Good morning, and happy Monday!
We at Wildy's World want to take a moment to congratulate all of the recently announced finalists in the 2012 International Songwriting Competition. The list is long and lengthy, and you can view them all here, but the nominees include Wildy's World alumni such as Gina Sicilia, Carrie Rodriguez, Thomas Calder (The Trouble With Templeton), The Trews, and TAT.
This is one of many contests out there for songwriters, but is among the most prestigious. Anyone who has gotten this far is worthy of attention. You'll also note that the list includes a couple of bigger names, such as Jane Siberry and Missy Higgins.
Judges for this year's competition include Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, Kelly Clarkson, Ozzy Osbourne, Tori Amos, Lucinda Williams, Tegan and Sara, John Mayall and Massive Attack. The music industry is well represented on the panel as well, so this year's winners could be tomorrow's stars.
In sadder news, the music industry said goodbye this weekend to The Monkees' Davy Jones as well as to legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose. Jones' passing at age 66 of a heart attack came as a suprise, as a recent check-up had shown him to be fit. He leaves behind a wife, four daughters, and a legacy of bright airy songs that will keep his memory alive for generations to come.
Ronnie Montrose, the iconic 1970's rock guitarist played with a list of names that could form their own rock and roll hall of fame (Sammy Hagar, Van Morrison, Edgar Winter Group, Boz Scaggs, Gary Wright, Herbie Hancock, The Neville Brothers, and others. His group Montrose continues to be a favorite spin on classic rock/AOR formatted stations. Montrose is believed to have died from Prostate Cancer.
On a brighter note, former teen idol Jon Bon Jovi recently turned 50. Hard to believe, isn't it?
Showing posts with label Tegan And Sara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tegan And Sara. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Georgi Kay - Backwards Forwards
Georgi Kay - Backwards Forwards
2011, Georgi Kay
2011, Georgi Kay
Australian singer/songwriter Georgi Kay might still be finding her footing as a performer, but the eighteen year old shows real promise on her full-length debut album, Backwards Forwards. Armed with an introspective worldview and distinctive musical sensibility, Georgi Kay is beginning to build real buzz Down Under; the sort of buzz that oceans can't contain.
Backwards Forwards opens gently with "Puzzles", a quietly lush exploration of the world that results in more questions than answers. The song represents a rest stop on the journey to adulthood, a socio-epistemological query that shows off Georgi Kay's quirky voice in intriguing fashion. "You And Me" is a passive love song in light, folk/rock syrup. The full instrumentation here is intriguing, although the production values used don't do the song any favors. "Back To Back" is a catchy folk rocker with real pop sensibility; a great listen that might just grab the attention of radio programmers in the right market. Kay digs into a melancholy and ethereal Emo style on "Breakfast In Bedlam". The song is likely the most commercially accessible tune Kay has written to date.
"You And Me" gets stripped down into an acoustic version that works better than the full studio version. There's a subtle spark here that exceeds the energy and verve of the original, and Kay is much more personable as a vocalist when it's just her and guitar. "The Cure" is a live-in studio recording that finds Georgi Kay stretching outside of her somewhat limited vocal range. Pitch and tone are sacrificed for effect in a questionable tradeoff, although the song is rich with melancholy and regret and plays well in spite of its flaws. Kay changes pace with the low-key, swaying country/pop of "The Truth". Seemingly jumping off the beaten path, Georgi Kay surprises with what might her best songwriting on the album.
"Lionheart" is a great pop ballad, pure and simple. Kay uses her compressed vocal range to full effect in a diary-style diatribe on unrequited love. While the delivery here is a bit simplistic, Kay shows the potential reach of a great songwriter here in flashes. "The Cure (Rhodes Mix)" is a crunchy guitar remix that's more vibrant than the original. The sense of over-arching melancholy is still here, but the infusion of energy in the mix is a welcome breath of fresh air that lifts the song up and puts it in a new light. Backwards Forwards closes with two electro-dance oriented tunes, the messy "Free (Rae Mix)" and a bland recast of "The Cure (The Stoops Mix)". Both introduce rap with guest rhymers, and both are purely unconvincing. Georgi Kay presents mellow-ethereal choruses over non-descript dance arrangements as a contrast to the rap verses, but the whole process sounds contrived.
