Thea Gilmore - Strange Communion 2009

With each coming Christmas season I become more and more troubled by what the music scene is going to thrust upon us. This year has been filled with surprises more than disappointments and for that I am eternally grateful. From Halford to Dylan to Weezer I have been pleasantly gifted by each new release so far, but this one I say takes the cake so far. Britain's Thea Gilmore , folk singer and lyricist extraordianaire, has released her own contemplative if not cynical Christmas themed "Strange Communion".

With the exception of a few tracks, Strange Communion doesn’t seem particularly Christmassy, or even wintry, but it feels as comfy as a pair of slippers. Of the ten tracks, eight were penned by Thea and/or her husband and long-time producer Nigel Stonier, and the remaining two are covers of lesser known recordings by Yoko Ono (‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’) and Elvis Costello (‘The St Stephens Day Murders’). Consequently, what we get is a very personal reflection on the festive season, exemplified best on the tellingly titled ‘Thea Gilmore’s Midwinter Toast’. Starting out plaintive and honest, Semay Wu’s cello accenting the melancholic twinge in Gilmore’s vocal and acting contrapuntally to the faint, synthesized choral backing that emerges later, it’s part love letter to her fans, part affirmation of her faith in the power of song.

Having given us a whopping nine studio albums in 11 years, it’s forgivable that Gilmore hasn’t shown the same amount of artistic progression between releases as some of her peers, but Strange Communion shows this fact up more than any other. So while ‘Cold Coming’ sounds uncannily like a leftover from Harpo’s Ghost given extra bells (no whistles), both ‘Drunken Angel’ and ‘Old December’ echo the weary ruminations of last year’s Liejacker. That’s not to say that Gilmore doesn’t stretch herself at all here; she does, in good and bad ways. By recruiting BBC Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe to be her male vocal foil on ‘The St Stephens Day Murders’, Gilmore turns a very silly song even sillier. Even looking favourably on Radcliffe’s dominating gusto, the delivery so acutely recalls the infallible Pogues and Kirsty MacColl duet, ‘Fairytale Of New York’, that its ramshackle nature feels a little forced.

Ever the outsider, you get the sense that Gilmore has an indefinite struggle with the idea of Christmas. On album opener ‘Sol Invictus’ (Latin: ‘the unconquered Sun’), beautifully recorded with a cappella choir Sense Of Sound, she sounds much more at home with the straightforward Pagan sentiments of the lyric than when rolling her words around to avoid overt Christian terminology. Likewise, the spoken-word ‘Book Of Christmas’ sounds awkward on paper, but the heavily politicised lyric, courtesy of Irish poet Louis MacNeice’s ‘Autumn Journal’, is so very Thea that she pulls it off. It helps that Nigel Stonier’s electric piano and harmonium backdrop on this song is probably Strange Communion at its most musically interesting, with all its shades of Moon Palace-era Lisa Germano. For pure evocative songwriting, though, a timely re-recording of ‘December In New York’ from the long out of print As If EP is the album’s main draw, achieving a difficult balance between stark and poetic over a simple circular melody.

Of course, what the vast majority of people seem to want at Christmas is a feelgood pop singalong, and Gilmore bravely steps up to the plate with ‘That’ll Be Christmas’, Strange Communion’s only real attempt at the money shot. Drawing on various Christmas staples – mulled wine, ‘The Sound Of Music’, Jona Lewie, mistletoe – Gilmore cleverly crafts her words to take a sideways swipe at Christmas while simultaneously celebrating it, a two-handed approach that probably captures how a lot of us feel about the whole ordeal. In fact, it’s this attitude that really serves to sum up Strange Communion as an entity, a Christmas album for people who don’t really like Christmas, or at least who view it with a healthy dose of cynicism. Even pseudo-Scrooges need music, and this modestly ambitious and solid collection caters to them perfectly.


here is a clip of Mrs. Gilmore for those that heven't the pleasure to have heard her as of yet.

Artist: Thea Gilmore
Album: Strange Communion
Genre: Folk,Indie, Acoustic
Country: UK
Download: Here

Sirens Of Titan - S/T 2009

I was talking with my wife the other day about how bands with female vocalists seem to have a harder time making it in the metal scene than those with male singers. She said it was because they get lumped in with bands like Nightwish or Otep. I for the most part agree with her and maybe even have to push it further. It isn't just in the metal scene but in the rock scene as a whole. Female vocalists tend to get thrown under the comparison bus or simply classified as a clone.



