36 posts from July 2009

With The Beatles coming out with their own Rockband game on, yes you are reading it correctly, 09/09/09, The Beatles are more popular than ever it seems. Undoubtedly, one of the "Rushmore of Rock" as Dave pointed out to me yesterday at the Horse Racing tracks.

I decided to dig out some of my Beatles albums, still to this day, this band have never made the leap to digital/MP3 distribution of their music (you can only get their music on vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks, or CD).

I haven't written about bootlegs in a while, I think my last few were Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stone and The Smiths. Anyway, I found this interesting Beatles bootleg called The Rooftop Concert from their final public concert appearance together as a band on January 30^th, 1969. Their final album, Abbey Road, was recorded later that year and by September, John Lennon announced his departure from the band.

What made this concert so special, besides from all the various bootlegs that exists and their last appearance, was that it was filmed and made available Let It Be (film). Unfortunately, not everyone was ecstatic about The Beatles, and by the end of the film, the police arrived and shut the concert down.

According to the 2005 bootleg by "Doc E" (Dr. Ebbetts):

I wanted a fantastic sounding version of the famed rooftop show, void of the lengthy in-between chatter, without the occasional sound anomalies (like volume fluctuations, for example), in a nice concise package. I believe this is it. It was sourced from several CDs in an attempt to create the best sounding collection. It’s a nice companion to the “First Concert” and “Hollywood Bowl” CDs in the Ebbetts collection.

The audio is excellent, as a result of several other bootleg CDs!

Trivia: On the last track, their third performance of "Get Back", Paul McCartney can be heard saying "Thanks, Mo!", acknowledging Ringo Starr's then-wife Maureen Starkey ... which I didn't hear on this bootleg.

Trivia 2: A recent Vox's Question of the Day "You May Say I'm a Dreamer" is taken from Lennon's "Imagine" song.

New York-based record label Putumayo World Music have been compiling some of the best Latin, African, Reggae, Celtic and other world music. With nearly 200 albums released since 1993, their two latest releases are Picnic Playground (for the kids) and Brazilian Café (for the adults). Both were released on July 28^th on the Putumayo Label. I am happy to have the later for review.

Brazilian Café comes with a massive 35-page booklet, devoting two pages to each artist spotlighted on the disc (I am assuming these are standard in most of Putumayo's releases). Each entry is written in English, Spanish, and French, which you should all know are the major speaking language of North America. It also comes with some recipes (Coffee Pave and Pave au Cafe), perfect for listening to this album while enjoying these cookies and sipping your coffee.

The overall feeling I have listening to this album is that it's very "NPR" (National Public Radio), a milder audience who supports the arts and generally also like talk-radio and jazz. Which there is nothing wrong with that as I love NPR.

All the artists are Brazilian and all of the songs collected here are in Portuguese. Since I don't know the language, it's very important that the song tone and style reflect what the song is about - and I feel like some of these songs are about love, dancing, having a good time.

With 12 artists representing the best of Brazilian lounge/acoustic singer/songwriter-type, I thought these were some of the best:

Katie B
katiab.com.br/myspace.com
Katia Bronstein is one of the newer Brazilian artist on the compilation. Her voice is very soothing, perfect for possibly doing future electronica-type music. Her song, "Viajei" (I Traveled)

Alexandre Leão
alexandreleao.com
His song, "Vumbora Amar" (Let's Go Away to Love) has a nice melody that blends somba and bossa nova. According to his biography, he was covered by well established "Carcará"-singer Maria Bethânia, instantly establishing him as a star... and soon all the Brazilian artists started covering his songs.

Carlinhos Cor Das Aguas
myspace
Cor Das Aguas is a child of the Afro-Brazilian culture of the state of Bahia. Listening to his beautiful vocals on "Tempo Interno" (Inner Time) and based on the song title, it's about reflection on his life.

These are just a small sample of what Brazilian Café offers. If you would like more information, the album can be purchased directly at Putumayo, alternatively amazon. I don't recommend MP3s, since you aren't presented with such a wonderful booklet that goes along with the album. Also, please note that Putumayo donate some of their proceeds to various charities, in this case 1% goes to Terra dos Homens Brazilian Association.

