4 posts tagged “00s_pop”
Bond, Born Rating=$$
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How I Got This CD: Free demo from my Bordersverse daze.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
The good news: This is an awesome CD to have around if you're creating mixes and need a dance-fusion-world beat-classical tune to sneak into the tracks. Most of the tunes have a movie score feel to them (something that may have been deliberate)
The bad news: Listening to the entire CD with back-to-back tracks will bore you to tears. So, it makes it great background music for the cube, but not really great background music for anything else.
Oh, what's a music hound like me to do?
Well, for one thing, I'm not going to dump the CD. I've already used two tracks off this CD in two different mixes ("Alexander the Great" and "Duel"), and no doubt I'll probably use more tracks as the need arises. That said, I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it.
The CD is mostly instrumental (there's some minor vocal work on some of the tracks). The stringed quartet of Bond are undeniably talented classical musicians (although classical music enthusiasts may disagree with my take), and I think the CD may be an interesting entry point to draw non-traditional or new audiences into the classical music world. Certainly, Bond has the germ of something good here, and Born is one of their older CDs. Later works might show a vast improvement over this 2000 release.
Below are some solid tracks that are worth the listen, if nothing else.
"Quixote," the first sample track, definitely has that mid-movie soundtrack feel. You know the point I mean. The part where the hero or heroine is running his or her ass off through southern Spain with the supah-sekrit payload in their backpack while all manner of bad guys (and gals) are chasing him or her to get their hands on the goods.
"Victory," the second sample track, does make me giggle. Remember "A Fifth of Beethoven" from the Saturday Night Fever movie soundtrack? This is on the same, although with half the bombast and twice the disco beat.
"Kismet," the third sample, is back to that whole movie soundtrack feel. There's something Casablanca-ish (the movie, not the music) about it. I'm not sure what to make about this one. The violin work is sweet and ethereal. I could've done without the electronica, though.
"Korbushko," the final sample track, has that Russian sound that I love in my violins. Even better? No electronica. If you only download one track, this is the track to snag.
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Free demo from my Bordersverse daze.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
The good news: This is an awesome CD to have around if you're creating mixes and need a dance-fusion-world beat-classical tune to sneak into the tracks. Most of the tunes have a movie score feel to them (something that may have been deliberate)
The bad news: Listening to the entire CD with back-to-back tracks will bore you to tears. So, it makes it great background music for the cube, but not really great background music for anything else.
Oh, what's a music hound like me to do?
Well, for one thing, I'm not going to dump the CD. I've already used two tracks off this CD in two different mixes ("Alexander the Great" and "Duel"), and no doubt I'll probably use more tracks as the need arises. That said, I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it.
The CD is mostly instrumental (there's some minor vocal work on some of the tracks). The stringed quartet of Bond are undeniably talented classical musicians (although classical music enthusiasts may disagree with my take), and I think the CD may be an interesting entry point to draw non-traditional or new audiences into the classical music world. Certainly, Bond has the germ of something good here, and Born is one of their older CDs. Later works might show a vast improvement over this 2000 release.
Below are some solid tracks that are worth the listen, if nothing else.
"Quixote," the first sample track, definitely has that mid-movie soundtrack feel. You know the point I mean. The part where the hero or heroine is running his or her ass off through southern Spain with the supah-sekrit payload in their backpack while all manner of bad guys (and gals) are chasing him or her to get their hands on the goods.
"Victory," the second sample track, does make me giggle. Remember "A Fifth of Beethoven" from the Saturday Night Fever movie soundtrack? This is on the same, although with half the bombast and twice the disco beat.
"Kismet," the third sample, is back to that whole movie soundtrack feel. There's something Casablanca-ish (the movie, not the music) about it. I'm not sure what to make about this one. The violin work is sweet and ethereal. I could've done without the electronica, though.
"Korbushko," the final sample track, has that Russian sound that I love in my violins. Even better? No electronica. If you only download one track, this is the track to snag.
James Hunter, People Gonna Talk Rating=$$$$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Bought on the spur of the moment while standing at the counter in the local Starbucks.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
I once got into a massive fight with a friend of my brother over the merits of analog vs. digital music recording. I insisted that even through digital may have a cleaner sound, to my ear, analog simply had a better sound. The tones are fuller, the treble end is sharper, and the base end is deeper. The philistine insisted that I knew nothing about "real sound," because, mathematically speaking, digital was superior.
