The always lovely singer/songwriter Regina Spektor returns in May with a new album What We Saw From The Cheap Seats. Russian-born and NYC-based Spektor's last two albums have been among my favorites since I first saw the "Fidelity" video on VH1, and if "All The Rowboats" is a taste of the upcoming album it doesn't change my opinion one bit. The beautiful piano and the old-world influence in the lyrics is back, as are the unusual percussion choices (I swear the "drums" at the end are mixed with her vocals tics, which is classic Regina) and the intimate theatricality. But Regi looks so much more girl next door in the video, with a basic tee, blown out hair and smoky eyeshadow as opposed to the bright red lips and black and white dress of "Fidelity" or the LBD and Lone Ranger mask in "Laughing With."
But the artistic direction of the video, with the stop-motion ocean waves, is also classic Regina Spektor and I love her for following through with that. Watch:
Showing posts with label Regina Spektor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Regina Spektor. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Monday, July 20, 2009
[Diva Week] Regina Spektor: Russian Anti-Folk Diva
For Diva Week at Pictures & Conversations we will look at 4 modern gay icons as well a special look at the diva I've idealized and followed (and not really fully realized until I read My Diva) since childhood. And no, you won't find out who that is until Friday. Yes, I'm a tease... First up is Russian-born anti-folk singer Regina Spektor.
As I've mentioned before, I found fiery NYC-dweller Regina Spektor thanks to VH1. Her video for "Fidelity" was in heavy rotation for a while, the black and white decor and costuming was eye catching pop art and the ending, where Regina and her male costar star throwing pigment inks around the apartment, was sheer joyful punk insanity.
I wouldn't classify Regina Spektor's music as punk, despite her intentionally "punk" sound on songs like "Your Honor" and "Poor Little Rich Boy". But her music is classified as "anti-folk" - a bizarre catch-all genre encompassing artists who blend punk, folk, blues and classical music in a strange swirl of postmodern pop.
Besides the music video, VH1's interview clip that accompanied it was also engrossing. Here was this Russian-born, Bronx-dwelling pixie talking about being influenced by art and literature in her music. It sounded so very high brow and new, so I had to buy the album.
Begin To Hope ran the gamut of sounds and influences. Her ode to Billie Holiday "Lady" features smokey jazz influences as well as lyrics that pay tribute in a slightly subversive way.
Corner street societies
They believe her
They never leave her
While she sings she makes them feel things
Meanwhile the chorus speaks directly to my own reaction to Billie's music:
She says I can sing this song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Also on the weepy-gay-boy front, "Samson" just kills me. The biblical tale of Samson's infamous strength-killing haircut takes a new, quieter tone with Regina's Samson eating a slice of Wonder Bread after his haircut (with "a pair of dull scissors in the yellow light") and goes to bed. I've already wrote a whole post on this classical-influenced single so I won't go on too much more. But the video is also brill:
Regina Spektor - Samson
Other amazing song from Begin To Hope are "Edit" in which Regina uses the piano as a percussion instrument and the dramatic classical influenced "Apres Moi." Her latest effort, Far, features songs with a Dark City vibe ("Machine") and tales of a lost wallets and people winning awards for being the Human of the Year. It's lyrics like that, influenced by art and literature then refracted through a strange prism of insanity, that draw me in.
But to be one my Modern Gay Divas you need more than talent and a vajayjay. You need to be giving back to the gay community that has made you a diva. Regina has done that in two remarkable ways, by participating in 2008's True Colors Tour (headlined by Cyndi Lauper and featuring Joan Jett, Tegan & Sara, the B-52's and Joan Jett) as well as allowing the use of "Fidelity" in a heartbreaking anti-Prop 8 video for the Courage Campaign. That's my diva!
As I've mentioned before, I found fiery NYC-dweller Regina Spektor thanks to VH1. Her video for "Fidelity" was in heavy rotation for a while, the black and white decor and costuming was eye catching pop art and the ending, where Regina and her male costar star throwing pigment inks around the apartment, was sheer joyful punk insanity.
I wouldn't classify Regina Spektor's music as punk, despite her intentionally "punk" sound on songs like "Your Honor" and "Poor Little Rich Boy". But her music is classified as "anti-folk" - a bizarre catch-all genre encompassing artists who blend punk, folk, blues and classical music in a strange swirl of postmodern pop.
Besides the music video, VH1's interview clip that accompanied it was also engrossing. Here was this Russian-born, Bronx-dwelling pixie talking about being influenced by art and literature in her music. It sounded so very high brow and new, so I had to buy the album.
Begin To Hope ran the gamut of sounds and influences. Her ode to Billie Holiday "Lady" features smokey jazz influences as well as lyrics that pay tribute in a slightly subversive way.
