Piers Faccini, Colour Revolt
Piers Faccini, Tearing Sky
http://www.myspace.com/piersfaccini
France? Yeah, they get the crap end of the stick in the butt of all jokes (no pun intended). But, when you think about it, not as much as Canada (see: South Park episode 1204: “Canada on Strike”). If France did one thing right– and I’m sure they’ve done more than just one thing right– then I’m pretty sure that that thing is Piers Faccini.
His first solo album was released back in 2004, which gained a lot of attention in France and Europe. His second debut album was released in 2006, and is the one that this article will focus on. That album is Tearing Sky. Yeah, 2006 was a little while ago. But, that doesn’t change the fact that he is an artist who needs to be heard. Being produced by the same man (JP Plunier) who brought us Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, it can only be understood that when you hear Faccini’s music, you will (and should) be kicking your shoes off and relaxing somewhere off the shore of some island with soft music in the background. To each his own.
The tracks to this album play like a musical roller coaster. But, not so intense. I’m not talking corkscrews and 100 foot plummets. I’m talking about English folk-inspired tunes mixed with edgy music that Alanis Morissette might cut you to, while standing naked in a subway and holding a map of the world, and trying to figure out every country and continent that this man’s music is inspired by (yeah, just that cultural).
A track that should be heard (and can be for free via his MySpace) is “Sharpening Bone”. This is one song that I was sold on the second I heard it. To tell the truth, it explains another aspect of his artistry. It’s that song that you would hear in the background soundtrack of a movie with the lead character working as a starving artist in his loft apartment, with neon buzzing outside his window and cats walking on the sill.
He might be that artist as well. His artistic résumé also classifies him as a painter– which can be seen on his website. And painting is what he does, literally and figuratively. His painting of musical scenes and calming portraits gives the listener the right amount of evidence to know that this musician is extremely cultured. And who doesn’t like culture? Listening to the album will give you that out-of-the-country vacation that you’re looking for without costing you more that $9.99 on iTunes.
Colour Revolt
http://www.myspace.com/colourrevolt
The tradition in a five-man (or boy) ensemble regarding music usually makes you think teeny bop. It gives you preconceived notions. It makes you think of Justin Timberlake and those cute little curls. But, for this band, that is not the case. Not even a little. Don’t be fooled, either. The spelling of their band name does not make them British. They’re actually from Oxford, Mississippi. They wield a band of four guitars and a set of drums. That’s a lot of guitar. But they pull it off. They pull it off quite well. Their recent album, Plunder, Beg, and Curse is one to focus some attention to. That doesn’t mean that their self-titled EP is something to overlook. The transition that this band takes from EP to album is the definition of “maturing.” The tracks on Plunder, Beg, and Curse weave a tangled web of disconnection (in terms of musical narrative), which surprisingly works very well and compliments every track in a way that makes you want to crush glass (but not Jewish wedding style).