Alice and Michi
It was just before 2011, a jazzy feel-time season, Michi (Michi Wiancko / Kono Michi) wrote Alice (Eagle and Talon) a letter urging her to come to New York and collaborate on a musical project. Alice was driving around Los Angeles deep in her annual autumnal malaise. Skimming the message at a stoplight before stopping at her favorite Subway, she read the remainder just before going to bed. [read more=”Read more” less=”Show less”]
Three months later Alice arrived in NYC with two suitcases, a snare and cymbals but it was unclear who would be playing what instrument. Would Alice be attacking the drums and Michi the violin? Would they record the sounds of appliances and street fights? Who would be singing? Nobody knew but Michi welcomed Alice into her home and the musical experiments began.
This album Strange Bloom is the fruit of a 6-month collaboration between two friends who learned the beauty of experimentation, hard work and living according to the creative dictum of “Let’s try it!”
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'Strange Bloom'
‘Strange Bloom’ was written, recorded, and mixed over the course of a six-month-long co-habitation in a Brooklyn apartment. It incorporates lush vocals, richly-stacked violins, bizarre forays into electronica, and an arsenal of unexpected instruments: cardboard paper tubes, trash-filled wastebaskets, live trumpets, howling wolves, and setting 065 on the Casio.
Released May 15, 2012 on Kenji Records (US).
Special thanks to Hugh Ash for playing trumpet and flugal horn on tracks 2 & 3. Mastered by Roman Vail at JLM.
Video
Press
French DJ’s call Strange Bloom “a rich, intelligent and innovative album…composed with a special intimacy” and speculate on whether Alice and Michi have “the same pulpy lips” as Lana Del Ray on Radio France’s ‘Chantons Sous La Nuit Par Arthur Dreyfus.’ Read the full transcript in English.
“From the breathily staccato opening of Cairo through the fractured jazz of Fighters to the electro-classicalism of Goldrush, this is chamber pop at its most glorious” – The Scotland Herald
“…a beautifully constructed debut album…” – Popmatters
Lyrics
Cairo
I have been here all this time, saving up my charms watching trees grow high / you can’t see me all at once / I’m shiny like glass and cracking up sidewalks / who will ever know what I have known / who can ever know what I know? / I don’t need an alibi just because I had a different starting line / even when the streets are quiet, my voice is on my sleeve now my jacket’s on fire / I have been here all this time, saving up my charms watching trees grow high / you can’t see me all at once / I’m shiny like glass and cracking up sidewalks / don’t you know oh don’t you know it’s carved in my bones / don’t you know oh don’t you know I call all these streets my home / who will ever know what I have known / who can ever know what I know?
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Fighters
While you were close beside me, I saw that silver stream / your hands are soft but I have to try to catch the glimmer and sting / we had it all together / you can hold me at the door / we never really said goodbye so I can’t tell if you’re there / going away from the feel of you, we can give it one more try / but I don’t know how to tell you to keep digging while I fly / tell me not to do it, to take this whole thing down / tell me what I have to do to keep you close to me / tell me what to do, don’t tell me what to do
You Could Be My Guy
Keep up keep up, you’re cold to it so I started cutting / I know I know it doesn’t help out at all / keep up keep up, you’re close to death and I started counting / I know I know it doesn’t help out at all / I’d do anything for love as long as it doesn’t take much / I do not pretend to bend for us anymore / you could be my guy / you could be my guy / come on come on, start it up with anyone breathing (we’re not bad, we just ran out of fire) / come on come on, let’s just keep everything moving / I know i know it’s kind of exotica (you’ve already lost now we’re tied) / you could be my guy / you could be my guy
This Is a Happy Song
This is a happy song about how you came into my life / it has no ending / this is a happy song even though I haven’t figured it out / happy happy happy yeah / you got me falling in / I don’t even know your favorite things, I should be asking / I have so much to say but when you look into my eyes I got nothing nothing yeah / I’m gonna jump today even though I hear the warning / the drop is nothing ’cause when you talk to me the noise disappears and I am happy happy happy yeah / if I could show you the things I have collected alone while I was waiting / there’d be so much to say but when you look into my eyes I got nothing nothing yeah
March of the Walri
(instrumental)
Dedication
For the rest of the night, let’s travel as fast as we can ’till we know where we’re going / hold hands pretend like we’re closer to what we want / what else do you want me to ask for / what’s the rush for? / for the rest of the night, let’s travel as fast we can ’till it all turns white / hold hands and pretend like that we’re closer to what we want / what else do you want me to ask for / what’s the rush for? / let the first be first and let’s let the last be good / we’ll pretend we’re better than we were before / let’s drive and drive forever let’s drive and drive forever / I hope this goes well / for the rest of the night
Time to Take & Goldrush
(instrumental)
Jungly
Seems like you’re fine you’re fine / feels like you’re always crashing the jungle / seems like you’re all alone but I’ll always be watching under / you got it all worked out / your heart is almost hollow / I could wish so much for you / ah the sky is breaking up above you / ahh the sky is breaking off / ahhhh your blood is darker in the ocean / ahhhh you’ll never hear me say ‘you waste my time’ / you could go on forever / you know, the storm is only thunder / and don’t cry those tears for us / honey I will always be watching under / you got it all worked out / your heart is almost hollow / I could do so much for you / ah the sky is breaking up above you / ahh the sky is breaking off / ahhhh your blood is darker in the ocean / ahhhh and you will hear me say / your part is over, it’s almost over / you’d better rest a while / your part is over, your part is over / we’re gonna rest a while
For All of the Strangers
Drink from the weather, I drink from the well / I live in the corners, the stadiums and songs / in all of the coral and all of the fields / I’ll bury your sorrow away from here / all that you have loved will not go away / sleep through the fires, sleep through the spells / I keep all the stories of the people I know / all of the strangers I still love the same / all that we gather will not go away / all that you become I will not let go
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