Georgi Kay is a fledgling songwriter with more than a bit of talent, and an unusual, memorable voice. Though not gifted with significant range, Kay's shy, intelligent perceptions light up her songs like shafts of sunlight through storm clouds. The songs on Backwards Forwards are full of the angst and roiling uncertainty of adolescence, but there is also a burgeoning confidence in Georgi Kay's storytelling that compels you to listen. Georgi Kay is still developing her sound and trying new things, but the process here is very much worth paying attention to. You might just be watching the birth of a star.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Georgi Kay at www.georgikay.com orwww.myspace.com/gaytothehay. Backwards Forwards is available digitally via iTunes.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Margaret Cho - Cho Dependent
Margaret Cho - Cho Dependent
2010, Clownery Records
For many years Margaret Cho has been known as the potty-mouthed comedienne who has done more to tear down Asian-American stereotypes than anyone since George Takei. Cho's comedic act has always brimmed with language that would make George Carlin blush, but in the process she has shown an insightful eye for comedic detail that cannot be denied. Cho began bringing that insight, humor, and yes, language to song a few years ago, incorporating more and more comedic songs into her act. Cho recently documented her efforts with the release of Cho Dependent, a collection of fourteen songs based in serious music and the comedic whimsy of Margaret Cho and several of her musical friends. Guests include Tegan & Sara, Ani DiFranco, Ben Lee, Tommy Chong, Garrison Starr and Fiona Apple (among others).
Margaret Cho is incredibly smart, and she approached Cho Dependent with an eye to keep the music viable; a serious effort. In this she mostly succeeds on Cho Dependent. As for her lyrics/humor; it's really a matter of whether you like Cho coming in. If you like Cho's comedy then you'll like the album. If you don't, then the album will be a waste of your time. Cho opens with "Intervention", featuring Tegan & Sara. The song is an intervention in progress with Cho playing the one in need. Things go badly as interventions often do until something gets broken. The humor here is baseline and predictable, but the song is decent. "Calling In Stoned" features Ben Lee and Tommy Chong (as himself). It's one of the more amusing tracks on the disc, featuring a phone message from Chong to Cheech about stopping over to Cho's house for supplies.
"Your D!ck", with Ben Lee is too crass and straight-forward to be funny, turning more into an exercise to see how many times Cho can repeat the word in one song. "Baby I'm With The Band" is at least a little more subtle; not really funny but at least entertaining. "Hey Big Dog" tells the story of an interloper from the perspective of a canine. It's actually a pretty neat bit of songwriting. Fiona Apple guests in a decidedly atypical performance. "I'm Sorry" is a wayward and posthumous apology for homicide to the victim, featuring Andrew Bird. Cho's premise here has potential, but the delivery is two straightforward to mine that potential. Ditto "Lice", which takes the humor out of the equation by going rate for the comic jugular.
"Enemies" (with Jon Brion) is an anti-breakup song from the perspective of a megalomaniac celebrity who won't be put off. It's an amusing effort, particularly with the "don't you know who I am" mentality, and is well-crafted musically. "Gimme Your Seed" fails the humor test and isn't exactly the sort of thing you'd expect to hear Garrison Starr sitting in on. It's the low point of the album (followed closely by the preceding track "Asian ADJacent". "Eat Sh!t & Die" is extremely crass and equally amusing; a breakup song that could be an anthem in the right crowd. "Captain Cameltoe" was highly disappointing; particularly consider that Cho had none other than Ani DiFranco sitting in. "My Puss" is an estrogen-laced diatribe against a neighbor that Cho recorded off the cuff with friends and became a YouTube sensation. The song is that it is; a bit too straight forward and repetitive in form to appeal on a musical level. Perhaps the best song on the disc is the hidden track, "Lesbian Escalation", which Cho co-wrote and recorded with Rachel Yamagata. You'll have to hang around for a few minutes after the last track to catch this one.
