Hmm… noticed that our podcast isn’t showing up on iTunes today. I wonder how long it’s been down? I wonder what happened? Bummer.
Lullabies to Violaine
After telling a friend about the Cocteau Twins 4 CD set Lullabies to Violaine earlier this month, they gave me a copy for Christmas. How sweet! Robin did a nice job remastering everything. It’s cool to hear the muddier recordings brought to life with more sparkling guitars and distinct basslines. Comparing just the 320 AAC files I ripped from the original EPs to the ones ripped from the new CDs, the sound is quite improved on some songs.
I was thinking that I wouldn’t get the set because I already have almost everything on it, but now I’m happy that Todd picked one up for me. I’m still comparing the more recent tracks and trying to decide, for instance, if I prefer the original Twinlights or the new Lullabies versions, but on the 80’s stuff it’s really no contest. “Sighs Smells of Farewell” is an exception, though. I thought the original sounded better on that one. That’s why I’m checking everything individually. It’s awesome to get the two Christmas tracks, btw, because I didn’t have Snow and have been wanting those tunes for my holiday playlist!
I’m not sure if this is a secret or not, but Ryan recently digitized the original mixdowns of Ardor from his master DATs and the sound quality was noticeably better on those. The high end of the guitar especially shines. It would be so cool if we could manage to do a 4 CD set of his four Love Spirals Downwards’ studio albums remastered like this Twins set, though I’m pretty sure the cost would be too prohibitive. I’d really love to hear Idylls remastered, though. I imagine he could get it sounding much cleaner and louder with modern equipment.
Speaking of equipment, my friend Todd, and the Cocteau Twins; he showed me a postcard that Robin Guthrie mailed him awhile back thanking Todd for giving him an Acetone drum machine. Apparently Robin used it on some recordings, but I’m not sure which ones. I should ask Todd if he knows which songs use his drum machine.
Anji on Comic Strip Blog
Daily Source Code followers will likely be familiar with the infamous Comic Strip Blogger, who comments religiously on Adam Curry’s blog. I recently mentioned him in some audio feedback to Adam, and now CSB (as Adam calls him) has mentioned me in his comic strip! Now, that is usually NOT a good thing, but I was somehow spared his wrath and appear in a fairly positive light. Of course, I should remind him that Ryan was the one to the sell the 50,000 CDs, not me…
Caught in the Groove vocal session
Had a great session yesterday recording the main vocals for “Caught in the Groove.” Figured I’d rest my voice a day or two before going back in to do the harmonies, but I already know what I’m doing. Ryan worked hard on a nice piano line the day before last, gives it a different vibe than anything we’ve done before. He did some more guitar work, too. It’s coming along, for sure. The hard part is not sharing new music until an album is complete. I always want to get it out to the fans right away, ’cause I’m so excited. But we’ve got a lot of new songs that we can’t wait to record, so if life cooperates, the next album shouldn’t be all that far away. Keep your fingers crossed that this next year is much easier than the last two were for us!
Jive Mag Holiday Gift Pick
Jive Magazine listed Free & Easy at the very top of their 2005 Holiday Gift Guide, alongside Richie Hawtin, The Prodigy, The ORB, and Aphex Twin. Not bad company! Haven’t seen their review go up yet, but they’re a print mag, so I suppose these things take time.
Recording a new song
The night before last, Ryan and I wrote a new song. We’ve been writing quite a few songs the past couple months, but this one really seemed special. It was one of those songs that came together very quickly, magickly. We made a little demo of it with my new Spike system. Then last night we actually began recording the song in the studio. Ryan really kicked ass, too, and got most of it done. I threw down a scratch track of vocals for him to work around. I’ll probably record the real thing in the next few days. Maybe we’ll play a snippet on our next podcast? Oh, it’s called “Caught in the Groove.”
Spammer jerk
Man some jerk somehow made a spam entry on 100 blog entries. WTF? I didn’t check what the links were, but they didn’t seem to make any sense. There was no text to temp one into clicking them, either. It was just stupid and pointless. Why target our little blog, anyway? Geez spammers suck ass.
