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Karrie
Hopper - An Unusual Move
Austin Sound
- "Although 'charming'
may be the most likely adjective that will be attached to the album,
the songs do not so much charm as slowly wind themselves like a
comforting Kudzu, enveloping the listener like the ivy covering a
familiar cellar and backyard playhouse from childhood."
Urban Pollution
- "While Hopper’s voice
is as innocent as a lamb, the tendency towards drifting off to sleep in
her arms and soft guitar plucking patterns is almost too hard to
resist."
The Red Alert
- "Sounds like she could be strumming and singing to you right in your living room."
Nothing To Do
- "Rating: A... Karrie’s voice has a certain enchanting, sweet quality and the instruments compliment it well."
LMNOP
- "This is an intriguing photograph that captures a young artist who has just found her voice in the world of music. Subtle yet stylish...An Unusual Move is delivered with pure sincerity."
Mashnote Magazine
- "You can call it charming, you can call it tender or raspy. This is just one nice lap of intimate music."
Americana UK
- "She sings like a bird that knows nothing of cages."
Palebear
- "There are some great folksy tracks here of plaintive acoustic guitar which matches Karrie’s charming voice."
Smother.Net
- "A strong singer/songwriter whose passion seems to be invested heavily in poignant lyrics and timeless melodies."
Space City Rock
- "Her lyrics are particularly interesting."
Hanx
- "Powerful and determined modesty...A beautiful debut." (very rough translation)
The Dance Of Days
- (go to the "H" section of the archives and ctril-f "karrie hopper") "Touches me with her songs and stories."
Derives
- "Rare genuineness."
Delusions Of Adequacy
- "The story is the heart of An Unusual Move."
Chief Magazine
- interview
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
The Accident That Led Me To The World
Americana UK - "These songs are
beautiful miniatures, each one capturing something elemental and
essential, and each one simple but detailed and fully realised with a
few words and the simple instruments. There is something universal and
timeless about them."
Smother.Net - "This collective of
musical minds and their magical unity is something that could be felt a
galaxy away - these songs may be quiet and almost unassuming but
they're majestic and gigantic in breadth and shake your soul at its
very core."
Slightly Confusing To A Stranger - "This is the sound of
lonely ghosts weeping tears made of the saltiest sea."
Northeast Performer - "Discovering this DIY
gem would certainly qualify as a lucky accident."
Indieville - "So many pretty little folk songs (twelve), so little time (26 minutes)."
Nothing To Do - "Rating: A...I'm
not sure who to compare this to, but I know I like it! "
Vanity Project - "Self-sufficiency, the
hobo life, Marie Celeste isolation - it’s all here on this
sumptuous record."
Metronome Magazine - "Powerful and emotive,
The Accident proves that the less-is-more approach always holds
interest and value."
Heaven Magazine - "Modern folk at it's
best...The biggest minus is that the twelve songs don't last more than
twenty-six minutes...Four Stars." (rough translation!)
Hanx - "A walker in the mounts
sees a house chamber, catches a chair and stretches the legs. That is
the music of The Accident That Led Me To The World." (again,
a rough translation!)
IMPACT Press - (ctrl-f "the accident" to find
the review) "The intimate touches of loneliness, sorrow, and
internal questions are wrapped up and delivered through bare minimalist
instrumentation."
Ear Candy - (ctrl-f "the accident that" to
find the review) "Songs like ' Tell Me Something' , 'The
Accident...', 'All My Ghosts', and 'Take My Life' sound like the
Violent Femmes visiting their backwoods cousins for a few country death
songs."
Punk Planet - "[Raianne]
Richards's confident voice strikes me as piercing and lovely...Zack
Ciras serves as the project's secret weapon each time there's a bow in
his hand. "
KSCR Radio - "This fellow could be
Colin Meloy's abandoned cousin, singing softly and hoping to be
rescued...yet not really expecting to be."
Aiding & Abetting - (ctrl-f "the accident" to find
the review) "Wailing, brooding minimalist folk rock."
The Noise - (ctrl-f "the accident" to find
the review) "All in all a cool find."
