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Friday, December 4, 2009

Bonfires on the Heath and Hungry Bird

The Clientele - Bonfires on the Heath
I can’t get enough of the latest Clientele album Bonfires on the Heath. What’s not to like about this album? First, the title, I’ve never seen a bonfire on the heath, but it sounds interesting. Second, the excellent cover art by the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527 – 1593) – best known for his portraits made of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other everyday objects. Finally of course, the music described as “autumnal and very English” is right up my alley. Take a listen. Kind of like pop/rock nocturnes – one of my favorite musical forms. The lyrics of the Clientele can be summed up as bones, wind, evening, voices, woods, windows, sleep, and heath. Shiver (with excitement).

The second album I’m really digging lately is Clem Snide’s Hungry Bird. More melancholy (did I not mention that for the Clientele?) and bittersweet stories, this time of American love and life. Check out the story in the song Born a Man where a beauty queen is chased through a field when they found out she was born a man.
Clem Snide - Hungry Bird

2 comments:

  1. Hey, I bought the Pink Martini album and wasn't crazy about it. they are becoming more and more Carpenter sounding and tho i used to like carpenter's i find it too dated... not fresh. i didn't even like their french or lating stuff.sigh... are they overdoing their trend you think?

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  2. Uh oh, the magic is wearing off. I listened to it once and didn't mind it. Maybe we need an album "If I Were a Pink Martini" a la : http://www.amazon.com/If-Were-Carpenter-Various-Artists/dp/B000005IL6

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