Eisley - Currents (2013)

Sometimes it's incredible to think that Eisley has been around as long as they have, considering that in terms of full-length studio albums, this is only their 4th.  Granted, there have been some problems with their former label (well documented elsewhere), and some relationship/marital problems were a roadblock between 2007's "Combinations" and 2011's excellent "The Valley".  True, the band was busy in the interim, with an EP release, touring, and so forth, but personal struggles and issues definitely got in the way.  And in some ways, I'm not sure that a new Eisley album each year would be something I'd want.  Some bands (depending on the depth of their material or the style they play) can release a new CD each year and audiences will eat it up.  But for a group like Eisley, despite the general immediacy of their music, each record requires multiple listens and time to let it "sink in" to truly appreciate what they're doing.

Such is especially the case with the band's most recent output, the appropriately titled "Currents".  The album follows an "ebb and flow" (sorry, couldn't resist) feel that centers around water as a metaphor of life and how it moves and changes.  While "Currents" may not be thematically cohesive enough to call a concept album, it's certainly more dense than previous works and has less immediacy in the material, requiring several listens to begin to understand the album.  Sure, the lead-off title track has a hooky chorus and the band's usual buoyant melodic sense, but the initial tone of the album is darker, even, than "The Valley" and may throw some listeners for a loop if they were expecting "The Valley" mark 2.  Ultimately, I think this works in the album's favor, because repeated listens will reveal the beauty within.

Instrumentally, Eisley is excellent as usual.  Guitar is a bit less a focus than before, as there are more layers and textures present here.  Specifically, the piano takes center stage quite a bit, and adds a lot to the sound of the album at a level that piano and keyboards haven't on previous Eisley releases.  Don't think there isn't some guitar to be found, here, however.  There are some nice bits here and there, between the echoing guitar ring in "Currents" and driving riff in that song's chorus, the clean-yet-dark tone of "Blue Fish", to the more jangly rhythms contained elsewhere, notably in "Millstone" or "Lost Enemies".  Overall, the guitar work here is quality, if a bit understated at times.  Drum work is also good here, with nice dynamics.  When songs need "punch" to them, like in the chorus of "Save My Soul", it's there, but they shrink back when necessary so as not to change the tone of the material.  I also applaud the band (wait for it...) for the use of cheesy hand claps in spots where it doesn't seem to make any sense to do so ("Save My Soul"), yet don't sound out of place while you're listening to them.  Bass sounds good here too, and is well utilized.  There are moments when bass drops out completely to allow the piano, drums, or guitars do their thing, and there are spots where the bass work is pretty minimal so as not to overwhelm the mix, but at other times the bass rhythms are quite complimentary to what's going on elsewhere in the song.  As mentioned before, piano and keyboards are often the dominant force on this record, and that is a bit of a change.  Piano & keyboard work has always been an integral part of the Eisley sound, but here there is just so much more key work that it really does outshine everything else in sheer presence.  Also more prominent here than before is the use of stringed instruments, and often to great effect.

Vocally, there's a bit less emphasis on the DuPree sisters' harmonies, though those are still present.  Instead, there's a bit of a shift toward vocals as an instrument, as there are a lot of non-word based vocalizations that fill in spots where one might expect a bridge, solo, or other song padding.  Being that this is a theme album, it works well in the context of "flowing water" and gives an aural representation of same, so I think it works well overall.  I'm not sure this approach would work as well on a standard album where the songs don't flow (I can't help myself) the way they do here, but I like this approach with the material here.  The individual vocal work is good, too, and there are some interesting melodic things going on, especially in the title track, and "Wicked Child".  I'm not sure this is there most boisterous performance (I still think the songs from "Room Noises" get that honor), but then the album's tone doesn't call for that.  Lyrically, the album tackles personal topics with some degree of metaphor, and touches on the band's faith at times ("Blue Fish" seems to touch on that).  "Save My Soul" is a bit obtuse, much like my favorite Eisley track, "Marvelous Things" from the debut album.  Other tracks, like "Real World", carry a much more universal message of love and the importance of strong relationships.  Some of the references to the "water" theme are quite subtle and don't add much to the overall theme, but that reinforces the fact that this isn't a concept album about water, but merely a batch of songs that sort of follow a thematic arch.  So while this might not be their "deepest" batch of lyrics (okay, I'll stop!), mileage will vary as to how much one is spoken to through them.

