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November 2001 Parasol
Newsletter
Issue #48
Every Friday about 10:00 AM I start collecting
and collating my colleagues' Personal Picks for the week. The lists are usually
comprised of CDs that we play here at Parasol and albums we fall asleep to at
night. You can find our weekly picks here.
We'd love to have you contribute to our list frenzy. Please feel free to e-mail
your list to picks@parasol.com by noon
each Friday. We'd like to see and hear what you're listening to, and post your
list for visitors to read at parasol.com. In the next few weeks we'll be
putting together our year-end best-of lists so start thinking of your top 10.
And, end-of-the-year means holiday shopping and Parasol Gift Certificates.
People love 'em!
SPOTLIGHT
Various Artists
Stuck in the Chimney: More Parasol Singles
(Par-CD-074) $10.01
We contacted Parasol related artists at the
beginning of 2001 about contributing a holiday song, and then fell asleep until
August when we really put pressure on them to get in the Christmas mood. We're
very pleased with the mix of original and traditional songs, special mention
going to White Town and Doleful Lions for covering songs by contemporary
artists that have a seasonal/holiday theme but were not originally released as
Christmas songs. Every year we get dozens of requests from writers and radio
stations that assemble annual stories and shows on the year's holiday music
offerings. I have to believe that at least a few of these songs will be
highlights on the respective programs, starting with… The Soundtrack of
Our Lives-"Jingle Hell (Stuck in the Chimney)" Rhino Records, save a
spot on (the prospective) Nuggets: Holiday Edition Box for this organ
fed rave up. The Green Pajamas-"O Holy Night" Beautifully arranged
Christmas classic with newest Green Pajama, Laura Weller, singing lead. White
Town-"December" Jyoti's turn on this Teenage Fanclub song from
Bandwagonesque. Neilson Hubbard-"Merry Christmas (Wherever You May
Be)" We're always in the mood for that startling voice. Especially when he
sings a holiday original. Absinthe Blind-"Silent Night"
Champaign-Urbana's most popular 6-piece is now the most popular 5-piece, but
before Yichel stepped away from the band he contributed to the recording of
"Silent Night." Fonda-"Last Christmas" Recorded at home by
Dave Klotz and Emily Cook with drums recorded by Dave Newton at Rollercoaster
Recording, Fonda exposes their fondness for Wham! Sukilove-"X-Mas for
Aliens" Our first release from Chitlin' Fook Pascal Deweze's foremost
project. Look for an EP and full-length in 2002. George Usher
Group-"Christmas in the Lion's Den" George Usher had cut 30 albums
worth of demo material before he moved to New York City in 1977 and continues
on his prolific pace, contributing new songs at every Parasol request. Thanks,
George! Jenifer Jackson-"Blue Christmas" Recorded at Monkey Boy
Studio in NYC, October 7, 2001, by Brad Albetta, this classic, once covered by
Elvis Presley, was the last submission received, in early October. Erik
Voeks-"Cruel Tide" (Voeks) Engineered by Robert T. Ryffel and
including Erik Voeks on guitars & vocals, Patrick Hawley on drums and Steve
Scariano on bass, we culled this from the b-side of the holiday 7" single
(and last year's title cut), "Christmas Singles." Doleful
Lions-"Jesus Christ" (Chilton) Taken from Big Star's Sister
Lovers/Third, "Jesus Christ" is The Doleful Lions' seasonal
follow up to last year's "Auld Lang Syne." Vitesse-"Ice &
Ribbons" (Chen, Klein) More melancholy to darken your mood ring from our
favorite synth-pop duo. Friends of Sound-"I Don't Want Presents"
(Lochamy, Lochamy) The Lochamy family presents another off-kilter pop present.
John Hoeffleur featuring Rebecca Rury and Steve Ucherek-"Christmas @
Friedrich's" (Hoeffleur) The Beauty Shop leader John Hoeffleur's tale of
yuletide celebration with philosopher Nietzche. Toothpaste 2000-"7-Eleven
Christmas" (Esposito, Bednash) While recording 22 songs with Adam Schmitt
for their next album, T2000's Donna & Frank took a take or two to bang out
this tune of tidings. Joe Algeri-"Computer Xmas" (Algeri) Jack And
the Beanstalk's spiritual leader gives us a vision of our holiday's future.
