This Brooklyn, New York singer’s “City Song” doesn’t break down major walls, but there is something….
Maybe it’s what she says it sounds like – “falling off a log.” That’s true. When the musician is accomplished on an instrument or a singer has the phrasing down, it should be like falling off a log. “Open Wide” is a bit more introspective, a slower-paced tune (almost). With band members Dan Barry- guitar, singing; Mia Riddle- singing, guitars, glockenspiel, keys; Amy Merrill – singing, keys, banjo; David Tarica- drums; and Dave Wyss- bass (in ya face), the group does sound a bit like Fleetwood Mac and Heart sometimes. But Sam Cooke, Anita O’Day and Louis Prima? Wow, those are great influences. Hang onto that, Mia Riddle.
I just like listening to “Grandchildren.” The guitar is sweet. But there is certainly some Joni Mitchell in there to be credited as an influence too. The tunes are on Rallye Records (Japan). Check out Mia Riddle and friends in Hoboken, New Jersey on Dec. 12, in Brooklyn on Dec. 13, then in California Jan. 8 and onward. The music will be in Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and San Francisco. Do you think she’ll sing “Tigers” and “California?”
Tags: independent music, indie music, indie, music, mia riddle
This effort is “self-produced, engineered, performed, arranged and written by Lonnie Trevino Jr. in the indie pop genre,” according to the marketing material for this Texas resident who moved to Los Angeles. The work is titled IndieGO, a nice play on words. Trevino has apparently spread the word somewhere along the line that he is attempting “to distance himself from the music industry as we know it.” I’m not sure just where that comes from, but it is a rather ambitious career move.
Listening to “Perish” I don’t get the feeling that the separation is anywhere near complete. The straight-forward beat and “don’t cry for me” lyrics are good, but not knockout stuff, as I expected. Trevino did all the work on this effort, so he should be commended for that. “Each song was written in about a day then recorded in full the next day with the exception of “Lucky Girl” which took a few months and was the last to be completed.” The tune “Chemical” is a better song. It has some intestinal fortitude. Trevino lists The Beatles, Cheap Trick and Lenny Kravitz’s Baptism CD, (in which Lenny plays the majority of the instruments, produces and writes all of the songs) as major influences.
Lonnie Trevino Presents on MySpace
Tags: music, independent music, indie music, lonnie trevino presents, indie
This indie-techno-pop, make no mistake about that, soft though it is. The sounds coming from Brooklyn, New York these days is interesting, even if it doesn’t smash down any historical music barriers. Mia Riddle is another in this “movement,” if it can be called that just yet. “Sad Song” from The Bird of Music is clean and well-produced. Members of the group, Annie Hart, Erica Forster and Heather D’Angelo list their influences as “roland, korg, alesis, rhythm ace, univox, yamaha, nord, and suzuki.” Interestingly enough, this is what they state they sound like too. Imagine that. In the United States, the tunes are on Our Secret Record Co. In Japan, the label is Rallye. This is the same label that Riddle is distributed on. In the UK, the Au Revoir Simone label is Moshi Moshi.
“Through the Backyards” from Verses of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation (2006) has a dream quality to it, which fits with the longing I have for some of the backyards of my youth. The keyboard work is perfect, and not complicated. From the same collection, “Stay Golden” has a beginning that reminds me of some of The Beatles mid-career work. Strawberry Fields Forever? Whatever brings these young women to the stage, it is good. They have been on tour in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Tags: indie, independent music, au revoir simone, music, indie music