That's what sparked my interest in the band Sirens of Titan. I had read a couple of things about them recently, most notably about Felicia Mitchell, singer. I had heard the obvious comparisons that most traditional female rock vocalists get...Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart) and Grace Slick. I was sold on the premise that the band had some of that 60's hard rock mentality mixed with a good helping of stoner metal grooves similar to Trouble, Kyuss and Clutch. Add in the female vocalist and wow...I had to get it.

And I am really glad I did.



First of all, Felicia does bring up those names of comparison, but she is unique all on her own as well. Much like Janis Joplin had a sound to herself, so does Mitchell in that aspect. Her voice can be tender and flowing, haunting even...and then as brash and powerful as Dallas Brasca or Grace Slick...while invoking the depth of the Wilson sisters. She's not one to have comparisons brought against...she's a new name to be compared to.

Named after the 1959 novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Sirens of Titan slip a few other science-fiction references onto their self-titled debut album, most notably in the Scientology-tweaking 'Thetan Audit.' But their chief interest isn't sci-fi, but sludgy stoner metal in the vein of Sabbath and the Melvins, with guitarist Sam Rhode, drummer Conan Malady and bassist Matt Duffin brewing up a cauldron of noise that is well matched by vocalist Felicia Mitchell, whose tough-girl roar makes her sound like the kind of woman who might not start a bar fight, but could certainly finish it.



This debut album is a full hour of epic kick ass in the vein of the bands I mentioned before: Sabbath, Kyuss, Trouble, Clutch and even Soundgarden in some ways. The end result is a straight up mixture of doom laden, bluesy heavy rock and metal that will get even the most jaded rock fan bobbing their heads. SoT have a few standout tracks on this disc, most notably the funky "Lothario","Hang me Twice" and "Thetan Audit". Other tracks like "Dancing Methusaleh", "43" and "Washed Away" are in your face balls to the wall metal monsters. Even the slower, doomier tracks, such as "Saltonaut" are I daresay brilliant in their composition.

This band is not about having a female vocalist as their hook. They are about riffs and groove first and foremost. The fact that they have Felicia taking on the vocal tasks is just another feather in their hat.

This is a definite winner for any fan of female fronted rock and metal bands. It is even more of a winner when you realize that every single track on this kicks ass.

Band: Sirens Of Titan
Album: S/T
Genre: Stoner Metal/Psychedelic Hard Rock
Download: Here

By Bez

Trevor's House - Dallas Frasca and Her Gentleman

Not to long ago, a blues singer I know introduced me to an artist she was rather fond of, given her rough and raw delivery and driving hooks and backing, she called it "dirty down under mississippi delta blues", which, being the blues man I am at heart, drew my attention. The band she introduced me too was Dallas Frasca and Her Gentleman, a blues duo from Pambula, New South Wales, Australia, though by listening to Dallas' voice, you'd never know that. their style is kind of a amalgam of sub genres of blues and old school rock with the modern heartfelt female power ballading women of today's rock. Its kind of like if Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin formed a band, musically and vocally, with Dallas both singing and doing guitar, while her gentlemen as it were, picks up the rest, vocally, Dallas seems to be somewhere in a class of her own, as a woman who was self taught by means of a radio who was her only company on 12 hour shifts as a lab tech, has a stand alone sound that shifts effortlessly from soft and beautiful to raw and an almost thunderous Battlecry on the gruff and hard edged tracks.



These reasons are why, of Dallas' few albums to her name, I picked "Trever's House" as the one to showcase here, it swings the entire length of Dallas' spectrum as an artist, from slow and beautiful to harsh and guitar driven, to everything in between. I've always believed an album should be a trip around the universe in sound, not just a drive around the block in your grandmother's old car just to show off for the neighbors, in that respect i wasn't let down once with this disc. The album starts out with "Define Addiction" a slow starting track that builds to these beautiful hard rock guitar hooks that crash and boom like thunderheads in the night sky, lovely start track, very smart choice. Followed by "No Coincidence" a lovely hard driving rock track, its very reminiscent of those grandus 1970s rock ballads you'd find as an album track on a Led Zepplin album, just on a shorter scale, lovely as well. Next is "rejuvenation" which is infact my favorite track on this disc, i find myself singing the hook at odd times, and the music is awesome, I love the 1940s mambo style beginning that goes into one of those trippy late 60s british rock style tracks, it actually had me kind of dancing in my chair, which, not easy to do.



