Posts Tagged ‘Singing’

  
Monday, September 21st, 2009

The Steel Horse Archives: “Jackyl” (1992)

by Jeff Vrabel

61wShbNdWZL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]JACKYL
Title: “The Lumberjack Song”
Album: Jackyl
Release Date: 1992

Why You Remember Them: You cannot imagine how often, in the research of this column, one comes across the phrase “lumped into the hair metal category,” as though being a cornball Southern-rock outfit with a wacky-eyed lead singer and a schlong obsession is better. Jackyl formed in 1990 as a hair meta … ahem, Southern-rock boogie band, but if you’ve read this far you’re probably going, “The jags with the chainsaw, right?” Right.

Total Sales: Jackyl moved 1.35 million units in 1992, making me sad for 1992.

Key Tracks: “Down on Me,” “The Lumberjack Song,” “I Stand Alone”

OK, But I’m Pretty Sure Those Are Dogs on the Cover of This Album: Right, you tell the chainsaw-wielding redneck he’s got his canids misidentified.

GET THE EFF OUT OF HERE, BRENDAN O’BRIEN?: Before resorting to producing hillbilly crap by “Bruce Springsteen” and “Pearl Jam,” O’Brien ran with the big dogs. I am desperately hoping these are people who still keep in touch.

Jesse: “Brendan, it’s Jesse, listen, I have a great idea for a new track that…”
Brendan: “(interrupting) Does it have a chainsaw?”
Jesse: “Yes.”
Brendan: “Christ.” (click)

(more…)

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Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Live Music: Akron/Family @ Union Pool, 3/29/09

by Taylor Long

Akron/Family @ Union Pool“Everyone is guilty,” Akron/Family sang at their second gig at Union Pool, but if their performance was any indication, that fact isn’t getting to them.

The bi-city band, based in New York as well as Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was full of whimsical energy Sunday night as they surged through an 11-song set without so much as a pause. Song bled into song, the transitions carried by any combination of the nine people on stage. Of those nine, three drive the madness that is Akron/Family – Seth Olinksy (guitar), Miles Seaton (bass) and Dana Janssen (drums). They have their primary roles, but much like a freak-folk version of Broken Social Scene, they’re all multi-instrumentalists, and vocal duties shift, with Olinksy usually taking the lead.

The set list focused on material from the band’s upcoming album, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free, due in May. But while music nerds often get stereotyped as creating highly conceptual and not always accessible music, Akron/Family found a place for it all. Shifting from lilting folk tunes like “The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen” and unexpected dance tune, “Ed Is A Portal,” Akron/Family interjected short, stylized jams in transitions, proving themselves adept at funk, prog, hardcore, whatever rock offshoot you can name. Olinksy would get an almost painful look on his face, as if he couldn’t stand it any longer, as though he had to play that next note or he might die.

Akron/Family, “Ed is a Portal” (download)

But as unafraid to fly their freak flag as they are, Akron/Family do so without alienating – quite the opposite, in fact, as they envelop the audience as often as possible, encouraging participation in a variety of ways. Olinsky ran into the audience to hand someone a drum. Seaton would rile up the crowd with exclamations like, “Move your ass!” Hand claps and sing-alongs were encouraged at every opportune moment. (more…)

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Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Lost in the ’80s: Les Rita Mitsouko

by John C. Hughes

lit80s

French duo Fred Chichin and Catherine Ringer met at a theater production in the late ’70s and an instant musical bond was formed, one that took them from rock to synthpop and back again.  Recording under the name Les Rita Mitsouko, the duo found success in Europe and eventually scored an American record deal with the stateside branch of their European label, Virgin.  In late 1986, The No Comprendo was released and its first single, “Andy” (download) became a bit of an underground dance hit, with Ringer’s over-the-top vocals (she basically sounds like every crazy rock chick ever, from Nina Hagen to Bjork) and Chichin’s funky guitar fighting for supremacy.

