MISSING: Intelligent, exquisitely-crafted pop album. Answers to the name Scary Fragile. Neglected by record company since January, 2006. Several songs heard on MySpace. "A Bitter Song" heard on TV series Grey's Anatomy, released as a single in 2007. Album's whereabouts of great concern to Butterfly Boucher fans. If found, please notify.
If what you just read leaves you puzzled, a little background is in order. Butterfly Boucher (pronounced like "voucher") is an Australian singer/songwriter, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Nashville. She signed to a major label for her debut album, 2004's Flutterby, but the label could not figure out how to market her. No wonder Flutterby didn't become a huge success. No wonder the follow-up, Scary Fragile, collected dust even as the placement of "A Bitter Song" in an episode of Grey's Anatomy drummed up demand. And no wonder Butterfly and her label went through a lengthy divorce, Butterfly emerging from her cocoon (sorry, couldn't help it) to release SF independently.
"I've been there and I've done that/I've got the photos and I've got the scars to prove it/I'm so tired and I'm so glad for what I have." (from "They Say You Grow")
What she has in Scary Fragile is a consistently engaging, thought-provoking, and entertaining collection which sounds as fresh as the spring flowers even though it's been sitting on the shelf for over three years. And let's not mince words here: Butterfly knew she was under pressure to deliver a hit while she was creating SF. For an album made under that kind of pressure, with hot-shot producer David Kahne to boot, SF rarely comes off as a deliberate attempt to make Butterfly sound ultra-commercial. If anything, the material on SF is more challenging than the material on Flutterby, lacking the lighthearted and sometimes off-the-wall lyrical elements of her first album and making greater use of tempo changes and mood shifts. She's much more serious and sophisticated here, as well she should be.
SF also has a tendency to present familiar motifs in unexpected ways. "Keeping Warm" is not a particularly Beatlesque song, but its arrangement sure points to the late-period Fab Four, while "To Feel Love" sounds like the theme from a Western movie before revealing itself as a straightforward singer/songwriter tune. "Bright Red" contains a similar rhythm to Kelly Clarkson's "Gone," but it's a diatribe against the very shallowness which American Idol alumni like Clarkson have both benefited from and battled. Most refreshingly, "For The Love of Love" avoids being just another "peace and love" plea with its out-of-left-field lyrics: "Take all the ones you fear and take all the ones you hate/Cook a hearty stew, flash a smile and fill their plates."
Flutterby was a diamond in the rough, representing a hopeful (albeit somewhat confused) dreamer. Scary Fragile sees that dreamer coming to terms with reality, learning the ropes of love and self-actualization, taking full command of her voice and arranging skills and using them to greater effect and advantage than ever before. Flutterby demonstrated that Butterfly Boucher had her brilliant moments, but with Scary Fragile, she has made an album both worthy and reflective of her brilliance.
Scary Fragile is not supposed to be released to the general public until June 2nd. But it's on iTunes now. Yes it is. Seriously, I am telling you, I have my iTunes Store open and it's on sale now and people have already reviewed it. The album is also available in physical form at her shows.
For more information: http://www.butterflyboucher.com/
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Festival Is Coming!
Just a quick newsflash to inform you of this year's XPoNential Music Festival, the annual gathering hosted by WXPN on the beautiful Camden, New Jersey waterfront. You might have seen my blog about last year's event (and assuming I go this year, I will blog about it again, but I'll post a separate entry for each day to make it easier to read!). If you read even a fraction of that blog, you know that last year's fest was an amazing gathering of like-minded music lovers and many truly fine artists, and that it was all available for a low price.
This year's festival looks like another great one, although it will run for only three days instead of four. I'm pleased to report that One Note Ahead favorites Matt Duke, Andrew Lipke, and Gillian Grassie will be performing there (and Gillian's leaving the country for a year after that, so if you wanna see her....). But the lineup includes so many interesting, dynamic, and just plain fabulous artists that I can't even begin to tell you who I'm most excited to see.
