come anticipate Nellie McKay's Pretty Little Head with me!

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NEW NELLIE McKAY album PRETTY LITTLE HEAD features duets with Cyndi Lauper and k.d. lang - In Stores Tuesday, October 18

Featuring a kaleidoscopic selection of tracks culled from 23 new songs written by McKay for the album, Pretty Little Head premieres duets with Cyndi Lauper ("Beecharmer") and k.d. lang ("We Had It Right") as well as an assortment of provocative new compositions including "Columbia Is Bleeding" ("...it's turned into a real rock tune..."), "Cupcake" ("...about gay marriage..."), and "The Big One" ("...about a tenant's rights activist...").

Working with a group of "wonderful musicians," Nellie McKay sings and plays piano--as well as cello, vibes, and synthesizer--on Pretty Little Head.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

If anybody has seen some of these tracks leaked anywhere, please hook a guy up!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

I like the scare quotes around "wonderful musicians".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it in a way. I think the duets will be the worst part about it.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

Miccio to thread!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

yeah, not all the excited by those duets

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:01 (twenty years ago)

that's right

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:01 (twenty years ago)

I'm trepidacious about the duets and more songs with a "cause" but if this is Controversy to Get Away's Dirty Mind then I'll still super-welcome it.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

btw Nellie if you're reading this, reach out to me. I'll give meaning to every day.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

more songs with a "cause"

At heart she is Janis Ian.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

Or it could be Nellie's "True Colors."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

I am not excited by those duets but I am excited about a new Nellie work. I rediscovered Get Away From Me last week, man is it good for strolling around town with a spring in your step on a mild summer day.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

Has anyone gotten that dualdisc thing with the extra tracks and the live video? I suppose it's "worth" $14, although, I'm not sure it's worth $18 when you add shipping.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

Choosing Lauper and Lang as her sole duet partners implies a natural, commercially responsible and yet slightly dispiritng turn towards a left-wing supper club niche. She's said herself that this album isn't going to be as good as Get Away From Me, more of an autopilot release to push past the necessary sophomore slump.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

"Columbia Is Bleeding"

yay!

any word on production (not geoff emerick i hope)?

― W i l l (common_person), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

EEEEE! Excited!
Yeah, let's makes sure that we get a new producer on these bitches.
Beatz in Azz, preferably; just not the last guy.
What happened to her self-announced "live from a women's prison" album?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

i'm excited just by the fact that she'll be putting out new stuff...her live shows are great too! i think we've only seen a small piece of what this girl's capable of. Based on her Lyrics however, i don't think Ms. Mckay gives a rat's ass what anybody thinks about her- lol

― Jeffrey Dougherty, Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

I wish she had tracks with Foxy Brown and the Blood Brothers.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

Nellie McKay + The Blood Brothers would be awesome! It should be a mashup of "Baby Watch Your Back" and "American Vultures".

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Friday, 12 August 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

She should work with Richard X (along with basically everybody).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 12 August 2005 00:05 (twenty years ago)

I am more interested in the duets because the form may temper her manic-precociousness. I could not bear her first album but I'm aniticipating her mellowing with age.

― Aaron A., Friday, 12 August 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

I WANT MANNIE FRESH PRODUCTION ON THIS ISH SO'S I CAN DIE HAPPY.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:06 (twenty years ago)

kd lang is actually pretty good

― anthony easton (anthony), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:27 (twenty years ago)

I'd love to see McKay and Lang co-write, co-produce, and release an album together.

― M Gaffney, Sunday, 21 August 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

one of her songs was in the background of the new Showtime show "weeds"

i really like her, im sad that i lost my copy of Get away from me.

― JD from CDepot, Sunday, 21 August 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

one day a boy met a man in the gutter. he said to the man, "old man, why are you in the gutter?", the old man replied, "Why little boy the gutter is where i am and that is why i am in the gutter", the little boy asked another, "do you not want to be out of the gutter, clean and of a respectful appearance?" to which the old man said, "why little boy, don't you think that if i wanted to be out of this gutter, clean and of respectful appearance that we wouldn't be having this conversation?"

― pole late, Tuesday, 23 August 2005 03:48 (twenty years ago)

Alright, if you say so.
First to find it, please report back here!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 04:24 (twenty years ago)

When and/or where can we hear a clip?

