Mischievous Moon, the new album from singer Jill

Jill Barber gets romantic on Mischievous Moon
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Jill+Barber+gets...
Mischievous Moon, the new album from singer Jill
Barber, arrived April 5. The disc was recorded with a
12-piece string section and features her first track in
French.
Photograph by: Brett Gundlock, National Post
Sipping a Singapore Sling in Toronto's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, singer Jill Barber doesn't need to try hard to differentiate herself
from 99 per cent of her Canadian peers.
"In this bare-bones world where people can make a record at home using synthesizers, I might be the fool in the bunch,
because I love making records with real players, real instruments, real sections and full, ambitious arrangements," says
Barber, a 31-year-old throwback artist from Port Credit, Ont., who is releasing her fourth album, Mischievous Moon, on
April 5.
"It's hilarious: While everyone's trying to sound so modern to achieve their success, I'm emulating dead people -- but, you
know, hopefully, they're not turning over in the grave."
Barber comes by her Edith Piaf- and Ella Fitzgerald-honed vocals honestly. In 2005, she released Oh Heart, which she
recorded in Halifax after graduating from Western University with a degree in philosophy, and began crafting a sonic
landscape that matched her starry world view.
"When I make music, I want to create the romance that I feel when I put on a record," says Barber, who released Chances,
which got her long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize, in 2008. "Music makes me feel romantic, whimsical and dreamy. It
elevates regular life into something like starring in your own film, and I guess what I'm trying to do is record your
soundtrack."
The plot line on her new album, which, like Chances, was produced by Les Cooper, would have to be considered a sexy
adult thriller, something with exotic locales, glamour and intrigue. Written and recorded while Barber was being swept off
her feet by writer and radio personality Grant Lawrence, the album's 11 tracks devote a number of bars to the fuzzy feelings
of love.
"Probably the simplest song is 'A Wish Under My Pillow,' a song that I wrote the little hook for five or six years ago," says
7 of 18
06/04/11 11:12 AM
Jill Barber gets romantic on Mischievous Moon
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Jill+Barber+gets...
Barber on what begins with an almost Hawaiian-sounding acoustic guitar lick, which underlines a pining to wake up one
morning and not feel so alone. "I premiered that song on the night of our wedding and, of course, my wish had come true."
Recorded with a 12-piece string section and featuring her first track in French, Mischievous Moon is loaded with some of
Barber's most self-assured singing to date. However, the artist -- who last year published the children's book Baby's Lullaby
-- considers her voice merely a tool for writing songs.
"I don't even really feel like that much of a singer," she says, adding that she prefers being on tour to recording, and that an
album isn't really finished until she plays it to her fans. "I've seen Canadian Idol, and I think I wouldn't make it past the first
round by their standards. I've been told my voice is unique, as opposed to traditionally good."
Her drink is just about finished when Barber makes that last quip, and perhaps it's because of her surroundings that it seems
unlikely a criticism of her voice might actually sting.
"I feel vulnerable with this record, but I also feel like I have enough confidence to put myself out on a limb," she says. "I
was pushing myself, in terms of production and scope, but also with drama. I feel like maybe that's an un-Canadian thing."
Mischievous Moon by Jill Barber is in stores now.
Canadian tour dates include: Toronto April 30, Victoria May 13, Vancouver May 18, Ottawa/Gatineau Oct. 12.
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06/04/11 11:12 AM
Jill Barber gets personal with the past - thestar.com
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Pop
JILL BARBER
Mischievous Moon (Outside Music)
(out of 4)
People are in love these days with
mid-century modern décor and furniture,
so why not the musical aesthetic? With
echoes of everything from Burt
Bacharach to Blossom Dearie and Patsy
Cline, Canadian singer-songwriter Jill
Barber has what must be the most
beautifully orchestrated pop record in
years. Her boopsie-girl voice is a love-itor-leave it proposition for most listeners
but she’s a stylistic chameleon — a
smoky ’60s lounge crooner one moment
(in “If It Weren’t for Loving You”) and a
’40s country-folk songstress the next (“A
Wish Under My Pillow”). The songs are
all the more endearing with the up-closeand-personal sound from producer Les
Cooper. Barber plays Tuesday evening
at the Rivoli and performs at Massey Hall
with Michael Kaeshammer on Apr. 30.
