MUSIC REVIEW:
THE RISE AND FALL OF RUBY WOO
by the Puppini Sisters
Released in the United States: February 12, 2008, on the Verve label
I only recently heard of the Puppini Sisters, but already consider myself a loyal fan of their music. While I did like their first effort (Betcha Bottom Dollar), they truly take off with The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo (apparently the reference is to a particular shade of lipstick favored by the glam gal singers of yesteryear after whom they fashion themselves [read = Andrews Sisters], and which the three current ladies wear in homage to them.)
Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien, and Kate Mullins (not real sisters, clearly--they took Puppini's name for the band because the original concept was hers) revisit old favorites, like "It Don't Mean A Thing [If It Ain't Got That Swing]", and "Old Cape Cod". They also fiddle with established tunes, on which they place their distinctive mark ("Spooky", "Walk Like An Egyptian" --which is brilliantly rendered--and "Could It Be Magic".) But the trio really makes a splash with their original work on Ruby Woo. The peppy, delightfully dance-worthy "Soho Nights" stands out as a wonderful example of how the neo-swing sound has been captured by these songstresses. "I Can't Believe I'm Not A Millionaire" slides back to the early days of blues (Billie Holiday could easily have done it sixty years ago). "And She Sang" incorporates their mellifluous harmonization to great effect, while "It's Not Over (Death or the Toy Piano)" has a unique sound all its own, with the selfsame toy piano actually employed in the tune.
I am an ardent fan of the neo-swing revival that burst into life in the late 1990s, its advent brought on by the film "Swingers", and such musical greats as the Cherry-Poppin' Daddies, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and the everlasting glory that was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Curiously, no girl group emerged at that time in emulation of the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, and their ilk: but the Puppini Sisters fills this gap beautifully. I am looking forward to further divine sounds produced by them!
THE RISE AND FALL OF RUBY WOO
by the Puppini Sisters
Released in the United States: February 12, 2008, on the Verve label
I only recently heard of the Puppini Sisters, but already consider myself a loyal fan of their music. While I did like their first effort (Betcha Bottom Dollar), they truly take off with The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo (apparently the reference is to a particular shade of lipstick favored by the glam gal singers of yesteryear after whom they fashion themselves [read = Andrews Sisters], and which the three current ladies wear in homage to them.)
Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien, and Kate Mullins (not real sisters, clearly--they took Puppini's name for the band because the original concept was hers) revisit old favorites, like "It Don't Mean A Thing [If It Ain't Got That Swing]", and "Old Cape Cod". They also fiddle with established tunes, on which they place their distinctive mark ("Spooky", "Walk Like An Egyptian" --which is brilliantly rendered--and "Could It Be Magic".) But the trio really makes a splash with their original work on Ruby Woo. The peppy, delightfully dance-worthy "Soho Nights" stands out as a wonderful example of how the neo-swing sound has been captured by these songstresses. "I Can't Believe I'm Not A Millionaire" slides back to the early days of blues (Billie Holiday could easily have done it sixty years ago). "And She Sang" incorporates their mellifluous harmonization to great effect, while "It's Not Over (Death or the Toy Piano)" has a unique sound all its own, with the selfsame toy piano actually employed in the tune.
I am an ardent fan of the neo-swing revival that burst into life in the late 1990s, its advent brought on by the film "Swingers", and such musical greats as the Cherry-Poppin' Daddies, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and the everlasting glory that was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Curiously, no girl group emerged at that time in emulation of the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, and their ilk: but the Puppini Sisters fills this gap beautifully. I am looking forward to further divine sounds produced by them!
No comments:
Post a Comment