Why not check out the lineup for yourself? http://xpn.org/music-artist/festival-2009/lineup
And the members-only internet presale is going on now! Tickets and three-day passes will become available to the general public eventually, but if you're an XPN member, you'll get a discount and loads of awesome members-only perks. So if you can spare the dough -- a big "if" these days, I know -- and believe in XPN's mission, please consider joining. If you don't become a member, this festival will still cost you less and give you more than a lot of other summer music festivals! Because XPN's just cool like that.
Maybe I'll see you there?
[May 28th, 2009 update: Tickets and passes are available to the general public now. A three-day pass is just 40 bucks if you're not a member and 30 bucks if you are! These prices are available only through July 10th. You can get single-day tickets as well. Go here for details.]
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
This year's festival looks like another great one, although it will run for only three days instead of four. I'm pleased to report that One Note Ahead favorites Matt Duke, Andrew Lipke, and Gillian Grassie will be performing there (and Gillian's leaving the country for a year after that, so if you wanna see her....). But the lineup includes so many interesting, dynamic, and just plain fabulous artists that I can't even begin to tell you who I'm most excited to see.
Why not check out the lineup for yourself? http://xpn.org/music-artist/festival-2009/lineup
And the members-only internet presale is going on now! Tickets and three-day passes will become available to the general public eventually, but if you're an XPN member, you'll get a discount and loads of awesome members-only perks. So if you can spare the dough -- a big "if" these days, I know -- and believe in XPN's mission, please consider joining. If you don't become a member, this festival will still cost you less and give you more than a lot of other summer music festivals! Because XPN's just cool like that.
Maybe I'll see you there?
[May 28th, 2009 update: Tickets and passes are available to the general public now. A three-day pass is just 40 bucks if you're not a member and 30 bucks if you are! These prices are available only through July 10th. You can get single-day tickets as well. Go here for details.]
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Album Review: A Jimenez Most Super
In the summer and early fall of 2006, I searched for publications to which I could reasonably pitch an article about a hot new band out of Dublin, Ireland. Finding such publications was difficult enough, but actually pitching the article led to nothing but unanswered e-mails and one automated rejection letter. I got fed up, formed a blog, and posted the article there. Of course, the blog was called One Note Ahead, and if you're a loyal ONA reader, you'll have figured out that the band's name was SuperJimenez.
Now it's the spring of 2009 and I'm reviewing the band's just-released debut album. So what the hell took so long??? Oh, the usual......the lads parted with their record label and went out as independent artists, their Australian lead guitarist was deported and his bandmates fought for nine months to get him back......yawn, sooooo mundane.
But the guys are quite literally back with a Bang -- that's the name of the album. Ten tracks of shimmering, hooky pop-rock with driving rhythms and winding melodies. While their sound is radio-friendly enough to find mainstream favor (let's not forget that "Helicopters" was an Irish Top 20 hit), their stylistic diversity ensures that they won't simply fade into the crowd. The raggedy "Gojii Kids" has a punk-pop flair, but "I Feel Designed" is a sweeping folk-rock ballad. "Hear You Now" bears a strong 1980's U2 influence, while "Promises" adds elements of Springsteen and Motown to a modern rock foundation. Sometimes there's no telling what they'll do next: "Somebody There" was originally a somber B-side (to "Beau"), but here it's recast as a rollicking Beach Boys-styled singalong. Then there's "Rescue Remedy," in which drummer Daz Coen lays down a subtle trip-hop beat and lead singer Ronan Cunningham comes in crooning a Dido-ish melody; this shouldn't work, but it does.
There are enough lyrical twists and turns as well, as the boys tackle the existential dilemma of youth culture ("Gojii Kids"), deliver musings from a war zone ("Helicopters"), and make downright odd statements of love (as in "I Feel Designed," in which they sing, "Arrest me, I'm a threat, see. I wouldn't discourage a sentence for all of my life."). Vocally, there's Ronan's combination of vulnerability and aggressiveness, and band harmonies ranging from the depths of darkness to the brightest sunlight. Producers Liam Mulvaney and Adrian Bushby somehow figure out a way to bring it all together in the studio and make it sound sellable to the world at large. (The band's ever-so-tight playing helps, too.)
