Shark Week

For devotees of Shark Week on The Discovery Channel, Marian Call co-penned a little ditty with Paul Race of AlaskaRobotics.com that you simply must here.  The song is just under a minute long and is entitled "Shark Week", and right now it's available for download on Bandcamp at any price you name.  Check it out here for free!


Learn more about fabulous Miss Marian Call at www.mariancall.com.

John Mueller (Buddy Holly) could write a song for you!

Ever wish a great songwriter would write a song just for you?  Wildy's World is partnering with some of the best and brightest Indie songwriters working today to give you this chance as a benefit for The American Cancer Society!  Tonight a new auction has begun on eBay, featuring an original tune per your request from singer/songwriter John Mueller.  Mueller is best known for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in shows such as Winter Dance Party and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, but Mueller is a very accompished songwriter in his own right, with a fine musical ear and a wicked wit. 

The winning bidder will fill out a brief survey telling Mr. Mueller who, what or where they want their song to be about.  John will then interpet the song in his own inimitable style, and record a demo of the song for the winner. 

Check out the John Mueller auction: eBay item # 221039131890. 

And don't forget we also have a song auction running for NYC singer/songwriter Kati Mac.  Check it out:  eBay item #221038586203

We have other great auctions coming up over the next 5 weeks or so from artists such as:

Benjamin Russell * Styx * Jerry Falzone * Mar Harmon (Music With Mar) * Halie Loren * Trout Fishing In America * The Energy Commission * Amos Lee * Marian Call * Lee Alexander * Spike Nicer * Amber & Dagger * Bucket Boys * Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings *  The Spanish Channel    *  The Blisterz * Missed You At The Show * BFF * Jodi Shaw * Joel Dobbins * Skyler * Zak Smith Band * KeyDragon * The Amplifires * The Modern Airline * Randy Stern * Joshua Jesty * Deborah Crooks * Jeff Littman * Shane Lamb * Amanda Belardinelli * These Curious Thoughts * Crown Point Band * Amos Lee * Steve Haggard * James Scott Fant * Beth Whitney * Brother Joscephus * Unique Monique * Pat Flanakin * Brian Pounds *

And, we may still have a few up our sleeves, so stay tuned!  And remember, all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society through the Relay For Life!

Marian Call - Something Fierce

Marian Call – Something Fierce
2011, Marian Call

When we first received Marian Call’s 2007 debut album, Vanilla, in the mail three years ago we knew we were hearing something special.  The Alaskan transplant evoked thoughts of Joni Mitchell, Jewel and Nellie McKay with crisp songwriting, honest lyrics and a voice that lights up the night like a beacon.  Even in the commissioned project, Got To Fly, Call showed an evocate and quirky personality with sweetly geeky tendencies and an impressive songwriter’s command, but nothing Call has done before can amply prepare you for Something Fierce.  Call’s third album, a 19-song, 2-disc effort, shows a transformation from the burgeoning singer/songwriter of 2007 to a master of her craft.  The leap forward in presence, command of her material and pure creative magic is absolutely stunning.

Something Fierce is broken into two distinct albums.  Volume I: Good Luck With That and Volume II: from Alaska show two disparate yet interwoven sides of Call.  Volume I shows the emergence of a confident, mature and appealing songwriter; while Volume II is an introspective and personal affair.  Each volume is a complete work in and of itself, but together they create a picture of the artist as person that is indelible.  Marian Call opens Volume I with “Good Morning Moon”, a wonderfully catchy number full of distinct pop sensibility.  Call’s imagery here is simple and appealing, yet deep in meaning; the song flows like water and is a marketer’s dream without sounding anything like the pop music you’re likely to hear on the radio.  “The Avocado Song” displays Call’s funky, bluesy, soulful side and shows a confidence and presence that has grown by leaps and bounds over the last four years.  “Dear Mr. Darcy” is a funky folk/rock song of unrequited love.  Call inhabits your head space on numbers such as this, making a deep impression with both her voice and pure presence.

Pedal steel accents prove a perfect counter-point to Call’s voice in “All New (Heart Shut Tight)”, a gorgeous confessional about the conflict of wanting to fall in love but not being able to let go and let it happen.  “Free Bird” has a jazzy feel, and Call dazzles with the range and tone of her voice over a stark, pizzicato guitar.  This is a WOW moment, the first of many.  Call doesn’t make you wait long for the next one, either, launching right into “Temporal Dominos” and unleashing the full power of her voice.  The prog/folk arrangement is ingenious and the run-on style melody becomes analogous with the stream-of-conscious lyrics, making both seem entirely natural.  Call pulls back for “Highway Five”, a Joni Mitchell-esque love song written to the coast that bore and sustains her.  The deeply personal ballad/soliloquy features just Call’s voice and guitar, and speaks to longing for home that never leaves the heart, no matter how far away home might be.  “Press Or Say Three (Your Call Is Important To Us” is a solid album track that paves the way for Volume I closing track “Ina Flew The Coop”.  This one has been kicking around Call’s live set for some time; a song about moving on and the mix of new-found freedom and captivity that follows in the wake of a relationship.  The story is told in third person with a gentle mix of envy and fear; an amazing observation that has a vaguely autobiographical feel.

