Katie Todd Band: Talent Pays Off

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I'll just get straight to the point: Katie Todd Band is a great Rock band with a cool website. I don't often talk about bands' websites, but I thought that this one warranted a mention, so I'll get to that shortly. But first, the music.

It's always gratifying to see commercial radio latch onto talented Rock bands, and reward artists like Katie Todd Band with regular rotation and solid promotion.

-- What's that? They're still playing "I'm in Love with a Stripper" instead?

Oh...never mind, then.

OK, so Rock music may have reached a nadir in terms of terrestrial radio airplay, something that is almost unimaginable to people of a certain age. As Ford Fairlane once said to a boy-band singer, "You've got Keith Richards rolling in his grave -- the guy ain't even dead yet!" (Hey, be happy I didn't bust-out the Hudson Hawk reference!) Fortunately for aspiring Rock bands, there are plenty of other worthwhile media outlets these days.

Which is a good thing for Katie Todd Band, a rock-solid quartet from Chicago. Their latest CD, Make Some Time for Wasting, is an expertly-crafted collection of catchy songs, any of which is airplay worthy -- or at least would have been, in the golden age of FM. But the decline of FM hasn't stopped Katie Todd Band from getting their name out there. Quite the opposite, in fact: The band has landed a slot at Lollapalooza on August 6, in Chicago's Grant Park -- which is something that I have to assume is like reaching nirvana (small 'n') for a hardworking local band. Good on them, I say.

The music of Katie Todd Band is flat-out excellent, and more than that I will not say, except that I order you to go their website (linked above) and listen to the tracks on their jukebox. I've added three tracks to the FEMALE FRONT playlist ("Face Down", "Wonder Woman" and "You Hide it Well") and I wish I could've added all of them; but that might defeat the purpose of you buying their CD, and I wouldn't let THAT happen.

While you're visiting their nicely-designed website, be sure to check out the clever profiles of band members Katie, Travis, Mark and Evan. On the homepage, click on each person's photo for a piece of band member trivia, or go to the "Band" page for a series of random questions and answers from each member. In my opinion, all bios should be like this, including the ones on corporate websites.

Finally, I couldn't help noticing in Katie Todd's profile, under "Pets" she listed "my Beta fish named Dorothy". By a strange coincidence, not long before I read about Katie Todd's pet, my day-job colleague Erin brought in a Beta fish (a species also known by the trumped-up nickname "Siamese Fighting Fish") as a sort of cubicle mascot. Tragically, "Sashimi" passed away under suspicious circumstances before I could post this. I'm not saying that Murder Was The Case, but exactly how would a fish get cooked in its own bowl?!

Erin has informed me that the requisite fish mourning period (five business days or until the beginning of the next calendar month, whichever is shorter) has passed, and so we may see a Sashimi sequel soon...and try saying THAT clearly. Anyway, I was able to get a few pictures of our dearly departed in happier times, and so I present one here as a final tribute. (Way to bring us all down, Katie!)


Sashimi, weeks before his untimely demise.

Amy Obenski Gig Inspires Blogger to Leave House

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Earlier this week, Tuesday to be exact, I did something so unusual, so unheard of, so unexpected, that it will probably seem unbelievable:

That's because on Tuesday... I went Out.

Seriously, if you know me at all, even if only through this blog, then you know that I'm an inveterate homebody. Therefore, it would have to take something very special to get me out of the house on a weeknight.

In this case, that "very special something" was a personal invitation from Amy Obenski to catch her show at Genghis Cohen. Amy was coming through Los Angeles as part of the launch tour for her CD Kite, and there was no way that I was going to pass up such a thoughtful invitation from one of the artists that I play on FEMALE FRONT.


Amy Obenski at Genghis Cohen in L.A., 19 Jul 2006

The show was a simple solo performance, with Amy accompanying herself on acoustic guitar in the first half of the set, and keyboard in the second half of the set. Despite some admitted nervousness on her part, Amy's voice was clear as day, and she managed to keep her focus despite playing in a room that had its share of minor distractions.

I neglected to get a setlist from Amy (I had distractions of my own -- see below), but I did recognize some of my favorite songs from Kite, such as "Carousel", "Lady of Tomorrow", "Angel's Road" and "Take What You're Given".

