Band to Watch: Faces on Film
Faces on Film‘s album Some Weather was a release that regrettably escaped me in 2011. The project is the vision of Boston’s Mike Fiore, featured below forsaking his native Red Sox for the Cincinnati Reds. Fiore crafts the type of songs that resonate deeply and immediately. The material is reminiscent of My Morning Jacket’s early work on Tennessee Fire.
Fiore’s writing stands up well in an acoustic setting, as indicated by the video for “Great Move North” from his recent Sleepover Show featured below. However, the production work on Some Weather does nothing to distract from the writing that lies at the album’s core. The songs are richer and more interesting, without losing their identity. The simple piano line and stabbing lead guitar on “Harlem Roses” serves as an excellent example.
Some Weather is the follow-up to 2008’s The Troubles. Fiore has been steadily building a dedicated local following. In 2009, The Boston Phoenix named him the city’s Best Singer-Songwriter. His latest release should do nothing to undermine a growing reputation. The album proves that Fiore’s voice is one deserving of a wider audience.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Album Review: Doe Paoro ‘Slow to Love’
I love surprises. Particularly pleasant surprises. I enjoy discovering an artist that, on the surface, appears a direct contradiction to my typical musical tastes, but somehow manages to earn my affection nonetheless. Such was the case with Brooklyn’s Doe Paoro, who released her debut LP Slow to Love last week.
My ears left the female R&B scene behind sometime after TLC and long before Nicki Minaj. That’s not to say that I am deaf to the genre’s bright spots. I appreciate a strong voice as much as the next listener. However, so much of what has found my ears in the last decade felt machine made, pre-packaged and thoughtless. As a result, I largely tuned out.
Enter Doe Paoro. Her debut release is accessible and radio-ready without reverting to cliché, formulaic banality. Paoro’s voice is left to dance in front of a stark, minimalist backdrop. The album’s sparse production brings the singer’s strengths to the forefront, allowing her emotions to shine rather than get lost in the shuffle.
Stereogum was apt to cite Erykah Badu as a prominent influence on the album’s debut single “Born Whole” in their Band to Watch post last week. The track certainly bares more resemblance to Badu than other prominent 90s R&B vixens. On “I’ll Go Blind” Paoro strides closer to the masculine end of the spectrum, calling to mind Musiq Soulchild or Maxwell’s best work. Listen below.
This isn’t to say that Slow to Love is a flawless home run. “Trying to Impress” and “Body Games” toe the line of predictable, boy-crazy pop music. But the ablum’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses by a long shot. A refusal to pigeonhole Paoro’s talent has resulted in a release that could appeal to a broad cross-section of listeners, much in the way that Lykke Li was able to accomplish last year.
I will be interested to see how this release fares in 2012. At its best, Slow to Love can be gorgeous, haunting and danceable. The question will be whether Doe Paoro’s vision is cohesive enough to become a release that the masses will latch to. Name your price for a digital download via Bandcamp. Watch the video for “Born Whole” below.
Connect with Doe Paoro via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Rob Peoni
Video: Parakeet “Tomorrow”
U.K. export Yuck proved to be one of 2011’s breakout stars. Critics gushed over their self-titled release. Their signature fuzz garnered praise from seemingly every corner of the indie blogosphere. Rather than make an immediate and likely lucrative return to the studio, Yuck’s members appear content to allow their minds to drift for a bit at the start of 2012. We have featured lead singer Daniel Blumberg’s side project Oupa a couple of times (SEE: “It’s Rough” and “Backwords“). This time around, we find the band’s bassist, indie vixen Mariko Doi, stepping out with her own side project Parakeet. Yesterday, the band dropped a video for their debut single, “Tomorrow.” The results can be found below. Parakeet is pressing a limited edition 7″ vinyl featuring “Tomorrow” and another track entitled “Paper, Scissors, Stone.” Those interested in that sort of thing had better act fast, as only 500 copies will be issued. Grab yours HERE.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 