Subtitled: The attempted aggregation of little known / rarely mentioned chestnuts
Rules: Very Few.[ol][li]Come up with an musical artist you’re passionate about, really enjoy & would highly recommend.[/li](Translation: Don’t select the ‘Avant Gardeners’ just cuz you heard their EP once at a club in 1984)[li]Do a search of the boards for the artist(s) you selected, Use show results by posts. If the number of dopers (excluding yourself in previous threads) that mentioned your selected artist is 5 or less:[/ol][list=a][]Post the artist & a link if you’re so inclined[]Post the names of any previous posters who mentioned your selected artist previously[]Tell us some of your favorite works by that artist[]Put on a satin baseball jacket, make believe you’re a music critic and write a few sentences on why you like that artist[/list]Easy enough?[/li]
My (first) submission: The (Ward) Swingle Singers - AMG Link Here
Previously mentioned by:[ol][li]ianzin[]kaylasdad99[]Hometownboy[]danceswithcats[]rowrrbazzle (In 2 seperate threads)[/ol]Ironically, all 5 are still Charter Members. If those afore mentioned Cafe Society denizens (who may stumble across this thread via vanity search) - or any other posters would like to add further comments, please do so. [/li]
My blurb:
Even though I only have two of their albums, “Jazz Sebastain Bach” and “Anyone for Mozart, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi?” (both compilations from their work in the 1960s), the Swingle Singers unique vocal jazz interpretations of classical sonatas and fugues is a refreshing break from the norm. Though admittedly not something one can listen to every day - and probably considered dated sounding by more than a few listeners - their works are definitely a break from the norm. They seem to epitomize the old saying about ‘music calming the savage beast’. Whether the kids are fighting in the back seat of the car or your co-workers are at each other’s throats, a few spins of the iPod wheel toward the Swingle Singers harmonious version of Bach’s Fugue In D Minor (for example) is almost guaranteed to lighten the mood.
**Renaissance ** had three distinct phases: The Early Years (w/Keith Relf, Jane Relf, etc.), The Middle (ie Good) Years (w/Annie Haslam, John Tout, etc,), and the Late (or Crappy) Years, (after Tout and Sullivan left).
Originally a spin-off of the Yardbirds, Renaissance evolved over the years into a quintisential Progressive Rock band. Utilizing lead singer Annie Haslam’s 5 octave voice and eschewing the typical lead guitar-driven style, Renaissance wove classical themes throughout their lengthy musical works. This trend reached it’s peak with the release of Scheherazade and other stories, a full-album suite inspired by Rimsky-Korsakov and others. The group never achieved commercial success to match their critical success, and when music styles changed in the 1980’s they were left behind.
Recommended releases: Scheherazade
Live at Carnegie Hall
Ashes Are Burning
The BBC Sessions
I just heard them for the first time this weekend, so maybe it’s too early to say I’m passionate about them, but good goddamn, the Luminescent Orchestrii can put on a good show! Gypsy punk, they call it: it’s a five-piece Brooklyn band with two violins, a viola, a base, and an oversized guitar, and while it’s got very strong east-European roots, it’s also got hip-hop influences, surfer music riffs, and a healthy dose of smartass. Their encore cover of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” was sublime.
I’m shocked how few people have mentioned Rennaissance (or spelled them correctly). I’ll 2nd your recommendation. I was gonna recommend the 2 disc Da Capo compilation to your album list - but it appears it’s now only available as a culled down one disc import.
May I recommend artists I know damn well have never been mentioned, like Nora Bayes, Billy Murray and Sophie Ticker? If so, I’ll come back with details . . .
To my surprise, it looks like I’ll be the first on the boards to ever mention Aerogramme. (The term “aerogramme” was mentioned once before, but not in reference to the band.) I think Sleep and Release is the better of their albums, and the review posted at the link I provided pretty much echoes my sentiments about the album.
Okay, everybody, I’ll say this one last time: Schascle/Twinkle. I’ve mentioned her three times in the last year, but apparently no one else has (perhaps like Renaissance she is too hard to spell? :D). Absolutely the best live performer I’ve ever seen, combining seamlessly soul, pop, blues, and rock and with a sublime energy and range. While she has national recording contracts on and off but never really breaks through to the big time, she is still in my opinion far better than the jazz/soul/adult-alterna-divas that do make it big nationally.
I believe I might also be the only Doper to recommend the band “Deathray”, but I’m thinking that might present some problems in a search. Their eponymous album has the automatic catchiness of jangle-pop and the sensibility of both ironic alterna-rockers (e.g. Caviar, Dandy Warhols) and dissonant indie songwriters (e.g. Robyn Hitchcock.)
In addition to me, he’s been mentioned by Look!ninjas, Sassy and Fishbicycle – all in response to my bringing him up.
Rhodes put out a truly fantastic pop album in the early 70s. In a just world, he would have been a top 40s god – catchy and memorable tunes that seem perfect for airplay. He also played all the instruments himself, and for that, and for his music, he drew comparisons to Paul McCartney. Alas, his record company asked too much of him – an immediate followup – and didn’t promote any of the songs as singles. His second album failed, and he couldn’t tour (since he didn’t have a band), so he vanished.
I also suspect Kak would be on the list, but I can’t search the name.
I don’t see anyone else mentioning the Siegel-Schwall Band, though I’m pretty sure there’s been at least one reply to my comment about them. They were a Chicago-based blues/rock band who were just terrific.
There’s also Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. They’ve been mentioned by Risha, Peyote Coyote, Fibonacci, recketsia, and Zen Beam. Truly amazing jazz singers.
