Bread Crumbs with dinner
Bronze Leaf releases Bread Crumbs
By Joe Gurba
With a resolved and trusting foot, Amy MacDonald steps into the world of Music. Not the realm of art, but the competitive world of Music with a capital M — the industrialized and honest pursuit of sustenance, an occupation akin to the travelling evangelist.
This is plaintively evident as I discuss her new album with her from somewhere between Edmonton and Moncton.
“I plan to throw this record at whichever walls I can, and see where it sticks.”
And indeed she has, venturing boldly across our massive nation, touring her debut full-length, Bread Crumbs.
Accompanying her are Bronze Leaf’s newest band members, Champion City Records senator Eric Cheng and Brazilian Money patriot Matthew Isrealson, whom she eagerly exalts in our discussions.
This is a new stratagem for Bronze Leaf, formerly a silhouetted woman, solitarily gracing so many stages throughout Edmonton, amassing — for three years now — an eager throng of fans anticipating this release.
Bread Crumbs is finally poised to present itself on May 27th at the Rutherford House. What is particularly fitting about this release event is that the disc will be ceremoniously presented over a warm meal. For a long awaited record that eulogizes the last few years of the artist’s life, the intimacy of a dinner with its recipients seems only appropriate.
“[Bread Crumbs] is in equal parts warnings, reminders, and love letters about what not to do. It’s a half-look back over the shoulder, a shaking head with a smile, a walking-away,” she says.
The resulting spirit of the event is sure to inject the value and personal significance of this release into the record itself.
Listening to Bread Crumbs, it unfolds much like a diary. The recording itself is clad in quietude. The majority of the album has the prevailing atmosphere of a blanket fort. Though it gets off to a mild start, songs like “Shell” invoke the ambiance of a Julie Doiron record while tracks like “Pennies” display MacDonald’s ability to write quietly catchy melodies in the vein of Gregory and The Hawk.
Eric Cheng’s recording input cannot go unmentioned here. A highlight example of his excellent production choices can be found on “Text Edit”, arguably the strongest song on the disc, where Cheng leaves MacDonald’s breaths in the chorus unabashedly un-muted. They serve to punctuate the chorus and reel the listener back in again and again. Techniques like these give the album its signature intimacy.
There is nevertheless room for growth on the next record. MacDonald’s songs are similar throughout and can begin to blend together. With that said, the album still remains beautiful, inviting, and available to invest yourself in.
If MacDonald’s drive and work ethic equate the passion and personal investment she’s poured into her art, it is no question that Music will receive her eagerly. Attend this dinner and release show and bear witness to this self-fulfilling prophecy.
Thursday, May 27, 2010 – Doors 7:30; Show 8:00 – All Ages / Licensed
Only 75 tickets available – $10 in advance from Rutherford House / $15 at the door – FREE FOOD with ticket – Call: 780 422 4697
With a resolved and trusting foot, Amy MacDonald steps into the world of Music. Not the realm of art,
but the competitive world of Music with a capital M — the industrialized and honest pursuit of
sustenance, an occupation akin to the travelling evangelist. This is plaintively evident as I discuss her
new album with her from somewhere between Edmonton and Moncton.
“I plan to throw this record at whichever walls I can, and see where it sticks.” And indeed she has,
venturing boldly across our massive nation, touring her debut full-length, Bread
Crumbs. Accompanying her are Bronze Leaf’s newest band members, Champion City Records senator
Eric Cheng and Brazilian Money patriot Matthew Isrealson, whom she eagerly exalts in our
discussions. This is a new stratagem for Bronze Leaf, formerly a silhouetted woman, solitarily gracing
so many stages throughout Edmonton, amassing — for three years now — an eager throng of fans
anticipating this release.
Bread Crumbs is finally poised to present itself on May 27th at the Rutherford House. What is
particularly fitting about this release event is that the disc will be ceremoniously presented over a
warm meal. For a long awaited record that eulogizes the last few years of the artist’s life, the intimacy
of a dinner with its recipients seems only appropriate. “[Bread Crumbs] is in equal parts warnings,
reminders, and love letters about what not to do. It’s a half-look back over the shoulder, a shaking
head with a smile, a walking-away.” The resulting spirit of the event is sure to inject the value and
personal significance of this release into the record itself.
Listening to Bread Crumbs, it unfolds much like a diary. The recording itself is clad in quietude. The
majority of the album has the prevailing atmosphere of a blanket fort. Though it gets off to a mild
start, songs like “Shell” invoke the ambiance of a Julie Doiron record while tracks like “Pennies”
display MacDonald’s ability to write quietly catchy melodies in the vein of Gregory and The Hawk.