The rest of the album expands from there, high energy booming guitars, driving drums and well constucted hooks and lyrics. As I listen to her I get a feeling like I'm at this smokey little club in Oz and just watching in awe of the power and drive the band has, which is what really sells the album, its that feeling that this is what they live for, what they love and what they can't breath with out, their desire to sound like no one thats out today, mixed with improvisation and knowing when to put the right songs in the right places, just make them a joy to listen too, another stand out track on the album is "positive contagious" which might be the most mellow song on the whole disc honestly, I love how there is no real growling, or howling, or power ballading, its just nice mellow music with nice mellow vocals as well, beautiful track, its follow up is "One Cent" which has this amazing blues rock song with guitar beats that are like rough hot sex in music form, with vocals that match it perfectly, the song also gets points for the word "shitabyss" which is a lovely reference to the canadian cult tv show Trailer Park Boys, where it was introduced.



There are more tracks on the album, but I have this sort of "you have to listen too it instead of me telling you about it" kind of feeling on it, I mean would you want to tell someone about a rollercoaster ride or would you rather put them in the cart and make'um ride that bad boy with you? Yeah, its conflicting that way, I wanna rave about it, but i don't wanna ruin the surprises. I would say though, everyone should have a listen to this, atleast once, the journey it takes you on is just so beautiful to the ears. Beautiful music by a beautiful and unique woman, which I hope you all will enjoy.

as for kind of a sample... well, I couldn't find a video from this album, but I did find a video of Dallas doing "Old Fashion Morphine" which will give you an idea of her vocals.



Artist: Dallas Frasca and Her Gentleman
Hompage: http://www.dallasfrasca.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dallasfrascamusic
Album: Trevor's House
Genre: Rock/Blues/Old School Rock
Download: click this

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BC

Elijah Drop Your Gun by Mieka Pauley

Afew months ago I borrowed the "10 Tracks" concept from my fellow contributor BC, and brought you all some music by one of my favorite artists, Mieka Pauley, a singer/songwriter/hot chick with a guitar from my hometown, the indie music mecca Boston Massachusetts, and to follow that up, I'm proud to bring you her latest album "Elijah Drop Your Gun" a title taken from the song "Run" which is as stated my last time out with her, is a personal favorite of mine. This time though, Mieka's taken a different turn form her down to earth basement studio style thats gained her critical acclaim and awards for so many years. This is a more stylistic and radio geared Mieka Pauley sound, and though I do miss the style I've come to love over these many years of watching her live, listening to her albums and downloading live shows, I don't overly mind the musical risks she's taking on this album. Plus every good artist knows that its a smart thing to change up their style just abit every few years anyway as to keep from getting stale or stagnant in their genre. So though afew songs probably shouldn't have been changed, over all this album is solid, incredibly done and takes Mieka's music to another level all together, which brings her just abit closer to finally being the success she deserves to be.