Volume II opens with “Whistle While You Wait”, a personal exploration of confidence, reticence, and making the most of each moment.  Call’s mix of intellect and heart hear is stunning, moving beyond singer/songwriter pastiche into the realm of pure art.  It becomes difficult to imagine the singer separated from the song, or vice versa.  “Early Is As Early Does” looks at life as a journey or series of side trips, deeply shaded by an intellect that spends much time in self-conversation on such subjects.    This is among the most intriguing works on the set, showing Call reaching for an ever-higher level in mind, heart and song.  Such depth deserves a lighter turn, and Call doesn’t disappoint.  “I Wish I Were A Real Alaskan Girl” is an ode to the hearty women born of the 49^th state that pokes gentle fun while offering respect for those who live close to a hard land.  This song could go either way, depending on the listener, but Call weaves an entertaining and humorous narrative you won’t soon forget. 

“The Underground (One Bird At A Time)” explores the anachronism of losing your senses in a state of perpetual light.  It’s a gorgeous turn that makes the most of the colors of Call’s voice, and the sense of dislocation that comes from living in a land where (albeit temporarily) the sun never goes down.  “Coffee By Numbers (Faon’s Song)” is a jazzy piano-driven number about personal collections and taking the time to nurture them.  Coffee is the focal point of the song, but it’s Call’s voice that carries the connection.  “Equinox” is a personal soliloquy on turn the page.  Hope for the future and hesitation mix in intriguing fashion in a darkly, lovely tune that will leave an impression.  “E.S.B.” is most memorable for Call’s voice.  You simply have to listen to this one for yourself.

“Perilous Road” uses personifies the human experience of putting yourself out there for the world to see as a difficult drive.  The image of cliffs and blind turns brings to mind the concepts of faith and self-confidence, darkening the sky with doubts that seek to blot out the light of hope.  Despite the seemingly simple message, there are many layers here that will reveal themselves over successive listens.  “Aurora Borealis” features a simple, roiling beauty in a guitar-driven arrangement that swells and fades like deep water.  Call’s vocal performance is nothing less than entrancing.  Volume II concludes with “Anchorage”, a gorgeous quasi-duet between Call and cello.  The song has a quiet center, and Call fills it up with her heart and her voice.

There is a power in simplicity.  Marian Call harnesses that power and burnishes it with heart, honesty and deep intellect on Something Fierce.  Call’s presence grows by leaps and bounds on Volume I, displaying a persona that’s fun, powerful and eminently real.  Volume II encompasses more of Call’s inner dialogues; delving into mature insecurities born of past failures, new successes and a hope that one of these times will be different.  The compositions and arrangements on Something Fierce are absolutely stellar; Call seems to have a knack for marrying the perfect lyrics to the perfect melodies, and encompassing them in arrangements that fit like gloves.  The usual superlatives don’t seem to apply here, but it’s fair to say that when the year-end lists come around, the smart money is going to be on Something Fierce being highly placed.  Marian Call has created a masterpiece.  Something Fierce is nothing less than a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Marian Call at www.mariancall.com or www.myspace.com/mariancall.  You can order Something Fierce directly from Marian Call.  Ordering information is available on Marian Call's website.  If you want to hear the full album, you can stream it on Wildy's World, or on Call's website.

Streaming music: Marian Call - Something Fierce

Today marks the release of Marian Call's newest album, Something Fierce.  Marian has previously logged two albums in our year end countdowns, including her debut album, Vanilla, which was Wildy's World's Album of the Year for 2008, and Got To Fly, which came it at #4 in 2009.

We will be running a review of Something Fierce sometime in the next week, but for now we thought we'd let you listen to the album yourself.  You can also stream the album through www.mariancall.com or mariancall.bandcamp.com, where you can purchase the album or individual tracks.  So without further adieu, Something Fierce.

