Pond

Pond

Track Listings

1. Crepitata

2. Slow Marsh

3. Horsefly

4. Chorus

5. Surge

6. Glottalk

7. Assembly

8. Twango

9. Swarm

10. Bellpool

11. Springers

12. Pterygota

13. Corridor

Tracks:

Phone Booth
Poor Johnny
Our Last Time
Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
12 Year Old Boy
I Guess I Showed Her
The Things You Do To Me

Tracks:

I Was Warned
Twenty
Bad Influence
The One In The Middle
Back Door Slam
Time Makes Two
I'm Walkin'

Amazon.com

Subtlety is both a blessing and curse for Robert Cray. In the studio, his increasingly restrained arrangements have served to frame his growing mastery of classic Memphis soul, allowing his soaring, vibrato-rich voice to carry tunes that directly echo the Stax years. That can work well live, too, and does so here in "Phone Booth" and the funky distillation "Back Door Slam," an ode to sexy down-home belters like Little Johnnie Taylor. But too often Cray downplays his incendiary guitar abilities on stage, which makes long numbers like "The One in the Middle" interminable, and leaves this two-disc live set--recorded during a week of shows opening for Eric Clapton at London's Royal Albert Hall in May 2006--full of cold spots. Things heat up whenever Cray picks up his Stratocaster in earnest, whether he's plucking out fat, singing notes à la Albert Collins in his radio hit "I Guess I Showed Her" or weaving a slow, soulful path through the bridge of the ballad "The Things You Do to Me," using his whammy bar and unpredictable variations on the melody to conjure shades of introspection. Overall, this set will please Cray's die-hard fans, but is unlikely to lure new listeners. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-04-18

Dont like his politics, but love his music. Good to finally get a live CD.

Increasingly dull.......2007-04-04

I saw Robert Cray on this tour and have seen him more than 10 times. We just him opening for Clapton last month. Sadly, his live shows get duller every year. He seems to be stuck playing these mid-tempo songs from his playbook that just aren't that interesting. Phone Booth and Our Last Time are slowed down to the point where they have lost whatever charm they once possesed. Songs such as Bouncin Back, Consequences, Picture of a Broken Heart, or Survivor would have made a much stronger playlist.

There are some bright lights on this album: I Was Warned and Time Makes Two are riveting and intense. It is time for Cray to get some new collaborators as he and his longtime band have settled into a deep and somnambulent rut.

There are many better ways to enjoy Cray's music than this. I strongly recommend Strong Persuader and I Was Warned as the best ways into his songbook.

marvelous.......2007-03-23

Refer to my first review of the Robert Cray Band. There is nothing to add.

Amazing.......2007-03-15

I saw him first on Eric Clapton's Guitar Festival and was blown away. This CD is another amazing performance live and the man is brilliant. Not a real blues fan until now but his guitar work can change your mind. His band is top notch too, never thought I could groove to an organ before.
Love this album bought two, one for a friend, you must share this man.

Highly recommend it.

Editorial review?.......2007-03-04

This isn't a review of the album, it's a review of Ted Drozdowski's (?) editorial review. I just heard Cray open for Clapton in Dallas a few nights ago. I didn't hear Cray downplaying his "incendiary" guitar abilities on stage, either in this album or the recent concert, as Drozdowski contends. B.B.King says he plays in "sentences." Cray is similar--but with longer, more complex sentences. Still, though, sentences. The contrast was startling when Clapton came out and played his melodic paragraphs. Neither is better. They're the unique voice of the respective artist. Cray is so smooth that the transition from vocal to guitar solo is seamless. He's always "incendiary," but it's often a slow burn.
Oh, and BTW, Cray doesn't have a "whammy bar." He plays a Strat with a hard-tail bridge (i.e., no tremelo).

Average customer rating:

If You Want Blood
matt pond PA
Manufacturer: Altitude Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Easy Tiger
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ASIN: B000PSJCT2
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

Reading
Magic Boyfriend
Everything Until the East Coast Ends
If You Live
If You Want Blood

Average customer rating:

A Real Treat!
I LOVE IT!!!

