| The Dark Flowers — Radioland (2013) |
The Dark Flowers — Radioland
Location: London, UK
Album release: January 21, 2013
Record Label: Lojinx
Duration: 46:46
Tracks:
01. Radioland (ft Jim Kerr) 3:04
02. All The Time Running (ft Shelly Pool & Charity Hair) 3:48
03. Blue Eyes Are Cheating (ft Jim Kerr) 4:08
04. Fast Forest Rain (ft Kate Havnevik) 3:25
05. Aim For The Heart (ft Catherine AD) 3:37
06. Candle Is The Ring (ft Helicopter Girl) 4:22
07. Clean Break (ft Peter Murphy) 5:13
08. Diamonds On The Snow (ft Dot Allison) 4:01
09. When Stars Fall (ft Shelly Pool) 3:37
10. Cellophane Girl (ft Shelly Pool) 3:35
11. No Trains Stop Here (ft Catherine AD) 4:15
12. Where The Wild Things Are (ft Jim Kerr) 3:41
CREDITS:
≡ Catherine A.D. Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Dot Allison Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Sandy Dworniak Management
≡ Charity Hair Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Kate Havnevik Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Helicopter Girl Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Jackie Joyce Composer
≡ Jim Kerr Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Kenny Laurenson Art Direction, Design
≡ Peter Murphy Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Shelly Poole Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Paul Statham Composer, Mixing, Musician, Producer
≡ "A perfect album for a lonely winter night" — 4/5 — MOJO
≡ "****" — ROLLING STONE
≡ "A record brimming with enough diverse personalities" — 8/10 — DROWNED IN SOUND
≡ "The strength of Radioland is to erase excesses and dazzle" — 4/5 — LES INROCKS
≡ "***" — Q MAGAZINE
≡ The Dark Flowers would baulk at being called a supergroup, but with the likes of Pete Murphy (Bauhaus), Jim Kerr (Simple Minds), Dot Allison, Shelly Poole and Helicopter Girl all involved the starting cast certainly has the weight to deserve that term. Add in rising London singer-songwriter Catherine AD and Norway's critically acclaimed Kate Havnevik and you have a vocal cast of some power. With producer and songwriter Paul Statham (Dido, Pete Murphy, Kylie) pulling the musical strings it is little wonder that the album under this collaborative name should deliver twelve tracks that beguile with their dark take on country music, filled with gravitas and drama.
The Dark Flowers are Paul Statham, Peter Murphy, Jim Kerr, Dot Allison, Shelly Poole, Helicopter Girl, Catherine AD & Kate Havnevik. Their album, "Radioland", will be out in January 2013 on Lojinx in UK & Europe.
For more info contact:
Music: Paul Statham
Vocals/Lyrics: ...Jim Kerr...Dot Allison...Peter Murphy..Helicopter Girl...Remi Rough...Shelly Poole...Kate Havnevik...Catherine A.D
REVIEW:
By Dom Gourlay
Score: 8/10
≡ When American author and playwright Sam Shepard published Motel Chronicles, a collection of poems and memoirs depicting the first 40 years of his life, little did he know it would end up influencing the subject matter for a concept album three decades on. However, that’s pretty much how the story begins. Acclaimed songwriter Paul Statham, whose credits include the likes of Kylie Minogue, Dido and The Saturdays not to mention being a founder member of Mansfield’s finest post-punk new wave outfit B-Movie, came up with the idea for Radioland back in 2009 while reading Shepard’s award collection. All he needed now was to find a group of like-minded artists willing to assist him in makingg his latest project a reality.
≡ Step forward The Dark Flowers, a supergroup of sorts assembled by Statham. In some cases calling in favours – Dot Allison, former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy, ex-Alisha’s Attic singer Shelley Poole and enigmatic folk artist Helicopter Girl having all previously collaborated with Statham – along with Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr, Norwegian solo artist Kate Havevnik and critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and composer Catherine A.D. Having taken almost three years to come to fruition, Radioland represents a bold statement of intent from its creators, a record brimming with enough diverse personalities to draw divine inspiration of its own from Shephard’s celebrated chronicles.
≡ In allowing each contributor a degree of creative licence in how they choose to individually interpret selected excerpts and passages from Shephard’s novel, Statham’s project has avoided falling into the trap where everything feels the same and one size fits all. Instead, governed by a musical backdrop that takes its inspiration in equal parts from Brian Eno’s Another Green World, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago and Bruce Langhorne’s soundtrack to Peter Fonda’s 1971 cult classic The Hired Hand, Radioland provides a multi-dimensional insight into both its creators and muse’s psyche.