Marian Call and her unusual fundraising ideas

We've covered Anchorage, Alaska's Marian Call in the past.  Her albums Vanilla and Got To Fly, with Vanilla ranking as the #1 album on the Wildy's World 2008 Year-end countdown.  Call is getting to release her next album, a two disc collection entitled Something Fierce.  In the process she is running a fundraiser to cover the costs of the release.  A number of neat items are available for direct sale.  You can find the information on her Wordpress Blog.  The really interesting stuff, however, is for auction with a little over 9 hours remaining at press time.  Call is auctioning off three cover songs (you get to name the song), as well as her well-traveled rainstick, hand-written, signed lyrics for two of her songs, and two pieces of custom jewelry from Bella Boutique in Anchorage made specifically for the auction.  You can check out the auction items on Ebay.  Auctions close between 4:00 PM and 12:00PM USEDT on April 22, 2011.

I bring this to your attention for two reasons.  First, to support Call in her fundraising efforts; but also because Call shows real ingenuity in funding her efforts.  Her ideas may be beneficial to other artists who read this blog in planning their own fundraising efforts.  Call has a small but rabid fan base.  The cheapest price for one of the cover songs at press time is over $700, with one already going for $1,000.  Not too shabby.

You can learn more about Marian Call at http://www.mariancall.com/.

M Bird - Over The Bones

MBird - Over The Bones
2009, Birdsmith Productions

MBird is singer/songwriter Meagan Birdsall. While something of a musical jack-of-all trades (Jump Jazz, Broadway, Pop, Folk), MBird has lived an interested and sometimes crazy life. While a student at the Boston Conservatory of Music, MBird was recruited by a Broadway Production Company and major record label. Finishing that phase of her life, Bird moved to Kansas City and embraced the local Jump Jazz scene, becoming a highly acclaimed performer in that genre. Diagnosed with a rare disease that would have fused her jazz closed and choked off her wind-pipe, Bird survived with the help of the Kansas City music community. In her recovery, Bird picked up a guitar and began to write highly personal songs in the folk/pop realm. Those efforts resulted in MBird’s latest album, Over The Bones.

Over The Bones opens with "Train Song", a roots-laden pop tune that's a fun listen. MBird displays a charm here that's uncanny, putting the listener immediately at ease. "Over The Bones" displays the full depth and color of Bird's smooth Alto voice, on a song that sounds like it should become a classic. Bird's vocal performance here is top notch, and the pedal steel part is exquisitely done. "Over My Head" is a declaration of love, giving up all control to what she feels and asking him to do the same. It's an auspicious pop/rock tune that seems like it would only take the right break to turn it into a big hit. Bird shows off her story-teller skills on "Blues And The Highway", blending country, folk and rock around a story of a one-sided love.

Bird shows a brighter side with the charming love song "One Kiss". Bird's songwriting is incredibly nuanced and well-spoken, showing a maturity and depth as an artist that would seem to be beyond her years. The run continues with the intellectual 'come on' song "I See Your Mind". This one starts slow but you'll warm to it quickly. "Porch Swing" is a catchy, dark-yet-hopeful tune that features impressive vocal harmonies exacted by Bird herself. This song is a likely fan favorite. Bird closes with "This Bridge (Boat Song)", a song of goodbye to a relationship that will never work. Bird details all that's gone into the relationship in imagery both apparent and deep, but makes it clear that she's given it all she has. The tune is a stark soliloquy that you won't be able to ignore.

MBird once stared down death and won. On Over The Bones she stares down her own inner struggles, both internal and in the form of the relationship she's chosen to profligate almost entirely of her own efforts. The victory comes at the end when MBird walks away head held high. The process, while messy at times, is highly personal and full of emotion. Over The Bones is steeped in the sort of honesty and poetry that speckles the songs of folks like Rachael Sage, Rosanne Raneri and Marian Call. For MBird, it's a triumph on many fronts.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Mbird at http://www.mbirdmusic.com/. Over The Bones is available as either a CD or Download from CDBaby. Digital versions are also available from Amazon and iTunes.

Review: Shayna Zaid & The Catch - Shayna Zaid & The Catch EP

Shayna Zaid & The Catch - Shayna Zaid & The Catch EP
2009, Shayna Zaid & The Catch

Shayna Zaid has been a television personality and recording artist since the age of twelve, and has developed a stage presence that can't be taught. Her smoky voice and enigmatic style mix with an extreme talent for writing lyrics and a sense of melody and arrangement that are far above the norm. We reviewed Zaid's debut EP, Au Fait, in 2008, and were wowed by her songwriting and persona, but Zaid continues to develop her craft. Her latest effort, Shayna Zaid & The Catch [EP] features band mates Joel Dean (guitarist/producer); Christopher Heinz (drums), Danny Stone (bass) and Yan Izquierdo (violin) in a wonderfully coherent and Pop-influenced post-genre album you have to hear to believe.

