Black Blondie - Do You Remember Who You Wanted To Be

Black Blondie - Do You Remember Who You Wanted To Be
Grade: A-
(Self-Released)

*MP3: Black Blondie - "Candy Cigarettes"

Slug of Atmosphere, during his one-time stint as love advice columnist for The AV Club, advised one reader that some people were addicted to drama in the same way that others were addicted to drugs. Based on some of the lyrical content of Black Blondie’s newest album, Do You Remember Who You Wanted To Be, there was some considerable drama addiction that inspired the musically eclectic collection of 10 tracks (love being compared to hunger and drug addition are but two typical metaphors).

But that relationship's loss is the listeners' gain, as Black Blondie take the pain and use it to transformative effect, effortlessly incorporating divergent styles as gospel, hip-hop, electro-pop and trip-hop into one impressively cohesive whole. The reason for Do You Remember's artistic success is that the band's approach to genre experimentation is constantly energetic, and possibly insouciant, even when the music itself is solemn, like on highlights "Hunger" and "Dirty Ashes" (featuring a verse from Muja Messiah).

The final result is that an invigorating listening experiences from a group with endless creative possibilities.

Black Blondie CD release party is at the Triple Rock tonight:



Black Blondie MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Tonight: Black Blondie @ The Whole

Taken directly from the press release:

The second show of MAKING MUSIC's spring 2009 season happens tonight, THURS APRIL 9 at The Whole Music Club, with special guests BLACK BLONDIE. This special installment will feature all three women from Black Blondie, talking about growing up, writing songs, and recording their brand new, highly acclaimed debut CD, which comes out next week. (Copies will be available at Making Music). Black Blondie will also perform a couple songs live as a full band.

For more about the Making Music series, head here. Expect a review of Black Blondie's latest album, Do You Remember Who You Wanted to Be, next week.

Black Blondie MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Tonight: Black Blondie @ the Nomad

BLACK BLONDIE
Billy Johnson
&
Meta

FRIDAY, Jan. 16th, 2009
NOMAD WORLD PUB
501 Cedar Ave S

$5 (additional donations are appreciated)
Doors: 9pm / Music: 10pm

Black Blondie MySpace Page

Tonight: Black Blondie, Black Audience @ Pi Bar

Download: Black Blondie - "For The Taste" (via)
Download: Climbing Poetree - "I Wanna Believe"

Tonight:
Black Blondie
Climbing PoeTree
Black Audience
Carpscale Orchestra
@ Pi Bar
21+ / $5

Even though sonic eclectics Black Blondie have yet to release a proper full-length, they've still manage to warrant a considerable amount from magazines and blogs due to their effortless creativity in their songcraft. On tracks like "For The Taste" and "Hunger", Blondie make like a gospel Fiery Furnaces, seemingly throwing genre caution to the wind to create a thrilling amalgam of sounds and styles. Blondie have been adding more and more material to their MySpace page, and members have mentioned that an album is nearly complete. Hopefully, listeners will be able to hear for themselves why so many have been entranced by the group's boundless ingenuity.

Black Blondie
Black Audience
Climbing Poetree MySpace Page

Pi Bar MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)
jon@minneapolisfuckingrocks.blogspot.com

New Black Blondie - "Hunger"

Stream: Black Blondie - "Hunger"

Last time Black Blondie posted new music on their MySpace Page, they were in the midst of what relationship expert Slug might call drama addiction with "For The Taste". But with all of the emotional ambiguity, the band was still able to rejoice with a potent blend of trip-hop rhythms and fantastically abrupt transitions that recall a gospel Fiery Furnaces. This time, with new song, "Hunger", the emotions are darker, for a while at least. "Hunger" starts out with a glum, dissonant chords on the piano, with a solid beat anchoring the proceedings. But, like in "Taste", there is a radical stylistic that suggest the down-on-her-luck narrator isn't about to give up the possibility of emotional transcendence.

I'm not gonna tell you when it comes, of course. That would be spoiling the surprise. Instead, head on over to their band's MySpace Page, so you can hear for yourself why Black Blondie is one of the most promising bands in Minneapolis do what they do best.

In other Black Blondie news, the band will be opening up for Climbing Poetree on October Fourth (as already mentioned below)



Who are Climbing PoeTree? Good question.


(Climbing PoeTree - "Hurricane Season")

Show Details:

Black Blondie
Climbing PoeTree (BROOKLYN)
Black Audience
Carpscale Orchestra
DJ Shannon Blowtorch

Pi Bar
2532 25th Ave. S. MPLS, MN
9pm
21+
$5

Black Blondie MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)
jon@minneapolisfuckingrocks.com

Show Announcement: Black Blondie, Black Audience @ Pi Bar

Radio K Posts Sessions From Jeff Hanson, Muja Messiah

Radio K has posted two sessions very worthy of your time. The first one is from rapper Muja Messiah, and he performs three tracks from this summer's Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy. Those tracks are: dryly ironic "Beautiful", statement of purpose "So Far, So Good", and the raucous, rocking "Madness". Backing him on all of these songs are eclectic soulsters Black Blondie, who provide a driving presence of "Madness", and adeptly back him on the other two tracks. Samahra manages to get some good vocal work on "Beautiful" and "So Good". Not only that, but she also knocks it out of the park on "For The Taste", one of two Black Blondie tracks that the group squeezes into the session.

