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Steve and Lee on Rosenvinge's Continental 62
December 24, 2006

Next week Smells Like Records will release Christina Rosenvinge's "Continental 62". The album features both Steve and Lee:

"Continental 62 is the flight that connects Newark, NJ, and Madrid, Spain, a route Christina Rosenvinge has become quite familiar with in recent years. Her new album has made the trip several times as well, with basic tracks recorded in Madrid, and overdubs done at studios in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
On her third Smells Like Records album -- her second along with 2004's Foreign Land to be released both here and in her native Spain -- she's joined by longtime accomplices Tim Foljahn and Lee Ranaldo on guitar and vocals, rhythm section Jeremy Wilms and Steve Shelley, guests Charlie Bautista on guitar and violin, and well-known Spanish experimentalist turned pop-crafter Suso Saiz, who also co-produces. Of the ten tracks, seven are sung in English, and lyrically Rosenvinge has hit a vital sweet-spot, achieving maximum depth with the simplest language. Her songcraft in general has reached an impressive maturity, with seductive, coiled verses resolving in perfect choruses.

The arrangements are streamlined and strong, with Rosenvinge's piano playing, sparse yet supple, adding to the shambled grandeur. Perhaps the biggest surprise on Continental 62 however is the vocal experimentation. Stretching her voice dramatically, she effortlessly transcends the Nico and Francoise Hardy influence of her earlier work.

The album's highlights include the gorgeous descending chorus of the title track; the propulsive brushwork and close harmonies of "Liar to Love"; "Jelly," a wearied and fragile take on the jazz standard; and the prismatic, closing waltz "Nickel Song"."

You can hear MP3 excerpts and buy the album here.

Moshe

Sonic Youth, initially comprising of guitarist / vocalists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, guitarist / bassist / vocalist Kim Gordon and drummer Richard Edson, were formed in New York City in 1981. A product of the No-Wave music scene of the late 1970s, the group had their roots in abrasive, experimental music, with Moore and Ranaldo having previously worked with the experimental composer Glenn Branca. The band were joined in 1985 by drummer Steve Shelley, and have now recorded 14 albums together, as well as many side and solo projects. Their work has been consistently challenging and innovative, and they are widely regarded as one of the most intriguing and influential bands of their time.