Movie Love Themes

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

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Beautiful Hollywood
Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Classics of the Silver Screen
Better Together: The Duet Album
Cousins

ASIN: B000003CWT
Release Date: 1991-05-10

Tracks:

Main Theme From On Golden Pond
Unchained Melody From Ghost
Sooner Or Later From Dick Tracy
We're Losing Him From Somewhere In Time
Love Theme From Flashdance
Marion's Theme From Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Evergreen From A Star Is Born
Flashdance....What A Feeling
People Alone From The Competition
End Title From Shirley Valentine
Arthur's Theme From Arthur
The Last Time I Felt Like This From Same Time Next Year
Love Theme From Cousins
Waltz From Cousins
Through The Eyes Of Love From Ice Castles
End Title From Ghost
Cavatina From The Deer Hunter
The Way We Were

Customer Reviews:

A Real Treat!.......2007-02-16

As someone who works from home, this is a wonderful collection to put on during the day. The beautiful arrangements of some of film's most memorable music is a treat to listen to day in and day out. I was one of those looking for music from the "Cousins" soundtrack. I'm so much happier to have found this CD with more great music than I could've bargained for. I'm very glad to have this in my collection!

I LOVE IT!!!.......2005-09-11

I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE SOUNDTRACK OF COUSINS... I KNOW BUT HEY I LOVED THE MOVIE AND WHEN I REALIZE THAT THE SOUNDTRACK WAS BEEN ASK $120 I JUST WENT NUTS LOL LOL BUT I WENT ON MY SEARCH AND FOUND THIS GREAT GREAT GREAT CD, THAT HAS THE SONGS I WAS SEARCHING FOR AND MORE.

FOR EXAMPLE, CAVATINA FROM THE DEER HUNTER, HMM GREAT MOVIE AND GREAT SONG. AND LETS NOT FORGET THE WAY WE WERE, COME ON THAT IS A CLASSIC. AND ITS HAS THE THEME FROM THE MOVIE ON GOLDEN POND, ALSO UNCHAINED MELODY FROM THE MOVIE GHOST.

BUT WHAT TOOK MY OFF MY SIT WAS THE SONG *WE ARE LOOSING HIM, FROM THE MOVIE SOMEWHERE IN TIME. LOOK THIS IS A GREAT CD, AND IT IS WORTH ALL.

I HAVE ALL THE SONGS I EVER WANTED AND MORE. BELIEVE ME YOU ME, IT IS A GREAT BARGAIN. WONT BE DISSAPOINTED.

Average customer rating:

Relive you movie experiences

The Ultimate Movie Music Collection
Erich Kunzel
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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The Incredible Film Music Box
Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
Simply the Best Movie Themes
Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

ASIN: B000BFH26Y
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

The Imperial March: The Empire Strikes Back
Main Theme: Jurassic Park
Main Title: Shakespeare In Love
Themes: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Main Title: The Last Of The Mohicans
Theme: The Godfather
Unchained Melody: Ghost
Theme: Goldfinger
We're Losing Him: Somewhere In Time
Space Camp
Opening And Closing Titles: Henry V
Theme: The Thorn Birds
Suite: Moonwalker
The Time Of Your Life: A Bugs Life

Tracks:

Batman Theme: Batman
Bicycle Chase: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Suite: Independance Day
Love Theme: Romeo & Juliet
Theme: Back To The Future
End Credits: Contact
Theme: Breakfast At Tiffany's
Main Theme: Star Trek
May It Be And Themes: Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Ring
Love Theme: Cousins
Sean's Theme: Minority Report
I Will Wait From You: The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
Theme: Rocky
The Sand Volcano: The Mummy
The Raider's March: Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Tracks:

Theme: Mission Impossible
Casablanca Suite
Book Of Days: Far And Away
Love Theme: Superman
Tara's Theme: Gone With The Wind
Don't Mess With: Z
Main Title: The Mask Of Zorro
Finale: Victor / Victoria
Carol Ann's Theme: Poltergeist
Love Theme: Star Wars: Episode ll: Attack Of The Clones
Main Theme: Willow
Main Title: Star Trek ll: The Wrath Of Kahn
MAin Theme: On Golden Pond
Theme: A Summer Place
Theme: Chariots Of Fire

Tracks:

Iceberg!
Back To Titanic
Main Themes: Hook
Theme: Pink Panther
Lara's: Doctor Zhivago
Theme: Love Story
Right Stuff
Theme: Jaws
When You Believe: The Prince Of Egypt
Smile: Modern Times
The Apollo 13 Mission
Re-Entry And Splashdown: Apollo 13
Main Title: Beetlejuice
War: Pearl Harbor
Cavatina: The Deer Hunter
Throne Room And End Title: Star Wars: Episode lV: A New Hope

Customer Reviews:

Relive you movie experiences.......2006-01-24

This collection of movie themes, will allow you to relive the chilling experiences from practically all (4 CDs)of the great movies. Great movies would not be great without great music. The Cincinnati Pop with Eric Kunzel are unbeatable recordings. Every minute is more beautiful and inspiring to the next. If you love Pops music, this is the begin all, end all.