― "styles" from teen wolf 2, Wednesday, 24 August 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

can't wait!!
i wish she would duet with rufus wainwright.

― reo, Wednesday, 24 August 2005 04:01 (twenty years ago)

I'm interested to hear what this sounds like. I think the kinds of guest-star duets that she's attempting here seldom work well, but I'll withhold judgment until I hear them.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

pushed back to january

― bugged out, Wednesday, 24 August 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

Tracklist:

1. Cupcake (first single)
2. Pink Chandeller
3. Big One
4. GES
5. Beecharmer (ft. Cyndi Lauper)
6. Columbia's Bleeding
7. Tipperary
8. Real Life
9. We Had It Right (ft. KD Lang)
10. I Will Be There
11. I Am Nothing
12. Long and Lazy River
13. Down Low
14. There You Are in Me
15. GLADD
16. Happy Flower

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

GLADD?

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

There's not nearly enough songs about the Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists, IMHO.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and an early contender for worst album cover of 2006:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000B0WOC6.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpgi

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000B0WOC6.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg/i

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I don't know how this damn thing works.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000B0WOC6.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I kinda like the cover. There's too much going on, but that's Nellie for you.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 18:01 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I actually really like that!

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 18:02 (twenty years ago)

I think I'd like it more if it had a better photo. But still, it's not bad. It stands out, not a lot of current covers look like that.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

I think my only problem is with the flowers -- they make it seem too dense and disorienting. But otherwise I like the color choice, and I like the 1960s tiki font.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

The hair and facial expression makes her look strangely like Kimber from "Nip/Tuck".

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Uh-oh, this is going to be a Sony copy-protected CD?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000B0WOC6/qid=1133291515/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0066337-6868646?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

Was anyone at her Troubadour show tonight when she lost it on stage talking about her frustrations with Sony over the new album?

― amandac (camandas), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:37 (twenty years ago)

From someone's LiveJournal: "I just got back from Nellie's Troubadour show and was pretty blown away. She was very passionate and very frustrated with her position at Sony and how they're handling her, getting really worked up, yelling and crying as she pleaded her case to put out the CD as she envisions it (they want to take off 7! songs and release a 45 minute CD instead of a 70 minute CD). She asked everyone to please e-mail the president of Sony (will.botwin@sonybmg.com I believe, I haven't tried yet). At one point a woman yelled "shut up and sing" but she was booed away and Nellie snapped back at her saying something, something "you bitch."

It was intense, no one there to give her a hug or a tissue, she just broke down for a few minutes and I totally expected her to walk off (we were only a few songs in) but she composed herself and powered straight into a song, still crying (and ended up playing a 2 hour set). She said later that the band must be really on edge now, waiting for her to freak out again.

She mentioned a few times that she'd just met the band (I take it it wasn't her choice to have a band) and it showed a few times (some missed starts, miscommunications). The first few songs her vocals were too soft and between songs everyone started yelling to the sound guy to fix it. Nellie deviated from the setlist (sometimes her choice, other times audience "requests") and it was awkward to see the band sifting through music sheets.

She had to wrangle the crowd early on as she explained that not all of her songs are funny and to please not laugh like everything she says is a joke (she was talking about "Columbia Is Bleeding" and asking people to go to www.columbiacruelty.org ). Later in the show she stepped out into the audience to pass out photocopies of a "Satya" magazine article that talked about the 8,000 test animals that died locked in their cages at LSU during the hurricane.

Sorry I can't relay the set list cause I'm not good at remembering that kind of stuff (names of new songs, the order, etc). The new songs were all instantly catchy, especially the new cat song to compliment "The Dog Song." Early she played a "duet" with herself doing a hilarious Dylan impersonation after telling the story of him not responding to her request to be on the CD. Looking at the tracklist in the other thread I recognize "I Am Nothing" and "Happy Flower" as two of the new songs she played but there were definitely more. She covered most of "Get Away From Me" but didn't do "Waiter" despite requests cause she said it was really difficult and hard on her voice. The encore was just her and the piano and it was an instantly different atmosphere then with the band (she did a few solo during the set as well)."

― Smetric, Wednesday, 30 November 2005 10:34 (twenty years ago)

Why is Nellie McKay so hellbent against making succinct albums?

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

I mean, hasn't she ever heard of "b-sides" and "itunes eps" and "saving a song for the next album"?

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 12:30 (twenty years ago)

(Thanks for that recap, smetric....)

