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Andy  
#1476 Posted : 05 March 2024 00:01:29(UTC)
Andy

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Originally Posted by: Fotz Go to Quoted Post
Looking through the end of year things this Caroline Polacheck is prominent. I'm vaguely aware of her but have never really listened. But someone mentioned this clip. Crikey. Never had the luck of seeing a Powerpoint presentation quite like Caroline's.


She was my first post-pandemic concert a couple of years ago. I'm not really a fan, but she was playing at a little club in nearby Santa Cruz, and I was missing gigs.

I first became aware of her by seeing her previous group on YouTube. It's an intriguing video. Watch out for a cute highlight around 1m55s.


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ROCKET MICK on 05/03/2024(UTC)
Andy  
#1477 Posted : 05 March 2024 00:24:37(UTC)
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Been very impressed with the new album by Alllie X. Had never heard of her before, but the backstory is basically this: She a Canadian artist that had been releasing pop songs. She'd had a few minor hits, but was convinced into moving to the L.A. area as she was told she needed to be in the industry machine to be successful. Her last album in 2020 was a moderate hit, but she wasn't satisfied working that way. The pandemic and struggles with a health condition convinced her she should just do the music she wanted, instead of trying to fit in with the current trends.

It turns out what she wanted to do was music in an early eighties synthpop/postpunk style. I think she nailed it.

This ones a bit "You Spin Me Round" meets "Blue Monday", but the songwriting is good so I can get past that.

Edited by user 06 March 2024 02:05:24(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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ROCKET MICK on 05/03/2024(UTC)
Andy  
#1478 Posted : 05 March 2024 00:49:38(UTC)
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Girl With No Face is the album title. She produced and wrote everything (there's a few co-writes with her boyfriend, who also contributes guitar) which makes it all the more impressive.

This is the one that really hooked me. I had to google the lyrics because they're so rapid-fire. The narrative is basically this: A young woman is concerned her developing body will affect how people treat her. She goes to have a breast reduction, but even the female surgeon admits to admiring her rack.


I also appreciate that she's using genuine synths and drum machines instead of modern emulation software.

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ROCKET MICK on 05/03/2024(UTC)
Andy  
#1479 Posted : 05 March 2024 00:55:12(UTC)
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It's not all upbeat. This is the one currently stuck in my head:


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ROCKET MICK on 05/03/2024(UTC)
Andy  
#1480 Posted : 05 March 2024 01:00:11(UTC)
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This one and "Off With Her Tits" suggest she was also influenced by Moroder-era Sparks. The lyrics are pretty offbeat but well crafted.
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ROCKET MICK on 05/03/2024(UTC)
Debaser  
#1481 Posted : 05 March 2024 16:41:15(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Andy Go to Quoted Post
Been very impressed with the new album by Alllie X...

Ah welcome to the "Listening" thread Andy. Even when there's nothing new happening in NO-land, there's always something new happening in music-land. A small number of us have kinda sorta kept this thread going, but I'm always interested to know what else NO fans listen to besides NO - if anything. So don't be put off even if you don't get a huge reaction.

Originally Posted by: Andy Go to Quoted Post
This ones [Black Eye] a bit "You Spin Me Round" meets "Blue Monday", but the songwriting is good so I can get past that.

Straight into the 80s vibes with some Fairlight "orch" stabs at the start, and then yeah, it's definitely a bit Blue Monday/NO, especially that drum machine, but also the synth bass. Then there's the Hook-lite twangy guitar around 2 mins onwards, also from around 3:40 (and esp 3:55 onwards) some high pitched Barney-like guitar. And that big ending around 4:09 feels quite NO-ish as well. She seems to have a decent voice, though I wonder if the actual song may be a bit "Eurovision"...

Originally Posted by: Andy Go to Quoted Post
This is the one that really hooked me [Off With Her Tits]. I had to google the lyrics because they're so rapid-fire. The narrative is basically this: A young woman is concerned her developing body will affect how people treat her. She goes to have a breast reduction, but even the female surgeon admits to admiring her rack.