The album starts out with a new more rockish version of "All Of The Same Mistakes" which transitions well from a slow sad blues song into a somewhat angry chick rocker style which actually brings the song out more. the second song is "Be Like the Man" which is a pretty nice little southern rock style song, you wouldn't think Mieka's voice would lend well to a song thats music sounds like something akin to "Bad To The Bone" but it does, it really comes through when she starts bringing out the more angry tone to her voice near the end then drops back to her normal tone, this is followed by "Secret" which becomes a very upbeat but still sexy song over its simplistic guitar style of before, I love this song's transformation really. The next song is "Bravely" which goes from a somewhat uninteresting song into a very beautiful bit of music written over lyrics that make more sense with the new arrangement, love when a song makes me see it in a new light like that. The next song is 9:45, one of her newer songs I've not exactly heard enough of it to really judge any of its versions, but i'd assume its about getting up and running away in the middle of the night, if thats so the music on the studio version works so well with it as that, its the kind of thing you'd hear in a movie when a woman's trying to get away from an abusive relationship. The next one is "Devil's Got My Secret" not alot was changed for this, a piano is more pronounced and secondary guitars, but honestly, this song is so beautiful that anything they do to it is just amazing, it really is. Followed by "Fate Day By Day" which has become sort of a signature song for Mieka, its updated well but i'm still more in love with the latest live version of it, just so great.. the next one is "Stronger" another of her signature tracks, I rather enjoy this one's new take, the crashing guitars fit the chorus so well not much was done other then that to it from its original form, but still a very nice listen. The next song is "Run" the track which the album's name comes from, and though i love the bluesy "hunter" feel of the original version of the song, I am slowly gaining love for this more pop friendly version that just seems so, different, i understand what she's doing with the song and all, but, dunno just doesn't seem to fit 100% for me, but thats ok opened mindedness is key to life. the last two songs, "Left To God" and "Draped In Blue" though great songs live, seem so much more deep and meaningful in their new forms, no idea why but they just speak so much more, truly beautiful songs they are.

All and all as long as you aren't one of those closed minded "it must always be the same" kind of music fans and aren't open to new takes or ideas then this album isn't for you if you're a fan of Mieka's work before now. BUT, if you are open minded and willing to watch as a great artist comes into her own voice and her own musical space, then this album will be great for you, its not too pop for us not mainstream lovers and its not too indie that mainstream people will go "eww this isn't top 40 so it sucks" though really no one cares what anyone that thinks that way thinks anyway.. I would say this is the kind of album that everyone should atleast give a listen too, you might love it, you might like it, you might hate it, but its still something you could give a listen too just so you know..

here are some sample tracks and a video

All Of The Same Mistakes

Run



and the video for "Secret"

Artist: Mieka Pauley
Myspace: Here
Homepage: here
Album: Elijah Drop Your Gun
Year: 2007
Genre: Indie/Rock/Blues/Pop
Download: Elijah Drop Your Gun by Mieka Pauley

By: Just A Simple Poet

10 Tracks with Mieka Pauley

Mieka Pauley, for just about 8 or so years now, has been a long standing fixture of the Boston area indie club scene, she's also toured the country and opened for Edwin McCain if I recall correctly as well, she's one of those acts you hear and you wonder why when artists who are like her, people like Sarah McLaughlin and Jewel and others of that type, though deserving in their own rights, are out there selling out theaters and concerts the world over, why isn't Mieka doing the same? This idea comes through my head alot when listening to her music infact, but then I remember, sometimes, for an artist, staying low key and not making it to the headline spot, sometimes is more rewarding.... so with that said, I give you my 10 songs to let you make up your mind about this beautiful and talented young singer...

1. Blunt: Blunt in Mieka's words, is an angry song about playing shitty clubs for shitty and drunk people all over the country, she tends to tell a really funny story about how she came to write it, however this version doesn't have that, I went with the better quality recording instead this time. Blunt is basically her answering every crap line she's been given in a very sarcastic manor, the title "Blunt" in in reference to the chorus where in she sings about hitting people with her guitar. "If this guitar wasn't so expensive, and I didn't need it night and day, it would make a pretty good blunt object, to make you back away..", I give it a 10 for style and content, as well as style for the obscure Quickdraw McGraw/El Kabong reference it brings to mind.

2. Devil's Got My Secret: This is one of those songs where Mieka's fragile side comes through more then most would find comfortable, this, like many of her songs, is her lamenting over her secret love for someone whom she either never spoke too or has lost for some reason yet still loves. Its a deep emotional song that cuts deep for more people then you would think, "The Devil's got my secret, he promised not to tell, I left it for safe keeping, I'll pick it up in hell" as the chorus says, her voice mixed with the lyrics and downplayed background music makes this a work of art.

3. Fate Day By Day: This is one of the first songs of Mieka's I'd heard, and still one of my favorites, its her singing about her outlook on life and the things you take and the things you miss as well, "I will not wait, I will not wait, for what the world may not create" she sings, and I find this to be so true about so many things, this was also the only track off her demo to make it on her first album (2000's Mieka Pauley), though I went with the version done on a college radio show in Boston from I believe 2003 or there abouts because i like her voice on it better then the studio recording.