While enjoying the show, it occurred to me that I was off-base in my original review (linked above) in which I likened Amy Obenski's music to Folk. It isn't Folk (as I admitted), but it did occur to me what it can sometimes sound like, and after the show I remarked to Amy that she could "pass for Irish". Not that she sings with an Irish brogue; it's just that she paints with a similar brush as some of my favorite Irish artists, like Eleanor McEvoy.

All in all, it was a delightful evening out, to which I was thankful to have been invited -- until I ruined it by destroying Amy's equipment.

What happened was, after the show I noticed that Amy was left to pack up her equipment by herself, and she had to do it quickly, because the next act was waiting to set up. Wanting to Do the Right Thing, I offered to help her break down the gear. Amy asked me to fold-up her keyboard stand, and I thought "Great!" (having actually done such a thing before). So, I flipped the metal stand over and began folding-in the legs. They seemed to be a bit stuck, so I gave them more force and they started to fold.

Then I realized that they weren't folding quite the way they were supposed to; I was just bending the metal hinges that are supposed lock the legs in place. Horrified, I said "Did I just bend your stand?!" Amy acknowledged that I basically had, and at that point I basically wanted to bash myself on the head with a large brick.

She was very sweet about it, as she was about everything, and swore that I hadn't damaged it irreperably; but I offered to replace it if that were the case (and the offer still stands, Amy).

The only thing that might make me feel better about that unfortunate incident would be if more of you went to amyobenski.net and bought her CD! And if you live in California or the Pacific Northwest, check out her tour schedule and try to catch Amy Obenski live. You won't regret it -- and as long as you leave her equipment intact, neither will Amy!

Halie Loren: Cascade Effect

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Photo: Sally Yaich
What would make a girl who was on track to becoming a Nashville chanteuse, suddenly move to Oregon and compose an album of piano-based Indie Pop? Besides the fact that our music is way better than Country, I mean? (Just kidding...but not really.)

I don't know; but I would like to thank Halie Loren for making that fateful decision, for it has given us Full Circle, her inspired new album.

What I was referring to in that snarky opening paragraph was the fact that Ms Loren moved from Cascade Range country to Nashville at the age of seventeen, and dug herself into the music industry, writing songs and gaining experience. After two years in The Volunteer State, she decided to return to Oregon to attend college, and it was at about that time that she "rediscovered" the piano, and began composing the aptly-titled Full Circle.

The result is at times familiar-sounding: Ms Loren's Myspace descriptor is "Just another chick with a piano", and indeed she often wears her Tori Amos-love on her sleeve. But if the influence is legitimate, then who really cares if it's obvious? What's interesting is not how similar she can sound to Tori Amos or Paula Cole, but how different as well. Considering that this is essentially Halie Loren's debut release, it's clear that there is unlimited room for her music to grow and evolve. Besides, in the case of Full Circle, I feel that arguing about the merits of the music or vocal performance may only serve to distract people from the album's most outstanding artistic accomplishment: The lyrics.

There are twelve tracks on Full Circle (including one Joni Mitchell cover), and they all have two things in common: Ms Loren's moody piano, and some sharp lyrics. The song "Alone" is probably my favorite track, lyrically, on the album. It depicts the quiet devastation experienced by a young woman as a result of a failed relationship. In other words, it's a breakup song -- a genre that every songwriter in history has taken a swing at; so if Halie Loren can succeed in putting you right there in the moment, and make you feel the dread for yourself, then she must indeed have talent. Here's the first verse from "Alone" (I wish they'd help a brotha out and put line-breaks on the lyric sheet...but really, I'm just happy there IS a lyric sheet):

Lying awake on my own again I can finally steal the entire bed, yet I curl into this ball of flesh protected from the chill tht starts inside my bones & spreads to parts of me that I'd forgotten could feel the pain of cold, but they'll numb themselves soon enough or so I'm told...

Thematically, the title track is a sequel of sorts to "Alone", which I found interesting. "Full Circle" finds our protagonist turning the tables on her ex, and although she admits, It feels good to hurt you, feels good to turn it all around on you, the rhetoric escalates until you realize that she has crossed the border into emotionally-unhealthy-land. The song gives you a sense of how two people can become locked in a death-spiral of bitterness, before either of them even realizes what's happening.