Corner street societies
They believe her
They never leave her
While she sings she makes them feel things
Meanwhile the chorus speaks directly to my own reaction to Billie's music:
She says I can sing this song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Also on the weepy-gay-boy front, "Samson" just kills me. The biblical tale of Samson's infamous strength-killing haircut takes a new, quieter tone with Regina's Samson eating a slice of Wonder Bread after his haircut (with "a pair of dull scissors in the yellow light") and goes to bed. I've already wrote a whole post on this classical-influenced single so I won't go on too much more. But the video is also brill:
Regina Spektor - Samson
Other amazing song from Begin To Hope are "Edit" in which Regina uses the piano as a percussion instrument and the dramatic classical influenced "Apres Moi." Her latest effort, Far, features songs with a Dark City vibe ("Machine") and tales of a lost wallets and people winning awards for being the Human of the Year. It's lyrics like that, influenced by art and literature then refracted through a strange prism of insanity, that draw me in.
But to be one my Modern Gay Divas you need more than talent and a vajayjay. You need to be giving back to the gay community that has made you a diva. Regina has done that in two remarkable ways, by participating in 2008's True Colors Tour (headlined by Cyndi Lauper and featuring Joan Jett, Tegan & Sara, the B-52's and Joan Jett) as well as allowing the use of "Fidelity" in a heartbreaking anti-Prop 8 video for the Courage Campaign. That's my diva!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Second Look: Regina Spektor's "Genius Next Door" - Best Track From Far?
I know I just posted a review of Regina Spektor's lovely new disc Far just last week. The more I listen to the disc, which has been in heavy (almost non-stop) rotation since I purchased it, the more I fall in love with a few tracks. None more than "Genius Next Door" - the kind of song that reminds me why I love Regina so damn much.
I purchased 2006's Begin To Hope several months after hearing "Fidelity" on the VH1. With it's beautiful pop-art video, I knew this crazy Russian lady was my kinda female singer-songwriter. If it had been a cassette, I would have worn that shit out. From the crazy piano beat on "Edit" to the haunting Billie Holiday tribute "Lady Sings The Blues" to the crazy French verse of "Apres Moi" I loved every song (except for "Field Below", I just could not get into that song) but "Samson" was my song. Regina's delicate voice opens the song with a line that does not stop hurting - "You are my sweetest downfall, I loved you first." The scherenschnitte-inspired video is pure magic, the song is heartbreaking beautiful. It owes a debt to Cohen's "Hallelujah", the placing of oneself in a biblical narrative is markedly similar. But I could not stop playing the song, over and over.
After that, I picked up Spektor's major label debut. Soviet Kitsch was not as polished, and lyrically, the single "Us" seemed like a sadly lacking prototype for "Samson". But songs like the punk goof "Your Honor" and a weird little song "Poor Little Rich Boy" featuring a percussion section made up of Regina banging a drumstick against a piano bench while she played were a great introduction to the more experimental side we'd see honed to pop perfection on Far. There was one song that grabbed me in the same way "Samson" had. "Chemo Limo" is a dream narrative, the classical-style piano underscoring a haunting lyric about a mother who can "afford chemo like I can afford a limo, and on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine." So she dreams about a final ride with her four children in a limo, and while this sounds like pure silliness, it's at once an eloquent indictment of the lack of universal health care and heartrending tale of a mother about to orphan her children.
I was a little disappointed that Far didn't seem to feature a song with such stunning grasp of narrative and emotion as "Samson" or "Chemo Limo." But the more I listened, I realized "Genius Next Door" is that song. The storyline is hard to follow, overnight a lake becomes as "thick as butter" and the kids keep swimming in it. Including the title character, who is busing tables when we meet him. He has a secret, and he likes swimming in his skivvies after stripping by the dumpster. One morning, the news crews show up and the genius dreams that the "antidote is orgasm." On the surface, I couldn't tell you what any of that means. But the way the story unfolds, the level of detail and the bright passion in Regina's vocals and piano playing provides a strange gravitas to the proceedings. And the chorus "If you just hold in your breath, 'til you come back up in full/hold your breath 'til you thought it through, you fool" seems to be a metaphor, perhaps the genius next door is college drop-out who is waisting his life as a bus boy in a lakeside resort town? Or maybe I'm just coloring the lyrics with own backstory.
That is what makes "Genius Next Door" so brilliant. Despite the care in crafting this storyline, Regina allows us to read our own experiences into her song. It's a beautiful thing.
I purchased 2006's Begin To Hope several months after hearing "Fidelity" on the VH1. With it's beautiful pop-art video, I knew this crazy Russian lady was my kinda female singer-songwriter. If it had been a cassette, I would have worn that shit out. From the crazy piano beat on "Edit" to the haunting Billie Holiday tribute "Lady Sings The Blues" to the crazy French verse of "Apres Moi" I loved every song (except for "Field Below", I just could not get into that song) but "Samson" was my song. Regina's delicate voice opens the song with a line that does not stop hurting - "You are my sweetest downfall, I loved you first." The scherenschnitte-inspired video is pure magic, the song is heartbreaking beautiful. It owes a debt to Cohen's "Hallelujah", the placing of oneself in a biblical narrative is markedly similar. But I could not stop playing the song, over and over.
