Three Flowers
Is a rose more beautiful than an orchid or a lily? No, they are each beautiful in their own way and for their own qualities. The same is true of these three acts. Although they have female vocals in common, each has a different musical flavor.
Palomar
In July Mars Needs Guitars posted some bands that can be found on eMusic. Palomar was one of those, and time has proven his judgement right on target for my taste. I have this enduring appetite for a female voice in contrast with a rock band sound, like favorite 90's bands Letters to Cleo and Magnapop.
The three ladies and lone gentleman of Brooklyn's Palomar slide right into that great hooky groove. "Beat Beats Nothing" is a fantastic treadmill song that will have you pumping for the entire four minutes and sorry when it's over. All Things, Forests is their fourth CD, and the first to showcase the strong chops they started developing on III. All three CDs are available through the sites below.
From All Things, Forests (2007)
Palomar: Bury Me Closer
Palomar: Beats Beat Nothing
MySpace | Website | Label: Misra Records
Buy at PaloMart, iTunes, and eMusic
Hearts of Palm UK
My introduction to the Dames of Hearts of Palm UK was an e-mail from Erica Electrica that said, "We think you will love us!" They were right--I do! Musicians from toddlerhood and friends since middle school, Erica Elektra supplies the vocals, keyboards, and beats; and Ambi D., as her name suggests, uses both hands on glockenspiel, hand-clapper, triangle, tambourine, guitar, and keys.
Their lo-fi electrontics gently guides their smooth harmonies through some sweet melodies to mesmerizing effect. The Dames are working on a full-length recording that I'll be very excited to hear.
To buy their 4-song prelude, contact the Dames on MySpace. If you're lucky, Ambi-D will send it to you in one of her hand-decorated CD covers. I love mine!
Hearts of Palm UK: I Flow
MySpace | Label: Independent
Show Schedule:
Sep 30 2007 - Eagle Rock Sunday Night Bowling & Drinking Club, Eagle Rock, CA
Nov 27 2007 - Boardner’s - Let’s Independent! with Eskimo Hunter, Hollywood, CA
Clare Burson
I found out about Clare Burson on Lonesome Music blog, which is a wonderful source of eclectic, country-flavored, folkie artists. The song posted there, "Angels," blew me away and I had to find more. Beautiful voice and thoughtful production mark Burson's debut album Thieves. Accompanying herself on violin and both acoustic and electric guitar, she gathers flavor from folk, pop, and country without settling deeply into any of them.
Although based in Brooklyn now, you can clearly hear the Nashville in her style and voice. Check her cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walking" in which she strips all the playfulness from the original and makes it dark and somehow menacing. Burson is definitely a talent to watch.
Clare Burson: 1000 Miles from Thieves (2007)
Clare Burson: Take Good Care from Idaho (2005)
MySpace | Website | Label: None! | Lyrics and downloads
Buy at clareburson.com, iTunes, and eMusic
Show Schedule:
Oct 5 2007 - Uncommon Ground, Chicago, IL
Oct 6 2007 - Lazy Daze Coffee House, Indianapolis, IN
Oct 7 2007 - The Duck Room - Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO
Nov 2 2007 - Webster Hall, New York, NY
Nov 3 2007 - Keswick Theater, Glendale, PA
2 comments:
did someone say treadmill music? i'm always on the lookout for new tunes to keep me moving. : )
Hey Alt-Gramma,
I missed this post the first time round - glad to hear you share my enthusiasm for Clare Burson. Thieves is such a good album, I'm really surprised it hasn't had a lot more press coverage. Have you got your hands on Idaho too?
x
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