As I mentioned above, Eisley albums are not usually immediate affairs.  Their music is pretty instantly likable, but in terms of the songs on this album, I think they're the least instantly catchy batch they've put out so far.  Having said that, I also think this may be the best set of songs on any Eisley album, and I say that recognizing that "The Valley" was a really strong set of songs.  I'm still waiting for the band to repeat "Marvelous Things" with something else that deliciously weird and obtuse, but alas, they haven't done so yet.  In the meantime, they've written what I consider to be their strongest album.  It takes several listens to penetrate and really latch on to, but once you do, you may find yourself in the position I've been in the last several weeks - it doesn't leave your stereo or stray far from your playlist.  It's a rewarding album, and something I hope the band gets some traction from.  Despite the failure of their Kickstarter campaign to help fund the album's tour, I hope they can get out and play as many shows as their schedule allows them to, because this is good material that needs to be heard and appreciated.  How this stuff translates live will be interesting, because it's more involved than previous works.  Either way, they have set the bar high for the follow-up.  Highly recommended.

92/100

Eisley - The Valley (2011)

You have to admire the persistence of artists, especially those who were born to be so.  Many a musician well past their so-called prime have been accused of being washed-up, has-been players who shouldn't even be out embarrassing themselves on the club circuit, let alone trying to recapture their "glory days".  Other musicians get out there and make great music but fail to make an impact and quit out of sheer frustration due to the lack of recognition of their art.  But for those who were truly made to be musicians, it's difficult for them to get out of the craft, even when life comes at them from all sides and makes things more "interesting" than they might be used to.  This is when the rubber meets the road, and when only the strong survive.

The difficulty and drama Eisley experienced from 2007 forward has been well documented, so I won't write a book here about the events that caused the band's 3rd studio full-length release to be so delayed since 2007's "Combinations" album, the release that was to catapult the band into super-stardom (in indie-pop terms, anyway), and get Eisley the recognition they so rightfully deserve as one of the reigning female-fronted bands of this style.  Sadly, though "Combinations" did raise their profile somewhat, it failed to garner the band the fame and record sales that the record company was probably hoping for, and as a result, the relationship between Eisley and Warner Bros was likely tenuous prior to the end of their contract came up in 2010.  Add the personal tragedies and drama within the ranks of the band, and it's easy to see why it took nearly 3 years between writing and recording to finally get their 3rd album out to the fans.

One thing that must be said about Eisley is that they certainly know who they are.  While the band's sound has shifted away from the slightly more obtuse indie-pop of earlier efforts to a much more radio-ready version of their sound, it's still immediately recognizable as Eisley, in part due to the consistency of their material, but also the lovely voices of the DuPree sisters and their effortless delivery (despite their assertions to the contrary).  The band still combines a somewhat tough (for indie-pop, anyway) guitar delivery with delicious vocal harmonies, acoustic and mellow passages, perfect pop melodies, and tight instrumentation.  What has changed since the earlier releases is that they have a much more "focused" sound, than they did early on.  Some songs lean more toward the melancholy while others are more "up" or happy sounding, but nothing sounds too far from a middle ground that vacillates between "hopeful yet pensive" and "sad but optimistic".

Guitar is just right for this kind of music - the sort of tightly played, yet slightly lazy rhythm playing that embodies what makes this kind of music so much fun to listen to.  It's deceptively simple, the kind of thing that might give an aspiring musician (who's also a fan) the impression that they could run up on stage and join in with the band and jam out.  At the same time, it's also concise in its presentation, well executed and content to be an integral part of the instrumentation, but not overbearing in the mix.  Piano and keyboard work is excellent as always, with Stacy's playing on this album reflecting an almost "bouncy" quality that keeps the mood light, even in the more somber songs.  Bass guitar sounds good alongside the guitars and drums, and is well played, though as expected with this style, not flashy or doing anything overly complicated.  Drum work is competent and well suited to the material, with the appropriate level of weight when needed, and more dynamic when the songs call for it.  The additional orchestral flourishes (such as is found in "Kind", for example) are a nice touch, and sound great in context with the material.  As always, vocally the material is a delight.  While Chauntelle maintains that her vocals aren't her strength, I personally feel all 3 sisters sound fantastic, and that perhaps that imperfection is part of the charm of the overall vocal sound - there's a certain feeling present in a voice that isn't classically trained that you just don't get from vocalists who are trained to avoid certain personal inflections or inclinations.

