www.augustanamusic.com
www.myspace.com/augustana

I was looking through my old photographs of Boston and realized how much I missed the city I barely knew. For me, it was a place of reformation, a new start as bittersweet as offering cheers in a bar where nobody knew your name (that is where the original bar is from, you see). The unknown I felt there from the uncertain future fades now into the past, joining with the vast memory of places I have been…

“I think I need a new town to leave this all behind…”

I first saw Augustana perform at Slim’s (where my band will be playing next week, by the way), then at Café du Nord and finally at the Fillmore. My ex had been a huge fan of the band, so of course I tagged along to all their shows. While I was impressed with all their songs, “Boston” was always the one that stood out most for me (and apparently to everyone else since it was their single).

“I think I need a sunrise… I’m tired of the sunset…”

But “Boston” may hold even more meaning for me now, in retrospect, since the city now literally provides for me the song’s lyrical concept of new beginnings. I had gone to a place where (almost) nobody knew my name and left it all behind.

“I hear it’s nice in the summer…”

And now, so many years after visiting Boston and even more since I last saw Augustana perform the song, I feel a need for change again… as I reminisce on two wholly separate memories that have somehow found their connection…

“…some snow would be nice.”

www.mysecondsurprise.com
www.myspace.com/mysecondsurprise

My Second Surprise – Time to Move On
Mixed by Craig Schumacher at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, AZ
Mastered by J.J. Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA

My Second Surprise’s sophomore release, Time to Move On, follows 2005’s Avoidance as a Way of Life. Front man, Ayal Nistor’s now San Francisco-based band recorded in various countries and even acquired an Israeli Grammy. Similarly, Nistor’s latest release offers a level of eclecticism only a series of well-traveled paths can produce, as Time to Move On marches elegantly across ten tracks of lush folk rock.

Time to Move On opens triumphantly with “Bring the Sunshine.” A horn section trumpets over a pulsating piano and jangling high-hats as a sweeping chorus erupts with Nistor’s vocal polyphony. The songs exhibit a comfortable swing that’s mournful at times, as if they jump between a lazy day in the park and a sad scene in a film. Typical of the overall album, “When Your Crew Has Sunk Your Boat” exhibits a melancholy yet relaxed feel – somber lyrics with light instrumentation. This feeling continues on “All Your Rivers,” where Nistor exudes a chilling sense of intimacy as he sings in a low breathy voice: “So you had me / Sure tried to hold me down / And I liked it / But then you just turned around.” A violin creates a swelling effect that wrenches at the heart, cutting effectively at a harmonious breakdown backed by only a slight tinkling of keys.

Closing on the aptly titled, “Time to Move On,” the album exists as a journey of itself – lonely moments concluded with the closure of finding its place. My Second Surprise has traveled its fair share to find success on Time to Move On. And with solid musicianship and strong songwriting, one should never for a second be surprised. (self-released)

www.mysecondsurprise.com

- Keane Li (more…)

www.fiona-apple.com
www.disney.go.com/disneypictures/nightmare

At the risk of sounding cliché by referencing The Nightmare Before Christmas, Fiona Apple’s cover of Danny Elfman’s “Sally’s Song” serves as a perfect example of everything I love about music: it’s emotive, flowing and experiential. Several instrumental voices seemingly dance around one another while still retaining an overall sense of harmonic unity. (The string descension at 2:28 is particularly powerful…)