Lisa Germano. Photo by Dina Douglass.

Lisa Germano’s anticipated release Magic Neighbor is currently set to be released in mid-September, according to her label’s official website, Young God Records. The site also features ‘Snow,’ a cut from the new album.

Magic Neighbor will be Germano’s eighth full-length (excluding re-issues and re-releases) and her third release on the Young God label.

And as we mentioned with Sam Phillips previously, Germano too is also featured on the new issue of Believer Magazine with an acoustic rendition of ‘It’s A Rainbow (Blame Me),’ a song originally found on OP8’s Slide. The issue is now available on newsstands and also available to order online through Believer Magazine’s official site.

The tracklisting:

1. Sam Phillips, “What It All Means”
2. Robert Scott, “From the Diary of an Early Settler”
3. Mike Scott, “A Wild Holy Band”
4. Lloyd Cole, “Coattails”
5. Phil Wilson, “Found a Friend”
6. Stuart Moxham, “Warning Signs 2”
7. Dave Wakeling, “Never Die”
8. Lisa Germano, “It’s a Rainbow (Blame Me)”
9. Mark Robinson (Cotton Candy), “Fantastic & Spectacular”
10. Beth Sorrentino, “Such a Beautiful Day”
11. David Sylvian, “Jacqueline”
12. Stephen Duffy (The Lilac Time), “Memory and Desire”
13. Mary Margaret O’Hara, “40 Stories”
14. Wreckless Eric, “(Swimming Against) The Tide of Reason”
Extremely Secret Bonus Track: Haunted Love, “San Dominico”

So, in an effort to expand the coverage of artists featured on Womenfolk, I’ve decided to create a small addition to the site where visitors can virtually review some of the submissions we receive that we aren’t able to cover in-depth for one reason or another.

I’m calling this feature simply “You Review,” (perhaps someone out there can think of something more cleverer?) and the first post is now online featuring New Zealand’s own, Boh Runga.

And because Womenfolk doesn’t post full albums online, the way these posts will be rated is based solely on a song or two by the featured artist. This format may change pending my ability to facilitate a better method. Still, I truly feel this is a great way to experience a more diverse set of music while putting in your own two cents.

Boh Runga - Right Here

Artist: Boh Runga
Song: Evelyn
Album: Right Here
Label: Katipo Music
Release date: July 14, 2009 (available now on iTunes)

After years fronting her highly successful band Stellar*, New Zealand’s Boh Runga has decided to go solo and is preparing to release her debut album, Right Here for the first time in the United States on July 14 in digital format.

‘Evelyn’ is the first single from that album and is undeniably, an unapologetic polished pop song. Slick production aside, Runga’s voice is both pleasant and sunny and compliments the song’s overall sound fairly well. Judging by this song alone, it’s clear that Runga’s style and musical direction is vastly different from her sister, Bic, whose music lies more in the singer-songwriter category.

Press snippet: The Runga sisters are second only to the Finns of Split Enz and Crowded House in New Zealand music royalty. After carving a hugely successful career fronting her chart-topping band Stellar, Boh now follows her sister Bic in going out under her own name. And while there are wide stylistic differences between the sound of the two Rungas, they share a talent for creating passionate songs.

Recorded over six months in the Hollywood studio of producer Marshall Altman, Right Here has already been warmly received on its recent New Zealand release. The NZ Herald gave the album four stars (of 5), noting “its unashamed blockbuster urges and tunepower make it all the more irresistible” and Real Groove called Right Here “an assured collection of streamlined tunes that’s guaranteed to surf the airwaves.”

WWW
www.bohrunga.com

Download
Boh Runga – Evelyn

Purchase
Boh Runga US Store | Boh Runga NZ Store | Amazon | Amazon MP3 | iTunes

Hannah and Samuel Robertson are the Woodlands

The Woodlands are Hannah and Samuel Roberston, a young couple who early in their relationship, learned that music was one of their great mutual passions. By the time they had met nearly a decade ago, Hannah had already written a few songs and was learning to play them on her guitar, while Samuel, who eventually taught himself guitar, began to play along. Shortly thereafter, he too, was writing his own songs.