I've been listening to this album pretty solid for months now, and I think it's a strong release.  One understands the context of the lyrics better when having some knowledge of the events leading up to the album's release, which isn't necessary for interpreting them, but certainly gives the listener the upper hand.  The album's penchant for lyrics dwelling on broken or lost love is both a strength and a weakness, in that the common theme works well, but by the end of the album it can be a bit too much drama.  After all, how many songs can one write about the dissolution of a marriage and love relationship before they've said everything that can or needs to be said about the subject?  Still, that's only a minor criticism, as there's enough depth and breadth to the songs that the subject matter isn't entirely stale by disc's end.  I do miss the more obtuse lyrics of some of the earlier releases, and I also miss the more broad scope of material as well.  This album, as I said, is very focused in sound.  Don't expect to hear a "Marvelous Things" or "Lost at Sea" here, because you won't.  There's far more "Telescope Eyes", "Invasion", or perhaps "Golly Sandra" in the material here.  One of the things that initially attracted me to the band was the sort of weird vibe that "Marvelous Things" and its video had.  That's not what made me stay hooked, however - it was the vocal harmonies and the combination of songs that were incredibly tuneful and memorable all at once.  So while the band has in some ways "lost their innocence", they still have the memorable and tuneful material in droves, so a record like this is infinitely listenable.  I guess the best way to say it is this: this isn't my favorite Eisley release, but I consider it a triumphant return for a band that was in the throes of personal tragedy, and certainly a record that any fan of Eisley should eat up without hesitation.  Fans of indie-pop in general undoubtedly already know of this album, and likely already have it in their collection.  If you're just getting into the style, I'd recommend getting "Room Noises" first, if only to see the range of the band before delving into either "Combinations" or this platter.  Otherwise, I have no reservations recommending this strongly.

82/100

Artist Spotlight - Mad At The World

It may seem old-fashioned or even kind of goofy now, but the expression "mad at the world" was at one point a perfectly reasonable thing to say when you were frustrated.  Nowadays it's all f-bombs and histrionics, with everyone scrambling to outdo everyone else's expressions of frustration and anguish.  But you don't have to scream at the top of your lungs to be heard, nor do you need to pepper lyrics with expletives to get the attention of those who might benefit from your stated position and/or message.  It helps sometimes, but taking the high road is usually the best way of communicating these things to your audience, because in the long run, the short-lived attention getting techniques may only serve to later alienate the audience as they age, so the impact you may have once had will be lost.  Avoiding these kinds of pitfalls will ensure a more lasting, positive impact on the crowd who may be listening to you.

Such is the case with Mad At The World, who came out in the late 1980's with a new sound (for "Christian music" anyway), a bit of a fresh perspective, and a decidedly intelligent lyrical bent that expressed the disenfranchisement and detachment some people felt with the world at large, in a way that would have both immediate impact, as well as leaving a lasting impression.  In the years that followed, MATW (as they shall heretofore be known) changed their game (more than once) and took on dark subject matter from a vantage point of exposing those things and shining upon them with truth and light so as to warn listeners of societal and spiritual pitfalls, as well as being frank about things that some folks weren't entirely comfortable being frank about.  It is this blatant honesty and vulnerability that made MATW so endearing to listeners, and why so many years later they are still held in such high regard.  The fact that their music (regardless of what genre they were taking on) is great certainly helps as well.