≡ Somewhat unfortunately sharing its name with ‘York’s most respected indie covers band’ (their words not ours), The Dark Flowers is a fitting moniker for such a lavish adventure in melancholy. Musically coerced as a ‘dark country record’, Statham contributes all kinds of instrumentation, from slide guitar and banjo to the occasional orchestral accompaniment, each of Radioland‘s twelve pieces inserting their own characteristics upon Shephard’s largely autobiographical texts.
≡ The opening title track – one of three contributions Jim Kerr makes to the record – dips its toe into Bowie-esque waters. “I know a boy who played guitar” narrates the Simple Minds frontman over a simple acoustic melody, setting the scene impeccably. Shelly Poole – also featured on Radioland three times – and Charity Hair’s luscious harmonies on ‘All The Time Running’ elevate its maudlin subtext into one of the album’s key moments. Likewise ‘Blue Eyes Are Cheating’, another of Jim Kerr’s contributions and arguably the finest four minutes he’s put his name to since 1998's Neapolis long player.
≡ “I hope you’ll be waiting for me at the end of the night” coos Kate Havevnik on the delicate ‘Fast Forest Rain’ like a lovelorn Kim Deal, while the lilting tones of Catherine A.D. lend a sinister undercurrent to lines like “I look at you it’s hard to focus, I wonder if you ever notice?” on ‘Aim For The Heart’, Radioland‘s midpoint. The chiming lullaby that is ‘Candle Is The Ring’ marks Helicopter Girl’s return as one of these isles’ most underrated vocal projectionists, while Peter Murphy’s charismatic performance on ‘Clean Break’ (“Am I alive or dead?”) is befitting of his almost legendary status.
≡ At times subtlety infused with sadness can be difficult to bear; Dot Allison’s brooding lament ‘Diamonds On The Snow’ and the equally tearful Catherine A.D. ballad ‘No Trains Stop Here’ suggest Shephard’s mostly upbeat novel wasn’t just an exercise in self-effacing bravado. Of the remaining compositions, Shelley Poole’s ‘When Stars Fall’ and ‘Cellophane Girl’ brighten the mood somewhat, the latter proving uncannily reminiscent of Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’. By the time Jim Kerr closes Radioland via ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ it almost resembles the final scene of a screenplay adaptation, which may well be next on the agenda. What’s more befitting of Radioland is that it immediately persuades the listener to seek out a copy of Motel Chronicles while basking in the collective back catalogues of some of the finest artists to grace British music over the past 30 years.
Fortaken: http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17420/reviews/4145923
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
≡ The Dark Flowers is a multi-artist collaborative project spearheaded by Paul Statham, a British songwriter who is best known for his work with Dido, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds. Described by Statham as "exploring the dark heart of America", debut album Radioland (January 21, U.K.) is brimming with atmospheric and ethereal textures -- think Bon Iver's "For Emma" crossed with Brian Eno -- that sound like the spectral soundtrack to some moody lost western. Kerr is one of the project's key vocal recruits, tackling three of the Radioland's songs (including the title track) while Murphy, Norwegian electronica songstress Kate Havnevik, Dot Allison, Catherine AD, Helicopter Girl and Shelley Poole fill out the vocal roster. Like the best conceptual albums, there's a cohesive dramatic flow throughout Radioland that makes one track meld easily with the next. We're particularly taken with the lush cinematic elements of "No Trains Stop Here" featuring Catherine AD while fine lead single "Fast Forest Rain" with Kate Havnevik can be streamed below.
Website: http://www.thedarkflowers.com/
Website: http://www.lojinx.com/the-dark-flowers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedarkflowers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theflowersdark
Agent:
Interview; Laurie Tuffrey, January 24th, 2013 06:21
: http://thequietus.com/articles/11156-the-dark-flowers-jim-kerr-catherine-ad-dot-allison-paul-statham-interview
In french:
≡ L’ inspiration de Paul Statham pour cet album lui est venue en lisant « The Motel Chronicles », célebre roman autobiographique de Sam Shephard. En isolant certains passages du livre, Paul a commencé a composer certains morceaux puis s’est rapproché d’artistes tels que Jim Kerr (Simple Minds), Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) ou encore Dot Allison (Massive Attack, Death in Vegas) afin de tendre au maximum vers les atmospheres généralement élégiaques du roman de Sam Shephard.