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 13:28 (twenty years ago)

this album is not very good, sadly

― bugged out, Wednesday, 30 November 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

I haven't heard the album yet, but I'm going to see her next Tuesday at Mercury Lounge, so I'll be able to hear some of the new songs there.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

It's Fiona Apple redux. Crazy-ass singer/songwriter goes even more crazy on stage, then enters fight with Sony.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

it's like the first album, except she sounds confused and uncertain rather than precocious and fearless

― bugged out, Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

Single available online at the official site.
I love her to death, but all this drama is silly and I'm inclined to agree with the "shut up and sing" lady.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 5 December 2005 00:38 (twenty years ago)

The single is nice but overproduced and the lyrics are dorky; I wanna hear live versions.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 5 December 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

It's leaked and...wow, it's so damn boring.

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Monday, 5 December 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

The 2004 radio sessions (archived on KCRW and NPR sites) and her Piano Jazz session are fantastic - she's really at her best as a solo artist, performing solo.

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

I am so disappointed in this record. What the hell happened to our Nellie? It's grossly over-produced and utterly lifeless. Sophomore slump, indeed.

― fridgefreddie, Monday, 12 December 2005 00:53 (twenty years ago)

Unfortunately I didn't make it to this gig after all. My friends who went though said it was good. They said McKay affects some kind of Julie Andrews accent in person but is nonetheless quite adorable.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 12 December 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone know if Nellie has a significant other? Can such a lovely liberal find true love?

― Flexo Potter, Saturday, 17 December 2005 07:30 (twenty years ago)

could someone chuck it over ot me

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 17 December 2005 10:33 (twenty years ago)

So, it seems to have disappeared from Amazon.. Is it being recalled?

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

Nellie McKay is not on Sony anymore. Read about it here

― ng-unit, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

More in the NY Times today on her droppage.

― dlp9001, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 01:47 (twenty years ago)

"I think for both sides, it's liberating," she said. "You have no idea how much of a pain I can be."

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:24 (twenty years ago)

i don't understand the dislike for this album displayed here. i think it's better than the first.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 04:50 (twenty years ago)

I wonder what label would want her now. She's not the easiest sell to begin with, and it seems as though she's extremely difficult and uncooperative. It's not exactly the best idea to make "I'm self-destructive and unprofessional!" a talking point when you're between label deals...

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 12:41 (twenty years ago)

'cupcake' is boring :(

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 12:47 (twenty years ago)

I don't think getting another label deal was ever the point of this, Matt.

― ng-unit, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 13:31 (twenty years ago)

Maybe Perpetua finds any motivation other than payola incomprehensible.

― $$$$, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 13:35 (twenty years ago)

In her Paste interview, she talks about how much she likes Ani DiFranco's model, and speculates that if she could find distribution she'd be all set. I reread the quote and it doesn't look like she says, "I wish they would drop me" - she just says, "I don't know why they keep me." But she could easily launch an indie career, based on the press she's gotten and the high-profile projects she's taking.

Does Columbia really care that she's difficult to work with? She shows up to her concerts and delivers her work on time, doesn't she? I don't remember seeing her wrapped up in any Scientology scandals. I'd think Columbia would care more about whether they could get any of this stuff on the radio, and my guess is, "no."

― save the robot (save the robot), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 13:41 (twenty years ago)

There's also the prospect of manufacturing and marketing a bloated double CD, I guess, and especially when a young artist who hasn't sold that much (relatively speaking) is the one insisting that it happen.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:08 (twenty years ago)

Actually, she was making public jokes about signing up for a Broadway play to "get out of touring" behind the new album, etc. I hate to say it but I could sort of see Sony's point. It's enough that they allowed her to be the first-ever debutante with a double album.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:08 (twenty years ago)

Maybe Perpetua finds any motivation other than payola incomprehensible.

Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think I am?

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:15 (twenty years ago)

Don't bother Matthew, just another anonymous moron..

― snowballing (snowballing), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:42 (twenty years ago)

Wow. Now I'm really IN LOVE with her.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:54 (twenty years ago)

But also sad, because I've been looking forward to hearing the album.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:54 (twenty years ago)

Someone should become a professional "leak consultant," who takes just-dropped albums like this one and works them online to create the maximum grassroots buzz, including strategic p2p distribution, mp3 blog hype, indignant street teaming, and then streaming the album from McKay's personal website - leading up to a new label deal and plenty of "can you believe the label dropped something as fantastic as this, it's the problem with music today I tell ya" press coverage.