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Julia Lannerheim's vocals are a consistent treat on the 10 unrelentingly sunshiny
nouveau-retro tracks of this veteran Swedish pop outfit's album of well-crafted '60s-flavoured
pop tracks that find something to celebrate even in the most mundane moments of our lives.
In my favourite, “(I'm in) A Chorus Line,” the lyrics speak directly to office drones
everywhere. The verse, “It's so hard to see what they're making of me'/ It's hard to see what
they're breaking in me,” becomes a call to optimism in its catchy refrain: “Look up, hold your
head up high . . . ” Smile; it's spring.
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05/04/11 9:37 AM
Fuzzy feelings
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Fuzzy+feelings/4558777/sto...
National Post
News
Fuzzy feelings
Jill Barber, who prefers touring over the studio, says an album isn't done until she plays it live.
Brett Gundlock, National Post
Ben Kaplan, National Post · Apr. 5, 2011 | Last Updated: Apr. 5, 2011 4:17 AM ET
Sipping a Singapore sling in Toronto's Ritz-Carlton, singer Jill Barber doesn't need to try hard to differentiate herself from 99% of
her Canadian peers.
"In this bare-bones world, where people can make a record at home using synthesizers, I might be the fool in the bunch because I
love making records with real players, real instruments, real sections and full, ambitious arrangements," says Barber, a 31-yearold
throwback artist from Port Credit, Ont., who is releasing her fourth album, Mischievous Moon, on Tuesday. "It's hilarious, while
everyone's trying to sound so modern to achieve their success, I'm emulating dead people, but, you know, hopefully they're not
turning over in the grave."
Barber comes by her Edith Piaf-and Ella Fitzgeraldhoned vocals honestly. In 2005, she released Oh Heart, which she recorded in
Halifax after graduating from Western University with a degree in philosophy, and began crafting a sonic landscape that matched her
starry world view.
"When I make music, I want to create the romance that I feel when I put on a record," says Barber, who released Chances, which got
her longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2008.
"Music makes me feel romantic, whimsical and dreamy. It elevates regular life into something like starring in your own film, and I
guess what I'm trying to do is record your soundtrack."
The plot line on her new album, which, like Chances, was produced by Les Cooper, would have to be considered a sexy adult thriller,
something with exotic locales, glamour and intrigue. Written and recorded while Barber was being swept off her feet by writer and
radio personality Grant Lawrence, the album's 11 tracks devote a number of bars to the fuzzy feelings of love.
"Probably the simplest song is A Wish Under My Pillow, a song that I wrote the little hook for five or six years ago," says Barber on
what begins with an almost Hawaiiansounding acoustic guitar lick, which underlines a pining to wake up one morning and not feel so
alone. "I premiered that song on the night of our wedding and, of course, my wish had come true."
1 of 2
05/04/11 9:38 AM
Fuzzy feelings
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Fuzzy+feelings/4558777/sto...
Recorded with a 12-piece string section and featur-ing her first track in French, Mischievous Moon is loaded with some of Barber's
most self-assured singing to date. However, the artist -who last year published the children's book Baby's Lullaby -considers her voice
merely a tool for writing songs.
"I don't even really feel like that much of a singer," she says, adding that she prefers being on tour to recording, and that an album
isn't really finished until she plays it to her fans.
"I've seen Canadian Idol and I think I wouldn't make it past the first round by their standards. I've been told my voice is unique as
opposed to traditionally good."
Her drink is just about finished when Barber makes that last quip, and perhaps it's because of her surroundings that it seems unlikely
a criticism of her voice might actually sting.
"I feel vulnerable with this record, but I also feel like I have enough confidence to put myself out on a limb," she says. "I was pushing
myself, in terms of production and scope, but also with drama. I feel like maybe that's an unCanadian thing."
? Mischievous Moon by Jill Barber is out April 5 on Outside Music. Barber plays with Michael Kaeshammer at Toronto's Massey Hall
on April 30 and in Vancouver on May 18. For information and tour dates, visit jillbarber.com.
