Posts Tagged ‘my brightest diamond’

Clipse and My Brightest Diamond

Press Photo - credit: James Slovonov

I interviewed Clipse today. Yesterday before the interview I went to the Jive offices and heard all of Hell Hath No Fury, while Pusha and Malice sat in the room. I’m not a hip hop writer, but I’m doing this for CMJ because I loved We Got It For Cheap vol II. I’ve never felt so out of league though, especially when they put me on the spot and asked what I thought the strongest tracks were, and why. It’s bad enough to only get one or two listens to each track, but to have to describe it on the spot was nearly impossible. Pusha has to be in the room every time the album is played for someone. Their publicist said there are maybe two copies of the album in anyone’s hands, but I wish I could listen again– listening for lines, beats, synth tricks, tightly-wound syllables is just too much at one time, for one listen.
So Clipse may be a little outside my comfort level, but I am far more comfortable talking about artists like My Brightest Diamond, aka Shara Worden. I love her voice; it’s cold and distant but still has moments of vulnerability, like a woman who would show up crying at your door at midnight, but would still be gone before you woke up. Not that I would know. I saw MBD at their CD release show. Here’s a piece of a Nina Simone cover, one that Jeff Buckley did as well, and so you can hear how she and him both use their vocal acrobatics. Here also is “Firefly,” from her debut album Bring Me The Workhorse.

My Brightest Diamond - Dragonfly

my-brightest-diamond-feelin-good-nina-simone-cover.mp3

Who is this?

I'm Jessica, a freelance writer and editor. There's more here.

You can also find me on Twitter, Flickr, Last.fm, Goodreads, Facebook, MySpace, Qik, and Delicious. I like over-aggregating.

Flickr

Mark at Ikea Brooklyn II Tobey sleeping Clipse CMJ 11-4-2006 2-21-21 PM Clipse CMJ 11-4-2006 2-10-12 PM

Also

  •  I talked to Ryan Leslie for Paper Magazine. I met him at a studio while he was working on tracks for Jennifer Lopez. His shoes were nice. He insists on dressing up to record in a studio, which I think is really funny.

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  • Talked to Black Lips for Monday's Progress Report on Steregum. I mentioned their studio walls covered in inspirational quotes, but didn't mention that they also put up lots of girlie pictures (girlie is probably not the right word, since that makes you think of tasteful 1940s nude pinups. Pretty sure Black Lips are more the Barely Legal / High Society type).

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  • New Progress Report on Giant Drag. The Giant Drag story got picked up by the NME. Writes Annie: "It's funny how all of a sudden people i haven't talked to in awhile are
    calling or texting me about shows or whatever after the article." She's a great lady.

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  • I wrote a Band On The Street on Welcome Wagon for the Village Voice. They are the nicest band in the world, probably because they didn't start out as a band, but as a married couple. I'm working on a review of another couple band. I am sorta grossed out about how cute every couple band is.

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  • Kings of Convenience Progress Report went up yesterday. ØØØ!

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Lifestream

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  • JessicaSuarez: I could go to the gym, or watch Elvis '68 Comeback on TV Land. Luckily, Watch More Elvis was one of my New Year's resolutions.

  • Jessica is cleaning up soot from her space heater catching on FIRE. Thank God for BB&B liberal return policy. And that I was awake when it happened.

  • Jessica Mark got me a Swiss Army knife, Sontag journals, and a Ravenclaw scarf for Christmas. Together that about covers everything I like ever.

  • JessicaSuarez: I had a four-hour dream about Thom Yorke last night.

  • Jessica saw Yes Man tonight. Seeing Criss Angel tomorrow night. Family fun @home.

  • JessicaSuarez: Just found my childhood baseball card collection! Shit's gotta be worth something. http://twitpic.com/vit9

  • JessicaSuarez: My brother's Xbox is out for repair, so no Halo 3 and Guitar Hero over vacation for me this year. Now I just want my own Xbox.

  • JessicaSuarez: At the jetblue terminal, going to las vegas. And I only have one bio, one Progress Report, and three album reviews due between now and xmas!

  • JessicaSuarez: The new Secretary of the Interior is in a cowboy hat and bolo tie--the official state neckwear of Arizona.

  • JessicaSuarez: MTV's announced a TV version of How's Your News? Did they fire their reporters and hire handicapped people? Does that save money?

  • Jessica just thought of a possible EMP proposal 20 minutes ago. Stupid.

  • JessicaSuarez: Screw this band: http://tinyurl.com/6zhvf8

  • Jessica is thinking of learning to use Drupal or Joomla.

  • JessicaSuarez: @selftitledmag Say hi for me!

  • JessicaSuarez: Tonight's the biggest full moon in 15 years. Hit me up if you need quicksilver or wolfsbane.

  • JessicaSuarez: At dirty projectors-how does this guy get his voice to do that thing?