Needles & Grooves AoTM /// Vol. 3 - September 2019 /// Nicole Atkins - Goodnight, Rhonda Lee

Here's some further listening:

Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis. Nicole is clearly influenced by Dusty. And this is getting a 45 rpm repress.

Another great singer/songwriter-esque albums from 2017. Her voice is gorgeous and these are really soothing songs.

Arum Rae - Sub Rosa

A pop album I almost chose but didn't because I believe that other club has had it in their store and that, to me, meant a lot of people would have been aware of it. This isn't the typical pop, but more piano pop. I don't know, just let me have that description!

Jessie Ware - Glasshouse

And this was my 2nd pick for AOTM, but is rather rare on vinyl. This is not pop. This is an all female 90s indie band out of England.

Electrelane - Axes.

You are so right about the Dusty Springfield influence! It's cool to hear that heritage reflected in Nicole's singing, songwriting, instrumentation, and even some of the themes and helps me appreciate it on a different level! For whatever reason, the mental image I have when I listen to both of these records is the singer just wandering in and out of rooms in an empty house and kind of thinking out loud to work through what they're feeling, haha.

Arum Rae sounds kinda like a weirder, chilled-out Amy Winehouse - her voice still cuts like a dagger over the gentle guitar strumming (which also gave me Lauryn Hill MTV unplugged 2.0 vibes, but in a good way bc I actually like that album haha).

Jessie Ware's "Glasshouse" is lush powerhouse diva pop that's warmer and less synthetic than I brace myself for from modern pop artists. That "Selfish Love" song is a slinky, sensual slow burn with a cha-cha-like sexy guitar underneath. I'd heard her name but never really listened to any of her stuff, and I'm looking forward to listening to her other albums.

Electrelane is definitely not pop, haha. Plenty of feedback on that first track, so I was bracing myself for noise and screaming, but the rest of it is easy to listen to, and a lot of the songs are catchy in their own ways. I like the experimental jamming on "If Not Now, When?" There is so much variety on this album, but I love how it feels like a natural progression between all of the different genres with plenty of instrumental interludes to bridge all these different sounds and moods. "Eight Steps" is like a wild polka jam. "Gone Darker" sounds mysterious and cinematic like a noirish western with a deranged saxophone. "Business or Otherwise" sounds like the sound effects to a fun, suspenseful movie about a monster that lives in your attic. It all has a fun, low-fi feel and each song seems like it shapeshifts into something entirely different.

EDIT: Listening to the Working Songwriter podcast episode now and Joe Pug mentions at the beginning that Nicole has toured with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and yeah, now that I look, she was the opener for the Nick Cave show at the DAR in 2014, and I'm pretty sure I missed most of her set, but I remember really liking her even without knowing who she was or any of her songs.
 
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You are so right about the Dusty Springfield influence! It's cool to hear that heritage reflected in Nicole's singing, songwriting, instrumentation, and even some of the themes and helps me appreciate it on a different level! For whatever reason, the mental image I have when I listen to both of these records is the singer just wandering in and out of rooms in an empty house and kind of thinking out loud to work through what they're feeling, haha.

Arum Rae sounds kinda like a weirder, chilled-out Amy Winehouse - her voice still cuts like a dagger over the gentle guitar strumming (which also gave me Lauryn Hill MTV unplugged 2.0 vibes, but in a good way bc I actually like that album haha).

Jessie Ware's "Glasshouse" is lush powerhouse diva pop that's warmer and less synthetic than I brace myself for from modern pop artists. That "Selfish Love" song is a slinky, sensual slow burn with a cha-cha-like sexy guitar underneath. I'd heard her name but never really listened to any of her stuff, and I'm looking forward to listening to her other albums.

Electrelane is definitely not pop, haha. Plenty of feedback on that first track, so I was bracing myself for noise and screaming, but the rest of it is easy to listen to, and a lot of the songs are catchy in their own ways. I like the experimental jamming on "If Not Now, When?" There is so much variety on this album, but I love how it feels like a natural progression between all of the different genres with plenty of instrumental interludes to bridge all these different sounds and moods. "Eight Steps" is like a wild polka jam. "Gone Darker" sounds mysterious and cinematic like a noirish western with a deranged saxophone. "Business or Otherwise" sounds like the sound effects to a fun, suspenseful movie about a monster that lives in your attic. It all has a fun, low-fi feel and each song seems like it shapeshifts into something entirely different.

You listened to all of the further listenings!! Nice! No, Electrelane is in no way pop. Just an all women band that I think should have been more famous than they were. Jessie Ware has a new album coming out next year, as does Nicole! I'm excited for both.

I've lost track of Arum Rae. I need to see if anything new has come out or is coming out.
 
New music!!


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New music!!


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We’re so excited to tell you about a brand new album from Nicole Atkins called Italian Ice!

It was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and it features contributions from local legends Spooner Oldham and David Hood, Britt Daniel (Spoon), Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), Binky Griptite (The Dap-Kings) and Single Lock-ers John Paul White and Erin Rae… and more!

Today, Rolling Stone premiered the video for “Captain”, a track that showcases Nicole’s brilliant vocal talent (the reason we signed her in the first place) and features the great Britt Daniel from Spoon. Go check that out.

Italian Ice will be released worldwide on April 17, 2020 and…
PREORDERS FOR ITALIAN ICE ARE LIVE!
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New music!!


View attachment 32445
AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you. I can't wait!
 
We’re so excited to tell you about a brand new album from Nicole Atkins called Italian Ice!

It was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and it features contributions from local legends Spooner Oldham and David Hood, Britt Daniel (Spoon), Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), Binky Griptite (The Dap-Kings) and Single Lock-ers John Paul White and Erin Rae… and more!

Today, Rolling Stone premiered the video for “Captain”, a track that showcases Nicole’s brilliant vocal talent (the reason we signed her in the first place) and features the great Britt Daniel from Spoon. Go check that out.

Italian Ice will be released worldwide on April 17, 2020 and…
PREORDERS FOR ITALIAN ICE ARE LIVE!
View attachment 32447
As far as i can see our discount still works, so everyone should buy directly from single lock
 
the red comes to 55$ with shipping for me so i went with the single lock route, which would have theoretically been cheaper
(if i had not just ordered three other records with the order as well)

I’ll be honest the reason I haven’t ordered it yet is that I couldn’t order with free international shipping from an indie label without getting 3 or 4 to make it fair and I don’t want to drop that kind of money right now! $55 with shipping for the red one is a complete no go!
 
the red comes to 55$ with shipping for me so i went with the single lock route, which would have theoretically been cheaper
(if i had not just ordered three other records with the order as well)
Like the dummy I am, I didn't even remember there was discount code for Single Lock.
To make the 25 in shipping sting a little less, I added her third album (Slow Phaser) to my order with no extra cost in shipping.
I can't get anything shipped (reliably) to Brazil for less than 25 dollars...
 
I’ll be honest the reason I haven’t ordered it yet is that I couldn’t order with free international shipping from an indie label without getting 3 or 4 to make it fair and I don’t want to drop that kind of money right now! $55 with shipping for the red one is a complete no go!

I’ve ordered two records from Single lock with Free shipping to make it worthwhile to them shipping internationally.
I then decided I wanted Donnie Frits so took free shipping on that single order. Justifying it because i’d made a previous order.
I feel a bit shitty using code for another single order.
Can’t find another release i really want tho.
 
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