[email protected]
Get the National Post newspaper delivered to your home
© 2011 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
2 of 2
05/04/11 9:38 AM
Mike's Bloggity Blog » New Music: Jill Barber
http://mikesbloggityblog.com/2011/02/new-music-jill-barber.html
Latest Tweets
February 8, 2011
New Music: Jill Barber
New @metrocalgary column: Has
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(photo via Twitter)
There are few artists that bring me instant joy the way that Jill Barber does. So you can imagine
my excitement yesterday when I noticed that the folk-singer had released her first single, Tell
me, off of her upcoming album Mischievous Moon. Better yet, there are english AND French
editions of the song. And since I’m guessing most of you stopped understanding french as soon
as you graduated, it really is like you are getting two completely different songs. Since I do
speak french, consider me jealous.
The single is a near perfect hybrid of a jazz and blues and it’s really, really doing it for me right
now. It’s not available for purchase just yet, but you can stream both version’s of the single on
Jill’s website.
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Comments (1)
Labels: jill barber, MusicPost Category: jill barber
Posted: at 1:40 am
One Response:
Television
The Televixen
The TV Addict
Tv, eh?
Scott says:
February 8th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
Nice post Mike!
I’m really enjoying the song too and I have a feeling her new album will be great. Not that
I’m biased or anything!
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28/02/11 9:50 AM
Barber returns with new record «
http://www.eastcoastnoise.com/2011/02/08/barber-returns-with...
« McCann releases new record
Andy Brown launches The Sessions »
Barber returns with new record
Longtime Nova Scotia songstress Jill Barber, who is now living on the west coast, is set to release her
new record, Mischievous Moon, on April 5 (Outside Music).
Barber is once again working with longtime producer Les Cooper and recording with her touring band
for the first time. Mischievous Moon was recorded in Toronto and strings were recorded at the famed
Glenn Gould Studio by the Mischievous Moon Chamber Players.
“I aspire to write songs that evoke a feeling of another time and a space, a sensation that you’ve felt
before but can’t quite place,” said Barber in a press release. “Classic songwriting deals with the
universal themes; love, loss… but great songwriting means that it always feels individual to the
listener. My hope is to capture the imagination of my listeners the same way my favourite records
have inspired me.”
Recently inspired by her growing French-speaking fan base, Barber has begun singing and recording
in both English and French. After recording her latest album, she enrolled in a French immersion
school in the south of France. Her new single, Tell Me, will be released in both English and French
(Dis-moi). The tune is available for streaming on her website.
Aside from recording and performing, Barber released her first book last year, Baby’s Lullaby, a book
geared at infants. The book was based on a lullaby that Barber wrote in support of Read To Me, a
1 of 4
28/02/11 10:01 AM
Barber returns with new record «
http://www.eastcoastnoise.com/2011/02/08/barber-returns-with...
Nova Scotia-based organization that promotes early literacy.
In support of the upcoming album release, Barber will perform several dates across Canada this spring
in addition to joining Canadian musician, Michael Kaeshammer as a guest at Massey Hall in Toronto
on April 30. Barber also performs at a co-headlining show with Kaeshammer at the Vogue Theatre in
Vancouver on May 18.
Mischievous Moon track listing:
1. Mischievous Moon
2. Took Me By Surprise
3. Tell Me
4. Daydreamin’
5. A Wish Under My Pillow
6. Steal Away
7. Any Fool Can Fall In Love
8. Tenderness
9. If It Weren’t For Loving You
10. Lullaby
11. Dis-moi
Canadian tour dates:
April 16 – Theatre Palace – Jonquiere, QC
April 19 – Theatre De Cuivre – Rouyn-Noranda, QC
April 20 – Theatre Des Eskers – Amos, QC
April 21 – Theatre Telbec – Val D’or, QC
April 30 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON (As special guest w/ Michael Kaeshammer)
May 17 – Port Theatre – Nanaimo, BC (Co-bill w/ Michael Kaeshammer)
May 18 – Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC (Co-bill w/ Michael Kaeshammer)
Curran tours Atlantic Canada
Newfoundland’s Amelia Curran recently picked up yet another accolade for her Juno-winning album
Hunter, Hunter. The Mistress received First Prize in the USA Songwriting Competition in the Folk
category. In addition to upcoming touring, Amelia will participate in a new TV series, Pour un soir
seulement, which pairs one Francophone with one Anglophone artist per episode. Amelia will perform
with Genevieve Toupin (they first met at Rideau Hall while performing at a garden party for the
Queen and Prince Philip).