4. Fields of Gold: This is a live "cover of Eva Cassidy covering Sting" as Mieka claims, I think if anything this lovely cover, shows how much like the great Eva this young girl really is, its not just a statement about how well she can do the song, its a statement of who's place in the music industry she could rightly fill of she so wished. Its truely beautiful.


5. I wanna see the City: this is one of those great songs that I've only been able to find one version of her singing, this was taken from the same radio show Fate Day By Day was taken from, and is a song of her looking out over a large city and wondering what is really out there, not just what is put out for the tourists to see, but the real city, the real heart and soul of it, wondering just what there really is out there or if its all just facade and there isn't anything else to see.

6. Left To God: this song is a very introverted look at herself and those around her, and to an extent the world around her as well, she challenges herself and her ideas of life and religion and what life is really like for everyone, the unfairness and the luck some have, as well as the power and weak of the world. "I have heard thunder loud as god is great, where everyone ran inside weather or not it rained, I knew a devil he was white as any saint, he fell right through the ground where Lucifer remains..." she sings in the third verse, I find the deepness of these lines abit scary at times.

7. Spirit: This song is about life, death and being alone, some could even argue it could be seen as a suicide song if they wanted, it speaks of her travels and how she's gone this distance in life alone, and how at the very end, when she feel like giving up given how weak her spirit seems, she still has the willpower to try and carry on. I've never been sure if she is singing about life after death, or just carrying on with very little willpower or depression in general, either way, this is and will always be a beautiful song that will strike a chord with most.

8. Daydream: Daydream is maybe my all time favorite of hers, its a song of a love she never had, and as anyone can tell you, the love you daydream of but never say anything of because of fear and depression believing they don't feel the same as you, "have you ever spent your nights dreaming of someone you could not call your own? I close my eyes in a little daydream, and I pretend that you can love me, and I pretend that you are mine" she sings, this is truly one of the greatest love songs ever written I believe.

9. Companion to a King: this is one of the best tracks off her demo, why its never gone past that I'll never know, its excellent, the best way to describe it, think a song as masterfully written as "Let Her Cry" by Hootie and the Blowfish (you know, before they got lame) but told by a woman instead of a man, its the story of a woman who just can't leave a man who ignores her most of the time and hardly speaks to her, its a very sad tale but also a very well written one as well. Her guitar strumming even brings the emotional frustration of the lyrics through, simply great.

10. Run: Run is a song off her demo that saw play on a NEMO (New England Music Organization) compilation put out by Starbucks of all places afew years back, and where the title to her soon to be released second album "Elijah Drop Your Gun" came from, I like to call it a "Bluesy Stalker Song" because I see a scene in like, a cop movie playing out in my head as the song folds out, like the scene where the cops are chasing this guy through back alleys and stuff, its a nice mellow delta bluesy sort of feel to it.

11. When I'm in Chicago: Ok the bonus 11th song on this is because I just couldn't let this one not be put on here, this is a song looking back at a former love, she mentions various other places and who she's thinking of at that point in time, and it sort of has a feel of someone thinking back wile drinking abit, infact she jokes at the end "when i'm in Kenya i simply forget ya, when i'm in russia i'm not thinking of ya, when I'm not sober I think of your mother" to sort of hint its ment to be a sort of drunken looking back wile in the city of Chicago. Its a lovely little song and a lovely little highnote end to this set...



i hope you all enjoy, I do believe that anyone who hears Mieka will grow to like her, if not love her music, it just has this sort of sound that strikes everyone to it, its hard to explain really, but you just have to hear her and hear what she's saying, her voice and her lyrics truly are a gift for all to share.