MATW started out in 1987 when Roger Rose began composing music and recorded a demo tape that landed in the hands of a Frontline Records executive.  Roger's tape was impressive enough to garner him a record deal, and he then set out recording the eponymous debut album with younger brother Randy, and guitarist/bassist Mike Pendleton in tow on several tracks.  Initially, the style was a very Depeche Mode-esque synth/dance pop with a melancholy bent and a very serious lyrical direction.  This was not to be bubble gum pop music, but real thoughtful pop with weight and meaning to it.  The debut was released in 1987 to critical acclaim among the CCM press, and fans of the synthpop style ate it up.  The 2nd release, "Flowers in the Rain", saw the group incorporating more traditional instrumentation beyond the synthpop base they started out with, so there were more drums and guitar on the record, as well as more rock-oriented songs and arrangements than before.  Indeed, the last track on the album "Dancing On Your Grave" (with the first lead vocal by Randy Rose) signaled the coming change to a more hard rock direction.


The 3rd release, 1990's "Seasons of Love", showed the band shifting entirely toward an alternative/hard rock style, complete with an acoustic ballad, several hard rocking tracks, and more blues-influenced arrangements.  This album also included 2 tracks with Randy on vocals, giving him more opportunities to show his talent as not only the band's drummer, but also as a vocalist with a decidedly grittier approach than Roger's more smooth vocal sound.  The 4th album, "Boomerang" (1991) took the hard rock sound full-on, sporting even harder tracks and more straight-ahead rock arrangements than ever before.  This album included more tracks with Randy on vocals, and the band's most controversial track, "Isn't Sex a Wonderful Thing?", which posed the question that if God created sex, shouldn't it be a wonderful thing?  Unfortunately, as the lyrics explore, it's not always wonderful when used out of the context of a marriage relationship, as the examples of misuse of sex provided by the song will attest to.  1992 saw the band's 5th album "Through the Forest", often considered the best by fans of the group.  This saw a continuation of the alternative hard rock sound from the previous 2 albums, but had an overall darker tone with punchier songs and arrangements, as well as material that was a bit more exploratory in nature with other stylistic elements included for great effect.  One particular highlight was "M.A.T.W. (Reprise)" which was a driving hard rock remake of the band's eponymous track from the debut album.  The final track on the album, "If I Can Dream" is a cover  of an Elvis song, and a stylistic departure from the rest of the material, signalling another change in direction.  Also departing were Mike Pendleton and guitarist Brent Gordon.


"The Ferris Wheel", released in 1993, saw the band moving away from the hard rock of the previous 3 releases into a more alternative pop-rock (or power-pop) direction, concentrating less on muscular guitar-driven songs and more on pop and rock arrangements, with a decidedly less "tough" sound, reminiscent of mid-period Beatles music in many respects.  While Randy continued to explore a heavier hard rock/metal sound in his band Rose, he was lock-step in MATW with more mellow tunes on this disc as well that he wrote and sang.  Randy also brought in 2 members of his solo band, Ben Jacobs on guitar and Mike Link on bass to round out the line-up.  Coming some 2 years after that was the band's final studio album, "The Dreamland Cafe", which featured an even greater emphasis on Beatlesque power-pop than before, as well as tinges of light psychedelia.  Some of the material, according to interviews, was played entirely by Roger Rose.    Though this was the last studio album the band recorded, they remained active in some fashion until 1998 when they officially called it quits.  Randy continued making solo music for a time (under the new Mothership moniker), and Roger disappeared from the music industry limelight.  1998 also saw the release of "World History", a somewhat uneven compilation album of tracks from the band's 1st 6 albums - curiously, their final album is not represented on the release at all.  Also curious is that the compilation steers toward the more mellow side of the band, though a couple harder rock tracks are included, rather than exploring all facets of the band's sound.


The band's impact is difficult to quantify, because they were a small fish in a small pond, in the sense that they didn't sell a lot of albums, and were probably more critical darlings than a band with a large fanbase.  Still, their influence can be heard throughout popular Christian music over the following decade and then some.  Synthpop duo House Of Wires covered the song "Mad At The World" on their 2nd album "Monogamy", and many bands from a number of genres have expressed both respect for and love of the music of MATW.  Some other bands respect what MATW accomplished musically and lyrically, even if they aren't necessarily fans of MATW's music.  Either way, Roger and Randy Rose (and the other various members of MATW through the years) have made an impact on the rock music world with their songs and their hearts worn decidedly on their sleeves.  I salute MATW for their creative approach, their lack of fear in changing things up when they felt called to do so, and for the wealth of great music they have released.