Average customer rating:

what a dissapointment
very cool and fun
Good album from a band I'd not known well before.
Matt Pond PA offers lyrical encouragement in times of despair
New to me...

Several Arrows Later
matt pond PA
Manufacturer: Altitude Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Nature of Maps
Green Fury
Z
Measure
Plans

ASIN: B000B9EYFC
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Halloween
So Much Trouble
The Trees And The Wild
Several Arrows Later
It Is Safe
Emblems
City Song
From Debris
Brooklyn Stars
The Moviegoers
Spring Provides
Devil In The Water

Amazon.com

Because Matt Pond's contemplative cover of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" made for perfect background music on The O.C., he now finds his band compared to the likes of Death Cab For Cutie and the Shins. While Several Arrows Later confirms there is a shared appreciation for gentle jangle pop melodies and confessional lyrics, there's something darker here that sets the Brooklyn quartet out from the rest of the teen drama pack. The singer's voice, for one, has the kind of weathered quality that only comes with years of despair, especially when calmly delivering a line like, "I might smash up all these windows and set fire to the curtains." Then there is the music--exuberant and alive, yes, but also strapped to a gray cloud that prevents it from ever sounding truly unhinged in deep, meaningful treatises like "Is It Safe" and anguished late night ballads such as "City Song." --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

"Several Arrows Later" represents the most immediate and rocking expression of Matt Pond PA's music yet. His lyrics push through the confusion of city life (a smaller sky, throttling expectations, and terrible parties) and the comfort of country life (the familiar, the green, and the seasons) - both asking and telling us why we act the way we do. But it's not a call to action; it's a plea against apathy. Musically, it shies away from the redundancy of present day rock posturing yet remains totally immediate, relevant, and ridiculously catchy.

Customer Reviews:

what a dissapointment.......2007-01-23

I have all the matt pond pa albums but for some reason I bought this one just recently and it sucks. All his cds have at least 4 goodies but this one hasnt one. How can this be the work of the band that created the masterpiece Emblems. Oh well, maybe i can save someone else the time and money i waisted.

very cool and fun.......2006-08-30

When I heard matt pond pa on sirius, I ran to 3 music stores to find it. Finally, I did! My husband and I love the whole album. I can't wait until they tour----- If matt pond PA reads this, please bring your very cool music to FloriDuh!

Good album from a band I'd not known well before. .......2006-08-03

My exposure to matt pond PA was very limited before this album. I had only listened to the songs available to download from the official band website. I liked what I heard and was excited to learn about the latest album (October, 2005). A few guitars; a bass; a cello; drums; and the occasional keyboard, the recipe is a simple one to generate an enjoyable album from matt pond PA. Even though some of the songs blend together at the middle of the album, which makes them difficult to decipher from one another...

01. Halloween This is a representative song of what I like about matt pond PA. The sound is relaxed but not slow. Your subconscious takes over before long and you're tapping your foot or bobbing your head.

02. So Much Trouble If they have not yet taken it down, the video for this song is available at matt pond PA's myspace page. This song would go well on a mixtape with the Postal Service.

03. The Trees And The Wild As the song starts I feel that the music might be boring. It is simple and a little slower, but that does not mean is has to be boring. It works well here. Decent track.

04. Several Arrows Later The title track is a good song to appreciate Matt Pond's voice. The contrast between slower vocals and up-tempo music sounds pretty good.

05. It Is Safe There is nothing too remarkable about this song, and nothing really worth mentioning. It is a solid track as we enter the middle of the disc.

06. Emblems The music shakes you awake while the vocals rock you gently to sleep. Emblems leaves you slightly confused, though entertained.

07. City Song I think it's the cello that adds the slower element to the album. It's good, but this is a song where it is more noticeable.

08. From Debris This is one of the better songs on the album. The music grabs you right from the beginning. "From Debriiiiiis...you and meeeee...." Sing it with me.

09. Brooklyn Stars This song is a great example of what I consider to be a strength in lyrics on this album. It seems a pretty simple story that may not be so simple after all.

10. The Moviegoer I like this song now. The comparison to The Strokes - Last Nite drove me crazy for awhile, but it is not so bad anymore. It is a good song with a fun beat to it.

11. Spring Provides The album really ends strongly. Not to say that the earlier tracks are not good, but it is just heavily weighted on the end. Spring Provides...provides more proof of that.