The Drums – Summertime! EP

New Yorkers sure love a dance song or fifty, distinction be damned.  If it has a beat and an economical use of words, the masses will adore.  Every day—hell, every hour—a recent NYU grad is composing something weird and tasteless on his vintage Sony keyboard; something that’ll enthuse legs and discourage brainwaves.  Fun, fervor, frivolity:  the 3 F requisite for fleeting fame.

The Drums are New York’s current triple F.  Says who?  Says your momma.  The lads live in Brooklyn but claim 50s surf culture as the main source of inspiration.  Summertime! is full of sunny nonchalance and lighthearted sass.  Do you often find your life lacking in ubiquitous hand claps?  Never fear, the Drums have your back.  Are you blue?  The Drums will take that frown and turn it upside down.  It’s all cheerful and neat, excepting the fact that lyrically, the content is ridiculous.  Take the following line from “Don’t Be a Jerk, Jony”:  “Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, don’t be lazy, I know it’s hopeless, I know it’s sad, I know you’re stupid, I know it’s sad.”  I think I wrote that same poem on the inside cover of my American History textbook.  Or “If you’ve got some children, just love them, if you’ve got a baby, just hold him, ‘cause they need it, they want it, they need it, they gotta have it” (“Saddest Summer”).  I thought babies needed Nyquil and Gone With the Wind (the extended version).  What a startling realization to learn that all they need is love.

Readers, I’m being facetious; but so are the Drums.  Let’s assume for one minute that Summertime! is basic satire, or, at the very least, tongue-in-cheek homage to a simpler era.  One of milkshakes, promise rings, clean beach games and sweetheart love.  If the Shangri-Las wore skinny jeans and horizontally-striped sweaters, they would totally hold hands with Jon and Jacob!  For chrissake, the band even has a pair of retro styled back up singers.  These are not the gimmicks of accidental AM imposters.  These are conscious imaginative whimsical decisions, and sometimes the effort works:  “Down By the Water” sounds like an awesomely deranged version of a 1960s couple’s dance as realized by the 1980s (somewhat like the film “Hairspray”).

Herein lies the problem:  today it may be surf, tomorrow it may be German industrial—who knows what the kids will crave.  Gimmicks, while amusing, never last.  Herein lies the solution:  New York, somewhat paradoxically, is both the breeding ground for trend and the cemetery where all things passé go to die.  The city is essentially self-cleaning.  Thus, it’s my advice to enjoy the music while it lasts.  There’s a reason why you bought those hideously sequined dancing Chucks and cheap hash (KIDDING.  Hugs not drugs).  Just, whatever you do, don’t listen too hard for substance.  In their own words:  “we’re really just like everybody else, chasing that perfect pop song.  And that’s not so bad right?”

If you live in New York, good for you.  The Drums have multiple New York shows.  Visit their website / Myspace for more info or to pre-order the Summertime! EP, available Sept. 15 (also, the band is generously offering a 5-song digital download of “Let’s Go Surfing” + remixes; the link can be accessed via Myspace).  Members are:  Jonathan Pierce (singin’), Jacob Graham (stringin’), Adam Kessler (twangin’), and Connor Hanwick (bangin’).

Slew - You Turn Me Cold

Kid Koala - p.102-112 2 comments

Here's some music news that's come across news.weheartmusic.com.

I got word that one of my favorite DJ, Kid Koala (read more on W♥M) is back with a band called The Slew and a "tour only album" 100%.

The story behind The Slew, was Eric Sans (Kid Koala) and Dylan Frombach (Dynomite D) were approached to work on a film soundtrack. The film was never released, but their collaboration lives on as they take perform that soundtrack live on their "The Slew Tour":

WED 9/23 VANCOUVER, BC Commodore
THUR 9/24 SEATTLE, WA Nectar
FRI 9/25 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Independent
SUN 9/27 LOS ANGELES, CA Key Club
WED 9/30 BROOKLYN, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
THUR 10/1 BOSTON, MA Great Scott
FRI 10/2 MONTREAL, QC La Tulipe
SAT 10/3 TORONTO, ON Lee's Palace
SUN 10/4 CHICAGO, IL Abbey

The dog of Mar, I mean, El Perro Del Mar is set to release a new record, out on October 20^th, called Love is Not Pop. The announcement comes with a mention that she will be supporting Peter Bjorn and John on their tour in November.