The Best Music You've Never Heard - Nine-Headed Cactus Demon

"The hallucinogenic drugs such as psilocybin, mescaline, and peyote are not rude per se. But it can be difficult to observe all the niceties of etiquette when you're being chased down the street by a nine-headed cactus demon." - PJ O'Rourke from "Modern Manners: An Ettiquite Book For Rude People"

Okay, so I know what you're thinking: "Nine-Headed Cactus Demon? Sounds like some obscure black metal band, or maybe some obscure 60's psychadelic or acid rock band."  You'd be wrong on both counts, however.  Nine-Headed Cactus Demon (NHCD, as they shall be heretofore known) was a short-lived alternative/indie "college band" in the literal sense, in that they were a group of students at the prestigious MIT university in the early-mid 1990's.  NHCD is particularly of interest to me because of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter David Penner.  He is originally from my hometown of Aurora, Nebraska, and his younger sister was in my class in school, though I didn't get the opportunity to know her very well.  You see, her parents worked in some government-related discipline, so this classmate spent most of her time in Pakistan at the US Embassy.  Quite the swanky gig, and quite an eye-opening experience for a young girl in a country dominated by Islam, where women and females in general aren't well regarded.  So while I knew her by her brief attendance during my 5th grade year and occasional visits back to the US through Junior High, I can't say I actually knew her.

Fast-forward from 5th grade to the end of my Junior year of high school, approximately April of 1995.  I was riding high on having a car again (after totalling my first car within a month and a half of purchasing it), and my friends and I were working toward our ACT tests, and were preparing to take those.  Having only a cassette deck at that point, I of course had the wonderful tape adapter that would plug into the headphone jack of my portable CD player (an early model with some limited "skip protection".  It was this device that fueled much of my early CD purchases, as having the ability to "crank up" these tunes in the car was a real treat.  I had borrowed this underground CD from a friend (earning me cool factor points in nerd-land), and had spun it a few times, but other than casually enjoying what I heard, it hadn't quite "clicked" with me fully yet.  The morning we were to take our ACT tests I got up WAY too early, and went out driving to go pick up friends.  Turns out, they weren't planning on me picking them up until a few minutes before we were supposed to leave to drive the 30 minutes to the large regional high school where we'd be taking the test.  So in the meantime, because I was wide awake, couldn't go back home and go to sleep, and needed to de-stress from the thoughts of ACT test failure looming in my head, I just drove around in the dark and played some new tunes.  Among those was the Megadeth odds-and-ends CD "Hidden Treasures", which still has a couple favorites for me from the band.

After jamming out to some metal, I decided to change things up and played the NHCD disc.  Though I had listened to it before and enjoyed it, the full realization of how awesome it was had failed to capture me - until that morning.  As the sun was rising and I played that 6-song EP through, it dawned on me (see what I did there?) what I had been missing thus far.  The CD had its own sound, its own vibe, its own unique feel.  Not only that, but while the band was far from the over-produced "alternative" music we were being fed on the radio, they still sounded professional and like they weren't just some fly-by-night band making a CD because it sounded like a fun thing to do.  This band was more truly "alternative" than most of what my generation was being told was actually so.  Suffice to say, I ended up liking the CD so much that I just conveniently forgot to return it to my friend...

What makes NHCD more special is the variety in songwriting and performances.  They mix a laid-back guitar pop/rock sound (though not jangly) with some jazz influences, as well as a bit of neo-folk, funk, light grunge, and adult contemporary (don't let that tag scare you, this isn't Michael Buble) to forge a relatively broad, open-ended sound that has a lot going for it.  In terms of songwriting, these 6 nuggets represent a very strong batch of material that David and his bandmates composed, and the diversity of material is more of a strength to the EP than it is a weakness, like it often is for bands that have trouble finding their identity.  Instead, NCHD's identity is in the loose feel and leisurely pacing of the material, coupled at once with the precision of their performance.  It is this balance that has made "Gone" such a consistent player in my car or van, and on my iPhone.  I keep coming back to it time after time, and 15 years after it's release, it still sounds great, and still represents a real "alternative" to most of the rock and pop on the radio at that time.

