Megan's Top 70 of 2010: #32 - She & Him

Why I Decree it to Be So:

I tell you what, y’all. The wait for this one sure felt like a deep, dark, black hole of oblivion. But the end result, Volume Two certainly proves that old adage that very, very good things come to those who wait. Well, in this instance anyway. She & Him's adorable Zooey and dreamy M. put their heads together once more and came up with another batch of beautiful songs, heavy with the ghosts of country and girl group greats. These two together are utterly irresistible, between Zooey’s voice and M.’s guitar play. Now friends, with an album of this length, you might expect some throwaway songs. Well, there aren’t any. Each and every song is as good as the one before and after it. I wasn’t sure if lightning could strike twice for this unlikely dynamic duo, but strike it did. I might still be slightly partial to Volume One, but with enough listens to Volume Two I very likely could soon be singing another tune. Hot damn, these two have found musical soulmates in each other, and I’d say we’re all pretty lucky these kids got together to make music. Now, the big question is, are we gonna have to wait this long for Volume Three? (SEE MORE)

mp3: Thieves (She & Him from Volume Two)

Album Review: She & Him – Volume Two

I tell you what, y’all. The wait for this one sure felt like a deep, dark, black hole of oblivion. But the end result, Volume Two certainly proves that old adage that very, very good things come to those who wait. Well, in this instance anyway. She & Him's adorable Zooey and dreamy M. put their heads together once more and came up with another batch of beautiful songs, heavy with the ghosts of country and girl group greats. These two together are utterly irresistible, between Zooey’s voice and M.’s guitar play.

They really hit the ground running straight away this time. Volume Two seems more polished than the volume that preceded it. It’s shinier, newer, and even sleeker. “In The Sun” shimmies along with that big symphonic sweep of the golden olden days, full of Zooey’s inherent quirkiness and undeniable catchiness. “Don’t Look Back” calls to mind both early Beach Boys and classic Motown, with “doo doo doos” aplenty and a ravishing retro wash to the song’s production. “Ridin’ In My Car” is impeccable in its throwback sound, with Zooey and M. showing off fantastic boy-girl vocals and the whole shebang sounding like a soda fountain classic.

I love the mix of British Invasion sounds and that twangin’ guitar of M.’s on “Gonna Get Along Without You Now”, which also lets Zooey unleash some of that Baby Patsy Cline she’s got in that voice of her. “Gonna find somebody that’s twice as cute/cuz I didn’t like you anyhow,” she prettily pouts, as M. strums along. The acoustic guitar intro to “Sing” is pretty special, and the song itself is just another gem. “Over It Over Again” is one of my favorites, a classic She & Him song with girl group sashaying alongside country and pop to dazzling effect. O, how I love it.

Now friends, with an album of this length, you might expect some throwaway songs. Well, there aren’t any. Each and every song is as good as the one before and after it. I wasn’t sure if lightning could strike twice for this unlikely dynamic duo, but strike it did. I might still be slightly partial to Volume One, but with enough listens to Volume Two I very likely could soon be singing another tune. Hot damn, these two have found musical soulmates in each other, and I’d say we’re all pretty lucky these kids got together to make music. Now, the big question is, are we gonna have to wait this long for Volume Three?

mp3: In The Sun (She & Him from Volume Two)

100 Shows of 2010 - #42: She & Him/The Chapin Sisters @ 9:30 Club, 7/7/10

Please forgive me if I’m turning into a broken record, but there was a time, not too long ago, when for one reason or another, I wasn’t all that fond of female singers. Yeah, I can’t really explain it either. Thankfully, that period of unjust musical discrimination against my fair gender has passed, and I fully appreciate when one of my fellow ladies has serious pipes on her. As luck would have it, I was able to see not one, not two, but three such fierce little ladies do their thing last Wednesday, and it was, friends, rather an awesome spectacle. Between the raw, stripped down harmonies of the California dreamin' Chapin Sisters and the fantastical, retro country pop stylings of Miss Zooey Deschanel of She & Him, sisters were definitely workin’ it out. And yes, for those of you that were wondering, Zoeey was indeed wearing black tights. Even in the DC heat. Girl is dedicated.

MINI RECAP: She & Him = Be Still My Heart! The Chapin Sisters = Swing Low Sweet Chariot! Overall score: A.

The Chapin Sisters, brothers and sisters, are nothing short of magnificent. They walked onstage, resplendently reminiscent of the 70s with their long, pastel dresses and long, sun-kissed blonde locks. From the moment they opened their mouths, they did nothing short of blow me away. Their voices, o their voices. Breathy but so full, big and bold but delicate at the same time. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the sisters Chapin (Lily and Abigail, just so you know), is that regardless of the stage configuration, i.e. with acoustics and a tambourine or two, with backing from the gents of She & Him, or just plain singing, they will absolutely leave you breathless. Among their beautiful original material was a song dedicated to the “original bad girl, Britney Spears,” a cover of said Brit’s “Toxic”. Suffice it to say, the Chapin version is infinitely better than the manufactured original. If that sounds like a backhanded compliment, believe you me, it’s not. These ladies can outsing just about any gal out there. Those glorious, haunting harmonies are nothing short of intoxicating. They did ten songs in their set, and they could have done ten more, and still I would have wanted more.