The Green Pajamas
The Carolers' Song CD
(AHA!033) $9.50
Sincerely psychedelic season's greetings from
Seattle outfit The Green Pajamas, one of our favorite bands ever. These seven
songs explore the traditional mystique and tarnished mysticism of the Holiday
season, the type of darkly personal and infinitely cosmic tapestries that The
Green Pajamas crew has been artfully weaving for the better part of two
decades. A collection of sweet spells and heretic hexes cast amidst some the
most exquisitely narcotic psychedelic pop songs known to humankind. Though this
will be Parasol's last proper Green Pajamas release for a while (Woronzow and
Camera Obscura have rights to release the next two full-length CDs), The
Carolers' Song was the collection of songs that started Parasol's
relationship with the band. Late last year we heard from a friend of the Green
Pajamas that they had recorded a holiday themed mini album for sale in CD-R
format to the band's fanclub. We offered to give the CD a proper release, but
decided to hold off until this year. Owners of Parasol's Sweet 16, Volume
3 will recognize "Night Boat to Gondal," from The Carolers' Song.
For you completists cross checking against previous GP releases, the complete
track listing for The Carolers' Song is: "The Carolers' Song,"
"She Smiles Sweetly," "Orchid Sunshine," "Felicity
Cross," "Abbots Bromley," "Hush Your Violence," and
"Night Boat to Gondal."
Coming Soon...
- Starlet-When Sun Falls on My Feet
CD due in December (Parasol)
- Lasse Lindh-You Wake Up at Sea
Tac CD due in December (Hidden Agenda)
- Acid House Kings-Mondays are Like
Tuesdays and Tuesdays are Like Wednesdays CD due in January
(Parasol)
- Club 8-Spring Came, Rain Fell CD
due in January (Hidden Agenda)
- Doleful Lions-TBA CD due TBA
(Parasol)
- June & the Exit Wounds-TBA CD
due TBA (Parasol)
- Toothpaste 2000-TBA CD due TBA
(Parasol)
- Angie Heaton-Let It Ride CD due
TBA (Mud)
- Eric Lichter-Palm Wine Sunday
Blue CD due in January (Hidden Agenda)
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
…the television world has been coming to
Parasol artists for music to enhance its programming. Fonda's "The Sun
Keeps Shining On Me" from The Strange and the Familiar appeared in
a recent episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and MTV recently tapped
Fonda's song "Close to Home" for use in their original movie
Wasted (keep those kids away from drugs!). After having conversations
with Adam Schmitt about aliens and the Art Bell radio program it made perfect
sense to me when the show Roswell asked to use "Second Story" from
Adam's 2001 album Demolition, in a recent episode. And, never ignoring
"the kids," the new Saturday Morning TV show All About Us
featured one song each from Elk City and Bikeride in recent episodes. With the
stranglehold on commercial radio held by radio promotion companies, TV shows
and commercials have actually become a great way to expose and discover new
favorite artists (Nick Drake, anyone?). We're not selling out. We're buying
in!
SOME PARASOL RELATED ARTIST ANSWERS SOME
QUESTIONS
Waltz For
Debbie's Annica Lundback
1. Mixing session you wish you could have
attended-
"Todd Terry mixing Everything But The Girl's 'Missing.'"
2. Songs you think you probably shouldn't
like but just can't help yourself-
"Pretty much everything by Robbie Williams."
3. Favorite record that you can't find on CD
(or CD you can't find on vinyl)-
"A beautiful Swedish album called Images of Scandinavia, composed by
Bobbie Ericson, arranged by Bengt Hallberg and performed by members of the
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Released in 1978. That album IS Sweden -
beauty, joy and melancholy at the same time."
4. First Concert-
"I wish I could have said something cool, but unfortunately it must have
been in my hometown when I was about 11. My best friend Petra, my mum and I
went to see this girl called Pernilla Wahlgren who had competed in the
Eurovision Song Contest with a song called "Picadilly Circus." Awful
song. I actually think a few girls fainted at the concert, getting too excited
over one of the good looking dancers. Not a lot that changes..."
5. Favorite Bass Player-
"Of course Conny Fridh from the band David and the Citizens (although in
that band, he doesn't play bass), who plays on our album and helps out on our
live gigs. Other than that, I don't know."
Annica is one half of the Swedish duo Waltz For
Debbie, which released a gloriously dance-y & hook-y electropop album in
2001 titled Gone and Out.
The Archive
October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July
2001 June 2001
May 2001 April
2001 March 2001
February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 July
2000 May 2000 April 2000 March
2000 February 2000
January 2000 December 1999 November 1999
September 1999 August
1999 July 1999
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