Archive for the 'coffeehouse' Category

The Aspiring Sounds of Samara Lubelski.

Published by
matt.
August 6, 2007 in acoustix, coffeehouse, classy ladies, indie, free folk and tunes. 0 Comments

On the heels of yesterday’s look at the folk-rock sound of MV&EE comes a new album from fellow-Ecstatic Peace artist & current MV&EE touring companion Samara Lubelski.

Samara might not be a household name, but that is not to say that her diverse talents are not available to the public. As a solo artist, Samara has four full-lengths (and one cassette-only release, as all artists should) to her name, alongside being a core member of not one but two psych-folk collectives, The Tower Recordings and Hall of Fame, playing on most of the modern Krautrock band Metabolismus‘ albums as well as being part of MV&EE backing band, The Bummer Road and working alongside Thurston Moore himself on his Trees Outside the Academy. Add to this her engineering and mixing skills, which helped The Fiery Furnaces‘ record their impeccable Blueberry Boat, and it becomes extremely hard to discount her talents.

Samara Lubelski.

With back story taken care of, what of her latest offering? This coming October will yield Samara’s next solo foray, entitled Parallel Suns. Like MV&EE, it is a nostalgic affair - but replace MV&EE’s Neil Young & fuzz sound with soft, mostly acoustic Nick Drake adulation.

Each track focuses on Samara’s hushed & warm vocals, layered on top of a 60’s-style mix of psychedelia, folk & pop. It is easy to listen to, comforting even at it’s most intricate or engaging. This really is as “soft” as music can be, with Samara’s production skillfully mixing in all sorts of people and instrumentation (the credits for the album include about 10 other musicians, playing everything from xylophones & drums to guitars & clarinets) making the album a treat to listen to on decent headphones. All in all, the recording epitomizes the “other” side of freak-folk - not ravaged by the psychedelic-fueled freak-out suspiciousness that tends to leak into albums by groups like Sunburned Hand of the Man, Samara’s journey is a tranquil one, leaving it our job, as listeners, to decide if it is one engaging enough to warrant extended play.

Parallel Suns.

like pillows & breezes on a hot day:
Samara Lubelski - Have You Seen the Colors?
Samara Lubelski - Tasting the Candy.

Parallel Suns will be released this coming October from The Social Registry. In the meantime, you can read more about Samara via her myspace or her official web-site.

The Strength of the Eskimo.

Published by
matt.
August 2, 2007 in coffeehouse, classy ladies, indie and folk. 0 Comments

I randomly stumbled across this CD by Eskimo & Sons this morning on a friend’s recommendation. It is by a band based in Portland, Oregon that, as word has it, are making quite a stir in all the local record shops thereunder. The album name, verbosely titled How Does it Feel to be Crushed by One Man with the Strength of a Million?, is kind of reminiscent of classic Tortoise and, in a loose sense, I think the comparison might be an adequate one to make.

Eskimo & Sons.

The music is sort of folky, dreamy. It is there but it doesn’t force itself upon you like, say, M.I.A. does. Featuring piano, acoustic guitars & drums, the band makes music that could be compared to a more jazzy Iron & Wine meeting a glitch-free Postal Service. Or a less dramatic Stars. In any case, it is post-rock for a warm Sunday afternoon.

And really, while the music is proficient, it is the vocals of Danielle Sullivan, whose voice at times reminds me of CocoRosie without all the sinister undertones (see the background vocals at 1:30 on “No Shit”), that really make the songs memorable. My only complaint is that I only wish she would sing more on the album.

This might be the band’s first “real” release (it was preceded by a 7″ released back in October, 2006) but it must be said: they are definitely off to a good start and I look forward to hear what they come up with next.

sounds of hush:
Eskimo & Sons - The Blizzard.
Eskimo & Sons - No Shit.

How Does it Feel to be Crushed by One Man with the Strength of a Million? is now on-sale through BoyGorilla Records for a scant $7. You can also check out what the band are up to by visiting their homes.

A Day at the Office, Part One (the Album Leaf).

Published by
matt.
July 30, 2007 in coffeehouse, office space, loungers, indie, idm and tunes. 1 Comment

While everything may have seemed all-too-quiet on-site over the past weekend, outside of the Pout’s digital realm - life was crazy busy. Between entertaining visiting friends & family, watching the friggin’ untouchably awesome Grindhouse (which I seriously cannot recommend highly enough), looking over drafts & ramblings on behalf of the Bishop’s University students’ responses to the strike situation… I have been left sleep deprived, hung over and, really, more than a tad bit grumpy. And so, it is almost nice to come back to work, sit alone in my air conditioned office, turn on some tunes & simply breathe.

Additionally, I must say that there is much to look forward to: I have, for my auditory perusal, a fine selection of music to dig into today. From the soft electronic ambiance of new Album Leaf to the hand-clappin’ goodness of the Go! Team, it looks to be a good day. So, let’s pour some coffee & dig, shall we?

The Album Leaf.