Margaret Cho has a formula that works for her in Comedy, and she has carried that formula over into her music. Cho Dependent works on several levels, but funny is often not one of them. Cho has crafted an album full of viable compositions, but lacks the subtlety to really bring the humor out of her songs. As always, Cho tackles her subjects head on hoping to surprise or even bully the laughs out of you. The physical aspect of her comedy routine assists in this process, as Cho can pull some masterful facial expressions out of her bag of tricks. That gimmick doesn't work with the music, particularly not on CD/MP3. Too often Cho goes for the lowest common denominator, which is a valid choice, but it will leave too many listeners out in the cold to get Cho Dependent recognized as the serious attempt at music that it is.
Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Margaret Cho at http://www.margaretcho.com/ or www.myspace.com/margaretcho. Cho Dependent is available from Amazon.com as a CD'
or Download. You can also find the album on iTunes.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Review: Hawksley Workman - For Him And The Girls
Hawksley Workman - For Him And The Girls
2000/2009, Isadora Records
Ryan Corrigan, AKA Hawksley Workman, has been known to Canadian artists for a decade now as a Juno-award winning singer, songwriter and producer. A multi-instrumentalist with a sound that's drawn comparisons to Tom Waits and The Rheostatics, Workman mixes and melds quirky folk with Pop, Cabaret and even Glam Rock elements to create some of the most distinctive and original pop music anywhere. For Him And The Girls, his debut album, was originally released in 2000 in Canada, but recently had its debut in the United States. It is an eclectic collection of songs meant to help American audiences develop a taste for Workman's music in advance of the release of Milk & Meat in 2010. Aside from his own projects, Workman has produced albums/songs for Great Big Sea, The Cash Brothers, Sarah Slean, Skydiggers and Tegan and Sara, among others.
Workman opens For Him And The Girls with Maniacs, an ambitious and off-center rock tune that runs an almost Latin rhythm beneath a lyrically disjointed alt-rock tune that perseverates on "maniacs", "fatsos" and "slaves". Welcome to the world of Hawksley Workman, where social conscience and madness occasionally run hand in hand. Sissies is a deliciously upbeat Pop Rocker that will get inside your head and set up residence. This is one of those songs that ambushes your thought process three days after you've heard it and just won't get out of your head. Luckily it's well written, bordering on comical at times. Sad House Daddy has a cabaret feel; it amounts to an apology for everything from someone who might be segueing in and out of reality. Sweet Hallelujah is a lilting prayer; a gorgeous tune with a melody that's practically heart-breaking.
Bullets is an amusing tune full of campy machismo and wit; danceable and catchy and driven by a sense of invincibility that appears on its face to be ridiculous. Workman gives a highly emotive performance on Don't Be Crushed before transitioning into a quasi-Country/Pop sound on Stop Joking Around. Workman strips away all excess on Safe And Sound, an amazing love song offered here in a simple acoustic arrangement. This is a tune destined for Mix Tapes, movies, television and anywhere else a licenser could think to put it. Baby This Night is a slow jam for the 21st century Alt-Rock fan, with a slightly twisted turn. It's a strong song, although Workman does get a bit bogged down in repetition part way through. Workman closes out with Beautiful & Natural, a song that sounds like something of an ode but burrows through a dark psychedelia in tribute. You'll walk away thinking perhaps it was a sweet song as played in the sort of distorted funhouse sounds you hear in horror movies.
Hawksley Workman is nothing if not enigmatic. I don't know if this is the album I would have used to introduce him to US audiences (I might have chosen (Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves)). but it is a fair representation of where his muse leads. That being said, For Him And The Girls is a brilliant collection that will intrigue you and keep you off balance as a listener. Workman knows how to push a listener's buttons, but not so far that he drives you away. Quite to the contrary, you're likely to stick around even if it’s just to see what he might do next.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Hawksley Workman at http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/ or www.myspace.com/hawksleyworkman. You can order a copy of For Him And The Girls from MapleMusic.com, or you can download the album from iTunes.
