Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Women & Children


With so much music constantly available all the time, I find I am increasingly acquiring music and then moving on to something else before I have paid much, if any, attention to what I have just acquired. Well, sometimes the forgotten music fights back and keeps rearing its head until I pay attention. This just happened with me for Women & Children. I must have got their record 'Paralyzed Dance, Tonight' on emusic about two years ago. I guess I would have lazily listened to a couple of tracks, probably been perturbed by the varied approach from one track to the next and moved on to something else.

Then a couple of weeks ago the track "Rolly Fingers" came on my ipod and I found myself listening to it on repeat, eventually going back to the album, which had been sitting dormant for two years and I am really happy I did, for it is a record of great depth and varying textures that really rewards upon repeat listens.

Women & Children formed in Paris in 2001 when Canadian-born keyboardist Cheryl June Serwa and California-born guitarist Kevin Lasting got together with multi-instrumentalist Jamie Moon and drummer Olivier Robert. The band began will all members contributing to the writing collaboratively and switching vocal and instrumental roles. A self titled album appeared in 2003, followed by completely different self-titled limited-edition, embossed wooden box release which contained two 10" vinyl EPs and a live performance DVD.

Around 2006 Women & Children reverted to being a two piece with Serwa and Lasting remaining and recording their second album, 'Paralyzed Dance, Tonight'. I'm not particularly partial to comparing one band with other bands, but if pushed I guess i'd describe the sound of Women & Children as the softer side of Velvet Underground & Nico playing in the woods with Robert Wyatt, joined by a hazier, mellower Comus.

Women & Children have recently toured with both Brighblack Morning Light and Sean Lennon and have "many songs that we plan to record , or put out in the near future".

MP3: Women & Children - Rolly Fingers
MP3: Women & Children - A Bigger Graveyard

Women & Children on Myspace
Support The Artist. Buy.Buy.Buy.

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