≡ Radioland est une superbe collaboration multi-générationnelle d’artistes tres inspirés issues de divers univers musicaux qui nous comptent ensemble une aventure oscillant entre ode mélancolique et lyrisme enjoué, une merveille.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
| The Dark Flowers — Radioland (2013) |
The Dark Flowers — Radioland
Location: London, UK
Album release: January 21, 2013
Record Label: Lojinx
Duration: 46:46
Tracks:
01. Radioland (ft Jim Kerr) 3:04
02. All The Time Running (ft Shelly Pool & Charity Hair) 3:48
03. Blue Eyes Are Cheating (ft Jim Kerr) 4:08
04. Fast Forest Rain (ft Kate Havnevik) 3:25
05. Aim For The Heart (ft Catherine AD) 3:37
06. Candle Is The Ring (ft Helicopter Girl) 4:22
07. Clean Break (ft Peter Murphy) 5:13
08. Diamonds On The Snow (ft Dot Allison) 4:01
09. When Stars Fall (ft Shelly Pool) 3:37
10. Cellophane Girl (ft Shelly Pool) 3:35
11. No Trains Stop Here (ft Catherine AD) 4:15
12. Where The Wild Things Are (ft Jim Kerr) 3:41
CREDITS:
≡ Catherine A.D. Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Dot Allison Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Sandy Dworniak Management
≡ Charity Hair Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Kate Havnevik Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Helicopter Girl Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Jackie Joyce Composer
≡ Jim Kerr Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Kenny Laurenson Art Direction, Design
≡ Peter Murphy Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Shelly Poole Composer, Featured Artist, Vocals
≡ Paul Statham Composer, Mixing, Musician, Producer
≡ "A perfect album for a lonely winter night" — 4/5 — MOJO
≡ "****" — ROLLING STONE
≡ "A record brimming with enough diverse personalities" — 8/10 — DROWNED IN SOUND
≡ "The strength of Radioland is to erase excesses and dazzle" — 4/5 — LES INROCKS
≡ "***" — Q MAGAZINE
≡ The Dark Flowers would baulk at being called a supergroup, but with the likes of Pete Murphy (Bauhaus), Jim Kerr (Simple Minds), Dot Allison, Shelly Poole and Helicopter Girl all involved the starting cast certainly has the weight to deserve that term. Add in rising London singer-songwriter Catherine AD and Norway's critically acclaimed Kate Havnevik and you have a vocal cast of some power. With producer and songwriter Paul Statham (Dido, Pete Murphy, Kylie) pulling the musical strings it is little wonder that the album under this collaborative name should deliver twelve tracks that beguile with their dark take on country music, filled with gravitas and drama.
The Dark Flowers are Paul Statham, Peter Murphy, Jim Kerr, Dot Allison, Shelly Poole, Helicopter Girl, Catherine AD & Kate Havnevik. Their album, "Radioland", will be out in January 2013 on Lojinx in UK & Europe.
For more info contact:
Music: Paul Statham
Vocals/Lyrics: ...Jim Kerr...Dot Allison...Peter Murphy..Helicopter Girl...Remi Rough...Shelly Poole...Kate Havnevik...Catherine A.D
REVIEW:
By Dom Gourlay
Score: 8/10
≡ When American author and playwright Sam Shepard published Motel Chronicles, a collection of poems and memoirs depicting the first 40 years of his life, little did he know it would end up influencing the subject matter for a concept album three decades on. However, that’s pretty much how the story begins. Acclaimed songwriter Paul Statham, whose credits include the likes of Kylie Minogue, Dido and The Saturdays not to mention being a founder member of Mansfield’s finest post-punk new wave outfit B-Movie, came up with the idea for Radioland back in 2009 while reading Shepard’s award collection. All he needed now was to find a group of like-minded artists willing to assist him in makingg his latest project a reality.
≡ Step forward The Dark Flowers, a supergroup of sorts assembled by Statham. In some cases calling in favours – Dot Allison, former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy, ex-Alisha’s Attic singer Shelley Poole and enigmatic folk artist Helicopter Girl having all previously collaborated with Statham – along with Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr, Norwegian solo artist Kate Havevnik and critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and composer Catherine A.D. Having taken almost three years to come to fruition, Radioland represents a bold statement of intent from its creators, a record brimming with enough diverse personalities to draw divine inspiration of its own from Shephard’s celebrated chronicles.
≡ In allowing each contributor a degree of creative licence in how they choose to individually interpret selected excerpts and passages from Shephard’s novel, Statham’s project has avoided falling into the trap where everything feels the same and one size fits all. Instead, governed by a musical backdrop that takes its inspiration in equal parts from Brian Eno’s Another Green World, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago and Bruce Langhorne’s soundtrack to Peter Fonda’s 1971 cult classic The Hired Hand, Radioland provides a multi-dimensional insight into both its creators and muse’s psyche.