After that, I picked up Spektor's major label debut. Soviet Kitsch was not as polished, and lyrically, the single "Us" seemed like a sadly lacking prototype for "Samson". But songs like the punk goof "Your Honor" and a weird little song "Poor Little Rich Boy" featuring a percussion section made up of Regina banging a drumstick against a piano bench while she played were a great introduction to the more experimental side we'd see honed to pop perfection on Far. There was one song that grabbed me in the same way "Samson" had. "Chemo Limo" is a dream narrative, the classical-style piano underscoring a haunting lyric about a mother who can "afford chemo like I can afford a limo, and on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine." So she dreams about a final ride with her four children in a limo, and while this sounds like pure silliness, it's at once an eloquent indictment of the lack of universal health care and heartrending tale of a mother about to orphan her children.
I was a little disappointed that Far didn't seem to feature a song with such stunning grasp of narrative and emotion as "Samson" or "Chemo Limo." But the more I listened, I realized "Genius Next Door" is that song. The storyline is hard to follow, overnight a lake becomes as "thick as butter" and the kids keep swimming in it. Including the title character, who is busing tables when we meet him. He has a secret, and he likes swimming in his skivvies after stripping by the dumpster. One morning, the news crews show up and the genius dreams that the "antidote is orgasm." On the surface, I couldn't tell you what any of that means. But the way the story unfolds, the level of detail and the bright passion in Regina's vocals and piano playing provides a strange gravitas to the proceedings. And the chorus "If you just hold in your breath, 'til you come back up in full/hold your breath 'til you thought it through, you fool" seems to be a metaphor, perhaps the genius next door is college drop-out who is waisting his life as a bus boy in a lakeside resort town? Or maybe I'm just coloring the lyrics with own backstory.
That is what makes "Genius Next Door" so brilliant. Despite the care in crafting this storyline, Regina allows us to read our own experiences into her song. It's a beautiful thing.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Review: Regina Spektor - "Far"
Regina Spektor is a distinctively New York City kind of artist, and like fellow NYC documentors Dorothy Parker or O. Henry she takes her tales of the Big Apple and refracts them through an emotional light to make the tales of lost Blockbuster cards and cathedrals giving out "Human Of The Year" seem universal.
While four producers tackled Regina's wordy piano pop songs, Far remains a cohesive story of a slightly off-kilter young lady who thinks blue is the most human color and is laughing with God. And Regina does bring the off-kilter full force, starting "Folding Chair" with a ragtime piano before taking it into light ska and adding dolphin noises. Yet, there is a beauty and a grace to what could be a mess of quirkiness. A story unfolds on "Genius Next Year" over a rolling classical piano and angelic synths - a story of drunken teens and secretive busboys taking dips in thick water. The plot may not make sense, but the emotion is almost heartbreaking. "Eet" also proves that Regina's quirky vocal tics make perfect sense and the melody is lovely enough to carry the esoteric lyrics to hymn-like status.
Compared to Spektor's previous major label discs, Far doesn't have a "Samson" like her last effort did, but it does marry the more experimental side of Soviet Kitsch with Begin To Hope's poppier polish. And songs like "Machine" are the kind of thing only Regina could record, making Far a distinctively Regina Spektor kind of album.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Is Pop Music Finding God On The Corner Of First And Amistad?
It was early this year that soft pop-rock band The Fray released the first single off of their self-titled sophomore album, "You Found Me" The Denver-based band, led by Isaac Slade found themselves questioning not God's existence, but God's motives and timing. "Where were you when everything was falling apart... just a little late, you found me" is the taunt raised towards a distant Almighty found loafing with a cig in hand at a street corner.
Meanwhile, Regina Spektor (like The Fray, an alumni of the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack cliche) had been readying her new disc, Far, to be released next week. Lead single "Laughing With" doesn't question the Supreme Being's existence either, in fact it doesn't ask a lot of questions. It tells us the no one is laughing at God when "the doctor calls and says 'I've got some bad news, sir'" or "when they're hungry or freezing or so very poor." Why? Because "no one's laughing at God, we're all laughing with God." In fact, Regina's presentation of God as an empathic deity stands in direct contrast to Isaac's God-Come-Lately.
It's not the first time God has shown up in pop music, but I've been noticing it a bit more in recent months. Lily Allen's latest disc, It's Not Me, It's You included the "God is one of us" ditty "Him" which found God paying his taxes, listening to Creedance Clearwater Revival and shaking his head at religious violence. Katy Perry wonders if "when I pray, am I just sending words into outer space?" on "Lost" from One Of The Boys. It's a very adult question, one that fits the vibe of that prodigal-child-in-LA song. And recently Carolina Liar dropped their debut single "Show What I'm Looking For" which featured the chorus "Save me, I'm lost/Lord, I've been waiting for you."
I'm not surprised that an interest in spiritual matters has made it's way into mainstream music. It seems to happen in an explicit way every few years, and with so much economic turmoil and civil rights debate it seems like it couldn't not happen. I read a fascinating book about a year ago, which I start a post about but never finished. It's called I'll Take You There: Pop Music And The Urge For Transcendence, and the premise was that we all have an inner yearning for enlightenment and transcendence, and artists often exhibit that urge through music. Not only through words but also through instruments, arrangements and stage antics.
I think part of our current urge, as a people on the verge of frightening changes in gender politics, ecology and financial matters, is a questioning of God's place in this. Is God still there? Does God exist anymore? Where can we find God? Not because we don't want God, but because we truly don't know anymore.