Following are the upcoming tour dates:
Feb 12. – St. John’s, N.L. – Gower Street United Church, w/Erin Costello.
Tickets are $20 at Fred’s Records and O’Brien’s Music
Feb. 26 – Halifax, N.S. – Celebration Square
March 10 – Charlottetown, P.E.I. – The Guild w/ Melissa Ferrick
March 11 – Fredericton, N.B. – Wilmor Street United Church w/Melissa Ferrick
2 of 4
28/02/11 10:01 AM
New Music: Jill Barber | BlogsCanada.ca
http://www.blogscanada.ca/2011/02/08/new-music-jill-barber/
(photo via Twitter)
There are few artists that bring me instant joy the way that Jill Barber does. So you can imagine my
excitement yesterday when I noticed that the folk-singer had released her first single, Tell me, off of
her upcoming album Mischievous Moon. Better yet, there are english AND French editions of the
song. And since I’m guessing most of you stopped understanding french as soon as you graduated, it
really is like you are getting two completely different songs. Since I do speak french, consider me
jealous.
The single is a near perfect hybrid of a jazz and blues and it’s really, really doing it for me right now.
It’s not available for purchase just yet, but you can stream both version’s of the single on Jill’s
website.
April 5th cannot come soon enough.
Share and Enjoy:
This entry was posted in Blogging, Blogs. Bookmark the permalink.
Comments are closed.
2 of 8
28/02/11 9:54 AM
Jill Barber - Mischievous Moon
NEWS
FEATURES
MORE JILL BARBER
POP & ROCK REVIEWS:
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Jill Barber Mischievous Moon
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From the initial soaring strings on singer-songwriter Jill Barber's
fourth album, Mischievous Moon, glamour beckons. Sad bus rides
and boring living rooms are transformed instantly to some sort of
old Hollywood sound stage where virtually every moment is
steeped in elegance and beauty, with the occasional hint of, yes,
mischief. Moon's best songs stay true to this formula, whereas
the album's two weakest tracks ("Took Me By Surprise" and "Any
Fool Can Fall In Love") take a misstep into lively bossa nova
territory. But "Daydreamin'" is a drowsy, sweet concoction, the
missing song from a choreographed dance between Ginger
Rogers and Fred Astaire. "A Wish Under My Pillow" is an adorable
throwback, featuring a brief, delightful tap dance sequence. On
"Steal Away," Barber turns up the heat and the heart, a seductress
looking to her flame for a way out. Barber's voice ― Moon's most
poignant instrument ― alternates smoothly between little girl
purr and full strength soar, getting its best showcases during the
exquisite "Dis-Moi" and tortured lament "If It Weren't for Loving
You." With Moon, Barber's transition from folkie to femme fatale
is complete.
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05/04/11 4:36 PM
JAZZ.FM91 - Canada's Premier Jazz Station - Jill Barber - Misc...
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Jill Barber - Mischievous Moon
Jill Barber - Mischievous Moon
From her modest beginnings as a shy acoustic folkie on the
local coffeehouse stage, Barber’s recent career has been
reaching starry heights. With the release of her fourth
album Mischievous Moon, a stunning concoction that
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features Barber’s unmistakable contralto backed by
sweeping strings and dramatic orchestration, Jill Barber’s
evolution to confident chanteuse is complete.
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Inspired by the great ladies of song like Ella Fitzgerald and
Edith Piaf, Barber reached for a place on the international
stage with the release of her last record, 2008’s Chances.
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It was a turning point in her career, says Barber. “I think
it’s important to experiment and try on a number of
musical hats to a point, but eventually you have figure out what your own contribution is going to
be. When I finished writing and recording Chances, something clicked.”