2000/2009, Isadora Records
Ryan Corrigan, AKA Hawksley Workman, has been known to Canadian artists for a decade now as a Juno-award winning singer, songwriter and producer. A multi-instrumentalist with a sound that's drawn comparisons to Tom Waits and The Rheostatics, Workman mixes and melds quirky folk with Pop, Cabaret and even Glam Rock elements to create some of the most distinctive and original pop music anywhere. For Him And The Girls, his debut album, was originally released in 2000 in Canada, but recently had its debut in the United States. It is an eclectic collection of songs meant to help American audiences develop a taste for Workman's music in advance of the release of Milk & Meat in 2010. Aside from his own projects, Workman has produced albums/songs for Great Big Sea, The Cash Brothers, Sarah Slean, Skydiggers and Tegan and Sara, among others.
Workman opens For Him And The Girls with Maniacs, an ambitious and off-center rock tune that runs an almost Latin rhythm beneath a lyrically disjointed alt-rock tune that perseverates on "maniacs", "fatsos" and "slaves". Welcome to the world of Hawksley Workman, where social conscience and madness occasionally run hand in hand. Sissies is a deliciously upbeat Pop Rocker that will get inside your head and set up residence. This is one of those songs that ambushes your thought process three days after you've heard it and just won't get out of your head. Luckily it's well written, bordering on comical at times. Sad House Daddy has a cabaret feel; it amounts to an apology for everything from someone who might be segueing in and out of reality. Sweet Hallelujah is a lilting prayer; a gorgeous tune with a melody that's practically heart-breaking.
Bullets is an amusing tune full of campy machismo and wit; danceable and catchy and driven by a sense of invincibility that appears on its face to be ridiculous. Workman gives a highly emotive performance on Don't Be Crushed before transitioning into a quasi-Country/Pop sound on Stop Joking Around. Workman strips away all excess on Safe And Sound, an amazing love song offered here in a simple acoustic arrangement. This is a tune destined for Mix Tapes, movies, television and anywhere else a licenser could think to put it. Baby This Night is a slow jam for the 21st century Alt-Rock fan, with a slightly twisted turn. It's a strong song, although Workman does get a bit bogged down in repetition part way through. Workman closes out with Beautiful & Natural, a song that sounds like something of an ode but burrows through a dark psychedelia in tribute. You'll walk away thinking perhaps it was a sweet song as played in the sort of distorted funhouse sounds you hear in horror movies.
Hawksley Workman is nothing if not enigmatic. I don't know if this is the album I would have used to introduce him to US audiences (I might have chosen (Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves)). but it is a fair representation of where his muse leads. That being said, For Him And The Girls is a brilliant collection that will intrigue you and keep you off balance as a listener. Workman knows how to push a listener's buttons, but not so far that he drives you away. Quite to the contrary, you're likely to stick around even if it’s just to see what he might do next.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Hawksley Workman at http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/ or www.myspace.com/hawksleyworkman. You can order a copy of For Him And The Girls from MapleMusic.com, or you can download the album from iTunes.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Review: Camp Out - Closer
Camp Out - Closer
2009, Camp Out
San Francisco Alt-Folk/Pop duo Camp Out met while sleeping though classes at UC Berkeley. Maddy Hanks (Vox, guitar, programming) and Jackie Law (drums, drum machine, synth, backing vox) recorded their first project, Camp Out EP, in Law’s garage with substandard equipment. After playing shows locally and building a following on the net, the two went to work with producer Shaw Waters to craft a full length album. The result is Closer, which has a quirky pop sensibility that surfs their Lo-Fi aesthetic.
