Everyone else was doing it two weeks ago! ...So naturally, I've only just gotten to it now. (Story of my life.) This is in no particular order.
Florence + the Machine - Lungs
Vienna Teng - Inland Territory
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Brandi Carlile - Give Up the Ghost
Metric - Fantasies
Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Imogen Heap - Ellipse
And also the self-titled first releases from Codeine Velvet Club and The Paper Raincoat. There were also a few albums that didn't quite make the cut but still had a few of my favorite songs from this year. Like "The Great Defector" from Bell X1's album, Blue Lights On the Runway, or "Human of the Year" from Regina Spektor's Far. (I'm firmly convinced that last one would make an excellent short story. Listen to it. Seriously.)
Showing posts with label vienna teng. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vienna teng. Show all posts
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Why you should listen to the openers
So I went to see Vienna Teng last night, and she was great as usual. I'm really liking some of the rearrangements she's doing with her old stuff. Gravity sure sounded different the first time I heard her play it in 2003-ish... she's come pretty far since then. Now she's got openers instead of being the opener. Which leads me to my main point...
One of the openers last night was Ben Sollee, who I'd never heard of but turned out to be the kind of performer that makes you want to roll over and give up whatever you're playing because you will never in a million years be that good. Okay, so maybe that's just me. But seriously, the guy has scary skills on cello and a great voice to boot. Check it out:
People who do unconventional things with traditional instruments make me happy. :)
Check out Vienna's scrapbook for a look at how she and her crew met up with Ben.
Also go and check out The Paper Raincoat, Alex Wong's current project with Amber Rubarth, especially a charming tune called "Sympathetic Vibrations," which sounds like the quirky little cousin of Regina Spektor's "Fidelity." It's downright impossible to listen to without bopping your head. (This is what I'm currently doing, with a very silly face indeed.) I'm quite looking forward to their full-length album now... especially to this song, which they have said will be on it.
One of the openers last night was Ben Sollee, who I'd never heard of but turned out to be the kind of performer that makes you want to roll over and give up whatever you're playing because you will never in a million years be that good. Okay, so maybe that's just me. But seriously, the guy has scary skills on cello and a great voice to boot. Check it out:
People who do unconventional things with traditional instruments make me happy. :)
Check out Vienna's scrapbook for a look at how she and her crew met up with Ben.
Also go and check out The Paper Raincoat, Alex Wong's current project with Amber Rubarth, especially a charming tune called "Sympathetic Vibrations," which sounds like the quirky little cousin of Regina Spektor's "Fidelity." It's downright impossible to listen to without bopping your head. (This is what I'm currently doing, with a very silly face indeed.) I'm quite looking forward to their full-length album now... especially to this song, which they have said will be on it.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Review of Vienna Teng's Inland Territory
Since her 2002 debut, Waking Hour, pianist, singer and songwriter Vienna Teng has been quietly releasing intelligent, introspective albums of chamber pop to critical acclaim and an ever-growing base of loyal fans. Is her latest release, Inland Territory, more of the same? Yes and no.
The wide range of themes covered here is nothing unusual for Teng. She continues to examine such issues as politics, immigration, the environment, war… and relationships, of course… with her usual lyrical flair. Her writing is as sharp and insightful as ever, with occasional flashes of wry humor. As with all good songwriters, Teng has a unique way of looking at the world, and in Inland Territory she continues this tradition.
In terms of sound, however, she’s grown considerably more adventurous—and this is a good thing. The most common criticism of her 2006 release, Dreaming Through the Noise, was that songs tended to meld together because the instrumentation and arrangements were too similar. No such problem here. This is due in part to her new producer, Alex Wong, formerly of The Animators, and in part to the group of gifted musicians she’s brought on board—some members of her touring band, some not.
The opening track, “The Last Snowfall,” is a perfect example of the musical collaboration that characterizes this album. Producer Wong uses the sound of crackling record static as a percussion loop, which serves as a backdrop for the simple lyrics: “If this were the last snowfall/No more haloes on evergreens/If this were my last glimpse of winter/What would these eyes see?” For the wordless, soaring refrain, Teng’s soft soprano is joined by fellow singer-songwriters Odessa Chen, Noe Venable and Ari Hest, and the effect created by their combined voices is nothing short of magical. Guitar virtuoso Kaki King lends her talents to the Latin-influenced “No Gringo” as well as the ethereal soundscape of the closer, “St. Stephen’s Cross,” in which Teng multi-tracks her vocals to create the effect of a choir. Some songs, like “Stray Italian Greyhound” and “Antebellum,” with their slow builds and lush string arrangements, wouldn’t sound out of place in a film soundtrack. At the other end of the musical spectrum are songs like the edgy, guitar-driven “White Light” and the rollicking “Grandmother Song,” in which Teng sings about the family conflicts created by her musical career over handclaps and fiddle: “Oh girl your story’s all wrong/Your dream’ll be a nightmare before too long/Turning thirty and still trying to sing your songs/Come on who do you think you are?”
Unless she chooses to share it in song, we’ll probably never know exactly who Vienna Teng thinks she is. However, it’s clear that many critics and many fans think she is an immensely talented musician and songwriter, and Inland Territory is proof not only of her technical skill but also of her willingness to experiment with her sound and challenge herself.