In Stores and Online April 5th, 2011
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14/03/11 9:53 AM
THE JAZZ MESSENGER
Canada Day London 2011 » Jill Barber
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10:30
Canada Day Opens: O Canada – Justin
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Ceremonial Drop of the Puck by
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the Canadian High Commissioner
Justin Hines
Hockey: Matches 1-4
Karkwa
Experience Canada Pavilion
Lennie Gallant
opens
Oh My Darling
Tammy Weis & James
Bryan
11:00
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JILL BARBER
12:00
The Mahones
Meet the Mounties
Oh My Darling
Cooking Demonstration
From her modest beginnings as a shy acoustic folkie on the local coffeehouse stage,
Celebrity Guests
Cooking Demonstration by Chef
Barber’s recent career has been reaching starry heights. Inspired by the great ladies
12:30
Jill Barber
of song like Ella Fitzgerald and Edith Piaf, Barber reached for a place on the
13:00
Cooking Demonstration
international stage with the release of her last record, 2008’s Chances. Barber has
13:05
Lennie Gallant
13:35
Devon Sproule
13:45
Hockey: Matches 5-8
14:00
Cooking Demonstration
also begun to cross language barriers. Inspired by her growing Frenchs peaking fan
base and her admiration for la vie en rose, Barber now sings and records in both
English and French.
With the release of her fourth album Mischievous Moon, a stunning concoction that
features Barber’s unmistakable contralto backed by sweeping strings and dramatic
orchestration, Jill Barber’s evolution to confident chanteuse is complete.
www.jillbarber.com
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16/03/11 5:07 PM
CANOE -- JAM! Music - Artists - Barber, Jill : Barber fearless,...
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/B/Barber_Jill/2011/04/05/17...
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Artist: Barber, Jill
April 5, 2011
Barber fearless, sophisticated
By JANE STEVENSON, QMI Agency
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Jill Barber knows she's going against
the current musical grain with her
distinctive contralto voice, cool retro
looks, romantic love songs and
big-band sound.
But the 31-year-old Port Credit, Ont.,
native -- who released her fourth
album, Mischievous Moon, on Tuesday
-- is nothing if not fearless.
She's lived on both Canadian coasts -Halifax and now Vancouver, the latter
home to new husband Grant Lawrence,
a CBC Radio 3 host and lead singer of
The Smugglers (they met at NXNE in
Jill Barber in Toronto promoting her new album,
Toronto almost four years ago through Mischevious Moon, out April 5. Her crossJian Ghomeshi) -- and just spent
Canada tour starts April 6. (Craig Robertson/QMI
January in a small town in the south of Agency)
France in a French immersion program,
which should please her growing Quebec fanbase.
"They get me," she says of Quebecers. "They're a pretty romantic people and my music is
pretty romantic."
So what makes Barber, who made the move from acoustic folk to a bigger, more sophisticated
sound on her 2008 album Chances, think she's heading in the right direction when Justin
Bieber and Drake are currently the biggest things in Canadian music?
"I think whatever genre this music is -- it's not the popular one," said Barber, relaxing at a
Toronto hotel bar earlier this week before Wednesday's launch of her Canadian tour which
includes an opening spot for Michael Kaeshammer at Massey Hall on April 30.
"I don't feel like a lot of
people are recording with
whole orchestras 'cause
they're not as foolish as I
am. It's a double-edged
sword. I feel like it's slightly
unclassifiable. It doesn't fit
really nicely into any one
genre but I like to think I've
already carved out a space
for myself in the world of
music and now I'm just kind
of decorating it or something.
I feel like I have a signature
sound now and that feels
really good. I love the
timelessness of a lot of old
1 of 3
06/04/11 11:08 AM
CANOE -- JAM! Music - Artists - Barber, Jill : Barber fearless,...
records and I myself aspire
to that weird, intangible
quality that makes a song
sound timeless and I'm
naturally pulled towards the
songs that have stood the
test of time as opposed to
the next cutting-edge pop
tune of the moment. I'm not
really interested. Even
though that music is great -that's not how I identify."
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/B/Barber_Jill/2011/04/05/17...
