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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: Bags on September 21, 2004, 04:20:00 pm
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The Sunday NY Times Style Magazine (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/style/tmagazine/MAN37.html) had a section on The New Romantic singer/songwriters. Lulu, prepare yourself.
September 19, 2004
The New Romantics
By MICKEY RAPKIN
Men have never been good with the ''L'' word, which is why God invented the mix tape. And John Cusack movies. But music-loving Lotharios can now retire Bon Jovi's ''I'll Be There for You.'' A group of finger-pickin' poets -- the newbadours, shall we? -- are reclaiming the label ''pop'' for anyone who thinks a love song needn't include the words ''heart,'' ''eye'' and ''sky.''
The seven singer-songwriters photographed on these pages recall early Bob Dylan, a time when albums felt like complete thoughts, not just a collection of radio-ready singles. There is an earnest, hold-me-till-I-need-sutures quality to their lyrics that wouldn't be out of place on a greeting card -- if Hallmark introduced a line sold exclusively in Williamsburg.
''I want the audience to take my show seriously,'' says the 22-year-old Norwegian Sondre Lerche, which is why he performs in a bespoke blazer. Not that credibility is an issue when your second album, ''Two Way Monologue,'' is baked with the kind of deeply layered pop orchestrations that draw comparisons with Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello. Ben Jelen, whose ''Give It All Away'' is a piano-heavy love letter to 20-something yearnings, is regularly likened to Norah Jones. (He prefers ''the male Sarah McLachlan.'') The atmospheric rock of Marcus Congleton's Ambulance LTD is a little bit Pavement, a little bit Hall and Oates. And 20-year-old Tyler Hilton's voice is an unholy alliance of the Beach Boys and the blues demigod Robert Johnson.
Colin Smith, of mrnorth, blends a heartfelt brew of Jeff Buckley, U2 and pre-electronica Radiohead, while Diego Garcia, Elefant's Argentine frontman, opts for theatric vibrato over the band's Cure-esque power pop. And for postcoital insights from a thousand sweaty nights -- the kind unconcerned with whether there are fresh linens on the bed -- nobody beats Van Hunt, whose self-titled debut is the perfect soundtrack for any seduction. Armed with three chords and a melody (remember melody?), each artist perfectly mines the essence of every blessed, cursed, adolescent first. This is why you threw down for the larger iPod.
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<img src="http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/09/14/style/tmagazine/19romantics.slide1.jpg" alt=" - " />
Ben Jelen
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<img src="http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/09/14/style/tmagazine/19romantics.slide2.jpg" alt=" - " />
Marcus Congleton of Ambulance LTD
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<img src="http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/09/14/style/tmagazine/19romantics.slide5.jpg" alt=" - " />
Diego Garcia of Elefant
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The atmospheric rock of Marcus Congleton's Ambulance LTD is a little bit Pavement, a little bit Hall and Oates.
Uh...WHAT?! Now, I'm not a huge Ambulance fan or anything. They're good, nothing groundbreaking, but good. However, I have to go to bat for them here and ask what the hell is this writer thinking?! My god, is that supposed to be a compliment?!
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*quickly cleans up drool puddle accumulating in her cubicle*
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nice jumper.
Sears, Penneys, Chess King, or Monkey Wards?
Originally posted by Bags:
<img src="http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/09/14/style/tmagazine/19romantics.slide5.jpg" alt=" - " />
Diego Garcia of Elefant
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
nice jumper.
Sears, Penneys, Chess King, or Monkey Wards?
Junya Watanabe Man Comme des Garcons Fair Isle sweater, $480
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diego garrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrcia
thanks bags
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Hey, Bags...another reason for me to subsribe to the NY Times. Thanks for the eye candy.
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Originally posted by Bags:
;)
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He'll be at the club on 10/5...and say it ain't so...he is now touring w/...Clay Aiken!
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Originally posted by Sugartastic Tee Silk:
He'll be at the club on 10/5...and say it ain't so...he is now touring w/...Clay Aiken!
time to get the waders out, it's gonna get deep in these parts... any predictions on how many aiken infested threads we get? who wants to bet there will be moaning about the show after... i smell a class action lawsuit ;)
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He's part of the WedRock gig. Clay's not involved in that.
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Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
He's part of the WedRock gig. Clay's not involved in that.
Though he probably should be. ;)
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phew...
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Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
He's part of the WedRock gig. Clay's not involved in that.
Yup, I found the photos via Bob Mould's blog on WEDrock stuff. So, Jelen's playing that night. Not sure who he is or what his stuff is like (his musical stuff, that is). But the rest of him is certainly fine (though young, he seems quite young...) :p
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He is a Calvin Klein model turned singer.
Originally posted by Bags:
Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
He's part of the WedRock gig. Clay's not involved in that.
Yup, I found the photos via Bob Mould's blog on WEDrock stuff. So, Jelen's playing that night. Not sure who he is or what his stuff is like (his musical stuff, that is). But the rest of him is certainly fine (though young, he seems quite young...) :p [/b]
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
phew...
yeah...prior to that he was on tour w/ Hanson...eesh. Just wait...he'll be opening or headling soon and the infiltration will arise....I listened to his stuff this morning. He's a piano player...Reminds me of Jamie Cullum minus the jazz.