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Mirah and Spectratone International
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Share This Place is the album from K Records standout Mirah, but it also a multimedia project commissioned by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Seattle International Children’s Festival, comprised of the songs contained herein and accompanying stop-motion video by Britta Johnson. Inspired in part by the writings of French entomologist Jean Henri Fabré and the Capek brothers’ anthropomorphic drama The Insect Play, with a dash of the insectile existentialism of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, Share This Place is a palimpsest where the separate fiefdoms of humans and insects are reconciled in one teeming kingdom.
The album is more like To All We Stretch the Open Arm, the collection of traditional folk Mirah recorded with Seattle’s Black Cat Orchestra, than her beloved C’mon Miracle. Forgoing that album’s sketches, snippets, and snapshots, which were of a piece with the naively ramshackle twee for which her label is renowned, Share This Place employs a decidedly more adult, historically rooted method of songwriting and performing. These full-bodied songs, sturdily played by Spectratone International, draw from a variety of Asian and European folk idioms for their torch-lit, supple swoon. Kyle Hanson’s drunkenly reeling accordion and Lori Goldston’s weepy cello betray a strong Klezmer influence, while Kane Mathis’s flickering oud (similar to a lute) injects Middle Eastern strains. Sympathetic production by Phil Elvrum and Steve Fisk amplifies Mirah’s idiosyncrasies— her non-sexual sensuality, her scenery-chewing vocal projection.
The album is more like To All We Stretch the Open Arm, the collection of traditional folk Mirah recorded with Seattle’s Black Cat Orchestra, than her beloved C’mon Miracle. Forgoing that album’s sketches, snippets, and snapshots, which were of a piece with the naively ramshackle twee for which her label is renowned, Share This Place employs a decidedly more adult, historically rooted method of songwriting and performing. These full-bodied songs, sturdily played by Spectratone International, draw from a variety of Asian and European folk idioms for their torch-lit, supple swoon. Kyle Hanson’s drunkenly reeling accordion and Lori Goldston’s weepy cello betray a strong Klezmer influence, while Kane Mathis’s flickering oud (similar to a lute) injects Middle Eastern strains. Sympathetic production by Phil Elvrum and Steve Fisk amplifies Mirah’s idiosyncrasies— her non-sexual sensuality, her scenery-chewing vocal projection.
Shoutbox
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sovay wrote:
brilliant, must show this to my bug friends !
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dollygay wrote:
waka waka¡
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dramaofexile wrote:
an entire album about bugs? this should be shittier than it is.
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eleseus wrote:
mirah ve ud.dream
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janeboot wrote:
j'adore mirah<3
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sweetandsnarky wrote:
I love this album. As an aspiring apiarist I particularly love Community, but I really enjoy the fact that they did an entire concept album on insects. Hooray insects, and hooray Mirah and Spectratone International for being so awesome!
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BlurAllTheLines wrote:
it's beautiful
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CenturyOfFakers wrote:
sounds like the old country
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knockles wrote:
strange stuff, definitely going to have to give this more listens.
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n-gonge wrote:
they used oud great... i like the sound very very very much...
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heytherejaybird wrote:
amazing, one of my favorites of 2007
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h34rts wrote:
MIRAH! weird how she isnt on the similar artists. well, she rocks.
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Bayou16 wrote:
lovely!!!!!!!!!!!
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xran wrote:
Gestation of the Sacred Beetle has to be one of the most amazing songs I've heard this year. Who knew bugs were so cool?
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arthurbonini wrote:
nice, calm music.
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sevensystem wrote:
awesome!
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Recent Activity
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kidhatesgirls, OliverSmiff, marshallajonesj and 30 other people added Mirah and Spectratone International to their libraries. Wednesday afternoon
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vedder110 tagged Mirah and Spectratone International with ‘female vocalists’. August 2009
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xsmithereens, parris_anne and libertylala added Mirah and Spectratone International to their libraries. August 2009
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amuamua tagged Mirah and Spectratone International with ‘kininaru’. August 2009
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leMarke, Auxburg70, imasuperhero_ and 21 other people added Mirah and Spectratone International to their libraries. August 2009
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Lasse_Mandel tagged Mirah and Spectratone International with ‘american’. June 2009
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ryers, Limsley, DigitalAdrianne and 6 other people added Mirah and Spectratone International to their libraries. June 2009
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neonblonde tagged Mirah and Spectratone International with ‘portland’. June 2009
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andyhasvd, sazzie134, setenayseth and 12 other people added Mirah and Spectratone International to their libraries. June 2009
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Left_By_Love tagged Mirah and Spectratone International with female vocalists and folk. May 2009
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