12. Devil In The Water After Halloween, Devil in the Water is probably my favorite song on the album. They seem to have held nothing back as the album draws to a close. Not that this song is packed with loud energy, because it is not.

They took some good songs and wrapped them in two great ones. There is no negative connotation when I describe this as a good "rainy day" album, when your energy level may match the weather outside. That might be one of the best times to listen to Several Arrows Later, though not only time. Check it out for yourself.

Matt Pond PA offers lyrical encouragement in times of despair.......2006-05-12

This is a solid album; meaning that each song stands on it's own as a memorable experience. I got caught up in the lyrics pretty fast. They pushed at a well-developed perspective of reasonable and meaningful angst. (Though, there are moments when this perspective can be a put-off.) Lastly, if you dig, say, Death Cab For Cutie or maybe Sun Kil Moon, then you'll probably dig the sounds of Matt Pond PA.

New to me..........2006-03-05

I had never heard of Matt Pond PA until I caught Liz Phair at the Vic Theater in Chicago. They opened for Liz and totally got my attention - they rocked and they were very likeable! As is usually the case with a quality band, I liked them live more than the album, but thought enough of them to remember their name and order the album three months later! They remind me of very, very early REM (who also used to frequent the Vic in those days) and other similar indie bands (okay, I'm dating myself, so what?). I think they have a great future if they continue to put out a unique sound and the great quality work that I saw in person and I enjoy on this album. Several Arrows Later is easy to listen to and is well worthy to add to your in-dash CD player or I-Pod. If you can, catch them live - these songs rock in person!

Average customer rating:

matt pond
matt pond PA Emblems
Not a bad song in the bunch!
Amazing music. Period.
Beautiful Chamber Pop

Emblems
matt pond PA
Manufacturer: Altitude Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Green Fury
Nature of Maps
Measure
Set Yourself on Fire
Plans

ASIN: B0001Z3U1A
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

KC
Closest (Look Out)
Lily Two
Bring On The Ending
Butcher, The
New Hampshire
Claire
Summer (Butcher Two)
East Coast E.
Last Song
Grave's Disease
Close (KC Two)

Album Description

This is the band's fourth album and first for Altitude Records. "Emblem" should take them from being a critics' darling to an intelligent household name. Music about the inconsistencies of human nature and the leafy side of Canada.

Customer Reviews:

matt pond.......2007-03-19

Everyone I've ever showed this band to fell in love with them. Emblems was my first introduction to them, and its perfect. I love the arpeggio guitar, the cello i mean c'mon a cello? This is classy stuff. Saw them in northhampton, ma in a small place, they were awesome and matt pond is a pretty funny guy. The lyrics are pure poety and quite beautiful. I also love when they sometimes use dissonant notes that battle each other, breaking out of the mold.

matt pond PA Emblems.......2006-01-29

A wonderful, wonderful album. Not a bad song on the cd. The lyrics are thought provoking, the music warm and enjoyable. matt pond PA, as on their previous album, have made an album not just for fans of "indie" bands, but one that any music fan will enjoy. They know thier way around a catchy hook, while not giving anything up lyrically. Fans of matt pond PA must have this album. One of my top 5 albums for 2005.

Not a bad song in the bunch!.......2005-03-20

Sadly, I was introduced to Matt Pond by the OC--maybe that doesn't do much for my indie-cred, but the song, "New Hampshire" caught my ear and lodged itself in my head after hearing it only once . . . The rest of the album is equally impressive: poetic lyrics, interesting melodies and a unique sound. Favorites include the aforementioned "New Hampshire," "Closest (Look Out)" and "Bring on the Ending." If you like singer-songwriter artists like Joseph Arthur or Damien Rice, you'll like MPPA. Do yourself a favor and buy this album--you won't be sorry!

Amazing music. Period........2005-02-26

This is such an enjoyable record. The sense of melody & harmony is amazing, the instrumentation and arrangements keep everything interesting, and I always come back for multiple listens. Matt Pond pa's songs (on all their records) are just material that sticks with you long after the disc stops spinning. There are relatively few records I can honestly say I make it all the way through and turn right around and listen to again, but this is one of them. Acoustic guitars serve as the material's central focus, but they're not strummed in the plain, singer/songwriter way that's overly used and abused. The use of rhythms is intriguingly different, and each song has a wonderful sense of scope to suck you in. The acoustics are supplemented with tasteful electric guitars, cello (her parts are always interesting and memorable), rhodes, organs, keyboards, and a fantastic rhythm section. You can always walk away from one of these songs with no less than a dozen melodies in your head, be it the vocals, the cello, the guitars, whatever. If beautiful, catchy "chamber pop" even intrigues you a little, go for this record. It's a great place to start with their material, and in my opinion tops the last record (The Nature of Maps, which I absolutely loved).

