Madeleine Peyroux

Hehe.

Ah, I see, it's all an elaborate hoax, designed to publicise a new album by a relatively obscure artist by not doing interviews, or playing the material to promote it. Bit like that George Michael you mean, except er... he's already famous so doesn't need to promote his stuff... Hmm, maybe it's a double-bluff or something?? Damn sneaky those marketing types. Thanks for exposing their devious plan, or I could have been hooked in.

Thanks for the tip re the affectation too. Good thing you pointed that out, or I'd never have noticed she was "obviously influenced by Billie Holiday". After all, once anyone has established a musical style it's completely impossible for anyone else to interpret that in their own way.

Oh & of course the packaging. Yes, I see it now. Designing a cover to suit the atmosphere of the music by using similar cultural references. Clearly a no no. I can't imagine what I was thinking of buying it. Thanks for showing me the error of my ways. I feel happier & more secure knowing I have someone out there like you to guide me through the troubled waters of CD purchase.

So, just to make sure I've understood you. What I'm looking for is to buy music only from people that have never been influenced by anyone else, & also with no visual cues on the packaging to associate it with the music. Is that about right??? Maybe you'll be able to point me in the direction of something suitable as a starter???

J

PS - just a thought, but maybe the world isn't black & white? Maybe there's scope for something not entirely bad somewhere inbetween the Crazy Frog & Mozart.... nah, what am I thinking

Glad to be of service,have a listen to Michael Hedges, influenced by Leo Kottke,Martin Carthy,Pierre Bensusan,but sounds nothing like any of them,did not affect a Button down collar shirt and play a Bozo,sing with his finger in his ear and play an old OOO18,lisp,sing in French play in DADGAD and perform on a Lowden,did peform Yoga on stage and shaved his head,sadly gone and missed,one of the greatest guitar players of all time,just earhole his peformance of Zappas,Soffa No1.

As one example,he was a unique voice in music and affected to nothing,there are many more like him in popular music,take your pick.

She will have most likely dissapeared in a couple of years time along with the recent trend of French street cafe culture that the middle classes affect to and the scum bag marketing boys try and foist on us,to paraphrase Bill Hicks "They should all kill themselves"

Have a nice day.

Fans of Madeleine Peyroux (the singer, not the marketing ploy) may also enjoy "Let It Die" by Canadian singer Leslie Feist. Altogether different in many ways, but she has similar charm and I find when I'm in the mood for one of them, either will do nicely (Feist gets played more often, actually).

Of course, she's just a figment of some ad exec's imagination, a sleazy gambit to separate the ignorant and tasteless masses from their cash. Still quite enjoyable, even for all that.

Some may recognize Leslie Feist's name from the album "You Forgot It In People" by Broken Social Scene. This album isn't like that one very much at all, though I like that one too.

Edit: Here's a nice review.

SWMBO bought this home today. Its Actually not bad, no, actually its quite good. Good quality recording to boot and quite revealing of any room induced boom. Really must get round to filling my speaker stands with sand

quote:

Originally posted by KRO:

Have a nice day.

You had me worried for a while, I was beginning to think that you were all negative. I've heard of Michael Hedges but never tried listening to his music.

For what it's worth, Stacey Kent also sings in french from time to time, although I think it's only only the french edition of her 'Boy next door album'. Granted, singing the great american songbook is hardly ground breaking stuff, but she has a good band and she's a fine performer on stage.

I happen to like 'la chanson française' but to be honest I think about 100% of french pop music utter crap, I don't get it at all, but I can listen to stuff from Trenet, Brassens, Brel and a few others quiet comfortably.

Well... I guess anyone that covers Zappa can't be too bad. I've found Sofa No. 1 on Beyond Boundaries - I'll give it a try & let you know - thanks for the tip

Have to confess I hadn't really noticed a trend of French street cafe culture, but then again I never was much of a dedicated follower of fashion or anti-fashion - I just like what I like - some of it is "cool" / "authentic", & some "pop" / "pap" (delete where applicable ) Which is not to say I'm undiscriminating, but I do have a broad taste, which I guess crosses over in part into what some people might call "ear candy" (Just made that up. Not sure if the metaphor bears close examination...)

As far as her disappearing in a couple of years, well, leaving aside the story that she has just disappeared, she has actually been around for 8 years, so I wouldn't write her off just yet.

FWIW, what set me off on one is the inference that all music that's "marketing led" (for want of a better phrase) is somehow equally bad, & that anyone that listens to it is a sucker. It may not be the best / most challenging music out there, (but I like it so ) but neither is it uber bland or "Milli Vanilli" derivative. Fair enough, MP is not for you, but haven't you ever liked something that the purists would sneer at???

J

Peter & jayd - thanks for the suggestions - I'll check them out too

Jason,You gave the game away in your use of the "Uber" word, you cant help it can you.
Once a trendy.