Meanwhile, Regina Spektor (like The Fray, an alumni of the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack cliche) had been readying her new disc, Far, to be released next week. Lead single "Laughing With" doesn't question the Supreme Being's existence either, in fact it doesn't ask a lot of questions. It tells us the no one is laughing at God when "the doctor calls and says 'I've got some bad news, sir'" or "when they're hungry or freezing or so very poor." Why? Because "no one's laughing at God, we're all laughing with God." In fact, Regina's presentation of God as an empathic deity stands in direct contrast to Isaac's God-Come-Lately.
It's not the first time God has shown up in pop music, but I've been noticing it a bit more in recent months. Lily Allen's latest disc, It's Not Me, It's You included the "God is one of us" ditty "Him" which found God paying his taxes, listening to Creedance Clearwater Revival and shaking his head at religious violence. Katy Perry wonders if "when I pray, am I just sending words into outer space?" on "Lost" from One Of The Boys. It's a very adult question, one that fits the vibe of that prodigal-child-in-LA song. And recently Carolina Liar dropped their debut single "Show What I'm Looking For" which featured the chorus "Save me, I'm lost/Lord, I've been waiting for you."
I'm not surprised that an interest in spiritual matters has made it's way into mainstream music. It seems to happen in an explicit way every few years, and with so much economic turmoil and civil rights debate it seems like it couldn't not happen. I read a fascinating book about a year ago, which I start a post about but never finished. It's called I'll Take You There: Pop Music And The Urge For Transcendence, and the premise was that we all have an inner yearning for enlightenment and transcendence, and artists often exhibit that urge through music. Not only through words but also through instruments, arrangements and stage antics.
I think part of our current urge, as a people on the verge of frightening changes in gender politics, ecology and financial matters, is a questioning of God's place in this. Is God still there? Does God exist anymore? Where can we find God? Not because we don't want God, but because we truly don't know anymore.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Regina Spektor Is Laughing With Optical Illusions & Sky-Painted Pianos
Gorgeous Brooklyn babe Regina Spektor's great new single "Laughing With" (the first from the upcoming Far) gets the video treatment. I hunted and hunted for it, because homey don't pay $1.99 to download videos from iTunes.
It was worth the search. Regina finds herself in a world surrounded by pen and ink drawings and optical illusions. She even goes to take off her mask, and instead removes her head. It's reminds me of an antique parlor game, like a music video directed by an Exquisite Corpse. It works with the juxtoposition of the "laughing" lyrics and the somber piano playing off the goofy-yet-lovely surroundings. Anyway, you should totally watch it at Culture Bully, because every time I try to embed it, my sidebar dissapears and the video won't play. Arg!
It was worth the search. Regina finds herself in a world surrounded by pen and ink drawings and optical illusions. She even goes to take off her mask, and instead removes her head. It's reminds me of an antique parlor game, like a music video directed by an Exquisite Corpse. It works with the juxtoposition of the "laughing" lyrics and the somber piano playing off the goofy-yet-lovely surroundings. Anyway, you should totally watch it at Culture Bully, because every time I try to embed it, my sidebar dissapears and the video won't play. Arg!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Regina Spektor Gives Jool Holland "Blue Lips"
I have no idea who this Jools Holland fellow is, but he has smashing taste in music. First he had Bat For Lashes perform the stunning "Daniel" on his program, now Regina Spektor is bringing the goods with another track from her upcoming Far. "Blue Lips" appears to be a B-side or double A-side with "Laughing With" and follows in that vein of introspective piano pop. This time, Regina is singing about blue being the most human color against lovely strings and her own piano playing. It's another lovely track from is shaping up to be one of my favorite albums this year.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Speak Of Regina, And She Will Appear!
I was just saying the other post that I was hoping for a leak of a new Regina Spektor song, and the Soviet ex-pat must've been reading. She posted a new single on her MySpace, and my Google Alerts were blowing up with the news. Apparently when I Begin To Hope...
"Laughing With" features some of the most heart-tugging lyrics since Soviet Kitsch's "Chemo Limo." After recounting all the times we don't laugh at God (like "when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet") and the times it's OK to laugh at the Almighty (like "when the crazies say He hates us and they get so red in the head you think they're 'bout to choke") she reminds us that "no one's laughing at God, we're laughing with God" over a lovely and heavy piano with a gentle drum beat and a few strings. It's a fascinating song, and bodes well for Far being an amazing album. Listen below, or head over to the MySpace.
"Laughing With" features some of the most heart-tugging lyrics since Soviet Kitsch's "Chemo Limo." After recounting all the times we don't laugh at God (like "when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet") and the times it's OK to laugh at the Almighty (like "when the crazies say He hates us and they get so red in the head you think they're 'bout to choke") she reminds us that "no one's laughing at God, we're laughing with God" over a lovely and heavy piano with a gentle drum beat and a few strings. It's a fascinating song, and bodes well for Far being an amazing album. Listen below, or head over to the MySpace.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Judging An Album By It's Cover
In hopes of staving off my desire to hunt down and post the new Paula Abdul single, I'm giving you something a little less flashy. New albums from Regina Spektor, Paulo Nutini and Patrick Wolf come out in next month or two, and the cover art is leaking. New music from the Soviet Kitschy one, not so much... Here are the covers and the anticipation levels they create:
Regina Spektor: Far - This cartoony artwork is pretty cool, the blank wall that is seen outside the window stands in contrast to the puffy white clouds on the piano. A metaphor for music as a window to better place? Perhaps. I just wish some quirky new single was leaking soon. I need some fresh Regina in my life, Narnia soundtrack songs and Ben Folds collabos are not enough! The artwork makes me hope for some dreamy soundscapes and lots of piano. Anticipation: four out of five Heinz Bottles.
Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up: This cover is also a bit animated, and the Jason Mraz-esque hat and singing ants are cute. I'm just worried that it's a little too cute, I want another torchy "Last Request" just as much as another "New Shoes." Also, I've heard snippets of lead single "Candy" and I'm a bit worried Paolo is going down a 1960s folkie route that I will hate. This cover doesn't bolster my hopes much. Anticipation: two out of five Heinz bottles.
Patrick Wolf: The Bachelor - This scene looks like a Photoshop student's homage to sci-fi pulp novel covers. The font seems at odds with the photo, but all-in-all it reminds me of Bat For Lashes cover for Two Suns. And that disc is burning up my players. I'm digging the outfit Pat is sporting, like he's the lead in a production of Little Lord Fauntleroy set in the year 2999. Future/retro is hot right now... Anticipation: three out of five Heinz bottles.
Regina Spektor: Far - This cartoony artwork is pretty cool, the blank wall that is seen outside the window stands in contrast to the puffy white clouds on the piano. A metaphor for music as a window to better place? Perhaps. I just wish some quirky new single was leaking soon. I need some fresh Regina in my life, Narnia soundtrack songs and Ben Folds collabos are not enough! The artwork makes me hope for some dreamy soundscapes and lots of piano. Anticipation: four out of five Heinz Bottles.
Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up: This cover is also a bit animated, and the Jason Mraz-esque hat and singing ants are cute. I'm just worried that it's a little too cute, I want another torchy "Last Request" just as much as another "New Shoes." Also, I've heard snippets of lead single "Candy" and I'm a bit worried Paolo is going down a 1960s folkie route that I will hate. This cover doesn't bolster my hopes much. Anticipation: two out of five Heinz bottles.Patrick Wolf: The Bachelor - This scene looks like a Photoshop student's homage to sci-fi pulp novel covers. The font seems at odds with the photo, but all-in-all it reminds me of Bat For Lashes cover for Two Suns. And that disc is burning up my players. I'm digging the outfit Pat is sporting, like he's the lead in a production of Little Lord Fauntleroy set in the year 2999. Future/retro is hot right now... Anticipation: three out of five Heinz bottles.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Regina Spektor And Dozens Of Newlyweds Break My Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-heart.
The Courage Campaign has put together a video featuring a song from one of my favorite albums of all time. "Fidelity" was the lead single from Regina Spektor's brilliant Begin To Hope disc, and it soundtracks a slide show of couples married in 2008. Same sex couples from California, whose marriages are threatened by Ken Starr's recent filing to annul them. The video puts a human face to gay couples and the families led by them. It's a beautiful video, you should really watch it, then sign the letter to the Supreme Court:
"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
Happy belated Valentine's Day!
"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
Happy belated Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
My Top Twenty: "Samson" - Regina Spektor
Song: "Samson"Artist: Regina Spektor
Album: Begin To Hope
Year: 2006
Label: Sire
Highest Billboard Chart Position: Album Cut; Begin To Hope peaked at #19
Players: Regina Spektor - singer, songwriter, piano, co-producer; David Kahne - producer
Regina Spektor is probably crazy. She is most definitely Russian, quite probably lives in Brooklyn and is undoubtedly talented at songwriting.
I first learned of her existence through VH1, where I get a lot of my musical knowledge. "Fidelity" was a new video, and I was loving the black and white themed look, the oddly endearing vocals and the interviews in which she discussed being inspired by art and literature. I knew I needed to know this girl, find out what her music was all about. I bought Begin To Hope and have had it in heavy rotation on my car stereo ever since. It sits behind ABBA Gold and Relient K's Two Lefts Don't Make A Right... But Three Do as the longest continuous appearance in my car's CD wallet. Despite the obvious pop appeal of "Better" and "Fidelity," it was the gorgeous ballad "Samson" that had me hooked.
The lyrics of "Samson" owe a huge debt to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" The genius re-writing of biblical story to tell a tale of heartbreak is very similar, I used both songs (the k.d. lang version of "Hallelujah") on Sweetest Downfall: A Broken Hearted Mix Tape. The mixtape's title comes from the line "You are my sweetest downfall/I loved you first" which opens the track over a simple piano. In the song, which also appears on Regina's out of print album Songs from 2002, Regina's strong voice weaves among the piano and a few strings, singing about Samson, whose hair she cut, who couldn't bring the columns down, remembering that "the history books forgot about us/and the Bible didn't mention us/not even once" Those lines stand in direct opposition to the grandiosity of "Us" a single from her major label debut Soviet Kitsch, in which she proclaims "they made a statue of us." This was a quieter love affair, one where Samson eats a slice of Wonder Bread and went back to bed.
