William Ruben Helms - Find me on Bloggers.com

New York based act Small Multiples is a collaboration between duo of extremely accomplished musicians, Craig Hartley and Eli Friedmann. Both Hartley and Friedmann met while students at the New School, and after playing in several failed but diverse projects Hartley contacted Friedmann asking him to play some new material he had just written — that material wound up becoming Small Multiples’ debut effort, which was released yesterday. 

The term “small multiple” (popularized by the statistician, Yale professor emeritus, and visual artist Edward Tufte) denotes a method that allows for quick visual comparison exhibiting variety and scopes of alternatives. Similar to the concept of small multiple designs, the music of Small Multiples merges inspiration from an eclectic array of musical influences, melodically combining them while still maintaining each influence’s integrity.

On the album’s latest single, “Make Up.” you’ll hear how the band meshes a variety of influences from classical and jazz, thanks in part to the extensive use of piano/keyboards around the chorus and hook and buzzing electronica. In some way it bears a resemblance to Amnesiac-era Radiohead but a lot more approachable. 

The video which includes two stick figures fighting to the death is both hilarious and disturbing. Check it out. 

May 22nd

A Q&A with Alice Russell

Released last November in Europe, Alice Russell’s latest effort To Dust saw a Stateside release back on April 30th. And although the album arrives four years after her previous effort, Pot of Gold, an album Russell describes as more of a live album, To Dust is not just an accomplished follow up that should win her listeners Stateside with her amazing, soulful voice; it’s an album that shows remarkable growth, as it was inspired (and somewhat delayed) by life. 

Lyrically, the album manages to her most honest, most direct effort to date, capturing a modern a woman who’s complex and yet very real. In some way, we all know a woman like the woman described on To Dust — self-assured, determined, strong through hard-fought and occasionally embittering experiences. But through observation, humans are contradictory creatures. Indeed, those who are appear to be the strongest and most determined are most often the ones filled with crippling doubts, and want to let themselves be vulnerable in a manner that’s comfortable to them. On songs like album opener “A to Z,” “Heartbreaker,” “Heartbreaker Part 2,” and “Let Go (Breakdown),” the narrator of those songs bemoans her heartache, and fears that she may not be able to go on pretending that things are normal or that she could go on. And yet there’s also a sense that she’ll push on through a sheer sense of iron will or perhaps to spite their cold-hearted asshole of a former lover.  ”I Love You (Interlude)” captures the blissful joy of new-found love, the sort of love that you stumble on after profoundly difficult experiences; the sort of love that seems to be invigorating down to the very soul. And it’s done with the joyousness that brings Chaka Khan to mind… . 

I caught up with Russell via email, while she was on tour to support To Dust, and in this Q&A we talk a little bit about her new album, her diverse influences, and the hilarious video for lead singer “Heartbreaker” which has a special cameo by legendary comedian Harry Shearer. Check it out below. 

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WRH: How did you get into music? And when did you know that it was the only thing you wanted to do?   

AR: Well I had music in my life from day one! My dad used to play Bach downstairs as us little ones went to sleep, and my mum used to sing to us. Baby sitters are expensive and my dad was the organist at the church, so we all ended up having to be in the church choir. And that was great training for singing and I just loved it.  I don’t remember not singing, so for me there didn’t feel like one defining moment where I said to myself “this is what I what to do.”  It just seemed to happen naturally.  I met producers and got in a recording studio quite early on, and then got up with local bands and just got hooked on the emotional release of singing and making up songs.  It is a kind of freedom from all the things in life that confuse you; same with drawing and painting, creating things from your imagination then making them into tangible things, and getting them out for other people to see what they think.  It’s an addiction and also a love affair I have with music. 

WRH: Who are your influences?

AR: Wow so many! From Donny Hathaway, David Axlerod, Prince, KRS ONE, Kate Bush, Tom Waits, Quincy Jones, Nina Simone …So many, and now people like Mount Kimbie, SBTCT , Fly LO and Frank Ocean, Odd Future I adore! And for lyrics the last lady to inspire [me] was the late Amy Winehouse. The lyrics to “Love is a Losing Game” is and was a game changer [for me]. I feel also Frank Ocean is there with that! So observant and so eloquent! 

WRH:  Who are you listening to now?

AR: At the moment, I have been really enjoying James Blake’s [new] album Overgrown. “Retrograde” is a stunning song! That and Atoms For Peace’s [Amok].

WRH:  To Dust, your newest effort, will be seeing an April 30th release here in the States. How does this album differ from your previous work? 