CC Chapman loves Anji
On the latest Accident Hash podcast, CC Chapman professed his love for me. Well, my voice, anyway. He said if I read a Chinese menu, he’d be ecstatic. Of course, he heard my infamous Adam Curry “love messaging” (as Adam recently referred to my audio feedback on Daily Source Code). Speaking of which, Dave of Dave’s Lounge teased me in his latest podcast, announcing me as “regular Daily Source Code flirt, Anji Bee.” Gee whiz! That Adam is just trying to get me in trouble, I swear.
LSD on La Femme Nikita
Last week I ran across an iMix listing all the music on iTunes that was used in the late nineties television show La Femme Nikita. One of the songs listed was “Sunset Bell” from Love Spirals Downwards’ 1998 CD, Flux. I hadn’t heard of that licensing deal before, even though I was hanging out pretty heavily with Ryan in 1999, when the show was aired. So I decided to check around on Google to try and find out if it was really on it or not. I found 4 pages of results all listing “Sunset Bell” on episode #305 of season 3, though some listed it as the 1994 Ardor version. Now I was thoroughly curious.
I found out that season 3 was just released to DVD this past summer, so I rented a copy of the disc in question. There was a song featured throughout the show prominently that sounded suspiciously based upon “Sunset Bell,” but was obviously not either version. Actually, there were two pieces; one had a little boy singing off-key, and the other a woman singing rather darkwave-esque — both with lots of reverb and ambient keyboard pads. I’m thinking that they probably decided to have someone create music with the vibe of Ryan’s song so they didn’t have to pay Projekt.
I’d still really like to know if “Sunset Bell” truly was on the TV show or not. If it was, then we need to contact BMI to see about collecting back payments for television airings. From our experience with Dawon’s Creek, these shows can continue to air for years all over the world. Ryan wasn’t with BMI until recently, but they still may be able to recoup some of those songwriting fees. Plus, it very well may be airing somewhere still. I don’t suppose anyone reading this has a copy of the show in question, do they? Super fan, anyone??? For that matter, does anyone here know how to contact Jennifer Ryan Fuller, the girl whose vocals Ryan recorded for “Sunset Bell”???
Chillin’ with Lovespirals Episode 10
Ryan and Anji get into the holiday spirit with an “infomercial” promoting their big 2-CD sale! In the first podcast recorded in their new “Studio B,” the duo shade Amazon, talk about album reviews inclduing the mighty All Music Guide, share more clips from the Daily Source Code with Adam Curry, and more. The show begins and ends with a clip of Lovespirals cover of “Aspen Glow.”
Holiday audio greeting
Forgot to mention that I posted a holiday greeting mp3 for the use of podcasters on podshow promo site. Adam used it for the second installment of his Christmas music podcast project, but anyone can feel free to use it on their podcast as it’s a generic one, not specific to any show: Anji’s Holiday Greeting
All Music Guide reviews "Free & Easy"
Ned Raggett reviews “Free & Easy”
Windblown Kiss was a lovely way for Lovespirals to make a clear move away from the days of Love Spirals Downwards, but Free & Easy is the best evidence that the duo of Ryan Lum and Anji Bee is now distinctly its own creative team. With Lum’s guitar playing and arranging now focused on, indeed, free and easy jazz/lounge grooves, Lovespirals here are much more in the creative vein of an act like the Thievery Corporation instead of the Cocteau Twins, say, without specifically cloning either group’s sound. Bee’s singing is a perfect counterpoint, a blend of classic mid-century jazz- pop flow and a bit of ’60s cool in a French or Brazilian sense — some low-key scatting here, some warm, playful crooning there. The gently hip-shaking title track kicks things off and sets the mood all at once, and from there Lovespirals work through a total of nine songs, all of a piece but each with its own gentle joys. Lum’s interest in DJing and techno can readily be heard throughout, more overtly on songs like “Deep in My Soul,” which quickly builds into a politely propulsive dancefloor filler, and “Just Trouble” but in subtler ways as well, as listens to “Hand in Hand” confirm. But the overall tone of the album is best captured with songs like “Walk Away,” a slow and lovely late-night mood-out with some great keyboard work from Lum to go with his guitar, and “Abide,” with its sassy but gentle strut. Concluding song “Sandcastles” might actually be the strongest of the bunch, easygoing and danceable all at once, concluding with a lovely overdubbed a cappella chorus from Bee.