Leila - Classic or Dud?

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Thought I'd ask in lieu of the previous thread.

― Alacrán, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Um, what is it?

― Sean, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Let's make the most the situation, before I finally go insane ...

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Weren't Leila and the Snakes a Tubes spinoff? Or a Tubes-aligned dance troupe? I heard one of them went on to become a traffic reporter in SF and died in a helicopter crash a few years ago.

But that's probably not who Alacran was talking about.

― Arthur, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Leila = 'avant-garde' artist, put out something of a pop/R&B-flavored record last year called Like Weather on Rephlex. Sorry for the bad phrasing but it was rather late...

― Alacrán, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And a 2nd album I've haven't checked out. 'Like Weather' = okay but not as spectacular as we were led to belief by some reviews at the time. I like the spaced-out instrumentals best. But at least classic for posh-as-fuck dope-smoking Iranian princess attitude.

― Omar, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dud - v dull and disapointing.

Check out instead, Laila France. Whatever happened to her? Momus?

― Robin, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

not impressed by Leila at all, really. rather irritating. Laila France is better, but she's not brilliant either

― gareth, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Guitar/piano bridge the best part. Also Bell Bottom Blues.

Oh...

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Like Weather was pretty disjointed, and i agree that the instrumentals were excellent compared to the other stuff, particularly track 3.

― dog latin, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

I'm guessing there was a non-excellent Leila with identical album titles that the hearing impaired were discussing above. Meanwhile back in the real world, I'm listening to Courtesy Of Choice right now and bugger me if it isn't a beautiful distorto-pop album. The waterfall noise at the beginning of "Brave" has almost made me want to not drink myself to death.

This album is beautiful, admit it.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 22:53 (twenty years ago)

Is that her second, or third album?
I have to come down on the anti-Leila side of the fence ... I thought "Like Weather" was half-baked and the singing was flat and uninspiring.

I took a listen to the second album and it seemed like more of the same, so I decided not to buy it.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 23:29 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, Like Weather did my head in. And not in a good way.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 30 September 2004 08:07 (twenty years ago)

I love love loved both of the albums at the time, Like Weather was my favourite thing in the world when it came out (it seemed very evocative of saltwater and seaside ports and, um, shantytowns, for some unaccountable reason). Certain tracks (Space Love mainly) still get played quite a lot by myself, she gave good interview and stuff, what happened to her? Last thing I heard was a brand new track on a Rephlex comp last year which wasn't very euphoric or terrifying or, y'know, good.

― Alex in Leeds (Alex in Doncaster), Thursday, 30 September 2004 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Leila Arab had a website, but it stopped being updated, near as i could tell. had some nice mp3s, like "Here We Go Again." my promo version of the new Bjork mentioned that she did some production on "Where is the Line", but in the finished product, the name listed is 'Little Miss Specta'.???

― BbetaA, Thursday, 30 September 2004 21:24 (twenty years ago)

She does always gets thankyous on Bjork sleeves 4 bein her palll but yeah, the website did kind of stop happening a bit. Luca Santucci was on the Playgroup album and is also on the new Riton one but I have absolutely no idea if he or Donna Paul or Roya have done anything else noteworthy over the last few years either.

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Friday, 1 October 2004 14:49 (twenty years ago)

I think "Leila Arab" is great. I still go back to "Like Weather" and I do listen to "Courtesy of Choice" (though I've shifted some tracks into compilations.)

I have her filed next to Super-collider in my collection, and I find some of her songs have the same kind of vibe as "head on".

― phil jones (interstar), Friday, 1 October 2004 15:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and I also want to know what happened with "Leila France".

― phil jones (interstar), Friday, 1 October 2004 15:20 (twenty years ago)

March 11, 1978: Leila And The Snakes are one of the growing number of San Francisco groups that now are immortalized in vinyl. The single is "Rock And Roll Weirdos" c/w "Pyramid Power." Supposedly this is the band that Hugh Cornwell of the Stranglers was working with on his last visit to the states, yet his name appears nowhere on the single. The group is fronted by Jane Dornacker, T.V. Dunbar plays guitar, Scott Free on drums and additional snakes on vocals are Pearl E Gates and bassist Pamela Wood. The single is on the indie Asp Records label. On the back of the sleeve you get a big picture of the three girls bare asses, with credits printed thereon. In another year, Pearl Gates would be fronting a new group called Pearl Harbor & The Explosions.