Eric Cheng’s recording input cannot go unmentioned here. A highlight example of his excellent
production choices can be found on “Text Edit”, arguably the strongest song on the disc, where Cheng
leaves MacDonald’s breaths in the chorus unabashadly unmuted. They serve to punctuate the chorus
and reel the listener back in again and again. Techniques like these give the album its signature
intimacy.
There is nevertheless room for growth on the next record. MacDonald’s songs are similar throughout
and can begin to blend together. With that said, the album still remains beautiful, inviting, and
available to invest yourself in.
If MacDonald’s drive and work ethic equate the passion and personal investment she’s poured into her
art, it is no question that Music will receive her eagerly. Attend this dinner and release show and bear
witness to this self-fulfilling prophesy.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Doors 7:30; Show 8:00
All Ages / Licensed
FREE FOOD with ticket
Only 75 tickets available
$10 in advance from Rutherford House / $15 at the door
Walk in: 11153 Saskatchewan Drive
Call: 780 422 4697Bronze Leaf – Bread Crumbs
With a resolved and trusting foot, Amy MacDonald steps into the world of Music. Not the realm of art,
but the competitive world of Music with a capital M — the industrialized and honest pursuit of
sustenance, an occupation akin to the travelling evangelist. This is plaintively evident as I discuss her
new album with her from somewhere between Edmonton and Moncton.
“I plan to throw this record at whichever walls I can, and see where it sticks.” And indeed she has,
venturing boldly across our massive nation, touring her debut full-length, Bread
Crumbs. Accompanying her are Bronze Leaf’s newest band members, Champion City Records senator
Eric Cheng and Brazilian Money patriot Matthew Isrealson, whom she eagerly exalts in our
discussions. This is a new stratagem for Bronze Leaf, formerly a silhouetted woman, solitarily gracing
so many stages throughout Edmonton, amassing — for three years now — an eager throng of fans
anticipating this release.
Bread Crumbs is finally poised to present itself on May 27th at the Rutherford House. What is
particularly fitting about this release event is that the disc will be ceremoniously presented over a
warm meal. For a long awaited record that eulogizes the last few years of the artist’s life, the intimacy
of a dinner with its recipients seems only appropriate. “[Bread Crumbs] is in equal parts warnings,
reminders, and love letters about what not to do. It’s a half-look back over the shoulder, a shaking
head with a smile, a walking-away.” The resulting spirit of the event is sure to inject the value and
personal significance of this release into the record itself.
Listening to Bread Crumbs, it unfolds much like a diary. The recording itself is clad in quietude. The
majority of the album has the prevailing atmosphere of a blanket fort. Though it gets off to a mild
start, songs like “Shell” invoke the ambiance of a Julie Doiron record while tracks like “Pennies”
display MacDonald’s ability to write quietly catchy melodies in the vein of Gregory and The Hawk.
Eric Cheng’s recording input cannot go unmentioned here. A highlight example of his excellent
production choices can be found on “Text Edit”, arguably the strongest song on the disc, where Cheng
leaves MacDonald’s breaths in the chorus unabashadly unmuted. They serve to punctuate the chorus
and reel the listener back in again and again. Techniques like these give the album its signature
intimacy.
There is nevertheless room for growth on the next record. MacDonald’s songs are similar throughout
and can begin to blend together. With that said, the album still remains beautiful, inviting, and
available to invest yourself in.
If MacDonald’s drive and work ethic equate the passion and personal investment she’s poured into her
art, it is no question that Music will receive her eagerly. Attend this dinner and release show and bear
witness to this self-fulfilling prophesy.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Doors 7:30; Show 8:00
All Ages / Licensed
FREE FOOD with ticket
Only 75 tickets available
$10 in advance from Rutherford House / $15 at the door
Walk in: 11153 Saskatchewan Drive
Call: 780 422 4697
Next, go clean your room
If I'd had known there would be hot dogs and ice cream I would have cleaned something.
Sunday’s beautiful summer weather worked out well for a Thank You event down at Churchill Square.
Capital City Clean Up volunteers were being served up the usual summer fare (including hot dogs) as a “Thanks” for their work cleaning up litter and grafitti over the last few months.
The City says more than 1,200 Edmontonians picked up garbage and cleaned and painted over grafitti this summer. Businesses also donated more than $220,000.
Now, if bylaw officers could just target all those litterbugs, we could save some taxpayer-hotdog money by no longer needing Capital City Clean Up.