The track was used in an episode of CSI:New York, and was an NPR "Song of The Day."
Monday, September 15, 2008
New Ben Folds feat Regina Spektor - "You Don't Know Me"
Y'all know I love Regina Spektor, right? Begin To Hope is one of my favorite CDs and "Samson" is in my top 20 favorite songs of all time. So when I saw "You Don't Know Me" listed in a top 20 list at Fizzy Pop, I was all "New Regina Spektor! Why don't I know about this?" Turns out the song has been leaked for almost a month, and is even available on iTunes. Time to add the Soviet Kitsch-er to my Google Alerts!
"You Don't Know Me" is much more Ben than Regina, but I still like it. I've never been a big Ben Folds Five fan, so I don't know if this is Ben's usual sound, but it fits well with Regina Spektor's cutesy vibe. Despite the sweet sound, it's really a breakup song about a couple who don't really know each other. Sort of an "in love with love, not with me" song? Is that a song category? Anyway, here is the Regina-less video, directed and starring those obnoxious Adult Swim stars Tim & Eric:
"You Don't Know Me" is much more Ben than Regina, but I still like it. I've never been a big Ben Folds Five fan, so I don't know if this is Ben's usual sound, but it fits well with Regina Spektor's cutesy vibe. Despite the sweet sound, it's really a breakup song about a couple who don't really know each other. Sort of an "in love with love, not with me" song? Is that a song category? Anyway, here is the Regina-less video, directed and starring those obnoxious Adult Swim stars Tim & Eric:
Monday, August 11, 2008
Five Songs On Shuffle, Volume 22
This is the twenty-second installments of my weekly blog entry series "5 Songs On Shuffle." I’ll put my iTunes on shuffle and blog about the first five songs that play.
"The Only Promise That Remains" - Reba McIntire/Justin Timberlake Reba Duets
This gorgeous Celtic love ballad, co-written by Mr Sexy back himself, is a departure for both artists. Justin is known for his hip-hop flavored pop hits, and Reba for her giant soaring ballads and catchy country-pop with a life lesson at the center. This is a simple, beautiful love song with Justin's soft falsetto harmonizing, but never overpowering, Reba's always-stunning vocals and a gentle guitar and string back-ground.
"LDN" - Lily Allen Alright, Still
Lily is riding her bike through my dream town, and sees what I would miss. Is that fancy looking couple actually a pimp/ho combo? Did nice young man just bash that old ladies over the head? And is that sunny Calypso music playing underneath a snarky lyric? Indeed.
"That Time" - Regina Spektor Begin to Hope
Regina reminiscences about the fun times: when she only ate tangerines for a month, when she would only read Shakespeare, when she and I would kiss anywhere except the mouth, when we broke and bummed cigs. Oh, and remember that time when I OD'd, for the second time? Yeah, fun times!
"Anytime You Like" - Robyn Robyn
Over a strange barely-there beat, Robyn waits to be told those three little words. You can tell her anytime you like...
"Marry Me" - St. Vincent Marry Me
Starting out like a lost Broadway tune, it gets quirky; and fast! She wants do what "married people do... what Mary and Joseph did, without the kid" over a strange drum and horn and piano beat.
"The Only Promise That Remains" - Reba McIntire/Justin Timberlake Reba Duets
This gorgeous Celtic love ballad, co-written by Mr Sexy back himself, is a departure for both artists. Justin is known for his hip-hop flavored pop hits, and Reba for her giant soaring ballads and catchy country-pop with a life lesson at the center. This is a simple, beautiful love song with Justin's soft falsetto harmonizing, but never overpowering, Reba's always-stunning vocals and a gentle guitar and string back-ground.
"LDN" - Lily Allen Alright, Still
Lily is riding her bike through my dream town, and sees what I would miss. Is that fancy looking couple actually a pimp/ho combo? Did nice young man just bash that old ladies over the head? And is that sunny Calypso music playing underneath a snarky lyric? Indeed.
"That Time" - Regina Spektor Begin to Hope
Regina reminiscences about the fun times: when she only ate tangerines for a month, when she would only read Shakespeare, when she and I would kiss anywhere except the mouth, when we broke and bummed cigs. Oh, and remember that time when I OD'd, for the second time? Yeah, fun times!
"Anytime You Like" - Robyn Robyn
Over a strange barely-there beat, Robyn waits to be told those three little words. You can tell her anytime you like...
"Marry Me" - St. Vincent Marry Me
Starting out like a lost Broadway tune, it gets quirky; and fast! She wants do what "married people do... what Mary and Joseph did, without the kid" over a strange drum and horn and piano beat.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Five Songs On Shuffle - Vol. 12
This is the twelth installment of my weekly blog entry series "5 Songs On Shuffle." I’ll put my iTunes on shuffle and blog about the first five songs that play.
"That Time" - Regina Spektor Begin To Hope
Opening with a funny little guitar riff and a bizarre lyric reminiscing about time Regina tried to save a pigeon with a broken wing, or when she only ate tangerines, or only smoked Camel cigarettes. Then it get serious, when the topic of the two drug overdoses comes up. Classic Regina Spektor, crazy and sweet and scary all rolled into one.
