Paper Dolls - Sparks (2011)

Paper Dolls are:
Jenn Malzone - songwriter, keyboards
Cathie Degler - cello
Brad Vaughn - bass
Sarah Ross - drums

Sarah and Cathie saw the original line-up of the band disband just as they were finishing their first album.  So they reformed in this configuration and got to work. The result of that labor is Sparks, which is a mix of the original line-up's darker material (gothic) and the pop sensibility of the current band.   The mixture of chamber and goth makes theirs a sound I haven't heard in a band from St. Louis before, and their interesting arrangements make them stand out.

"Middle Class Fashion" has a simple and undeniable little piano riff that runs throughout the song, while Cathie's cello and Brad's bass spar back and forth at the bottom end. The clipped nature of Jenn's vocals play along with the piano. Some small bursts of layered vocals are thrown in here and there, and the way that all of these elements figure into the arrangement is a nice change from the norm.

"First Draft" features more jazz influences as well as flourishes of weepy cello that make for an opulent vibe. I really like the staccato nature of Jenn's vocals and the piano that plays off that. That may be the bands signature sound, and what an enjoyable one to hear.

The unconventional song structures help Paper Dolls carve a unique sound. There is quite a bit of growth as a band from their first band line-up and this current line-up.  Sparks is the type of release that will have a significant influence on budding songstresses in an already burgeoning St. Louis music scene.



Download Sparks for $5 at their thesixtyone page. They have cd's available at their upcoming shows March 11 at Wash U, and March 26 at Lemmons w/ Blood Pony. I will be doing a review of the Blood Pony album as well, so that would be a great show to see.

Zach Pietrini and The Broken Bones - The Bright and Shining Lights of Anywhere Else (2009)

 Dedicated Ears was fortunate enough to be part of a Betta Promotion Chicago show with Zach and his band a few weeks back.  I highly suggest seeing them live whenever you get the chance.  Zach gave me his album from 2009 and I really enjoy listening to it.  So here is a bit of a belated review of said album.

The lineup of the band is :

Zach Pietrini
Phil Vickers
Eric Mumbower
Nate Gass
Matt Levon

 There is a revival feeling that runs through the songs on this album and their production.  The sound meanders through but is not beholden to folk, alt country, indie rock, blues, and bluegrass. Zach Pietrini and The Broken Bones spin many fine stories on The Bright and Shining Lights Of Anywhere Else  which is a bargain $5 on their site.  It's always interesting to hear a country stomp on a song like "Chicago",  a tale of the big city told through the eyes of someone from the country. The shift in timing with the chorus is a nice touch.

 "Never Wrote" is a torch song and fine change of pace that features some heartfelt singing by Zach.  I love the languid pace of the guitar here, it emphasizes the subject matter of the song. "Still I don't see no sunshine, just the majestic and desolate view... it pulls my will in two, it pulls my will in two, and while you gaze up at my face, I wonder why you do."

The  first person narratives and subtle, clever word play are bountiful on this album. The country meets city storyline is always enjoyable to me.  The musicians on this album are really good, as good as when I saw them play live.  Head to their site and buy this album. They are also recording new material and playing in the Chicago area, so keep an eye out on their Facebook page.  Thanks again to Zach and the Band for the album and the great show.

Julie Meckler, Rachele Eve, Jon Drake Chaperone Grape Juice Records

Thanks to August and Kevin from Novo for the invite for this show at Subterranean.  Also a big thanks to Grape Juice Records who sponsored the show and has lots of really cool local acts on their label.

Chaperone started the show running with their high energy show. They had a new drummer playing, Thom had left the band two weeks prior.  They didn't seem to miss a beat though. Their set featured 3 of the four members singing lead, a broken bass string and Misfits "S.O.B"cover. They never disappoint live and are more than happy to talk before/after their set. 

Jon Drake and The Shakes had eight members and somehow they all squeezed onto the stage. Their band featured a trumpet and trombone. This is the 2nd time I have seen the full compliment of the shakes and they sound orchestra sized at time. Their ep is a free download on their bandcamp page.

Rachel Eve featured some really nice cello and emotive songs.

Julie Meckler played last and was a crowd favorite I highly suggest checking her live show. 

Dedicated Ears Songwriter Showcase #6 Cafe Ballou 1.22.11

The latest installment of Dedicated Ears Songwriter Showcase at Cafe Ballou was a rousing success.  Gabe (Dastardly) played the "Jew Song" and I was lucky to record it. The video is below. He has an ease with an audience that is commendable. He also played drums on Jared Bartman's set.  I really like Jared's phrasing and tone of his voice. He  played accordion and guitar. He also played accordion on Gabe's set. The two of them are headed out on tour, check their fb page for more info.

Brendan Losch play some new and some old songs.  It's always a treat to see him play.  Ami Suraiya was accompanied by a few of her band members from The Outcome.  I knew I would enjoy the set when the drummer had brushes and mallets and played some cool jazz rhythms. Ami played accordion... are you noticing a theme here? I thought their overall sound was great and you should go see them play soon. Will from Teenage Rage played a cool set as well.



