Monday, March 31, 2008

Enjoy!

(Oh, there's always time for email on this blog,
Yes there's always time for email on this blog,
Yes there's always time for email
From a guy or girl or she male...)

My pal Corey Klemow (aka The Beaver) sent me a link to the YouTube page of his friend, Amy. Seems Amy's a singer/songwriter/actress who's set herself the task of writing a song a week all through 2008.

Corey writes:

I suspect (perhaps wrongly, as usual) that you may enjoy her work.


Let me explain why Corey hedges his bet. You see, while Corey and I agree on the fun quotient of many things--Doctor Who, Mark Evanier's blog, The Iron Giant, Sandman--we diverge occasionally on the subject of music.

(This is best exemplified by the fact that the man does not know the difference between Marvin Gaye and the Bee Gees, something I plan never, ever to let him forget.)

In this case, however, his suspicions are correct. I did enjoy her work.

Here are two demonstrations of same, you can hear more at the link, above.

This is Song 7, titled "7 Deadly Sins," synchronistically enough. It's introduced by a musicalized Shakespeare's Sonnet. Pet Shop Boys did the same thing (tho not the same sonnet) with Liza Minnelli, but it sounded nothing like this. Also good, but nothing like this. That's all I'm saying.

Her song kind of reminds me of Crowded House, maybe a little Bowie.



And this is song 11, or "Equator Song:"



She mentions Colin Hay as an influence and I can really hear it.

See why it pays to support your friendly blogger?

5 comments:

TWM said...

I'm a big Doctor Who fan.

Anonymous said...

Ahem.

Marvin Gaye's falsetto on Got to Give It Up, Part One sounds uncannily like the Bee Gees. Side by side, you can tell the difference - Marvin's a lot smoother - but having never heard "Got to Give it Up" before, and having previously associated ol' Marv with his less high-pitched hits, I think Bee Gees was a danged good guess.

So, uh... nyah?

Anyway... yay, Amy! At least I know I'll never confuse HER with the Bee Gees...

Ben Varkentine said...

Ahem.

No, it doesn't.

That settles that.

Anonymous said...

Hey Ben,

Just wanted to say thanks so much for taking the time to listen to my stuff, and to post it on your blog. I am really flattered and grateful for your feedback. When writing songs at such speed, perspective is the first thing to go (besides, um...a life!). I'm going to start my second record in January '09, so whenever you think of it, shoot me your two cents on the latest tunes.

Off to write...three songs to go to get current after this big live show I did Saturday.

Say hello to beautiful Seattle for me. I've got an Optigan to bring home as soon as I can get up there.

All the best,
Amy Raasch

amy@amyraasch.com
www.youtube.com/amyraasch

Ben Varkentine said...

She knows from Optigans...tell me you've heard Optiganally Yours and I'll propose...