More dates will follow, but the two confirmed headline dates I am given are:

November 9th Joe's Pub, New York City
November 23rd Hotel Café, Los Angeles

Sarah Assbring describes the new record as:

Shortly after having finished touring with my second album 'From the Valley to the Stars' I started writing new songs. For some reason all the songs were about love and in particular that of the doomed kind. Unconsciously I think I knew what I was trying to tell myself. I'd spent some bad times in New York and some good times in Paris and both these cities have made a great imprint on this album and my current outlook on love. I've decided to call it 'Love Is Not Pop' - the songs on the album are all pop songs and they are all about love. But naturally, it is not all as simple as that. As much as pop can be love and vice versa - I'd like to believe that love goes so much deeper than a pop song. The title is of course also a play with words as well as a play with my persona up until this point. This album is also very much a way for me to look further into ways of writing and expressing myself - it definitely is a conscious step away from what I did on my last album. The mindset is darker and the soundscape mysteriously groovy thus it is not by chance I've chosen to work together with Rasmus Hägg, the other half of the acclaimed Swedish duo Studio, as a co-producer. His input and source of inspiration has been no other than apure revelation to me. Working so closely together with someone has been a new experience for me and I feel excited about having come to the point where I've been wanting to let someone into the very much abstract and intimate process of song writing. I'm glad it was Rasmus I let in.

Since we don't have new songs to listen to, here's a song from her previous album, From the Valley to the Stars.

Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther are Dala, an acoustic folk-duo from Toronto, Ontario. The origin of these two best friends sounds like an Afterschool Special, both having met each other at band practice at their Catholic secondary school in 2002.

Their first record was on an indie label called Big Bold Sun Music, called This Moment Is a Flash, in 2005. In the same year, major-label, Universal Records, must've liked what they heard and quickly sign the band with Angels & Thieves - an album consisting of half cover songs and half original songs.

It's been two years since their last record, but last June saw the release of their label record called Everyone Is Someone. As an album, it's full of melodies, where Carabine and Walther do their vocal harmony thing - often syncing or overlapping each other. It's very soothing, perfect for a quiet evening reading a book.

Some of their songs are quite funny, but not ha-ha funny. For instance, the opening track, "Lonely Girl" is about a lonely girl who "wears her body like lifetime achievement" and a jerk boy who "holds his lovers like quarters for the pay phone". The punchline is to remain the same, "I rather be alone ... than someone you take home".

My favorite song is also the most accessible song, "Levi Blues". The song sounds so familiar to me, I feel like I should know the lyrics and found myself trying to guess the next line (which actually didn't go in the direction in my mind). There's some of that humor, I previously mentioned, about going to China and writing "I Love You" on the wall.

I think someone else must've liked that song too as there is a bonus track on the album, a remix of this song. Personally, I don't like remixes - and especially on "folk" songs, which by definition should remain organic. Still, the "AM Transistor Remix" of "Levi Blues" doesn't take it too far and actually made the song sounds as if it's a pop song (with a full background band).

What makes Dala an effective band is the perfect pitch harmony, combined with usually an acoustic guitar, and personal songs. Listening to them in a quiet setting is ideal, but unfortunately these type of songs rarely fit a dancing or party mood. If you're in the mood for a Jewel or Joni Mitchell, then Dala is perfect for you.

It looks like the band is currently on tour, doing mostly festival or theater settings. Unfortunately, it looks like it's mostly East Coast or Canada-area. Everyone Is Someone can be purchased at Amazon or iTunes.

Ada Jane – Again…Again

One of the benefits of living in a small city is incest.  Not literally, but definitely artistically.  Minneapolis is swarming with incestuous (creative) relationships.  If you’ve spent any number of years amongst the artists and the vagrants you know that referencing Prince and Bob Dylan is so “cherry in the spoon” (read: insert foot in mouth).  I suppose this same rule could be applied to any other small-yet-culturally-vibrant U.S. city, but who cares.  This is Minneapolis; we’re called the “mini apple” for a reason, and it ain’t our apple pie.

Matt Marka is one of those semi-elusive musicians—the kind whose name strikes a familiar chord even if you’re not quite sure why…you…know…him.  Ninety percent of the Minneapolis music scene is covered in this amnesiac fog.  You can’t blame the listeners:  local artists love to work with other local artists, and so, over the years, the lines blur and “side projects” multiply and keeping current is nearly impossible (unless, of course, you run a music blog, and then, by default, you know everything).  Marka’s been an active member of the local scene for at least a solid decade.  He’s shared the stage with national acts including Evan Dando, the Heartless Bastards, Soul Asylum, as well as studio collaborations with local faves JoAnna James and Chris Koza, to list a few.  Presently, he fronts Ada Jane, a four-piece rock outfit reminiscent of Minnesota rock-fathers Hüsker Du and the Replacements.  In 2006 Ada Jane released Never Been Better; nearly three years later, the band has new members, a new album, and, most importantly, new polish.