OK, I’ll just mention some who are readily available on CD.
• Billy Murray, the first recording superstar. Great raggy tenor, popular from about 1906–1918. You could understand ev-e-ry word he said, but he also got a lot of pep and personality into his delivery. A shame his rendition of “Fido is a Hot Dog Now” is not on this CD.
• Sophie Tucker—her bluer, jazzier, earlier stuff. Her “There’s a Blue Ridge Round My Heart, Virginia” is one of the strongest “belt” numbers ever.
• Helen Kane, the original Boop-Boop-a-Doop singer, the inspiration for Betty Boop (who was Eve Harrington to Helen’s Margot Channing).
• Ute Lemper, the only gal I’d go gay for. Amazing Weimar-era cabaret songs.
Eddie Palmieri hasn’t been mentioned before by anyone, which is rather surprising. He’s a multiple Grammy-winning, Latin jazz/dance pianist and band leader. He’s been recording since the 60’s and has managed to remain relevant. Of the four albums of his I have, I enjoy The Sun of Latin Music the most, though I think each one is great. The Sun of… has a fantastic, dramatic salsa version of the Beatles’ “You Never Give Me Your Money” called “Una Rosa Española.” Everything has exciting horn parts and great use of string instruments. And Eddie’s deft improvisations are the icing on the cake. Don’t be afraid to pick up an album of his if you have any interest in Latin jazz.
While I’m talking about a Latin music artist, I’ll also bring up NG La Banda, a powerhouse Cuban band with a dynamite horn section, funky bassist, and infectious songs. They have also not been mentioned on the board before.
I’m not going to try to search through all the false hits, but I’ve recommended Bond and I’ve hardly seen anybody else mention them.
Bond is an all-female string quartet, albeit one backed by a full rock orchestra. They play covers of everything from Tchaikovsky to Led Zeppelin, but a large percentage of their work is originals - written by the four of them or their arrangers. The music is generally hugely upbeat and vibrant, played with verse and brio. The Bond Live at the Royal Albert Hall concert is available on DVD and is a great introduction to their music.
Although sometimes derided as lite classical, I really don’t care. First, that’s the verdict of the people who have to be cool about what they like and I’m way beyond caring about what the cool kids think. Second, I don’t think of them as classical at all, even though their albums generally appear on the classical charts. They cross genres and the heavy rock backing pulls them out of pure classical territory. For similar reasons they’re not strictly rock either. Their music is heavily textured and extremely well-done, something I’m very sensitive to these days when all too many groups just come out and hammer at their guitars. Textured music with a variety of instruments appeals to me more and more.
Along those lines I also have to mention Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Bela Fleck is probably the only leader of a jazz group who plays banjo, even if it usually is an electrified or synth banjo. He also plays classically-influenced music, along with the jazz, latin, folk, and rock influences in mostly original compositions along with the well-chosen cover. He and his group (including the amazing Futureman and his drum guitar synth) manage to make incredibly textured music from a much smaller grouping than Bond.
The Boards finally started cooperating in a search. I’m finding a few random mention of the Flecktones along with several mentions of his individual band members in concert - with raves for their performances. I caught a concert on tv once and it was truly great.
Being superb at your instrument is a skill that seems to be increasingly neglected in rock. I keep venturing farther and farther afield to find groups to admire.
2. Allison Dennis. She’s a folky-bluesy singer/guitarist from New York’ Hudson Valley, who took up musicianship after she injured her back (she used to be one of the performers in the off-broadway high-wire show, De La Guarda). I saw her live and was completely mesmerized (both my wife and I left saying to each other, “Is it incredibly rude that I was thinking we need to befriend her just so we can invite her to come over and play on our deck on some hot summer night?”). She made it feel, in the chill March weather, that it must actually be a steamy August night outside. Unfortunately, her CDs don’t have the same impact on me … they’re a little too pretentious-folky; but I’d see her play live again in a heartbeat.
Barbara Manning’s one of my favorite singer-songwriters (a genre I’m typically not very fond of), in large part because she can be very dark (see “The Arsonist Story,” “Someone Wants You Dead”). She’s also one of the few musicians I know of who can really pull off cover versions. The album to get is One Perfect Green Blanket/Lately I Keep Scissors. It’s an EP + her first album, and one of her few albums in which she wrote the bulk of the material. 1212 is also very good, and has several covers of songs ranging from Richard Thompson to Tom Lehrer to Amon Duul II.
I searched for Crooked Fingers, and seem to be the only doper who has ever mentioned them.
homepage
The songwriting is incredible, and I love Eric Bachman’s voice. Most of the tunes are melodic and set over guitar, upright bass, with banjo and mandolin sometimes mixed in. This is not bluegrass at all, however! This is alternative music with some thought put into it.
I can’t come up with a good comparison, but I would have to go with Tom Waits if I had to choose. Bachman’s voice is gruff, but not nearly as scratchy as Waits’. The style of music is similar at times, but not as explorative as Waits’.
If you like singer/songwriter types, then you will love this band.
I’ll also mention Syreeta Wright. LifeOnWry and WSLer mentioned her in regards to her duet with Billy Preston on “With You I’m Born Again” (both posts were in threads about wedding songs). I also brought her up in a thread about Stevie Wonder musical cameo apperances. Here is my post:
I don’t think anyone on this board has ever mentioned John Oswald, but about a month ago I discovered and found that I really liked Plunderphonic. I thought about starting a thread, but lord only knows what’d happen with the copyright implications.
If those afore mentioned Cafe Society denizens (who may stumble across this thread via vanity search) - or any other posters would like to add further comments, please do so. [/li]