Mouth Off 11.29.09
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Around the Horn Duwende claims Casual Harmony’s Aaron Boykin as their newest dude, Boston-based Overboard’s Beatles tribute Help! is FREE, A Cappella helps a man with Alzheimers (seriously, read this right now), AcaTunes might release an iPhone app?, and the Sing Off lineup is announced! Dave basically couldn’t be more proud that BYU Noteworthy is among the contenders!Head-2-Head Christopher gets down and dirty with two stellar versions of Taxi Ride’s “Get Set”. It’s an artistic brawl between the Northwestern Undertones and the Stanford Harmonics (thanks James Ranson!).
[Edit: Both songs are available on iTunes here: Undertones - http://bit.ly/7kQ9Jb and Harmonics - http://bit.ly/4JjVpw]
My New Girlfriend Noteworthy-love abounds as Dave tells us about the mega-talented songwriter, producer, engineer, singer, teacher, directer and Mouth Off! theme song writer, the lovely Catherine Papworth.
In Your Earbuds Of COURSE Christopher’s been all about the new GaGa, but the new Norah Jones is moody and sophisticated and playing on repeat in his earbuds.
Album Review This time, the boys are more yin and yin as they discuss the latest release Twist from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill all-male supergroup, the Clef Hangers. This meaty album is high quality, squeaky clean and great fun, but could maybe stand for a more sensitive touch.
I’m very honored by this week’s “New Girlfriend” segment. Christopher still owes me many open mouth kisses Dave, so I hope you’re okay with that. In all seriousness though, thank you. But, if I can speak in my defense Dave…the first Noteworthy auditions did not include solos. We sang a line from some pre-determined song with 2 other girls. jus’ sayin…. but I still love you. so that’s your life. so.
-fermama.
Chris and Dave,
The November 29th show was the very first I heard this show and I fell in love with it almost instantly. I’ve been a huge all around a cappella fan from Rajaton to Rockapella for a few years since i was introduced and was smiling and enjoying every minute of the show. I just couldn’t resist making a comment saying that you have definitely gained another loyal fan to the show. Keep up the awesome work.
Grant C.
Welcome to the party, Grant!
Now to totally blow your Head-2-Head minds: Virginia Tech Juxtaposition has a version of “Get Set” on the BOCA 2001 album!
Now to totally blow my mind: I didn’t know IT WAS AN ACTUAL SONG until a couple of months ago when I heard it mentioned on another a cappella podcast (don’t remember which ‘cast, though).
Heh. I just did a Get Set segment on the last Acapodcast. I ended up going for the Hyannis Sound version, but I did play clips from both the VT Juxtaposition and Undertones versions…
Chad, that’s where I heard it.
Before your ep though, I had no idea that the original song was done by Taxiride. I thought Juxtaposition wrote it themselves.
We put “Lullaby” on there in honor for our friend “Eve” who was killed.
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Hi guys – I found your podcast a couple months ago, and have really enjoyed going back and listening to them all. I am an a cappella fan, and musician, who never used to be into college a cappella. But since getting into your show, I have purchased the last two albums by the Clef Hangers – Time Out and Twist. I was very interested in hearing your review of Twist and here are some thoughts on the album.
A major factor in the “fan-dom” of a cappella music is song choice. Back when I was in school – prior to youtube or iTunes – hearing non-major label artists was impossible. So, when looking in catalogs at find CD’s of new a cappella groups, I would buy based on the songs I knew. This is how I ran into M-Pact when the did “Change in My Life” on their first album.
The Clef Hangers choose a set list that is aimed at their core demographic – college kids – yes, I can say “kids”. I will say that I knew seven of the songs purely by name and I was excited to heat them done a cappella. But the main question is this: are they putting a CD out that is only relevant now or something that will still hold value in 10-15 years? I feel that the album is more of the former than the latter and that is completely an “iTunes” CD. Each track holds water by its self, but as a whole, there is little flow. And like you mentioned, I would reorder the majority of the album.
But, The Clef Hangers do something that not many college groups do. They let their singers sing. Well of course they do, they are an a cappella group. That is true but that is not my point. As a cappella moved from doo-wop-type arrangements and more to the “vocal band” idea, a lot of college groups were so stuck on trying to sound like a guitar, bass, or horns and they sounded ridiculous – this is a major reason to why I did not like college groups. But UNC lets their guys really sing on their albums. They are not always trying to imitate what instrument is playing the notes in the original, but they are singing the notes and mostly let the production do that for them – wise choice. Listen the majority of their tracks and you will hear open vowels soaring. Even on Kiss, Kiss the back grounds are mostly vowel sounds. I could go on, but I won’t.
The album is very good. I would give the execution of the music and production a solid A. But the order and song choice a “C”.
PS – I apologize for getting long-winded, but like I said, I am an a cappella guy.