Needle: Comfortably Numb
A few weeks ago, I received a package in the mail from a band called Needle. The package contained one (1) beautifully designed and packaged CD album entitled Songs Your Mother Never Sang You, and one (1) of the greatest promotional items I have ever seen from any band ever: A ball-point pen shaped like a hypodermic needle, complete with an unknown blue liquid inside. The pen could be clicked open by pressing down on the hypodermic plunger. This item was so incredibly cool that Mrs Arhythmius literally pouted for two days, until I finally gave in and said that she could have it (which is why I can not produce a photo of this item for your viewing pleasure).
I realize it doesn't sound like much, but I've always been interested in marketing; and trying to market an indie band is a difficult proposition requiring maximum creativity on a minimal budget. So congrats to Needle for creating the perfect "tie-in" (to be used after you tie-off?).
What differentiates a well-packaged indie band from a well-packaged commercial band is usually that the indie band starts with great music, and then comes up with the packaging; with commercial bands it's often the inverse (which is probably why they're called "commercial" bands). Fortunately, Needle is a creative enterprise first and foremost.
So, just what is Needle all about? Well, for me, Needle is about the chill-outiest chillout band I've heard in a good while. A collaboration of vocalist Julie Cornett and guitarist Steven Beck (with both parties playing every other instrument heard on the album, save strings), the name "Needle" was appropriate for this project: A musical opiate so spare and melodic, it lulls you into an altered state; a shot of aural laudunum so strong, it practically leaves track marks.
What I appreciate about Needle is that, even with the bare-bones arrangements, it's still an Alternative album at heart (yes, I still use that term, even if Radio no longer does). It never sounds like a Folk album or a Cabaret oddity. The songs are as straightforward as the arrangements are not -- the stimulant that keeps you awake to enjoy the barbituate. Not that I'd know these references firsthand; Music is my drug, man...
Here's an example of the overall vibe of the album: The cover of Neil Young's "Helpless" is probably the most uptempo song on the disc. But my favorites are "Make Love" and "Lost" (both added to the playlist), which manage to quietly soar. Also excellent are "It's No Secret" (the quietest, calmest song to ever remind me of something by Punk girls The Slits -- wish I could remember which song) and "If".
Some of Steve Beck's guitar parts remind me of Robert Smith's handiwork -- which may be one reason why I insist on thinking of this as an "Alternative" album. As for Julie Cornett's vocals, I imagine the most typical comparison she gets is to Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. There is certainly a similar ideal at work with both bands, but the songwriting is so different that ultimately only a limited comparison can be made. Any aural similarities probably have more to do with Needle's decision to use mostly first takes for the final versions of their songs, a technique that Cowboy Junkies also utilized on their most successful album, The Trinity Sessions. Needle took the additional step of layering in more vocal harmonies, which is fine with me, because I love kind of that stuff.
If I had not heard any of Songs Your Mother Never Sang You, and someone played me only a short clip of a track, then I might have thought that the music was a bit too quiet to play on the station. But each song tends to build into unexpected heights, often with nicely unsettling melodies. This is an album for discerning listeners, but once you inject it into your bloodstream, it will stimulate your pleasure receptors with chilling certainty.
I realize it doesn't sound like much, but I've always been interested in marketing; and trying to market an indie band is a difficult proposition requiring maximum creativity on a minimal budget. So congrats to Needle for creating the perfect "tie-in" (to be used after you tie-off?).
What differentiates a well-packaged indie band from a well-packaged commercial band is usually that the indie band starts with great music, and then comes up with the packaging; with commercial bands it's often the inverse (which is probably why they're called "commercial" bands). Fortunately, Needle is a creative enterprise first and foremost.
So, just what is Needle all about? Well, for me, Needle is about the chill-outiest chillout band I've heard in a good while. A collaboration of vocalist Julie Cornett and guitarist Steven Beck (with both parties playing every other instrument heard on the album, save strings), the name "Needle" was appropriate for this project: A musical opiate so spare and melodic, it lulls you into an altered state; a shot of aural laudunum so strong, it practically leaves track marks.What I appreciate about Needle is that, even with the bare-bones arrangements, it's still an Alternative album at heart (yes, I still use that term, even if Radio no longer does). It never sounds like a Folk album or a Cabaret oddity. The songs are as straightforward as the arrangements are not -- the stimulant that keeps you awake to enjoy the barbituate. Not that I'd know these references firsthand; Music is my drug, man...
Here's an example of the overall vibe of the album: The cover of Neil Young's "Helpless" is probably the most uptempo song on the disc. But my favorites are "Make Love" and "Lost" (both added to the playlist), which manage to quietly soar. Also excellent are "It's No Secret" (the quietest, calmest song to ever remind me of something by Punk girls The Slits -- wish I could remember which song) and "If".
Some of Steve Beck's guitar parts remind me of Robert Smith's handiwork -- which may be one reason why I insist on thinking of this as an "Alternative" album. As for Julie Cornett's vocals, I imagine the most typical comparison she gets is to Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. There is certainly a similar ideal at work with both bands, but the songwriting is so different that ultimately only a limited comparison can be made. Any aural similarities probably have more to do with Needle's decision to use mostly first takes for the final versions of their songs, a technique that Cowboy Junkies also utilized on their most successful album, The Trinity Sessions. Needle took the additional step of layering in more vocal harmonies, which is fine with me, because I love kind of that stuff.
If I had not heard any of Songs Your Mother Never Sang You, and someone played me only a short clip of a track, then I might have thought that the music was a bit too quiet to play on the station. But each song tends to build into unexpected heights, often with nicely unsettling melodies. This is an album for discerning listeners, but once you inject it into your bloodstream, it will stimulate your pleasure receptors with chilling certainty.
Julie Cornett of Needle
