Heloise and the Savoir Faire review mentioning Elijah

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Behind the cut is a short review for their "Trash, rats and microphones" album from the July 12th issue of the NME.

Includes mention of Elijah and Debbie Harry.





The music should be right up NME's alley but sadly it only got 3 out of 10 points (and some scathing remarks to boot).

The NME is an influential British music weekly.

Comments

[primula-baggins.livejournal.com]

Thanks, FSS. And I thought it was just me...

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

:P

Well, one day he'll discover the US equivalent to the Stone Roses and then we'll all be applauding him like mad and say that we knew he could do it... We just have to be patient and wait. :)

[primula-baggins.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he will. To be fair, lots of people do like H&SF, I'm just not fond of their style of music. Heloise has one heck of a voice, though, and is the real star of the bunch.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

It's not 100% my cup of tea either but if they toured anywhere near here, I would go to see them.

Maybe she should go solo... :)

[overlithe64.livejournal.com]

You know I just recently got the CD...and I have to say Heloise's real "charm" if one can call it charm, lol; is the electricity of her live performance. Her dancers do little for me occasionally they augment the music but mostly they are a distraction at least for me. Heloise live is charismatic and thoroughly engaging and interactive with the crowd, unfortunately you can't record charisma... and I think that is where TR&M is falling short.

IMHO

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard the CD yet, only seen one of their performances on TV but I suspect what you say could be true.

But it's not like you can't record charisma - you might just have to produce the record differently. It is amazing what the right sound engineer/producer can do to save or destroy a record. I once heard a band's demo tape - which I loved - and then the produced record and it was world's apart from the demo. The sound engineer had managed to suck all the life out of the music... :(

[overlithe64.livejournal.com]

perhaps....but the electricity of the crowd also adds something to music even if it is not the "best music" you've ever heard.

but great music is great no matter....live or not....perhaps Heloise is not "Great" music and the only thing that makes it is the live aspect...at least that is what I have found to be true for me in this case. I've seen them three times two times it was great the third was too hot and crowded to enjoy and one of the other two times well, the company enhanced the show. Watching someone else really enjoy it...(E) really made it great.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

That's true!

Maybe they are just doing the wrong thing at the moment. Some bands take some time to find themselves and their music. *hopeful*

Ooooh, *goes slightly green with envy* I wouldn't care what band I saw if Elijah was there as well. It must be wonderful to see him enjoy a gig. :) I hope you'll get the chance to see him at a gig again! :)

[cheekiehamster.livejournal.com]

Hobbit disco parties! :P

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

I can see them dance around their handbags down at the Green Dragon... :)

[gobsmacked.livejournal.com]

Since I was a teenager I've always thought NME are wankers who dislike anything not British so I'm not surprised in way.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Yes, they do think that the sun shines out of the British music scene's collected behinds... :P Althought to be fair, they are championing CSS at the moment who are not British and similar to HSF).

I must admit I've always found the NME to be highly entertaining. A music paper should be opinionated. :) Still, for Elijah's sake I'd hoped for a nicer review.

[gobsmacked.livejournal.com]

My uncle remembers back to the 70s and tells me that NME usually reserved their greatest animus for any American band which was both very popular and populist. Thus, bands which were huge in the US got little or no coverage in the NME. Of course, my uncle also pointed out, Rolling Stone went through a period early in its history where any band from LA was trashed.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

*nods* NME really loves to hate bands that are popular (especially if they got popular without any help from the NME). ;-P

Interesting fact about the Rolling Stone - I didn't know that. Thank you!

[gobsmacked.livejournal.com]

I think it's something that was obvious to some readers for the first few years of RS's existence. My uncle summed it up this way:
"The same magazine that put Jim Morrison on the cover decades after his death trashed him constantly while he was alive"
He also told me that they loved Janis Joplin until she dumped her first (San Francisco) band despite the fact that they were universally regarded as bad musicians - "played like they were wearing gardening gloves" Uncle Kevin says.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

LOL! I love the gardening gloves comparison!! Thank you for that! :)

[poplij.livejournal.com]

IMHO ? Never trust a reviewer that uses the H-word *rolls eyes*

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, the NME has often used the H word when writing about Elijah but they always said nice things about him. But that reviewer sure does not like HSF. :(

[poplij.livejournal.com]

I'm quite fond of the album, it isn't flawless but it certainly doesn't deserve a 3/10 :(

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

I'm still waiting for my copy! *sobs* And they don't seem to plan on gigging over here, either!

[karin-woywod.livejournal.com]

Oh, but I do trust, you know, Elijah with a glitterball - he can provide the music to my own private disco any time ;o)
:oP to NME (and there was a time - late Eighties, early Nineties - when I used to devour that mag weekly, even here in Germany, where it had to be imported) . . .

Love,

- Karin.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I like that idea!!!! *jumps into car to drive to your disco*

*coughs* I did the same in the late Eighties, early Nineties. However, I still have subscription to this day... (you won't believe how much they are charging these days for Airmail to Germany!)

*hugs*

[mole-caz.livejournal.com]

Pity! :-(

I'm afraid I'm one of those who isn't keen on H&SF's music but many do like it including Elijah and that's fine.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Oh well. And this does not mean they might not get a raving live review in a month from the same reviewer...

I have not heard the album yet so I can't say all that much.