St. Vincent’s DUMBO Session version of “Paris Is Burning” exhibits some of the best qualities of a stripped down performance. Normally well-produced, the song now exudes an intimate and raw energy, with a fullness still retained by Annie Clark’s incredible guitar prowess.

Click here for more info on the original version of the song, as well as the complete album review: St. Vincent – Marry Me

“Paris Is Burning”

I write to give word the war is over
Send my cinders home to mother
They gave me a medal for my valor
Leaden trumpets spit the soot of power they say

“I’m on your side when nobody is, cause nobody is
Come sit right here and sleep while I slip poison in your ear”

We are waiting on a telegram to give us news of the fall
I am sorry to report dear Paris is burning after all
We have taken to the streets in open rejoice revolting
We are dancing a black waltz fair Paris is burning after all

Enclosed in this letter there’s a picture
Black and white for your refrigerator
Sticks and stones have made me smarter
It’s words that cut me under my armor they say

“I’m on your side when nobody is, cause nobody is
Come sit right here and sleep while I slip poison in your ear”

We are waiting on a telegram to give us news of the fall
I am sorry to report dear Paris is burning after all
We have taken to the streets in open rejoice revolting
We are dancing a black waltz fair Paris is burning after all

Dance, poor people, dance and drown
Dance, fair Paris, to the ground
Dance, poor people, dance and drown
Dance, fair Paris, ashes now…

www.ilovestvincent.com
www.myspace.com/stvincent

In the dreamers’ world, there exist those who listlessly yearn and those who lead with vision. In such a case, St. Vincent (Annie Clark) falls into the latter category. A little awkward in a whole lot of beautiful, Annie’s debut album, Marry Me, may not suit everyone, but it certainly offers enough satisfaction for the casual listener. With two EPs under her belt, Annie also boasts exceptional rock credentials – time spent at Berklee and stints in The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ touring band. Kitschy production yields an album with dynamic changes and a clever mess of old and new musical effects, like Edith Pilaf mud wrestling Norah Jones – you might not get it, but there’s still some strange appeal.

Marry Me exudes playfully illustrious visions of life and love, with gentle instrumentation subtly backing Annie’s sultry voice. The record reaches extraordinary heights with the provocative, “Paris Is Burning.” A maniacally haunting waltz, Annie sings of the City of Lights en flambé: “We are waiting on a telegram to give us news of the fall / I am sorry to report dear Paris is burning after all / We have taken to the streets in open rejoice revolting / We are dancing a black waltz fair Paris is burning after all.” Her acknowledgment of the waltz feel further strengthens the devilishly celebratory nature of the song. A strong horn section adds an eery vintage charm to the entire piece.

“All My Stars Aligned” shines as the most shimmering of all her songs, and certainly offers a more uplifting perspective on love than her other tracks. “I read the signs / I got all my stars aligned / My amulets, my charms / I set all my false alarms / So I’ll be someone who won’t be forgotten / I’ve got a question and you’ve got the answer.” Annie succeeds in crafting a nostalgic scene, generating thoughts of cobblestone, old gas street lamps, and calm reflections off a wet river bridge.

St. Vincent creates a remarkably unique vision of the world, proving herself untouchable by other musicians with a similar sound. But, beneath all the frills and instrumental deviations, it all comes down to one simplistic truth – she’s just a girl singing her heart out about life…

“I do a dance to make the rain come / Smile to keep the sky from falling down, down, down, down / Collect the love that I’ve been given / Build a nest for us to sleep in here / You know it’s real.”

www.lennykravitz.com
www.myspace.com/lennykravitz

As I listened to Lenny Kravitz’s recent release, It Is Time For A Love Revolution, I realized I had never taken in an entire Kravitz album before. And while I enjoyed his poppy singles (some more than others), I wouldn’t exactly say they blew my mind. But let’s get one thing straight: Kravitz is a cool guy. He’s so damn cool that a bad album can’t possibly make him any less awesome. That said, It Is Time For A Love Revolution makes me want to rip off my ears, kick Kravitz in the nuts, then hire someone to kick me in the nuts just to dull the initial pain caused by the album. (Was that too dramatic?) Lenny Kravitz’s weak attempt at revitalizing psychedelic love rock fails horribly with unsubtle lyrics and boring, monotonous guitar riffs.

The album opens with the rollicking rock track, “Love Revolution.” It’s catchy and, well, that’s about it. On “Good Morning,” Kravitz dispels an otherwise strong intro with mediocre lyrics: “Good morning. How are you?” Lenny asks as he goes on with descriptions of what waking in the morning must entail. “The coffee’s hot but the cream is sour / So get up / Top of the morning to ya.” Yes, he says that last line, indicative of the song’s failed faux-Beatles demeanor. John Lennon must be spinning in his yellow submarine.