While the album has no complete artistic failures, the earnest singer/songwriter tune "My World" just feels like a poor fit for SuperJimenez. But listen to the brilliant, stomping "Faye," featuring Ronan, Daz, lead guitarist/keyboardist Rhys Domagala, and bassist Nick O'Laoire in top form, and you'll understand why these guys have the goods to do Dublin proud.
Bang is available internationally on iTunes, as is the nifty single version of "Somebody There" and the overlooked "Come Out To Play" (the "Helicopters" B-side which was not used for the album). So get to downloading, already!
For more info, visit: http://www.superjimenez.com and read the previous ONA feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/superjimenez-to-rescue.html
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Now it's the spring of 2009 and I'm reviewing the band's just-released debut album. So what the hell took so long??? Oh, the usual......the lads parted with their record label and went out as independent artists, their Australian lead guitarist was deported and his bandmates fought for nine months to get him back......yawn, sooooo mundane.
But the guys are quite literally back with a Bang -- that's the name of the album. Ten tracks of shimmering, hooky pop-rock with driving rhythms and winding melodies. While their sound is radio-friendly enough to find mainstream favor (let's not forget that "Helicopters" was an Irish Top 20 hit), their stylistic diversity ensures that they won't simply fade into the crowd. The raggedy "Gojii Kids" has a punk-pop flair, but "I Feel Designed" is a sweeping folk-rock ballad. "Hear You Now" bears a strong 1980's U2 influence, while "Promises" adds elements of Springsteen and Motown to a modern rock foundation. Sometimes there's no telling what they'll do next: "Somebody There" was originally a somber B-side (to "Beau"), but here it's recast as a rollicking Beach Boys-styled singalong. Then there's "Rescue Remedy," in which drummer Daz Coen lays down a subtle trip-hop beat and lead singer Ronan Cunningham comes in crooning a Dido-ish melody; this shouldn't work, but it does.
There are enough lyrical twists and turns as well, as the boys tackle the existential dilemma of youth culture ("Gojii Kids"), deliver musings from a war zone ("Helicopters"), and make downright odd statements of love (as in "I Feel Designed," in which they sing, "Arrest me, I'm a threat, see. I wouldn't discourage a sentence for all of my life."). Vocally, there's Ronan's combination of vulnerability and aggressiveness, and band harmonies ranging from the depths of darkness to the brightest sunlight. Producers Liam Mulvaney and Adrian Bushby somehow figure out a way to bring it all together in the studio and make it sound sellable to the world at large. (The band's ever-so-tight playing helps, too.)
While the album has no complete artistic failures, the earnest singer/songwriter tune "My World" just feels like a poor fit for SuperJimenez. But listen to the brilliant, stomping "Faye," featuring Ronan, Daz, lead guitarist/keyboardist Rhys Domagala, and bassist Nick O'Laoire in top form, and you'll understand why these guys have the goods to do Dublin proud.
Bang is available internationally on iTunes, as is the nifty single version of "Somebody There" and the overlooked "Come Out To Play" (the "Helicopters" B-side which was not used for the album). So get to downloading, already!
For more info, visit: http://www.superjimenez.com and read the previous ONA feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/superjimenez-to-rescue.html
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Monday, March 30, 2009
One Video Ahead: The Ropes
This is the first installment of a new video blog series on One Note Ahead, oh-so-cleverly titled "One Video Ahead."
You know the scenario: someone tells you about an artist or band you've never heard of. You check them out. They're not bad; maybe they're actually quite good at what they do, but what they do is just not your thing......generally speaking. But while checking them out, you get hip to one song that you just can't stop listening to. And it happens to have a dirty cool video to go with it.
