Collected Sounds

Album Name: The Paper Raincoat
Artist: The Paper Raincoat
Year/Label: 2009 / Independent
[Download at Amazon]
[The Paper Raincoat on eMusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

First up, my apologies to Amber Rubarth and Alex Wong. I got this album on Amazon right when it came out. Then I stuck it in my music folder and spaced it out. A month or so later I was all, ‘Oh I need to get the Paper Raincoat album soon’ not realizing I already had it. Luckily I also spaced on purchasing it (again) and I stumbled across it a month or so later. By this time it was too late it include it in my Best of 2009 list as it had already been posted. But is IS indeed one of my favorite albums, not only of 2009 or 2010 but all time. Seriously you guys, this is some yummy stuff.
…continue reading Album Review: The Paper Raincoat

Album Name: Hunting My Dress
Artist: Jesca Hoop
Year/Label: 2010 / Independent
[Pre-Order at Amazon]
[Pre-Order Vinyl! at Amazon] (not out til Aug 10)
[Download at Amazon]
[Jesca Hoop on eMusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

I was late to the Jesca Hoop party on her previous record, [Kismet]. By the time I discovered it on eMusic, I came here to post about and saw that Anna Maria had already reviewed it like a year before. I submit that I have too much else in my very small brain to remember every review I’ve done let alone every one that Anna and the others have. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. But once I heard it I was in love.

Determined not to be behind again, I made sure I got a copy of her new one when it came out in Europe. So I’ve been listening to it for months now and am also in love with this one.

It’s become such a part of my daily soundtrack I couldn’t possibly pick out songs that are best or even my personal favorites because to be honest, I truly love them all. From the opening “oooh-uh oooh”s on Whispering Light to the beautiful and haunting title track you’ll be enrapt.

But since I’ve seen a video for The Kingdom that one always hits me as I remember the visuals she’s assigned to it.

Her signature voice and background chanting vocals is present here as it was on Kismet.

The songwriting is amazing and intricate and best of all, unique. This is one artist that always impresses me.

But the good news is that Hunting My Dress will be released July 27th, 2010 in the US. You can listen to it streaming now on
[NPR]

Track Listing (note: this is the track listing on mine, the US version looks to be a different order and appears to include some songs from Kismet as well. Guess I’ll be getting that version too!)
1. Whispering Light
2. The Kingdome
3. Feast of the Heart
4. Angel Mom
5. Four Dreams
6. Murder of Birds
7. Bed Across the Sea
8. Tulip
9. Hunting My Dress

[Jesca Hoop Official Site]

Here’s the UK artwork

Album Name: From Here to Here EP
Artist: Sofie Livebrant
Year/Label: 2010/Playground

[Download at Amazon]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

Really like this. Seems like I’ve been getting a lot of male-dominated shouty rock material lately. So this is a welcome reprieve.

Sofie Livebrant is Swedish (no wonder I like her). Her website is in Swedish, but if you have Chrome it will translate it if you like. I should note, she sings in English.

Her voice is soft and sweet and it matches the piano-based lullaby-type music well. There are also some nice backing vocals that add to the sleepy effect. (From Here to Here and Helicopter most noticeably)

Mandy and Wanted both has a little twang to them and are a little more upbeat. But I still wouldn’t call it country. She has a nice lilt to her voice that shows on Mandy in particular. Some nice strings on Wanted as well (fiddle, I believe).

Really nice stuff by yet another good Scandinavian artist.

Track Listing
1. From Here to Here
2. Mandy
3. Helicopter
4. Wanted
5. Honey
6. No 976 Death is a Dialogue

[Sofie Livebrant Official Site]

Album Name: My Star
Artist: Marina V
Year/Label: 2010 / Independent
[Buy at Marina's Site]

[Marina V on Emusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

I’ve reviewed Marina V several times in the past. I’ve had this one in my rotation for a few months now and perhaps I haven’t moved on it because I don’t want to have to remove it.

This is one of those albums that’s hard to review but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it. I do. And I adore Marina in general. It’s just that I’m not sure what I can say that hasn’t been said by me or someone else. Her releases are always lovely.

She opens with You Make Me Beautiful which is classic Marina. Catchy and massively appealing while still having an edge.