But it wasn’t until after a seven-month stint in Central America, where the couple selflessly volunteered their time to orphanages and challenged themselves to comfortably live in a different country, that the Robertsons decided to move forward with their musical aspirations.

Upon their return to the U.S., the couple made Portland, Oregon their home and lived modestly while performing their songs to small venues in the area.

Deciding that they wanted to record an album, they created a small makeshift studio, using pillows, blankets and foaming material within a corner of their bedroom, and spent the majority of a year recording the songs they had written together. The result is a beautiful collection of simply-arranged, but wondrous and poetic sounds.

I want to be
Eating honey from your hand
In the Summerland
Can we run
Through the grass and all the reeds
And meet
Oh, pretty please
~ The Woodlands

Independently released just a couple of months ago, The Woodlands features ten homespun tracks, each a gem in their own right, but perhaps best appreciated as one, continuous listening session, perfect for a mild, summer evening or a night spent by the fire. Fans of the Weepies will most certainly find joy here, but will be pleasantly surprised at the differences too.

The Woodlands

Hannah’s voice is a lovely and airy whisper that never sounds brittle or strained. Perfectly controlled, its counterpart is Samuel’s masterful instrumentation, which effortlessly dances around her.

‘Summerland’ is a surprisingly contagious smooth and bouyant highlight. And on ‘King And Queen,’ a simple, continuous melody and its accompanying beautiful poetry are both hypnotic and soothing. Also noteworthy is the album’s gorgeous closing track, ‘Through The Winter,’ a soft and breezy gem that, if given the chance, will magically transport you to another place.

Since the album’s release, the Woodlands are now wishing that their music makes its way to as many listening ears as possible. And it would appear that those wishes are coming true. Famed radio station KCRW has recently featured the duo’s ‘Summerland’ as one of their “Today’s Top Tunes” and the couple have also began to receive radio play on FM stations both domestically and abroad, as well as album reviews in many countries.

The band can currently be seen performing in and around the Portland, Oregon area. For upcoming shows, be sure to visit the Woodlands MySpace page.

Download

The Woodlands – Can We Stay
The Woodlands – Summerland

Purchase

iTunes | CDBaby | Amazon MP3

WWW

The Woodlands @ MySpace
The Woodlands @ Facebook

Butterfly Boucher

Butterfly Boucher, whose given name is indeed Butterfly, was born into a large family (she has six sisters) and gravitated quickly to creating music.

Her professional career in music officially began in the mid-90’s when Boucher joined sister Becca and her band, The Mercy Bell (formerly known as Eat The Menu), as their bassist and vocalist. Together, the group released their LP, Bite in 1995. Their follow-up, Whoosh, followed in 1996 and was re-released in 1997 when the band decided to change their name. Trivia enthusiasts might be interested in discovering that there was evidently a ‘hidden message’ found in the CD tray that reads “subliminal messages such as this one have been proven to have a direct affect on the retail trends and spending habits of the average consumer.”

Shortly after the release of Whoosh, the band’s record deal hit a snag and the group dissolved with Butterfly eventually relocating herself to England to embark on a solo career at the suggestion of good friend and fellow musician, Mike Dixon.

Flutterby

While in the U.K., Boucher continued to write music and had created a strong series of demos. Dixon, who had several contacts in the music business, introduced Boucher to producers Brad Jones and Robin Eaton. With their support, she was fortunate to eventually land a record deal with A&M. Their hand-shaking eventually resulted in Boucher’s debut album, Flutterby, which was originally released in 2003 and featured many of Boucher’s demos without much additional production. And aside from a few guest musicians on a handful of tracks, all of the arrangements and instrumentation are Boucher’s own.

The following year, Boucher promoted Flutterby and toured Europe and the US, opening for Sarah McLachlan and the Barenaked Ladies.

Then in 2004, Boucher was invited to join David Bowie for a recording of his song ‘Changes,’ which was included on the soundtrack and film to Shrek 2. Her music has also appeared in a variety of other shows including Charmed and Grey’s Anatomy.