The opening track, "Maybe I'll Fly", covers similar ground, but has an optimistic bent to it. It's not about the bad experience, so much as it is about the protagonist's self-realization that she might be able to stand on her own two feet for a change. "Sand", which is musically one of my favorite tracks, is another song about regret, but it takes a more abstract point of view.

"Kitty" is the Mean Girls of the album, a song about a callous, catty girl who doesn't care who she hurts on her climb to what she thinks is the top. On the opposite end of the female spectrum is "Sisters", a beautiful ode to siblings and the relationship that has allowed them to be stronger together than they would have been individually.

And then there is "Numb", a political song that scores with subtlety instead of heavy-handedness. Ms Loren obviously shares my sense of disbelief at what our fellow citizens are willing to accept, and furthermore, what they're willing to ignore. This song is proof of Ms Loren's versatility, and therefore of her bright future as a songwriter -- that is, if the FCC doesn't outlaw artistic expression. Because as the song says: Get it out of your head, just close your eyes and be led, the Age of Reason is dead.

Obviously, this artist has been able to use her powers for good, to channel her pain into works of art, in the tradition of countless artists before her. But Halie Loren knows what she has, and she is grateful for it, as evidenced in the eloquent closing track, "Lucky": Lucky, this is a lucky life, I see it more and more how Lucky is a relative state of mind...

Arrangements throughout the album are spare, and although it's usually effective in context, the bare-bones album production may be my only point of contention. I think that Halie Loren's songwriting could sustain a slightly bigger or deeper-sounding production without losing any artistic integrity. Another thing I look forward to is more piano "leads" from Ms Loren; at this point, she is mostly content to play rhythm parts. Perhaps these are things we'll hear on a future Halie Loren album.

For there isn't much doubt that there WILL be another Halie Loren album, and based on her debut, she has a great chance at gaining a devoted audience. Once you've listened to Full Circle, you may very well become one of that audience's early members.

Danan Healy: Degrees of Style

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In the world of Pop music, it is not uncommon to find artists who are classically trained. Many people learn classical instruments or chorale, whether through private instruction, schools or conservatories, and then apply that learning to their favorite non-classical genres.

There are also artists who crossover from Pop to Classical (such as Michael Bolton's ill-advised album of arias), and vice-versa (Sarah Brightman).

But I have encountered few artists who have crossed-over in quite the way that Danan Healy has. With a Bachelor's degree in Music for Voice from Southern Methodist University, and later a Master's degree from the Eastman School of Music (endowed by Kodak founder George Eastman, which explains the school's affiliation with the University of Rochester in NY), Ms Healy certainly has impressive academic credentials.

Her practical experience has ranged from operas to oratorios, and from international competitions to an impressive three-year stint with the U.S. Army Field Band's Soldier's Chorus. Her more contemporary work includes compositions for independent films, and a collaboration on a project called Aeolian May.

But eventually, as one can imagine, Ms Healy became eager to embark on a solo project, and in 2005 it finally came to fruition with the release of her EP You Need More Love. Surprisingly for anyone who has been reading up to this point, her chosen musical genre for the album was... Ska?!

More precisely, it's "Ska, Danan Healy-style", featuring intensely personal lyrics and themes that run the emotional gamut from bad breakups to wild sex. Either way, it's a bit of a left-turn from Mozart and Kurt Weill. Clearly, this was one artist who just wanted to cut footloose for a change; and the fact that she could attach dark lyrics to upbeat music allowed her to have the best of both worlds.

There are six songs on the EP, and they all feature high production values, particularly the brass arrangements on the tracks "You Need More Love", "Despise You", "Gold Star", and "Don't Waste My Time". The other two tracks, "The Only Way" and "Hotel Room" (the latter of which originally appeared on the Aeolian May album) are more downbeat, musically and thematically. "The Only Way" is a fairly gut-wrenching song that could be a Country ballad -- except it isn't twangy, and the emotions actually sound genuine. The song features this great line from the chorus: The only way that I get through a day / Is that I don't die.

