Today's vid: Rose Red by Emilie Autumn.
Why this band? Well, I've mentioned Lady Emilie on this blog before. (In a post full of fangirlish squealing. Shhh, pretend you didn't hear that.) Many of my favorite musical acts are ones that mix up genres, and Emilie's no exception. She's coined the term "violindustrial" to describe hers. She's a classically trained violinist and has a naturally pretty singing voice. So you might think she would produce lovely soft string-laden tunes, and sometimes she does... but more often than not she shreds on her customized e-violin and uses that pretty voice of hers to scream like a beast. She's a little bit crazy, and for that I love her all the more.
Why this performance? These days, she doesn't play her violin live quite so much anymore, which seems like such a waste of talent. She produced a whole album full of interesting e-violin pieces right after Opheliac, called Laced/Unlaced, but she rarely uses those songs in her set lists. So I like this performance because it's all instrumental. The song, Rose Red, is off her first album, Enchant. The album version had vocals and I like that one too, but this just flat-out rocks. It makes me want to jump up and down just like she does!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Inspiration post: Within Temptation
All right, so lately things have been getting a bit stale for me music-wise, so every day this week I'm going to post a video of a musical performance that inspires me. Today's video is Mother Earth by Within Temptation, from the Black Symphony DVD.
Why this band? Within Temptation is one of the few bands that I picked up in high school and continued to stick with over time, simply because they do what they do really well. They consistently produce great symphonic metal and they also sound good live. The Heart of Everything, their most recent studio album, is (at least in my view) a return to form for them. On The Silent Force they didn't sound quite like themselves--I think maybe because they were trying to reach a wider audience. But The Heart of Everything sounds to me like Mother Earth would have if they'd had the kind of production capabilities then that they do now. Also, Sharon den Adel is one of my favorite frontwomen ever. Period. She's beautiful, sweet, funny and has an incredible voice.
Why this performance? Really, pretty much everything from this show is great, but I have a soft spot for this song. It's the first I ever heard from them, and finally being able to hear it with a live orchestra and choir is spectacular. Definitely beats the old keyboard effects and one-guy-layered-to-sound-choral on the album version. Sharon's voice is in fine form as usual, and I love the way she punches into those high notes on the chorus. (Also, fire. Oooh.)
Why this band? Within Temptation is one of the few bands that I picked up in high school and continued to stick with over time, simply because they do what they do really well. They consistently produce great symphonic metal and they also sound good live. The Heart of Everything, their most recent studio album, is (at least in my view) a return to form for them. On The Silent Force they didn't sound quite like themselves--I think maybe because they were trying to reach a wider audience. But The Heart of Everything sounds to me like Mother Earth would have if they'd had the kind of production capabilities then that they do now. Also, Sharon den Adel is one of my favorite frontwomen ever. Period. She's beautiful, sweet, funny and has an incredible voice.
Why this performance? Really, pretty much everything from this show is great, but I have a soft spot for this song. It's the first I ever heard from them, and finally being able to hear it with a live orchestra and choir is spectacular. Definitely beats the old keyboard effects and one-guy-layered-to-sound-choral on the album version. Sharon's voice is in fine form as usual, and I love the way she punches into those high notes on the chorus. (Also, fire. Oooh.)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Paper Raincoat's full-length debut
If you've been following this blog, then you'll know I've been eagerly awaiting this album. Long story short--I'm not disappointed.
Alex and Amber have obviously put a lot of care and thought into the whole package. The artwork is soft watercolor that fits their colorful, melodic sound to a tee, and the songs form a cohesive whole that tell a story. You can read that story in full on their Myspace, but you don't need it to appreciate the album. Really, it's the story of anyone who's ever arrived in a new place and struggled to make it a home.
If you take a look at the album on iTunes you'll see that it's categorized as a soundtrack, and that makes a lot of sense. From the sweeping strings that open the album on Right Angles to the triumphant closer It All Depends, the whole thing feels like the soundtrack to an imaginary film, and in a way it is. Alex and Amber set out to create a world with this album, and they've succeeded.
I would mention some standout tracks, but honestly it's a small album and everything is so good I'm finding it hard to pick favorites. Pretty much every song features beautiful harmonies (though they trade off on lead vocals from song to song), thoughtful lyrics, and creative, quirky instrumentation. The only one that falls slightly below the mark for me is Rewind, and that's not so much because it's bad as because the live version is just better. Without the coordinated clap-and-stomp percussion they pull off live, it falls a little flat. But overall, this album is a gem and it makes me smile. Don't miss it.
