<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>#sun – Pop Press International</title> <atom:link href="https://www.poppressinternational.com/tag/sun/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com</link> <description>Music Blog, Music News, Tracks, Reviews, Live Music, Photos & More</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:41:49 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <item> <title>Album Review: Cat Power – Sun</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2012/09/04/album-review-cat-power-sun/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:31:54 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[REVIEWS]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#matador]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#sun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cat Power]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=3533</guid> <description><![CDATA[I have absolutely no qualms about calling Cat Power’s new album exactly what it is: a masterpiece. Sun marks the first album of completely original material in more than half a decade from Cat...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have absolutely no qualms about calling Cat Power’s new album exactly what it is: a masterpiece. <em>Sun</em> marks the first album of completely original material in more than half a decade from Cat Power, aka Chan Marshall. Marshall is an artist who wears her influences on her sleeve, which I deeply admire, and her extensive library of recorded covers carries enormous value, but it still left me wondering what original material might be playing out in her mind. Before her covers album <em>Jukebox</em>, we were given <em>The Greatest</em>, an album of original songs which relied heavily on the contributions of session musicians. As incredible as those musicians were/are and as quality as the songs were that emerged, it still felt like Marshall wasn’t tapped into her purest creative energy. <em>Sun</em> possesses an energy unheard since 2003’s <em>You Are Free</em>.</p> <p>The sequence of the first four tracks left my mouth agape the first time I heard them. They blend the sparse simplicity and emotive vibe of <em>Moon Pix</em> and the rootsy folk of <em>You Are Free</em>, but add something entirely new and fresh with heavy beats and phenomenal hooks. The title track eschews traditional instrumentation for pulsing beats and spacey synthesizers. This is Marshall at her most original, creative, and vibrant. “Ruin,” the album’s first single invokes Marshall’s current residence of Miami as she tries her own brand of Cuban mambo to great effect. Quick, brief snare hits punch as angular guitar jerks and whines under the chorus while Marshall shouts, “What are we doin’? / We’re sittin’ on a ruin.”</p> <p>Marshall’s soulful side comes pouring out of the opening notes of “3,6,9” and her simple piano and vocal line carries more rhythm than I thought possible from such a sparse arrangement. This is the point where I realize I could write several hundred words on each song, but that would bore you all to tears. I have to say that the galloping clicks and hi-hat on “Manhattan” slay me and yes, that is Iggy Pop contributing backing vocals to the Bowie’s Heroes-esque “Nothin But Time.” Don’t worry, Marshall knows who she’s riffing on as always, singing, “It’s up to you, to be a superhero.” I’m still working on being my own, but I’d take Marshall as my superhero any day.</p> <p>When I saw her perform at an Austin City Limits taping in 2006, she had to restart her cover of “House of the Rising Sun” maybe two dozen times, once playing only a single note before abandoning the song. If it takes that kind of introverted, perfectionist persona to create an album like <em>Sun</em>, it’s worth the wait. When she finally delivers, Marshall proves herself as one of today’s most inventive and brilliant songwriters all over again.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Track Review: “Cherokee” – Cat Power</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2012/06/28/track-review-cherokee-cat-power/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:09:04 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[TRACKS]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#catpower]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#cherokee]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#matadorrecords]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#sun]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=2403</guid> <description><![CDATA[Chan Marshall aka Cat Power has released another track from her forthcoming LP Sun, which drops on September 4th on Matador and looks like it will be as stunning as anything Cat Power...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cat_Power_Sun.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2053" title="Cat_Power_Sun" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cat_Power_Sun-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cat_Power_Sun-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cat_Power_Sun-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cat_Power_Sun-50x50.jpg 50w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cat_Power_Sun.jpg 540w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Chan Marshall aka Cat Power has released another track from her forthcoming LP <em>Sun</em>, which drops on September 4th on Matador and looks like it will be as stunning as anything Cat Power has previously released. “Cherokee” shimmers with echoing guitars as Marshall relies heavily on her trademark smoky vocals, which are layered perfectly above electronic drums that move between faraway and busy. So far <em>Sun</em> feels like a record that has been waiting to pour out of Marshall as she worked through a period of covers (a tradition in which she has already carved her name) and working with more traditionally oriented musicians (as on <em>The Greatest</em>). These first two tracks from <em>Sun</em> are forward thinking, arresting, and showcase the type of brilliance that makes Chan Marshall one of our generations most important songwriters. You can hear “Cherokee” via YouTube below. Additionally, you can download the album’s first single, “Ruin,” right <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="Track Review: “Ruin” – Cat Power" href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/2012/06/18/track-review-ruin-cat-power/" target="_blank">here</a></span>.</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eKPgos3dTEg" frameborder="0" width="420" height="300"></iframe></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Track Review: “Ruin” – Cat Power</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2012/06/18/track-review-ruin-cat-power/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:43:52 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[TRACKS]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#catpower]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#matador]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#ruin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#sun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#tracks]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=2055</guid> <description><![CDATA[It’s hard to be objective when you’re reviewing one of your longstanding favorite songwriters. “Ruin,” the new track from Cat Power’s just announced album Sun marks the first original material we’ve heard from Chan...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s hard to be objective when you’re reviewing one of your longstanding favorite songwriters. “Ruin,” the new track from Cat Power’s just announced album <em>Sun</em> marks the first original material we’ve heard from Chan Marshall in 6 years. The song borders on dance and showcases a more upbeat and bright side of Cat Power than we’ve ever heard. Eschewing her more recent trend toward traditional, blues instrumentation, the song feels like a more pop version of the direction Marshall headed with “Free” from <em>You are Free</em>. In the short Austin Conroy directed video for the song, Marshall sports a super-short haircut and scrawls the word “ruin” in gold spraypaint. It’s an unexpected, strange departure. It’s also completely wonderful. Stream, watch, and download below.</p> <p>Download: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cat_power_ruin.mp3">Cat Power – Ruin</a></span></p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_nl3Oo4-IQ4" frameborder="0" width="480" height="300"></iframe></p> ]]></content:encoded> <enclosure url="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cat_power_ruin.mp3" length="6555514" type="audio/mpeg" /> </item> </channel> </rss>