Zaid opens with Morning Sun, a bright, airy Americana tune offered up in acoustic format. Zaid's complicated, sultry alto is full of texture and personality that leaps out of your speakers. You can't help but move to this music; a celebration of each and every new day. Just Because, one of three carry-overs from Zaid's Au Fait EP, is pure infatuation in song. Zaid proves herself a master lyricist, putting thoughts into words that slip into your brain as if they were your own. This is a song that mooning teenagers (and none too few adults) will name their mix tapes after. Closer is a fluid love ballad written to one who is far away. It's buoyed by a gorgeous melody and lyrics that flow like water; written in sweet and sensuous phrases without becoming cloying or cliché.

The highlight of the album, perhaps of the century (thus far), is Fireflies. If Zaid's purpose was to attain Pop perfection, she can quit now and go home. Fireflies is Brilliant (note the capital B). You can't teach a moment like this, but anyone out there who has ever written a song or dreamed of written one needs to listen to Fireflies and take it in. Fireflies is the view of a new love as seen through the eyes of your best girlfriend and practically bubbles over with exuberance. Zaid captures a moment in words with the fluid grace of Johnny Mercer, pairs it with a melody that simply won't leave you alone and wraps it all in arrangement that frames the song in perfect light. Pure poetry in music is what you'll hear "when his name slips through your smile wider than the river Nile, then it's love... bet he'd drive a million miles just to see you for a while, then it's love. Fireflies... light up the night."

It's You is another bit of Mix Tape Magic; a devotional written with nothing held back. Zaid sounds like a cross between Norah Jones and Tina Turner here; the combination is gripping and the song is as emotionally raw as you could imagine. Bonita could be a song of love or support; sweet and loving either way. It's a light and airy arrangement that's very danceable. Zaid closes with Blow, a powerful, driven acoustic arrangement about the perils of cocaine laced with gypsy violin ala Joe Venuti. It's more of a character sketch in song, a brilliant take that sounds like it might have come from a Tarantino film (or perhaps a song he might choose to write a film about).

When I reviewed Shayna Zaid's Au Fait EP I knew she was a formidable talent, but she's upped the ante seriously in the mean time. I don't think it's any kind of stretch to start including Zaid in discussions of the best songwriters working in Indie Music. If it were just Fireflies you could make the argument that any songwriter can strike brilliance once, but there are no less than three songs here that are exuberant ten out of tens, and there's not a smidgen of mediocrity in the bunch. If Zaid has any shortcomings commercially it will be that she doesn't fit into a neat marketable package, but will fit nicely into a lot of niches, similar to artists such as Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman, Jeff Tweedy and the still rising Marian Call. Shayna Zaid & The Catch have magic in a bottle; magic of their own making. Shayna Zaid & The Catch [EP] is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Shayna Zaid at http://www.shaynazaid.com/ or www.myspace.com/shaynazaid. Shayna Zaid & The Catch [EP] is available digitally through both iTunes and Amazon.com. It should be noted that the digital versions of the EP have only five tracks. Just Because and It’s You do not appear on the digital download versions available on either iTunes of Amazon.com, but are available on the wonderful Au Fait EP. And hey, if you dig Shayna Zaid & The Catch, why not give them a hand? Shayna Zaid & The Catch are up for band of the month from Deli Magazine. Voting closes tomorrow, February 15, 2010. Just go to Deli Magazine and look for the “Band Of The Month” poll that starts three quarters of the way down on the right on the page as it opens and vote for Shayna Zaid & The Catch. (Of course, you can vote for anyone else too, if that’s your preference!)

Review: Vienna Teng - Inland Territory

Vienna Teng - Inland Territory
2009, Zoe/Rounder Records

Vienna Teng has truly come into her own. You might think I'm a little late to the game with that statement, as her first three albums have all received critical acclaim and chart attention, but her fourth album, Inland Territory, transcends being and growth into the philosophical concept of Becoming. Over the course of the twelve songs presented on Inland Territory you can hear Teng break free from the bonds on insecurity and fear and fully take flight in glorious musical skies.

Teng starts off in ethereal beauty with The Last Snowfall, giving an almost church-like feel to a representation of the beauty of nature. Think medieval Sarah McLachlan and you have an idea where this is headed. Teng bridges Ethereal and Active rock with unusual sounds on White Light. The song never loses musicality or the warm essence of Teng's voice, but there's a definite wildcard feel here that keeps the listener engaged. Antebellum is a deeply symbolic look at an argument with a loved one. A Victorian meets Broadway flare with Ari Hest sitting in on vocals for a brilliant duet.

Kansas finds Teng painting in broad brush strokes an oil painting in music. It's a scene colored in emotional tincture and deep shadows, wrapped around a gorgeous melody. The stark arrangement simultaneously suggests distance and the intimate touch of memory. Teng continues to surprise and amaze on In Another Life, using the gritty artistic flare of Kurt Weill to explore the concept of rebirth. While there isn't a bad song on the album, the next two are so dizzyingly good you might need to sit down. Grandmother Song is Teng's first real try at touching on her Chinese/American heritage, memorializing her Grandmother in a magical composition where her essence comes to life for the listener. The song is very well written, and Teng's voice is amazing, but it's the force of her personality and her love for her Grandmother that really make this fly.

