| | Bravery Stir The Blood CD Bravery Discography of CDs
The Bravery tried to expand their new wave-inspired dance-rock on The Sun and the Moon with decidedly mixed results: for every experiment that broadened their music, another left them sounding completely out of their element. With Stir the Blood, they return to the style they know best -- in fact, they may be even more emphatically shiny and electronic here than they were on their debut. Bravery frontman Sam Endicott co-produced the album with John Hill (who has also worked with Shakira and Santigold), and they coat Stir the Blood in a sheen that suits the band's more pop-oriented writing. These songs are pared down to the sharpest hooks and the most earworm-like choruses -- all the better to let the fizzing electronics take over, especially on "I Have Seen the Future," which cruises along on a shuffle beat and laser-tag synths; meanwhile, "The Spectator"'s brooding comes wrapped in a sleek pop coating. When the Bravery switch to rock, as on "Hatef--k" and "Jack-O'-Lantern Man," Endicott's yelp gets a little strained. However, Stir the Blood's slower side allows the band to stretch a little without sounding forced. The single "Slow Poison" evokes Heroes-era Bowie, "She's So Bendable" reboots the fuzzed-out chug of the Velvet Underground, and "Sugar Pill" closes Stir the Blood with narcotic bliss. Even on its mellower moments, the Bravery sound more excited about making music on this album than they have since their debut, making Stir the Blood a fine return to form. ~ Heather Phares
Recording information: A Tour Bus; Clinton Recording Studios, New York, NY; DNA Downtown, New York, NY; Dreamland, West Hurley, NY; Rusty Bronson's Pleasure Cave, New York, NY; The Joint Studios, London, England; Various bedrooms.
Photographers: Brantley Gutierrez; Chris Angell; Hugo Marcotte; The Bravery.
Personnel: Sam Endicott (vocals, guitar, programming); Michael Zakarin (guitar); John Conway (keyboards, programming); Anthony Burulcich (drums).
Audio Mixer: Michael H. Brauser.
Bravery Stir The Blood Songs Stir The Blood Review
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Purchase Stir The Blood CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Elliott Smith CD (1995)
Stir The Blood album
$12.59 Oregon-based Elliot Smith was a long shot underdog for commercial success. A decidedly grim-natured whisperer, Smith is the antithesis of Oregon's celebrated grunge scene. He eschews fuzz-laden power chords and rhythmic sludge for stark acoustics and hushed intensity. The quiet force of this release is deceptively low key. Underneath the stark and fragile beauty, Smith seethes with steely determination. The tightly wound claustrophobia is relieved by his unerring melodic sense. The album's best songs ("Needle ...
| | Elliott Smith Either/Or CD (1997)
Stir The Blood CD music
$12.45 This singer/songwriter can say more with a whisper than most folks can with a scream. The gently insinuating despair of Smith's work communicates volumes about the heartbreak and alienation that is the bane of 20th century boys with too much time on their hands. Smith's day job fronting the aggressive post-punk band Heatmiser provides him with the necessary yang to produce the quiet, evocative yin of his solo work.
On EITHER/OR, Smith observes a production ethic that ...
| | Elliott Smith Xo CD (1998)
Stir The Blood music CDs
$11.99 The Cinderella-esque climb from lo-fi indie cult artist to Grammy nominee/major label darling must have been a perilous one for Smith, who makes the leap to the big time here after three well-regarded albums on small labels. He's lost none of his bite, though. The production values on XO may be slightly higher, but Smith's vision remains undiluted.
The production, centered around acoustic guitar augmented by keyboards and lush vocal harmonies, recalls pop icons like the Beach Boys (especially on the closing acapella cut), Beatles and Big Star, but this is no sunny Cali-pop album. Leavening the instrumental brightness are Smith's Nick Drake-ish whisper and his thoroughly downcast lyrics, which cast him squarely in the Mark Eitzel/Smog camp of unrelenting self-effacement and misery. The combination of Smith's internal angst and his melodic pop constructions makes for a compelling artistic tension.