While “Andy” was burning up the dance floor, it was the video for “C’est Comme Ça” (download) that most people remember.  MTV’s 120 Minutes played the hell out of the inventive clip, and Happy Mondays completely swiped the video a year later for their “Step On” clip: (more…)

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Friday, March 6th, 2009

New Radio Roundtable: 3/6/09

by The Chartburn Panel

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Do not be alarmed! Do not adjust your set! Chartburn hasn’t gone away — it’s just sharing space with some more Friday features, including the the New Radio Roundtable, in which your intrepid Chartburn panel discusses some of the songs going for adds at various formats. And away we go!


Adult Contemporary: Airborne Toxic Event, “Sometime Around Midnight”

Zack Dennis: This song takes itself way too seriously. The band has some terrific buzz, and aside from an excess of gloss, they seem to be pushing the right buttons on the alternative pop machine. But after listening to it a couple of times the excess of emotion starts to wear thin for me.

Beau Dure: In the beginning, I figured this was a bad Explosions in the Sky impression. By the end, I thought it was a pretty good Joy Division impression. I’d tone down the chiming guitar at the beginning, but beyond that, it’s an impressive track. The jealousy builds over the course of the song and boils over at the end, and the singer handles the material far better than most of the fifth-rate Eddie Vedder clones in rock these days.

Dw. Dunphy: I wouldn’t turn this off if I heard it on the radio. It’s equal parts Explosions In The Sky and Arcade Fire, but I kept waiting for the sky to open up on this and only got shouting. Still, with a name like Airborne Toxic Event, I was expecting something much…crappier. We’ll call this a pleasant surprise, if nothing more.

David Medsker: You could usually tell the crappy bands from the good ones by their names alone, but the line is getting blurrier by the day. I wrote off ATE by their name too, and then I heard the album and thought, “Shit, these guys are good.” What am I going to use as a benchmark now? Does this mean I actually have to listen to everyone first before making a judgment on their talent? Fuck.

Jeff Giles: Californian singers who try to sound like they’re British always piss me off; in fact, I still haven’t forgiven Billie Joe of Green Day. But I’ve always been a sucker for rock ‘n’ roll that at least makes the effort to try and sound majestic, and this track gets pretty huge (definitely in an Explosions in the Sky-type way — good call, Beau). Also, Pitchfork gave their album 1.6 out of 10, so I’m inclined to give the band the benefit of the doubt.

Zack: I take umbrage to this song being compared to anything Explosions in the Sky. Their songs go through a variety of changes (tempo, volume, chord structure, atmosphere) while all the Airborne Toxic Event song does is build some tension and get a bit louder. (more…)

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Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

CD Review: Lelia Broussard, “Waiting on the 9″

by Jeff Giles

Lelia Broussard – Waiting on the 9 (self-released, 2008)
purchase this album (Amie Street)

I’m pretty sure I have t-shirts that are older than Lelia Broussard, but even at the tender age of 20, she’s already got a few albums under her belt — none of which I’ve heard, mind you, but having listened to Broussard’s new six-song EP, Waiting on the 9, I’m smitten enough to seek them out.

Broussard received her first major exposure thanks to Joan of Arcadia — the show featured her song “Secrets,” which she recorded when she was 14 — and her music has also appeared on The Hills, but she doesn’t have the wistful acoustic sound shared by most “as heard on TV” artists; her songs are rootsier, with slightly rougher edges, and unlike a lot of indie-pop singer/songwriters, she’s a singer as opposed to merely a vocalist. This distinction is made early on Waiting, with the subdued opening track, “Scared to Feel” — although it doesn’t contain many of the soul ingredients used on some of the EP’s other cuts, it gives Broussard an opportunity to glide from hushed to full-throated in a little over four minutes.

She co-wrote each of the EP’s tracks, and she displays her gift for easy melodies on the second cut, “Don’t Let Go,” a midtempo love song with a nicely layered arrangement and a big chorus, and the shuffling title track, where Broussard cops a Dusty in Memphis vibe without embarrassing herself. Some of the songs are more distinguished than others — “I’m Not Waiting” and “So Far by Far” fade into the background a little more than their fellow tracks — but they’re all eminently listenable, and the closing number, “Grass Is Greener,” is a piano-frosted blues belter that showcases the grittier end of her vocal delivery.