You don’t know
You don’t know what a day dream
I could be the girl who kisses everyone at the party
Say hello
Say hello to the new girl
Who’s she here for?
You shoulda seen her freezin’ the doorway
~ Butterfly Boucher

Boucher, who now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, was also recently part of the Ten Out Of Tenn’s collective band of touring artists during its second year. Together, the group performed throughout the country and a Ten Out Of Tenn compilation CD was released featuring a track from each of the ten artists (a Christmas album is available also).

Scary Fragile

This year saw the release of Boucher’s long-waited sophomore album, Scary Fragile. Two previous versions of the record were created for releases in England and Australia back in 2007, but neither panned out. Boucher then found herself trying to be released from her contract and was fortunate enough to not only break free from her label, but to also retain the rights to her songs.

Scary Fragile finds the singer continuing to nurture her mix of hook-laden pop/rock while still maintaining a lyrical integrity that many pop songs throw right out the window in favor of a radio hit. Highlights from the album include the driving beat of ‘Just One Tear’ and the smokey single, ‘Gun For A Tongue.’ Milder songs like the effecting ‘A Bitter Song’ are also noteworthy in that they show Boucher’s talents don’t lie solely in how well she can steer an up-tempo song.

Boucher is currently touring the US in support of Scary Fragile. She also continues to be the bassist and vocalist for the Nashville pop/punk band, Elle Macho, which also consists of musicians David Mead and Lindsay Jamieson.

Tour

June 24th – Hotel Cafe – Los Angeles, CA
June 29th – Doug Fur Lounge – Portland, OR
June 30th – Crocodile – Seattle, WA
July 2nd – Cafe Du Nord – San Francisco, CA
July 7th – KCRW In-Studio Performance – Santa Monica, CA

Download

The Mercy Bell – Always
Butterfly Boucher – I Can’t Make Me
Butterfly Boucher – Just One Tear

Purchase

iTunes | Amazon | Amazon MP3

WWW

Butterfly Boucher – The official site
Butterfly Boucher @ MySpace
Ten Out Of Tenn – The official site
Ten Out Of Tenn @ MySpace
Elle Macho @ MySpace

Sam Phillips

Critically hailed songwriter Sam Phillips announced via her official website that a new song will be available for July 2009’s issue of The Believer, a magazine that regularly features lengthy book reviews and interviews with authors and like-minded creators. Each issue features cover artwork by award-winning cartoonist, Charles Burns.

Phillips will be featured in the magazine’s special music issue which will include a compilation CD. No word yet on what song Phillips is contributing or who else will be featured on the album, but previous music issues have featured Marissa Nadler, Feist and Calexico.

This also isn’t the first time Phillips has quietly made a song available between albums. Recently she has been releasing studio versions of brand new recordings via her website to fans who have signed up for her mailing list. In April, Phillips released ‘Was It All In My Head’ and last month she made ‘A Piece Of My Brightside’ available to subscribers.

WWW

The Believer Magazine
Sam Phillips: Official site

Saint Bernadette. Photo by Sean Toussaint.

While on hiatus, there were several artists/bands/albums that crossed my desk that I wanted desperately to write about, but just didn’t have the proper time. Saint Bernadette was one of those bands.

Hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut, the quintet is made up of vocalist Meredith DiMenna, guitarist and husband Keith “Touch” Sanders, guitarist Joe Novelli, bassist Brian Anderson and Dave Valle on drums. Together, the group has released three recordings, the latest in the form of the Word To The Lourdes EP which was released this past April and what is to be the first of three recordings the band has scheduled for 2009, all to be released on their own label, Exotic Recordings.

While originally unfamiliar with the band, Lourdes quickly perked up my ears with how tasty this ensemble truly is. Armed with DiMenna’s take-charge vocals and the tight and masterful music-makers that support her, Saint Bernadette create a lively and kinetic mix of rock that while completely relevant today, it also contains hints of Concrete Blonde’s earlier recordings; DiMenna herself possessing a Napolitano-like grit.

Saint Bernadette’s debut album, In The Ballroom, was released in 2007, recorded in just a few days at the Bijou Theater in Bridgeport, Connecticut and introduced the band as a formative talent whose sound is an evocative fusion of bluesy and gritty rock served up by a frontwoman whose voice was designed for sold-out venues.