Likewise, Stray Italian Greyhound has classic written all over it. It explores the fact that sometimes love finds us when we least expect it (or sometimes even want it). Teng's wonderfully poetic imagery explodes in your brain; "Oh no, not now. Please, not now. I just settled into the glass half empty, made myself at home so why now?” Teng goes on to explore redemption and stability in another in theological terms in the intelligently and beautifully written Augustine. No Gringo paints a picture of a border crossing that's so stark and full of angst it can't have been made up. The story is poignant and places the shoe on the other foot, so to speak.

Watershed represents the earth speak back to those of us who live here without all of the cliché and political posturing generally embedded in such representations. Deeply symbolic and layered in orchestration, Watershed contrasts Earth (Teng's voice) and Water (piano) throughout, sometimes peacefully, sometimes in force, but always working together to give life to the song. Perhaps the darkest moment on Inland Territory is Radio, a dark fantasy that involves a bus, a suicide bomber and civil war in the sunny streets of San Francisco. The story itself is veiled in imagery and seems fantastical at first, but the steps that take it there are all too plausible. This story is wrapped in a musical shawl of unusual keys changes and resolutions, with an incessantly rhythmic yet inconsistent accompaniment on water glasses. This disturbing moment is tempered by the loss and then joy buried deep in St. Stephen's Cross; a love story set against the political realities of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Happiness is always balanced by darker forces even in the closing moments of Inland Territory. Whether knowingly or not, Yang and Yin ply their forces throughout.

Inland Territory isn't an album; it's an experience. It's not an easy listen if you want to get the most out of it, but Teng has constructed a musical creation that can be many things to many people. If you're in it for the pure beauty and radiance of sound, Inland Territory will please you. If you want to think with your music, Teng will not only meet your needs but challenge you always one step further. In the process, Teng has created one of the most beautiful, thought provoking and musically complete albums of the year. If you buy only one CD/download in 2009, make it Inland Territory, a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Vienna Teng at http://www.viennateng.com/ or www.myspace.com/viennateng. You can purchase Inland Territory as either a CD or download from Amazon.com.

Review: F&M - Every Light Must Fade

F&M - Every Light Must Fade
2008, Shameless Records Canada

Edmonton, Alberta is the home to F&M, a quintet that has grown from power couple Ryan and Becky Anderson. Comparisons will be made to Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Natalie Merchant, Feist and Nick Cave, but don't let the darkness fool you. F&M writes strong music dealing with difficult issues with a positive outlook (or at least the hope for one). Their latest album, Every Light Must Fade, deals with death and loss from the perspective of a life cycle where death means new life or new beginnings. Ryan (vox, guitar) and Becky Anderson (vox, piano, accordion, guitar, cymbeline) are joined by Brian "Miot" Reichert (lead guitar, vox); Chad Andriowski (percussion) and Kevin Anderson (bass). Ryan Anderson claims the band once sucked, and it’s hard to be debate such subjective outlooks, but there are definite highs and lows here.

Every Light Must Fade opens with the title track, a dark and ambling tune acknowledging that the end comes to us all in stark and poetic terms. Ryan and Becky Anderson manage to create some moments of beauty in the darkness, he with his somewhat gruff voice and her ethereal harmonies. Stuttering Boy is our first opportunity to hear Becky Anderson in a lead vocal capacity. Her voice is eclectic and unique and interesting to listen to; ranging from a fluttering and ischemic soprano to a full and warm alto. Lyrically the song is a bit halting and awkward, but the overall effect is a positive one. Bad Advice From A Bad Singer is all about fearing the end; the sort of insecurities most people have about what comes after death, if anything. It's well-written and addresses the issue without taking sides with regard to beliefs.

Becky Anderson shows the more pleasant side of her upper range on Rising To The Moon; a voice that's part Marian Call and part Hope Sandoval. Anderson shines in this dark piece about not getting where you want to be and the inevitability of death/failure/loss. Shy is a repetitive and circular picture of social awkwardness; lyrical paucity and a skittish acceptance of self are at the center of this song, which works on several levels. Industrious displays the lyrical awkwardness that seems to be one of the trademarks of the band; as if thoughts come in halting and difficult leaps. You Will Die is a stark reminder of the obvious, starting with the most story of the most unlikely and most-well known case of all. The repetitive nature of the arrangement is the driving force of the song; given its incessant and semi-urgent quality. Another Closing Number emphasizes the dichotomy of age; how we crave more when we have less and vice versa. It's an examination of human nature in darks and lights that is perhaps the most perceptive and well-written song on the disc. F&M closes out with a hidden track, The Grey Havens, an ethereal, angelic fugue that celebrates one conception of the hereafter.