A lot of artists are still trying to figure out how to translate MySpace “friends” and YouTube views into actual, you know, dollars, but Lelia Broussard has done an admirable job of carving a career out of the digital frontier, thanks to talent and plenty of energy for self-promotion (and I do mean self-promotion — she e-mailed me directly to ask about submitting a copy of Waiting on the 9). Check out her video for “Don’t Let Go” (over one million views!) and then sample Waiting’s tracks at the link above.

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Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Lost in the ’70s: The Quick

by John C. Hughes

lit70s

Unknown to nearly everyone save the most devoted power-pop and glam aficionados, the Quick were managed by legendary Los Angeles scenester and Runaways cofounder Kim Fowley. Fowley also coproduced the Quick’s one and only LP, Mondo Deco (1976), alongside Earl Mankey, formerly of Sparks — quite notable, since at first listen the Quick come off as slavish imitators of the Mael Brothers.

While tunes like the gimmicky “Hi Lo” (download) definitely have a Sparks-like sound, complete with helium vocals from Danny Wilde, various time-signature changes, and prominent piano, the Quick was truly a glam-pop band at its core. Nowhere was that made more apparent than on the Beatles remake that kicks off Mondo Deco, “It Won’t Be Long” (download). In the Quick’s hands it becomes a theatrical stomper, as slashing guitars and call-and-response vocals take it beyond the basic four-four pop song it was intended to be.

It was difficult to imagine anyone thinking the Quick would take America by storm, especially when the source material, Sparks, were barely able to get arrested here. But perhaps if hook-filled tunes like “Hillary” (download) had been released as singles, the ill-fated quintet would’ve achieved some level of mainstream success. As it were, the Quick were destined to be cult favorites, with devotees clutching copies of the long-out-of-print debut close to their breasts, never to see it issued on CD.

The band did go on to record some demos for Elektra Records in 1977 that failed to ignite any interest; however, those demos did make it to CD as Untold Rock Stories in 2002. One of them, “Pretty Please Me,” was even covered by the Dickies and Redd Kross.

While the Quick never broke through, lead singer Danny Wilde would eventually find success, albeit nearly 15 years later, as the notably helium-free lead singer of the Rembrandts, most famous for recording the theme from TV’s Friends. I’m sure that payday was worth the wait. I’d love to see Mondo Deco be reissued on CD or even as an official digital release, but I’m not holding my breath. Until then, it’s definitely worth hunting down.

No singles charted.

Get The Quick music at Amazon or on The Quick

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Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Way Out Wednesday: The Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus, “What’s the Good Word?”

by Tony Redman

goodword-front1

Today’s Way Out Wednesday features this album by the Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus, called What’s the Good Word? It has fun little ditties about different parts of speech and different kinds of words. Here are some samples:

This song starts the album off. I know it says it’s the Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus, but it sounds to me like a bunch of studio singers taking a break from singing commercials for sponsors like T.G.&Y. and those other 5-and-10 type stores. (Kids, if you don’t know what a 5 & 10 store is, go ask somebody older than you.)

Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus – What’s the Good Word?

Next we have a song talking about how cavemen communicated without knowing what words were yet. Apparently, according to this song, they were just all really twitchy.

Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus – With a Wink and a Nod

This song is all about plurals, and how confusing they can be. I like this one because it sounds like a Broadway show tune. I’m sure if there was ever a Broadway show about plurals, this one would be a shoo-in!

Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus – The Plurals

The last song featured here is about Antonym Island, and is especially enjoyable because it features a bunch of white guys trying to sing calypso.

Peter Pan Orchestra and Chorus – Antonym Island

If you also want to hear songs about synonyms, homonyms, onomatopeia, and much more, you can listen to the entire album here!

Sorry for the abbreviated post this week. Work and school have been hitting my schedule hard. I’ll try to have something more substantial here for you all next week!