≡ Somewhat unfortunately sharing its name with ‘York’s most respected indie covers band’ (their words not ours), The Dark Flowers is a fitting moniker for such a lavish adventure in melancholy. Musically coerced as a ‘dark country record’, Statham contributes all kinds of instrumentation, from slide guitar and banjo to the occasional orchestral accompaniment, each of Radioland‘s twelve pieces inserting their own characteristics upon Shephard’s largely autobiographical texts.
≡ The opening title track – one of three contributions Jim Kerr makes to the record – dips its toe into Bowie-esque waters. “I know a boy who played guitar” narrates the Simple Minds frontman over a simple acoustic melody, setting the scene impeccably. Shelly Poole – also featured on Radioland three times – and Charity Hair’s luscious harmonies on ‘All The Time Running’ elevate its maudlin subtext into one of the album’s key moments. Likewise ‘Blue Eyes Are Cheating’, another of Jim Kerr’s contributions and arguably the finest four minutes he’s put his name to since 1998's Neapolis long player.
≡ “I hope you’ll be waiting for me at the end of the night” coos Kate Havevnik on the delicate ‘Fast Forest Rain’ like a lovelorn Kim Deal, while the lilting tones of Catherine A.D. lend a sinister undercurrent to lines like “I look at you it’s hard to focus, I wonder if you ever notice?” on ‘Aim For The Heart’, Radioland‘s midpoint. The chiming lullaby that is ‘Candle Is The Ring’ marks Helicopter Girl’s return as one of these isles’ most underrated vocal projectionists, while Peter Murphy’s charismatic performance on ‘Clean Break’ (“Am I alive or dead?”) is befitting of his almost legendary status.
≡ At times subtlety infused with sadness can be difficult to bear; Dot Allison’s brooding lament ‘Diamonds On The Snow’ and the equally tearful Catherine A.D. ballad ‘No Trains Stop Here’ suggest Shephard’s mostly upbeat novel wasn’t just an exercise in self-effacing bravado. Of the remaining compositions, Shelley Poole’s ‘When Stars Fall’ and ‘Cellophane Girl’ brighten the mood somewhat, the latter proving uncannily reminiscent of Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’. By the time Jim Kerr closes Radioland via ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ it almost resembles the final scene of a screenplay adaptation, which may well be next on the agenda. What’s more befitting of Radioland is that it immediately persuades the listener to seek out a copy of Motel Chronicles while basking in the collective back catalogues of some of the finest artists to grace British music over the past 30 years.
Fortaken: http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17420/reviews/4145923
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
≡ The Dark Flowers is a multi-artist collaborative project spearheaded by Paul Statham, a British songwriter who is best known for his work with Dido, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds. Described by Statham as "exploring the dark heart of America", debut album Radioland (January 21, U.K.) is brimming with atmospheric and ethereal textures -- think Bon Iver's "For Emma" crossed with Brian Eno -- that sound like the spectral soundtrack to some moody lost western. Kerr is one of the project's key vocal recruits, tackling three of the Radioland's songs (including the title track) while Murphy, Norwegian electronica songstress Kate Havnevik, Dot Allison, Catherine AD, Helicopter Girl and Shelley Poole fill out the vocal roster. Like the best conceptual albums, there's a cohesive dramatic flow throughout Radioland that makes one track meld easily with the next. We're particularly taken with the lush cinematic elements of "No Trains Stop Here" featuring Catherine AD while fine lead single "Fast Forest Rain" with Kate Havnevik can be streamed below.
Website: http://www.thedarkflowers.com/
Website: http://www.lojinx.com/the-dark-flowers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedarkflowers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theflowersdark
Agent:
Interview; Laurie Tuffrey, January 24th, 2013 06:21
: http://thequietus.com/articles/11156-the-dark-flowers-jim-kerr-catherine-ad-dot-allison-paul-statham-interview
In french:
≡ L’ inspiration de Paul Statham pour cet album lui est venue en lisant « The Motel Chronicles », célebre roman autobiographique de Sam Shephard. En isolant certains passages du livre, Paul a commencé a composer certains morceaux puis s’est rapproché d’artistes tels que Jim Kerr (Simple Minds), Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) ou encore Dot Allison (Massive Attack, Death in Vegas) afin de tendre au maximum vers les atmospheres généralement élégiaques du roman de Sam Shephard.
≡ Radioland est une superbe collaboration multi-générationnelle d’artistes tres inspirés issues de divers univers musicaux qui nous comptent ensemble une aventure oscillant entre ode mélancolique et lyrisme enjoué, une merveille.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::