F&M takes on difficult material on a difficult album in Every Light Must Fade. I can't say I enjoyed the album, yet I somewhat liked it nonetheless. This is a listening experience that makes you uncomfortable and pushes at your buttons. It's messy and dark and buoyant in its own Cimmerian waters. Ryan and Becky Anderson have voices that are distinctive and intriguing, and when they sing together they're at their collective best. Every Light Must Fade is going to be a difficult experience for some; it's not clean and easy to listen to, but it's a robust artistic statement on mortality, done in the fumbling awkward terms in which we tend to address the subject. Are you up for a challenge?

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about F&M at http://www.fandmtheband.com/ or www.myspace.com/fandmtheband. You can purchase a copy of Every Light Must Fade at CDBaby.com. If you like renting your music, you can download it through iTunes.

Review: Cupéro - Cupéro

Cupéro - Cupéro
2009, Cupéro

Wow.

Warwick, NY native Clarissa Cupéro just bowled me over. Cupéro's self-titled 6-song EP is the sort of introduction that knocks a listener off their feet. Whether it's the distinctly mature tone of 19-year-old Cupéro's songwriting, the no-holds-barred emotional strength of her songs or the absolutely amazing instrument that is her voice, Cupéro is a purely unexpected and welcome surprise on the musical scene. The Siena College student has influences all over the music map, from KT Tunstall to various classic rock artists to Columbian rocker Juanes (17 Latin Grammys). Juanes has inspired Cupéro to be a bilingual artist, writing and singing in both English and Spanish. The EP, Cupéro, was produced by Patrick Ermlich and E-Shy Gazit, who brought Cupéro's songs to life in ways even she didn't suspect when she contacted them as a high school senior. Now, Cupéro is a college student trying to build her fan base in the Albany, NY and New York City markets who has her eyes on bigger stages down the road.

Those bigger stages shouldn't be a problem at all. Not since Marian Call came along with Vanilla have I been so utterly stilled by a debut album. Cupéro makes you want to just drop everything and listen, and she handles active rock tunes and ballads with equal aplomb. With a voice that falls somewhere on a line between Sarah McLachlan and Bonnie Tyler, Cupéro makes fans every time she opens her mouth to sing. Cupéro opens with I've Got Your Number, a song she wrote for a high school talent show that has become her signature song. I've Got Your Number could have been a hit anytime in the last 25 years, and with the right breaks would vie for radio spins even in today's fractured market. La Sombra is a Spanish language song, and while I can't comment on the lyrics (no habla), the song has a powerful, sensuous feel that borders on overwhelming. Cupéro rips the roof on this vibrant rocker.

I Thought I Knew Love is a commanding love song that's chart ready as you read this. It's a bit off the beaten love song track but ideal mix-tape material and the sort of song that lights up request/dedication lines. Life Is A Moment is a song about striving for dreams and never giving up. It's a powerful message delivered in a powerful vocal performance. The arrangement opens with Cupéro and piano, adding in cello and other instrumentation as the song progresses. There's a Paula Cole "I Don't Want To Wait" feel to this song that's unmistakable. Don't be surprised if Life Is A Moment ends up licensed, movies or even gets covered by big name artists down the road (by then Cupéro may be one herself). Quiero Tu Amor is the other Spanish language song on the EP, a gorgeous ballad that would sell a million copies in an English version. I have to say though that the Spanish language brings out a certain sensuality in Cupéro's voice that's more reserved in English, increasing her marketability in an increasingly multi-ethnic culture a hundred fold. Cupéro closes out with You'll Never Be There, an urgent acoustic rocker with Americana leanings that just about proves that she can do, play or sing almost anything.

Clarissa Cupéro has everything but the breaks. Talent and composure well beyond her nineteen years and a killer voice make it very possible that down the road the name Cupéro will be as familiar as names like Prince, Madonna and Beyonce. Yes, it's a grand statement, and practically everything in Cupéro's life and career would have to go just right for that to happen. But based on what I've heard on Cupéro, it's not out of the realm of imagination. Yes, she's that good. Find out for yourself. Cupéro is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't wait, get it now.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cupéro at http://www.myspace.com/cupero or http://www.cuperomusic.com/. You can download a copy of Cupéro through iTunes or through Amazon MP3. I don’t have any word on CD distribution at the time of publication, but will update with links when/if they become available.