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 The
Jena Campaign - self-titled
Slightly Confusing To A Stranger - "Somber, strummed and
brushed 'heavy-heart core' (word to the mothers, new tag). I'd bring up
Simon & Garfunkel (well, just did) - but both of these guys
have talent....This is sadness on ice, tunes that - while pleasant in
workplace listening - do reveal dark times and gray skies upon
inspection."
Splendid - "A roots-pop record
that's as modern as it is old-timey -- an album that won't forsake its
obsession with interesting sounds and doesn't avoid melody...Refuses to
believe that sing-alongs are passe, or that experimentalism and pop
don't have anything to learn from each other."
Smother.Net - "Emotionally
relentless and incredible expressive throughout, the album puts both
hands on your jugular and squeezes merciless to the last breath."
Agouti Music - "Maybe it was the
dreary weather we were having, or maybe this music just made me think
that the weather was dreary, but either way I was hooked."
Vanity Project - "They capture a kind
of frustration that leads not to breaking, but to
strengthening...Affirmative music that still envelopes heartache, but
uses its power to its own advantage. "
Americana UK (ctrl-f "jena" to find the review)
- "Napoleonic dynamite, light the fuse on these slow-burners
and stand back."
Left Off The Dial - "Slow to digest but
satisfies in the end."
The Noise - "The vocal harmonies
are solid and relaxed, and these guys sound like they're not in any
rush to catch the Orange Line train that's pulling into State Street
station. In fact, if these guys WERE playing at State Street, I would
actually give up my plans for the day and listen to them. "
Northeast Performer - "a collection of spare
acoustic songs that feature a penchant for interlocking harmonies,
traditional folk arrangements, and a soft-spot for the healing power of
the mandolin."
Metronome Magazine - "Fueled mostly by he
lone strings of acoustic guitars, mandolin, and banjo, The Jena
Campaign allow the sparseness of their playing to breathe life into
their songs...Their message, however, gets through loud and clear in a
haunting way."
Mashnote Magazine - "The Jena Campaign are
modern age troubadours using old instruments and sing about traditional
themes in a very laidback, shuffling manner."
Ear Candy (ctrl-f "jena" to find the review)
- "The perfect album for the person that has the blues but
doesn't like listening to traditional blues music. "
Aiding & Abetting (ctrl-f "jena" to find the review)
- "Wonderful songs set in a most attractive setting."
Palebear - "Excellent, sparsely
populated indie folk pop."
Utter Trash - "A lovely record from
start to finish."
Exoduster.Com (ctrl-f "jena" to find the review)
- "A significant start at melding the slow, detached acoustic
sound into something more impressive."
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 Jerry
Fels - How To Make Enemies And Influence
Strangers
Utter Trash - "
My jaw dropped when I heard this record, it's fucking incredible."
(also read the hard-hitting interview.)
Em P Me - "Jerry Fels has a
wonderful way of getting his songs across, having them be meaningful,
yet very simplistic. He uses his voice, a guitar, and sometimes a drum
machine to convey some of the best lyrical truths I've heard in awhile."
Smother.Net - "You have to give
props to his relatively flat voice, it's genuine and honest and there's
something to be said about that in this day and age of Pro-Tools. The
instrumentation is sparse and relaxed though if you sit and analyze
each part it's much more complicated than you might have thought."
Mashnote Magazine - "Honest, simple
approach to music. It's albums like these which still hold true to the
belief that artists don't need much more than their voices and acoustic
instruments to move people."
Vanity Project - "Bedroom troubadours
are ten a penny, lo-fi vocals and percussion even more so, but this is
genuinely beguiling for being of, and having, both."
Left Off The Dial - "The record feels like
a show where you had a great time and felt entirely engaged with the
performer."
The Shmat - "There is still that
simple and direct charm to each of his tracks that refuses to grow up.
Thankfully so."
Agouti Music - "Lyrically, I enjoyed
How to Make Enemies and Influence Strangers, and it takes a lot for me
to pay attention to lyrics."
Northeast Performer - "This is a dark record
filled with just the right sense of humor that it is fun to listen to
repeatedly."
Punk Planet (reviews are in alphabetical
order) - "Jerry Fels' minimalist, low-key rock keeps one foot
in the fire and the other outside, questioning seriousness and favoring
quirkiness."