Kravitz continues with confusingly hokey lyrics on songs like “Love Love Love”: “Your ways are never ever static / You’re always keeping it erratic / I want you to know I’m emphatic / About your love that’s enigmatic / You, me and God makes three / My eyes are open I see / Oh baby don’t you understand?” (No, not really.) And let’s not forget Kravitz’s pathetic desperation in “Will You Marry Me” (in the style of Jimmy Brown): “You are my life and my passion / That never goes out of fashion / I want to know / Will you marry me?” It’s complete funk, but not the flavorful kind.

Finally, there’s “Back in Vietnam” (this deserves its own section):

Exhibit A: “We are like pirates and we are comin’ with the biggest ego / We’re gonna bring it down and give it to you, that’s how we go / We’re gonna drop from the sky like a killer tornado…”

Exhibit B: “We’re gonna fly over the world inside a giant eagle / We do just what we want and don’t care if it isn’t legal / We’re on a horse that is high, we think / We’re so damn regal…”

Iraq. It’s like Vietnam. Obama 08. And Kravitz successfully packs every known cliché known to man into one album. It’s quite an achievement.

The album does find some redemption midway through. “I Love the Rain” succeeds as a melancholy rock groove. Similarly, “A Long and Sad Goodbye” features a nice range of instrumentation. If you can get past the all-too-common “Dear Daddy” angle, you’ll find the song features a slew of spectacular shimmers and a heartfelt chorus. Overflowing with emotion, it doesn’t seem apropos on an album otherwise devoid of genuine character. It’s also the only song with a bitchin’ guitar solo. Additionally, “A New Door” and “Dancin’ Till Dawn” show a lot of promise as well, with beauteous piano fills in the former and playful lyrics in the latter: “She keeps me dancin’ til dawn” – possibly a fun metaphor for, uh… well, you know.

I really wanted to like It Is Time For A Love Revolution. Unfortunately, it overflows with sad rhyme schemes, generic storytelling, and feels about as cliché as a billion band shirts on a billion fat kids.

www.theimprints.com
www.myspace.com/theimprints

The Imprints – Marvelous Escape
Produced by The Imprints
Recorded by Rob Stroup at 8 Ball Studio
Mixed by Matt Shultz at 8 Ball Studio
Mastered by Matt Shultz at SuperDigital

When just about every song in existence grapples with love’s constant burden, it’s refreshing to hear a fresh perspective on the matter. The Imprints, a five-piece pop rock band from Portland, successfully accomplish this on Marvelous Escape, the follow-up to their well-received 2005 debut Sounds of the Aftermath. With lush textures and a more distinguished tone, Marvelous Escape improves on the already excellent Sounds with solid songwriting and clever, metaphor-laden lyrics utilized to uniquely describe everyday commonalities.

Often compared to bands like Wilco, The Imprints exude a variety of influences from alt-country to robustly saturated Brit rock. Songs like “Long Chapter One” display the band’s knack for illustrative lyrics: “I could sit and stare at you for days / Just thinking about the next page.” One of the many offbeat topics covered on the album, the hypocrisy of high society is examined in “Summer Homes” as frontman Rob Stroup sings, “Dame with a cocktail dressed to the nines / Feels altruistic raising charity dimes.” “Divine,” the most spacious track of all, incorporates willowy piano fills floating over a foundation of fingerpicked acoustic guitar, mirroring the lyrics’ image of a mid-flight bittersweet homage to a beloved Indiana town.

The Imprints clearly click as a collaborative effort, creating a sweeping landscape of organic harmony where every sound exhibits a distinct voice of its own. An explosion of breathless production, Marvelous Escape succeeds with upbeat appeal even during its most emotive moments. And in its conclusion, when one discovers love hidden slyly within (whether posed as book or plane), there is simple satisfaction in knowing it existed in the first place. (8 Ball Records)

www.theimprints.com

-Keane Li (more…)

www.performermag.com
www.myspace.com/westcoastperformer

Inland Empire, CA

Southern California’s Inland Empire stretches between the Santa Ana and San Bernardino Mountains, less than an hour east of L.A. along I-10 and three hours southwest of Las Vegas along I-215. The Inland Empire serves a metropolitan region of over four million people, setting it’s size near that of the Bay Area. Along with San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the Claremont Colleges and UC Riverside reside here as well. With this huge student population, there is no shortage of all-ages venues and independent record stores serving all genres of music. The renowned IE Music Awards along with other local events like the IE Jazz Festival form the crust of an extensive music network. This supportive music community and the area’s close proximity to L.A., San Diego, and everything in between makes the Inland Empire an ideal stopping point for established bands and upcoming artists looking to make the most out of their time in Southern California. (more…)