This happened with me and The Ropes. The song I can't stop listening to is called "Kitty Get Down," and the dirty cool video is by Andi Krop:
On the video's YouTube page, The Ropes explain: "'Kitty' is a metaphor for anyone who has ever been scared or intimidated by the world. After realizing that everyone else is also hiding and climbing their own metaphorical trees, Kitty finds the strength to get down and face fears. This is the only choice because if Kitty doesn't make the change, no one else will. If you are like Kitty, maybe it's time to get down."
And I can dig it.
Original text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
You know the scenario: someone tells you about an artist or band you've never heard of. You check them out. They're not bad; maybe they're actually quite good at what they do, but what they do is just not your thing......generally speaking. But while checking them out, you get hip to one song that you just can't stop listening to. And it happens to have a dirty cool video to go with it.
This happened with me and The Ropes. The song I can't stop listening to is called "Kitty Get Down," and the dirty cool video is by Andi Krop:
On the video's YouTube page, The Ropes explain: "'Kitty' is a metaphor for anyone who has ever been scared or intimidated by the world. After realizing that everyone else is also hiding and climbing their own metaphorical trees, Kitty finds the strength to get down and face fears. This is the only choice because if Kitty doesn't make the change, no one else will. If you are like Kitty, maybe it's time to get down."
And I can dig it.
Original text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
ONA's Quick Takes, Vol. 2
One Note Ahead's Quick Takes was such a good idea that I'm having a hard time understanding why I didn't do it again. Maybe I've gotten such a solid fan base that I forgot some people can't or don't want to read full-length articles and therefore might be missing out on some great music. It's about time that I offered a fast glimpse at the artists I've reviewed since.......August, 2007? Has it really been that long? Damn.
If you remember the last "Quick Takes," you know that these artists cannot be established superstars, and their tracks must be available for legal download. I focused on iTunes last time, but this time I care only that their tracks can be downloaded individually from a well-known, easy-to-access digital music service. Because some of these artists were included in the previous roundup, I'm changing the format a bit to reflect the releases reviewed since last time. And there'll be a little surprise at the end.....
Ready?
Band: The Swimmers
Album Reviewed: Fighting Trees
Sounds Like: Indie pop/rock with dreamy vocals, spirited instrumental work, and oft-mysterious lyrics. Sunny harmonies abound.
Key Tracks: Go with "We Love To Build" and "Pocket Full of Gold" for your serious moments; choose "Goodbye" and "St. Cecilia" when you want something a little out of left field.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/03/album-review-swimming-into-trees.html
Artist: Jake Snider
EP Reviewed: Green Lights For Granted
Sounds Like: Piano-driven singer/songwriter fare with a wide range of influences, performed by a teenager who sounds more mature than anyone his age has a right to.
Key Tracks: Personally, I can't get enough of "How?" and "Early Morning Somewhere," but in truth, the whole EP is strong.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/cd-review-snider-gives-green-light.html
Artist: Matt Duke
Album Reviewed: Kingdom Underground
Sounds Like: Dark, brooding rock and quiet, pensive folk, all with a pop-friendly coating.
Key Tracks: "Sex and Reruns" has "radio hit" written all over it. "I've Got Atrophy On The Brain" is the angry rock anthem. "Rabbit" or "30 Some Days" should satisfy your folkier inclinations.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/album-review-duke-and-his-kingdom.html
Artist: Gillian Grassie
Releases Reviewed: To An Unwitting Muse (EP); Serpentine (album)
Sounds Like: A classically-trained opera singer delivering brainy pop and folk-rock songs with jazzy inflections, all while accompanying herself on a Celtic harp. I couldn't make this stuff up.
Key Tracks: So hard to choose! How about "Mr. Houdini" and "Steps" from the EP; "No Answer," "Silken String," and "Tamlin" from the album. Nope, I'm not satisfied with that list....
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/spotlight-on-gillian-grassie.html
Artist: April Smith
EP Reviewed: Live From The Penthouse
Sounds Like: A half cutesy, half snarky 20-something of the 2000s listened to her parents' and grandparents' vintage pop records and suddenly became inspired to develop her own cabaret act. Again, I couldn't make this stuff up.
