Corinne Bailey Rae, the bubbly, bike-riding, curly-coiffed "Put Your Records On" crooner, returns with The Sea, an eleven-track tribute to love, loss, and no regrets.
Rae is certainly no stranger to loss, losing husband and bandmate Jason Rae in early 2008. The Sea, she admits, owes much of its melody to his passing. That melancholy heavily resonates on the opener, "Are You Here" and lead single, "I'd Do It All Again," where Rae reveals, "You're searching for something I know won't make you happy."
It's this thinly-veiled reference that stitches each song together. Whether with soul ("Closer"), hope ("I Would Like to Call It Beauty"), or heart ("Diving for Hearts"), the British songstress builds a largely successful—albeit unfortunate—story. Rae temporarily stumbles, her vocals getting lost amid the frenzied, back-and-forth, continent-crossing "Paris Nights/New York Mornings," but regains her footing on the farewell-filled title track, "The Sea."
The Sea is out now on Capitol... Read More »
This six-piece New Jersey outfit describes itself as "Ray Charles meets Weezer meets The Beatles." While they do indeed have a unique style, these influences belie their very modern sound, at times reminiscent of the Arctic Monkeys and the Libertines. Comprising more traditional rock band components, The Ugly Club also includes a trumpet and a trombone, giving it the rare soul edge that lends a charismatic swing to a couple of the songs. If this five-track EP from the as of yet unsigned band is any indicator of their later work, I would expect The Ugly Club to have a bright future ahead.
The opening track, "Claim Somebody," while perfectly acceptable, recalling earlier offerings from Rooney and Phantom Planet, doesn't fully represent the band's potential. It is the next song, "The Limbo of Sasha Ipei," a frenetic whirling dervish of raw guitar riff, brass and bass thudding a three note repetition and harmonising vocals that really... Read More »
February 2
Rob Zombie - Hillbilly Deluxe 2
Toni Braxton - Pulse
k.d. lang - Recollection
Lifehouse - Smoke and Mirrors
Lil Wayne - Rebirth
Toro Y Moi - Causers of This
Nick Jonas & The Administration - Who I Am
February 9
Josh Turner - Haywire
Fear Factory - Mechanize
Redman - Reggie Noble 9 1/2
Sade - Soldier of Love
Watson Twins - Love You, Love Me
Young Jeezy - Thug Motivation 103
Jaheim - Another Round
February 23
Josh Thompson - Way Out Here
Sarah Buxton - Sarah Buxton
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No... Read More »
Recorded in Munich, Germany on his self-owned label (Bake it Black Records), Paul Dougherty comes out swinging on the opening track of Grace Under Water (2009), "Zoe." The song starts out slow, but explodes into some creative lyrics during the third verse:
Times are troubled, times are confused Wills are broken by minds misused Man wants and man takes Humans love and humans breakSadly, however, "Zoe" is where the album peaks. Whereas the melodies differ from track to track, not once does Grace Under Water feel like it changes pace. Generally, albums are filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, uptempo and slow songs alike. Sometimes, an album will even maintain a general tone throughout, such as coming in and going out with a bang while maintaining the adrenaline the entire time. A few albums even explore the opposite end of the spectrum with track after track of sad, slow, heartbreaking lyrics and melodies. Grace Under Water attempts... Read More »
Internet sensation Terra Naomi made a name for herself through the internet, got signed to a label, had a bad experience and left the label, and is now talking about all of it. Rarely are artists willing to answer tough questions about the music industry, let alone answer them this candidly. Throughout the interview, Naomi remains honest—even when she has to restrain her comments a bit.
Frequency Magazine: You said of your 2007 album, Under the Influence, “The album would come to define everything I did not want to be and was one of the biggest lessons of my life…BE TRUE TO MYSELF.” How is your new EP, You For Me, a better representation of the true Terra Naomi?
Terra Naomi: Well, You For Me was co-produced by myself and two of my friends. It is very organic and natural. Yes, there are other instruments, but it's still pretty raw as far as a produced album... Read More »
Landon Pigg describes his second album, The Boy Who Never, as a “fun listen.” He says, “It’s got your faster songs that will be more of a fun live experience, and it’s got some other songs that make more sense with a couch and a glass of wine,” including the song that everyone who watches television will know, “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop,” which was featured nationwide on AT&T commercials.
One thing that stays strong throughout this album is Pigg’s voice. His control and transitions are impeccable and give the words he sings much more credibility. “Rooftop” is a great showcase of Pigg’s falsetto. “A Ghost” is a sultry jazz/blues tune that has lyrics that everyone can relate to such as, “Am I believing in a ghost, am I wishing on a star…Because I can’t be where you are.”
The strongest track on the album is undoubtedly the newly arranged “Falling in Love at a... Read More »
We wanted to start something new where we highlight notable album releases each month. We can't possibly list every album to be released each month so don't be upset if your favorite isn't here. Although January 2010 is over, we present the notable album releases of January 2010.
January 5
Katharine McPhee - Unbroken
Ke$ha – Animal
January 12
O.A.R. - Rain or Shine
OK Go - Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Omarion - Ollusion
Ringo Starr - Y Not
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Adam Green – Minor Love
January 19
Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
Eels - End Times
Spoon - Transference
One Republic - Waking Up
January 26
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
Patty Griffin - Downtown Church
Vince Gill - Love Songs
Corrine Bailey Rae - The Sea
David Bowie - A Reality Tour
Dolly Parton - Live From London
Flo Rida – Hits Mix... Read More »
Would a song by any other artist be as sweet? Ok, enough of my attempt at Shakespearean-esque humor. The issue I am getting at, though, has often bothered me. We label songs and artists as “bad” or “good,” but do we really take the time to dissect why we have this feeling? Have we ever tried to look at the situation from a different perspective? If a song is bad, is it because of the lyrics of the song or because of the artist singing it? If an artist is bad, is it because of his or her voice or because of his or her song choices? Do the same rules apply to a song that is “good?” If a song was sung by another artist would the song turn out better? Would it turn out worse? Should some songs just never be... Read More »
Frequency Magazine recently caught up with Kate Cooper, vocalist and guitarist for up-and-coming Aussie-bred duo, An Horse (Grammar nerds, breathe easy: that goof-up is completely intentional. Embrace it!). Kate talks Tegan and Sara, a new album, and a seemingly endless list of tourmates that just might be closer to reality than she thinks.
Frequency Magazine: You're currently on tour with Tegan and Sara and will co-headline with Kaki King in April and May. What can fans expect to experience at an An Horse show?
Kate: Oh you know a good old fashioned show! I wish we could have a meal break mid set but I am told that most people don't get hungry every 15 minutes.
FM: Speaking of T&S, you've formed quite a friendship with them. Can we expect to hear a collaboration in the future?
Kate: Sara and I have a project called Two Sharks. It's in its infancy. Don't hold your breath.
We reviewed their EP Sing What You Want in February and wanted to follow up with The Ugly Club. The band hails from Jersey and is comprised of six members. Their influences are... Read More »
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