ALBUM REVIEW: It’s not a very long climb to imagine once you are there and in the case of Minor Alps it’s was a journey worth waiting for. The two voices of Matthew Caws and Juliana naturally layer on the music contained on their debut together called Get There that they co-wrote together. As much as two celebrated and hard working songsters can write a song together. The magic happens once you put their voices together as you listen it’s impossible hard to tell who originated kernel of the idea if you were not there. At which point it does not matter because the pastiche becomes it’s own original color. They have perfectly blended together and not just for a celebrated show-me the money single, but for a whole bunch of songs, where in the universe where we revere celebrities these two souls have figured it out. Not an easy task. Granted both with their fair share of alternative hits in their not so far past. It can’t be easy to be humble enough to make something like this light touch album that proves the concepts can work in a variety of flavors. A real drummer here and drum machine there. The years of craft and balance are present.
There are lots of intimate lyrical moments like two lovers exchanging thoughts and memories. We’re lucky they have let us in. We’re all very lucky that they went through so much for us. Start with the rock radio tune then work your way inside their heads and like us we’re already looking forward to the next set of tunes.
Juliana and Matthew have made a metaphorical musical union that if your ears know justice and some of the anarchy happening in music. This is the kind of justice that will GET you THERE with them away from ignorance of what is completely wrong. FUCK YOU PITCHFORK your ignorance is bliss to help the rest of us filter out the noise. The rest of you fans should own this perfectly crafted pop album made with the engineering and the co-producer cranium skills of Tom Beaujour.
Ok, here’s part two of the girls that rock the underground. If there is a young or unknown upstart you think we should know about please let us know and we’ll get their music out. These next ladies have been there and done that. Surely setting the bar for girls in rock.
Juliana Maxwells 05'
Juliana Hatfield – The years have encroached on Juliana but she’s somehow managed to make a lot of really consistant records since going solo after the break-up of the Blake Babies. She has long hair again in this video with Even Dando and compared to when I saw her a few years ago with really short hair (see how skinny in photo left -she’s a lot healthier looking now). Crap, I barely recognized her without the long hair as she was buying a whiskey next to me at the bar I thought she was a wanna be (ha!) but then my friend introduced her to me and then she sauntered on stage to play a set with her band. Anyway, she has always been super nice whenever I’ve met her. There’s a funny spam comment from Jule’s on my old blogger account offering up her panties for $20 as one of her minimal services. Never received any spam like that before so has to be her right? Yup, shit like that happens fellas if your’re a musician/music writer. Anyway you should check out here new self recorded home lap top album Peace & Love has lots of 70’s song sensibility – in particular the psychedelic cover art. She’s a real acoustic troubadour on this new one, it’s as if she’s right right in front of you playing these lovely tunes for you and you only alone in her room. To get some more flavor about this real gal check out Juliana’s tour blog. In her recent free-form rants she discloses some very personal and not personal insights. How she does not download music; even refers to her CD player as a Walkman. She’s truly a old fashioned girl and has issue with love as a childless woman (this has to be tough one) but yet she shares. Deep stuff and with her words you really get in her head and makes you fall in love with her talents all over again.
New Waif MP3 By Juliana Hatfield from Made in China Every Breath You Take MP3 Police cover from Beautiful Creature (2000) but if I were you I’d buy Peace & Love to support her in the right now.
Neko Case is also known as the supporting singer in The New Pornographers and also having The Sadies be her supporting band along with some of JSBX. She has lots of rock friends. Also, has a knack for great country covers and it’s also said she’s banned from the Grand Ole Opry for exposing herself there once though she claims it’s because she was dying of heat. Regardless this super redhead has a sexy voice that can melt hardened lava with a strum of a guitar. The Needle Has Landed MP3 by Neko Case from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006) [Buy] Look For Me (I’ll Be Around) MP3 original by Sarah Vaughan. Which is totally oldschool.
Chan Marshall’s Cat Power – All artists struggle with sobriety of some sort and she is no exception. Beside the erratic live performance behavior that has been taken care of via some anti-pharma her music is mostly a sparse amd melancholy scene that is beautifully dark like the Velvet Undeground’s Nico but strong like Patti Smith it’s saying a lot of her talents.
Lived In Bars MP3 by Cat Power from The Greatest (2006) [Buy] The End MP3 Nico covering The Doors (1974) [Buy] Gloria MP3 by Patti Smith from Horses (1975) [BUY]
I realize we left off a lot music off here so far but check out women.
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