Camp Out lets loose with Car Crash, a song about how good people stay in bad relationships. It's nerdy, Lo-Fi Rockergirl material that will play well on College Radio with the potential to cross over. Camp Out has captured a highly infectious hook here in a pleasing arrangement, and Maddy Hanks' clear, unadorned voice makes it all click. The album, Closer, in general, is all about the relationship process: Meeting, getting to know someone, falling in love (or something like it), when to take the next step, wanting out and recovering. This is all written from the perspective of someone who seems to imply she's not good at the relationship thing.
Camp Out is the most commercial track here, followed closely by Bones, which is very catchy and details the insecurities that come on once a relationship gets serious and someone starts feeling a little hemmed in. Small Steps is the best song on the disc; the first sign of maturity and vulnerability in the entire process. Realize that Camp Out has an anti-poet aesthetic going, so much of the material here is written in every day language, and occasionally veers into the wholly mundane lyrically. The album, in general is uneven, with some very strong songs and some that just really don't work all that well. Camp Out also gets points for one of the most unusual analogies in Pop Music in the song Swordfish. I'll leave it to you to go find out.
Camp Out has a decent start with Closer, a solid album that fits in somewhere between The Breeders and Belly sonically. There's a distinct Lo-Fi Pop sensibility that rears its head here and there on Closer. It's not a drop dead amazing album, but a solid listen that will find its way to your ears from time to time.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Camp Out at www.myspace.com/campoutmusic. You can download Closer through Camp Out's MySpace page. No other online outlets noted.
2009, Camp Out
San Francisco Alt-Folk/Pop duo Camp Out met while sleeping though classes at UC Berkeley. Maddy Hanks (Vox, guitar, programming) and Jackie Law (drums, drum machine, synth, backing vox) recorded their first project, Camp Out EP, in Law’s garage with substandard equipment. After playing shows locally and building a following on the net, the two went to work with producer Shaw Waters to craft a full length album. The result is Closer, which has a quirky pop sensibility that surfs their Lo-Fi aesthetic.
Camp Out lets loose with Car Crash, a song about how good people stay in bad relationships. It's nerdy, Lo-Fi Rockergirl material that will play well on College Radio with the potential to cross over. Camp Out has captured a highly infectious hook here in a pleasing arrangement, and Maddy Hanks' clear, unadorned voice makes it all click. The album, Closer, in general, is all about the relationship process: Meeting, getting to know someone, falling in love (or something like it), when to take the next step, wanting out and recovering. This is all written from the perspective of someone who seems to imply she's not good at the relationship thing.
Camp Out is the most commercial track here, followed closely by Bones, which is very catchy and details the insecurities that come on once a relationship gets serious and someone starts feeling a little hemmed in. Small Steps is the best song on the disc; the first sign of maturity and vulnerability in the entire process. Realize that Camp Out has an anti-poet aesthetic going, so much of the material here is written in every day language, and occasionally veers into the wholly mundane lyrically. The album, in general is uneven, with some very strong songs and some that just really don't work all that well. Camp Out also gets points for one of the most unusual analogies in Pop Music in the song Swordfish. I'll leave it to you to go find out.
Camp Out has a decent start with Closer, a solid album that fits in somewhere between The Breeders and Belly sonically. There's a distinct Lo-Fi Pop sensibility that rears its head here and there on Closer. It's not a drop dead amazing album, but a solid listen that will find its way to your ears from time to time.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Camp Out at www.myspace.com/campoutmusic. You can download Closer through Camp Out's MySpace page. No other online outlets noted.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Review: The Candace Brooks Band - The Chase
The Candace Brooks Band - The Chase
2009, The Candace Brooks Band
The Candace Brooks Band is a Providence, Rhode Island quartet the blends 1990's Alt-Rock with an edge worthy of today and a Pop sensibility that's universal across generations and genres. Following up on the success of their 2007 EP, Life After Me, The Candace Books Band returns with their first full-length album, The Chase. The Candace Brooks Band won numerous accolades for Life After Me in Providence, even placing second in a Boston battles of the bands, but with The Chase looks to open themselves up to a much wider audience. The self-produced album shows influences such as Tegan & Sara, Blondie and Franz Ferdinand but stays on the high side of original with a sound that's a breath of fresh air in the stale Alt-Rock genre.
