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EEF BARZELAY

By Jim Manion
, PD/MD, WFHB Bloomington
The Album
Bitter Honey
The Label Spin Art
Liner Notes Somewhere at the crossroads of indie-pop, alt-country and twisted folk, Clem Snide has set up a special place of it's own. Over the span of five releases since 1998, the band has charmed and challenged aficionados of songs-beyond-the-norm. Essential to Clem Snide's singular sound is the songwriting of bandleader and singer Eef Barzelay, who has just released his first solo project,
Bitter Honey. In a field of singer-songwriters dominated by lyrical expressions of platitude and cliché, Eef Barzelay stands out as one of today's unique songsmiths. Drawing the listener's attention in with detail and surprise, Barzelay's songs are crisp and deceptively simple in their complexity. The song cycle heard on Bitter Honey presents a thorny set of psychological conundrums, tender moments and ironic observations – all served up with the clever wordplay and rhyme schemes that have become his trademark. Stripped down to the minimal arrangement of vocal and guitar, Barzelay's words hang starkly, a contrast to the clutter found in some Clem Snide songs. Musically, the songs of
Bitter Honey are basic pop structures with a few carrying a slight country feel. Recorded in Nashville and New York,
Bitter Honey sounds great considering it contains nothing more than guitar and voice. A close listen on headphones reveals the subtlety of the mix, each song's sonic architecture a bit different. Barzelay's guitar is little more than functional, at the same time a perfect fit for each song's setting. His voice, all upper range and nearly cracking, carries a fragile, heartbreaking vulnerability that also holds a lot of endearing wisdom. Lyrically, most of
Bitter Honey's tracks hit the sweet spot Barzelay has become known for in Clem Snide, the ability to drop the listener in the center of a song for a walk in the central character's shoes. Sometimes this can take you to unexpected places, like near the end of "Thanksgiving Waves" when you realize the character you are inside of may be President George Bush. Other headspaces visited on
Bitter Honey include that of a dancer in a Ludacris video ("Ballad of Bitter Honey") and a guy who pretends to be drunk just to keep up with his date ("I Wasn't Really Drunk"). Barzelay makes you work for your immersion in the songs, though. Much of his wordplay sounds cryptic at first, with meaning implied through metaphor and twisted rhyme. Unfortunately, two of the best songs ("Ballad of Bitter Honey" and "N.M.A.") contain FCC-objectionable language. Of the rest, they range from vulnerable love songs ("Little Red Dot") to twisted self-centered observations on death ("Words That Escape Me") to a winsome take on "Joy to the World," the album's only cover song.
Bitter Honey is an album that on a first unfocused listen may sound minimal and hard to crack. Give it a few listens, pay close attention, and it's storytelling pleasures decompress and expand.
Site
www.clemsnide.com
www.spinartrecords.com
On XM/Loft KEXP Seattle WYCE Grand Rapids WHRV Norfolk WEVL Memphis KRCL Salt Lake City WNCW Spindale-Asheville/Charlotte/Greenville/Spartanburg KHUM Eureka-Humboldt County CA KRCC Colorado Springs WFHB Bloomington KVNF Paonia CO WERU Bangor WSYC Shippensburg PA
Tours/Appearances March 17 Austin, Habana Calle (w/spinART SXSW Showcase) April 6 Seattle, Crocodile Cafe April 7 Portland, OR, Doug Fir April 10 San Francisco, Cafe Du Nord April 11 Los Angeles, Hotel Cafe April 12 San Diego, Casbah April 14 Memphis, Hi Tone April 15 Nashville, The Basement April 19 Madison, Cafe Montmarte April 20 Minneapolis, 400 Bar April 21 Chicago, Schubas April 22 Dekalb, IL House Cafe May 4 Arlington, VA, Iota May 6 New York City, Mercury Lounge May 7 Cambridge, MA, Middle East May 10 Cleveland, Beachland Ballroom May 11 North Adams,MA Cup and Saucer (Benefit for Autism Research)
Press "On
Bitter Honey Barzelay manages both to satisfy the liberal arts majors and produce some songs of substance that make us proud to claim him as one of our own." —
The Tennessean
Retail
Bitter Honey is now available and in stores.
Contact
Jeff Price
, SpinART Records 718.852.3294
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WYEP (91.3) Pittsburgh 1/26/12, 11am-1pm, Host: Mike Sauter
The Cranberries - Dreams The Beatles - The Long And Winding Road Keren Ann - My Name Is Trouble Noel Gallagher - AKA... What a Life! The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot Kathleen Edwards - Sidecar Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance Mike Doughty - Strike the Motion Trombone Shorty - Do to Me Ray LaMontagne - Forever My Friend Arlo Guthrie - The Motorcycle Song The Shins - Simple Song Lissie - Games People Play The Duke & The King - Shaky Marc Cohn - Walking In Memphis Chuck Prophet - White Night, Big City Jackie Greene - So Hard to Find My Way Indigo Girls - Able to Sing Teddy Thompson - Looking for a Girl Ryan Adams - Lucky Now Janis Joplin - Trust Me Lyle Lovett - Isn't That So Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard - One Fast Move Or I'm Gone The Black Keys - Lonely Boy Jonatha Brooke - Better After All The Bees - I Really Need Love Siouxsie & The Banshees - Cities In Dust k.d. lang - Constant Craving Neil Young - One Of These Days Paul McCartney - Get Yourself Another Fool
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| 2012 CALENDAR |
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February 13 10th SF MusicTech Summit San Francisco, Hotel Kabuki
February 16-19 15th Annual Michele Clark Sunset Sessions San Diego, Rancho Bernardo Inn
February 22-26 24th International Folk Alliance Conference Memphis, Downtown Marriott And Convention Center
March 13-18 SXSW Music Austin, Convention Center
April 13-15/20-22 Coachella Music and Arts Festival Indio, CA
April 27-May 6 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans
May 17-19 12th Annual NON-COMMvention Philadelphia, World Café Live
June 7-10 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, TN
June 13-16 Community Radio Conference (NFCB) Houston
July 12-14 Public Media Development & Marketing Conference (PMDMC) Seattle
July 18-21 37th Annual Conclave Learning Conference Minneapolis, Doubletree Park Place
August 3-5 Lollapalooza Chicago, Grant Park
August 8-11 20th Annual Triple A Conference Boulder, St. Julian Hotel & Spa
September 11-14 25th Public Radio Program Director Conference (PRPD) Las Vegas Hilton
September 12-15 Americana (AMA) Music Fest & Conference Nashville
October 16-20 CMJ Music Marathon New York City
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