After the too-soon departure of The Chapin Sisters, after a short interval it was time for the sold out crowd to welcome She & Him to the stage. I held off listening to the new record, Volume Two, because I wanted to hear it live for my first time. And I wasn’t sorry about that, no sir. It had been two long years since I saw M. & Zooey’s band play, not since the Virgin Fest of 2008. At the time, I decided that to me, Zooey sounded like a baby Patsy Cline, and my opinion hasn’t changed. They began with a wonderful rendition of “Change Is Hard”, and a dude near me made an epic understatement as he commented, “She’s got a good voice.” The sound was deliriously good, wistful, mournful tones of twang all over the place. One of the high(est)lights came early, with a seriously killer version of “I Was Made For You”, featuring the cooing and girl group stylings of The Chapin Sisters (who, adorably, had changed into outfits of charcoal dresses and black tights, to match Zooey). “I’ve never been to DC before,” proclaimed Zooey, before the band stormed through one of my favorites, “Black Hole”. I will forever love the sadness hidden behind the perkiness, and the line “I’m alone on a bicycle for two.” Glorious.

The first few songs were all from the first record, but the band soon mixed things up. The new tunes felt comfortably familiar alongside those from the first album, though they were definitely less country-tinged. As per usual, “You Really Got A Hold On Me” was stunning, with Zooey and M. trading vocals backed by an acoustic guitar. And oh, how the little ladies in the crowd went absolutely crazy every single time M. sang a note. It was incredible, the level of frenzied shrieks. “Brand New Shoes” was perfect. “Ridin’ In My Car” was perfect. And then they went and pulled an almost unfair trick from under their collective sleeve. “We’ve never done this song before but we’re gonna do it for you guys,” Zooey declares, before the band launches into an impeccable, irresistible cover of the Beach Boys’ classic, classic summer song, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. It was sheer bliss.

Looking back on it, this show was definitely in the top handful of shows I’ve had the pleasure of attending this year. Both bands really, really wowed me. The Chapin Sisters, well, they were just plain exquisite. Make their acquaintance immediately (hint: they’ll be back on the road later in the year). As for She & Him, they were even better than the last time I saw them. They’ve developed into one of the finest live bands around, if I may be so bold as to say so.

mp3: I Was Made For You (She & Him from Volume One)

Megan's Top 18 of 2008 - #3 - She & Him

Actresses aren't supposed to model, models aren't supposed to act, and neither of them are supposed to even attempt singing. Right? Well, just about.

You see, there is in fact one actress who can really sing. I mean, really, really sing. I know, I was dubious myself, but then I listened to She & Him's Volume One, and I was sold. Zooey Deschanel (the She to M. Ward's Him) has some pipes on her, and I've come to the conclusion that she's a mix of Patsy Cline and Karen Carpenter. Blasphemy, you say? Listen to her sing and then try to tell me I'm wrong.

Volume One is a collection of simple, mostly lovelorn vignettes, some covers and some original songs (written by Deschanel), beautifully arranged by M. Ward and beautifully given voice by Deschanel. Employing a throwback, lo-fi sound works wonders for the songs, lending authenticity to their love of music belonging to days gone by. It's cute at times, but never twee. Like many good artists before them, She & Him know how to make a sad song sound like a delightful little pop song.

It's impossible to pick favorites here, because I love every single song on this record. So just listen to the whole damn thing, repeatedly.

Video Vixens: She & Him

Adorable. Morbid. Morbidly adorable? Adorably morbid? As polar as the two might be, both aptly describe what you're about to see. But whatever this video is, it is pretty fantastic.

I chose this clip not only because of how taken with She & Him I have become thanks to their set at the Virgin Mobile Festival this past weekend, but also just because it's so freaking cute. However it's possible for decapitation and axes in one's back to be cute, that is. Don't worry, the Snow White-esque birds and super precious cartoon ghosts (not to mention animated blood) take the edge off all the silly violence.

And as for the song itself, well, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here" is a sharply saccharine piece of pop, spun around so that, like its promo clip, it's not nearly as sweet and innocent as you might think.

One can only imagine the kick Zooey Deschanel got out of getting to portray the various ladies in the video, from a cowgirl shot through the heart to the white boot-wearing bride. I'm not sure how I feel about the vultures, though, but the rest of the video is a delight.