Lovespirals ‘Long Way From Home’ Reviews

Reviews are still popping up of Lovespirals recent album, Long Way From Home, in partial thanks to the efforts of Ariel PR who helped to push the album when it was released this past October 23rd.

Jason Moore of Opus writes:

Ultimately, Lum and Bee are all about creating a mood with their music, a relaxed and blissed-out vibe that should be no stranger to fans of dreampop, chill-out electronica, and atmospheric pop. This is music for both late night sessions and noon daydreams, for both listening to at work when you need to escape the pressure of the day and at home when you simply need to unwind with a good book and a glass of wine.

Miles Klee said in Hot Indie News:

Bluesy slide guitar work sometimes shades over into Santana-like finger-meandering, and vocalist Anji Bee’s layered voice paints bright glaze over already dreamy arrangements. It’s as though the glancing disaffection of 80’s and 90’s dream-poppers has been filtered through an AM radio, a mutation that works by dint of sounding completely natural on an evolutionary view.

From the Green Arrow Radio blog:

More than melancholic music, there is a sense that they traveled with you on similar & familiar roads with the radio tuned to the same left of the dial station in the middle of wherever. After nearly a decade of artistic collaboration between singer/songwriter, Anji Bee, & multi instrumentalist & producer, Ryan Lum, it is no wonder that they have managed to put together an album of answers to questions yet asked with a subtle sultry sense of sound security.

The Celebrity Cafe‘s Ray Anderson mused:

Empty and sad, but of full of emotion, their album Long Way from Home is medicine for those that dig the alternative. How can you take a gut-wrenching classic like “Motherless Child” and make it sadder? Let the “Lovespirals” get a hold of it. It’s easy to fall into the loose, country-tinged groove of “Caught in a Groove” and let your soul be taken for a ride. By the time the “upbeat” “Lovelight” comes on, you won’t mind being “A Long Way from Home,” and I think you’ll want to stay there.

Have you read or written a great review of Lovespirals? Then post a link here, by all means!

Chillcast #102: NIU Support Collabocast

This week I present a very special extended collabocast edition of The Chillcast with the help of my 16 of my fellow music podcasters. This is by far the biggest podcast project I’ve put together to date and I am really proud of how well it turned out. This episode was inspired by an email from my listener, Nik, from Northern Illinois University. I’ll explain more in the show intro… Its been a very intense year for many of us and I really appreciate the outpouring of love and support from everyone that I’ve received and wanted to share some of that love with Nik and his friends, as well as Tony Pucci and his family, and many others who I’ve spoken with privately in recent weeks but won’t call out by name… Thank you so very much to all of the podcasters and bands who participated, and if you didn’t get a chance to collaborate this time around, don’t worry, this won’t be the last collabocast I do! One last note, this episode is a bit of a cross between the normal Chillcast fare and the sound of my old Unwind podcast, if you’ve ever checked that out. Enjoy!

Download Chillcast #102 MP3

Playlist:

  1. “Empty Universe” Lovespirals Long Way From Home (2007) | Chillin’ with Lovespirals
  2. “Still Stand” Tom Acousti Only (2002) Buy CD | Accident Hash
  3. “Urban Angel” Natalie Walker Urban Angel (2007) | Dave’s Lounge
  4. “Drifting” Andy McKee Art of Motion (2005) | Insomnia Radio Chicago
  5. “World Citizen (Taylor Deupree Remix)” Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian Bricolages (2006) | MikeyPod
  6. “Shine” Hungry Lucy To Kill A King (2004) | Tea with Hungry Lucy
  7. “Radio Station (Charly Fath Radio Edit) Touch Radio Station EP (2006) | Behind the Lyric
  8. “Somnambulist” Small Sails Similar Anniversaries (2007) | | Radio BSOTS
  9. “Bird’s Eye View” Zion I Tru & Livin (2005)
    | Do You Know Clarence?
  10. “Forever and Always” Planet Boelex feat. K Suunta (2007) | solipsisticNATION
  11. “You Light My Mind” Lazy Hammock Island Lover (2007)
    | XtraChill
  12. “Keep Singing” Big Stuf Storms : Songs for the Heart When It Hurts (2008)
    | Friday Favecast
  13. “Trampoline” Kerry Politzer You Took Me In (2007)
    | Cadence Revolution
  14. “I Will Wait For You” Matthew Ebel Goodbye Planet Earth (2007) | Financial Aid Podcast
  15. “Sing Along” Virginia Coalition Home This Year (2008) Pre-Order CD | Mothpod
  16. “Your Smile Never Fades (ft. Leah Pinnavaia)” Tony Pucci Songs for Jenny (2008) Pre-Order CD | Pollyanna Cowgirl Podcast
  17. “Ice Castle Meditation” Kirsty Hawkshaw The Ice Castle (2007) Buy @ Magnatune | Kirsty Hawkshaw Podcast

Sponsors & Show Links:

  • Nokia N810 – Get 15% off with coupon code CHILLCAST
  • GoDaddy – Save 10% with promo code CHILL1

First Review of Chandeen ft. Anji Bee

The first review of the upcoming Chandeen album, Teenage Poetry was recently posted on the band’s MySpace page:

Teenage Poetry is a long awaited jewel, a breathing, timeless work that rewards the patient listener with a moving, tear-inducing “hidden track” featuring Anji Bee of Love Spirals Downwards. It is lovely that such music is still produced today!” – Ecki Stieg

Some readers are probably scratching their heads wondering who this Love Spirals Downwards is, so I’ll fill you in; that was the original name of Lovespirals when Ryan founded the band in 1991 with former vocalist, Suzanne Perry (who would surely balk at my name being linked to the pre-2000 history of the band). In fact, only 1 song with me has been released as “Love Spirals Downwards” and that was a remix we did for Claire Voyant in 2000, so my vocals weren’t even involved — just my mad mixing skills. 😀

In any case, a very positive review, and one which makes me anxious to hear the rest of the album for myself. Teenage Poetry is due out March 28, 2008 on Chandeen’s own Kalinkaland label.