Based on musical background alone, John Davis and Laura Burhenn, the duo that makes up Georgie James, were not the most likely pair to form over their mutual love of bands like The Kinks and The Zombies. Davis had previously spent the better part of a decade as a member of the punk-ish experimental act Q and Not U, while Burhenn was fostering a career in a more singer-songwriterly direction, a full-length release and a label to her credit. Whatever the circumstances that brought the two Washington, D.C.-based musicians together, fans of smart, jaunty indie-pop have reaped the benefits. Georgie James released their debut, Places, on Saddle Creek last fall and it proved to be filled start to finish with hooky, catchy pop songs, at times belying the somber lyrical content underneath.
Burhenn's "Cake Parade," for example reads like an anti-war missive that would not have been out of place in the music of the band to come out of D.C. punk's salad days, Fugazi. In the hands of Burhenn and Davis, however, the musical emphasis feels like it's more on the "cake" and "parade" than any political statement being made-- a fact that is apropos according to Burhenn, who told us that the song "is the story of how we get the wool pulled over our eyes quite often, so we miss the deeper story because everything sounds fine (and) happy."
MP3: Georgie James, from Places- "Cake Parade"
Georgie James joined us in-studio recently for a special stripped down set of songs, including a pair of choice covers of songs by The Zombies and The Flamin' Groovies (each in good hands with these two, as we'll hear). We'll also talk to the band about the D.C. scene that brought them together, the influence the ever-present politics of our nation's capital has on their songwriting, and their interesting (and ever-growing) list of cover choices, among other things.
Stream: Georgie James opbmusic in-studio session
Also, music from Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy, who plays Portland's Aladdin Theater tonight, as well as new music from Wolf Parade, The Black Angels, Aimee Mann, Scarlet Johansson, and more.
MP3: Wolf Parade, from At Mount Zoomer (out June 17th)- "Language City"
MP3: The Black Angels, from Instructions to See a Ghost- "Doves"
The thread is yours, what's on your minds?
May 31, 2008 at 2:58pm by inmemoryofjohnpeel
Evening JP
Exhausted from burning the candle at both ends I decided to stay in and listen to your show tonight and am delighted to see that the Georgie James session is on. Cake Parade is a great song which I picked up on too when I interviewed them for nonstarvingartists back in April.
Btw; Stackridge, who opened the first ever Gladstonbury festival in 1970 opened it again this time! > http://music.guardian.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury2008/story/0,,2283191,00.html
May 31, 2008 at 3:13pm by jpetersen
Hey IMOJP,
I saw that interview-- you have a penchant for the non-linear interview and I appreciate that. Can't really do it myself. True, true-- "Cake Parade" is a gem.
Is it bad if I say this is my intro to Stackridge?? A cursory internet search shows them to be forefathers of the good stuff (i.e. XTC, Prefab Sprout, They Might Be Giants) which tells me I should get familiar. Thanks.
May 31, 2008 at 3:57pm by inmemoryofjohnpeel
JP - Your interview style had me thinking damn, why didn't I ask that? Complimentary styles I'd say. I should inform listeners (readers) that the GJ session bombed compared to the sweet sounds on the CDs which really are good, Burhenn didn't sound relaxed until the Zombies cover and Davis isn't powerful enough for that format, but that's nothing unusual, listen to the ultra-polished Steely Dan's 'Roots of...' it's truly awful.
Stackridge were an odd band even then, very 'preppy' as you Yanks would say, but came up with some gems like 'The Road To Venuzuela' - I swear bands like Gomez and The Little Ones have their hands on Stackridge LPs - and I have a couple if you want to hear them sometime.
May 31, 2008 at 4:11pm by jpetersen
Bombed? I mean, to be fair, it was just the acoustic duo version of the band so it lacked the punch of the album versions with the rhythm section for sure, but I thought the songs turned out great. I really missed Davis' totally sweet electric guitar solo on "Need Your Needs," however. I mean, I think the CD versions are better, but I was glad we got these. Don't miss the Flamin' Groovies cover "I Can't Hide," by the way. It's a "bonus" web track that didn't air tonight.
June 1, 2008 at 3:17am by inmemoryofjohnpeel
Maybe bombed was too strong, but there was a tension in their music that is so opposite to the pleasantness of the recorded stuff as to be misleading. This fragility happens with most bands in stripped down, one-take situations, and for some it sounds better - perhaps because their albums are overproduced, for others - and this is a case - it shows just how expertly they are produced. It should also be said that John Davis was carrying a pretty bad virus/cold at the time. I will check out the extra tracks - I enjoyed the Zombies number a lot.
Comments are now closed.