UNCUT UK, April 2007, 4 Stars
Reminiscent at times of Low and Cat Power, Dana Schechter’s songs are minimalist but intense, their stark architecture layered with lush spookiness, but the real selling point is her out-of-body sounding voice; like Polly Harvey sticking pins into a voodoo doll of Burt Bacharach, and it’s a hugely arresting sound.
Q MAGAZINE, UK April 2007 3 stars
Bee and Flower specialize in slow and moody cinematic pop, not so far from where Portishead once made their mark. Recorded in Berlin with a 25-piece string section adding a grandiose swell to the piano-based heartache, their effect is dreamily soothing.
(+ Playlist ‘top 50 songs of 2007”, April 2007, 34/50)
Clash, April 2007
'Homeland' is a crushing delight (imagine Mazzy Star recording in a desolate Berlin chapel).
The music of BEE AND FLOWER (Berlin/NYC) envelops the listener into an intimate, luxurious and orchestrated world, filled with moody strings, piano, percussion, ghostly slide guitars, and lush female vocals. BEE AND FLOWER brings together elements of classically-arranged film-score soundtracks with well-crafted songwriting, weaving tales of the universal human experience: of hope and heartbreak, of love and living, and of isolation and oblivion.
Founded in 1999 in New York City by singer-songwriter, bassist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, Dana Schechter and keyboardist Roderick Miller, the core band relocated to Berlin, Germany, in 2004. Producer Toby Dammit also moved from NY>Berlin, and the three began work on Bee and Flower's second album, entitled "Last Sight of Land".
"Last Sight of Land" features a 25-piece string section, a whirlwind of grand pianos, vintage electronics, delicate melodic percussion, a mammoth bass section, keyboards, guitars, lap steels, and sweeping vocal choirs. Musicians featured on BEE AND FLOWER's albums and the live group include members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Calexico, Keren Ann, Iggy Pop, Angels of Light, American Music Club, Tarnation, Swans, and Bertrand Burgalat. The european/UK release was March 2007 on Germany's tuition records (www.tuition-music.com).
BEE AND FLOWER released their debut CD "What's Mine is Yours" (Neurot Recordings, 2003) to critical acclaim press (including the New Yorker, the Village Voice, and Time Out New York). In addition, the band has composed two Original Feature Film Scores, toured in the US, and contributed to several compilation CD's. The deluxe music video for "I Know Your Name" (dir. Josh Graham) was released on Neurot Rec in 2004.
In Europe, BEE AND FLOWER have been performing regularly in varying formats, including the addition of a string ensemble, percussion, and horns, and are joined frequently by special guests.
This week's testimony features a quietly recorded, maybe bad (up for debate) but quite necessary g.0.v.! cover of the R.E.M. song, "Driver 8". (complete with reasons!)
Yes.
Sometimes cover songs are necessary to one's survival.
This film clip was made by Glass Kingdom
Films! Please visit www.belladonnathemovie.com
to see their feature film to be released later this year with Lamplight
appearing in the film and on the sound track!
FIREWATER - LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS! Last shows until October!
Jun 26 : Larz, GERMANY : Fusion Festival Jun 27 : Audincourt, FRANCE : Rencontres & Racines Jun 28 : Istanbul, TURKEY : Balkan Soundz Festival July 02 : Dornbirn, AUSTRIA : Speilboden July 03 : Bulle, SWITZERLAND : Gibloux Festival July 04 : Jena, GERMANY : JG Stadtmitte July 05 : Hradec Kralove, CZECH R.: Rock For People July 06 : Vienna, AUSTRIA : Szene Wein July 08 : Linz, AUSTRIA : Posthof July 10 : Steyr, AUSTRIA : Röda July 11 : Bologna, ITALY : Mondiali Antirazzisti July 12 : Milano, ITALY : Magnolia Festival July 13 : Colmar, FRANCE : Hiero July 15 : Paris, FRANCE : Batofar July 17 : Pozega, CROATIA : Dirty Old Empire Festival July 18 : Veszprem, HUNGARY : Utcazene Fesztivál July 24 : Riberac, FRANCE : Le Grand Souk Festival July 25 : Gdynia, POLAND : Globaltica Festival July 31 : Namur, BELGIUM : Esperanzha Festival Aug 01 : Habere-Poche, FRANCE : Rock'n'Poche Festival Aug 02 : Bladel, NETHERLANDS : Bladelse Zomerfeesten
> Bellydancers in costume get in free at all club shows!
> More shows are still being added, so check the Firewater MySpace page for updates.
> This message was sent by an evil robot. So if you are somewhere other than Europe and can't escape, we're sorry. We'll be back again someday soon.
ahhhhh berlin in the summer... june is SO GREAT there!!! awwwww! have fun and say hi to everyone for me... oh... the bbq parties... so hey maybe see ya again in new york... and oh! might take ya up if the offer is still there... to stay with you a few days?!?!
and his band featuring Yoyo Roehm, Stefan Creutzburg, Lilia Antico, Achim Färber, ...
One day before they will present their upcoming album at "White Trash Fast Food", they will perform an exclusive concert at our recording studio. You can watch and hear the show on your computer world wide and even communicate with the band via a live chat.
__________ Tech advice: windows user need windows media player 9; mac user need to install flip4mac free to see the live stream in their quicktime player. http://www.telestream.net/flip4mac-wmv/overview.htm
Heading to Amsterdam and then two weeks in Africa, with my beautiful Bee & Flower music being taken as a soundtrack to long plane rides overnight and time in the Serengeti. The night skies and the way they give over to such sheer brightness seems to be kindred to the music. Hope you are well, Dana (and all), Your stray FMU friend, Andy