It was a blast to hang with some of the bands afterwards.  Thanks again to Khosro and the staff at Cafe Ballou, which is a great place to eat as well as load up on coffee stuffs in a relaxed vibe.  They are always welcoming and I am fortunate to be involved with these shows.  Also, thanks to all of the people who come out to the shows. It means a lot to the performers.

Mutts, Brontosaurus, Pretty Little Empire, and Zach Pietrini and The Broke Bones Jan 18 Double Door FREE

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This show marks the first time Dedicated Ears will be a sole presenter for another  Betta Promotions FREE Show . This Tuesday, Jan 18th, doors at 7:30, 21+ to enter,  featuring : Mutts, Brontosaurus, Pretty Little Empire, and Zach Pietrini and The Broken Bones.  I would like to thank Rebecca and her whole crew, and look forward to working with them.  Betta have been putting on free shows all month long! 


Headlining the bill are Mutts, Mike Maimone's tight band with the grumbling bottom end. The band has branched out on their recent, awesome, FREE download-able The Tells Of Parallel  which is more experimental.  I have been to quite a few of their shows and their live set is always evolving.



The two headed monster duo of Brontosaurus are a treat live. They play a progressive indie brand of rock that is a sight to behold live. They shuffle around instruments to come up with a big sound for having just two members.

If you follow this blog at all you know of my love of Pretty Little Empire and their new album Reasons and Rooms, which topped my most listened to list for 2010. They are continually growing as a band and really solidified their sound with the addition of their new/awesome drummer Evan O'neal.  They have multiple capable members who sing lead. They only make it to Chicago a few times a year, so see them now.




Also on the bill is Zach Pietrini and The Broken Bones who I have not seen yet, but I look forward to seeing them on Tuesday.  So please come out and support these great bands and get in for FREE.

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

When people marry their celebrity to their music as Kanye does, then it is impossible to allow feelings about his celebrity not to creep into discussions about his music. Kanye wants you to do that. He then sets out on this album to show you how he sees himself.  My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is about Kanye's own (more) love than hate relationship with his own celebrity.  At times he laments this relationship, and at others he vehemently encourages his celebrity to run wild.  In the middle somewhere is where the truth lies. It is interesting to see this struggle play out.  And oh by the way, the beats are moving further away from rap and closer to some indie electronic hybrid, which is fascinating.

The stacked horns on "All Of The Lights" are regal and blend nicely with the deep bass hits and is hit out of the park Rihanna's vocals.  This is another anthem sounding track for a cautionary tale about "street life".  "Restraining order, can't see my daughter, her mother, brother, grandmother hate me in that order", Kanye laments. On this track are cool parts by Kid Kudi and Fergy as well. Kanye does well encompassing artists that I would never want to buy a solo album from into these out-sized songs and they work beautifully.

 "Runaway" is the 9 minute centerpiece of this album with it's horror movie soundtrack single note on the piano for a good 40 seconds that bleeds into a sinister synth growl backing Kanye's wistful rapping of personal deficiencies.  "I don't know what it is with females, but I'm not too good at that shit, see I could have me a good girl and still be addicted to 'hood rats, and I just blame everything on you, at least you know  that's what I'm good at... let's have a toast for the douche bags, let's have a toast for the assholes, let's have a toast for the scum bags, every one of them that I know, let's have a toast for the jerk offs that'll never take work off, baby I got a plan, run away as fast as you can." All the while the strings build in the background until the bridge at the 5 minute mark, that slows to a tired lurch echoing the narrator being worn out with dealing with himself. The experimental run toward the end is a brave choice that turns this into true "experimental rap" and lends a cinematic force to the song.

From the opening chats and claps with an African bent, "Power" is a screamer of an anthem using the sample of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson. Ah, progressive music is influencing all corners of the music world, isn't it? Kanye uses it to great effect. The siren in the background enhances Kanye's desperate style of rap. "I got treasures in my mind but couldn't open my own vault." That one line says almost everything about Kanye and his talent and how he encounters disconnects of his own.

 This album is a step above the great collective work of his last album, 808's and Heartbreaks which is one hell of a feat.  His albums have each bested the predecessor. The big difference  on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is that Kanye has moved away from songs about the club, turned up the interrogation light on himself, and given us the results in rap form here.  It's a brave choice to put himself out there in this way. Kanye has shown he can take the criticism and turn it into great songs. This album is on my most listened to list for the year and will be atop many other lists as well.  I think Kanye has even more in him. I was kind of hoping that, given the plight of lower income workers in this economy, that Kanye would make a social commentary album that was more clever than some of his previous blunt statements on the state of common folks. I hope that album is on the way, because  it will take Kanye from having the best album of any given year, to one of the best albums of a generation.

Dedicated Ears 2010 Most Listened To List

 This year I am sticking with just 2010 release for my most listened to list. For me,  listens is the best way to figure out what the best albums of the year are.  It was a really good year for hip hop and rap and that is reflected below.  If I were to include some other albums I have listened to as much as these, but don't fit the 2010 release date those would be The Black Atlantic, Manipulator Alligator and Turtle Ambulance.