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers Hot Fuss
I started to fall in love with The Killers after "Somebody Told Me" hit, with the gender-bender lyrics, hooky chorus and synth-heavy rock sound. But "Mr. Brightside" was a new-wave revelation, a tale of falling for a hooker dressed up in a New Romantics wash. They sounded like my British boyfriends in Franz Ferdinand, but they are Yanks from Vegas, baby.
"Pretty In Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs The Modern Edge
Real new wave from the soundtrack to the only John Hughes film I've never seen. I'm pretty sure I own it, but I've never sat down a watched it. I've seen Breakfast Club five-hundred times, so that almost makes up for it. Almost.
"Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" - Fall Out Boy Infinity On High
Emo-pop kings quote Mike Nichols' Closer on a Babyface-produced hit that features Kim Kardashian in the video. It's like six degrees of separation in one song! Plus, the song rocks.
"You've Got A Friend" - Carole King Tapestry
My sister Rachel loves Tapestry so much, she has it on CD, plus two vinyl copies. It's just one of the greatest albums of all time! While "You've Got A Friend" is a nice song, and I do prefer Carole's version to James Taylor's, my favorites are "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "I Feel the Earth Move." There is just something so honest in Carole's voice, and her songwriting is brilliant. I remember watching the kids TV specials she sang on, "Chicken Soup With Rice" and that one where the kid only said "I don't care!" until he got eaten by a lion. They were off the chain...
"That Time" - Regina Spektor Begin To Hope
Opening with a funny little guitar riff and a bizarre lyric reminiscing about time Regina tried to save a pigeon with a broken wing, or when she only ate tangerines, or only smoked Camel cigarettes. Then it get serious, when the topic of the two drug overdoses comes up. Classic Regina Spektor, crazy and sweet and scary all rolled into one.
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers Hot Fuss
I started to fall in love with The Killers after "Somebody Told Me" hit, with the gender-bender lyrics, hooky chorus and synth-heavy rock sound. But "Mr. Brightside" was a new-wave revelation, a tale of falling for a hooker dressed up in a New Romantics wash. They sounded like my British boyfriends in Franz Ferdinand, but they are Yanks from Vegas, baby.
"Pretty In Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs The Modern Edge
Real new wave from the soundtrack to the only John Hughes film I've never seen. I'm pretty sure I own it, but I've never sat down a watched it. I've seen Breakfast Club five-hundred times, so that almost makes up for it. Almost.
"Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" - Fall Out Boy Infinity On High
Emo-pop kings quote Mike Nichols' Closer on a Babyface-produced hit that features Kim Kardashian in the video. It's like six degrees of separation in one song! Plus, the song rocks.
"You've Got A Friend" - Carole King Tapestry
My sister Rachel loves Tapestry so much, she has it on CD, plus two vinyl copies. It's just one of the greatest albums of all time! While "You've Got A Friend" is a nice song, and I do prefer Carole's version to James Taylor's, my favorites are "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "I Feel the Earth Move." There is just something so honest in Carole's voice, and her songwriting is brilliant. I remember watching the kids TV specials she sang on, "Chicken Soup With Rice" and that one where the kid only said "I don't care!" until he got eaten by a lion. They were off the chain...
Monday, May 19, 2008
Five Songs On Shuffle Vol. 11
This is the eleventh installment of my weekly blog entry series "5 Songs On Shuffle." I’ll put my iTunes on shuffle and blog about the first five songs that play.
"Last Request" - Paulo Nutini These Streets
A gorgeous and bluesy torch song from the Scottish import who should have a career like fellow Scot Rod Stewart, minus the "Great American Songbook" years. The single mix is better than the album cut, but you can't go wrong with lyrics like "I know I can't except that we're going no where/but one last time lets go there/lay down beside me"
"Carbon Monoxide" - Regina Spektor Soviet Kitsch
This is not one of my favorites from Regina's first major label LP, in fact I often get it confused with "Sailor Song" another goofy piano song from that disc. But Regina's shit is better than most people's gold. She has a nice song that closes the latest Chronicles Of Narnia film which is really weird, since Imogen Heap had a song in the last Narnia film and I bought both of their albums on the same day. Coincidence?
"No More Drama" - Mary J. Blige No More Drama
The Queen of hip-hop/soul makes the most brilliant sampling choice in hip-hop history. Utilizing the piano theme from sudsy TV daytime drama The Young And The Restless as the backdrop to song about freeing oneself from drama, ironic and hot. Plus the choir breaking loose with a cry of "No! More! Drama!" at the end would be fly on any track.
