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SoundsXP Presents

Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

Sparrow and the Workshop
6 Day Riot
The Nuns
Singing Adams
Y Niwl
Colours
Dignan Porch
+more tbc

The Windmill
Brixton
Price tbc

On Our iPod

Golden Grrrls - New Pop 7”

Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital (album)

Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester (album)

Throwing Up - Mother Knows Best 7”

Howling Wolf - Complete Chess Masters 1951-60

The Ketamines - A Rotten Bond/1 Yr (from Oddbox Singles Club Pt 2)

Cardinal - Hymns (album)

Proper Ornaments - Taking the Gamble Out of Buying 12”

Darren Hayman - January Songs (album)

Various: Marshall Teller EP 12”

Latest Forum Posts

Album Review

The Mynabirds
What We Lose in the Fire, We Gain in the Flood Saddle Creek

Article written by Paul M - Aug 15, 2010

The Mynabirds - What We Lose in the Fire

Ok, fair enough, this is not a new release, having been put out on American label Saddle Creek two months ago. It is however a mighty fine record and it would be remiss of us here at the crumbling SoundsXP Towers to let it go unremarked. The name of the band is highly appropriate, in that The Mynah Birds were a 60s country soul band that featured briefly not only Neil Young but also funk legend Rick James, and frontwoman of The Mynabirds, Laura Burhenn, has stated that she “always wanted to make a record that sounds like Neil Young doing Motown". Realistically, the similarities lie more with Jenny Lewis and Dusty Springfield but it succeeds because Burhenn has a lovely lilting soulful voice, perfect for delivering the emotional three minute ditties here. The cracking Spector flecked single Numbers Don’t Lie is the highlight, with its marvellous uplifting chorus but others such as the searing gospel tinged ballad We Made A Mountain, the strident pop of Wash It Out and uptempo driving Motown beat of Let The Record Go show that she can deliver passion at varying paces. Only the name is (partially) borrowed, yet many of the songs sound so good that you suspect that they must be covers. They’re actually all originals, penned by the quality quill of Burhenn and given a more than decent production from Richard Swift, it’s authentic sweet soul music but with a Midwest twist.

Tracklist:

01 What We Gained in the Fire
02 Let the Record Go
03 Numbers Don't Lie
04 Give It Time
05 Ways of Looking
06 LA Rain
08 Wash It Out
08 We Made a Mountain
09 Right Place
10 Good Heart

Links:
http://www.saddle-creek.com/
http://www.myspace.com/themynabirds