― george gimarc, Friday, 1 October 2004 22:39 (twenty years ago)

Luca Santucci really should make a solo record. He is spectacularly sexy (looking and voice).

― jed_ (jed), Saturday, 2 October 2004 02:22 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

'wont you be my baby, baby?' is some next-level shit, homes.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

love the ending. what happened to her? and her sister Roya for that matter?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

the ending has one of those awesome 'widescreen' effects. i think it was her one good song though.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

some days this feels like my favourite song ever.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:35 (nineteen years ago)

vocals seem a bit too low in the mix tho

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

actually i just listened to it. i think i've gone off it!

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

haha!

the vocals have always been a bit shakey.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Leila sounds nothing like Shakin' Stevens boom boom

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

lucca santucci is a good vocalist though. cf. playgroup's "Number One" and Herbert's finest "You Saw It All".

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

Luca Santucci.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Which album is that on, Henry? I have Like Weather.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Well, it's on my copy of Like Weather - track 12.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

it's on 'like weather'!

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

but crucially it was also on a cd what came free with the nme, basis of which i did my decent student-target-market bit and bought the elpee... and found the nme had given me the one indispensable track.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

same here. that's where i found it.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

'Feeling For You (Vidmix)' is better.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

it's like Windowlicker + Next Heap With + sex

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

if only there were some way of hearing the song via the internet.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

I don't have it to hand to check!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

leila is awesome. she is now doing some very fantastic mash-ups of aaliyah and vitalic, kanye etc, and they are on her website.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

fantastic mash-ups of aaliyah and vitalic

ha, i thought Adamski did that one

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

I'm trying to think of a Leila song that isn't ruined by the amateurish vocals. Maybe it's time to give "Like Weather" another chance (I heard the follow-up once and couldn't stand it -- if I want to hear quirky coffee shop music then I'll go to a coffee shop, thanks).

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:01 (nineteen years ago)

this may be a dumb question but are the vocals on 'Won't You Be My Baby, Baby' actually by Jamie Lidell?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

oh no, Luca Santucci

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:05 (nineteen years ago)

who also sang Playgroup's 'Number One'! ah it all makes more sense now...

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:06 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

Leila

http://www.warprecords.com/newsletter/2008/03/

Leila has signed to Warp!

From her previous outings, on Rephlex and XL, Leila Arab has made a mark as one of the most imaginative electronic music producers around.

7 years after her last album, she returns to the arena with 'Blood, Looms and Blooms' - due out 9th June - with collaborations and participation from Terry Hall, legendary singer with The Specials & Martina Topley Bird, also known for her work with Tricky.

album artwork looks like a 70s prog throwback:

http://www.warprecords.com/image.php?id=23263

― djmartian, Wednesday, 26 March 2008 22:34 (seventeen years ago)

two months pass...

Listening to the new album. Digging the production & arrangements so far.

― Turangalila, Friday, 6 June 2008 09:34 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

any more on the new album?

good review here:

― sam500, Thursday, 10 July 2008 02:10 (sixteen years ago)

seven years pass...

I'm listening to Like Weather again for the first time in maybe a decade and it really does sound ahead of its time, several of the tracks sound like they'd slot right in on some post-Weekend megahyped alt-R&B mixtape. Unfortunately, those are also the worst ones.

― Matt DC, Sunday, 10 April 2016 15:07 (nine years ago)

four years pass...

"Like Weather" being re-issued by Modern Love (which I think is related to Pelican Neck/Boomkat?)

Surprised to find it wasn't particularly appreciated here.

― djh, Thursday, 26 November 2020 23:04 (four years ago)

Love her. Was hoping this revive was news of a new album.

― Position Position, Friday, 27 November 2020 02:04 (four years ago)

Pelican Neck - there is a blast from the past! Yes, it is one of their labels and I think the reissue is out now.

― stirmonster, Friday, 27 November 2020 02:30 (four years ago)

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