AR: Well I feel TM Juke and I (he is my musical parner in crime), we sat down and wanted to go back to the album before Pot of Gold (Pot of Gold for me was more of a live sessions album)[and] this new album is a proper album.  And we spent a long time on it.  Also I think this wasn’t necessarily intentional, but life got in the way and thus, we had a lot of space between studio sessions. So this led to a lot of re-doing the songs in different ways, more playing in the studio.  From foot stomps for drums to recording parts then mashing them up so they sounded like samples, we both wanted to push it and have a fresh sound with this album keeping the songs gospel soul raw, but with the production side pushing it up. I did not want to do a retro sounding record and also want to push it more for the next album. 

WRH: The new album is an album that seems to be meant to be listened to as an organic whole. Each song leads into other thematically and sonically. Was this intentional?   

AR: Yes! Ooo, the pains to make sure the running order is right, just right! It took a few goes! I think this is really important in this ever speeding up world we live in with shuffle that takes us from a few seconds of one song to another, to sit and feel you can put an album on start to finish and it flows and tells a story is mucho important for me.

WRH: Stateside journalists, critics and bloggers who would be largely unfamiliar with your work may compare you and your sound to contemporary artists such as Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and others. That’s not a difficult thing — they’re all incredible vocalists. Have you ever felt as though there was pressure to intentionally do something to set yourself apart from your contemporaries? 

AR: I think it is a natural thing for journalists to do, and I do see that it helps with exposure as people that like those artists will see the name then my name referenced and maybe check me out just on that comparison. But for me I do my thing my way, and it is very flattering when I am compared to others that are ace singers and songwriters.  So hey it doesn’t bother me.  It’s all good! 

WRH: The legendary comedian Harry Shearer makes an appearance cross dressing in the hilarious video for “Heartbreaker.” For a man, he’s quite comfortable walking around in a pair of heels — although as a woman he’s a bit tough on the eyes!  And in some way, it shows that you’re willing to poke some fun at yourself. How did he get involved in the video? 

AR: Ah, Harry! Well, Harry is a big music lover and came to some of my shows back in London a few years back.  Since then we have become friends. We were working with a director friend of ours Steve Glashier, brainstorming idears for the vid. And I definitely didn’t want a narritive video of heartbreak – I wanted something differnt.  Then Steve came up with this idea and I asked Harry.  Thankfully he was game so then we just found a day that worked for everyone. [We] found a hotel room and got to work! He has much better legs then me!! 

WRH: What advice would you give to artists trying to make a name for themselves? And what advice would you specifically give to female artists, who traditionally have a tougher time in the music industry?

AR: I would say (and it may sound cheesy but …) stay true to yourself, and take your time making choices.  Never let people push you around – earlier in my journey with music, I used to work with someone who put me down a lot. They could see my insecurity and hit on it. I look back and think how brave I was to keep going … [So] just get to your truth and keep to it! You can’t go wrong if you are being true to yourself and your music. Nothing can touch you!!!

 

May 21st

Vladimir Nabokov, one of my favorite novelists published a story back in 1936 about a fictionalized Mediterranean town by the name of Fialta, where an enigmatic protagonist explores and obsesses over themes of vacation and travel, the unreliability of memory, idealized love, and the general sense of confusion that’s often evoked by the passing of time. In 2011, a San Luis Obispo, CA-based quartet of songwriters, David Provenzano, Beth Clements, Michael Leibovich, and Sarah Shotwel decided to name their band after the Nabokov story — they felt that the story was a perfect fit for the songs they had already written: whimsical yet dark; summery melodies with haunted, seemingly weather-beaten lyrics. 

With literature being a primary influence on the Fialta, their work manages to frequently sound as though it’s have a conversation with the poetry and novels they’ve long adored — sometimes as though they were offering reinterpretations and commentary. It’s actually smart, in the same fashion as the Decemberists but not as seemingly pretentious. 

“Photographs” is the latest single off Summer Winter, and it’s a lovely and charming song, complete with gorgeously layered harmonies that actually belie a bittersweet tone reminiscent of the end of summers, and of one’s innocence. 

May 21st
Shannon and the Clams - Rip Van Winkle

Bay Area retro-punks Shannon and the Clams latest album, Dreams in the Rat House sees it’s official release through Hardly Art Records today. “Rip Van Winkle” is the second single from the new album, and although it was release by a contemporary act, the track sounds as though it were some old record from 1963 which was forgotten and rediscovered in a dusty, used record store. Ah, the power of analog recording!

The band will be on a lengthy tour with stops in San Diego, CA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Missoula, MT; Minneapolis, MN; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Cleveland, OH; Toronto, ON; Montreal, QC; 6/20 at the Bowery Ballroom; and several others. 

May 21st

Daughn Gibson’s Me Moan had received quite a bit of attention for it’s mixture of brooding, old school country with the use of modern recording techniques — samplers, effect pedals, synths and the like. All Hell is the forthcoming follow up to Gibson’s well-received previous effort, and it also serves as his Sub Pop Records debut (which will drop on July 9th). 