Key Tracks: "Wow and Flutter" and "Colors." But come on: there are five tracks on it. Just buy the whole EP.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/ep-review-april-all-year-long.html
Artist: Andrew Lipke
Album Reviewed: Motherpearl and Dynamite
Sounds Like: Equal parts sad-sack folkie and emotionally overwhelmed rocker.....but generally, more fun and more compelling than that description implies.
Key Tracks: Folk-wise, "On My Way" makes my day. Rock-wise, I find "Mindgames" and "Get It Over With" most interesting, but if you have a short attention span, choose "The Barker Song" instead.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/10/album-review-lipke-volume-three.html
Artist: Tim Laigaie
EP Reviewed: Out of Focus
Sounds Like: A sensitive singer/songwriter and a macho rocker in one man, with lyrics that are, well.......unique. By the way, it's pronounced "lay-shay."
Key Tracks: "Eyes Wide Shut," "City Bred Cowboys," and "For All The Lovers" are my top picks.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2009/01/ep-review-laigaie-in-focus.html
Band: The Guggenheim Grotto
Album Reviewed: Happy The Man
Sounds Like: British and American folk-pop garnished with sounds from various other genres and cultures, all marinated in a distinctly Irish combination of tragedy and whimsy.
Key Tracks: It's one of the best albums I've ever reviewed. You should buy the whole thing. But if you really don't want to, I'd select "Fee Da Da Dee," "Just Not Just," and "The Girl With The Cards" as a sampling. Actually, just buy the whole album.
And now, the surprise....
Last July, I wrote about 2008's XPN Festival. Here's a mix of songs which represent the way I remember that mind-blowing event. To be honest, I don't have all of these songs in my personal collection nor do I even know all of these songs expertly! These are just the songs I most associate with the festival and if you hear them in one form or another, you'll at least have a soundtrack to the experiences I documented.
Jim Boggia, "To and Fro"
The Brakes, "Supermarket" and "Into The Ground"
Dar Williams, "The Babysitter's Here"
Alejandro Escovedo, "Put You Down" and "Always A Friend"
The Redwalls, "Modern Diet"
Jesse Ruben, "A Lack of Armor" and "Point Me In The Right Direction"
Nicole Atkins, "Maybe Tonight" and "Love Surreal"
Amos Lee, "Sweet Pea" and "Arms of a Woman"
Back Door Slam, "Come Home"
Ingrid Michaelson, "Die Alone" and "The Way I Am"
Matt Nathanson, "Come On Get Higher" and "Answering Machine"
Enoy the music.
See also ONA Year In Review: 2008 and 2008's ONA Live (the latter is last November's blog archive; scroll down to the bottom and work your way up).
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
If you remember the last "Quick Takes," you know that these artists cannot be established superstars, and their tracks must be available for legal download. I focused on iTunes last time, but this time I care only that their tracks can be downloaded individually from a well-known, easy-to-access digital music service. Because some of these artists were included in the previous roundup, I'm changing the format a bit to reflect the releases reviewed since last time. And there'll be a little surprise at the end.....
Ready?
Band: The Swimmers
Album Reviewed: Fighting Trees
Sounds Like: Indie pop/rock with dreamy vocals, spirited instrumental work, and oft-mysterious lyrics. Sunny harmonies abound.
Key Tracks: Go with "We Love To Build" and "Pocket Full of Gold" for your serious moments; choose "Goodbye" and "St. Cecilia" when you want something a little out of left field.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/03/album-review-swimming-into-trees.html
Artist: Jake Snider
EP Reviewed: Green Lights For Granted
Sounds Like: Piano-driven singer/songwriter fare with a wide range of influences, performed by a teenager who sounds more mature than anyone his age has a right to.