If you like to dance you're going to love The Candace Brooks Band. The band loves songs that make people dance, feeding off the energy of the crowd to push their stage show ever higher. Brooks displays the utmost confidence on the opening track, I'm Gonna Break Your Heart; a musical acknowledgement of fact more than a threat. Brooks' rough hewn voice is the perfect rocker girl touch, the ultimate accent that sounds like a cross between Jewel and Debbie Harry. Reign Of Heart grabs hold of the listener in the ultimate courtship song, mixing elements of lyric rock with a heavy guitar chorus that isn't metal but wants to be. Feel It will get you on your feet, between the delirious bass line, danceable beat and cane sugar vocal line you'll be moved to move.
Whatever You Want (For Right Now) puts a serious edge on things, catching the energy of early Blondie in a risque tune that will play particularly well live. The rhythms here are right off a Ramones record, practically, and not dancing is not an option. Reckless follows up on a somewhat bland note; not a bad song but just not having the oomph of the rest of the record. The Chase ends with Gone Missing, a song mourning the slow decline of a relationship and recalling the days when things were different. Brooks sounds her most committed on this tune, and the band is as tight as always.
The thrill of The Chase is something that doesn't fully materialize for The Candance Brooks Band. The material is mostly strong, the band is excellent, and Brooks is entertaining, but for a band with such a reputation for their live shows, that energy just doesn't translate to CD as well as it might. Brooks sounds like she's been held back at times; her voice suggests she can really let go when she wants to, but it doesn't happen here. There's a danceable energy in the music but it doesn't always carry over to the vocal line. There are probably several production decisions that lead to this outcome, but it doesn't do Brooks or the rest of the band justice. I recommend the disc, but recommend catching them live even more.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about The Candance Brooks Band at http://www.thecandancebrooksband.com/ or www.myspace.com/thecandacebrooksband. You can purchase The Chase directly from the band's web store.
2009, The Candace Brooks Band
The Candace Brooks Band is a Providence, Rhode Island quartet the blends 1990's Alt-Rock with an edge worthy of today and a Pop sensibility that's universal across generations and genres. Following up on the success of their 2007 EP, Life After Me, The Candace Books Band returns with their first full-length album, The Chase. The Candace Brooks Band won numerous accolades for Life After Me in Providence, even placing second in a Boston battles of the bands, but with The Chase looks to open themselves up to a much wider audience. The self-produced album shows influences such as Tegan & Sara, Blondie and Franz Ferdinand but stays on the high side of original with a sound that's a breath of fresh air in the stale Alt-Rock genre.
If you like to dance you're going to love The Candace Brooks Band. The band loves songs that make people dance, feeding off the energy of the crowd to push their stage show ever higher. Brooks displays the utmost confidence on the opening track, I'm Gonna Break Your Heart; a musical acknowledgement of fact more than a threat. Brooks' rough hewn voice is the perfect rocker girl touch, the ultimate accent that sounds like a cross between Jewel and Debbie Harry. Reign Of Heart grabs hold of the listener in the ultimate courtship song, mixing elements of lyric rock with a heavy guitar chorus that isn't metal but wants to be. Feel It will get you on your feet, between the delirious bass line, danceable beat and cane sugar vocal line you'll be moved to move.
Whatever You Want (For Right Now) puts a serious edge on things, catching the energy of early Blondie in a risque tune that will play particularly well live. The rhythms here are right off a Ramones record, practically, and not dancing is not an option. Reckless follows up on a somewhat bland note; not a bad song but just not having the oomph of the rest of the record. The Chase ends with Gone Missing, a song mourning the slow decline of a relationship and recalling the days when things were different. Brooks sounds her most committed on this tune, and the band is as tight as always.
