To ensure that today was not a complete waste of your time, check out this music video by The Bird and The Bee, whose newest album Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future I will be reviewing tomorrow. This video is alternately hilarious and endearing, so be prepared to never get this song out of your head.
singles
13
Oct 09
Music Video: “Love Letter to Japan” by The Bird and the Bee
18
Jun 09
Night On My Side (2002) by Gemma Hayes
Gemma Hayes
Night Is On My Side
2002, Source Records/Astralworks
pop
½
Hailing from Ireland, Gemma Hayes is another distinctive female voice I’ve recently found. While this album is from 2002 and therefore a bit old, it still has an appeal for those of us who still remember and appreciate 90′s pop and rock. In fact, I found this album based on its single “Back of My Hand,” which is quite possibly the most 90s-sounding track on the record. Listening to the rest of the album revealed country, acoustic, and dreamscape tinges that were appealing but also disappointing.
At the risk of sounding like an American Idol judge, Hayes voice isn’t merely imperfect – it’s pitchy beyond belief. She needs vocal coaching, particularly when she tries to attempt Sheryl Crow’s subtle twang in “Night On My Side” or “Over and Over.” Furthermore, the lyrics are kinda boring. Granted, Hayes has released two more albums since so she’s probably written more songs that actually suit her voice, but from what I can hear this album did not deserve to be nominated for a Mercury Prize, or any prize. It’s well-produced and catchy, but Hayes follows in the footsteps of Aimee Mann in that her voice can be appealing at times but it ultimately detracts from her music.
“Ran For Miles,” “Back of My Hand,” “My God.”
myspace, last.fm
Aimee Mann’s Lost in Space, Provincial Parks’s Iron Ponies EP
29
Apr 09
David Cook (2008) by David Cook
David Cook
David Cook
2008, RCA/19 Records
rock, pop
I’ll admit it – I’m a closet American Idol fan, and I was particularly impressed by David Cook last season. After his surprising win, I think it’s safe to say that his was one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Unfortunately, what we got was a bland album sung by a great singer, which left me in a lurch. We’ve already seen (and enjoyed) both of Cook’s softer and rougher sides, but there is no equal representation of the two on his self-titled debut. Most of this album is rock of the sort that makes Cook a Daughtry-knock-off rather than a singer/artist of his own right. I can’t even think of a song off the top of my head that particularly stood out – the much-vaunted “Bar Ba Sol” didn’t even live up to the hype. I’m sorry, but this album is just boring. The decent rating is only for Cook’s voice. Also, the album cover picture is horrendous. Enough with the airbrushing (both in photo and production quality) already!