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See Ghost Stories Live
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As with Chances, the
Adams Art Gallery
material for Mischievous
Art Gallery Dunkirk New York Chautauqua County
Moon was born out of
www.adamsart.org
Barber's three-week
residency at the Banff
Centre for the Arts in the
Canadian Rockies. Her last three albums have all been produced by Les Cooper.
Barber, who will tour with a five-piece band but hopes to one day to hit the road with an
orchestra, said she returned to Banff after experiencing some writer's block.
"Literally morning, noon and night, I'd write all day long and when I start banging my head
against the wall I'd go hike up a mountain," she said.
She also decided to release Mischievous Moon's first single, Tell Me, in both its English and
French versions (Dis-Moi) simultaneously, as a way of addressing her growing Quebec
audience. Still to come is a translation of a second song, If It Weren't For Loving You.
(Previously with the Chances' song, All My Dreams, she released the translated French song,
Tous Mes Reves, on iTunes.)
Would you buy a ticket
to see Charlie Sheen’s
live tour?
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see what he has planned
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"It was, first of all, really fun to sing in French," said Barber, who was in French immersion until
Grade 6 as a child.
"I really love the language. It's totally romantic. It's very sensual as a language. I love the
shapes of words and I love being able to sing in French. I'm just kind of increasing my
repertoire to include a second language. What I'm hoping for is that things continue to go well
in Quebec and that might be an entryway into France."
Ferry released from hospital
Foos drummer not happy with doc
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Rihanna's men afraid of sexting
Barber fearless, sophisticated
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Moby fed up with rock stars
'80s pop star rages against Net
Live Review: Jackson Browne in T.O.
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Dispute over James Brown's fortune
Gibb apologizes for cancelled tour
Miley Cyrus back on Twitter
Neil charged with domestic violence
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06/04/11 11:08 AM
Jill Barber on Mad Men? Hey, it could work. « ENT
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Jill Barber on Mad Men? Hey, it could work.
jane.stevenson - April 5th, 2011
With her big band, jazzy sound, retro looks and sweet, sultry voice, Canadian singer-songwriter Jill Barber is a no brainer to
be on AMC’s hit TV show, Mad Men, right?
Turns out she’s a fan of the show about New York City ad executives in the ’60s and had the same idea too.
“Yeah, there has been talk but no action,” said Barber, who released her latest album, Mischievous Moon, on April 5 and
begins her latest Canadian tour on April 6.
“I signed a publishing deal with an international publisher that’s based in Los Angeles and there have been conversations.
There’s even been conversations about me auditioning for the show but nothing has ever actually happened. I love Mad
Men too.”
Barber, who got turned on to the music of Etta James and Nat King Cole as a student at Queen’s University in Kingston,
Ont. (she’s originally from Port Credit, Ont., but now lives in Vancouver), agrees her music and musical taste suits that
time.
“I feel an affinity for the world that I hear in the music of that time. I don’t wish that I lived in another time. But what I will
say is that I think there are things from that era musically and otherwise that we need to perserve in this modern, fast-paced
world and so I think in the context all this technology, let’s hang on to the nostalgia for the past, and let’s not let go of the
romance.”
1 of 4
06/04/11 11:54 AM
Mississauga Article: New album a hit
http://www.mississauga.com/what's on/article/976028--new-al...
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5,000 new fish tales
New album a hit
Volunteers from the Port Credit
Salmon & Trout Association
have put 5,000 young...
Jill Barber's new CD, Mischievous
Moon, hits stores today — and it's
already garnering critical raves.
Featured Video
The singer/songwriter, who was
raised in Port Credit but made her
name after she moved to Halifax,
earns high praise for the recording in
today's entertainment section of The
Toronto Star.
"With echoes of everything from Burt
Bacharach to Blossom Dearie,
Canadian singer/songwriter Jill
Barber has what must be the most
beautifully-orchestrated pop record
in years," writes critic John Terauds.
He adds that the "chameleon"
Barber sounds like a smoky 1960's
lounge singer on one song, then like
a 1940's country singer on the next.
Jill Barber. Jill Barber's new CD, Mischievous Moon, goes on sale today in
local music stores. File photo
The first single from the album, a sinuous ballad filled with strings called Tell Me, can be heard at Barber's website
at www.jillbarber.com.