Yes. You heard that right. "Mathematically speaking," as if music could and should be boiled down to an algebraic equation.
Yet, no matter how I pointed out that natural sound is analog (not digital) and that live music is analog (again, not digital) and even though we compared vinyl loveliness with CD thinness, I was declared both "an idiot" and "a Luddite" simply because I would not back down on this point.
Now, I agree that digital has its charms and offers its own set of rewards in exchange for that fat analog sound, but I confess that there are days that I miss the hiss and crack of a needle across vinyl.
Enter James Hunter with People Gonna Talk, which, according to his website was recorded using all analog equipment, from the instruments to the recording equipment. The result is a full, warm, gorgeous sound that I thought was lost somewhere in the mists of my dad's 45s and LP collection. All it's missing is the hiss-and-crack of needle on vinyl, and the experience would be complete.
It brought a tear to my eye. Truly.
James Hunter is part of the blue-eyed soul brigade and, according to his AllMusic biography, British. What I especially like about this CD is that the 1950s R&B whiteboy feel isn't played for laughs or kitsch, but with very serious musicianship and intent. That's not to say that there's no sense of fun — the CD packaging includes a look and feel right out of the '50s, complete with caricatures of the band drawn by Hunter himself. Because Hunter takes the business seriously, it allows the listener to truly enjoy the full 40 minutes on this CD in a completely guilt-free and unselfconscious way.
This CD has it all. Tight musicianship. Clever lyrics. A pop feel enhanced by the short runtime of the individual tunes themselves. A sense of fun. But most important, that analog sound (God, how I missed you!). This one is definitely a keeper. Run, don't walk, to get a copy for yourself.
Ironically, I actually got his 2001 release, Kick It Around, as a demo during my Bordersverse days. I haven't had a chance to listen to it (sadly). It appears I'll have to dig it out and determine if the earlier release is as much of a gem as Hunter's latest.
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Bought on the spur of the moment while standing at the counter in the local Starbucks.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
I once got into a massive fight with a friend of my brother over the merits of analog vs. digital music recording. I insisted that even through digital may have a cleaner sound, to my ear, analog simply had a better sound. The tones are fuller, the treble end is sharper, and the base end is deeper. The philistine insisted that I knew nothing about "real sound," because, mathematically speaking, digital was superior.
Yes. You heard that right. "Mathematically speaking," as if music could and should be boiled down to an algebraic equation.
Yet, no matter how I pointed out that natural sound is analog (not digital) and that live music is analog (again, not digital) and even though we compared vinyl loveliness with CD thinness, I was declared both "an idiot" and "a Luddite" simply because I would not back down on this point.
Now, I agree that digital has its charms and offers its own set of rewards in exchange for that fat analog sound, but I confess that there are days that I miss the hiss and crack of a needle across vinyl.
Enter James Hunter with People Gonna Talk, which, according to his website was recorded using all analog equipment, from the instruments to the recording equipment. The result is a full, warm, gorgeous sound that I thought was lost somewhere in the mists of my dad's 45s and LP collection. All it's missing is the hiss-and-crack of needle on vinyl, and the experience would be complete.
It brought a tear to my eye. Truly.
James Hunter is part of the blue-eyed soul brigade and, according to his AllMusic biography, British. What I especially like about this CD is that the 1950s R&B whiteboy feel isn't played for laughs or kitsch, but with very serious musicianship and intent. That's not to say that there's no sense of fun — the CD packaging includes a look and feel right out of the '50s, complete with caricatures of the band drawn by Hunter himself. Because Hunter takes the business seriously, it allows the listener to truly enjoy the full 40 minutes on this CD in a completely guilt-free and unselfconscious way.
This CD has it all. Tight musicianship. Clever lyrics. A pop feel enhanced by the short runtime of the individual tunes themselves. A sense of fun. But most important, that analog sound (God, how I missed you!). This one is definitely a keeper. Run, don't walk, to get a copy for yourself.
Ironically, I actually got his 2001 release, Kick It Around, as a demo during my Bordersverse days. I haven't had a chance to listen to it (sadly). It appears I'll have to dig it out and determine if the earlier release is as much of a gem as Hunter's latest.
KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope Rating=$$$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: After staring at this CD for for several months, I gave in to temptation and paid full price at my local Starbuck's.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
Tunstall showcases it all on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. She has a gorgeous alto voice that would be perfectly at home in soft jazz or blues. Her music is a catchy blend of pop-folk. Her lyrics are quicksilver clever supported by hummable, catchy tunes. The singing-songwriting talent is supported by some solid guitar and piano work, along with good backing musicians and singers. This CD is a strong freshman effort that hints at a big career up ahead. The last time I got this excited about a new female solo artist, I was starting at Shawn Colvin's Steady On wondering where the hell she'd been all my life.
Or it could be, like in the case of Colvin, I'm at a point in my life when I'm pretty open to Tunstall's music and themes.
In either case, I would highly recommend tossing some cash Tunstall's way. The whole CD has a nice flow and there really isn't a dud track in the entire bunch. The only thing keeping this from a 5-rating is that the center of the CD sags slightly as the slower, more thoughtful tunes take center stage during the back 6 of this 12-track CD. It's only a minor thing on what is otherwise a fabulous CD. Don't let this deter you at all from adding this CD to your collection.
Of the CD downloads below, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" has been played in heavy rotation on adult contemporary and AOR-oriented radio stations in the New England region. "Suddenly I See" has just recently started popping up on the radio play lists of these same stations. These are terrific songs for cheering you up and getting you to butt-dance in the seat. Both of these songs, especially "Suddenly I See," never fail to bring a smile to my face. "Another Place to Fall" and "Miniature Disasters" are solid tracks that better highlight Tunstall's jazzy vocals and bluesy sensibility than the other two pop-infused offerings.
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: After staring at this CD for for several months, I gave in to temptation and paid full price at my local Starbuck's.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
Tunstall showcases it all on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. She has a gorgeous alto voice that would be perfectly at home in soft jazz or blues. Her music is a catchy blend of pop-folk. Her lyrics are quicksilver clever supported by hummable, catchy tunes. The singing-songwriting talent is supported by some solid guitar and piano work, along with good backing musicians and singers. This CD is a strong freshman effort that hints at a big career up ahead. The last time I got this excited about a new female solo artist, I was starting at Shawn Colvin's Steady On wondering where the hell she'd been all my life.
Or it could be, like in the case of Colvin, I'm at a point in my life when I'm pretty open to Tunstall's music and themes.
In either case, I would highly recommend tossing some cash Tunstall's way. The whole CD has a nice flow and there really isn't a dud track in the entire bunch. The only thing keeping this from a 5-rating is that the center of the CD sags slightly as the slower, more thoughtful tunes take center stage during the back 6 of this 12-track CD. It's only a minor thing on what is otherwise a fabulous CD. Don't let this deter you at all from adding this CD to your collection.
Of the CD downloads below, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" has been played in heavy rotation on adult contemporary and AOR-oriented radio stations in the New England region. "Suddenly I See" has just recently started popping up on the radio play lists of these same stations. These are terrific songs for cheering you up and getting you to butt-dance in the seat. Both of these songs, especially "Suddenly I See," never fail to bring a smile to my face. "Another Place to Fall" and "Miniature Disasters" are solid tracks that better highlight Tunstall's jazzy vocals and bluesy sensibility than the other two pop-infused offerings.
Binocular, Binocular Rating=$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Free demo from my Bordersverse daze
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
The name of the artist (singular) is, in fact, Binocular. It's not the name of a band, it's the professional name of a person. It's kind of like how Madonna is Madonna, Cher is Cher, and Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails. While Binocular is engaging in a time-honored tradition, I believe his choice of name may have been unwise. For example:
If that isn't amusing enough, this demo CD has some pretty amusing meta data. To be fair, it isn't the first time the meta data on demo has cracked me up when I've seen it displayed through iTunes because it seemed so ironically fitting. The source of amusement this time? When I put Binocular's self-titled CD (and only full-length CD according to AllMusic), iTunes informed me that the genre of this work was "unclassifiable."
Yeah. That sounds about right.
Not really sure what Binocular was going for here. Pop? Soft rock? Soft-alt? Singer-songwriter? Future theme song of a WB or UPN (precursors of the CW Network, born September 18, 2006) show? (Oh! Wait! I see that the first track, 'You,' was actually used during the first season of WB's Smallville.)
