, and perhaps transforming your pineal gland.
Golden Death Music is singer/songwriter Michael Ramey, but the album sounds as though it's been composed by a whole studio full of musicians. Nope. It's all Michael Ramey, who has written and recorded every song himself--a sizable achievement, since Ephemera Blues has a very large sound. Mixing elements of Pink Floyd, Donovan, 13th Floor Elevators, Legendary Pink Dots, Radiohead, and Jethro Tull into a swirling, multicolored and multitextured album, Ramey has created a record that literally defines the word "psychedelic." Though most songs are primarily driven by acoustic guitar and vocals, drifting in and out and through these primary elements like noctilucent clouds are eerie synths, glitchy electronic touches, flutes, cellos, electric guitars, horns, and heavily-reverbed backing vocals. Though the sounds all blend together nicely to create a languid, sleepy texture, all instruments are still distinct and nicely arranged in space, which makes this album a wonderfully immersive headphones experience. Coloured waves of sound will fill your mind with disembodied bliss...and best of all, there's no nasty come-down or flashbacks to worry about!
Much like Pink Floyd, Golden Death Music acknowledges that melody is the keystone of any piece, and Ephemera Blues is built on a solid foundation of melody and songwriting. Ramey's lyrics are often rather dark, as on the album closer "Into the Ocean"--"Throw yourself into the water / Feel the changed and tainted ocean / Let the damaged waves caress you / Feel the change"--but not morbid. In fact, there is an airy lightness to this album that gives it the feeling of a peaceful near-death experience and greatly justifies the name Golden Death Music. "Waking Nightmare" may be constructed from a tense, unnerving electro-glitch base, but the melody itself and the vocals are quiet and pretty, as though Ramey is observing the waking nightmare of life from the stance of someone who's left it all behind. Even "Lost in Violence," my favorite track on the album, manages to depict our earthly hell with a relaxed peacefulness.
Speaking of Pink Floyd, Ramey is one hell of a good guitar-player, and his acoustic guitar work will no doubt remind you a lot of David Gilmour. There are no guitar solos in his songs, however: they are trim, economical tracks that usually measure about four to six minutes in length--just long enough to let you lose yourself in them without becoming overlong or tedious.
In many ways, Golden Death Music's Ephemera Blues is musical theosophy. Much like the literary work of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Golden Death Music gathers together elements from many, many sources and attempts to synthesize them into a mystical, transcendent, syncretic unity. However, unlike theosophy, Michael Ramey actually succeeds. Whereas Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled was a hefty tome of absolutely insane religio-babble, Ephemera Blues is a tight, complex, but manageable assemblage of musical concepts and ideas that really will make you feel as though you've tapped into the Pistis Sophia, the gnostic truth, the one-ness, behind the confusion of reality. And it will bring you the peace of musical enlightenment.
It's another big CD-Tuesday for us, we've managed to cover most all of them:
- Sunfold - Toy Tugboats
- Mouth of the Architect - Quietly
- Lackthereof - Your Anchor
- Samantha Crain - The Confiscation EP
- The Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam
Man, I'm so glad that it will be a light release date for July 29th, but looking ahead, it looks like another big day for us for August 5th: The May Fire - The List, Peter Bradley Adams - Leavetaking, /Passenger. - Wicked Man's Rest, Trapt - Only Through The Pain, and Telepathique - Last Time on Earth... so looking forward to tackling those, since I am also assuming we will get more, the closer we get to that date. So below are last minute submissions for July 22nd:
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07/22/08 DC 9 DC, Washington DC
07/23/08 M Room Philadelphia, PA 07/25/08 Union Hall Brooklyn, NY 07/26/08 Mercury Lounge New York 07/27/08 Middle East (upstairs) Boston, MA 07/29/08 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC |
SUNFOLD
myspace.com/sunfold
With the release of Toy Tugboats, released today, July 22th, this North Carolina band, Sunfold, is kicking off a mini tour on the East coast.
Even though some of you might not know the name Sedona (the original name for the band) or Sunfold, you might know them through Annuals. What's interesting to note is that Sunfold includes all the members of Annuals, just under a different name.
Their biography lists that basically Annuals is headed by music singer/singer Adam Baker, while Sunfold is under songwriter Kenny Florence's direction.... and under his direction, it looks like Sunfold are gearing to a refreshing wide range of instruments (hammered dulcimer, lap guitar, cello), in addition to the standard guitar/bass/drums rock and roll fare.
I do like what Sunfold is doing here, trying out different genre of music. Take a listen to "Gnosis" and you'll think this must've been inspired by popular jazz and 70s progressive rock. The banjo and lyrics on "Shapeshiftin'" sounds very old-time music, while "To Wake the Eye" is pretty much jazz. "Sailed off to Sea" is their most country-sounding song, and "Gorgée de Rubis" is experimenting with artificial sound as well as a hint of Hindi music. As you can see, all songs are all over the place.
This might be a good thing if you consider that they are still growing and trying to find where they fit in. It should be interesting to see how the two bands exists parallel to each other as time goes by.