Beautiful Chamber Pop.......2004-12-19

At first listen, you'd swear that Matt Pond was just a pseudonym for Peter Gabriel; the similarity of their voices on several of the songs on this album is startling. This is music that builds; Pond's voice is one of many instruments used to construct a series of richly textured songs. Another of the band's five members is a cello player; her work adds a unique sound to the album, driving forward many songs with an intensity that only an instrument played with a bow can. The lyrics are deeply personal-surely some of the events related here actually happened to Pond-and the music suits this. Lush and layered, it cradles Pond's words and emphasizes them. This is probably the least-known and lowest-selling record I bought in 2004-but it deserves a much wider audience. It's only $10!

Average customer rating:

Beautiful CD - haunting songs and melodies
Excellent early year bonus Ep

Winter Songs
matt pond PA
Manufacturer: Altitude Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Nature of Maps
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The Crane Wife

ASIN: B000784WUY
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

Snow Day
Fall Two
Winterlong
Winter One
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Holiday Road
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful CD - haunting songs and melodies.......2007-01-05

This CD has haunting songs and melodies that just stay in your mind. Soft and mellow but quietly powerful!

Excellent early year bonus Ep.......2005-02-09

I first came across Matt Pond PA with "Emblems", and I was hooked. While the sound is nothing particularly new (see 1980's-The Alarm, U2, The Cure, Echo & the Bunneymen), it is refreshing to hear someone redo it so well. Pond offers three new songs and four choice covers on this Ep. The best of the bunch are "Snow Day" and his cover of Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road". If you grew up in the 80's, as I did, you will remember the latter from the first "Vacation" movie starring Chevy Chase. Good songwriters are traditionally good music fans as well, and Pond proves this with his decision to cover Richard and Linda Thompson's "I want to see the bright lights tonight" and Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the aeroplane over the see". While he can't quite reach the same high notes as Jeff Mangum, Pond does do a good job of manipulating the song to his own sound, adding some distant atmosphere to a song that was already captured in it. I would recommend this Ep to any fans of his previous work, as well as, fans of other covers albums and Eps such as Mark Lanegan's "I will take care of you", the Twilight Singers'"She loves you" and Crooked Fingers' "Reservoir Songs". With this much atmosphere there is no denying it now, this guy is going to be around a long time.

Average customer rating:

Atlanta Fan
Seek this out.
Little gem
Chamber Pop

Measure
Matt Pond PA
Manufacturer: File 13
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Green Fury
Nature of Maps
I Thought You Were Sleeping
The Crane Wife
Nightsongs

ASIN: B00004TIO7
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Measure 1
Sound and the Words
Hollows
Green Grass
Measure 2
Sugar House
New Fall
Competition
Flying Through the Scenery
Price of Spring
It's Over

Customer Reviews:

Atlanta Fan.......2001-06-19

I won't make any of those "dreaded comparisons". I think this record sounds wholly inspired. It's beautifully sad and hopeful at the same time. I look forward to what they come up with next.

Seek this out........2001-03-04

I was driving home from work yesterday trying to figure out what exactly Matt Pond PA sounds like. I came up with Steven Kilby and Grant McLennan writing songs for 1982 Robert Smith to sing. All without a trace of irony.

This is a beautiful cd full of memorable pop hooks and thoughtful instrumentation. If they'd been a little more electric, they might be huge; but the almost classical structure of some of the songs may be a little too "arty" for those who don't understand. Still, if they were electric, they might be gigantic.

Measure, The Hollows, and Green Grass put forth enough pop punch to stay with you for days afterward. Very hummable. It's not often that I'll listen to something in the car then run in to the stereo to throw the same thing in when I get home. I've had this cd for months and it just gets better and better.

Recommended for fans of The Go Betweens, 1980's Church, Cardinal, Eric Matthews, and Richard Davies.

One of the best releases of the last decade (no kidding!).

Little gem.......2000-06-01

Wow. What a sweet cd. It reminds me of early Cure and The Go Betweens. Cello, flute, french horn and painfully sad lyrics. Don't miss this one.