10 Tracks with Mieka Pauley

Artist: Mieka Pauley
Genre: Indie,acoustic,singer/songwriter,female vocalist,folk,blues


by: Just A Simple Poet

Woke Myself Up by Julie Doiron

I first heard about Julie Doiron as a featured musican on an album by one of my favorite bands, The Tragically Hip. I liked her and thought I would like to hear more from her, so just to give her a try, I picked up her latest album, "Woke Myself Up". And though I can't say this is my favorite album, I can tell you that it is infact, a good listen and something that in time does grow on you. I'm not sure if its Julie's bubblegum like delivery over well played "chick with guitar" style backings, or that she seems to be having fun wile doing her songs, or that she seems to write songs that seem realistic and down to earth and fuse them with a great many styles. I will say though, before I get into this, my only real complaint is that the album seems to have many short songs and the album itself suffers of short disc syndrome because of this. (Short disc syndrome is a term I coined for an album thats under 40 or so minutes total and is said to be a "full album")

Julie does blend styles well, each of her songs is done in a different genre all driven by a masterfully played guitar base. She crosses genres from bubblegum pop to blues, to rock, to a 1800s style traveling gypsy fire side dance anthem, to an accoustic adult contemperary song, to just about everywhere else one can go with a guitar. She really does a good job mixing all of these as she does and not sticking to any one genre for more then a song or sometimes two. "I left town" also has her cats meowing in the background at some points like an odd yet lovely idea for a chorus. Truely well done.

"No More" is actually about as close to "radio friendly pop" this album gets though, I will admit this, but then again, we're not really about radio friendly or mainstream around here, so that makes it ok. The track itself is great though, its got a beat that will keep the people that just have it on for background sound from getting bored with it, and the harmonics and lyrics will keep everyone else going as well. "Don't Wanna Be Liked By You" is second for radio friendliness, which I think is kind of why I think they were placed back to back, the beat sounds like a mix of "secret agent man" and "walking on the sun", very infectious and very easy to drive over the speed limit too.

The other tracks on the disc are just this great audio journey though the world of guitar based canadian infused music. As I said earlyer though, the only downside really is that its short, the songs average about 3 minutes or so, and there aren't very many of them, only about 10 or so, but still, by no means does this make the album suffer as a whole. I enjoyed it and intend to attain the rest of her collection whenever I can see possable to do so. I highly recommend this disc.


Artist: Julie Doiron
Album: Woke Myself Up
Genre: Slowcore, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Female Vocalist

Woke Myself Up by Julie Doiron

By: BC

Knives Don't Have Your Back by Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton

Its hard to really pin down Emily Haines into one genre, thats not uncommon in the out of the mainstream music market honestly, and though it would be easy to dismiss her and her band the Soft Skeleton as another good group lost in the shuffle of your average college radio station, I would like, if you would, to stop and take a look, and I hope you won't be disappointed. Emily Haines started out as a member of a band called metric, and eventually went on to great The Soft Skeleton, I've tired to find her old band's work, but its rather hard and seemed like alot of work just to write three lines or so about the differences, so with that said, onto the focus at hand.

I find that Knives Don't Have Your Back is strange, it sounds almost like something made in a high school music class but in its simple and low-fi feel, its just so beautiful, its melodic, lyrically complex and raw enough to hit deep down inside now and then. Its great that way. Emily's voice sounds like an uneasy, nervious teenager thats trying as best as she can to not crack under the pressure of being on stage at some high school talent show. Its that down to earth open and flawed voice that really makes you love her by the end of this.

"Our Hell" is an interesting lead off track that is rather misleading, its a song about her life and those around her and how really, their life isn't that bad. "Doctor Blind" is my favorite track on this disc, its so sweeping and majestic, I get the idea of playing in a field with someone special and just relaxing, truely beautiful. "Crowd Surf off a Cliff" is a great piano track with a spooky echo effect that haunts you as you listen, its great that way. "Detactive Daughter" is a song about nicely made track with a lovely mix of guitar, piano and rythums, its sort of a bluesish song with a very strange meaning, "The Lottery" is a very sexually changed song about a one night stand "sexual suicide" she calls it, a very strange track, but yet, addictive. "The Maid needs a Maid" is of all things, a song about a lesbian attraction to a singer, its full of innocent yet sexually charged innuendo, its abit odd, but for the oddness of it, I love it. "Mostly Waving" is a strange song that seems to make me think at one time someone tried to get Emily to conform and put being pretty for the frat boys over her music and her self respect, not my favorite lyrically but I love the mid/late 70s feel to the music of it. "Reading in Bed" is a very sad song that looks as if Emily is giving a deep look inside herself and her life asking "why are your songs so sad?" to herself, the backing music in this is amazing. "Nothing and Nowhere" is a very depressing look at big city life and how sad it can seem for those that just live day to day. "The Last Page" is a very sad song looking back at a past love, its really a haunting track in its beauty. "Winning" is a track about opening up and the prosess back to some form of normality, you can almost hear Emily crying on this one, its really kind of cool in that tearfull finale to the album type of way.