Again…Again combines all that we love about bona fide Minneapolis rock: sincere lyrics, catchy riffs, potential to disable ears, horns, and enough growl-singing to be convincing without sounding Battle of the Bands. Remember the good days, before musicians went soft and started playing glockenspiels?  Ada Jane remembers.  Again opens like a persuasive Thomas Hobbes yelling at you:  “Every time I cop a stance someone’s waiting behind me pulling down my pants / sealed with a kick in the ass” (“Go”).  Life is brutish and short and Marka has no qualms with laying on the ugly truth...Thick.  “Near Mrs” is a veritable bummer.  “Winding Down” feels like congestive heart failure.  Thankfully, for our health, Again ups the tempo when the mood is down (you can’t rock out while crying).  One of the stronger tracks, “Down the Highway,” starts with a shade of surf-noir, followed by what can only be described as “prowl pace*,” then come the horns, eventually reaching sticky, messy, oh Lord climax (2:05), finishing with more horns and cuddling.  Don’t ask me for a cigarette after, I’m quitting.

Ada Jane is Matt Marka, David Strahan (guitar), Matt Reimers (bass), and Charlie Wilson (drums).  Again…Again is scheduled for August issue.  Apparently the band is quite the live act.  They’ve been likened to Bruce Springsteen, which is a confusing comparison, as the only Springsteen visual I can mentally summon is this.  Bum-hugging jeans?  Check.  Shirt sleeves rolled to conceal packs of cigarettes (and also to reveal packs of muscle)?  Check (check).  Strangely hypnotic arms swings?  Check.  Courteney Cox?  Check.  I can’t speak of any similarities, so you’ll just have to hold out for the August 21^st CD release show at the 400 Bar.  It’s worth noting that the 400 Bar hosted the release of Never Been Better, three years ago, almost to the day (Aug. 26, 2006).  Minneapolis is good to her musicians, despite the occasional backlash.  But that’s neither here nor there.  For more information on the band, visit their website or Myspace.  Keep posted to www.400bar.com for ticketing information (the show hasn’t been announced yet).

* Vocal cadence that may inspire one to arch the back, arms extended and palms to the floor, while slowly bouncing, as though hungry for any number of things:  love, blood, brains, knowledge.

A few weeks ago, I randomly came across a band called Alice Sweet Alice, aka ASA, on vox, which sparked a memory of an old horror movie of the same name. I am assuming the band got their name from the same movie, although I can't be for certain, but seeing as their latest release, Moloko & Ultraviolence is an obvious reference to another movie, Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange", I guess they have a fondness for 70s movies.

Before I talk more about Moloko & Ultraviolence, I should give you a little background on the movie "Alice, Sweet Alice" (aka "Communion" or "Holy Terror"). It was one of those bargain bootleg VHS that my parents picked up at Pic N Save. While the bootleg VHS quality is horrible, it was certainly frightening especially for a 10 year old.

Brooke Shields in Alice Sweet Alice (1976)

I recently Netflixed the DVD for "research" for this album review, and was happy to note that DVD quality is so much better than what I've seen in the past. Check out this image capture still of Brooke Shields, who briefly appeared in the film was Alice's sister, Karen.

Based on the commentary (which seems to have been recorded for the laserdisc reissue), the movie is one of the most widely bootlegged film, next to "Night of the Living Dead", due to the lawyer's forgetfulness of putting a copyright on the print film.

Although the film was shot in New Jersey, the visuals and directions was inspired by European horror (like the Italian Giallo genre). They only had one retractable knife, and most of the wardrobe were purchased at thrift stores. Everyday items, like the raincoat and the translucent doll's masks, was made terrifying!

The movie still holds up to this date, and I would wholeheartedly suggest you check out the film if you're into a psychological/mystery slash movie.

As for ASA, this is a "psychogothic" band from Missouri. They are not only interested in 70s movies, but it would seem their music is also inspired by 80s European music. I hear a lot of Bauhaus, Joy Division, and Siouxsie, on their latest album, Moloko & Ultraviolence (released on May 12^th on Cauldron Soundwerx).