Chamber Pop.......2000-05-29

A Great little pop record that has snuck out of a burgeoning Philly scene. Bea-utiful, restained passionate pop song, all framed by conscise cello and violin. I don't want to make those dreaded comparisons, but I can tell you their classic song, "Measure" ended up on a mix tape between some old XTC and some new Belle and Sebastian, and sounded quite at home.

Average customer rating:

I Have To Admit...
Very Underrated Band
one of the greatest
A Very Solid Release
just WOW!

Green Fury
matt pond PA
Manufacturer: Polyvinyl Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Nature of Maps
Measure
I Thought You Were Sleeping
The Crane Wife
Set Yourself on Fire

ASIN: B00005UJCN
Release Date: 2002-01-22

Tracks:

Canadian Song
Measure 3
Neighbor's New Yard
City Plan
Promise The Bite
Silence
This Is Montreal
A Part Of The Woods
A New Part Of Town
Jefferson
Crickets
It Becomes Night
Copper Mine

Amazon.com

In the same way that good architecture seems to grow out of a space rather than to impose upon it, the music on Matt Pond PA's third full-length album has a natural quality that makes its beautiful songs sound more like received truth than a series of parts and arrangements created by the Philadelphia-based Matt Pond. In each of The Green Fury's 13 tracks, Pond's lyrics fill a ghostly narrative with pointillist daubs of emotion, creating a dreamy series of images that at times recalls Peter Gabriel's albums from the early MTV era, and at other times resolve into lush, rolling soundscapes. Pond's melancholy vocals lead 12 other instruments, veering from soothing and lullaby-like to soulful and urgent from one song to the next. While a few songs become unintentionally heavy, with melodies and rhythms seeming simplified to accommodate underutilized strings and horns, even this weightiness has a natural place in the range of introspective moods so artfully captured here. --Sarah A. Sternau

Album Description

The production on The Green Fury is absolutely clean and the band's six members (consisting of standard guitar/vocals, drums, bass, and adding cello, violin, and even vibes) all seem to fall into their place perfectly, creating a beautiful record that will appeal to an audience beyond your standard indie-rock fan. Dr. Strange Records.

Customer Reviews:

I Have To Admit..........2006-08-29

I admit it's a great record, and I do think they should get more attention. I definately like their music, but I wouldn't give this record 5 stars. I mean, it's a really good record, but it doesn't immpress me. When compared to Death Cab, Built To Spill, The Shins etc., Matt Pond PA isn't even near as good.

Very Underrated Band.......2004-12-22

I have pretty much every Matt Pond PA CD and they are a truly talented musical group. The Green Fury mixes a variety of guitar beats and cello pieces in a way that the songs all sound unique. I've heard them referred to as "baroque pop" (whatever the heck that is) but I'm not sure you can really describe their music with one term--Matt Pond PA really has the ability to deviate from a mello thinker like "Jefferson" to an upbeat rush of guitars like "Neighbor's New Yard". "Measure 3", "This is Montreal" and "A Part of the Woods" all display how musically and lyrically talented this band is. The Green Fury is one of their best (along with Measure and a close 3rd: Emblems), so I certainly recommend it to someone looking for some intelligent, lighter music. I also recommend their live show--I thouroughly enjoyed their performance in a set I saw this winter.

one of the greatest.......2004-01-13

Not only has this release by my now favorite songwriter and musician of all time completely thrown me for a loop as a skeptical listener, but this now timeless record only gets better and better with each and every listen. With its lush instrumentation and layering of beautiful sounds, coupled with mature and clever songwriting, MPPA has set a permanent place in my heart as one of the most underrated, underappreciated, and most amazing groups of the genre. The sheer beauty displayed on this album is only rivaled by their live performance. For new and curious listeners, this CD is a must-have and a good record to start off with. It will pull you in right away and not let you out of its wonderful melody until the CD ends. Even the short interludes and mini songs in between a few tracks have hooks that put most popular singer/songwriters to shame, in fact, some if them are the record's high points. Don't make the same mistake I did and wait so long to get into this band!
For fans of: Elliott Smith or Jeremy Enigk's solo material.

A Very Solid Release.......2003-06-18

I've been a fan of Matt Pond PA for years now, and this album does nothing to change that. Beautifully arranged, clear pieces drift like fog into one another and one feels as if they're levatating through this entire album. Matt Pond at it's apex.

just WOW!.......2003-03-24

The name says it all! Matt Pond...actually the name says nothing about the music, but the vocals in harmony with the guitar makes this one a "must buy". Sounding alot like built to spill, Matt Pond creates a beautiful album, one where you can just sit back and relax to. Check this one out, i recomend it to the slow pace rock fans.