The thrill of The Chase is something that doesn't fully materialize for The Candance Brooks Band. The material is mostly strong, the band is excellent, and Brooks is entertaining, but for a band with such a reputation for their live shows, that energy just doesn't translate to CD as well as it might. Brooks sounds like she's been held back at times; her voice suggests she can really let go when she wants to, but it doesn't happen here. There's a danceable energy in the music but it doesn't always carry over to the vocal line. There are probably several production decisions that lead to this outcome, but it doesn't do Brooks or the rest of the band justice. I recommend the disc, but recommend catching them live even more.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about The Candance Brooks Band at http://www.thecandancebrooksband.com/ or www.myspace.com/thecandacebrooksband. You can purchase The Chase directly from the band's web store.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Review: Verlee Rose - These Moments
VerleeRose - These Moments 2009, VerleeRose
Seattle's VerleeRose is a young duo, consisting of Keira Verlee, age 15 and Ellie Rose, age 14. They are very new to the music world, but are already generating a lot of buzz in the Seattle market. VerleeRose is also Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for May, 2009. The ladies of VerleeRose came together when they were asked to write a song for their middle school graduation in 2008. The experience worked out so well that they kept at it, and less than a year later released These Moments, a collection of 9 original songs that both underscores and belies their relative youth.
VerleeRose was selected as Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for May 2009 because of the distinct potential they have as a duo. These Moments is a musical breath of fresh air because of the innocent grace that pervades the performances thereon. The recordings are a bit rough, and limited by the relative guitar skills of the two singers, but you can hear flashes of maturity and what will become distinct songwriting styles over the course of a few years. The album opens with Falling Fast, a sweet, rough ballad akin to some of Jewel's early material. Like all young acts, VerleeRose has their awkward moments, such as A Day Ago and This Girl, but then you hear a song like Nowhere and you realize that the awkward moments are just normal growing pains. Nowhere is a potential hit built on a can't fail hook with a highly memorable chorus and great harmonies. If the right producer gets hold of this song VerleeRose will be surfing the top of the pop charts.
Would You has the seeds of a great song in it, but gets stuck in a repetitive rut and just never quite gets where it might go. Someone Extraordinary has a bit more power: pure teen angst in song with no gloss or sheen. This one is a bit forced but has real potential. There's a bit of a lull in the middle here, with All My Mistakes, This Girl and It All Works Out being pleasant listens but not really grabbing attention before New Changes hits you with the pure potential of VerleeRose. The song is very young but incredibly poignant and forward looking. Time and maturity will take this ability to see beyond self in song and turn it into a finely honed songwriting ability. The album closes out with re-castings of two songs, an A Capella version of Would You featuring Michael George and the Denelian remix of Nowhere by Kelly Dale. The latter is interesting, as it is not the direction I would have thought for the song, but it works moderately well as a club mix.
VerleeRose should be on your radar. While their songwriting style is young (consistent with their ages), there is a definite spark here that, if nurtured, will help them to quickly move beyond where they are. Comparisons to the Indigo Girls and Tegan and Sara are not without merit, but I see VerleeRose blazing a musical trail with roots that reach to those artists without duplicating their sounds. These Moments is a positive introduction to VerleeRose, and the launching pad for what just might turn out to be a great success.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about VerleeRose at www.myspace.com/verleerose. You can purchase a copy of These Moments at www.cdbaby.com/cd/verleerose, or download the album through iTunes.
VerleeRose was selected as Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for May 2009 because of the distinct potential they have as a duo. These Moments is a musical breath of fresh air because of the innocent grace that pervades the performances thereon. The recordings are a bit rough, and limited by the relative guitar skills of the two singers, but you can hear flashes of maturity and what will become distinct songwriting styles over the course of a few years. The album opens with Falling Fast, a sweet, rough ballad akin to some of Jewel's early material. Like all young acts, VerleeRose has their awkward moments, such as A Day Ago and This Girl, but then you hear a song like Nowhere and you realize that the awkward moments are just normal growing pains. Nowhere is a potential hit built on a can't fail hook with a highly memorable chorus and great harmonies. If the right producer gets hold of this song VerleeRose will be surfing the top of the pop charts.
