the magnificent miss murphy

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I went to see Róisín Murphy last night (review in Grau tomorrow). She was WONDERFUL and her hats were FABULOUS. I know she's a long-time poptimist favourite but I don't think we've actually talked about her much, so shall we? Her album is one of the best of the year - my favourite is 'Tell Everybody', omg that was so good last night, she did it as the encore. And there are so many parallels with Gwen Stefani: platinum blonde MILF ex-frontwomen of 'alternative' acts who hit big late in their career, now embracing pop and offbeat couture for their solo careers.

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Gwen is making really leftfield music too! 'What You Waiting For?' is mental obv but 'Hollaback Girl' still satnds as one of the weirdest TRACKS I've heard in recent years, never mind just things in the charts. I think Overpowered is sonically v straightforward house/disco - Ruby Blue was v leftfield but on Overpowered Róisín mostly uses her lyrics and imagery to express her eccentiricities.

I mean, they don't sound like each other - it's more where they're placed in the industry, how they use the dance traditions of their respective countries (hip-hop vs house) to make slightly off-kilter pop.

Oh and also Gwen is multi-million selling star and Róisín is not but that is the fault of this bloody country preferring Kate Nash.

[datura800.livejournal.com]

I think Overpowered certainly has some very commercial songs on it, but the bulk are spiky and uncompromising. They don't grab you, they require attention and unfold their charms slowly.

I still don't agree about Gwen but meh!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

To be honest Lex having heard it I can totally understand why this stuff only gets to #28 - the Gnasher's popularity is a completely unrelated though inexplicable question.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I can understand why bloody 'Let Me Know' got to No 28 - and it should be thankful for that really. I'm hopeful that Overpowered might be Róisín's Black Cherry - 'Strict Machine' only got to the mid-20s but became a lot more massive than that would suggest, and set Goldfrapp up for Supernature.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'but 'Hollaback Girl' still satnds as one of the weirdest TRACKS I've heard in recent years'

'Wind It Up' is surely weirder. I still haven't heard her last album.

Kate Nash's music could be argued as borderline-off-kilter!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Last album is mostly rubbish, sounds like stuff scraped off the LAMB cutting-room floor. 'Wind It Up' is somehow both very weird and very boring.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Wind It Up" is one of the most underrated things she's ever done :( - I always hear the lyrics as basically sex ed/life lessons for 11/12 year olds, and feel faintly creepy listening to it.

The rest of the album is pretty bad, bar "Sweet Escape" and of course "Early Winter"