Her voice is just so warm and comforting. It always makes me smile.

Unbalanced is almost orchestral. It’s upbeat, but there’s a lot going on.

Tonkaya Ryabina is in Russian as you may have guessed. It’s a capella so her voice really shines.

Magical Christmas is sort of cabaret-ish with heavy showcase on piano, it sounds like we should be in a lounge sipping a peppermint martini. And it’s a lovely way to end the album.

Track Listing
1. You Make Me Beautiful
2. Thursday Song
3. Blue for You
4. My Star
5. Killing My Dream
6. Don’t Cry
7. Unbalanced
8. Weight of the World
9. Tonkaya Ryabina
Bonus track
10. Magical Christmas

[Marina V Official Site]

Album Name: Eleven. Revert and Return
Artist: Midas Fall
Year/Label: 2010 / Monotreme

[Buy at Amazon]
[Download at Amazon]

[Midas Fall on Emusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

This one’s hard to write about. It’s really very cool, I’m just not sure what to say about it. So I’ll start by just describing it. Kinda echoey dreamy pop, but harder than regular dreamy stuff. Maybe it’s more fuzzy than dreamy. Really nice though, I’ve been digging it for months.

Midas Fall are from Edinburgh, Scotland (one of my favorite places on earth). The female lead, Elizabeth Heaton has a wonderful voice. It’s soft and luscious, but can also wail and reach (and I mean that in a good way). Maybe a little like Bat for Lashes, or someone else I can’t quite place. Help me out!

My favorite tracks are Moviescreens, Nautical Song (I wish I were on a sailboat listening to this), and 17 (some lovely piano).

This is the kind of music one can fall into.

Here’s a video which will give you an idea:

Track Listing
01. MovieScreens
02. Century
03. Bright Lights Will Harm No-one
04. Nautical Song
05. My Radio Star
06. Half Horizon
07. War Pigeon
08. Fog Sky Nun
09. 17
10. Stalking Moon

[Midas Fall Official Site]

Album Name: This Kind of Life
Artist: The Mary Dream
Year/Label: 2010 / SuperUniverse Records

[Download at Amazon]
[The Mary Dream on Emusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

The Mary Dream is Elise Bellew and Blake Ryan Dayton. They met through a classified ad in San Francisco. They’ve since moved to Nashville. While researching them I came upon a cover shot of their previous record, Beautiful World and thought it looked familiar. Sure enough, [I reviewed it] back in 2006 and loved that one too.

This album is, as you might expect, dreamy. With the slow, gorgeous vocals and an amazingly lush sound being made by two people. I’d describe them as sort of like a Tresspassers William but a touch edgier.

It’s hard for me to pick out favorite tracks, because they’re all great, but I will say that Sing really stands out to me.

This is a great album that I’m sure I’ll be listening to long after this is posted.

Track Listing
01. Deeper
02. Sing
03. This Kind of Life
04. Wrong Every Time
05. Below Zero
06. The Best of Me
07. Home
08. Lighten Up
09. Best Thing
10. Burning Bridges
11. Save You

[The Mary Dream Official Site]

Album Name: Under the Skin of a Skeleton Zebra
Artist: Anna Rosenkilde
Year/Label: 2010 / Strange Ears Recordings
[Download at Amazon]
[Anna Rosenkilde on Emusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

Well, another Danish artist to add to my ever-growing list.

There’s something fantasy-like about the songs of Anna Rosenkilde. Especially Fix on My Spring Day. I don’t know why but it sounds ethereal and fantasy like to me. It’s got a kind of twirly piano that’s reminiscent of very early Tori Amos.

Her voice is lovely and suites the music nicely. It’s a little crackly. She hits high notes as well as giving a lot of emotion to the lower register.

The melody on parts of Civil War remind me of Sting’s ‘wrapped around your finger’. But it’s got a nice crescendo and some distortion that set it apart.

This is a short record, only 5 songs, and I’d like to hear more from Ms Rosenkilde. She’s got something beautiful going on.