I find myself at the end of the album wanting more, like, waiting for a second disc to start up and continue this trip inside Emily's mind, and by proxy inside myself, it really makes me want to go out and buy more, I just wish I could find her old band because i'm gonna need something like that to keep my fix till she makes something else. Its a true find.

Knives Don't Have Your Back by Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton

Artist: Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton
Album: Knives Don't Have Your Back
Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop, Female Vocalist, Harmonics


By: BC

Kate Klim: A First Look

In my line of work I meet alot of up and coming artists, its actually the better part of my job I think, keeps me alittle ahead of the wave and keeps me real. One of those artist I've gotten to meet was a woman by the name of Kate Klim, and if I may, I would like to talk about her for just afew minutes. Plus she fits in well with my weakness for female vocalists and female singer/songwriters... but thats a whole other thing.

I met Kate after a show she did in her current hometown of Boston Massachusettes just about 2 years ago, and is a joy to talk too, very funny, very open to people speaking of her music, and very easy on the eyes if you ask me. I only spoke to her for afew minutes but i could tell she had that something that was going to make her a star someday, a very Tori Amos/Vanessa Carlton/Amy Lee girl with a piano and a voice so frail and vulnerable, as well as eligant and beautiful. I've compiled 7 songs of hers i've been able to track down through various internet sources to show you just what I mean.

"breath me in" is a very lovingly crafted and sad song about a lover and looking back at their trubulent and unstable relationship, of how everytime she wants to leave and end things, with a touch, she returns to where they were.

"Give Me a Sign" is beautifully made song of longing for more from someone who has her entrauled with the very idea of them, but she is waiting for some sort of a sign that they feel the same for her, some of Kate's greatest bridges in this one, "give me a sign, give a fighting change, I want this way to bad to change my mind, and this is our song, and i've waited all night to dance, but darlin I'm running out of borrowed time."

"I Choose Me" is an upbeat guitar laced song that makes you tap your feet even if you don't realise you are, its about looking back at childhood and thinking how things have changed and how instead of a young love, she choses to be herself and to live her life. This is one of Kate's more upbeat and uplifting tracks, and one of her few non-piano driven ones, a very nice stand out.

"Heaven Help Me" is a very open song of love and how she is trying not to fall for someone because she knows deep down just how bad it will be for her, she goes on about trying to fight it inside but she just can't. This is the very first song that Kate played infront of a crowd at a professional singer its said.

"Jacob" is about Kate looking back at the first boy she's ever loved, how they grew up together and how she would follow him where ever he would go and her looking back and wondering what he's up to now that they're older and have drifted appart because of his moving away. Its a happy and somewhat bittersweet song about how innocent love is when we are young and how meaningfull it can be when you look back at it years alter.

"Nothing" is a small song that is a sad song about sitting alone and missing someone she loves with all that she has inside of her, this is where the best line she has ever writen in it "anyone can say I love you, only I can say I miss you.", though its very short, its a very deep and meaningfully tocuhing song, your heart literally breaks as you listen to it.

"Something" seems to be a continuation of "Nothing" just with the line "something" and afew other lines added, i'm not really sure what the deal is with that, but it still has that same heartbreaking feel as "Nothing" I think maybe she ment to put them out as two different versions of the same song, but I can't seem to find any actual backing up of this to be sure.

I find that though most would lable Kate as depressing or emo, she isn't, she is reaching out through her saddness and other feelings and trying to touch on places that many are scared to admit we have for various reasons, that part of ourselves that is flair and scared and vulernable, those places we try to protect from others, Kate puts them out for display and shows us all that its ok to do so and to feel these things.

I'd highly recommend her to anyone thats up for something soulsearching, deep and will hit just abit close to home.

Artist: Kate Klim
Album: N/A
Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop, Female Vocalist

Kate Klim: A FIrst Look


by: BC