Alex and Amber have obviously put a lot of care and thought into the whole package. The artwork is soft watercolor that fits their colorful, melodic sound to a tee, and the songs form a cohesive whole that tell a story. You can read that story in full on their Myspace, but you don't need it to appreciate the album. Really, it's the story of anyone who's ever arrived in a new place and struggled to make it a home.
If you take a look at the album on iTunes you'll see that it's categorized as a soundtrack, and that makes a lot of sense. From the sweeping strings that open the album on Right Angles to the triumphant closer It All Depends, the whole thing feels like the soundtrack to an imaginary film, and in a way it is. Alex and Amber set out to create a world with this album, and they've succeeded.
I would mention some standout tracks, but honestly it's a small album and everything is so good I'm finding it hard to pick favorites. Pretty much every song features beautiful harmonies (though they trade off on lead vocals from song to song), thoughtful lyrics, and creative, quirky instrumentation. The only one that falls slightly below the mark for me is Rewind, and that's not so much because it's bad as because the live version is just better. Without the coordinated clap-and-stomp percussion they pull off live, it falls a little flat. But overall, this album is a gem and it makes me smile. Don't miss it.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Brandi Carlile's Give Up the Ghost
I only ever listen to Brandi Carlile when I'm miserable. I'm sure that doesn't sound like much of a compliment, but it is. I've always gotten the sense that songwriting for her is very much about connecting with the emotions of her audience. Her lyrics aren't the best ever written, but they ring true because she delivers them with complete conviction--and boy, does Brandi deliver. The title of this album is no joke: she really pours her heart and soul into these songs, covering everything from crises of faith to bad breakups to lost friendships. Great party music it ain't, but when you're feeling low, you could do worse than giving a Brandi album a spin. The compassion that characterizes much of her music shines through on the album opener, Looking Out, where she sings, "When you feel like giving in, on the coming of the end, like your heart could break in two, someone loves you."
Brandi has never made a secret of her preference for vinyl recordings, so it comes as no surprise that the album is divided into two sides. Side One is populated mainly by what I like to think of as the "show pony" songs--the big, powerhouse rockers and anthems. Dreams, the first single, is one of these, a tale of hopeless love set to a thumping beat and shouted chorus. The biggest "show pony" of them all is Caroline, a jolly road trip of a tune featuring piano and vocals from Elton John. The one really quiet moment on this side is That Year, a fragile acoustic number written in memory of a high school friend who committed suicide. Initially I found Side Two disappointing in comparison to the strong showing on the first, but now I find myself appreciating these softer songs just as much, if not more. Her voice reaches spine-chilling heights on the chorus of Before It Breaks, and the harmonies in Touching the Ground are particularly lovely and delicate.
In the end, whether you love this album or hate it very much depends on how you feel about the vocals. Brandi has a wide range and a keen sense of dynamics, but the little catch in her voice that has become part of her style can be something of an acquired taste. As always, her vocals are supported by the work of her longtime musical collaborators, Tim and Phil Hanseroth, who provide bass, guitar, and some excellent harmonies... not to mention the occasional whistle.
To sum up: great vocals, strong backing band, and a nice crop of songs that sound even better live. If her style turns out to be your taste, then this album's well worth checking out. Keep doing what you're doing, Brandi. It's working.
Brandi has never made a secret of her preference for vinyl recordings, so it comes as no surprise that the album is divided into two sides. Side One is populated mainly by what I like to think of as the "show pony" songs--the big, powerhouse rockers and anthems. Dreams, the first single, is one of these, a tale of hopeless love set to a thumping beat and shouted chorus. The biggest "show pony" of them all is Caroline, a jolly road trip of a tune featuring piano and vocals from Elton John. The one really quiet moment on this side is That Year, a fragile acoustic number written in memory of a high school friend who committed suicide. Initially I found Side Two disappointing in comparison to the strong showing on the first, but now I find myself appreciating these softer songs just as much, if not more. Her voice reaches spine-chilling heights on the chorus of Before It Breaks, and the harmonies in Touching the Ground are particularly lovely and delicate.
In the end, whether you love this album or hate it very much depends on how you feel about the vocals. Brandi has a wide range and a keen sense of dynamics, but the little catch in her voice that has become part of her style can be something of an acquired taste. As always, her vocals are supported by the work of her longtime musical collaborators, Tim and Phil Hanseroth, who provide bass, guitar, and some excellent harmonies... not to mention the occasional whistle.
To sum up: great vocals, strong backing band, and a nice crop of songs that sound even better live. If her style turns out to be your taste, then this album's well worth checking out. Keep doing what you're doing, Brandi. It's working.
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