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Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Basement Songs: Brandi Carlile, “The Story”

by Scott Malchus

basementsongs

31gsbdhdwcl_sl500_aa240_1My father was admitted into the hospital this week complaining of chest pains; because he’d had bypass surgery in 1992, the doctors were very concerned about the condition of his heart. Let me tell you that as a 71-year-old man, he’s a strong and stubborn as he was when I was growing up. My updates came from my mother, who called me from her cell phone, and in her voice was the same tension and impatience she’s always had with doctors; years of nursing experience will do that to you. My parents have been married for 46 years and as they get older I’ve come to appreciate the tough times they endured, and how strong their love is. I didn’t always think that way. It wasn’t until my father’s heart surgery in ’92 that I really saw how much they do care for each other.

Looking at their relationship, I can’t help but think about my own marriage to Julie. I hope that when Sophie and Jacob reflect on their childhood, they’ll have good recollections of how much their dad loved their mom. Julie and I laugh and kid each other, we’re always hugging and kissing, and we are always there to comfort one another during the troubling times. At times I shake my head when I pause to think about the 15 years we’ve been married. That number seems like a long time, and yet it’s flitted by as a feather in the wind. Like a feather, there have been moments when we’re very high and the joy of life carries us along — and then there are those days when the wind has calmed and the feather lays on the ground, waiting for something to come along and carry us onward.

Music has always been a way in which we’ve bonded. We share our musical tastes and turn one another on to artists and sounds that we might not have otherwise listened to. I forced Springsteen upon her (she’s a big fan now, just ask her) and she brought into my world many beautiful female singers such as Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin and Bonnie Raitt. More recently, she has fallen in love with the music of Brandi Carlile. Okay, maybe not all of her music, but one song, “Tragedy,” which was featured in a heartbreaking episode of Grey’s Anatomy a couple of seasons ago. On this song Carlile sings like an open wound, so sad and passionate; it’s chilling. I sought out more of Carlile’s music and came across her 2007 album, The Story. It’s a CD of bluesy, polished rock that bears the rootsy trademark of its producer, T-Bone Burnett. Among the songs, the title track immediately spoke to me on musical and emotional levels. (more…)

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Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Lost in the ’70s: Cheryl Ladd, “Think It Over”

by John C. Hughes

lit70s

Charlie’s Angels chanteuse Cheryl Ladd was known for two spectacular things: her acting and her singing.

What? What’d you think I was gonna say?

Anyhoo, Ladd got her start as a singer in the early ’70s, back when she was still known as Cheryl Stoppelmoor. In fact, after her first stage-name change to Cherie Moor, she sang as one of Josie’s Pussycats (covered previously in this column) on the Josie and the Pussycats album. A few lean years followed before she was cast as Kris Munroe (Jill’s little sister, of course!) on Charlie’s Angels in 1977, replacing Farrah Fawcett, who left after the first season. The show was wildly popular, so why shouldn’t Ladd try her hand at singing again?

Capitol Records bit (the same label that released Josie and the Pussycats, actually), and the creatively titled Cheryl Ladd was unleashed upon the world in 1978. Lead single “Think It Over” (download) was one of those songs I only heard on the radio during the first hour of American Top 40, aka the Most Awesome Hour of Radio as a Child, since it was the only place I could hear many songs my local Top 40 station wouldn’t play, like “Turning Japanese” by the Vapors or “Island of Lost Souls” by Blondie. “Think It Over” may have been a bigger hit elsewhere, but in Ohio Ladd’s singing career wasn’t greeted with the same enthusiasm as, say, the 3,000th play of Journey’s “Wheel in the Sky.” It did well enough to scrape the Top 40, though, and Ladd set out to flog the single on various variety shows.

Woo! All that hair flipping’s made me lightheaded. And hey, a Brenda Russell cameo! See ya in a few years when you write “Piano in the Dark” and “Get Here,” Brenda!

Cheryl Ladd failed to produce any more hits, but Ladd continued to release albums — one more for Capitol called Dance Forever in 1979, and two Japan-only releases in the early ’80s. Capitol put out a Best of Cheryl Ladd CD in Japan in ‘93, but really, why?

“Think It Over” peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.

Get Cheryl Ladd music at Amazon.

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