Unlike those bands with just one primary singer, the vocals on ASA are usually alternating between keyboardist Ali Kat and bassist Scott Martinez. The deeper vocals of Martinez, which sometime acts as a nice counterbalance Kat's sweet voice. My favorite Martinez singing can be found on "Legends of the Po", who sounds very much like early technopopper Information Society.

Each song on Moloko & Ultraviolence creates a sense of story and drama, which although not as "ultra violent", but they are dark songs. The songs also seem to rely on technology, especially on the percussions.

My easily favorite song on the album is "Weeping Lily", mostly sung by Kat with backing vocals from Martinez. I am assuming is about a girl name Lily and her tragedy.

If you enjoy goth or even darkwave music (but not as dancey as say The Cruxshadows or even She Wants Revenge), you definitely want to check out Alice Sweet Alice.

Moloko & Ultraviolence can be purchased at Cauldron Soundwerx (US), AMAdea Records (Bulgaria), and Ravenheart Music Records (UK), as well as CD Baby, amazon, or iTunes .

PS, apparently there will be a remake of "Alice Sweet Alice" by director/writer Alfred Sole's cousin, Dante Tomaselli, which I've read will be quite "bloody". In the meantime, you can rent or buy the DVD.

I don't think I've ever had to listen to that much Whitesnake in my life! I've had to listen to over forty tracks from their re-issues of Slide It In and Slip of the Tongue. So what have I learned? There are two important things in Whitesnake: rock & sex.

Many of their lyrics and imagery are double entendre and innuendos, such as "Slide it In", "Slow & Easy", "Slip of the Tongue", "Cheap & Nasty", and the worst offender of them all: "Spit it Out". C'mon, can you be more obvious?

Well, as part of the 20^th and 25^th anniversary of these albums, they are now part of very excellent Universal Deluxe Editions, which specialized in reissuing classic albums in a two-disc, expanded edition.

The only drawback to these Deluxe series is that they can be quite expensive, especially in the economic climate we're in. While amazon usually lists these average at $20, but I have seen some in stores for as much as $30. Which is pretty ridiculous if you've already own the original album.

Slip of the Tongue and Slide It In Deluxe Package

I've been collecting them since 2001, and I can tell you that the reissues are usually worth it if you can find it for $20 or less, because often the audio's been remastered (if that matters to you). The extras are usually not available anywhere else (rare b-sides/recordings/demos) and usually comes with: digipak packaging, 2 CDs or 1 CD and 1 DVD, a booklet or fold-out poster, and that clear plastic slipcase.

Plus, I love how they stand out on my bookshelf, with their nice thick spine, next together with the other deluxe series I own.

Anyway, in a recent discussion about these "hard rock" or "hair band" bands from the 80s (Poison, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Van Halen, Cinderella, Skid Row, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi), even though I have admitted to not liking them - we all seem to know the bands and their songs. Whitesnake and Judas Priest came up in the discussion because they were just at the Taste of Minnesota, which I was told that this is the first year that they started charging admission fee (however, to be fair, the $10 was converted to "food dollars" - which I am assuming $10 won't get you much food at these events).

Whitesnake's most famous song, at least in the US, is called "Here I Go Again", which I believe might have gone to #1 on the US charts because of that sexy girl model Tawny Kitaen on top of a Jaguar music video. Admit it, you've all seen the video. Tawny is actually quite famous in the hard rock music circle (she was on the cover of Ratt's Out of the Cellar and apparently dated Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe).

Between the Slide It In and Slip of the Tongue, 25^th and 20^th anniversary editions, respectively, I will have to say that I've noticed a slight change in singer David Coverdale's vocals. On the former, he seems much calmer, not always screaming or stressing his vocals. The guitar work is also more aggressive with lots of loud screeching halts and guitar solos.

I also found that the slick plastic coating on Slide It In is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, however the plastic coating on gray text on the booklet made it nice to the touch.

An interesting story behind the Slide It In cover artwork is founded on the liner notes stated that it's a 17-year-old girl called Franzeska and it was her first modeling assignment. As they were shooting the pictures with the snake on the girl, the snake started sliding down her chest and her reaction was pure eye-ball fear & shock that the image had to be cropped off her eyes.

