Electric Green

alicia — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Fiddler Cady Finlayson and guitarist Vita Tanga bring two disparate locations (Brooklyn and Paris) and musical styles (traditional Celtic music and world music/electronica) together on Electric Green, a ten-song collection of mostly traditional Irish songs, with a distinctive modern twist. In most cases the violin carries the melody while the guitar, acoustic or electric, adds depth and texture. On the best numbers Tanga’s guitar seems to urge on Finlayson’s violin with a contrapuntal effect.

The electric version of “Itchy Fingers” has a funky guitar groove and vibrant fiddle. It’s a lively tune, but abruptly slows down at the end, switching from a fast twirling jig to a slow, courtly waltz. “March Set” is a moderately-paced dance, with fast bowing from Finlayson on the break and muted percussive sounds from the guitar. “Bordeaux Set” has a different feel than most other numbers; it’s slower and more reflective, with a plucked guitar that simulates chimes. The guitar anchors the high-flying fiddle part on “Heavy Metal,” which starts off fast and then takes it up a notch.

“Bass Rock” has very gentle guitar and a moderately-paced violin part. The notes are held longer, lending it a more somber tone. It is among the most lyrical tracks, a love poem of sorts, with the soft chiming of the guitar evoking images of a small waterfall or brook. “All Set for St. Pat’s”—a medley of two traditional Irish songs, “Wearing of the Green” and “Sean South,” and the original piece “Pumpkin’s Fancy”—features bagpipes and snare and is a fitting ending for the album.

While the music on Electric Green is certainly enjoyable, the lack of varied instrumentation makes the songs less distinguishable from each other; the inclusion of the Irish whistle or more bagpipes and percussion would have done a lot to vary the music. Still, while the electric component may be hard for hard-core Celtic music fans to swallow, it adds an interesting dimension to a genre with a long history.

Written by: Karen Duda, November 9th 2010

Heatwave

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:10:00 +0000

By Total Babe

So TM Records

I have recently felt there is a shortage of high quality up-and-coming bands, especially bands with strong female leads. The band Total Babe is starting to change my mind. After listening to their new six-song release, Heatwave, I did a quick Internet search and was shocked to find out that they are a trio of teenagers! Clara Salyer, Jordan Gatesmith, and Lizzie Carolan are already getting rave reviews and one of their songs is being used in a German commercial. This isn’t bad for teens from Minnesota.

A great test of music is if you find yourself humming it a few hours after listening to the album. This is exactly what I found myself doing at work. Some songs are very light and fit neatly in the pop genre, but they don’t sound like the next Britney or Miley. I think a better comparison of the vocals and sound would be Liz Phair, charming and sweet, but with an edge. Total Babe seems to be a good solution to a humdrum morning.

Adding another complex element to the music is Carolan’s violin. It makes you almost melt into the melodies and gives it a more mature sound. If I were to choose a favorite track, it would have to be “Shape Up,” with its upbeat whistling featured throughout the song. I generally prefer lyric, heavy music, yet this song, which features little in terms of words, still draws me in with its toe-tapping rhythm.

These musicians are in high school and even their MySpace page boasts that they are “kids.” However, the arrangements by these talented youngsters work to produce some great music and I would not be surprised to hear about them for years. Hopefully they will inspire other potential girl musicians yet to come.

Written by: Andrea Hance, December 2nd 2009