"Gold Star" is another standout track, for it exhibits the kind of irreverent sexuality and humor that made Liz Phair infamous; and BOY does it make me wish I had a lyric sheet for this EP.

If there's one criticism that could be made regarding You Need More Love, it may be that Danan Healy's voice is too good for the style of music. Imagine, for example, that Linda Ronstadt were the vocalist for Save Ferris; would you get the same thing out of the music? Of course, Save Ferris' actual singer, Monique Powell, is one of the strongest vocalists working in Pop today, and that never took anything away from their music; so perhaps my theory is bunk after all.

As with every album, you will have to judge for yourself. I, for one, was more than happy to add two Danan Healy songs to the playlist, and I invite you to check out her album at the CDBaby link above.

There is one thing about Danan Healy that is indisputable: She is an intriguing artist with a unique combination of education, experience and approach, and one can only hope that she will continue to explore music that is personally meaningful.

Hope Alane: Twisted Sky

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Music certainly does not need to be groundbreaking to be great, and there is a lot to be said for any artist who simply enjoys, and is committed to, her music.

Still, it is extremely gratifying to come across an artist who has actually created something a little different, and on the infrequent occasions when it happens, I get happy about music all over again (not that I'm ever unhappy about it, per se). Hope Alane is the latest such artist to cross my path, and with her album Pink Sky Blue, she has put her own unique stamp on the "folky pop" sound.

It's a bit difficult to describe just how the album is different; but between the writing and the arrangements, Hope Alane and her semi-anonymous collaborator "John" have created a sound that steadfastly avoids the pitfalls of both Pop and Folk. And I appreciate that very, very much. There is an occasional hippie vibe that permeates some tracks, but just as often the sound is thoroughly modern -- epic, even. Occasionally it's all of those at the same time. Although the sound is very different from Tegan and Sara, the mood is similar: The girl with the acoustic guitar is really just the secret identity of a one-woman supergroup. (Two women, obviously, in Tegan and Sara's case.)

(With all this talk of originality, it occurred to me after a repeat listening that some people may cite the song "Spinning World" as sounding a bit like "Stupid Girl" by Garbage. But that song was based entirely off a sample of "Train in Vain" by The Clash, so let's all calm down about what constitutes originality.)

I may have mentioned this before, but one problem that I like to have is being unable to decide which tracks from a particular album to add to the playlist. It means that every song on the album is worthy of airplay, and that, my friends, is a joyous occasion. Sadly, due to the arcane, counter-intuitive and, well, fucked-up copyright rules of the United States, I am limited to playing only a few tracks from any one album. In this case, I chose "Earth's Full", "Patience" and "Spinning World", although it hurt me deeply to leave out "Brave".

Happily, you will be able to listen to every wonderful track as many times as you want, when you follow the link above and purchase the album!

A lot of people ask me (well, some of them...well, one of them...in my head...) how I pick the artists I play on FEMALE FRONT. The truth is, I rarely turn down submissions from independent artists who fit the eclectic genres that I play. But if I had to single-out which kinds of projects attract me the most, it would be the ones where either the music is a little bit twisted...or the artist is. "Twisted", in the world of DJ Arhythmius, is always a good thing, and always a compliment.

To Hope Alane: Thank you for doing something a little bit different, or as I like to think of it, a little bit twisted.

January: The Winter of our Disc Content

There is at least one artist on the FEMALE FRONT playlist who I am pretty sure you won't hear on any other station -- internet or terrestrial.

Her name is January, and she's so elusive, I can't give you a link to a website because there isn't one. And I can't post a picture because there aren't any. Well, that might be an exaggeration -- I'm sure her family has some pics -- but there aren't any that I've been able to get ahold of.

I had two of her tracks in rotation on ESTROGENIUS for more than a year: One was a song called "Never Will I", from an unreleased project called January with Mother, and the other was an achingly beautiful song called "Make Me Feel", from an unreleased solo project. I don't even know the name of her current collaborator, otherwise I would've been happy to credit him here, too.