Recorded at Sunset Sound, Sound Factory, Ocean Way, Sonora, Los Angeles, California; Jackpot!, Portland, Oregon.
Engineers: Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf, Elliot Smith, Larry Crane.
Personnel: Rob Schnapf (guitar); Jerrod Goodman, Farhad Behroozi, Henry Ferber, Peter Hatch, Pamela Dealmeida (strings); Bruce Eskovitz (flute, baritone saxophone); Roy Poper ...
| | Elliott Smith Figure 8 CD (2000)
Stir The Blood songs
$11.99 On his first record since his Oscar nomination courtesy director Gus Van Zandt's use of his music in the film "Good Will Hunting," Elliott Smith returns with another album's worth of gorgeous misery. Like Nick Drake before him, Smith has the ability to conjure beautifully poignant pathos, wrapping it in an elaborately arranged package worthy of a George Martin or Brian Wilson. Working with Beck/Foo Fighters producer Rob Schnapf, Smith uses Abbey Road Studios for some of these sessions, dressing up his tortured lyrics with orchestral arrangements that avoid any hint of mawkishness.
Whether mourning a busted-up romance in "Everything Reminds Me Of Her," shying away from love on "In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)," or burrowing into their own isolation with "Can't Make A Sound," Smith's angelic vocals and harmonies recall CSN before their creative meter ran out. Elsewhere, this talented singer-songwriter employs the Beatles-esque "LA" as a conduit for observations about his new hometown, while sweet ...
| | Arcade Fire Funeral CD (2004)
Stir The Blood album
$12.15 This Montreal ensemble's fiery debut is marked by surging guitars, soulful strings, driving drums, brilliant bass lines, and the quavering vocals of married couple Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. The group's song structures careen through a vast territory of musical and personal history, with lyrics warm with memories of childhood neighborhoods and deceased loved ones, resulting in an alternating current of joy and sadness.
Favorably compared to the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Broken Social Scene, the Arcade Fire's sound seems to come from a lifetime of listening to the Cure, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and many others--even a dose of soul gets worked into these grand anthems. Chassagne delivers some spellbinding vocals on "Haiti," while the tinkling piano and strings on "Crown of Love" conjure up a heartbroken surfside prom. In 2004, this made many critics' year-end lists, and it's no wonder--the songs on FUNERAL are so packed with unique instrumentation, mesmerizing build-ups, and galvanizing tempo changes that they seem culled from some enigmatic, decade-spanning rock anthology.
Recording information: Hotel 2 Tango (08/2003-??/2004); Win & Regine's Apartment, Montreal, Canada (08/2003-??/2004).
Photographer: ...
| | Elliott Smith From A Basement On The Hill CD (2004)
Stir The Blood CD music
$15.25 Elliott Smith's death in 2003 left a cavernous hole in the world of popular music. Tender, intimate, and painfully honest, the songs in Smith's catalogue capture the fragility of human existence with rare, breathtaking beauty. On his first posthumous release, Smith reaffirms his status as an extraordinarily gifted artist, giving fans yet another reason to mourn his tragic loss.
Conceived as an ambitious double album, FROM A BASEMENT ON THE HILL was ultimately narrowed down to 15 tracks by Smith's close friends, producer Rob Schnapf (Beck's MELLOW GOLD, Smith's X/O) and musician Joanna Bolme (the Minders, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks). The result is a heartbreaking collection of songs that plays like a retrospective of Smith's entire career. "Strung Out Again" reflects the early edge of ROMAN CANDLE; "Last Hour" recalls the bittersweet melodies of ELLIOTT SMITH; "A Fond Farewell" is a sad anthem in the tradition of EITHER/OR; "Shooting Star" employs the more polished sound of X/O; and "Don't Go Down" is an extension of the more electrified FIGURE 8. Of course, the most haunting aspect of FROM A BASEMENT ON THE HILL is the lyrical content, which is impossible to hear without placing it in ...
| | Fun Lovin Criminals Scooby Snacks: The Collection CD (2003) (Import)
Stir The Blood music CDs
$11.89 This collection includes tracks and remixes by the hip-hop ...
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