Toy Tugboats is out today on Terpsikhore Records. Look for their mini tour and/or see Annuals.
LACKTHEREOF
lackthereof.com ♥ myspace.com
Speaking of side projects, Lackthereof began life in 1997, before Danny Seim started another band in 2000 called Menomena, which took over as the main project. Seim have decided to return back to Lackthereof with this latest release called Your Anchor, released today, July 22nd on one of our favorite record label, Barsuk Records.
The promotional song Barsuk want us to us is "Last November", which makes my choice a lot easier, but if you ask me, I would've prefer to use "Ask Permission" as I felt that song edge out November slightly.
Since the songs on this album were probably closely watched and mixed by Seim, himself, he controls all you hear - so the songs seems to fall on the more experimental side. There's odd melodies and unconventional music shifts, making it not very pop radio friendly.
The most radio-friendly song is his cover of The National's "Fake Empire", one of his favorite bands. To be honest, I haven't had a chance to check out the National, due partly to all the hype for the band last year. After hearing Lackthereof's version of "Fake Empire", I might check out what all the fuss is about..... Although, I would hazard a guess that it sounds very unlike the original.
PS, the most interesting thing, if you ever get a chance to see photographs of Seim and his pug. Apparently, Ms Geddy Lee, the dog, is the manager of Menomena.
To know me is to know I love cheese. In fact, my friend Renea sent me this mug a while back and it pretty much sums up my daily life:
So, when I got an email regarding sampling Ile de France cheese, I was all over it. I had my choice between camembert, brie, and goat. Now, even though goat is my favorite of the bunch, I decided to go with the camembert because it's a cheese I don't really eat all that often and, come to think of it, I don't think I have ever bought.
Camembert is a very mild cheese and it has some nuttiness to it. I would say it is similar to brie in taste and texture (though it has some more punch than brie). It's creamy and, while it's probably "better" to just eat it at room temperature and not necessarily cook with it, there are few things I like better than a nice, melty cheese. Mmm. So, I decided to use it in one uncooked application and 2 cooked dishes (and, of course, I ate some on its own).
This Ile de France camembert was delicious! It's got a fabulous texture and just enough flavor that it lends itself to many pairings, but can stand on its own, too. I'm hoping to order some of the goat cheese next!
Now, onto the dishes!
First, I used it in a porcini risotto. I think the slight nutiness of the cheese pairs well with the earthiness of the mushrooms. Plus, I will take any chance I get to make risotto since we don't eat it all that often. This was so good that I think I may make it again next week!
Porcini and Camembert Risotto
Serves 2 as a main dish
1 (1.5 oz.) package dried porcini mushrooms
1.25 cups boiling water
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup arborio rice
2 sprigs thyme
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, kept warm on the stove
2 oz. Camembert
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and then add the boiling water. Allow the porcinis to reconstitute for about 15 minutes. Strain them, reserving the water you used, and chop the mushrooms.
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before stirring in the rice, chopped porcini, and thyme. Stir the mixture so that the rice is coated with the oil and begins to toast slightly.
Add the wine and deglaze, allowing nearly all the wine to evaporate. A ladel or so at a time, add the porcini liquid and the broth, alternately, stirring continuously and allowing the rice to absorb most of the liquid before adding the next ladel.
Continue adding the porcini liquid and broth a ladel or so at a time, stirring, until the rice is cooked al dente. It should still be slightly firm to the bite, and it should be a little "loose." You're not looking for a rice type dish that has absorbed ALL its liquid. There should be some liquid still in the pan.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the camembert and the butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately (as if you could wait!).
Next, I made a simple salad. This is an endive salad with toasted walnuts, room-temp camembert, sliced apples (use your favorite kind) and cider vinaigrette. I like my dressings more acid-y than most, so I do equal parts apple cider vinegar & olive oil. (I also added pressed garlic and salt and pepper, of course.) As you know, I am working on having the love for fruits with savory dishes and this one won me over. Delicious! To let the apples absorb the flavor, and to keep them from browning, add the sliced apples to the dressing as you prep the rest of the salad.
And, finally, I made some camembert and maple bacon cups because the only thing better than cheese is cheese and bacon. For this I just chopped and cooked some bacon. I mixed just a tiny bit of maple syrup into the cooked/drained bacon and filled pre-made phyllo cups with that and the camembert. Easy and delicious!
This is by no means haute cuisine, but boy oh boy, is it delicious. I give all the credit of this ingenius creation to B. If he ever decides to change careers, Taco Bell would be foolish not to bring him aboard as a food conceptor. That boy comes up with some excellent gourmet junkfood. A taco and a burger in one. What's not to love right? Here's how it works... spread some refried beans on both ends of a toasted hamburger bun. My taco "meat" was chopped baby bellas, onions and corn seasoned with cumin and chile powder. Now layer "meat", cheddar cheese, tomatoes, avocado slivers and a fried corn tortilla. Top with your bean slathered bun and serve with plenty of salsa and Tapatio. Spicy, crunchy, creamy, cheesy flavor explosion!
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Links from my Neighborhood
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