The 11-track album, her fourth, was recorded in Toronto with Barber's long-time producer, Les Cooper, and with her
touring band. She also got some help from the Mischievous Moon Chamber Players.
"I aspire to write songs that evoke a feeling of another time and a space, a sensation that you've felt before, but
can't quite place," said Barber, a two-time Juno Award nominee. "Classic songwriting deals with the universal
themes — love (and) loss. But great songwriting means that it always feels individual to the listener."
Her previous album, Chances, was among the list of 40 albums up for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. The award is
handed out annually to a Canadian full-length record based strictly on artistic merit, without consideration of genre
or record sales.
Barber embarks on a tour to support Mischievous Moon starting April 16 in Jonquiere, Quebec. She'll appear April
29 at the Hamilton Studio Theatre and April 30 at Massey Hall in Toronto, where she will play a double bill with
Michael Kaeshammer.
[email protected]
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06/04/11 11:17 AM
Jill Barber gets romantic on Mischievous Moon
http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/Jill+Barb...
Mischievous Moon, the new album from singer Jill
Barber, arrived April 5. The disc was recorded with a
12-piece string section and features her first track in
French.
Photograph by: Brett Gundlock, National Post
Sipping a Singapore Sling in Toronto's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, singer Jill Barber doesn't need to try hard to differentiate herself
from 99 per cent of her Canadian peers.
"In this bare-bones world where people can make a record at home using synthesizers, I might be the fool in the bunch,
because I love making records with real players, real instruments, real sections and full, ambitious arrangements," says
Barber, a 31-year-old throwback artist from Port Credit, Ont., who is releasing her fourth album, Mischievous Moon, on
April 5.
"It's hilarious: While everyone's trying to sound so modern to achieve their success, I'm emulating dead people -- but, you
know, hopefully, they're not turning over in the grave."
Barber comes by her Edith Piaf- and Ella Fitzgerald-honed vocals honestly. In 2005, she released Oh Heart, which she
recorded in Halifax after graduating from Western University with a degree in philosophy, and began crafting a sonic
landscape that matched her starry world view.
"When I make music, I want to create the romance that I feel when I put on a record," says Barber, who released Chances,
which got her long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize, in 2008. "Music makes me feel romantic, whimsical and dreamy. It
elevates regular life into something like starring in your own film, and I guess what I'm trying to do is record your
soundtrack."
The plot line on her new album, which, like Chances, was produced by Les Cooper, would have to be considered a sexy
adult thriller, something with exotic locales, glamour and intrigue. Written and recorded while Barber was being swept off
her feet by writer and radio personality Grant Lawrence, the album's 11 tracks devote a number of bars to the fuzzy feelings
of love.
"Probably the simplest song is 'A Wish Under My Pillow,' a song that I wrote the little hook for five or six years ago," says
6 of 15
11/04/11 9:44 AM
Jill Barber gets romantic on Mischievous Moon
http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/Jill+Barb...
Barber on what begins with an almost Hawaiian-sounding acoustic guitar lick, which underlines a pining to wake up one
morning and not feel so alone. "I premiered that song on the night of our wedding and, of course, my wish had come true."
Recorded with a 12-piece string section and featuring her first track in French, Mischievous Moon is loaded with some of
Barber's most self-assured singing to date. However, the artist -- who last year published the children's book Baby's Lullaby
-- considers her voice merely a tool for writing songs.
"I don't even really feel like that much of a singer," she says, adding that she prefers being on tour to recording, and that an
album isn't really finished until she plays it to her fans. "I've seen Canadian Idol, and I think I wouldn't make it past the first
round by their standards. I've been told my voice is unique, as opposed to traditionally good."
Her drink is just about finished when Barber makes that last quip, and perhaps it's because of her surroundings that it seems
unlikely a criticism of her voice might actually sting.
"I feel vulnerable with this record, but I also feel like I have enough confidence to put myself out on a limb," she says. "I
was pushing myself, in terms of production and scope, but also with drama. I feel like maybe that's an un-Canadian thing."
Mischievous Moon by Jill Barber is in stores now.
