Jesca Hoop - Hunting My Dress

so, its 2010, and Vanguard Records is my fave record label? who would have guessed. loved the watson twins album. loved the living sisters album. and now this one. very cool. never heard of Jesca before. she gets called "edgy" and gets compared to Bjork and Kate Bush, but i don't know about all that. her songs are cool though. 2010 is turning out to be my very own Ladyfest! (that Nina Nastasia album too!) well, okay, that's four albums, but it feels like an avalanche. if you like interesting voices and good singer/songwriter wymyn types then you might like this album.

is she good? i've always wanted to smack her silly for having the name "jesca hoop."

i know, the name. i don't know if she hangs out with scout and cocorosie either. but the album is really good!

i'm sure there is an endearing story about a younger sibling who couldn't pronounce jessica properly.

i looked into it when i was trying to find a copy, and apparently this album was released in '09.

she kinda reminds of bat for lashes, but that comparison isn't a blanket one. i hear it every now and again.

She came out of the same new-old-timey L.A. world as The Ditty Bops and Eleni Mandell. I bought a CD of her demos in 2005, liked them a whole lot, wasn't crazy about most of her first record Kismet, too slick, other than stripped-down songs like "Enemy." Also, was Tom Waits's nanny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp-AxSnUtCo

I don't know about the new album but I can confirm that moments on last year's debut were absolutely sublime. Think on the lines of yes, kooky females like Kate Bush, Fiona Apple etc, but I'd be more inclined to file her next to the likes of St Vincent. "Dreams In The Hollow" and "Out The Back Door" are two faves.

"and apparently this album was released in '09."

did she release it herself first or was it a euro release last year? the vanguard release comes out in june? i think?

anyway, i wouldn't call it "slick", but its very nicely produced. lots of cool touches. but, like that new nina nastasia album, the production serves the songs. it heightens the atmosphere and doesn't swamp her voice or anything like that. people who like nina might dig this album. it's interesting.

it's funny, i finally heard pj harvey's white chalk a week or two ago and i liked it so much. i really liked what she did with her voice on it. and that album features jim white on it and it makes me want to hear the last nina nastasia album that she did with jim white. cuz everyone on that nina thread seems to like that one a bunch.

okay, yeah, press stuff says this came out last year in the u.k. to RAVE REVIEWS. parts of this album sound like the greatest tanya donnelly album that never existed. like, the stuff i like about tanya (her muses songs, and the first two 4ad EPs that she made) and always wished there was more of. (wasn't a big belly fan.)

and apparently she is playing lilith fair this year. lilith fair! it really is the year of the ladyfest!

this is one of the prettiest/quietest songs on the album. weird video. i don't know who guy garvey is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35EeM5DHgRU

you can hear/see the kate bush thing here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_jUPk6c0OQ

Whenever I read Gay Garvey's name I think somebody's typo'd Green Gartside.

Thanks for the videos Scott this is lovely

you can hear/see the kate bush thing here:

yep, she's totally aping "the dreaming."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEbcpW82mqw

I like this one

don't know wtf that video's supposed to be about though.

are people still sleeping on this unbelievably amazing album? 3 years since i got it for 50p from an amnesty international event and it still reveals new details with every listen

you love me in my dreams
it's easier when i'm faaast asleep

this album is seriously an all time fave at this point <3

new album the house that jack built is great too! definitely not as good as hunting my dress and probably not as good as kismet either but still. so good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNgugQ3KmE0&fmt=18

in that same mellow mood of "murder of birds"/"enemy"
she nails it as always

then there's outright hilarious stuff like "ode to banksy". when she sings oh you're so provocative, so underground you can just hear her rolling her eyes

are people still sleeping on this unbelievably amazing album?

apparently so -_-

wow, i'm liking this stuff - - thanks for hyping it.

yay

one person down, everyone else to go

i am really enjoying this (both hunting my dress and the house that jack built)

need to spend a bit more time before having any more thoughts. the first song on HMD made me think "fiona apple!!!!" a lot, in a good way, but that comparison made less sense as the album went on

yaaaaaay!!!!

Not really feeling The House That Jack Built but can't put my finger on why. Then I realised one of the songs was called Ode To Banksy and my indifference flipped over into disdain and I kinda gave up.

that's the only one off her album that she didn't play when I saw her on thursday (she was amazing - voice even better than on record, although her spacy, quirky banter between songs was a tad tiresome) and yeah def my least favourite. cmon tho 'dnr' and 'born to' and the title track etc etc!!!

still being criminally overlooked but w/e...

Over the weekend listened to her recent KCRW session. New album out, too.

i need to hear the house album. keep forgetting. still listen to hunting my dress though. played it non-stop in the store for days a couple of weeks ago.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gox1yfrtlnU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gox1yfrtlnU

plz work this time

FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKk
BUSDHBDFHNIDGBHDFVHBOBDFVNBHDCHBDFHBFHNBFDHBKJFKJDFNKJNKDF

FUCK THIS STUPID WEBSITE

JESCA HOOP - D.N.R.

coolness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdoW-1A2qm4&feature=relmfu

this record finishes so strongly, "deeper devastation" and "when i'm asleep" are my favourites on it

Spotify doesn't seem to know about the new one yet but I'm taking the opportunity to finally crack open The House That Jack Built - second listen, really digging it.

Also, @ Matt DC upthread - "Ode To Banksy" is great! Dunno what exactly she's saying about Banksy, if anything, but it's hooky as hell. In general I like how uptempo and propulsive this record is; I also like the moodier, slowly-unfolding kind of songs which in my memory is more of Hunting My Dress, so it was a pleasant surprise to find her pulling this off equally well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fZUZUnAcc4

such a good song.

Serious sign that my grip on time is completely unraveling: i still think of Hunting My Dress as kind of a new addition to my music listening, but it's been almost five years since this thread put me on to her! Jesus. And she's put out a bunch of stuff since then. I should put in some time catching up, I love that one album, think it's held up very well, and am long overdue for buying a physical copy.

Just got to the end of my second listen of the new album. Not all of it's grabbing me (which is true of her previous work) and there's one clunker - the "computer says no" one - but there's a run of three songs in the middle - "Simon Says", "Cut Connection" and "Songs of Old" - that's pretty special. "Pegasi" is nice too.

Do check out her duet album with Sam Beam from last year, which is my favourite thing Jesca's been involved in.

super strong opener on this one too - memories are now / the lost sky / animal kingdom chaotic are great plus the following three means that the front half imo is fantastic. backend unmemorable but nothing actively discouraging.

Listened to this album (Memories Are Now) earlier in the year, made almost no impression. Listened to it again last night it sounded phenomenal. Title track in particular.

This is a great album. It’s had a lot of staying power for me. Definitely one of my favorites of the year.