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PREVIEW: VISIT Ringo Starr’s Official Web Page WE GIVE IT: 12/20

Ringo Starr, a name that needs no introduction, is probably one of the hardest working musicians to date. Y Not, his 16th studio album independent of The Bealtes, features collaborations with Joe Walsh, Joss Stone, Van Dyke Parks and Ben Harper, not to mention fellow Beatle Paul McCartney.

While the album tries to explore more personal and sentimental topics from the artist’s past, it comes off more as a nostalgic revisiting of overdone arrangements and outdated melodies. The overall sound of the album feels like it got stuck somewhere in the 80s, in between the ever-popular synth keyboards and Michael Bolton’s backup sax players. This is not to say that the sound is blatantly bad, it simply feels outdated. 

Unfortunately, aside from those shortcomings, the album is also lacking lyrically. Starr has been known for his simplistic yet poetic appeal, however Y Not feels just too oversimplified. It goes into a completely different dimension, especially with tracks like “Who’s Your Daddy” a duet with Joss Stone.  Lets just say the title tells you all you need to know about the lyrics. Not to mention that the sound is a crude attempt at merging soulful R&B vocals with “Jailhouse Rock”-style rock-a-billy.

Naturally, the album has its undeniable high points, too. Tracks “The Other Side Of Liverpool” and “Walk With You” (a duet with McCartney) reflect exactly what Starr was trying to accomplish with this release. Both songs have an honest and heartfelt quality that is missing from the rest of the album. “The Other Side Of Liverpool” positively captures lyrical simplicity, while “Walk With You” possesses a perfectly polished melody.

In many ways, Y Not is facing too many challenges. A work of an artist who has spoiled his audiences by being able to endlessly surpass generational gaps, one would expect this album to do the same. Frankly though, the only true fault of Y Not is that it is made for a marginalized audience, rather than to fit the wide appeal Starr’s career has created.

–Irina Dvalidze

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PREVIEW: VISIT Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Myspace WE GIVE IT: 16/20 Watts

If you are up on your vintage trivia the name Gainsbourg should be fairly familiar. Offspring of British actress and singer Jane Birkin and French actor/singer Serge Gainsbourg, Charlotte has most recently become known for her role in Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist, a.k.a. the most messed up movie you will ever see. However set on following in her father’s footsteps, Gainsbourg’s musical career isn’t exactly something to overlook either, especially considering her third album, IRM.

A product of Gainsbourg’s collaboration with Beck, it becomes hard to identify whose release is it exactly. While it is a little much to say that it sounds like a female Beck production, his mark is definitely evident. From his signature musical arrangements, with subtle build-ups, to single-cord guitar melodies into over the top dramatic culminations, it just has Beck’s fingerprints all over it. 

Inspired by a brain hemorrhage following Gainsbourg’s water-skiing accident in 2007, the album is heavily charged with subtle haunting undertones and medical references.IRM mainly serves as a recollection of Gainsbourg’s near-death experience. Each sound is very eerie and most of the lyrics are coated in hummed vocals, making the album feel like a hypnotic cocoon. In tracks such as “Dandelion” and “IRM,” there is a clear layering of melodic arrangements with rougher, mechanical acoustics.

Gainsbourg’s voice though is by all means her strongest contribution to the album.  Her elegant vocals, laced with a hint of French intonation, give most of the songs a smooth flow, which balance well with the occasional dominant melodies that have a more avant-garde quality to them, most evident in track “Le Chat du Café des Artistes.”   IRM has a fairly stunning variety of sounds, mixing styles and genres one would hardly expect. While the release has a heavy morbid backdrop that comes through most of the songs, it becomes hardly apparent as dreamy beats and ghostly notes dominate.

It is safe to say that IRM is a candidate to be named as some of the best work we’ve seen from both artists. The Beck-Gainsbourg collaboration is nothing short of a match made in trippy music heaven, with this release serving as perfectly unified and appropriate for the creative duo.

– Irina Dvalidze

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PREVIEW: VISIT The Album Leaf’s My Space Listen To: Falling From The Sun by The Album Leaf WE GIVE IT: 15/20 Watts

  The Album Leaf– the San Diego musical project centered on Jimmy LaValle–has over fourteen releases on his record. However, after a decade of activity, The Album Leaf is now bringing us his most mature album to date. Of course, the interesting sonic development on A Chorus of Storytellers might have something to do with the presence of an entire band while recording this time around. Not at all like LaValle’s previous releases where he is a sole participant.

While there is no doubt about LaValle’s capacity as an overall solo master, his latest, A Chorus Of Storytellers, is something else entirely. Heavily instrumental and ambient, as one would expect, A Chorus Of Storytellers is a step in a new direction. LaValle invests incredible emotion within each arrangement, combining melodic violins with steady, soft beats. The classic orchestral developments are engulfed in faster paced undertones, producing a refreshing and sentimental sound. Tracks “Falling From The Sun” and “Within Dreams” stand out further from the entire release because of strong vocal additions.

The entire release is extremely well balanced thanks to the variety of sounds that LaValle incorporates. A Chorus Of Storytellers is hardly a compilation of overdone ambient junk that has been dominantly taking over. It is a clean-cut, tight album that very frankly gives us a fresh take on what acoustic-electronica could, and should sound like.