Ear Candy (ctrl-f "fels" to find the review)
- "If more artists were of the same mindset maybe radio
wouldn't be backed up with crap like a roadside restroom at a Texaco
station. "
Americana UK (ctrl-f "fels" to find the review)
- "It sounds like something Elliott Smith might have come up
with if he'd been locked in room with nothing for company but a pile of
Jonathan Richman records."
The Dance Of Days (ctrl-f "fels" to find the review)
- "I like that not too serious approach very much and I find
this really refreshing"
Tastes Like Chicken (ctrl-f "fels" to find the review,
or just scroll down and find it alphabetically the old-fashioned way) -
"Jerry's organic, unfiltered voice and sound make him
human."
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 Raianne
Richards - self-titled
Left Off The Dial - "Serenades the
listener with sweet-tempered, thoughtful ditties...the insightfulness
of many of her lyrics is rather astounding."
Metronome Magazine - "Sweet, tantalizing
and seething with emotion...the result is an alluring sound, filled
with child-like innocence."
The Noise (ctrl-f "raianne" to find
it) - "Her voice is lovely, but there's also a bubbling of
darkness beneath the surface that gives the music some weight."
Smother.Net - "Bordering on
traditional folk with a strong emphasis on heart and innocence that
only a
struggling artist at 19 can muster without sounding forced or
desperate.
Four-track recordings haven't sounded this compelling in a while."
The Shmat - "I hate American Idol.
Give me Raianne Richard's music any day over that travesty."
Past And Present (control-f "Raianne Richards" to
find the review on the page) - "There's loads of talent here
and considering the fact that she's only 19 (18 when recording this)
and that she has recorded an as mature album as this, one can only
wonder where she'll be going next."
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 Mark
Mandeville - Leaf Tornado
Left Off The Dial - "Working with waves
and layers of tracks, mainly vocal, he creates beautifully awkward,
entangled harmonies. Each track seems simple and is completely
captivating."
Derives (parlez-vous francais?) - "This small disc has
the charm not to be essential immediately, to leave doubts, to
intrigue, finally not to reveal all its austere, authentic and intense
qualities that progressively, in the same way that it is necessary to
let mature a fruit or a wine before consuming them." (rough
translation!)
Smother.Net - "His furthering the
frail voice of apartment folk is impeccable
and could in time be peerless."
Americana UK (control-f "Mark Mandeville" it) -
"Consists of a gracefully picked acoustic guitar and
multi- tracked vocals which gives the music a certain eeriness. It's
the musical equivalent t
o the old house at the beginning of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
Utter Trash - "I loved this record,
and you will too, or you are just deaf."
Punk Planet - "There's just
something about recording an album about loneliness on a four-track
that makes it more poignant."
Past And Present (control-f "Mark Mandeville" to
find it) - "Written in a more clever manner than usually
within pop-music these days."
Metronome
Magazine - "Mark Mandeville is
one of the quirkiest songwriter-performers I've heard in some time. "
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 The
Short Happy Life - The Album Is Also
Called 'The Short Happy Life'
Utter Trash (fourth one from the top) - "I
think this is one of the most creative and interesting records I've
heard."
Punk Planet - "It's accessible,
confessional lo-fi geek rock with strangely catchy melodies and
endearing lyrics...Jerry totally won me over.
"
Slightly Confusing To A Stranger - "Has anyone checked on
Jerry Fels lately? Like today?...An album that you will either
instantly love or painfully reject, 'The Short Happy Life'
serves as both inspiration and hope."
Left Off The Dial - "Either geniusly
insane or insanely genius...It's a great new step in different
music...completely deconstructing it and playing with the pieces."
Screaming Bloody Mess - "Built around that
satirical, story-telling playfulness you might find on releases by The
Unicorns, Atom and His Package, Reggie and the Full Effect, and maybe
even Ween...intimate and light-hearted...there's enough variety,
substance, and humour to assure that you don't get bored."
Demo Universe - "To appreciate Fels'
charms, you'll have to get past the usual obstacles: off-key singing,
minimal production, cheesy keys, drum machine. Not everyone is ready to
do that. Are you ready? Take this simple quiz: Was Napoleon
Dynamite a work of comic genius? If you answered yes, you're
ready."
The Dance of Days (ctrl-f "short happy life" to find
it)- "Lo-fi homerecording to the max."
