Roberta Carrieri is an interesting woman. She’s a performance artist, clown and stilt-walker who sings for the group Fiamma Fumana. Her album’s title means “I say this to everyone” and I’ll take her word for it since my Italian’s bad.
Mia madre (My mother) is sweet at least in sound and with a warm vocal and a persuasive melody.
Se Potessi is quite lovely, Carrieri singing forcefully and with great feeling to a strident backing.
Bianca is kinda fun and poppy, Carrieri’s cool voice coming to the fore well. She really has her own style.
The closing title song brings the album to a fitting end, Carrieri sings in relaxed fashion to a soft melody. She’s a gifted performer and her album’s a treat.
Track Listing
1. Vorrei
2. Mia madre
3. Angolino
4. Se potessi
5. Foglie
6. Bianca
7. Non ci sei mai
8. Sereno di pioggia
9. Tu che sei
10. Spalanca
11. Angelo bianco dagli occhi cerchiati
12. Dico a tutti così
Brooke Waggoner announced a new record to be released November 3, 2009. It’s called Go Easy Little Doves. When I find a pre-order link I’ll post it.
She’s also touring and this is good news for us Minneapple-ites:
21 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Turf Club w/ Denison Witmer – Denison Witmer is also really cool!
Track list:
1. Query
2. Ruminate
3. Go Easy Little Doves, I’ll Be Fine
4. Meek; Wild
5. Chromates Soft Love
6. Femmes
7. Godwin
8. Find Her Floods
9. Body
10. Wish for Bridges
11. Burden of Our Courage
12. Get Too Close
Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
Karoline Hausted was referred to me by someone I’ve been in contact with for years in Denmark. Kent knows how much I love all things Danish, especially music. So he sent Karoline Hausted my way. Well, hearing another fantabulous Danish musician just makes me want to move there even more so than I already did.
The songs consist mostly of a kind of a rolling piano style. Perhaps that’s not an accurate description, but I can’t think of a better word. It reminds me of waves. Then there’s the added bonus layer of Karoline’s warm, inviting voice floating over it.
The songs are pretty similar to each other, in that they’re all a slow tempo, piano based and beautiful.
But there are some stand outs for sure: title track, Double Silence is lovely.
I am a River has an interesting melody and rhythm that makes is stand out.
Tap Tap Tap is probably my favorite. I don’t really know why exactly except that it’s got a wonderful melody and rhythm that matches and makes me want to sing along.
The nearest similar musician I can think of is Shauna Burns. Though while Burns’ music seems hot and desert-y, Hausted’s seems more chill and crisp. Maybe it’s just because of where they’re located geographically, but whatever the reason that’s what I hear.
I think it’s safe to say that if you like pretty piano dreamy pop with gorgeous vocals, you can’t miss with this one.
Track Listing
1. Seabirds
2. Trouble
3. I Am a River
4. Tap Tap Tap
5. He Took Off in a Hurry
6. Cat Sprang Up the Garden
7. Double Silence
8. Spooked
9. Trees that Lean
10. Like Flowers
11. Mechanical Heart
Track list
1. First Train Home
2. Wait It Out
3. Earth
4. Little Bird
5. Swoon
6. Tidal
7. Between Sheets
8. 2-1
9. Bad Body Double
10. Aha!
11. The Fire
12. Canvas
13. Half Life
I’ve long enjoyed Amy Kuney’s music, but I had no idea she was this funny and clever….well, OK clever yes, she writes some wonderful pop songs. But check this out…
Album Name: Here Come the Vikings
Artist: Astrid Williamson
Year/Label: 2009 / 101 DISTRIBUTION [Buy at Amazon]
Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
Well, I’ve been having a hard time with some records I’ve been trying to review lately, so it’s nice to have one I genuinely like to listen to (the ones I really disliked I didn’t review at all.)
There’s a cool edge to this album. There’s a lot going on instrumentally, lots of layers. And Astrid Williamson’s cool voice grumbling and cooing over all.
While this album is really diverse, ranging from alternative rock to pop most of it is more rock oriented than others I’ve heard recently. At least track #1 is. There are wailing guitars and frenetic percussion.
Sing the Body Electric is more pop. In fact, it’s downright radio friendly with tinkly piano and everything.
Eve really shows her vocal ability. It sounds clear and lovely here. She has a very mature sounding voice. It’s got a kind of a deep quality.
Slake is really cool, it’s already made it onto one of my Car Mixes. I like that it’s got some haunting talking sprinkled throughout.