Visit her web site or Myspace for song samples and upcoming US tour dates. Also check out the Inland Territory EPK for a behind-the-scenes look at the new album.
The wide range of themes covered here is nothing unusual for Teng. She continues to examine such issues as politics, immigration, the environment, war… and relationships, of course… with her usual lyrical flair. Her writing is as sharp and insightful as ever, with occasional flashes of wry humor. As with all good songwriters, Teng has a unique way of looking at the world, and in Inland Territory she continues this tradition.
In terms of sound, however, she’s grown considerably more adventurous—and this is a good thing. The most common criticism of her 2006 release, Dreaming Through the Noise, was that songs tended to meld together because the instrumentation and arrangements were too similar. No such problem here. This is due in part to her new producer, Alex Wong, formerly of The Animators, and in part to the group of gifted musicians she’s brought on board—some members of her touring band, some not.
The opening track, “The Last Snowfall,” is a perfect example of the musical collaboration that characterizes this album. Producer Wong uses the sound of crackling record static as a percussion loop, which serves as a backdrop for the simple lyrics: “If this were the last snowfall/No more haloes on evergreens/If this were my last glimpse of winter/What would these eyes see?” For the wordless, soaring refrain, Teng’s soft soprano is joined by fellow singer-songwriters Odessa Chen, Noe Venable and Ari Hest, and the effect created by their combined voices is nothing short of magical. Guitar virtuoso Kaki King lends her talents to the Latin-influenced “No Gringo” as well as the ethereal soundscape of the closer, “St. Stephen’s Cross,” in which Teng multi-tracks her vocals to create the effect of a choir. Some songs, like “Stray Italian Greyhound” and “Antebellum,” with their slow builds and lush string arrangements, wouldn’t sound out of place in a film soundtrack. At the other end of the musical spectrum are songs like the edgy, guitar-driven “White Light” and the rollicking “Grandmother Song,” in which Teng sings about the family conflicts created by her musical career over handclaps and fiddle: “Oh girl your story’s all wrong/Your dream’ll be a nightmare before too long/Turning thirty and still trying to sing your songs/Come on who do you think you are?”
Unless she chooses to share it in song, we’ll probably never know exactly who Vienna Teng thinks she is. However, it’s clear that many critics and many fans think she is an immensely talented musician and songwriter, and Inland Territory is proof not only of her technical skill but also of her willingness to experiment with her sound and challenge herself.
Visit her web site or Myspace for song samples and upcoming US tour dates. Also check out the Inland Territory EPK for a behind-the-scenes look at the new album.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A miscellaneous little mix tape
I always love reading or hearing about what my favorite musicians are listening to, because they often have some really interesting things to say about why they like it. Vienna Teng made a post a few years ago back when she had first started her blog (her scrapbook, she calls it) in which she listed tracks she might include on a mix tape for anyone reading. I think you see where this is leading... although, unlike Vienna, I can't claim to have played with all the people who recorded these songs. (Lucky her.)
1. Emilie Autumn, "Manic Depression": Emilie is one of my absolute favorite artists because it is so very tricky to pigeonhole her. Her lyrics are always sharp and witty, but she's always experimenting with her singing style. However, this song features neither her lyrics nor her voice, but rather her prowess on the electric violin: this girl can shred.
2. Snow Patrol, "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It": Snow Patrol is one of those bands whose albums I have always meant to buy and never got around to it. However, I may now just have to give in and snag a copy of A Hundred Million Suns. I heard this one morning on XPN a few weeks ago during the drive to work. I love the energy and the rhythm of it, but it was the lyrics that caught my ear--they're unusually vivid and visual.
A fire, a fire/You can only take what you can carry/A pulse, your pulse/It's the only thing I can remember/I break, you don't/I was always set to self destruct though/The fire, the fire/It cracks and barks like primal music
3. Kaki King, "Doing the Wrong Thing": The word virtuoso always gets tossed around when people talk about Kaki because of her acoustic guitar skills, but she's definitely branched out since her first album. She creates soundscapes--I can't think of a better way to put it. Her songs may not always have words that stick in my head or a melody I can tap my foot to, but they take me somewhere else. The inside of her head must be an interesting place.
4. Gillian Grassie, "Tamlin": When I looked at who Gillian listed in her influences and saw the title of this song, I admit I leaped to conclusions and assumed it was going to be some kind of Loreena McKennitt imitation, but she takes the traditional folktale and twists it around into something entirely unexpected and original.
Do you ever get that feeling of being infinite and small?/Like you're everything and nothing at all?/My love has become a burning coal/And I'm not sure I can hold/My love, he's become a glowing coal/And he burns me/And I hold
5. The Fratellis, "Milk and Money": Ah yes, another one of my very favorite bands. This is the last song on their second album, Here We Stand, and I was lucky enough to hear it live when I saw them a few months ago. Some critics haven't been that kind to this album, but I think it shows how much they've grown since Costello Music. To me, it's songs like this that prove they're much more than "that band that plays Chelsea Dagger."
