          |
 |
||||||||||
| home | news | catalog | calendar | mp3s | downloads | links | about | faq | contact | press tools | |
|
|
|
||||||||||
| home | news | catalog | calendar | mp3s | downloads | links | about | faq | contact | press tools | |
 |
songs i sing
CD EP 2007 | North Pole 005 13 tracks, 16 minutes, plus 1 video $9 : Listen to the track Job 39 : Press release Track Listing: half-birthday, Job 39, I never had a home, we will fall, Chickadee, Sores, mason jar, These Days, lungs, I called your mom, Motherless Child, Gladness Song, Heartworms |
Between songs Brian John
Mitchell AKA Remora has been known to sing acepella songs and tell small
stories. These have now been recorded and released as “Songs I Sing”. Full
of atmosphere the pieces include a rendition of Job 39, Covers of the Stooges,
Coil and Rollerball (the disc is released on North Pole Records which is
run by Rollerball member Shane De Leon) and some slow and moving songs
that creep under the skin. Musical highlights include the five minute version
of “We Will Fall” (Stooges), and the cover of “Heartworms” (Coil), but
it is the short original pieces that shine, a new collection of folk recordings
for the Terrascope generation. Mention to for the beautiful letter pressed
cover that adds to the package.
~ Simon Lewis, Terrascope
Rumbles
‘Songs I Sing’ is the latest
from Brian John Mitchell and his band Remora. This is definitely something
a bit different for those that are already familiar with Remora’s sound
since this album is almost completely voice and the music if it can even
be called that is very minimal. The story behind this album is that while
performing live Brian often times sings short a Capella tunes while tuning
or changing his guitar. After a tour with Rollerball back in 2005 Shane
de Leon from Rollerball encouraged Brian to record these songs and promised
to release them on his label North Pole Records. The result is an odd mixture
of short songs that feature voice and voices creating backing melodies
that some what resemble an ambient like form. The songs are mostly quick
humorous tunes, but some are a bit more unusual, especially the Stooges
and Coil covers. I would say the covers are also definitely the most enjoyable
of this thirteen song bunch. A bit hard to fully illustrate but I’d imagine
if you’ve seen Remora live then you have some idea of what this album sounds
like, but for those that haven’t then you may be really surprised and also
keep in mind that the album is only sixteen minutes long.
~ Joe Mlodik, Lunar Hypnosis
Songs I Sing is a perfectly
descriptive title for this collection, as that’s what’s on it. Its genesis
was the songs Remora (Brian John Mitchell) would find himself singing a
cappella on-stage, to fill time while switching instruments or changing
a guitar string. He took these songs and recorded them, mostly in a house
but also, in a couple cases, in a hotel room and as a voicemail message.
Strung all together like this, they form a strange and alluring animal:
a demonstration of how disorienting yet comforting one voice singing can
be. Some resemble the quickly written, straight-from-the-head songs of
a child (“Half-Birthday”, “Sores”), others reverent hymns (“We Will Fall”,
which structurally resembles a prayer but lyrically more of a confessional
letter). There’s some element of folk tradition in these too, no matter
how humorously or jokingly it’s conveyed. (No surprise, then, when he sings
“Motherless Child”). He sings sometimes in a Townes Van Zandt-style troubadour’s
voice (“I Called Your Mom”), sometimes the same way he sings Remora’s usual
song-drones, sometimes demonic (“Heartworms”), and sometimes in a wicked-fast,
odd way (the shortest songs, generally). All in all, this album comes off
like a joke/experiment, but it’s also hard to shake, resembling as it does
the ghosts of voices past, strung together as one. Think of exorcisms,
of spirits singing through people, but also those goofy little ditties
we all sing to our loved ones, in the moment.
~ Dave Heaton, erasing clouds
Known for his guitar driven
explorations into soundscapes and noise, Remora (aka Brian John Mitchell)
also adds vocals to many of his songs, making for an interesting combination
of music, sound and voice. Songs I Sing is quite different for Brian, being
a 13 track, 18 minute, vocal only work. The story is that Brian was touring
with Rollerball and because he could only bring one guitar out west with
him he would have to restring the instrument on stage whenever he broke
strings. So he would keep the audience occupied by improvising songs during
the restringing, which Shane of Rollerball liked so much he wanted to release
on his North Pole label.
Most of the songs are less
than two minutes and several less than one minute. Just fun little statements,
and at times feeling like sing-song spoken word. While this is absolutely
not the disc to introduce newcomers to Remora, it will appeal to those
well familiar with Brian's work. I think it was even easier for me to appreciate
because I've had the opportunity to see Brian perform live twice this summer.
(No, he didn't break any strings but we were treated to his songs anyway.)
Of the 13 songs, three are
covers. Coil's "Heartworms" is a standout. I never heard the original but
I love the double tracked voice singing "there's too much blood in my alchohol".
Brian does a good job with The Stooges' "I Will Fall", which of any Stooges
song is probably the most amendable to the kind of vocal treatment Brian
is working with. Brian also cover's Rollerball's "Sores", and if you pop
the CD in your computer you'll find a video of the song (in AVI, Quicktime
and MPEG formats).
~ Jerry Kranitz, Aural Innovations
Brian John Mitchell si occupa
della sua Silber Records da oltre dieci anni. Da altrettanto tempo pubblica
dischi a nome Remora. Affreschi alienanti della disumanizzazione post industriale.
“Songs I Sing” è invece un'altra cosa. Una raccolta di una dozzina
di canzoni cantate a cappella con l'accompagnamento solo di un delay e
di Jessica Bailiff al mixer. L'idea di registrare queste canzoni bizzarre
è venuta a Shane De Leon dei Rollerball dopo aver sentito Brian
intonare alcune melodie a cappella mentre accordava le sue chitarre durante
alcuni tenuti assieme nel 2005. Tra le tredici canzoni di “Songs I Sing”
- che insieme non superano i sedici minuti di durata – ci sono anche un
tradizionale, “Motherless Child, una cover degli Stooges, “We Will Fall”,
una dei Coil, “Heartworms”, e una dei Rollerball, “Sores”, di cui il cd
contiene anche un video.
~ Roberto Mandolini, Losing
Today
Azzardare è sperimentare?
Forse è uno scherzo.
Probabilmente un gioco. Tuttavia Brian John Mitchell continua a stupire.
Il titolo rivela già il contenuto del disco, ma sicuramente è
troppo “stupido” per essere capito. I Remora, questa volta, accantonano
le chitarre noise ed i suoni apocalittici per lanciarsi in una nuova (assurda)
sfida sponsorizzata dal leader dei Rollerball Shane De Leon che – tra l’altro
– è il titolare della piccola label North Pale (di cui consiglio
la pazzia sonora di Miss Massive Snowflake).
Tredici canzoni, di cui
la maggior parte è farina del suo sacco, più la grandiosa
e riuscita cover “We Will Fall” dei Stooges, “Heartworms” dei Coil e “Sores”
dei Rollerball. Tutte rigorosamente cantate a cappella a casa di Jessica
Bailiff, in una stanza d’hotel e nella camera da letto di Brian. Spettacolo
della semplicità.
La durata del CD è
brevissima. 16 minuti appaiono comunque un “minutaggio” azzeccato per una
release fuori da ogni schema, ma in alcuni frangenti davvero affascinante
(vedi la cover dei Stooges). Ed ora i classici “ero capace anch’io” si
sprecheranno… Intanto però io mi guardo il video-assurdo di "Sores"
alla facciazza loro! Evviva le galline!
~ Alessandro Lucentini,
Kronic