This CD did yield one minor hint for Binocular, 'Deep,' which did get some radio play even though...well, let's just say it's not the best song on this thoroughly mediocre CD. I seem to recall hearing it on radio stations that advertised themselves as the "home of workplace hits" or "your pop variety at-work station" if that's any help.
The album isn't bad, although it took me two plays to determine if I liked it or was merely "meh" about it. I've decided that I "liked it/meh" (yes, I know, that was very helpful), but I wouldn't recommend buying this one new unless you really, really, really like the sample tracks I've provided here. I suspect that this one will be tough to find in a used CD store anyway (far as I can tell, this CD was not big chart-topper and it came out in 2001), so if you're going for the used option some patience might be required.
Or, you could always go to Amazon and pick it up for a little over $2 plus shipping.
I suppose the reason why I'm being flippant about this CD and the undeniably talented Binocular (he did play all the instruments and did all the vocals) is because every online review I came across while trying to dig up more information about this artist was so gushing that I'm tempted to think that every word had been written by his mother. Sorry. I keep forgetting. This is the Internet age. I mean his mother's sockpuppets.
I'll be honest: I found the music to be pleasant enough ear candy. The lyrics struck me as clever at times, but anvilly at others. I'm pretty sure that Binocular's voice isn't the result of ProTools. If nothing else, Binocular is a talented musician and lyricist, but might consider letting stronger voices perform his tunes so those clever lyrics can have the showcase they deserve.
But ground-breaking? The Next Big Thing? The New Poet of American Pop? Ummmmm, make that a no.
Overall, the CD is a decent addition to my collection, especially since I got it for F-R-E-E. Other people might consider getting a used a copy. But new? Assuming you can even find it, it's not worth the money.
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Free demo from my Bordersverse daze
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
The name of the artist (singular) is, in fact, Binocular. It's not the name of a band, it's the professional name of a person. It's kind of like how Madonna is Madonna, Cher is Cher, and Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails. While Binocular is engaging in a time-honored tradition, I believe his choice of name may have been unwise. For example:
If that isn't amusing enough, this demo CD has some pretty amusing meta data. To be fair, it isn't the first time the meta data on demo has cracked me up when I've seen it displayed through iTunes because it seemed so ironically fitting. The source of amusement this time? When I put Binocular's self-titled CD (and only full-length CD according to AllMusic), iTunes informed me that the genre of this work was "unclassifiable."
Yeah. That sounds about right.
Not really sure what Binocular was going for here. Pop? Soft rock? Soft-alt? Singer-songwriter? Future theme song of a WB or UPN (precursors of the CW Network, born September 18, 2006) show? (Oh! Wait! I see that the first track, 'You,' was actually used during the first season of WB's Smallville.)
This CD did yield one minor hint for Binocular, 'Deep,' which did get some radio play even though...well, let's just say it's not the best song on this thoroughly mediocre CD. I seem to recall hearing it on radio stations that advertised themselves as the "home of workplace hits" or "your pop variety at-work station" if that's any help.
The album isn't bad, although it took me two plays to determine if I liked it or was merely "meh" about it. I've decided that I "liked it/meh" (yes, I know, that was very helpful), but I wouldn't recommend buying this one new unless you really, really, really like the sample tracks I've provided here. I suspect that this one will be tough to find in a used CD store anyway (far as I can tell, this CD was not big chart-topper and it came out in 2001), so if you're going for the used option some patience might be required.
Or, you could always go to Amazon and pick it up for a little over $2 plus shipping.
I suppose the reason why I'm being flippant about this CD and the undeniably talented Binocular (he did play all the instruments and did all the vocals) is because every online review I came across while trying to dig up more information about this artist was so gushing that I'm tempted to think that every word had been written by his mother. Sorry. I keep forgetting. This is the Internet age. I mean his mother's sockpuppets.
I'll be honest: I found the music to be pleasant enough ear candy. The lyrics struck me as clever at times, but anvilly at others. I'm pretty sure that Binocular's voice isn't the result of ProTools. If nothing else, Binocular is a talented musician and lyricist, but might consider letting stronger voices perform his tunes so those clever lyrics can have the showcase they deserve.
But ground-breaking? The Next Big Thing? The New Poet of American Pop? Ummmmm, make that a no.
Overall, the CD is a decent addition to my collection, especially since I got it for F-R-E-E. Other people might consider getting a used a copy. But new? Assuming you can even find it, it's not worth the money.
