I don't know where the hell I was when Regina Spektor's first big-label album, Soviet Kitsch, released in 2001 (er, graduating from NYU and, later, selling my soul to the bird on the Hudson) but it's taken me way too long to sit down and listen to it and her new album, Begin to Hope. I was blown away. Her songs are folksy and fun, the lyrics quirky and tender; her voice is amazing. She's like Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, and sometimes even Norah Jones, all rolled into a refreshingly new artist.
Now, with her two albums (legally) downloaded into my iPod and a pair of tickets to her show at The Town Hall next month (hmmm, I wonder who I'll be taking with me......), I'm happy.
Amazing stuff here, folks.
Regina Spektor gets the Nerd's seal of approval. I can't do the whole hyperlink thing on my G4 here, so I've opted to paste up the lyrics of one of my fave songs by her, "The Ghost of Corporate Past," which comes from the first album. (Listen and) Enjoy!
Ghost of Corporate Future
A man walks out of his apartment
It is raining
He's got no umbrella
He starts running beneath the awnings trying to save his suit
Tryin to dryin to tryin to dry but no good
When he gets to the crowded subway platform he takes off both of his shoes
He steps right into somebody's fat loogie
And everyone who sees him says "ewwww"
Everyone who sees him says "ewwww"
But he doesn't care cause last night he got a visit from the Ghost of Corporate Future
The Ghost said take off both your shoes whatever chances you get
Especially when they're wet
He also said
Imagine you go away on a business trip one day
And when you come back home
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan
And people make you nervous
You'd think the world was ending
And everybody's features
Have somehow started blending
And everything is plastic
And everyone's sarcastic
And all your food is frozen
It needs to be defrosted
You'd think the world was ending
You'd think the world was ending
You'd think the world was ending right now
Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee
And never ever watch the 10 o'clock news
Maybe you should kiss someone nice or lick a rock or both
Maybe you should cut your own hair cause that can be so funny
It doesn't cost any money and it always grows back
Hair grows even after you're dead
People are just people
They shouldn't make you nervous
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
If you don't toss your plastic
The streets won't be so plastic
And if you kiss somebody
Then both of you'll get practice
The world is everlasting
Put dirtballs in your pockets
Put dirtball's in your pockets
And take off both your shoes
Cause people are just people
People are just people
People are just people like you
People are just people
People are just people
People are just people like you
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
It's coming and it's going
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12 comments:
Awesome... she was (and still is) missing from this part of the world...(1st album, 2nd album, you name it) by chance my sister stumbled upon her stuff, and the rest they say is history.
wow! i have to thank you for introducing her to me. her songs are BEAUTIFUL. makes you wonder why true artists are seldom heard of while people like paris hilton get all the publicity (overrated publicity, that is). by the way, Regina Spektor's songs remind me of Corrine Bailey Rae. I would urge you to listen to her song, 'put your records on' )if you haven't already). almost has a serene quality to it. *go to launch.yahoo.com, scroll down to 'videos', and type in song name and click on 'watch'. enjoy.
Kinza
i don't know if u like her enough to come to MD but she's playing at the 9:30 club on oct. 3rd...
TS: It's like a pop culture time warp, isn't it! I know because Pakistan was always a couple of seasons behind us when it came to American television shows. I'd have to convince my cousins that the shit they were watching was old news. And then there were the dirty rumors. One that spread around like wildfire was that the chick who played Stephanie on Full House was dead. Now, mind you, this rumor started after the series wrapped up here (and was still going strong in Pakistan) and I knew for a fact that the chick wasn't dead (what WAS her name. Jodie Sweetin or something, yes? Sounds like the name of an artifical sweetener) but my cousins were convinced. I don't know what this has to do with my post or your comment to my post, but I thought I'd share.
Kinza: Isn't she great? She is a true artist, indeed. Now I'm excited to check out this Corinne Bailey Rae person.
NSC: Thanks for the scoop but I've already purchased tickets to her show in mid-September in NYC. Will you be checking her out in MD?
I'm new to your blog... enjoying a fellow Piscean's musings...
her songs are deep..
cold fall weather with the leaves bustling would make her songs even more intense
Corinne Bailey Rae is an interesting comparison - I would agree that their music is similarly spirited. However, I think I would compare the quality of Regina's voice and the aura of her songwriting to that of Jolie Holland, who, given her breathy, jazzy vocal range and folksy soulful lyrics is also a compelling songstress in her own right. Given my knowledge of Regina's music, I think you may also appreciate Jolie, especially the track "Damn Shame" (a live version of which is available on Youtube).
yes - i'm definitely going to the MD show...i'm tres excited.
I hear she's spectacular live. I'll let you know how the NYC show goes.
Zee: I'm obsessed with her songs at the moment.
Anonymous: Thanks for the rec. I'll definitely check out Jolie Holland!
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