The presence of the entire band is clear on the album. It sounds more unified and coherent in comparison with previous releases. The transitions are never abrupt in between the tracks, but rather, the album relies purely on the originality of each song to provide a variety and avoid humdrum repetition.

Overall, A Chorus Of Storytellers is by no means a synth trip waiting to happen. Instead, its sound has an unusually cinematic appeal. Each arrangement is extremely dynamic and powerful, with a strong theatrical capacity. Every melody is just slightly exaggerated and over the top. It successfully manages to avoid the thin line of becoming cheesy and melodramatic–something listeners will surely be able to appreciate as they wind through the band’s new, fuller soundscape.

–Irina Dvalidze

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PREVIEW: VISIT Phanotgram’s My Space WE GIVE IT: 14/20 Watts

Three years into their career, Phantogram is finally gracing the public with their debut album Eyelid Movies. The Saratoga Springs duo, consisting of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, wowed when they were featured as the Starbucks iTunes pick of the week with “Mouthful Of Diamonds.” Following in the footsteps of their fellow upstate New Yorkers Ra Ra Riot, Phantogram will be releasing the record via Barsuk Records.

Eyelid Movies is exactly what one would expect. Dominated by countless layers of sound, the release combines every imaginable style into surprisingly symphonic arrangements. The electronic beats give the album a fast pace, which is ideally balanced with the occasional electro lullabies like “10,000 Claps” and  “All Dried Up.”

Lyrically Phantogram aim for simplistic perfection, relying primarily on sound for expression– an effect that is quite haunting to say the least. While the release it utterly melodic, it has a strange horror appeal fit for a David Lynch film. Lyrics such as “ten thousand rats waiting in line for me” can even make Disneyland seem slightly creepy. Strangely the duo makes this work for them.  The ghostlike intonation is laced through most of the sounds on the album.  While Barthel’s synth sounds are drenched in chilling notes, the background beats give the album a necessary steady pace, making the listen into quite an experience. 

Both Barthel and Carter contribute strong vocals throughout, adding a creative range to the overall album. Carter with a deeper mellow voice serves as a perfect accompaniment to Barthel’s delicate high notes.  In “When I’m Small” her vocals are perfectly detached, fitting ideally with Carter’s minimalistic guitar plucks and repetitive keyboard strokes.

While overall the sound is quite refreshing, it does get hum drum on occasion, an error sure to be fixed in future releases. As far as the debut album goes, Phantogram do an adequate job defining their sound and creating their signature sound.

–Irina Dvalidze

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PREVIEW: VISIT Joanna Newsom’s MySpace WE GIVE IT: 16/20 Watts

Joanna Newsom has been well known for her exceptional songwriting skills, quirky persona and harp proficiency. While she may not be every music lover’s ideal match, this undeniably gifted Californian can be credited for rescuing the harp medium from hotel room lobbies and your grandmother’s dinner-table music library. While claiming credit for all those achievements, it has been over 4 years since her last studio album.  Luckily, after several false alarms, the wait is finally over with Have One On Me.

All we can say is that the time was well worth it, with an album spanning over three discs and two hours and eight minutes. If nothing else, the release is completely massive, containing a mindboggling amount of pieces. What is even more interesting about the album is that it actually puts all of this space to good use. It has variety, great beats, memorable melodies and more importantly, it is never boring. Quite an accomplishment for a two hour album.

Newsom’s voice is absolutely captivating. It is unusually refreshing, with a capacity for both extremely vocal notes and mellow/raspy jazzy arrangements. Tracks “Good Intentions Paving Company” and “Easy” are a perfect example of Newsom’s range as an artist. She maintains her signature avant garde qualities retaining a mass appeal.  The entire album is incredibly melodic and natural. It is a light, simple listen dominated with hushed tones and low tunes, only occasionally laced with high notes where necessary.

Lyrically minimalistic, the record relies  primarily on melodies for range.  The lyrics are secondary to the melodies to such an extent that they become unnoticeable at times, merely supporting the melancholy tunes that captive the listeners.

Have One On Me balances a variety of sounds, all of which are evident throughout. Newsom gathers a bevy of sounds– you can hear everything from smoky, room cabaret tunes to Japanese influenced melodies, to what sounds like a much needed update to Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

The entire release stays true to Newsom’s artistic capabilities while retaining her commercial appeal. It is full of simply beautiful music that doesn’t require much effort from the listener. It flows through smoothly as a nice backdrop to a relaxing day.

–Irina Dvalidze

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PREVIEW: VISIT The Northbound Traveling Minstrel Jug Band’s MySpace

These guys are SU’s party-band warriors, and if you haven’t seen their live set in an attic somewhere, you’ve been going to the wrong parties. Made out of smooth bluegrass soul, these guys are unmatched in these parts. They play so many campus shows, they’re getting worried they’re playing too much, but the crowd keeps roaring for more.

–Videography by Irina Dvalidze and Editing by Jett Wells

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Last Friday on Feb. 26, O,Morning Records continued its campus-wide reign of showcasing SU’s musical talent, but this time we got it on tape. The night raged hard with stockpile of talent, including Sarah Aument, Emmery Brakke, The Northbound Traveling Minstrel Jug Band, The Fly, Liz Lewis and The World Record Players. Aside from the performances, the house was packed with laughs and good times. Relive the good times through the music of one of the bands, The Northbound Traveling Minstrel Jug Band.