Gabriela Kulka: Live Mp3s

Gabriela Kulka has posted some new mp3s from a recent live performance:

Gabriela Kulka - Spitting Image

You can download the rest of the new live mp3s, as well as older shows, here.

Contrast Podcast: Artists Introductions

Gabriela Kulka is one of several artists introducing their own songs on the special edition of Contrast Podcast.

This is the first in a series, so any artists that might like to participate in a future podcast should go here for more information.

Review: Gabriela Kulka Out

This is the follow up review I promised in my previous post about Gabriela Kulka's new album, Out. You can read more about the album, access links to buy the cd, and download mp3s either from that post or from below.

With Out, Gabriela's music has matured from artistic expression to a true showcase of art, with the obvious intention of entertaining people rather than simply allowing them to listen. The album has such a broad range of sound, from the whimsical to the eerie. There are so many layers to the songs, such intricate and interesting detail to the vocals and music.

As I listened to the album, I kept thinking that it could be what a broadway musical would sound like if it were written by Danny Elfman and Kate Bush, with Diamanda Galas and Regina Spektor as its stars.

"In The Lens" features layered vocals that simultaneously call to mind the Andrews Sisters and the musical Chicago. Like many songs on the album, it has elements of jazz and cabaret piano meshed with a finale of vocal echoes worthy of Kate Bush herself.

"New To Somebody" (mp3) has such beautiful vocals at the beginning that they can't be compared to anything else. I think it's the prettiest I've ever heard Gabriela sing, and that's saying something. Then the song explodes into an indescribable mix of sounds and genres. It is probably my favourite song on the album, with the exception of perhaps "Spitting Image".

"An Orange" (mp3) should be used in the next Tim Burton film. You can almost hear the Oompa Loompas chanting the creepy yet upbeat opening verses.

"Laleczka" is one of the four Polish songs on the album. It has a tinkling, circus sideshow intro followed by vocals that alternate between ethereal Kate Bush highs and soulful Etta James lows. Speaking of Etta, I would love to hear Gaba conquer some classic jazz and blues songs.

"Spitting Image" is another phantasmal, Burtonesque tune with its quirky melody layered over pounding beats. The chorus is so intense, yet almost wry in its venom. Here Gabriela treads into the punk-cabaret territory of The Dresden Dolls and completely holds her own. It's definitely one of my two favourite songs on the cd.

"Airlock" and "This City" (mp3) are more traditional Gaba piano goddess fare.

"Death Won't Save The Day" (mp3) features otherworldly harmonies over a Vaudeville musical arrangement, all topped off with everybody's favourite: handclaps!

"Shark" (mp3) calms things down a bit with a more mellow atmosphere and a stylized, harmonic finale that hints at 1950s doo-wop.

"Rolemodels" (mp3) mixes torch singer cabaret with the tongue in cheek cynical tone previously heard on "Jealousy". And there's a nice dose of handclaps over a quasi-Gospel beat.

"Pilot" (mp3) is in Polish, with Phoenix-like vocals and piano building, fading, and rising again throughout the song.

"Królestwo ipól" (mp3) is also in Polish, and it's another favourite on the album. There's an 80s synth-pop feel to the song, reminescent of The Cure, The Red Shoes era Kate Bush, or even Yaz. Lovely vocals intertwine with a meandering piano on the chorus.

"Out" (mp3) is the cacophonic title track featuring piano intercut with dissonance. Something like a madman's music box... Phantom of the Opera spinning into a pounding piano frenzy.

"King of Rats" (mp3) is a re-recorded version of the title track of Gabriela's first album (she calls it a demo, but it sounds like a real album to me). The song has a menacing, slightly taunting quality to it with uncanny harmonies over a delicate musical mix.

"Napisy Kócne" is the fourth track sung in Gabriela's native language. It's a airy, sing-songy finish to this unbelievably imaginative and entertaining album.

Buy The Album at CDBaby
Gabriela Kulka Official Site
Gabriela Kulka on MySpace

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Note: Unless otherwise noted, right click on the mp3s to download them to your computer. Please do not post the direct link to my mp3 files to any other site or blog. Instead link to Muruch Blog or the particular post they are featured in.

Gabriela Kulka: Out

I'm happy to announce the arrival of Gabriela Kulka's newest album, Out.

Out is a collection of 15 songs, 4 of which are in Gabriela's native language of Polish. Gabriela has kindly offered up a large portion of the album (10 out of 15 songs) for download on her site. You can access links to stream the album, read the lyrics, and download mp3s, wallpapers and banners via this page. The album is now available for purchase at CDBaby.

Gaba is very supportive of file sharing and music blogs, and mostly just wants to get this music out there. So spread the word!

If you're unfamiliar with Gabriela's music, you can also read more about her previous works and download several other mp3s in this post. Gabriela names everyone from Diamanda Galas to Danny Elfman as her influences.

The new album was recorded between January and July of this year. I had the priveledge (or fright?:) of hearing about a great deal of the planning, recording and post-production process of Out. As a result, I have a whole new respect for independent artists like Gaba that continue to write, record, and release albums of great music purely for the love of their art and appreciation for their fans.

Though I've already heard several of the songs (including the fantastic songs Pilot & Rolemodels), I intend to wait until I receive the cd to do a proper review here. Until then, I'll share what Gabriela herself had to say about the new album:

"Songs about psycho killers, dangerous fairytale visitations, bigotry amongst fish, idols - either falling or already fallen, cities at war, and owners of bone-instruments, to mention a few subjects. And among them, you will hear Beach Boys style choirs, references to Alien, the air of Weillesque cabaret, trips back to '80 pop and infectious, fast, jazzy romps. "Out" is a sort of weird musical, which alternately sounds like a delicate, eerie music-box, and a tumultuous piano-rock wave of musical imagination."