Review: Lindsay Katt - Picking Out Boxes

Lindsay Katt - Picking Out Boxes
2009, Lindsay Catalanello

Lindsay Katt is a New York City based singer/songwriter with a reputation for honest and intelligent lyrics and an ability to highlight beauty in the mundane. Her debut CD, Picking Out Boxes, is a stark and ultimately welcome reminder that truth and beauty can coexist in art and music.

Lindsay Katt opens with My Happy, a jaunty pop/rock tune with orchestration that is introspective and energetic and ultimately listenable. The chorus is particularly memorable and Katt gets particularly creative on the bridge. Katt makes the case for pop realism while staying clearly in a very commercial sound. Out & About is about love and taking leaps of faith. The universal theme of taking risks for gain is portrayed perfectly in a highly intelligent pop song with distinct commercial punch. Wretched Unbelievers is a catchy tune that sounds a bit like Sarah McLachlan with instrumentation similar to what McLachlan used on her earlier albums and the same sort of ethereal vocal structure.

Fairly is a wonderfully lilting pop tune that you won't be able to get out of your head, showing off Katt's voice to great effect. Heart Place finds Katt sounding a great deal like Feist in what may be the most commercial sounding track on the disc. The interesting thing about Katt's music is that her commercialism seems to be almost by accident. The songs on Picking Out Boxes are incredibly intelligent lyrically and almost aesthetically melodic. The energy that Katt injects both in the music and through her voice turns even the most mundane musical line into gold. Add into this what be one of the more sultry and sweet voices in pop music and you border on not just a performance but a musical experience.

Andie Ann is presented in a vibrant and dark musical arrangement with full orchestration that is as beautiful as it is unsettling. The layered vocals and orchestra work together to create a song that soars in the shadowy dark chords the song is written in. Pretty In A Paper Bag opens as a plaintive piano tune and turns into a swaying pop song that eschews the term love while defining it. This may be the best writing on the album and deserves to be heard far and wide. Two Little Birds opens out into a straight up pop/rock song that is perfect for pop radio. The imagery here is distinct and unusual and represents the unsettled nature of ambiguous relationships perfectly. The album closes out with Promises and Yellow Tail, but highly introspective and worth checking out.

Lindsay Katt has something special going on. Her raw talent and the sporadic cultural isolation growing up in the mountains of Montana have conspired to create a distinctive and original voice, both literally and figuratively. Picking Out Boxes is powerful and lovely debut from an artist we hope we'll be hearing much more from in the future. Lindsay Katt is the real deal.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lindsay Kat at www.myspace.com/lindsaykatt or http://www.lindsaykatt.com/. You can purchase a copy of Picking Out Boxes at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lindsaykatt, or you can download a copy from iTunes.

Review: Marian Call - Got To Fly

Marian Call - Got To Fly
2008, Marian Call/Quantum Mechanix
Marian Call is the fiery-haired chanteuse from Alaska responsible for last year’s Vanilla, Wildy’s World’s Album Of The Year for 2008. The Anchorage-based singer-songwriter has continued to branch out into the lower forty-eight, with recent or upcoming shows in Colorado and Texas. Her sophomore album, Got To Fly, is something of a geek tribute album. It includes all original material inspired by shows/movies/books such as Firefly, Star Trek, Lord Of The Rings and Battlestar Galactica, to name a few. Don’t write off Got To Fly based on her inspiration, the album is amazing.

Got To Fly opens with I'll Still Be A Geek After Nobody Thinks That It's Chic (The Nerd Anthem), a wonderfully retro-mod anthem that drops references to The Lord Of The Rings, Star Trek, Steven Hawking, Galileo and Van Gogh. The Nerd Anthem walks the line of novelty song but is just too well written to really be considered such. It doesn't hurt that it's call's dulcet voice singing the words, but the song is as much serious social commentary as it is a celebration of nerd-dom. Good Old Girl opens with a furtive passage that opens into a theatrical coffee house missive and the sort of affection that fictional characters inspire in fans. Call's harmony vocals are gorgeous. Don't Try is romantic advice for Firefly’s Simon Tam and Battlestar Galactica’s Billy Keikeya, but is a lovely ballad built on a plaintive piano and angelic vocals.
Dark Dark Eyes is a mix-tape love song if ever there was one; a classic folk ballad. Fans of Marian Call's first album, Vanilla, might be a little wary of an album with sci-fi and fantasy themes, but this isn't a hack tribute album. Got To Fly pays its tributes with the songwriting and performance quality we've come to expect from Marian Call. Call herself expressed a little trepidation how this album might be received, but that concern is baseless. Call is such a great storyteller, and the tributes or parallels are subtle and well-written such that most listeners won't get most of the references unless they are fans of the particular show, writer, etc. Vera Flew The Coop is an epic story inspired by Firefly, but again, unless you’re a fan of that particular show it’s just a highly interesting story song with Call's amazing voice lulling you in. The same goes for Its Good To Have Jayne On Your Side, which has a bit of an old-school country feel to it. Call has crafted another story song inspired by Firefly that is likely to be covered by other performers.