And the last chance girl in the first dance swirl/Lays her head down on the wooden floor/Won't be dancing anymore/And where do they go when the thrills have gone?/And the last song plays down at babylon/Five hundred kids shout what's the deal?/It's a very confusing way to feel
6. The Animators, "Good to Be Here": I wish I'd gotten the chance to see these guys before they broke up, but at least they left behind them two albums of good solid power pop available for free download on their web site. One of the things I really liked about them was that so many of their songs were little stories, like this one.
I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling/Look who's back, I saw the doctor smile/Careful, we almost thought we'd lost you for a while/Cecilia was the last thing I remember/On the radio of the overturned car/How long have I been here?/I can't feel a thing/But I think I'm all right
7. Coldplay, "Cemeteries of London": I started listening to Coldplay much later than everybody else did. I got Viva La Vida three or four months after it was released, and enjoyed it much more than I expected. I really like the rhythm section in this tune and the lyrics, which seem like a departure for them in that they're not relationship-focused. Plus, I happened to be reading The Graveyard Book at the time, and this went very nicely as background music.
At night they would go walking 'til the breaking of the day/The morning is for sleeping/Through the dark streets they go searching to seek God in their own way/Save the nighttime for your weeping/Your weeping
8. Solas, "Vital Mental Medicine/The Pullet": With For Love and Laughter, the most recent addition to Solas's discography, Seamus Egan continues his tradition of doing scary things with a banjo, as well as his tradition of giving his original instrumentals puzzling and improbable titles. Personally, I still want to know what "Coconut Dog" is all about...
1. Emilie Autumn, "Manic Depression": Emilie is one of my absolute favorite artists because it is so very tricky to pigeonhole her. Her lyrics are always sharp and witty, but she's always experimenting with her singing style. However, this song features neither her lyrics nor her voice, but rather her prowess on the electric violin: this girl can shred.
2. Snow Patrol, "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It": Snow Patrol is one of those bands whose albums I have always meant to buy and never got around to it. However, I may now just have to give in and snag a copy of A Hundred Million Suns. I heard this one morning on XPN a few weeks ago during the drive to work. I love the energy and the rhythm of it, but it was the lyrics that caught my ear--they're unusually vivid and visual.
A fire, a fire/You can only take what you can carry/A pulse, your pulse/It's the only thing I can remember/I break, you don't/I was always set to self destruct though/The fire, the fire/It cracks and barks like primal music
3. Kaki King, "Doing the Wrong Thing": The word virtuoso always gets tossed around when people talk about Kaki because of her acoustic guitar skills, but she's definitely branched out since her first album. She creates soundscapes--I can't think of a better way to put it. Her songs may not always have words that stick in my head or a melody I can tap my foot to, but they take me somewhere else. The inside of her head must be an interesting place.
4. Gillian Grassie, "Tamlin": When I looked at who Gillian listed in her influences and saw the title of this song, I admit I leaped to conclusions and assumed it was going to be some kind of Loreena McKennitt imitation, but she takes the traditional folktale and twists it around into something entirely unexpected and original.
Do you ever get that feeling of being infinite and small?/Like you're everything and nothing at all?/My love has become a burning coal/And I'm not sure I can hold/My love, he's become a glowing coal/And he burns me/And I hold
5. The Fratellis, "Milk and Money": Ah yes, another one of my very favorite bands. This is the last song on their second album, Here We Stand, and I was lucky enough to hear it live when I saw them a few months ago. Some critics haven't been that kind to this album, but I think it shows how much they've grown since Costello Music. To me, it's songs like this that prove they're much more than "that band that plays Chelsea Dagger."
And the last chance girl in the first dance swirl/Lays her head down on the wooden floor/Won't be dancing anymore/And where do they go when the thrills have gone?/And the last song plays down at babylon/Five hundred kids shout what's the deal?/It's a very confusing way to feel
6. The Animators, "Good to Be Here": I wish I'd gotten the chance to see these guys before they broke up, but at least they left behind them two albums of good solid power pop available for free download on their web site. One of the things I really liked about them was that so many of their songs were little stories, like this one.
I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling/Look who's back, I saw the doctor smile/Careful, we almost thought we'd lost you for a while/Cecilia was the last thing I remember/On the radio of the overturned car/How long have I been here?/I can't feel a thing/But I think I'm all right
7. Coldplay, "Cemeteries of London": I started listening to Coldplay much later than everybody else did. I got Viva La Vida three or four months after it was released, and enjoyed it much more than I expected. I really like the rhythm section in this tune and the lyrics, which seem like a departure for them in that they're not relationship-focused. Plus, I happened to be reading The Graveyard Book at the time, and this went very nicely as background music.
At night they would go walking 'til the breaking of the day/The morning is for sleeping/Through the dark streets they go searching to seek God in their own way/Save the nighttime for your weeping/Your weeping
8. Solas, "Vital Mental Medicine/The Pullet": With For Love and Laughter, the most recent addition to Solas's discography, Seamus Egan continues his tradition of doing scary things with a banjo, as well as his tradition of giving his original instrumentals puzzling and improbable titles. Personally, I still want to know what "Coconut Dog" is all about...
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