Much like her debut, it is firmly rooted in a very Kurt Weill'esque sense of cabaret, but the new, rich arrangements, varying instrumentation, and a far more confident production, have expanded its scope of mood and style into diverse, often surprising directions.

And so, we have the fast, jazzy piano romps of old, and dark serenades depicting fairytale visitations, but right next to them are the 80's influenced pop of "Krolestwo i pol", Beach Boys style backing vocals of "Shark", operatic (s)punk of "Death won't save the day", and mysterious, filmic climates in the likes of "Out" and "An Orange".

What remains a constant is Gabriela's rich and flexible vocal style, rising and plunging with the music, nailing the emotional undercurrents of the album.

And just like the music, in turn intimate and rapacious, the songs' subject matters cover a broad range of attitudes - some distance themselves with irony and tongue-in-cheek cool, others plunge right in and go straight for the throat (or heart). Lovers are shunned, cities fall, artists sell out, fairytale-entities seduce little girls, people die… that sort of fun. It's all in there.

As far as lyrics are concerned, "Out" marks the first time four songs in Gabriela's native tongue, Polish, have been included. You can find the lyrics' translations on her website.

In short, what "Out" sets out to be is a trip to the fringes of what a dark musical theatre should be, a delicate music box and a tumultuous rock performance wrapped into one." - Gabriela Kulka

Buy Out

pilot

Walela - Amazing Grace (YSI)

I was watching a taped episode of the tragically short-lived series Wonderfalls, the one which takes place at Native American reservation. Toward the end of the episode, the above song was played and it immediately caught my attention. I was happily surprised to find the song online, and here it is for sharing.

Walela, named for the Cherokee word for hummingbird, is an all-female group composed of Rita Coolidge, her sister, Priscilla, and Priscilla's daughter, Laura. Their cover of the traditional religious song "Amazing Grace" is sung completely in the Cherokee language, and it is possibly the most beautiful version of the song I've ever heard.

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Gabriela Kulka - Pilot EP (Soundclick page - straight click)

You have to love an artist that intentionally feeds their fans' mp3 addiction. Gabriela Kulka (read my previous review/mp3 here) has been kind enough to upload a new four-song internet-exclusive EP. The EP is called Pilot, and all four of its songs are available at the above linked Soundclick page. You can either stream it on that page, or download the mp3s.

The title track "Pilot" is sung in Gaba's native language, Polish, and has a crazy, creepy, carnival feel to it. The English translation of the chorus includes the line "the pilot got out before you got in". Pretty much sums up my life to date. The rest of the EP is in English.

"Rolemodels" features the wry, Groucho Marx kind of vocal that Gabriela took on in her old song "Jealousy". And I mean that as a compliment. :p

"Love Me" is quite the torch song, va voom. ;) I really like the jazzy piano bit toward the middle on this one, and then the very end with the strings... at least I think it was strings. Very pretty. Probably my favourite of the lot, but then I'm a sucker for piano solos.

"Crawl Sweet Lord" is great, too, and (forgive the comparison - it's the lazy reviewer's adjective) reminds me a little of Pele-era Tori. Or more accurately, King of Rats-era Gabriela.

Gabriela's previous cd, Between Miss Scylla and a Hard Place is available at CD Baby.


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Unless otherwise noted, all mp3 links are via YSI & thus good for 25 downloads or 7 days. If a link expires & you want it uploaded again, just leave a comment.

Please support the artists by purchasing their music at Amazon or your local music retailer.

Gabriela Kulka

July, 2006: Updated mp3 links

I am a little bias in regards to Warsaw's poet and songstress Gabriela Kulka, as I consider her a friend after several years of knowing her online. But I did hear her music before I came into contact with her personally, so I'm not a complete slave of nepotism.

I was enamored with Gabriela's voice and musical style before I acquired her albums, King of Rats and Miss Scylla And A Hard Place, but the essence of her music is much more apparent on cd than mp3.

The child of two violinists, Gabriela's classical upbringing meshed with such eclectic influences as Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Ella Fitzgerald, Diamanda Galas, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, and Bruce Dickinson. The result is a musical blend of operatic piano playing, poetic meanderings, and a heavy metal attitude.

Her soaring vocals and reckless piano pounding, coupled with metaphorical and ironic lyrics, are one hell of an otherworldly ride. Utilizing every makeshift instrument (including the kitchen sink) she is not your run of the mill piano goddess.

Her covers of Sting's "Russians" and Bruce Dickinson's "Killing Floor" are especially attention grabbing. But it's her original songs such as "Wreath Song" & "Coup d'etat" that really showcase her uniquely innovative vocal talent that turns on a dime between delicate whispers and theatrical wailing.

Her lyrical content ranges from quirky to creepy to threatening ("cross that line, bitch, and I'll scratch out your eyes").Her most recent album, Miss Scylla And A Hard Place, takes her experimental heart-core sound to new depths, as well as displays her talent at covering traditional tunes.

An as yet unsigned independent artist, you will not find her cds on Amazon or in your local music shop. You can purchase Miss Scylla at CdBaby and previous works by contacting Gabriela herself via her website. There are also several album, demo, and cover mp3s available for download on her site.

I especially recommend:

Coup d'etat
Jealousy
Russians
Detuned Radio
Devil's Headlights
Killing Floor

Gaba also has a 4-song online EP available for download on her Soundclick Page.

Gabriela Kulka Official Site
Gabriela Kulka on MySpace
Buy the CD