Sadly, NHCD seemed destined to be a shortlived project, as many "college bands" tend to be.  A guy who was a year ahead of me in high school went on to MIT and supposedly joined NHCD (on bass) for a time.  When he was back in our hometown visiting his family, we struck up a conversation with him, asking if the band was going to make any more CDs, and he said they were (then) currently working on new songs and recording.  I don't know if anything came of those times or not, because "Gone" is the only evidence I have that they released recorded material.  This upperclass guy also said he would bring some more copies of "Gone" back with him on his next visit because they still had a box of them sitting around unsold, but that also never transpired.  If anyone has any other NHCD demos, EPs, or albums that I am unaware of, I would love to get copies.  I would also love to get another copy or two of "Gone", preferably in mint condition, as I've played the heck out of my copy and it's seen better days.  Copies of "Gone" are few and far between, and there's very little out there on the internet about NHCD, though Amazon has a couple copies of it (as of this writing) that are priced higher than I'd like to pay for a replacement copy.

After the demise of NHCD, David Penner went on to join (or possibly form) the techno-dance outfit Andain, which was poised (according to the press release, anyway) to take the dance/house world by storm.  As it stands, however, they only made one CD single (with numerous remixes) that has since gone on to have some level of internet fame, in part due to the music video with a rather attractive woman writing around amidst colored laser lights and such.  It's a great danceable synthpop tune, and would have been a good direction for David if he'd have stuck with it.  I suspect he chose the professional route, however, as his MIT degree likely would have been wasted on such things as pop music.  Andain fizzled out prior to an official release of their album, but have reformed as a duo (sans David) and have new music, so at least part of that legacy lives on.  But my fondest memories of David's music will always be the little 6-song EP he and his college buddies recorded, because it's such a raw expression of what real musical talent unencumbered by record company politics can truly be, while maintaining an excellent sense of melody, songwriting, and professionalism through it all.  Bravo to you, David.

Oh, and, sorry Matt - you can't have the CD back!

As a side note, since it's 15 years now since the release of the CD and there's virtually no chance that it's ever going to be re-issued, I have decided to take the chance of uploading the disc in variable-rate MP3 format, so others can hear the music and experience what I've been enjoying all these years.  If any of the band members decide they want the link taken down I will certainly oblige, but my guess is, they probably won't mind having the music out there for others to hear.  Either way, be my guest and download what is probably one of the most unique and interesting indie releases to come out of the "alternative" era.

Download here

I Hear Voices - Subtle Female Vocalists

It's no secret that the rock and heavy metal worlds are overwhelmingly dominated by male voices.  There are plenty of notable female vocalists in these camps, to be sure, but when the vast majority of vocalists are male (despite the boon of female-fronted goth metal bands in the last 10 years), it's safe to say that this market is harder to crack when you're a woman.  Contrast that with the pop music world: while the production, A&R, and ownership segments may still be male-dominated, when it comes to vocals, the women have the corner on the market.  Sure, there are boy bands, Justin Beiber (yes, he's male) and male pop superstars like Elton John and George Michael, but women have consistently been the driving force in pop music since the late 1960's and early 1970's when men began turning their attention to harder rock music.
Female vocalists also range quite a bit as well.  You have your bona fide divas, the women who could sing you the phone book (thanks American Idol, for that nugget of wisdom) and you'd be amazed, due to their vocal quality, ability to be on-point with notes and delivery, and often their incredible range.  Then you have women on the other end of the spectrum who get by almost entirely on attitude and swagger, despite some of them having decent to good voices.  You know, like Suzi Quatro, Joan Jett, or Wendy O. Williams.  Some women have that one-two punch combination of power and versatility where they can bowl you over with powerful vocals, then in the next breath be delicate and dynamic, like Heart's Ann Wilson, Pat Benetar, Barnabas' Nancyjo Mann, or perhaps Evanesence's Amy Lee.  Some pop singers have reasonable voices but make waves simply by exposing themselves more than they should, and earn the adoration of throngs of fans because they're so "daring".

