New Jolie Holland - "Mexico City" (Stereogum Premiere)
On this first track from Jolie's forthcoming The Living & The Dead, things are certainly less swinging. Which is fair to expect from a song pulling motifs from the Day Of The Dead, although Jolie's suggested it's part of a larger effort to keep her jazzier urges at bay. For the new LP, Holland says she found inspiration in the likes of Neil Young and Daniel Johnston, bringing to light a rock side absent from her previous releases. I'm liking it. "Mexico City"'s fittingly dusty, full of south of the border horns, Jolie losing herself in booze and candles lit for those past on. As with her best material, after one listen you can imagine the perfect occasion for it to soundtrack (and this time it won't be a cocktail party). Besides: there are singers, and then there's Jolie.
Jolie Holland - "Mexico City" (MP3)
Simple, tuneful stuff. Springtime Can Kill You didn't really grab me the way, say, Escondida did, but I feel it changing. There are fancy friends in the mix -- M. Ward on some production and some guitar, six-stringer Marc Ribot elsewhere -- and on the back of this track, those sound like the right names for the project.
The Living & The Dead is out 10/7 via ANTI-.
Posted at 11:33 AM by amrit in MP3
Tags: Jolie Holland
I played bass for this song's live debut at a festival in Portland last weekend. You can watch a video of it here!
http://daveydpdx.tumblr.com/post/44692744/pickathon-whoa
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Brilliant. I really wish she wouldn't fight her jazz tendencies. The Mccoy-Elvin feel to "Springtime Can Kill You" is what brought me to Jolie in the first place!
As beautiful as ever, regardless.
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I totally agree, I thought springtime and Catalpa were great records, she sounds great as a haunting billy holliday esque singer floating around the melody. This sounds like Jolie singing on a jenny lewis track, It's retty good, but that other stuff was great.
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It seems like every album gets a little more rock-oriented. Frankly, I long for the simplicity, intimacy, emotion, and rootsiness of "Catalpa", when she seemed like the crazy lost Carter family member, the most creative and talented one at that. Nevertheless, she's still top notch.
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wow. first off, she's lookin great on that cover! sheesh!
sounds pretty good. i agree tho that catapla and escondida are still my faves.
this is soundin too produced to me, but i guess you can't complain about that-- it's her direction.
not really lovin the rockin' and rollin' for her, that jenny lewis comparison is going to haunt me forever :(
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Hey, Y'all--Jolie here--it aint true I'm trying to kill off the jazz in my soul. It just aint true at all. There's just other music on this record. I was writing this material at the same time as I was writing more musically convoluted stuff--these songs just sounded better together on a record. The ones that were left off this record will come out on the next record, and that will be soon, I hope--less than a year. Plus, I been making solo home recordings that will be available on tour. I'm still me--I just made a record--sheesh---ps--hey, Dave!
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Aw, dang. I didn't mean to ruffle feathers. The newfolk/rock and the jazzier stuff all sounds great. Glad to hear you're not avoiding the jazzier tendencies!
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hey jolie -- don't worry about the haters here...they have nothing better to do than complain....anyway, i like the new tune and look forward to hearing more...i saw you a couple times at union pool in april and from those shows, i can assure everyone that you're definitely "still you"
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this sounds lovely! I'm so exited about hearing shes collaborated with mward. thats a match made in heaven.
I am haphaphappy now! can't wait to hear more! JOLIE YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE!
here is proof ---> http://www.last.fm/user/fresvik
;)
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nothing she has done has grabbed me the way catalpa did. that album is completely enchanting and other-worldly. the absolute best part to me is the cough in the middle of "all the morning birds," one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. it's so natural and raw and wonderful.
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Jolie plays the piano in a field, a video
http://www.pampelmoose.com/mspeaks/2008/08/jolie-holland-free-mp3-new-album
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I don't really gush but if this girl's using her voice, I'm probably gonna like it.
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uh, hi--Jolie Holland here again. I wanted to say, for the record, I have no idea who Jenni Lewis is, and I've never heard her music.
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hi, I was just wondering what happened to that youtube video of jolie singing and playing the piano in some home has gone to, it was a private video i think, and it was a brilliant song, will it be on the new album?
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Looks like there's some tough love in this thread for Jolie. I understand the longing for the slightly dark, quirky, Tom Waits-esque elements of Catalpa, Escondia and Springtime. Except perhaps for an occasional glimpse in Natalie Merchant, I haven't found this sort of uplifted-yet-brooding quality in a female voice before Jolie. I haven't heard enough of The Living yet to be upset by the turn to rock. We want you to grow musically, Jolie - don't ever feel you need to prove you can do what others already have proven. Make your own way - we wanna follow!
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