"Set Fire To The Third Bar" - Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright Eyes Open
Snow Patrol's lead vocalist Gary Lightbody and sister-of-Rufus/daughter-of-Loudon Martha Wainwright duet on my second favorite Snow Patrol song. It's one of those duets where both sing simultaneously, creating a strange harmony over a slightly creepy music bed, with pianos and guitars dueling for the spot light. The lyrics are haunting in their beauty: "Miles from where you are/I lie down on the cold ground/and I pray that something picks me up/and sets me down in your warm heart"
"Knock 'Em Out" - Lily Allen Alright, Still
A funny song from the bratty Brit, lampooning barfly girls and rude boys hitting on each other and making up excuses for not passing out their digits. "Yeah, I'm pregnant/I'm gonna have a baby in about six months/I've gotta go, my house is on fire/I have herpes"
"Last Request" - Paulo Nutini These Streets
A gorgeous and bluesy torch song from the Scottish import who should have a career like fellow Scot Rod Stewart, minus the "Great American Songbook" years. The single mix is better than the album cut, but you can't go wrong with lyrics like "I know I can't except that we're going no where/but one last time lets go there/lay down beside me"
"Carbon Monoxide" - Regina Spektor Soviet Kitsch
This is not one of my favorites from Regina's first major label LP, in fact I often get it confused with "Sailor Song" another goofy piano song from that disc. But Regina's shit is better than most people's gold. She has a nice song that closes the latest Chronicles Of Narnia film which is really weird, since Imogen Heap had a song in the last Narnia film and I bought both of their albums on the same day. Coincidence?
"No More Drama" - Mary J. Blige No More Drama
The Queen of hip-hop/soul makes the most brilliant sampling choice in hip-hop history. Utilizing the piano theme from sudsy TV daytime drama The Young And The Restless as the backdrop to song about freeing oneself from drama, ironic and hot. Plus the choir breaking loose with a cry of "No! More! Drama!" at the end would be fly on any track.
"Set Fire To The Third Bar" - Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright Eyes Open
Snow Patrol's lead vocalist Gary Lightbody and sister-of-Rufus/daughter-of-Loudon Martha Wainwright duet on my second favorite Snow Patrol song. It's one of those duets where both sing simultaneously, creating a strange harmony over a slightly creepy music bed, with pianos and guitars dueling for the spot light. The lyrics are haunting in their beauty: "Miles from where you are/I lie down on the cold ground/and I pray that something picks me up/and sets me down in your warm heart"
"Knock 'Em Out" - Lily Allen Alright, Still
A funny song from the bratty Brit, lampooning barfly girls and rude boys hitting on each other and making up excuses for not passing out their digits. "Yeah, I'm pregnant/I'm gonna have a baby in about six months/I've gotta go, my house is on fire/I have herpes"
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
What About Love?
It's a question musicians, writers, artists and regular joes have struggled with since the dawn of time. What is love, how do you find it, when is real? Here are a few of my favorite quotes on the subject:
"No, this is how it works, you peer inside yourself. You take the things you like, and try to love the things you took. And then you take that love you made and stick it into some, someone else's heart pumping someone else's blood. And walking arm in arm you hope it don't get harmed but even if it does you'll just do it all again." - Regina Spektor "On The Radio"
"When love comes so strong, There is no right or wrong, Your love is your life." - Stephen Sondheim "West Side Story"
"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am free again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am clean again. However far away, I will always love you." - The Cure "Love Song"
"There's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go, and you stand on your own and you leave on your own and you go home, and you cry and you want to die. When you say it's gonna happen 'now' well, when exactly do you mean? See I've already waited too long and all my hope is gone. You shut your mouth how can you say I go about things the wrong way. I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does." - The Smiths "How Soon Is Now"
"You don't know what love is, you just do as you're told." - The White Stripes (song title)
"But I need love. It is patience, it is kindness. I need love. It is rain after the dryness. I need love. Sister Wisdom, help me see it's the one thing that I need. The only thing that I need." - Sixpence None The Richer "Love"
"Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it? What's love but a second hand emotion? What's love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?" - Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do With It"
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - The Apostle Paul, 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV translation)
Love sucks, love hurts, love heals, love is pain, love the most important thing. Love makes you crazy, makes you remember, makes you cry. Love may be a many-splendoured thing, but mostly it's just the most elusive and magical feeling.
"No, this is how it works, you peer inside yourself. You take the things you like, and try to love the things you took. And then you take that love you made and stick it into some, someone else's heart pumping someone else's blood. And walking arm in arm you hope it don't get harmed but even if it does you'll just do it all again." - Regina Spektor "On The Radio"
"When love comes so strong, There is no right or wrong, Your love is your life." - Stephen Sondheim "West Side Story"
"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am free again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am clean again. However far away, I will always love you." - The Cure "Love Song"
"There's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go, and you stand on your own and you leave on your own and you go home, and you cry and you want to die. When you say it's gonna happen 'now' well, when exactly do you mean? See I've already waited too long and all my hope is gone. You shut your mouth how can you say I go about things the wrong way. I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does." - The Smiths "How Soon Is Now"
"You don't know what love is, you just do as you're told." - The White Stripes (song title)
"But I need love. It is patience, it is kindness. I need love. It is rain after the dryness. I need love. Sister Wisdom, help me see it's the one thing that I need. The only thing that I need." - Sixpence None The Richer "Love"
"Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it? What's love but a second hand emotion? What's love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?" - Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do With It"
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - The Apostle Paul, 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV translation)
Love sucks, love hurts, love heals, love is pain, love the most important thing. Love makes you crazy, makes you remember, makes you cry. Love may be a many-splendoured thing, but mostly it's just the most elusive and magical feeling.
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