The Stars Are Beautiful is maybe my favorite and a lovely way to end this record.
This is a really great album. It’s diverse, catchy, and mature without being snobby or pretentious. It’s going in my personal rotation for some time to come.
Track Listing
1. Store
2. Sing The Body Electric
3. Shut Your Mouth
4. How You Take My Breath Away
5. Crashing Minis
6. Falling Down
7. Pinned
8. Slake
9. Eve
10. The Stars Are Beautiful
Album Name: Hushaboo
Artist: Iris Leu
Year/Label: 2009 / Muzzlepuff Music [Buy at Amazon]
Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
I LOVE this record. I reviewed Iris Leu’s previous release, [Permanent Transient] in 2007. I liked it very much, but I don’t recall being this blown away.
I do remember thinking she reminded me of Tara MacLean and even Sarah McLachlan at times, which is a very nice thing indeed. It was an EP at only 5 songs, so new music from her was highly anticipated. I’m happy to report that I am in no way disappointed. In fact, I may go as far as to say I’m downright giddy.
Her voice is as beautiful as ever. Her songwriting, while I’d say it’s improved some, is still very much in the vein of the above mentioned ladies. Piano based, slightly ethereal, layered, lush, and gorgeous.
The previous record was markedly sad. It was full of themes of loss and hopelessness. The lyrics are not included in this record, which is a little disappointing. I like to read and listen together. I couldn’t find them online either. But what I could pick out sounds more hopeful than her previous release:
For example, “This could be so beautiful…” on Manifesto; which sounds a LOT like my Sarah (McLachlan, if that’s not obvious.)
Ipso Facto is more uptempo…
So far I like all the songs. She’s also inspiring me to host concerts again and decorate the space/stage area with lots of flowy drapes/curtains, and tall candelabras.
This is a really beautiful album. I want to give it more time. I wish I wasn’t so behind on reviews. But I’m thinking this is an early favorite!
Track Listing
1 For Keeps
2 Hush
3 Twentyone
4 Ipso Facto
5 Hollowville
6 Four Seasons
7 The Red Bird
8 Dive
9 Manifesto
10 After All Is Done
Album Name: Horses & Hounds
Artist: Lanan Adcock
Year/Label: 2008 / Independent [Buy at Amazon]
Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
This is another one of those CDs I’m finding very hard to write about. And once again, it’s not because I don’t like it, because I do. Very much, actually. But I have listened to it for months, probably 50 times in all and I keep thinking, ‘oh I must be almost done with this review’ then I look at my notes and I’ve written two things. It’s just one of those things that’s hard to describe, or explain. But I know I can’t just say, “I like it, it’s pretty” so here we go.
Lauren Adcock has a pure, gentle voice. It’s sort of quiet and even whispery at times. The vocals are mixed real echo-y; which gives this album a quality of both distant and intimate.
Several different listens brought up different comparisons for me so I’ll just list them. At times she reminds me of Tresspassers William, Cowboy Junkies and Mazzy Star.
The songwriting is interesting and melodic without being too mainstream. In fact, there’s a downright haunting vibe to many of these songs.
The songs that have proved stand outs for me are Sleeping Dogs, Tomorrrow When I’m Dying and Lullabye (sic.) But when I was giving it one final listen I picked out a few more. So instead of just listing each song, I’ll say the whole thing is good.
Track Listing
1 Love Will Tear Us Apart
2 Sleeping Dogs
3 I’ll Wait
4 Nights Like These
5 Power of the Word
6 Lullabye
7 I Shot a Man
8 Tomorrow, When I’m Dying
9 Spiders
10 The Waltz
Please do this for Pandora and all the musicians we know and love:
From Tim the founder of Pandora:
There is a new effort in Congress to fix the broader issue of how musical artists are compensated across all forms of radio. The system as it stands today is fundamentally unfair both to Internet radio services like Pandora, which pay higher royalties than other forms of radio, and to musical artists, who receive no compensation at all when their music is played on AM/FM radio.
A bill has been introduced in congress to remedy this by establishing a level playing field. We, along with the artists whose music we play, strongly support this new legislation called the Performance Rights Act (S. 379). Here’s a link for more information on the bill: [Performance Rights Act (S. 379)]
Please take just a minute to call your senator to ask them to sponsor and support the Performance Rights Act (S.379):
In Minnesota it’s Senator Al Franken (202) 224-5641
Amazon has a deal where if you pre-order the album (physical) now (soon?) you get a free mp3 version of the record a day early!!