I’ve decided to start the day off with the Album Leaf’s newest offering, dubbed The Green Tour EP. The “record” is a collection of 6 instrumental tracks that was only available during the band’s last tour but has since been made purchasable from the iTunes music store.

And it is a good start to the day. Ambient enough to not be distracting as people drop in and drop out of the office I am in, it serves as a perfect backdrop to the early day. I’m especially loving the piano at the end of “Fear of Flying” & the strings interplay on “We Need Help” and “San Simeon”.

So, really, what we are looking at is another soft IDM electronic piece with a few flourishes of natural instrumentation. I wouldn’t say it demonstrates much of a progression from their (or his, depending) last LP - but that isn’t a bad thing. The Album Leaf are exceptional at making music that - while not extremely engaging - gets repeated plays from me for the opposite reasoning: they make music that works the background, it is upbeat, hopeful… allowing me to concentrate on whatever work I have to do.

Although I can see playing the EP under a multitude of circumstances, it definitely suits being listened to in an office, slightly hungover & tired. Plus, by the end, I can honestly say that the combination of the Green EP and coffee has left me significantly less grumpy. And that ain’t nothin’ to scoff at.

people, relax:
The Album Leaf - Fear of Flying.
The Album Leaf - Drawing Mountains.

You can check out the band’s digital home over at http://thealbumleaf.com. Their entire discography (including the new EP) can be easily purchased from the iTunes Music Store.

Morcheeba’s Nostalgia.

Published by
matt.
July 17, 2007 in coffeehouse, loungers, electropop, blip bloop and tunes. 0 Comments
(Photos by Joel Didriksen)

Do you remember the 90’s? When trip-hop and electronica suddenly, for a brief moment, sounded interesting & new? When a somewhat mediocre band could garnish huge success through the sultry strength of their singer’s voice? Let’s do an experiment and see what might happen if you take such a band, remove the singer & continue to give the backing band funding. What might you bet will happen?

Hit the fast-forward to modern day & observe the “new” core of Morcheeba (original band-mate brothers Ross & Paul Godfrey) carrying on without the inimitable Skye Edwards, in an all-too-true realization of said hypothesis.

Like a Doors or Queen ‘reunion’, something is definitely lost in that translation. But, in spite of their last outing (2005’s not-so-well-received The Antidote, which found Skye replaced by the somewhat grating Daisy Martey), the brothers have decided to keep on trucking - removing Daisy from the line-up & forging on to prep their 2007 offering, Dive Deep. This also means that, unlike their previous records, there is no constant vocalist throughout the album - instead we have a series of guest spots from people ranging from Norwegian Thomas Dybdahl to the classic Judie Tzuke. I don’t know if that is such a great range but hey, at least we don’t have to listen to Daisy for another hour-long session, right.

As it turns out the “core” of the band doesn’t really have much to offer. Laid back grooves, they have that in spades, but, throughout the album, it seems like the best the band can muster is a pale Kruder & Dorfmeister interpretation. Hell, by about 3/4s of the way through the album (on the ridiculously titled “Hemphasis”), it seems like even the band itself has lost any sense of identity or respect for their audience when they start scratching their own name (mor… ma-ma-mor… morcheeba!), just in case you forgot what you listening to & had to be reminded. It is kind of a sad affair.

Harsh as this may sound, the trouble is that the album isn’t actually that bad. In fact, I can think of tons of situations where it might be perfectly suitable to spin. It is lite, melodic and, even on the couple tracks that host somewhat lackluster MCs, inoffensive. Except for that one track (”Flowers”) where some dude is pleading about how “everything he does, it’s for you… baby” while, subsequently, describing kicking the shit out of his girlfriend’s other lover. Someone needs to let this guy know that it is now 2007 and that there are better ways to solve arguments that beating each other.

All in all, Dive Deep is Morcheeba attempting to reclaim their ‘chillness’ vibe & it shows. The album is suited to dimly lit cafes where the conversation is, perhaps, more important than the music accompanying it on the stereo. It is that chill. But, whether that is a good thing or not… I’ll leave it up to Morcheeba to discern.

dive deeper:
Morcheeba - Enjoy the Ride (ft. Judy Tzuke).
Morcheeba - One Love Karma.

Dive Deep will be released in September. In the meantime, check the band’s official site over at morcheeba.co.uk.

Recent Retaliations.

  • zeus: rowboat - absolutely beautiful.
  • rovzuljgan: Wow, cool man, big thanks! http://jamzfqsvdcph.com
  • Train Dolphins: Thanks your article is funny. I like your site.. thank you again
  • olly: you are too analytical. “The night starts here” is a terrific track… with a great prequal in...
  • cloudhead: Cloud cult not radiohead? Well radiohead DID finally get a myspace after all these years:...
  • jay: i know the lyrics sammi baby email me on jay211091@hotmail.co.uk
  • bagula bhagat: yeah this stuff is truly ingenius.. notice how the female vocals keep appearing as though in a...
  • squashed: are you guys over with the hiatus thing? hurry up. can’t be that much studying to be done. :P






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