| Once Upon a Full Moon Night In Our Players |
Here's what's recently caught our collective ears:
Once Upon a Full Moon Night Anything Can Happen What can we
say? We're biased.
Azure Ray As Above, So Below Azure Ray;s Maria Taylor and
Orenda Fink are known for their delicate, almost fragile, vocal
harmonies coupled with very introspective perspectives, set in
melancholy arrangements of piano, acoustic guitar, cello, and
strings. As Above, So Below, despite its 6-song, 23-minute
length, shatters the mold. The dream vocals remain, but the
acoustic bed has been tossed to the curb. Instead, the duo
collaborated with Fink's husband Todd, of the electronic band
The Faint. Deep reverb, synth oscillations, echoed drums,
ominous bass throbs, ghostly tinkles, and things that go bump in
the night are all anchored by the women's soothing vocal
constancy, making for a fascinating dark side ride.
Vanden Plas The Seraphic Clockwork "Frequency" opens The
Seraphic Clockwork, Vanden Plas' 8th album, by firing a truncated
slap of distorted guitars, once, twice, then exploding in a
full-band assault mixing warrior drums with King Crimson guitar
squalls a la Adrian Belew. The chain-link crunch is tempered with
occasional ethereal keyboard pads that allow a chance to catch
your breath before the next trip to Valhalla. Tight doesn't begin
to describe Vanden Plas' precise turns of phrase. The
album-length story line, set in 16th-century Rome, is somewhat
obscure, referencing Jesus, Judas, and an alternate reality of
Biblical and mythological threads. No matter. The vocals are
overcome by the band's Germanic heaviosity, with amps on 12
and octave-doublers aimed downward. Not as theatrical as
Nightwish, not as pop as Priest, Vanden Plas is seriously serious
about its sci-fi fiefdoms.
The Rosebuds Love Deluxe: The Rosebuds Perform Sade Ivan
Howard of The Rosebuds offers up this nearly solo tribute to
Sade's seminal 1992 release. Known among his acquaintances as
a fanatic for anything Adu, Howard demonstrates just how closely
he's listened to Sade's original, replicating much of its feel, quiet
soul, and even some of its sultry steam. But at the end, as with
any cover album, the standing question is why the tribute was
done. Unless there's a fresh spin on the original, the cover is
merely a bar-band exercise in yawn suppression. Sade is so
unique that anything close only sounds . . . well, close. This . . . is
. . . just . . . ordinary love.
And, with no particular releases in mind . . .
Sophie Zelmani There's something about her intimate delivery
that just draws you in.
Sixwire Side project for this group of Nashville session vets that
crackles with country-rock rambuctiousness.
Gert Emmens Fans of early Tangerine Dream will byte down hard.
Katherine Jenkins Now a favorite of our grandson, she's a
marketer's dream, with skills in classical, pop, dance, and theater.
The Fixx Still strong after thirty-some years. One thing does lead
to another.
Esperanza Spalding Grammy-winning jazz bassist / vocalist who
makes the complicated stuff seem effortless. Sheer joy to hear.
say? We're biased.
Azure Ray As Above, So Below Azure Ray;s Maria Taylor and
Orenda Fink are known for their delicate, almost fragile, vocal
harmonies coupled with very introspective perspectives, set in
melancholy arrangements of piano, acoustic guitar, cello, and
strings. As Above, So Below, despite its 6-song, 23-minute
length, shatters the mold. The dream vocals remain, but the
acoustic bed has been tossed to the curb. Instead, the duo
collaborated with Fink's husband Todd, of the electronic band
The Faint. Deep reverb, synth oscillations, echoed drums,
ominous bass throbs, ghostly tinkles, and things that go bump in
the night are all anchored by the women's soothing vocal
constancy, making for a fascinating dark side ride.
Vanden Plas The Seraphic Clockwork "Frequency" opens The
Seraphic Clockwork, Vanden Plas' 8th album, by firing a truncated
slap of distorted guitars, once, twice, then exploding in a
full-band assault mixing warrior drums with King Crimson guitar
squalls a la Adrian Belew. The chain-link crunch is tempered with
occasional ethereal keyboard pads that allow a chance to catch
your breath before the next trip to Valhalla. Tight doesn't begin
to describe Vanden Plas' precise turns of phrase. The
album-length story line, set in 16th-century Rome, is somewhat
obscure, referencing Jesus, Judas, and an alternate reality of
Biblical and mythological threads. No matter. The vocals are
overcome by the band's Germanic heaviosity, with amps on 12
and octave-doublers aimed downward. Not as theatrical as
Nightwish, not as pop as Priest, Vanden Plas is seriously serious
about its sci-fi fiefdoms.
The Rosebuds Love Deluxe: The Rosebuds Perform Sade Ivan
Howard of The Rosebuds offers up this nearly solo tribute to
Sade's seminal 1992 release. Known among his acquaintances as
a fanatic for anything Adu, Howard demonstrates just how closely
he's listened to Sade's original, replicating much of its feel, quiet
soul, and even some of its sultry steam. But at the end, as with
any cover album, the standing question is why the tribute was
done. Unless there's a fresh spin on the original, the cover is
merely a bar-band exercise in yawn suppression. Sade is so
unique that anything close only sounds . . . well, close. This . . . is
. . . just . . . ordinary love.
And, with no particular releases in mind . . .
Sophie Zelmani There's something about her intimate delivery
that just draws you in.
Sixwire Side project for this group of Nashville session vets that
crackles with country-rock rambuctiousness.
Gert Emmens Fans of early Tangerine Dream will byte down hard.
Katherine Jenkins Now a favorite of our grandson, she's a
marketer's dream, with skills in classical, pop, dance, and theater.
The Fixx Still strong after thirty-some years. One thing does lead
to another.
Esperanza Spalding Grammy-winning jazz bassist / vocalist who
makes the complicated stuff seem effortless. Sheer joy to hear.
| Agree? Disagree? Send us your comments. Have you heard something you want to share with us? Get in touch! ** Jay and Annette ** E-mail us: fullmoonnotes@verizon.net Once Upon a Full Moon Night, anything can happen! |
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