Track Listing

1. Elephant Woman
2. Messenger
3. Melody
4. Doll Is Mine
5. Misery Is A Butterfly
6. Falling Man
7. Anticipation
8. Maddening Cloud
9. Magic Mountain
10. Pink Love
11. Equus

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62049 in Music
• Released on: 2004-03-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .17 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
They've walked the periphery of America's indie-rock underground for over a decade now, but it's only with Misery Is a Butterfly that the New York City-based band of artist-refugees that call themselves Blonde Redhead have flashed more than a fleeting glimpse of all their startling potential. 2000's elegantly angular Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons demonstrated a band reaching out for something beyond generic punk rock, but here, the band have clearly finally found their sound. The sumptuous production courtesy, somewhat surprisingly, of Fugazi's Guy Picciotto sets the angelic duelling voices of Japanese songstress Kazu Makino and the Milan-born Amedo Pace in the midst of a mini-orchestra of violins and cello, maudlin descending basslines and furtively strummed guitars. Makino specialises in pale torch-songs that conceal their emotions in deep shadow; her partner pens the more robust tunes, such as the shrill "Falling Man", all dancing piano and baroque prog-tempos. But it's all held together by drummer Simone Pace's inventive, yet machine-precise percussion tracks--neat rhythmic packages for truly delicate musical experiments. It may not be quite immediate enough for some rock fans, but fans of Galaxie 500, Sonic Youth or Fugazi's The Argument should adore it. --Louis Pattison

CD Description
Moving from their longtime home at Touch & Go to the renowned 4AD label, NYC art-rockers Blonde Redhead have made telling sonic adjustments, trading in their noisy, abrasive edge for a refined, often orchestral sound. The trio--Kazu Makinoand twin brothers Amedeo and Simone Pace--makes the transition clear from the get-go on "Elephant Woman", which features Makino's breathy vocals over a backdrop of harpsichord, strings, and light percussion. Melancholy is certainly the main theme of this album, as exquisitely exemplified by the title track, a somber, keyboard-driven piece that borders on chamber music. However, just when the proceedings verge on themorose, the band emerges with two upbeat songs, the swirling, Stereolab-like "Pink Love" and the guitar-driven grandeurof "Equus", revealing that they can still rock when the mood strikes them.

Customer Reviews

Come wallow in this Misery...
This record deserves a lot more exposure than it received on it's release in 2004. Blonde Redhead's sound has evolved so much. Sonic Youth were once their sonic template, but the songs on 'Misery...' owe more to the orchestral pop of Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg or Scott Walker. The melodies and arrangements are beautiful. Baroque keyboards and strings dip in and out of the weaving guitars and the whole sound has a fantastic clarity (Guy Picciotto of Fugazi produced it). This isn't the sort of band that the media thrust into our faces, so it's our secret - OK?

Feel like a change...?
I picked up this after hearing Elephant Girl on Radio 2 - it's strange how it sounds a bit like a lo-fi Muse, though the songwriting throughout is fresh, original and lush. Kind of reminds me a bit of Goldfrapp's Felt Mountain too. Listenable if you need a bit of a chilling out period after overwork and underjoy.

great stuff!
I took a chance with this band, having not heard any of their previous material, but finding one song (Equus) off this CD on an HMV freebie and knowing I had to hear more. The music here is absolutely exquisite with a wonderful mixture of styles and ideas. The closest comparison which springs to mind is Goldfrapp's Felt Mountain, but without the boring bits - and that's more in thematic style rather than musical similarity. Now I've got to seek out the rest of their stuff. Highly recommended!