live performances: *carolynne mcNeel* guitar/vocals/violin/keys/booty *keith forsythe* guitar, sweet "riffs" and/or "licks" *lara manogg* (elastic medium)* keys/backing vocals/bushwack minor *ben morgan* (mc digga)* bass/swank *john ziga* (true if destroyed, april disaster)* zigamatron 2000.4/drums/the skat
past live performances: alexander yaker: bass
on Burial at Sea album/past live performances:
carolynne mcNeel: guitar, vocals, violin, clanks, stomps & splashes
adam herndon: bass,backing vocals
dave dworanczyk: drums, percussion
keith forsythe: guitar, slide
rick hass: piano/keys, backing vocals
on Flight Patterns album/past live performances:
carolynne mcNeel: guitars, vocals
rory connell: guitars, mandolin, casio sk-1, bass
dave dworanczyk: drums, percussion, marimba
andrew jones: bass
joshua marcus: backing vocals
bill moriarty: glockenspiel
josh newman: bass, backing vocals, singing saw
john pettit: bass, trumpet
So, i have discovered that the only means for me to get brand spanking new music up on this thing at the moment is my digital camera.... here's a video of my dog eiffel and my guitar and my voice singing a song i wrote 2 days ago (as of nov. '07). (watching eiffel is more interesting than watching my face sing, i think). it's called Golden Egg.
enjoy!
The story of Rarebirds isnt very interesting girl plays in band (April Disaster), band breaks up, girl starts new band (Carolynne McNeel Three), band morphs into something different and better (Rarebirds).
But Rarebirds itself? Rarebirds is interesting.
When ink is spilled over Carolynne McNeels singing and songwriting, writers are left speculating whats beneath her opaque delivery and idiosyncratic playing. Philadelphia Weekly praised her smoky, twinkling tunes as well above standard singer/songwriter fare, while Philadelphia City Paper called them ethereal [and] folky, with lyrics as abstract and complex as her arrangements.
In other words? Shes a tough nut to crack. Thats half the fun of listening to Rarebirds, especially in this age of look-at-me lyrics and painful over-emoting.
Better Than This, a dreamy demo for the bands forthcoming album, shivers with odd sounds while McNeel sings, almost to herself, about writing the same song every night and not quite getting into heaven. Its heavy stuff, and just vague enough for us to know shes not making it up.
McNeel always seems to sing from experience, but its not always so bittersweet. The sprightly When You Sleep brings to life the contagious joy and headiness of love, and the happy-go-lucky subject matter is reflected in her simpler playing and sunnier backing.
The gentlemen providing that backing, by the way, are some of Phillys finest Adam Herndon (This Radiant Boy, Run Runner) on bass, Rick Hass (This Radiant Boy) ..s, Dave Dworanczyk (Secession Movement) on drums, and Keith Forsythe (a recent transplant from North Carolina) on guitar.
Two other demos, Sweet Lies and Drowning Happy (both available for listening at www.myspace.com/rarebirds), say it all with their titles. Theres conflict, and like so many fine songwriters before her, McNeel doesnt try to reconcile it or filter things out.
Instead, she mines it for all its worth, mashing up a wealth of divergent emotions and skipping backwards and forwards in time to suit the needs of the story.
And thats why we relate to Rarebirds songs the way we do though the creative hooks, vocal prettiness, and fresh-faced instrumentation help even if were not always able to explain why. (Doug Wallen, 4.06)
Rarebirds current line-up includes a smattering of Philly's finest. Lara Manogg (Elastic Medium, The Lara & Joe Show, Grand Fabric) joined the crew in fall of '07 playing keys and singing backing vocals.
John Ziga (drums) and Ben Morgan (bass) joined simultaneously in fall of '08. Ben has played in an array of Philadelphia bands including Be Careful Little Hands, The Sand Family, Slipping Into Sublimnity, and Lexicon. You may also recognize him as MC Digga. John was an original April Disaster member and has played in True if Destroyed and Rizzo Machine among others. With the exception of Carolynne, Keith Forsythe is currently the longest standing member of Rarebirds. Go Keith!
BEGINNING THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT, PAY TO SEE THE SHOW AT THE M ROOM AND ENJOY A FREE **PBR AND WELL DRINK** OPEN BAR FROM 9-10!! GET THERE EARLY, GET SAUCED, THEN STAY FOR THE SHOW! (friday and saturday shows only)
PORTS OF CALL- SCREEN VINYL IMAGE- LUXA- MUSIC FOR HEADPHONES!!!
be there, or be paying for your drinks elsewhere. GREAT PSYCHEDELIC/shoegazer line up. BE THERE OR BE NOWHERE!
You ROCK! Thanks for being a friend and for all your hard work. Hope to see you at the 2nd annual Utica Music Fest. Over 200 performers in over 15 venues for 3 DAYS! Visit our site for more info and performer submissions. Have a great day!
Bands::: Interested in performing at this years event?? Click the link! And while you’re there please take a moment to sign up for our mailers to stay informed.
I hope all is well. I wanted to let you know that the new ZELAZOWA full length album "Elephants On A Mousehunt" will be released on Saturday, January, 17th through CDBaby. com and all major digital distribution sites. In anticipation of its release, we have posted the new singles from the album on our myspace page. Please be sure to give them a listen at:
If you are in the Philadelphia area, join us for the CD release party that night (Saturday, 1/17) at The Khyber at 10 PM. There are plenty of tour dates to follow, so please check the calendar.
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