Listen to all of the great music here.

For a local artists with a more recent release (i.e., last week), look no further than Jeff Hanson. The Kill Rock Stars artist laid down four songs of gentle folk music, which should be good for those of us easing back into the work week after a relaxing Labor Day. Check out the haunting, Elliot Smith-esque falsetto of "Maryann", and the solo acoustic likes of three others, here.

Muja Messiah MySpace Page
Black Blondie MySpace Page
Jeff Hanson MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Tomorrow: End of an Era @ The Cabooze

Taken directly from the Black Blondie MySpace Page:

"End of an Era" concert
RNC Freedom Demonstration Post Party

Sept 2nd
917 Cedar Ave Minneaoplis
The Cabooze

doors 8:30 / music 9pm
(Black Blondie plays at 10pm)

$5;18+.

Featuring:
Matisyahu backed by Wookie Foot
Pleasure Pause
Black Blondie
New Rebelution



(Jonathan Graef)

Show Announcement: Black Blondie and Roma Di Luma at the Triple Rock

Black Blondie
Roma di Luna
Aby Wolf
Asylum Sound System

Friday, August 15
9pm
21+
$8
Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue on the West Bank in Minneapolis, MN

Having just come off opening for Muja Messiah's CD release party, genre-leapers Black Blondie will do some headlining of their own this time. On Friday, August 15th, the group will headline a show that is befittingly eclectic. On the bill will be folkster Aby Wolf; roots-minded Roma Di Luna, who, earlier this year, put out the self-released Casting The Bones; and, finally, Asylum Sound System. The show is 21+, and will set you back 8 bones.

(Jonathan Graef)

Saturday: West Bank Music Festival

Note: Crescent Moon is in Big Trouble are a band on Afternoon Records, a label which one of our contributors has a financial interest

Nomad World Pub Website

(Jonathan Graef)

Reveille Magazine Interviews Black Blondie

Download: Black Blondie - "For The Taste" (via Reveille Magazine)

If you haven't already, check out Reveille's highly entertaining interview with leap-tall-genres-in-a-single-bound MPLS quartet Black Blondie. The new MFR favs discuss what musical style the consider their songs to be in, the lyrical inspiration for "For The Taste", and how each band member got to where they are at today, musically speaking. Fun trivia: band member Liz went to Interlochan. I can imagine that she has a lot to talk about with many St. Olaf students.

Read the rest of the interview here.
Buy Reveille Stuff here.

Black Blondie MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Tonight in Minneapolis: Pride Parade, Dosh

Black Blondiewill be on from 7:30-8:00. The block party will be held on Bryant Avenue South between 29th St.
and Lake St. Info below, via the Black Blondie MySpace page:

Uptown Pride Block Party
Friday, June 27, 6-10:30pm
FREE! Rain or Shine
810 W Lake St, Mpls 55408

Foxy Tann - emcee
6:00-6:30 Rope Trick
6:45-7:15 Venus DeMars & All the Pretty Horses
7:30-8:00 Black Blondie
8:15-8:45 Dykes Do Drag
9:00-10:15 Tina Schlieske & Band

(Dosh - "Fireball" -Live at the Varsity Theater)

After getting reviewed by Pitchfork, and interviewed by the AV Club, the one thing left to do is to play live, and that's what Dosh is going to do tonight at First Ave. Show is 18+, and tickets are $12. P.O.S. and Kill The Vultures open.

(Jonathan Graef)

New Black Blondie - "For The Taste"

Stream: Black Blondie - "For The Taste"

Black Blondie are a Minneapolis-based rhythm-and-blues group who are gathering quite a bit of buzz around the them, especially amongst those who are fond of Amy Winehouse's brand of revisionist soul. While Black Blondie have a sound which should make the Dap-Kings bestow Queenhood around BB's singer, Samahra, there also isn't a trace of gimmick to be found in Black Blondie's music. In other words, no retro-ironic shout-outs to Slick Rick, or endless navel-gazing about fashionable drug habits. Instead, Black Blondie play genuine, utterly infectious music with superb sense of shifting tempos, with a hint of both traditional genres such as gospel and more outre ones like trip-hop (check out the Portishead-esque beat of "World Won't Rest").

The former gets to stretch its muscles on the group's new song, "For The Taste". The jazz-inflected lyrics and vocals are about a timeless theme--a love that proves to be more addictive than healthy. While the music is modern, there's a hint of the old-school in the interjection of a gospel vamp about midway through the song. It's entirely unexpected, but it gives the song a great jolt. If Black Blondie keeps up the great songs, the listener will surely develop more than just a taste of their music.

Thanks to reader Jon Jon for the tip! Stream "For The Taste" at the band's MySpace Page.


Black Blondie MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)