Key Tracks: Personally, I can't get enough of "How?" and "Early Morning Somewhere," but in truth, the whole EP is strong.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/cd-review-snider-gives-green-light.html
Artist: Matt Duke
Album Reviewed: Kingdom Underground
Sounds Like: Dark, brooding rock and quiet, pensive folk, all with a pop-friendly coating.
Key Tracks: "Sex and Reruns" has "radio hit" written all over it. "I've Got Atrophy On The Brain" is the angry rock anthem. "Rabbit" or "30 Some Days" should satisfy your folkier inclinations.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/album-review-duke-and-his-kingdom.html
Artist: Gillian Grassie
Releases Reviewed: To An Unwitting Muse (EP); Serpentine (album)
Sounds Like: A classically-trained opera singer delivering brainy pop and folk-rock songs with jazzy inflections, all while accompanying herself on a Celtic harp. I couldn't make this stuff up.
Key Tracks: So hard to choose! How about "Mr. Houdini" and "Steps" from the EP; "No Answer," "Silken String," and "Tamlin" from the album. Nope, I'm not satisfied with that list....
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/spotlight-on-gillian-grassie.html
Artist: April Smith
EP Reviewed: Live From The Penthouse
Sounds Like: A half cutesy, half snarky 20-something of the 2000s listened to her parents' and grandparents' vintage pop records and suddenly became inspired to develop her own cabaret act. Again, I couldn't make this stuff up.
Key Tracks: "Wow and Flutter" and "Colors." But come on: there are five tracks on it. Just buy the whole EP.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/ep-review-april-all-year-long.html
Artist: Andrew Lipke
Album Reviewed: Motherpearl and Dynamite
Sounds Like: Equal parts sad-sack folkie and emotionally overwhelmed rocker.....but generally, more fun and more compelling than that description implies.
Key Tracks: Folk-wise, "On My Way" makes my day. Rock-wise, I find "Mindgames" and "Get It Over With" most interesting, but if you have a short attention span, choose "The Barker Song" instead.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/10/album-review-lipke-volume-three.html
Artist: Tim Laigaie
EP Reviewed: Out of Focus
Sounds Like: A sensitive singer/songwriter and a macho rocker in one man, with lyrics that are, well.......unique. By the way, it's pronounced "lay-shay."
Key Tracks: "Eyes Wide Shut," "City Bred Cowboys," and "For All The Lovers" are my top picks.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2009/01/ep-review-laigaie-in-focus.html
Band: The Guggenheim Grotto
Album Reviewed: Happy The Man
Sounds Like: British and American folk-pop garnished with sounds from various other genres and cultures, all marinated in a distinctly Irish combination of tragedy and whimsy.
Key Tracks: It's one of the best albums I've ever reviewed. You should buy the whole thing. But if you really don't want to, I'd select "Fee Da Da Dee," "Just Not Just," and "The Girl With The Cards" as a sampling. Actually, just buy the whole album.
And now, the surprise....
Last July, I wrote about 2008's XPN Festival. Here's a mix of songs which represent the way I remember that mind-blowing event. To be honest, I don't have all of these songs in my personal collection nor do I even know all of these songs expertly! These are just the songs I most associate with the festival and if you hear them in one form or another, you'll at least have a soundtrack to the experiences I documented.
Jim Boggia, "To and Fro"
The Brakes, "Supermarket" and "Into The Ground"
Dar Williams, "The Babysitter's Here"
Alejandro Escovedo, "Put You Down" and "Always A Friend"
The Redwalls, "Modern Diet"
Jesse Ruben, "A Lack of Armor" and "Point Me In The Right Direction"
Nicole Atkins, "Maybe Tonight" and "Love Surreal"
Amos Lee, "Sweet Pea" and "Arms of a Woman"
Back Door Slam, "Come Home"
Ingrid Michaelson, "Die Alone" and "The Way I Am"
Matt Nathanson, "Come On Get Higher" and "Answering Machine"
Enoy the music.
See also ONA Year In Review: 2008 and 2008's ONA Live (the latter is last November's blog archive; scroll down to the bottom and work your way up).
Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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