Average customer rating:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades
Something of a disappointment
a wonderful summary
Ives is Ives
The Mood of Time

Ives: An American Journey
Michael Tilson Thomas , Charles Ives , San Francisco Symphony and Chorus , and Thomas Hampson
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 / The Gong on the Hook & Ladder, or Firemen's Parade on Main Street / Tone Roads No. 1 / Hymn: Largo Cantabile, for String Orchestra / Hallowe'en / Central Park in the Dark / The Unanswered Question - Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic
Ives: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives
Ives: Holidays Symphony
Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4

ASIN: B00005UED6
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

From The Steeples And The Mountains
The Things Our Fathers Loved
The Pond (Remembrance)
Memories
Charlie Rutlage
The Circus Band
The "St. Gaudens" In Boston Common
Putnam's Camp
The Housatonic At Stockbridge
In Flanders Fields
They Are There!
Tom Sails Away
Fugue From Symphony No. 4
Psalm 100
Serenity
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
The Unanswered Question

Amazon.com

Michael Tilson Thomas is an expert Ivesian. His 1970 recording debut was with Three Places in New England, still available from DG. Here, he redoes the work with the interpolation of a chorus singing the poem on which the last movement, "The Housatonic at Stockbridge," is based--unusual, not as effective as the orchestral version, but fascinating. Tilson Thomas cites Ives's desire for performers to creatively shape his music, and this disc vindicates his editorial liberties by making Ives's surprising music even more unpredictable. The choral contributions are fine, too, but baritone Thomas Hampson steals the show with seven songs that display his empathy with Ives's varied styles and the range of the composer's music, from cowboy songs to touching elegies. The way Hampson bellows a Brooklynese "Coytin" (for "Curtain") at the end of the first song of Memories is worth the price of purchase. Here's a disc to be entertained by, and moved as well. The recording was made at SFS concerts, and we're privileged to share the audience's experience. A must-have for Ivesians and the curious. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades.......2005-12-18

Tilson Thomas's PR team should put out a ocntract on me; I rarely express enthusiasm for him. So let me bow especially low to this superlative 1999 concert of Ives as viewed from his most melodic, least revolutionary perspective. This is Ives as recording angel of ice cream socials and Fourth of July parades.

In the Seventies MTT made good but not exceptioanl recordings of Ives's major orchestral works. Here he concentrates on songs and orchestral bits and pieces, except for the extended Three Places in New England, which is x-rayed with exceptionally detailed sonics. Thomas Hampson secures his position as the best singer of American songs with highly dramatized, unbuttoned singing--his Charlie Rutlage, a Texas-accented elegy for a fallen cowpoke, and the familiar General William Booth Enters Into Heaven are instant classics. Chorus and orchestra enter in the spirit of bumptious good cheer, and overall a good time was had by all, even though the crowd was sent home sobered up by the supernaturally melancholy Unanswered Question, which never fails to send a shiver through the listener.

Something of a disappointment.......2004-01-12

I was very much looking forward to the latest Ives recording from Michael Tilson Thomas, whose reputation as an Ives specialist began with his first recording of the Three Pieces in New England, made in 1970 when the conductor was only in his mid-20s. That this disc came some way from living up to my expectations is perhaps due to a combination of over-optimism, uneven performances and what I feel is a less-than-ideal selection of works.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the opening of the disc: a fine performance of the craggy, dissonant brass and percussion work From the Steeples and the Mountains, a highly impressive miniature which swells from its dissonant opening to a climax where sound seems to echo off in all directions. However, I'm less convinced with the rest of the purely-orchestral program: this reading of Ives' classic Three Pieces of New England lacks a little of the gracious flowing lines of Tilsom Thomas' earlier 1970 recording; in addition the experiment of adding a recently-found choral part to the finale merely demonstrates how right the composer was to leave it out. For his extract from the Fourth Symphony, Tilson Thomas chooses the slow movement fugue. I am guessing this choice was to emphasise the "accessible Ives", but this is by far the weakest movement of the work (it was in fact arranged from the first movement of Ives' then 20-year-old First String Quartet), and even a good performance--as here--can't entirely hide up its conservative, almost academic writing. That perennial Ives classic The Unanswered Question, which closes the work, is an infinitely finer work, but unfortunately Tilson Thomas cannot match the transcendence of his own--distinctly slower--Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording from 1986.

