From: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org (jinglejangle-digest) To: jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Subject: jinglejangle-digest V5 #93 Reply-To: jinglejangle@smoe.org Sender: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jinglejangle-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jinglejangle-digest Thursday, August 15 2002 Volume 05 : Number 093 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [MLL] Michelle Branch's Shadow [Recordings@aol.com] [MLL] Re: Michelle Branch, also Kay Hanley, Anna Waronker [SeanJordan@ao] [MLL] Re: Michelle Branch, also Caitlin Cary, Hem, Beth Orton [Pepcrick@a] Re: [MLL] Re: Michelle Branch, also Caitlin Cary, Hem, Beth Orton [Loisbo] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 19:08:38 -0400 From: Recordings@aol.com Subject: [MLL] Michelle Branch's Shadow Fans of the famously "overproduced" sound of GOT NO SHADOW (count me in) might enjoy the debut CD by Michelle Branch, THE SPIRIT ROOM. Thanks to relentless exposure on Radio Disney, I fell in love with her pop-crunch anthem EVERYWHERE, but it also sounded strangely... familiar. I wondered if Tom & Rob (producers of GNS) had anything to do with it; they didn't, but it WAS recorded at Sunset Sound, the same studio as SHADOW. Michele Branch is 18 and mostly writes love songs, so I figured she didn't create this monstrously-produced CD alone. Like Nick Saloman with Mary Lou, a guy named John Shanks co-wrote, played guitar, bass, and keyboards, and produced SPIRIT ROOM, and he did a hell of a job. Shanks is best-known as Melissa Etheridge's guitarist, but his arrangements and studio effects rival Elliott Smith in his love for The Beatles. You can almost feel the joy he had in working with a nice voice and shaping his wall of sound around it. Vinnie Caliouto, formerly with Frank Zappa, played drums (rather well!) EVERYWHERE is a classic of heart-wrenching lyrical/instrumental dynamics, and while nothing else on the CD comes close to topping it, there's other nice tunes. In YOU GET ME Michelle's voice sounds suspiciously like Mary Lou. SOMETHING TO SLEEP TO is a Walrus-like tune with lush vocal overdubs (apparently Michelle does them all herself, or else the backup singers are not listed - either way, they're lovely.) GOODBYE TO YOU could have been recorded by Dar William's little sister. I'm not gonna pretend that Michelle Branch is an IMPORTANT ARTIST - a lot of this is disposable ABBA-like ear candy - but she seems sincere (not calculated and manufactured like Spears, et al) and has found a worthy producer in Mr. Shanks. I approached this album with much less expectation than I did for Lisa Loeb, and have been much more rewarded... and damn, that song EVERYWHERE just kicks ass. (Nice video you can play on your computer as well.) Dino ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 23:57:21 EDT From: SeanJordan@aol.com Subject: [MLL] Re: Michelle Branch, also Kay Hanley, Anna Waronker I agree with the comments on Michelle Branch, and especially like "Goodbye to You."... But more importantly... I'm very happy to hear I'm not the only one that probably listens to more Radio Disney than he should for a man his age... BTW, Branch is among the artists who will be appearing on the new ABC series revolving around AMERICAN BANDSTAND... I cant find my clipping or I'd tell you what '60s star she is going to perform as... Also... I should mention Kay Hanley, formerly of the great LETTERS TO CLEO, has just released an impressive solo debut on ZOE entitled "Cherry Marmalade." You can still order it through her website at www.kayhanley.com, and she'll autograph it. I'm also still really enjoying the first solo release from Anna Waronker, who you all likely know from the almost-as-great that dog.... By mere coincidence, Hanley & Waronker were responsible for much of the JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS soundtrack, which I adore... ~ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 00:26:29 EDT From: Pepcrick@aol.com Subject: [MLL] Re: Michelle Branch, also Caitlin Cary, Hem, Beth Orton >BTW, Branch is among the artists who will be appearing on the new ABC >series revolving around AMERICAN BANDSTAND... I cant find my clipping or >I'd >tell you what '60s star she is going to perform as... She's appearing as Lesley Gore. And thanks for the recommendations. I have been wondering about Michelle Branch's debut, and I just may purchase it now. And since we're discussing female singers the list might enjoy, I'll throw in my two cents: Caitlin Cary of Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams's old band) has released a solo album on Yep Roc Records that many Mary Lou fans would enjoy. She has a sweet manner like Mary Lou's, though her voice is somewhat deeper and her songs closer to country (though one stand-out track on her debut, "Pony," sounds like it could have been produced by Phil Spector). There was a feature on Ms. Cary in No Depression a few months back, and she seemed like quite a nice person to boot. Another great new record is from Brooklyn band Hem; their debut "Rabbit Songs," on BarNone, features lead vocals from Sally Ellyson, who reminds me a lot of Joni Mitchell (the songs are quite Joni-like as well, particularly lyrically). It's a very lo-fi, almost sadcore effort, but really, really delicately pretty--quite possibly my favorite album of this year so far, definitely the type of record that grows on you. Finally, all who loved Beth Orton's previous work on her own or with the Chemical Brothers should pick up her latest, "Daybreaker", on Astralworks. I think it may be my favorite of Beth's three albums; "God Song," featuring guest vocals from Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris, is a real standout. Anyone else have any summer records they want to recommend to the list? Suzanne ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 00:39:51 EDT From: Loisboy@aol.com Subject: Re: [MLL] Re: Michelle Branch, also Caitlin Cary, Hem, Beth Orton In a message dated 08.14.2002 11.26.54 PM, Pepcrick@aol.com writes: << Anyone else have any summer records they want to recommend to the list? >> Tift Merritt's Bramble Rose. It's a great record. Same with Camera Obscura's Biggest Blue Hi-Fi j. www.mundanesounds.com ------------------------------ End of jinglejangle-digest V5 #93 *********************************