Track Listing
1. Fix On My Spring Day
2. Civil War
3. Snow Angel
4. Not Nothing
5. Story

[Anna Rosenkilde Official Site]

Album Name: Bric-a-Brac A Collection Of Musical Stories, Sentences, And Half-Words
Artist: Kristi Michele
Year/Label: 2010 / Independent

[Buy at Amazon]
[Download at Amazon]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

I wasn’t sure what to make of this record when I first got it. I immediately liked the artwork and was anxious to hear it, but didn’t know what to expect. Which is good. Because I don’t think I would have guessed this.

The songs are rhythmic and spooky. The production is sorta lo-fi and echoey, which adds to the haunting effect. Her voice, clear and emotional, is a perfect match for the style.

Many of these songs are really short, as in under 2 minutes, so the mood switches often, but never strays far from its general feel, which is kinda circus-carnival-like and strange, but in a good way.

On Chirp, her voice actually sounds far away, like she’s singing from the next room.

Elf Man is like some wacky carnival ride.

If I heard And I Lock It alone, without any others I might have pegged her as simply folk. Eh, maybe edgy folk.

I think Castle over Me might be my favorite. That tinkly opening melody haunts my dreams. Literally.There is also a little theatrical vibe here, which is always welcome to my ears.

I honestly like every song on here, they’re all really cool in their own way. I’m excited about this new discovery.

This album is an odd one, no doubt, but I really like it.

Track Listing
1. Intro (everywhere)
2. Chirp
3. Taming A Lion
4. Elf Man
5. And I Lock It
6. Castle Over Me
7. A Girl (leaves Her House And Wanders Through The Night Alone)
8. Rain Is Falling
9. So Soon
10. See, It’s Easy!
11. Juliet’s Lament
12. Jonny’s Suite (wild Things Are Not Here)
13. Outro (candy Shop)

[Kristi Michele Official Site]

Album Name: Wicked Ways
Artist: Lily Holbrook
Year/Label: 2008 / Alive Experience
[Buy at Amazon]
[Download at Amazon]
[Lily Holbrook at Emusic]

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

This is a super cool record. As I was writing the review I thought, ‘why do I know that name?’ so I search my own site for her thinking maybe Anna maria reviewed her. [Sure enough she did!] Only she went by just “Lily” then.

Comparing the cover art from that release to this one I have to say that this one’s a little edgier. I think it is musically too. Anna mentioned a similarity to Jewel, vocally. But I didn’t hear that on this one until I really thought ‘Jewel’ when I listened. But at any rate I think she’s changed a bit. For the better (and the album cover was changed as well).

Her voice is sweet and a little crackly. The music is at times, sort of new agey, Kin Za Za -ish, lots of layers and multiple instruments. Other times it’s edgy pop with cool beats.

Running into Walls is kinda ear-wormy (gets stuck in my head) in a good way. I guess I could go on naming songs I like, but after awhile I’d just be mentioning them all. I really like this.

Track Listing
1. Apocalypse Kiss
2. Welcome to the Slaughterhouse
3. Better Left Unsaid
4. It’s a Sin
5. Smoke Screen
6. Cold Day in Hell
7. Running Into Walls
8. Wicked Ways
9. Cowboys and Indians
10. Sweet Little Girl

[Lily Holbrook Official Site]

Album Name: Seeds, Shells and Stones
Artist: Kristilyn Robertson
Year/Label: 2010 / Independent

[Buy at Amazon]
[Download at Amazon]
Kristilyn Robertson

Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

I’ve been a fan of Kristilyn for some time now, first as a musician and then as a person as I’ve gotten to know her in Cyberland. So it’s always nice to hear new stuff from her.

If you’re a regular reader you know I love piano. So this is just my style. Not only is Kristilyn a great piano player, but she has a very lovely soothing vocal style.

Waiting for the Change reminds me of Jill Tracy.

Track 7, is an instrumental interlude which for some reason sounds like spring to me. Maybe I’m just wishful thinking.

I Did Not Invite You is really nice. It’s got a little bit of an (early) Tori-ish melody. This might be my favorite.

Lovely new album from genuinely great artist.

Track Listing
1. The Night is Mine
2. How it Goes
3. Little Earth
4. After All
5. Sound (Live at the Uptown Folk Club)
6. Waiting for the Change
7. (Interlude)
8. I Did Not invite You
9. Hunters
10. Just for Show
11. The Final Cute (Live at the Uptown Folk Club)
12. Step Back

[Kristilyn Robertson Official Site]