1)  Pretty Little Empire - Reason and Rooms  Second year in a row that this St. Louis four piece is my most listened to album. All they did since last year was add an amazing drummer, delve into indie guitar circa 1990 and crank up the harmonies. Superb song-writing again and  3 of the four members sing lead vocals admirably. That doesn't happen every day does it?

2)  Hemmingbirds - Death Wave Yoo Soo Kim of the Chicago indie band Hemmingbirds  plays everything on this album save for a few drum tracks. Great pop songwriting. The music draws from everything from Pink Floyd to Decemberists.   Non- conventional pop song structures give this album its own sound that keeps you invested in these songs. 

 3) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy   (Roc A Fella) Amazing that Kanye is continually topping his last album and this album is no different. Less of the club centered songs and more story telling going on here. This gets better with every listen.




4) Carlos Mendez - Depie 
 Folk from Panama that uses Latin rhythms and indie pop as well to make for a relaxed vibe. This album was stuck on repeat for me throughout this past summer.  If you didn't think you liked music in languages other than English this may convince you otherwise. 

 5) The Juliets - The Juliets   (Flat Response Sound) Chamber pop from Detroit that is heavy on the strings.  With influences of Brit pop and indie rock this album also has a bounce on the bottom end that is an interesting mix within the realm of chamber pop. Well thought out lyrics and great production

6) Bullets In Madison - We Became Your Family When You Died
 Chicago bands best to date.  Equal parts ambient and shoe gaze with a touch of post-rock. These songs help to make a cohesive album that is flush with emotive arrangements that demand to be heard over and over again.

7) Grinderman - Grinderman 2  (Anti/Epitath) Thanks God for Nick Cave's relentless drive as Grinderman is what he does in his "off" time. This time around it's less punch you in the face and more drag you on the floor. I am very careful not to say this is a more mellow album than their first but it does rely on a groove more and has less of the loud punches.  He has separated himself from many of his peers with the improvement in quality as well as keeping the sound very relevant.

8) Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring (Kill Rock Stars) What a beautifully sorrow sound this album has. The strings are are used to make washes of emotion that are so addictive to listen to. The vocals and lyrics come from  an honest place and make for such a full sound with the strings.

9) Angelique Kidjo - Oyo  (Razor & Tie) Benin artist Kidjo commands presence not only with her big voice but with her ability to seamlessly wander between American soul and traditional African music. Even an appearance by Bono on a track could take away from this album's goodness.

 

10) Pelican - What We All Come To Need  (Southern Lord)   Chicago instrumental metal stalwarts make grown up metal that both headbangers and casual listeners can listen to and enjoy.  The build up on some of these songs is pretty heady stuff.




 

11) Cassis Orange - Kashisu Orenji  (Grip Tapes)  Autumn Ahinger is Cassis Orange who is based in Chapel Hill.  This EP of electronic pop gems reminded me a bit of Tune - Yards the first time I heard it.  The vocals are spot on and the keyboards are great. 

12) Crash Collect (formerly Elle Lefant)  - Pulse Short and sweet EP by Poughkeepsie based duo that is a powerful brand of electronic soul. Out-sized vocals and playful electronic pop make for quite a pairing.

13) Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid    (Bad Boy) I got this album a bit late in the year. I suspect that if I listened to it for another month that it would jump into my top 5. This is genre bending at it's best. Janelle manages to wear many musical hats and wear them all very well. 

14) We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls (Fat Cat Records)

 Sublime Scottish indie rock that is so damn catchy.

15) Joe Harbison - Traditions  (CLLCT.com) Joe is from Kentucky and is quite a prolific musician.  He has unique vocals that I enjoy. He is another one man band and plays everything you hear as well as writes composes these songs.

16) Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer (Radiculture/Elektra) Another album I got later in the year that could have climbed much higher. Awesome horns, the "F# You " song that is a viral video hit and a really good Band Of Horses cover ("No One's Gonna Love You) . Cee Lo gets it right and doesn't take himself too seriously and that is a page other hip hop acts would be well served to embrace.

17)  Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two : Return Of The Ankh (Mowtown) I like her as a neo soul artists originally and now enjoy her even more as an experimental soul songstress. Though not as experimental as Vol. 1 this album is really good.

18) Magic Man - Real Life Color (Arcade Sound LTD.) Lo fi electronic pop from Boston. So, so addictive these songs are.  

19) The Roots - How I Got Over  (Def Jam) You can almost get complacent in thinking every new album by the Roots is going to be a great album. It does seem to work out that way doesn't it? So this is another album long and beats and thoughtful raps by guys who know who they are, Philly's finest.

20) Yawn - Yawn EP   Chicago psyche-pop loaded with hook and a wide array of sounds.  Do you like your tribal beats with your psyche rock? Then you will love this.

21) Yellow Ostrich - The Morgan Freeman EP  Oddly enough, The Morgan Freeman EP was written all about... Morgan Freeman, well his Wiki page anyways. With such irrevrant beginnings is it any wonder that this is actually very good? Quite an ear the band has for melodies.Thanks to The Waiting Room Radio Shows web-cast for the tip!