Looking
for swoon-worthy baroque-pop, sung in French, with
an assist from Conor Oberst? Read on…
My first choice for Staff Pick this week was John Cunningham’s "Homeless
House" album. Parasol’s introduction to John
came via this eight song CD originally released in 1998
on the small, French, and now defunct, Les Disques Mange-Tout
label. Sadly, though Parasol Records hopes to eventually
re-issue this album, Parasol Mail Order has no more copies.
The next best thing is Les Disques Mange-Tout’s
follow up release, a John Cunningham production of "Les
Embarras Du Quotidian" by the Belgian band Melon
Galia. Sung in French, this piano/acoustic guitar-led
chamber pop album was arranged by Cunningham, the band
and Bright Eyes/Lullaby For The Working Class collaborator
Mike Mogis. Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst even pitches
in a vocal performance on the song "N’en Parlous
Plus". Strings and horns fill out the space in and
around Thierry De Brouwer’s near breathy vocals,
and a beautiful female voice often doubles the lead.
The CD comes in a digipak with a 13-page fold out booklet.
First class all the way and highly recommended. |
| |
| Past
Picks: |
| Roy |
Dinosaur
Jr Green Mind |
| Lisa |
Union
Carbide Productions Remastered To Be Recycled |
| Geoff |
Eccentric
Soul: The Capsoul Label |
| Angie |
Tegan & Sara So
Jealous |
| Jim |
The
Gun Club The Las Vegas Story |
| Bill |
Grifters Crappin'
You Negative |
| Geoff |
Ric
Menck The Ballad of Ric Menck |
| Angie |
Concrete
Blonde Concrete Blonde |
| Bill |
Secret
Machines Now
Here Is Nowhere |
| Roy |
Isis Oceanic |
| Michael |
Marjorie
Fair Self Help Serenade |
| Bill |
Didjits Hornet
Piñata |
| Angie |
Gina
Villalobos Rock N' Roll Pony |
| Geoff |
Honcho
Overload "Singles" |
| Jim |
The
Knife "The
Knife" |
| Roy |
Seam "The
Problem With Me" |
| Michael |
The
Hellacopters "By
the Grace Of God" |
| Jared |
The
13th Floor Elevators "The
Psychedelic Sounds Of..." |
| Bill |
Bettie
Serveert "Palomine" |
| Geoff |
Mojo magazine |
| Angie |
Loretta
Lynn "Van Lear Rose" |
| Roy |
Boy's
Life "Departures & Landfalls" |
| Jim |
V/A "Accelerator" |
| Michael |
Devendra
Banhart "Rejoicing
In The Hands" |
| Jared |
Dead
Kennedys "Plastic
Surgery Disasters" |
| Jim |
KVLR "KVLR" |
| Angie |
Liquorette "When
You Work I Sleep" |
| Roy |
Buffalo
Tom "S/T" |
| Michael |
José González "Veneer" |
| Jared |
Björn
Olsson "S/T
(The Crab)" |
| Michael |
Starsailor "Silence
Is Easy" |
| Jim |
Hip
Whips "Hip
Whips" |
| Bill |
Echo & The
Bunnymen |
| Geoff |
Willie
Nelson "Crazy" |
| Jim |
Leopold "Dreaming
Is For Anyone" |
| Angie |
Easterly "S/T" |
| Jim |
The
Concretes "S/T" |
| Roy |
Ron
Sexsmith "Other
Songs" |
| Michael |
Wal
Light "Let's
Wake Up Somewhere Else" |
| Jared |
The
Cure "Kiss
Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" |
| Bill |
June & the
Exit Wounds |
| Geoff |
Langley
Schools Music Project "Innocence
and Despair" |
| Roy |
Wayne
Everett "Kingsqueens" |
| Angie |
88
Magic "Gere
Played Piano" |
| Jim |
Motorpsycho "It's
A Love Cult" |
| Roy |
Pelican "Untitled
EP" |
| Michael |
Josh
Rouse "1972" |
| Jared |
Adam & the
Ants "Kings
of the Wild Frontier" |
| Bill |
Bright "S/T" |
| Geoff |
Unbunny "Black
Strawberries" |
| Angie |
The
Fiery Furnaces "Gallowsbird's
Bark" |
| Jim |
The
Crystal Committee "Forever
Overhead" |
| Sally |
The
Aislers Set "How
I Learned To Write Backwards" |
| Roy |
The
Weakerthans "Reconstruction
Site" |
| Michael |
Sukilove "Sukilove" |
| Jared |
Kiss "Destroyer" |
| Bill |
Mars
Volta "De-Loused
In the Comatorium" |
| Geoff |
Let's
Active "Cypress/Affoot" |
| Angie |
Trembling
Blue Stars "A
Certain Evening Light" |