Oh dear, not only are you the music police, but also the word police too. Must be a tough responsibility for you. Have to admit I had no idea "uber" was "trendy" so thanks for putting me right there.

Still, I can't help but notice you've not answered my question about whether you're prepared to admit to liking anything "purists would sneer at".

Instead you've just picked one word from my answer & tried to twist from it an inference about my personality - bit of a playground tactic really? Have to confess I was initially surprised at that from you since the obvious thought in your reply re Kottke, Carthy et al, but then again, I guess you can't assess someone's entire character from a couple of posts on a forum, can you?

So MP has "disappeared", or maybe not.

Last I checked, Earth's still rotating on its axis. So we might just survive a little longer......

G

quote:

Originally posted by KRO:
Glad to be of service,have a listen to Michael Hedges, influenced by Leo Kottke,Martin Carthy,Pierre Bensusan,but sounds nothing like any of them,did not affect a Button down collar shirt and play a Bozo,sing with his finger in his ear and play an old OOO18,lisp,sing in French play in DADGAD and perform on a Lowden,did peform Yoga on stage and shaved his head,sadly gone and missed,one of the greatest guitar players of all time,just earhole his peformance of Zappas,Soffa No1.

As one example,he was a unique voice in music and affected to nothing,there are many more like him in popular music,take your pick.

She will have most likely dissapeared in a couple of years time along with the recent trend of French street cafe culture that the middle classes affect to and the scum bag marketing boys try and foist on us,to paraphrase Bill Hicks "They should all kill themselves"

Have a nice day.

Will Ackerman's Windham Hill was a HUGE marketing construction (and a very successful one). They virtually invented the genre of soothing-acoustic-meditative-eco-friendly-"hot-tub" jazz. Didn't keep the artists themselves–including the likes of Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi, Liz Story, and Shadowfax–from making some great music. If Windham Hill hadn't been a well thought-out and well executed marketing success, they would not have been purchased by BMG.

And yes, even the amazingly talented Michael Hedges (of whom I'm a fan) had a schtick: The Iconoclast. Face it, you fell for it.

Will may have been a bit of a dressed in white Star Child,as was Keir Dullea,who did not seemed to of aged too much in the second one,it could have been make up, but he was still slim.
Did you know that some of the models in the first one were made by John Michell of GYRO fame?
Small world ent it.

Be Seeing You.

Still, I can't help but notice you've not answered my question about whether you're prepared to admit to liking anything "purists would sneer at".

OK,Barry White,Robin Trower,Rory Gallagher,Jan Akkerman,Glenn Gould,Dali,John Carpenter,David Cronnenberg,Lonnie Donnegan,Canned Heat,BMW,Les Dawson,Bernard Manning,Tom Hanks,Al Pacino,Rick Stein,Black Pudding,Ansells Mild and Famous Grouse,and last but not least Lion Brand Mustard.

Not Half.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate your honesty (am trying my best not to come across as condescending BTW - not always easy on a forum).

I wonder what it is that makes some music cool / authentic, & some not. OK some is obviously derivative / purely marketing led, & we disagree on where MP lies on that scale, but, looking at your list, what about someone like Rory Gallagher? I'd have thought he was in the category of "guitarist's guitarist", & so therefore OK by the purists (whoever they may be). AFAIK he was never "over marketed" - what is it about him that has made some people discount his music?

Anyone else got any examples of music they genuinely like, but is somehow regarded by others as "uncool" to like - I'm not talking about extremes like the Crazy frog, or Boy/Girl bands etc, just good music that's never quite made it to the "cool list" (for want of a better term) somehow. Any theories on why you think that happens?

J

Jason,

I like John Mellencamp, and he never comes up as being cool, or so it seems.

I also like Robin Trower, in preference to Jimi Hendrix, although it's not hard to see who's the innovator and who's the imitator. But to say Robin is only a Hendrix imitator I think is missing the mark. BTW, In my view hendrix was largely inspired by John Coltrane, so the point is probably moot.

Although I think he's definitely dodgy now, I love the Carlos Santana recordings of between let's say 1970 and 1975ish, that's to say from Abraxas to Borboletta, especially including the colaboration with John mclaughin - "a love supreme" (now, who's that going to remind one of , I wonder...)

that'll do for a start.

quote:

Anyone else got any examples of music they genuinely like, but is somehow regarded by others as "uncool" to like - I'm not talking about extremes like the Crazy frog, or Boy/Girl bands etc, just good music that's never quite made it to the "cool list" (for want of a better term) somehow. Any theories on why you think that happens?

Jason why don't you start a thread on this question? It would be worth getting it asked under it's proper title rather than hidden here.

regards
GEOFF

Good idea Geoff - coming up

KRO, I've started the new thread on the "uncool" music question - happy to copy your earlier reply there, but didn't want to presume since it was an answer to a slightly different question, & pre-dates this one. Would've sent you a PM but I can't seem to find it - think they've switched that facility off. J