Then there are the subtle voices that are just so smooth, pure, and velvety that they just make you melt when you listen to them.  There's nothing inherently powerful about their vocals, no "big" notes, no inhuman vocal range, no giant crescendos that draw you to them instantly.  These are the singers whose understated performances become the stuff of legends because they are just really good at what they do, and while they may not turn heads like the Brittney Spears' of the world, they impress fans by simply doing what they do and doing it well.  Voices like these I like to think of as "quietly captivating".

SADE

Is that a Covergirl model?

Everyone knows Sade has a good voice, and most everyone has heard one of her early hits like the sultry "Smooth Operator" or "The Sweetest Taboo" on the radio at some point.  But the hits aren't enough to truly appreciate Sade Adu or her talent.  She has such a rich, smoky tone to her voice that has a unique quality to it.  But it's more than that - her singing is so accurate, even if she's not doing anything overly complex.  Listening to Sade sing is a simple joy entirely because she just sounds SO GOOD when she does.  When she took a break after her 1992 album and came back 8 years later with "Lovers Rock", some folks might have thought she would make no impact, but with that smooth voice of hers subtly crooning the lead single "By Your Side", it was inevitable that she'd be back in the spotlight again.  All I can say is, it's a good thing enough people with taste supported her return.

Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)

Yes, she is feeling the music.

I'm slightly less familiar with the material of Cowboy Junkies than I am of Sade's music, but after listening to just a few minutes it's easy to hear that same kind of quality in Margo Timmins' voice - hers is a very subtle way of getting your attention, by simply singing sweetly and almost lazily along with the songs.  Of course, most of the Junkies' tunes are pretty laid back anyway, but Margo underscores that with what can almost be called a lackadaisical performance.  That's not a bad thing, mind you - the way she sings over the lazy sort of country/folk/rock the band plays is breathtaking in its own special way.  Take Sarah McLachlan and strip out the overly emotive nature of some of her stuff, and you have a slight idea of what Margo sounds like.  This is especially true on the band's 1996 album "Lay It Down" where Margo just floats along over the music so perfectly.  Don't take my word for it though, go listen for yourself and discover this woman's subtle vocal talent.

Norah Jones

She's just so cute! ^_^

Last, but certainly not least is Norah Jones, a woman who, over the last 9 years has captivated audiences with her slightly soulful, understated voice and her ability to take a song and just add that little extra to it that makes it transcend just being a song.  Her voice has such a natural, pure tone to it that words can't describe it - you simply have to listen to her sing to understand it.  In addition, she has stylized herself a bit of a musical chameleon.  Sure, her material is (mostly) grounded in pop-jazz, but she has explored country, folk, and indie pop within the framework of her voice and piano playing.  Norah is an artist I'd consider to be brilliant in her way of singing/playing the material "just right".  She doesn't over-sing stuff, she doesn't go nuts with the piano and do all kinds of crazy runs or whatnot - everything is so tasteful that it's always in service of the song.  In an age where showboating seems to be all the rage, Norah Jones is a shining example of what an artist can accomplish when they just do something and do it really well.  That doesn't even take into account that she is famous Sitar player Ravi Shankar's daughter!

So there you have it - understated voices that thrill me.  I love powerful voices too, as evidenced by much of the music I highlight on this blog, but sometimes the simple, elegant voices just hit the spot as well.  I'll be highlighting other vocalists over time, touching on ones that inspire me (as a vocalist myself), some that I just find amazing in their talent and abilities, or vocalists that I feel have brought something unique and interesting to the table that perhaps other vocalists haven't done in the same way before.

Jem is truly outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous!

TRULY outrageous.

This entry might make me look like a big sissy, but I'm an 80s nerd, so humor me.  During the late 80s when Jem debuted, I was forbidden to watch it because it was all about "rock and roll" and of course, that was not something my parents wanted me having any part of.  I think if my parents sat down and watched Jem, however, they would have realized that half the TV shows my younger brother and I watched had more violence, "adult" content, and "adult themes" than Jem.  That said, the only place I could watch this cartoon was at friends' houses.


