Posts Tagged ‘Regina Spektor’

  
Thursday, August 13th, 2009

CD Review: Amanda Palmer, “Who Killed Amanda Palmer”

by Dw. Dunphy

51vAbBb77TL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]I remember when the Dresden Dolls first came out. All my friends who knew my tastes told me I had to check them out, that I would love this duo. I’d ask what they were like and would get, “They’re a cross between goth and cabaret,” to which I’d reply, thanks but no thanks. It was totally a knee-jerk reaction but during this time, I was receiving a lot of promo material from a metal label that started focusing on the goths. After a month, I had a stack of CDs with black-lipped women moaning about the “exquisite death” and “sensual pain,” followed quickly by shrieks that could only be produced by someone giving birth to a schoolbus. Thank you and no, said I, to the Dresden Dolls.

Cut to three weeks ago. I’m in the local bookstore. It’s rather a liberal atmosphere there, meaning they’re not afraid to play CDs with the dirty words in them, so I’m listening as I rifle through the graphic novels section. It’s sounding pretty good, in fact. It’s piano rock, a super-sub-genre that’s been hurting lately. I was disappointed with the recent Regina Spektor and Tori Amos albums and the category as a whole often slides into Adult Contemporary blather about undying love or line after line of toothless affirmations. What was playing had, dare I say it, some edge left to it. I went to the counter and asked what it was.

“Oh, that’s Amanda Palmer. She’s from the Dresden Dolls.” Oops. “It’s been out for almost half a year now.” Double oops. (more…)

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Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

CD Review: Regina Spektor, “far”

by Ken Shane

41McjI1S-xL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]I have to admit that I am not one of the people who jumped on the bandwagon for Regina Spektor’s last album, the 2006 breakthrough Begin to Hope. I’ve still never heard most of it, and what I did hear didn’t knock me out. Now Spektor is back with a new album, far (Sire Records), and I’m still on the fence.

I recognize her talent. I appreciate the exquisite wordplay with which she builds her songs. I’m aware of the fact that repeated listening to the album can reveal some previously hidden treasures. It’s all very accessible, musically accomplished, and lyrically interesting. What it’s missing, at least for me, is an emotional connection. Maybe this music is just not for me.

It’s a good idea to be wary of any album that has multiple producers, in the same way that it’s advisable to carefully approach films with more than one director. This album has four producers, each of them notable in his own right. Mike Elizondo has worked with Dr. Dre and Eminem, and he has produced four of this album’s 13 tracks. His work appeals as the most forward looking of the distinguished quartet. Check out his production on the inventive and imaginative “Machine.” (more…)

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Monday, June 29th, 2009

Song-Off Jr.: Samson and Delilah

by Matchup Monkey

Samson

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death, that he told her all his heart, and said unto her, “There hath not come a rasor upon mine head, for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb.  If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

And she made him sleep upon her knees, and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head, and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.  And she said, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.” And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.”

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

–Judges 13, King James Edition

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Friday, June 19th, 2009

How Bad Can It Be? Atoosa Grey and the P.R. Pityfuck

by Jack Feerick

I think I mentioned last week some of the interesting messages I get via the Popdose mailing list. A lot of what comes through is from public relations flacks; artist reps and label folks get in touch with Popdose EiC Jeff Giles, and Jeff sends the best of ‘em along to the rest of us on the staff. Here’s one that came through a few weeks ago

From: [name withheld]
Date: Thu, May 7, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Subject: Please, please, please listen to this singer! It’s good Karma!
To: jefito@ popdose.com

Hey Jeff,

I have a favor to ask you. Please, please, please give [redacted]’s music a listen. I am begging you. Yes, that’s right… I am begging you.

She is really an amazing and unique singer/songwriter and we need to get her some press. I am hoping you can just take a few minutes and listen to some songs off her new CD “[title redacted]”. It’s good karma and I know you’ll love her as much as we do!!

Now, at first blush that’s kind of cute—a whimsical, unconventional way to promote an artist-client. But you know what else is cute? Monkeys, especially when they think they’re people. You know what, though? Monkeys are kind of whiffy. You don’t notice the smell at first, because they’re so gosh-darn charming, but then it starts to creep into your consciousness, your olfactory landscape and it just won’t quit, and eventually it blots everything else out of your awareness, and you can’t even laugh at the animal’s antics anymore because all you can think is how now amount of dry-cleaning is going to get that ripe ape-scent out of Mr. Jocko’s little vest and cap, and the only thing for those clothes will be to burn them.

The e-mail above has a slight odor to it, too—the mingled smell of condescension and desperation. The moral bullying is bad enough (listening to Artist A will make you a better person! Don’t you want to be a better person?), but there’s a passive-aggressive undertone that quickly becomes off-putting.

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