“You Don’t Fade” is the second single from Gibson’s soon-to-be released album and the track has Gibson’s brooding and dusty, Johnny Cash-like croon backed by an soupy. eerie sampled voices come out of of mix like sirens beckoning from the seas, with staccato drum beats. It’s a sonic head trip of a song. 

May 20th
Rllrbll - The White Biscuit

Rllrblll (formerly known as Rollerball) was enlisted to take part of Silber Records 5 in 5 EP series — a unique EP series in which bands have to make a full fleshed 5 song EP in 5 minutes. “The White Biscuit,” the album title track off of The White Biscuit is a weird bit of twinkling jazz meets trip hop — and it does so while being both dreamy and kind of funky. 

May 20th
Feel No Other - March Towards The West

Feel No Other is a unique collaboration between Claudia Gregory of Exhaust the Fox and Brian Lea McKenzie of Electric Bird Noise. The duo recently took part in Silber Records unique project — the 5 in 5 EP Project. The bands enlisted in the project have to create a fully fleshed out 5 song EP in 5 minutes. 

“March Towards The West” is the first single off Feel No Other’s EP in the series, and as a song it’s incredibly cinematic — it kind of feels as though it should be in the soundtrack of a Quentin Tarantino film. in other words it’s gorgeous but has a subtle layer of grit and grime that float on the surface. 

May 20th

Mixhell is a collaboration between Sepultura’s former drumer Iggor Cavalera and his DJ wife Laima Leyton. “Exit Wound” which features vocals from the Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Picot is the first single from the act’s much anticipated debut effort, an effort which will see a June 11th release through renowned electronica label Last Gang Records in concert with Boysnoize Records. 

Cavalera’s drumming gives the track a muscular heft, and propels it forward. The track has an deeply anxious feel which becomes increasingly menacing, and yet it has a sweaty seductiveness. 

May 20th

The Brooklyn-based electronica artist, Alex Burkat’s work has been largely inspired by house, techno, hip hop, indie rock, classical and New York’s current (and very vital) music scene.  His work has also been known to draw inspiration from almost everywhere — his debut EP, Shower Scene  which was released last year was inspired by a night out dancing at the Mister Saturday Night parties. Tarot, Burkat’s soon-to-released 12 inch will see a July 11th release through purveyors of all things electronica, 100% Silk Records (a label that I’ve become quite a fan of lately). 

 

Album title track “Tarot” is a shimmering bit of electronica with hot symbols and a loose jazzy feel that manages to be kind of anachronistic — it sounds much like the house music you’d hear at Limelight or at Webster Hall but it’s fresh and subtly modern.  

 

May 20th

Luke Rathborne’s work has been marked with both the exuberance and restlessness of youth — some of which is inspired by his own unique life. Rathborne learned to play the guitar when a wayfaring stranger passed through Rathborne’s Northern Maine town and accidentally left the guitar behind. Inspired by punk rock’s DIY ethos, Rathborne recorded his first album at 16, After Dark by sneaking into the recording studio of his local college and learning how to use the equipment. When he was 18, he moved to New York where he connected with Tin Pan Alley producer Joey Levine, who helped him hone his sound. 

He’s opened for the Strokes at SXSW, and has made an appearance on BBC 6 Radio. In any case, “Last Forgiven,” the latest single from his latest album, LOST is a well-crafted power pop song — although it seems like a sugary confection, there’s a gritty sense of sadness at it’s center. It’s the sort of sadness that comes from the occasional bitter experience. 

May 19th

Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees 5/16/13

Although last last Thursday was a lovely night, I was the Stadium for the last game of the Seattle Mariners series and it was a rather frustrating game, which had the Yanks losing with the game tying run on third. I then rushed down to the Dugout Bar to catch the end of Game 1of the Rangers vs. Bruins only to see them lose in overtime. So I went home really annoyed.

The season record so far: 0-2. 

Some photos below:

Just when Andy Pettitte was getting taken out, thanks to an injury. 

For these photos and the rest of the photos from this game, check out the Flickr set here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yankee32879/sets/72157633516493854/

May 19th

Chris Kittrell records and performs under the moniker of Baby Alpaca, and his first single, the slow-burning but hauntingly beautiful “Sea of Dreams” had over 50,000 streams in it’s first three weeks available. And although sparsely arranged with just Kittrell’s vocals, guitar for the first roughly 2/3s, you’ll hear a bit of piano softly in the background, it reminded me quite a bit of Echo and the Bunnymen, as well as the Smiths. 

The official video manages to be somewhat Dada-esque — in other words, it has the surreal logic of our own dreams, which is pretty fitting for the song. 

His debut EP will see a June 25th release through Atlas Chair Records, and he’ll be playing an album release show on June 27th at the Wooly downtown. 

May 19th