In The Black could be the anthem for the black sheep of family, but is also based on the television drama Firefly. Call weaves her story-telling magic in another song that is destined to be covered over and over. I wouldn't be entirely surprised to hear In The Black licensed for television or movies either; it's that well done. Got To Fly is the breakout song of the album. Call outdoes herself in a composition that is so complex and stylistically mixed its hard to keep up with. Lyrically dense, Got To Fly is a vocal master class from Call. Lesser vocalists couldn't even get through the song, but Call belts, coos and croons like the song is her second nature. I had this one on repeat for almost an entire day at one point as comprehension ran its course into awe. Call closes out with It Was Good For You Too (blues version), in a classic torch performance that will blow you away. Based on Firefly’s Yo-Saff-Bridge, It Was Good For You Too is destined to be a fan favorite. This is another song that is bound to be covered, licensed and spread virulently by suggestion.

When I first heard Marian Call was releasing a project that was a tribute to Sci-Fi/Fantasy television, movies and books, I have to admit I was a little skeptical. Most any other artist I would have simply let it pass, but I know some of McCall's work. Unless you’re a big fan of the material that inspired a particular song you'll never know the song is a tribute. What you will understand very quickly is that Marian Call is a rare talent. I don't know if there is anyone else currently in pop or folk music quite like her. Got To Fly is a highly limited release (1,000 CDs) without any current plans to reprint it, but if you're a fan of great songwriting and great performance you need this disc. Got To Fly is a surprising Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Marian Call at http://www.mariancall.com/ or www.myspace.com/mariancall. You can purchase a signed, limited copy of Got To Fly (only 1,000 copies made) through Quantum Mechanix.

The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #1

And here we are, finally. The #1 album of the year.

Before we get there, I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who put themselves out there to submit material to Wildy's World for review in 2008. Whether you are a new artist trying to find a foothold in the business or an established name, it can be nerve wracking to put the finished product of months or years of your life's work in the hands of a stranger for their honest opinion. Even a place like Wildy's World where we strive to find the positive qualities of a recording and won't write a review if we don't feel we have anything nice to say can ruin someone's day/week/month with the wrong turn of phrase, choice of words, or just a good honest opinion.

Performers are incredibly brave, incredibly strong and ultimately incredibly fragile people. They live and die with the applause. A great reaction is manna for the artist. Silence is starvation. Everything in between carries mixed emotions. The people on this Top-40 list are getting great reactions, but they aren't the only ones from this year who deserve them. There is a long list of albums who maybe didn't make the Top-40 but represented quality work from artists in 2008 that are documented in this blog. The reviews and lists here ultimately reflect my opinions, and they can change, but the Top-40 albums here are the ones that have really stuck with me throughout the year. Things I continue to listen to and enjoy and suspect I will for some time. So we'll strive to do the same thing in 2009, giving all of those brave enough to put themselves out there a platform and someone who's not a publicist to shout about you into the virtual world. Our growing readership indicates that people are listening.

On to #1...
#1 Marian Call - Vanilla
It was a big year for Alaska. Alaska's national profile has been semi-permanently bolstered by the political ascendance of Governor/VP Candidate Sarah Palin. She has perhaps topped Jewel as the biggest thing to come out of Alaska. Don't be surprised if in the long run both names are eclipsed by one Marian Call. The fiery redhead from Anchorage is Indie Music's pure heart. Her acoustic guitar-driven missals weave heartfelt and personal stories with irony and perhaps just a touch of mischief. Call creates magic whenever she picks up her guitar or opens her mouth to sing. Not much known away from Alaska before last year, Marian Call has started to play dates on the West Coast and is beginning to build a buzz. We were lucky enough to be one of the first to review Vanilla and we realized right away what a hidden gem we'd found. Aside from her overt talent, Marian Call has done a great deal to encourage a bustling local music scene in Anchorage, and creates music at a rate that is almost super-human. She publishes one song a month on her web-site, has put out two albums in the last 18 months or so and is working on a third.


I highly recommend you get to know Marian Call now. She's on the way up, and there's no telling how high this rocket will go. Marian Call is the real deal, and she epitomizes the heart and soul of what all the artists who have submitted material to us in the past year are striving to do. Create. Play. Excel. Live.
Congratulations to Marian Call for having the #1 CD on The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008. It's well deserved. And congratulations to everyone who was listed here, and to all those who, thought they may not know it, didn't miss by all that much. You are all the lifeblood of the music industry. You keep the great music flowing. You keep making it, and we'll keep telling the world about it. Thanks for a great 2008!