Nick Cave: I saw him twice this year, and it was totally spectacular because I even met him in person! First, at the Los Angeles premiere of his fake autobiographical movie, ‘20,000 days on Earth’ at the Egyptian theater on June 10th
White Water – Angel Olsen – Another haunting masterwork by the solemn sodded big time indie wench of 2014, with natty little one liners like “she wants to be naked and elegant”, and a hefty rhymic hook to take it home and haunted Siren vocals. Nifty – B+
During she show, she came up with new arrangements, modulated her vocals, slowed down each syllable, giving me lumps in the throat and chills on the spine. Wearing a vintage low-necked black dress, perched on high heels, she looks like an apparition, and I am not just playing around a metaphor inspired by her first name, the first rows only have eyes for her: it was a love fest there
The video is an enigmatic beauty, beautifully shot, and it shows Angel and her famous blank stare, as she goes from total expressionlessness to a real sadness frozen on her face, while her emotive song is played
’May As Well’ is streaming on my computer right now and the song is so moving and touching it pierces you right in your heart, your soul, your guts or wherever you believe your being resides, but in any case, it is a deep experience
‘I’m tired of men who aren’t professional or even accomplished musicians continually offering to ‘help me out’ (without being asked), as if i did this by accident and i’m gonna flounder without them. or as if the fact that I’m a woman makes me incapable of using technology.”
I managed to miss a mid-February Amex presale and an on sale for a concert May 13at MHOW and only today actually noticed it at all. It was sold out maybe needless to add, she is one popular star right this minute in the indie firmaments.
Totally in charge all night long, she had a very calm charisma and the confidence of an old soul. Angel did not give any long discourse but these short sentences between her songs were enough to build a strong connection with her audience which was already captivated by her performance
Burn Your Witness For No Fire – Angel Olsen – With her sophomore album, Angel redefines her singer songwriter loner folk Billy “Prince” Billy approved experimental classic songs for electronic full band and it works on nearly every track. High five.
A handful of real good singles by U2 (yes, really), Beck, Miranda Lambert, The Civil Wars, and some albums that really stink (hi Eric Church!) have a couple of good songs. Altogether 102 songs and listen to em all here:
Three women have ruled February: Angel Olsen, Katy B and Lydia Loveless which, despite disappointment (relatively speaking) in Little Red is still a very strong effort. Lydia reminds me of Liz Phair, or do I mean Elvis Costello, on her immense and sprawling album of disastrous love affairs. Angel Olsen came of age.
The week belonged to two women, Angel Olsen and Lydia Loveless but on the charts Eric Church has a baffling success with the terrible The Outsider… even Rolling Stone only gave it four stars so you just know it sucked.
these stories of love gone wrong are entirely astounding singer-songwriter country informed pop rock that gets under your skin on the first listen. My friend Mark Deming of Allmusic called it a contender for the album of the year. Well, definitely the week – A
Queens faves Bayside, though I wasn’t that thrilled the last time I saw em live at Best Buy, get the nod this week. First runner ups Suzanne Vega and Angel Olsen and honorable mention to PLANNINGTOROCk. Now let the game of what to Spotify have and not have begin… so far they’ve missed out on Broken Bells and Eric Church.
White Fire’, the new song off her upcoming and second album is a slow and long one, ruminating longing, regret and hurt, it’s simply devastating and the song will remind you the style of her debut album ‘Half Way Home’ that she released in 2012. Her druggy-sleepy voice, like numbed by the pain
Her voice may remind you something old, half Roy Orbison half Loretta Lynn, tremolo-ing like some authentic and intimate entity, while the guitars vibrate and make your head spin like this disco ball… ‘Are you lonely too?’ she sings, ‘High five – so am I’…