Canadian tour dates include: Toronto April 30, Victoria May 13, Vancouver May 18, Ottawa/Gatineau Oct. 12.
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11/04/11 9:44 AM
Jill Barber’s Mischievous Moon anchors her as Canada’s Sweet...
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APR/11
http://nxew.ca/?p=5003
Jill Barber’s Mischievous Moon anchors her as Canada’s
Sweetheart
Search
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If George Strombo is “Canada’s boyfriend,” let me propose Jill Barber as the female
equivalent. The self-proclaimed “Canada’s Sweetheart,” originally hailing from Port
Credit, ON, has called both the east and west coasts home. As she confesses, “I'd like
to say it's the ocean that has drawn me each time, but really it's always been the love
of a man. I follow my heart.”
0
Search
MISSING
Thankfully, the muse of love and romance have inspired Barber wherever she
happens to find herself. On her last full-length release Chances, all the stars aligned.
Her low and sensual voice, her deliberate and romantic persona combined with the
influence of greats such as Ella Fitzgerald garnered her a nod on the prestigious
Polaris Music Prize.
Fans of Chances will find more of what they love on Barber’s latest Mischievous Moon, due out tomorrow on April 5. Long
time producer and collaborator Les Cooper returns to give the album its polish, and violinist Drew Jurecka assists with
the strings arrangements which are prominent on the album. But there’s no stealing the spotlight. Jill Barber, in both
sights and sounds, harkens to Hollywood starlets of the golden ages—sexy, but with a touch of naïveté. Sultry, but
whimsical. Mischievous Moon oozes a confident romanticism from beginning to end. The title track kicks off Moon with its
dramatic violin swells and lays the foundations of a fairy tale-like soundscape. Several numbers, including the bossa
nova-inspired “Took Me By Surprise,” are perfect for a dance with your sweetheart. To add credence to the “Mischievous”
side of the equation, the light hearted whistling on “A Wish Under My Pillow” and the light piano tinkling of “Lullaby” will
surely lift the mood. The stand-out track, “Tell Me/Dis-Moi,” reveal Barber’s skills in the language of romance after taking
immersion courses en France. And boy, is it ever a sultry slow-burner of a song.
While travelling this summer keep an
eye out for Owen Rooney
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VOTE DAILY
Albums like Mischievous Moon beg to become the soundtrack of your own starlit nights. When you get a chance, spin the
vinyl, break out the bubbly and invite your sweetheart for a waltz on the patio. And when you get a chance, give that
mischievous moon a wink.
Mischievous Moon will be available both online and physically tomorrow (April 5). For Jill Barber's upcoming tour dates,
including several dates in Western Canada supporting Michael Kaeshammer, check out her website under "Tour."
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timestranscript.com - Jill Barber to release Mischievous Moon -...
http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/metro/article/1379284
Jill Barber to release Mischievous Moon
Published Friday February 11th, 2011
E7
Canadian songstress Jill Barber is set to release her new record, Mischievous Moon, on April 5 via
Outside Music.
The singer-songwriter who rose to fame with albums such as For All Time and Chances, is once again
working with producer Les Cooper. The new record sees Barber recording with her touring band for the
first time.
Mischievous Moon was recorded in Toronto and strings were recorded at the famed Glenn Gould
Studio by the Mischievous Moon Chamber Players.
"I aspire to write songs that evoke a feeling of another time and a space, a sensation that you've felt
before but can't quite place," said Barber in a press release. "Classic songwriting deals with the
universal themes; love, loss... but great songwriting means that it always feels individual to the listener.
My hope is to capture the imagination of my listeners the same way my favourite records have inspired
me."
Recently inspired by her growing French-speaking fan base, Barber has begun singing and recording in
both English and French. After recording her latest album, she enrolled in a French immersion school in
the south of France. Her new single, Tell Me, will be released in both English and French (Dis-moi). The
tune is available for streaming on her website, www.jillbarber.com
In support of the upcoming album release, Barber will perform several dates across Canada this spring
in addition to joining Canadian musician Michael Kaeshammer as a guest at Massey Hall in Toronto on
April 30. Barber also performs at a co-headlining show with Kaeshammer at the Vogue Theatre in
Vancouver on May 18.
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