That would be one way to polish this turd.

― save the robot (save the robot), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:15 (twenty years ago)

Worked for Fiona Apple, no?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:19 (twenty years ago)

it's that or join wilco, basically.

― waldo jeffers scenario (haitch), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:22 (twenty years ago)

i do think that record companies seriously fuck artists, both successful and emerging, adn i think there is less and less strangeness hapenning in music, esp among the majors

― anthony easton (anthony), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

any predictions as to who will release the album???

― reo, Friday, 6 January 2006 00:39 (twenty years ago)

nonesuch

― anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 6 January 2006 00:43 (twenty years ago)

The ILM response to Pretty Little Head seems pretty lukewarm; I just heard it and find it fantastic -- does this mean I'll be fucking FLOORED by Get Away From Me?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 6 January 2006 00:59 (twenty years ago)

Does she have anywhere near enough clout to finagle an imprint yet?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 6 January 2006 02:07 (twenty years ago)

nonesuch

LOL.

Cleopatra.

― Myke Weiskopf (Myke Weiskopf), Friday, 6 January 2006 02:36 (twenty years ago)

Righteous Babe

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Friday, 6 January 2006 02:58 (twenty years ago)

columbia!

why should a label drop an artist only to have another label pick her up and get all sorts of grassroots coverage and good-guy hype, when the label can instead drop her and pick her right back up, and get all the grassroots coverage, good-guy hype and resulting sales boon for itself?

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 6 January 2006 03:02 (twenty years ago)

Difficult or successful, you gotta pick one. People like Don Henley and Linkin Park can get away with publicly trashing their labels because they're multi-platnum sellers. If you're not, you probably shouldn't publicly diss the new head of the label (who's probably insecure about his power base anyway) when you're in the middle of negotiations about how your new album is going to come out. A little bit of trash talk in between releases is traditional, but dude, timing.

There's also the prospect of manufacturing and marketing a bloated double CD, I guess...

Well, 65 minutes means it coulda been a single, right?

Incidentally, if the release date was today, and they just dropped her in the last few weeks, it's likely Columbia took a bath more than Wilco's or Fiona's labels did. There had probably been a decent bit of manufacturing done even if they hadn't entirely agreed on a format yet.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 6 January 2006 03:11 (twenty years ago)

Which is to say that I think this was probably more of a personality-driven decision than a business one.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 6 January 2006 03:26 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if she could sell them over the internet for $1000 each.

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Friday, 6 January 2006 15:27 (twenty years ago)

Revised tracklisting; Sony's excisions are asterisked.
Still listening and reserving judgement; it's growing on me, but very hit and miss.

1. Cupcake
2. Pink Chandelier
3. There You Are In Me
4. Yodel ***
5. The Big One
6. G.E.S.
7. I Will Be There
8. The Down Low
9. Long and Lazy River
10. Bee Charmer (w/ Cyndi Lauper)
11. Real Life
12. Swept Away ***
13. I Am Nothing
14. We Had It Right (w/ k.d. lang)
15. Columbia Is Bleeding
16. Food ***
17. GLADD
18. Happy Flower
19. Lali est Parrisseux ***
20. Tipperary
21. Mama and Me ***
22. Pounce ***
23. Old Enough ***

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 13 January 2006 02:55 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my brain is cumming from reading this joyous news!
it's coming out on halloween!

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/38777/Nellie_McKays_Head_Finally_Gets_Release_Da

― reo fordecor (reo), Monday, 25 September 2006 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

Shoulda' signed with Verve instead of Sony.

― Bumblepuppy (Horbgorbling Slubberdegullion), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 00:15 (nineteen years ago)

??? It says she's releasing it on her own label with distribution by SpinArt - are they affiliated with Sony?

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 00:46 (nineteen years ago)

no, they're not.

― reo fordecor (reo), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 07:40 (nineteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

New album on the way:

http://www.amazon.com/Obligatory-Villagers-Nellie-McKay/dp/B000UDUN2W

Can't wait.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 12 September 2007 21:50 (eighteen years ago)

seventeen years pass...

Somehow missed that she had an album of new material out in 2023. It's great!

― o. nate, Sunday, 13 April 2025 17:29 (ten months ago)

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