The rest of the disc concentrates on various incarnations of Ives' bewildering variety of songs, and as a result comes into partial competition with what is to my mind one of the finest Ives discs around--a recording of selections from the songs and the sets for orchestra with Susan Narucki, Sanford Sylvan and Music/Projects London under Richard Bernas (if you're an Ives fan and don't have this disc, I suggest you rectify this immediately). The songs are extremely uneven in quality--ranging from trivial kitsch to outright masterpieces--and their styles vary just as much.

Most of these songs appear here in orchestral garb, but in three of them Tilson Thomas accompanies Thomas Hampson's baritone on the piano himself. The salon song The Things our Fathers Loved is one of the examples of irreparable kitsch, but rather better is the bipartite Memories which switches from camp to sentimental at its midpoint. In contrast, Tom Sails Away is one of Ives' finest songs, but in this recording its effect is compromised by Tilson Thomas' rather insensitive playing in the piano part.

The Pond (Remembrance)--another of Ives' finest songs--appears here in a version for women's chorus and orchestra. This transcendental homage to the composer's father is in fact much more subtle and rhythmically complex than it appears at first, and it has appeared in a bewildering variety of versions (three of which appear on the Bernas disc mentioned earlier). Similarly restrained in means is John Adams' careful baritone-and-orchestra version of the touching song Serenity: it's well-judged and well-sung here, and Adams avoids the pitfalls that David Del Tredici walks into in his entirely unnecessary orchestration of In Flanders Fields.

By contrast, Charlie Rutlage is an absurdly over-the-top piece of cowboy kitsch that disintegrates into violent discords as the words describe Charlie's death: this voice-and-orchestra version isn't half as good as Sanford Sylvan's voice-and-piano reading on the Bernas disc. Similarly eccentric is The Circus Band, a bizarrely outrageous confection for chorus and orchestra (based on an early orchestral march) that lacks some of the lustre of similar Ives effects. The bizarre Ives is also at work They are There! This near-hysterial rant (not actually as militaristic as it sounds at first) is heard in a chorus-and-orchestral version that lacks something of the sheer outrageousness of Ives' own voice-and-piano recording (even though Tilson Thomas takes an effort to try to copy the style of that reading).

The chorus-and-organ setting of Psalm 100 ("Make a joyful noise unto the Lord") is an intriguing piece of writing that well merits its exposure here, though it can't match General William Booth Enters Into Heaven for sheer unbuttoned craziness. This setting of Vachel Lindsay's poem, heard here in a version for baritone, chorus and orchestra is one of Ives' most endearing creations: its remarkable mix of modernism, bizarre wit and sentimentality, topped off with the sudden introduction of a hymn tune at the climax, is typical of the composer at his best. Unfortunately, this performance misses out on the last edge of hysterical ecstasy that is so necessary for the work to have its full impact (in my opinion it's easier to bring off in the voice-and-piano version).

I realise I am perhaps being overcritical of this disc, but it seems to me that a disc by such a fine Ivesian as Tilson Thomas should be held to a very high standrd. Though I was personally disappointed by this recording, it may well appeal to those who know little of the composer: however, I fear that Ives specialists are likely to be underwhelmed.

a wonderful summary.......2002-12-21

Charles Ives has always been a puzzle to me. From time to time I have listened to his music with a complete lack of resolution. Did I actually like it? Is it just an American marketing phenomena? Would we hear as much of him if he were, say, an Australian composer? I am still totally uncertain, but I love this CD for its variety of styles, variety of forces and general good humour. If you are immediately dismissive of Ives, can I suggest you start with the two songs called 'Memories'? Have a listen to this CD with an open mind - you may not like it all - even most of it - but one thing is certain and that is that this is not run-of-the-mill music.

Ives is Ives.......2002-06-15

I grew up on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. We have lost many of these composers but not their music they have left us through the years. That's a gift to all of us. I have been slowly looking at "20th century" composers from the "classical" arena to enhance my listening pleasure and my nature or "quest" to always seek out music that I am certain I must have passed over. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up further on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One door opens another. Ives' name and compositions seem to have come up frequently. So far Charles Ives' music doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland or many contemporaries yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how Ives' music almost seems as if it were composed for film. Ives is Ives as I have found out. I enjoy this recording. It is strange, contemplative and definitely esoteric. Abrupt turns abound but that is the strength of Ives.

The Mood of Time.......2002-06-15

This collection of Ives compositions is exceptional. This CD makes for very good listening. I play it when I am alone in the car. The pensive music realy captures the mood of time.

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