Swarm

admin — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:01:00 +0000

If you love poetry—scratch that—if you love powerfully articulate, passionate prose meant to stir up your inner emotions and inspire you to stand up and create change, then you’ll love the brilliance that queer poet/activist Andrea Gibson serves up aplenty in Swarm.

Primarily recorded in a bedroom, Swarm also contains a handful of live tracks that allow the listener to taste the raw energy of her live performance.

The self-released album came out in 2004, yet the poignant words, occasionally accompanied by a backdrop of acoustic guitar, cut into you like knives and remain just as relevant today—particularly today. Gibson takes it all on—patriarchy, ignorance (the angry, powerful “Wal-Mart”), gender norms (the comedic “Sidewalk Chalk”)—without a bat of the eye, and takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions in just one piece.

Check it out, if not just for the jaw-dropping live track, “Dive,” a brutally honest peek at life and what Gibson pens “the most honest poem I’ve ever spoken in my life.” She speaks passionately of the horrors of life—the stuff that doesn’t make sense, “doesn’t rhyme”—from patriarchy and hate to anti-gay violence. Another gem is “Blue Blanket,” a fierce portrait of patriarchy: “I am generations of daughters, sisters, mother/our bodies battlefields/war grounds/beneath the weapons of your brother’s hands.”

This album will not disappoint. It will change your life.

Written by: Amy Wooten, June 23rd 2007

Racehorse

admin — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:23:00 +0000

By Holly Ramos

Admittedly, I was a little taken aback when the sweet, ‘60s-inspired pop came through my headphones. Could this be Holly Ramos, former frontwoman of the punk band with hardcore roots, Fur, who acquired street cred from schmoozing with the greats and playing backup guitar for Joey Ramone?

Although her debut solo album is sweet, poppy and lyrically simplistic, it is refreshingly honest and brilliant. Her voice is at times childlike and saccharine when she sings of heartbreak and love. Yet, Ramo’s edgy voice and true New Yorker persona remain just under the surface peeking through the sweetness at the most opportune times.

The opening track, “Thinking about You,” is an honest depiction of being an absolute mess after a break up—the unwashed hair, the dirty dishes. Ramos just says it like it is. I can’t think of anyone else today who can admit “I know I’m being dumb and macho and I know it’s time to let go” and make it sounds so lovely.

By far, the standout track is “Evangeline,” a loud and twangy track about “the finest girl you’ve ever seen.” Ramos croons about checking out cute girls walking around downtown. A woman with a “$10 haircut to look like Elvis” catches her eye, and Ramos wonders if she’ll ever get the guts to say hello.

Listeners looking for riotous punk rock may be mildly surprised that this strong, outspoken woman took a more mainstream-friendly approach, yet she remains true to herself and her roots.

Written by: Amy Wooten, June 20th 2007