Dec. 7, 2007
On the heels of the release of their fantastic new self-titled album
on Bloodshot Records, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir recently took a
short drive up I-94 from their Chicago home-base to stop by Woodland
Audio/Video studios for a raucously fun and exuberant Basement Tapes
session.
Led by the Welsh-bred singer/songwriter Elia Einhorn, this Windy City
indie-collective - consisting of Mary Ralph (guitar / vocals), Ethan
Adelsman (violin / vocals), Jay Santana (drums), Aaron Ackerson (keys),
Mark Yoshizumi (bass) and Einhorn (vocals / guitar / banjo), came in
good spirits and left us in even better ones, as they delivered not
only two wonderful takes from their latest record (the snappy and
spirited confessional "Aspidistra" and the beautiful "This World Has No
Place For Me," a song which could trace it's self-loathing roots
directly to the Morrissey sweatshirt on Einhorn's back), but also the
ridiculously infectious punk-pop of "Tear Down The Opera House" from
their previous release I Bet You Say That To All the Boys.
To our surprise the band also turned in a wonderful, and timely, take
of The Pogues' 1987 holiday reel, "Fairytale of New York." While
Einhorn may question his own sexuality (as the title of their first
effort and songs like "I Never Thought I Could Feel This Way For A Boy"
on their latest release would hint at), Ralph set the record
‘straight,' so to speak. As Einhorn and Ralph traded their
call-and-responses of love and hope crushed by alcohol and drugs just
as the late Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues' Shane MacGowan did on the
original, Ralph cheekily changed MacColl's scathing barb of "you cheap
lousy faggot" to "fake Irish faggot," insinuating that Einhorn not only
‘plays up' that he's Irish, but also that his ‘feelings for a boy'
might not be quite as tingly as he makes them out to be.
Whatever the case regarding sexuality and ethnicity, we were just happy
that this talented group took the time to perform this holiday treat
and three of their own delights for us… and you. - Tony Bonyata
LISTEN TO THE SESSION
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FREE DOWNLOADS:
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The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - Tear Down The Opera
House
The Scotland Yard
Gospel Choir - This World Has No Place For Me
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - Fairytale of New
York
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - Aspidistra
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VIDEO
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PHOTO GALLERY
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For more info on The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir go to:
http://
www.myspace.com/scotlandyardgospelchoir
To purchase The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's CD
go to:
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artists/scotlandyardgospelchoir/
This Basement Tapes session was recorded at
Woodland Audio/Video in Spring Grove, IL. Engineered and mixed by Scot
Goodrich. Video shot and produced by Gordon Rinda. Photos by Phil
Bonyata.
For more info on Woodland Audio/Video go to:
www.woodlandaudio.com |