I'll skip the long storyboard and just cover the essentials.  Jerrica is a well-to-do music publishing mogul, an early 20's American dream come true.  She not only owns a music company, but also moonlights as the pop superstar Jem in "disguise" for some reason, so she enlists the help of a super computer (named Synergy) created by her father, who left it to her after dying of cancer.  With the computer's help, Jerrica can quickly "change" into Jem via Synergy's ability to create the holographic illusion that Jerrica is then Jem, along with other illusions.  Keeping this secret, of course, becomes the central theme of most of the show, along with Jem's rival all-girl rock band, the not-so-cleverly titled Misfits.  Sidebar: how do you suppose they avoided a lawsuit with the punk band that had been around 10 years prior to the show's debut?  In any event, these 2 plot points intersect frequently, with both the Misfits and their manager Eric trying to discover the secret identity of Jem all the time.  Of course, her bandmates know it's Jerrica, but Jerrica's milquetoast-yet-loyal boyfriend Rio doesn't know, presumably for his own safety and that of Jem and the Holograms.


The central question is this: if Jerrica is this rich girl who owns this big music publishing company, and has this powerful super computer at her disposal, why doesn't the group become this big sensation and tour the world?  One must conclude that it's because that would be harder to base a weekly Saturday morning cartoon after.  Why do the Misfits have it in for Jem and the Holograms so much?  Is it because they're "bad rocker girls" or just because they're snotty brats who never grew up?  So many questions, no real answers.  But then, such is the joy of Saturday morning cartoons designed to brand products and sell stuff to parents who will buy it for their kids.


All in all, though this was designed as the girls version of G.I. Joe or the Transformers (both of which I loved as a kid and still enjoy to this day), it had enough appeal to cross over somewhat, and I enjoyed watching it when I had the opportunity.  Kudos to the TV channel "Hub" for picking the show up again, despite the somewhat storied licensing issues (which is why the show doesn't have a complete DVD release yet).  My wife and I have enjoyed watching Jem again, despite the utter lameness of it all.  Perhaps that's why we like it so much.  I mean, I can't stomach the Smurfs after all these years, and Scooby Doo is only passable.  But for some reason Jem lives on, and is still entertaining at some level.  But then it's better than half of the schlock that passes are cartoons these days.


Jem has seen a resurgence in popularity of late, partially due to the recent re-syndication of the show, but also because there are some Jem fan-sites popping up on the Internet, but also because a show like Jem with the big hair, wild clothes, and over the top 80's fashion is SO perfect for the cosplay crowd it's downright scary.

You only wish you were this cool.

There's even a "Jemcon" apparently happening in Holland this year (it started in 2005 in Minneapolis, of all places), so I'm guessing there will be a gaggle of Jem-obsessed fans dressed in their best Jem and the Holograms or Misfits (or Stingers!) custom outfits and costumes, parading around enjoying their cartoon that lasted all of 3 seasons.  But then I shouldn't complain: G.I. Joe was "technically" only on the air for 2 seasons before the made-for-TV movie aired and derailed the series, until 4 years later when the plot-line was resurrected for a series reboot.  But for Jem fans, it appears that the Internet has been a good thing.


Here's the interesting/confusing part: there's now a relatively new pop star who goes by the name "Jem", and unlike her fictional 80's glam pop/rock counterpart, this Jem is a pop-star of hipster proportions, with music that combines snarky pop, trip-hop, and other elements to make an interesting and enjoyable modern pop sound.  Not sure whether or not the choice of stage name is based on her real name, or whether it has anything to do with the 80's cartoon, but it's an interesting correlation nonetheless.  Apparently her music has been featured in a lot of TV shows already, so apparently she's already making good on publishing deals.


All of this rambling to say that I'm glad Jem is back on TV, and my wife is glad as well because it's a piece of our childhood we get to relive as adults and enjoy a little mindless fluff entertainment after a hard day of work.