The bonus track listing is also interesting. Apparently the US version had a different mix than the one that was released in the UK. I compared the two mix side-by-side and for some reason I tend to like the UK mix slightly better. It's not as 'hard' I guess.

As for Slip of the Tongue, the bonus tracks are B-Side, alternate mixes, and live recordings. The live audio is excellent, however the video version (especially "Slip of the Tongue" and "Kitten's Got Claws" from Donnington 1990) found on the DVD side is in poor quality. However, footage of this era gone by, it's probably still better than VHS, by far.

For US fans, you get to see some of their appearance on UK television, such as Top of the Pops - in very excellent quality. You have to remember that back then, if you wanted to see any UK footage, you needed a PAL-converter (to NTSC) and it was rare that they transfer correctly.

Each of the Deluxe release comes with a 23-page booklet that reprints all the lyrics, original album credits, and detail Whitesnake's history for that year. The article goes into great details about all the band members (essentially David Coverdale is the one constant, he was always firing or hiring somebody) and how massive they were. Just to give you an idea, in 1982, they were opening up for other bands (such as AC/DC), but swiftly, by 1983, Whitesnake was headlining everything - including "Monster of Rock".

The Deluxe treatment doesn't disappoint, and for hardcore fans, you will love these re-issues. For casual fans, if you don't already own these albums, then $20-25 for a nice package is worth it, in my opinion. Much better to hold and feel vs imaginary bits and bytes of MP3s.

If you are interested in getting more information on these Deluxe Editions, check out Universal's website or our own W♥M's Guide to Deluxe Editions. I'm happy to let you know that REM was recently on the deluxe treatment. Look for Whitesnake on tour (yes they are still together as an act).

Megafaun is a neckbeard, folky band from North Carolina. Pitchfork loves them (recently gave Gather, Form & Fly a 8.1/10) and Stereogum calls the trio, band to watch: "neatly splice together different strands of sounds".

It would seem they've continued their strange mixture of sound on their latest album, Gather, Form & Fly (just released July 21^th on cute and awesome handmade Hometapes Records).

Starting with a simple mostly-acoustic instrumental "Bella Marie", it quickly turns into mountain folk banjo-driven "Kaufman's Ballad"- which I quite like. There's old timey pianos on "Impressions of the Past" (the first part of the song is pretty not listenable to me), reflective country folk on "Worried Mind", hoedown/goodtime jam on "The Process".

They also seem to enjoy pitting opposites against each other, like organic sound (the rain and birds on "Darkest Hour") mixed with weird warped computer sounds effects. I could go on, but let's just say that Megafaun's music are all over the place, yet strangely remaining true to their folk roots (possibly due to their banjo and harmonica usage). While I think this will work for most people, I feel the album is too uneven for me.

When the band is at their best, is when they start sounding like early R.E.M., especially on "The Fade". Unfortunately, none of their other songs is like this one.

If you don't mind or enjoy a variety of different genres, check out Megafaun. You can pick up Gather, Form & Fly from Hometapes Records or, alternatively, Amazon and iTunes.

Aly Tadros' debut album, Things Worth Keeping is scheduled for release on August 22^nd, but for some reason it was on my calendar for next week (usually I schedule my review around the time of its release). Since Tadros is actually doing the touring thing with Alyse Black, I suppose it's still a good time to mention her album.

First and foremost, I think Tadros is pretty ballsy. Her first paid concert gig required her to play for two hours. She only had three original songs written then. She does have the drive to be a singer and, of course, entertainer.

Unlike many acoustic singer/songwriter type, she does come loaded with backing musicians (when she's playing live, it looks like she has drums, upright bass, guitar, and slide guitar). The full band comes in loud and powerful, especially during the second half of her album. Check out my favorite song from the album, "Linger". It starts off very explosive, but slows down a bit when Tadros asks "how low will you go?".

As usual, strings like violins on "Serendipities" and cello - as played by Ben Sollee - on "Keep Up" always add a nice touch to any songs (usually making the song sadder). And speaking of sad, be sure to stay to the end for the hidden track. I think it's about a post-attack (rape?) crime and feeling helpless as the police officer states "you're not a victim if you manage to survive". With just the acoustic and aching Tadros' vocals made it very emotional.

Things Worth Keeping will be out soon-ish, see alytadros.com for more details - as I don't have any information on how to purchase her album.

Check out her Kate Walsh cover song, "Your Song":