My Bird Performs

I'm not dead, only wounded. The "settling in" portion of the move to Bloomington is nearly complete, so expect regular updates to resume relatively soon (and yes, I know my track record on these promises is shoddy at best; I'm working on that.)

The Vetiver review and the rest of the Lollapalooza pics will be up... when I feel like it. I'll probably backdate the posts to preserve some semblance of continuity for future generations, but I'll make an announcement when they actually go up. After all, I like you guys.


So, in keeping with my new trend of being behind in just about everything, here's this: apparently, Vagenius is no more. Instead, they're now called Hello Stranger, and their long-awaited self-titled debut is finally in stores, courtesy of Aeronaut Records. Vagenius was one of my favorite blog finds of last year, and their new record can't arrive at my doorstep fast enough. So, to help pass my postal exile, here are some tracks from the original Vagenius self-release.

Vagenius - Which Side Is Mine. This track was rerecorded for the new record, but, after hearing a clip of the new version, I'm not sure if it's an improvement. The Hello Stranger version removes the detached, echo-laden vocals in favor of a bland, AAA-style stright recording. If I wanted Natalie Imbruglia, I'd go to Australia. Still, production quibbles aside, this track is a perfect example of why I'm not ashamed to love synthpop. Also, that lovely synthetic sound you hear there? Totally a keytar.

Vagenius - After All. This track didn't make the cut for the new album, so consider it a bonus. I certainly do. Once the keys kick into full effect around the 0:59 mark, I think you will, too.

Hello Stranger is on MySpace, and welcomes all new friends with a hearty hello.

Posted by Tyler on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at 10:15 PM | Permalink