So she kinda looks like a less pretty Karen O. And where Karen sang "Off With Your Head", Allie choses another part of the body. I wonder if this were sung by a man if there would be accusations of misogyny...
Anyway, my accusation is one of Yazoo-borrowing (or Yazz as they were known in the US). The cadence of the lyrics sounds directly lifted from Don't Go, and both songs even mention a doctor.
listen to the cadence of:

Then I called the doctor
Said Miss what can you do?
She told me she'd cut them off
I said sign me up for June

And then the cadence of:

Hey go get the doctor,
doctor came too late
Another night I feel alright
my love for you can't wait



I wonder if her lyrical use of "take the piss" is also a sort "British" reference. AFAIK, it's an expression that isn't used so much in North America, although I could be wrong.
There's something about the closing synth aprpeggio circa 3.04 that feels familiar too, although I can't quite place it.

Originally Posted by: Andy Go to Quoted Post
It's not all upbeat. This is the one [Saddest Smile] currently stuck in my head:

Instrument choices aside, I can't actually name any 80s tracks that this sounds like. The song kinda reminds me of early Goldfrapp, I think.

Originally Posted by: Andy Go to Quoted Post
This one [You Slept On Me] and "Off With Her Tits" suggest she was also influenced by Moroder-era Sparks. The lyrics are pretty offbeat but well crafted.


0:11 The drum beat immediately made me think of A-ha's Take On Me. Then the groove/riff (both the synth and drum pattern) from about 0:43 onwards (and esp 0:56 onwards) feels like a direct lift from that Flashdance song, Maniac, but pitched up a notch (not actually a direct sample though). Listen below from about 0:12. And finally that closing synth bass sound (4:04 to 4:09) sounds like something that's on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite name.



I think if you're young enough not to remember the tracks that influence her, she might sound kinda retro-fresh. But I'm not sure that her song writing is going to convert me right now. A fun excercise in "what does that sound like?" though!

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Andy on 05/03/2024(UTC)
Andy  
#1482 Posted : 06 March 2024 00:14:52(UTC)
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Though she was born in Ontario, her parents are from the U.K.

I agree about the Yazoo and Sembello comparisons (actually Yaz over here, Yazz is a different artist entirely. Yazoo Records is a U.S. blues label which is why the change was made). She may not have developed the skills to sound as authentically retro as say, Nation of Language, but I do enjoy her work. What struck me about "Off with Her Tits" is that it initially came across as slightly novelty, in a way that many Sparks tracks do. But I think there is depth there too. And there really isn't a duff track on the album. Although the final track on the album sounds a touch more mainstream like her previous work, which is an odd way to end it.

Andy  
#1483 Posted : 06 March 2024 00:28:02(UTC)
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This one's reminiscent of a couple of things too:
Andy  
#1484 Posted : 06 March 2024 00:36:53(UTC)
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The first track on the album sounded a little too generic eighties pop to me on first listen. But the melodies and guitar work have made it grow on me.
Fotz  
#1485 Posted : 14 March 2024 11:34:08(UTC)
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Thanks for those, Andy. Never heard of Allie X but that one about tits was intriguing.


Been listening to Peter Gabriel's recent album i/o. Or have i mentioned it before? Some classic, songs for the ages stuff by Peter on it. It comes in 2 or even 3 versions, Dark Side, Bright Side and Dolby Atmos. Different variants of all songs but that's all too much for me, i've tended to stick to the Bright Side version.Took him 20+ years to make.Gabriel has often had that maybe naff "world music" sound to his music but his voice and lyrics regularly cut to the chase of the human condition.He has that voice and lyrics that inspire optimism, hope and empathy. Don't Give Up with Kate was just lovely.I kinda forget about Peter Gabriel but then i'll hear one of his songs and it just hits a spot .His voice is really effective.Think it was in Hooky's Substance book where he recounts bumping into Gabriel at Real World. Gabriel was changing a light bulb. Hooky i think found him a nice guy but Gabriel was changing the bulb wrong, according to Hooky. Wrong wattage or something. And of course Hooky is never wrong, right?

"It's time that wears the crown and time that rings the bell" Quite.


Edited by user 14 March 2024 13:23:21(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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Andy on 14/03/2024(UTC)
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