Would You has the seeds of a great song in it, but gets stuck in a repetitive rut and just never quite gets where it might go. Someone Extraordinary has a bit more power: pure teen angst in song with no gloss or sheen. This one is a bit forced but has real potential. There's a bit of a lull in the middle here, with All My Mistakes, This Girl and It All Works Out being pleasant listens but not really grabbing attention before New Changes hits you with the pure potential of VerleeRose. The song is very young but incredibly poignant and forward looking. Time and maturity will take this ability to see beyond self in song and turn it into a finely honed songwriting ability. The album closes out with re-castings of two songs, an A Capella version of Would You featuring Michael George and the Denelian remix of Nowhere by Kelly Dale. The latter is interesting, as it is not the direction I would have thought for the song, but it works moderately well as a club mix.
VerleeRose should be on your radar. While their songwriting style is young (consistent with their ages), there is a definite spark here that, if nurtured, will help them to quickly move beyond where they are. Comparisons to the Indigo Girls and Tegan and Sara are not without merit, but I see VerleeRose blazing a musical trail with roots that reach to those artists without duplicating their sounds. These Moments is a positive introduction to VerleeRose, and the launching pad for what just might turn out to be a great success.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about VerleeRose at www.myspace.com/verleerose. You can purchase a copy of These Moments at www.cdbaby.com/cd/verleerose, or download the album through iTunes.
Friday, May 1, 2009
VerleeRose - Wildy's World Artist Of The Month; May, 2009
Wildy’s World Artist Of The Month, May 2009: VerleeRose
VerleeRose have a lot of tongues wagging, but it’s nothing compared to what may be coming down the road. Fifteen year old Keira Verlee and fourteen year old Ellie Rose have been tabbed the next Tegan and Sara and even the next Indigo Girls, but the original voice they display as songwriters sets them apart from being clones of either duo. The ladies of VerleeRose met as sixth graders in their Seattle middle school, bonding over come experiences of voice and piano lessons. They were thrown together to write and perform a song for their middle school graduation in 2008 and received an enthusiastic response they couldn’t ignore.
VerleeRose is Wildy’s World’s Artist Of The Month for May, 2009 because they remind us what music is supposed to be all about. Listen to their debut album, These Moments, and you’ll hear all of the joy of making music that every musician starts out with. There’s a great deal of talent in these two young ladies, and These Moments is just the start. VerleeRose was given this platform because they show the early earmarks of greatness, and I would not be at all surprised if twenty years from now, or even ten, VerleeRose will be a name that everyone knows.
We will be reviewing their debut release, These Moments this month, and perhaps even chatting with VerleeRose to give our readers a chance to get to know them. In the mean time, be sure to check out their MySpace page to learn a bit more. (Photo by Adam Forslund)
VerleeRose have a lot of tongues wagging, but it’s nothing compared to what may be coming down the road. Fifteen year old Keira Verlee and fourteen year old Ellie Rose have been tabbed the next Tegan and Sara and even the next Indigo Girls, but the original voice they display as songwriters sets them apart from being clones of either duo. The ladies of VerleeRose met as sixth graders in their Seattle middle school, bonding over come experiences of voice and piano lessons. They were thrown together to write and perform a song for their middle school graduation in 2008 and received an enthusiastic response they couldn’t ignore.
VerleeRose is Wildy’s World’s Artist Of The Month for May, 2009 because they remind us what music is supposed to be all about. Listen to their debut album, These Moments, and you’ll hear all of the joy of making music that every musician starts out with. There’s a great deal of talent in these two young ladies, and These Moments is just the start. VerleeRose was given this platform because they show the early earmarks of greatness, and I would not be at all surprised if twenty years from now, or even ten, VerleeRose will be a name that everyone knows.
We will be reviewing their debut release, These Moments this month, and perhaps even chatting with VerleeRose to give our readers a chance to get to know them. In the mean time, be sure to check out their MySpace page to learn a bit more. (Photo by Adam Forslund)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