Unfortunately, while I was in the middle of the station re-launch task, I realized that I'd lost both of the January CD's I had, and the mp3 files were of an unusable bitrate. But then Fate (not his real name) intervened, and I was lucky enough to get a demo of January's latest (and yes, as-yet-unreleased) project, and I immediately put three tracks into rotation: "Truth", "The Smell Of" and "Pardon Me".

If it seems like I'm making a big deal about an artist that you can't actually hear anywhere else, well, that's the whole point. Yes it's obscure, but you need to hear this music. What does it sound like? Damn, I was afraid I would ask that question...

While I would categorize her previous work as Experimental Electronica, this new disc is more like Acoustic Electronica. Wait, isn't that a contradiction in terms? Well...yes, actually. Which makes it weird that she was able to pull it off. January is a sort of musical alchemist, blending disparate sounds, genres and influences to make a precious material -- her songs.

Don't get me wrong, the music is not perfect: For example, on this latest project, they got a little happy with the back-masking. But it doesn't matter, because the real mystique about January is her voice. Ah, that voice. True to her name (in the Northern hemisphere at least), January possesses a voice that can chill you to the bone with awe.

It's difficult enough to describe any person's voice, let alone that of a unique vocalist. January's voice is crystal-clear, with seemingly perfect pitch. Her inflections and very slight nasal tone suggest exotic, far-Eastern origins, and there is the faintest hint of rasp, which gives her an edgy quality (as does the material itself). There are a few spoken-word movements that January delivers in hushed tones, and the effect is calming yet intriguing; she is definitely the most sensual song-whisperer since Lori Carson worked with The Golden Palominos.

With every song, January manages to evoke an emotional response in me. Her voice just does something to me, man! (See? Right there, it turned me into Dennis Hopper!)

I wish that worldwide exclusivity with January were something to brag about, but the whole point of this station is to increase awareness of innovative artists, to get the knowledge out there so that you can buy and enjoy their music yourself. For now, at least, FEMALE FRONT is the only place where you can hear January; but as soon as that changes, I will be happy to publicize it.

Much Re(tro)spect

As previously mentioned in this space, I've been waiting for the new disc by the UK band Retrospect to arrive via Royal Mail. Well, I finally got it last Friday, so now I can give the band a proper review; and I am very happy to say that this CD was worth the wait. Although several tracks are available for streaming on Retrospect's Myspace page, it's amazing what a difference hearing it on a proper CD can make.

Long Hair Short Memories is the title of the album, and it is very good as both a title and an album. I can't help but think that the title refers to Retrospect's contemporaries, who may have forgotten their Rock and Roll roots. Well, this disc proves that Retrospect did not forget. On this album, I heard everything from classic 50's Rock chords to 70's Soul, all filtered through a stripped-down 90's Alternative sensibility. At times, I was reminded of Throwing Muses or The Sundays, two bands that were prominent on this station when it was first launched. (On the other hand, I could be way off about the title; "Long Hair Short Memories" could just be referring to the band members' penchant for forgetting where they parked the van.)

In my earlier post about Retrospect, I mentioned frontwoman Charlene Jones' guitar skills, but it couldn't hurt to mention it again. Although she gets her thrash on in a couple of tracks, she also displays a soft touch with some leads, showing her versatility. Oh, and apparently she was trying to break the world record for the longest sustained guitar note on the marathon track "Stoned Cold"; hey guys, let me know if the Guinness people called you back!

Yet now that I have the CD, it is Charlene's voice that stands out to me the most. Her vocals are always fun and genuine, but there are times when she really lets herself soar on a pretty melody, and the result is a surprisingly confident-sounding vocalist. What makes a lead singer interesting is not necessarily her technical skill (although Charlene has that as well), but her ability to convince you that she belongs nowhere else but the front of that stage. This relaxed assurance comes across on the CD, and I can only imagine how much fun it is to see Charlene, Andrea and Rich playing live.

In fact, I would say that if Retrospect keep up the live gigs, then they should garner a large following in the UK, at least if people have any sense. Hopefully, the CD will be available for purchase soon, and you'll be able to check them out for yourself.

As of this writing, I haven't yet decided which tracks to add to the playlist, but the winners will go into rotation this weekend.

Update: The THREE tracks that I added were: "No Not Now", "White Side" and "Please". This band gets better with every listening.