Mashnote Magazine - "I'm sure you'll
gladly put your cd player on repeat and whistle along with the songs."
Ear Candy (cntrl-f "jerry fels" to find it)
- "Clever, humorous and twisted...Jerry's vocals are much
like a warbled mix of Gordon Gano and Jonathan Richman set to the meter
of Bob Dylan."
Smother.Net - "Nice not normal
appeal."
Splendid - "There's something
fresh and unfiltered about Fels' flattish voice, singing exactly what's
passing through his brain, exactly...right...now."
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 The
Brands - Ballads For Stairs And
Transparencies
Lost At Sea - "Lyrics are a cut
above the broken-relationship whining many acoustic musicians engage
in...Mandeville wraps the story in enough figurative speech and odd
phrasing to keep away from the cliches."
Americana UK (scroll down a bit, it's
on yr. left) - " 'Ballads' has taken a somewhat limited genre
and freshened it up with often dazzling results."
Metronome Magazine - "Mostly deep and
introspective, Mandeville pulls out little peaces of his soul on these
songs that range from stark to colorful. "
The Shmat - "Choices of different
instruments were prudent, giving the songs an important extra little
touch that sets them slightly apart from the work of other
folk-slinging folks."
The Noise (ctrl-f "the brands" to
find it) - "Mandeville's voice is fragile, but intense,
pulling emotion out of every melody and into each word...Totally
engaging and a worthy addition to anyone's music collection."
Smother.Net - "Raw and
self-contained."
Worcester Magazine (blurb in first
paragraph) - "A long time coming from this coffeehouse
darling, Ballads features 13 acoustic tunes full of angst and
anguish...Great stuff, but be careful not to listen too long if you're
pining for someone, recovering from lost love, or upset about the news.
Then again, it might be good therapy."
Derives (parlez-vous
francais?) - "Successful, simple,
traditional and minimalist, of the sincere songwriting folk."
(rough translation!)
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
 Jerry
Fels - I've Made My Bed And Now I'm Lying
In It
Splendid - "Fels is already an
expert at fusing sweet, handclap-ready pop tunes with acerbic,
borderline nasty lyrics."
Losing Today - "There's a seriously
catchy tunesmith operating."
Lost At Sea - "This is music for
babies. This is music for the man-child. This isn't bad at all."
Local Mix - "Jerry Fels doesn.t
have an amazing voice, he has a sincere voice, which blows me away more
than any crooner ever can - the lasting kingdom of Bob Dylan was based
upon strong writing and sincere singing."
The Shmat - "Sylvia Plath, eat
your heart out."
Utter Trash (third one from the top) - "His
songs are full of emotions, ones that are mixed with anger and
childlike revelations, that actually make his points more poignant.
It's actually the first time I've seen humor and emotion put together
so well."
Derives (parlez-vous
francais?) - "Some titles strip
an arrow and remain inserted in the walls of the memory and a certain
astonishment: 'Bury The Boyfriend' is a larval rage which leaves the
belly and which Jerry transmits with a touching sincerity." (very
rough translation!)
Punk Planet - "The tongue-in-cheek
tracks are brilliant."
Errant
- "The thing I like most
about this CD is definitely the spirit of the songs...it's the way the
emotions are put across that does it for me, it's not all sappy crap,
the sense of humor helps tremendously too."
Smother.Net
- "Damn if it isn`t real
likeable and catchy. Sure it won`t outsell the latest Nelly album...but
Jerry Fels is owed something that we in the music world need to cough
up and pay."
Only Angels Have Wings - "A nice collection of
naive ballads...easy on the ear indeed."
Americana UK (scroll down a
lot, it's on yr. left, or you can just ctrl-f and enter
"jerry fels") - "At face value it's primitive and amateurish,
but it's also compelling, with some clever lyrics, and touching
vignettes."
Indieville - "Try it
if you're into lo-fi."
Demo Universe - "Smart, tuneful and
cleanly recorded in glorious lo-fi."
Check out the album in the store (with a
tracklisting and MP3s).
Read about a different album.
*** Miscellaneous Adoration ***
Losing Today - "unofficial" review of Jerry
Fels' "unofficial" Christmas 2003 EP, scroll down a lot or ctrl-f
"jerry fels". |
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