They do better when I leave them alone
I get the message, baby
You’re on your own
I take a minute just to rearrange it
And sit beside you so you can make your own changes
~ Saint Bernadette

In 2008, the band released the I Wanna Tell You Something EP, and immediately you’ll hear a transformation; their sound is noticeably less hazy and they decided to turn things up a notch. At times you’ll hear DiMenna’s amazing vocals soar as she rides the music’s current without ever being overpowered.

Standouts include the opening track, ‘In Between,’ with its heavy guitar work and electric howls. Also noteworthy is ‘Love Is A Stranger,’ which features an amazing, concussive chorus and truly wondrous guitar work.

Word To The Lourdes

Saint Bernadette’s third outing, Word To The Lourdes, takes things even further, easily becoming the band’s most rock-infused collection of songs.

Immediately upon hearing its opening track, the retro-esque style of ‘Nobody Wants My Kind Words,’ I was completely hooked by this incredible band.

Other highlights include ‘Already Gone,’ a momentous tornado of drums and guitar which DiMenna’s vocals again steer effortlessly to success and the simplicity of ‘I Can’t Add You To My List,’ which is pure rock’n roll through and through.

Saint Bernadette just finished a short tour on the eastern coast, but will undoubtedly be making further appearances this year. If you have the opportunity to catch them, I’ve read that their live show will definitely leave you awestruck.

Download

Saint Bernadette – No Dreams
Saint Bernadette – Love Is A Stranger (live)
Saint Bernadette – Nobody Wants My Kind Words

Purchase

iTunes | Amazon | Amazon MP3

WWW

Saint Bernadette | Exotic Recordings
Saint Bernadette @ MySpace

But I’m planning to get things moving again here soon, so keep your eyes open and your headphones out.

I’d wager that many people still regard New York’s Jill Sobule as a one-or-two-hit wonder, referring to her brief rush with mainstream fame which occurred during the mid-nineties and sparked silly controversy.

Perhaps those same people would be surprised to see (and hear) what the original “I Kissed a Girl” girl has been up to.

Since those whirlwind days, Sobule has been steadily churning out gem after gem, releasing works that are chock-full of her cheeky observations on life, relationships and politics and often delivered with a tart cadence. Her songs can be goofy and sweetly simple one moment and at other times, painted with somber and bittersweet arrangements. And of course, sometimes, they can consist of both. As a songwriter, Sobule has deftly mastered the art of merging her quirky personality into songs that can easily incite smiles as well as poignant storytelling.

On her latest, California Years, Sobule continues to excercise this winning formula.

Many of the songs that make up the new album have been released in demo or live formats via Sobule’s website over the last few years. And her many fans will undoubtedly find immediate comfort and joy in hearing final cuts of these songs.

Standouts include “Nothing To Prove,” a hilarious ode to the youth-obsessed business and “San Francisco,” a song in which Sobule describes a session at a massage parlor and the masseuse’s longing to visit the City by the Bay.

And while the album contains its fair share of chuckles, there are some less funny moments, too. “League of Failures” and “While You Were Sleeping” are but two examples that demonstrate that Sobule’s talents aren’t limited to a lyrical punchline.

On the closing track, simply titled “The Donor Song,” Sobule can be heard name-dropping the fans who’ve generously donated money to fund the production of California Years, but is delivered in what can only be described as her ‘Sobulian’ way.

The nineties were but a small chapter in Jill Sobule’s musical career. And although the limelight may have dimmed a bit, her songs since have proven over and over again that she’s no one-hit wonder. Her California Years is another fine album that proves things have only gotten better.

Let’s see how Katy Perry holds up in 15 years.

4 out of 5 stars

Download

Jill Sobule – San Francisco
Jill Sobule – The Rapture
Jill Sobule – The Rapture (live)
Jill Sobule – Joey (live)

Purchase

iTunes | Amazon | Amazon MP3

WWW

Jill Sobule | The Official Site
Jill Sobule @ MySpace

My workload has increased steadily and I’m not able to properly devote the proper time necessary to write regular entries. My hope is that things will subside soon and I can once again introduce these talented women to the masses.

So, rest assured, this is not goodbye. Just an extended absence.

Until then…