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Showing posts with label Marcella Puppini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marcella Puppini. Show all posts
Hoorah, The Puppini Sisters are back in grand style with their new album, High Life! This is their first in five years and it's fabulous; an event!
Noteably, singer Stephanie O'Brien has been replaced by Emma Smith. But the harmonies are still lush and gorgeous. The Puppini Sisters are in smashing form with their typically eclectic (to say the least) and fun selection of pop tunes.
You haven't lived until you hear these women cover ~ in swing-band style ~ "Supercalifragilistic," Carmen Miranda's '''Tico Tico," "Rapper's Delight/ Chandelier," Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and much more. The album kicks off with "Is This the Highlife?" and ends with "Hit the Road, Jack." The trio is backed by a three-piece band, except for on the finale, where they have a full orchestra background.
The album will be released in the USA this Friday, March 18. I ordered on cd but Marcella Puppini sent me a copy on-line, graciously, so I could review it. You can order it on Amazon or wherever fine music is sold.
Class with flash, campy and vampy. put High Life on your must have list.
Incidentally, I recently reviewed Marcella's solo album on this blog and did a Q&A with her as well. Busy lady! I'll be doing a Q&A with all three ladies very soon!
Marcella Puppini's new solo album is every bit as upbeat as its title insists. Everything Is Beautiful is now available through Amazon.com as a UK import though, at the time of this posting, it has temporarily sold out. An American label is expected to release a domestic edition soon.
The new album is from the "queen of electro-swing" But heavy is not the head that wears that crown, as Marcella's wonderful sense of optimism and good cheer is as distinct as it is disarming, something the world ~ and pop music ~ are in need of these days.
Pop culture is very much on Ms Puppini's mind, evident in titles like "Stop Googling Me" and in odes to media icons Betty Boop and Doris Day.
In "Let's Stay in Bed" and "In the Mood for Trouble," Marcella's mischievous side toys with listeners. Everything Is Beautiful's title track is a fabulous modern honky-tonk number that will have you qvelling with delight. [Link below.] Throughout, the singer's sense of tongue-in-cheek, campy humor is very much on display. I'm in her camp!
You can't stay in a foul mood if you listen to this album, I guarantee. Sleekly produced throughout, it makes for a great holiday present and ~ while you're at it ~ snap up one for yourself!
Marcella Puppini's first name is pronounced Marchella; not Marsella. She has just released a solo album, which we discuss in our Q&A. She is also the founding member of the Puppini Sisters, who have a new album coming our way in early 2016. She is a gifted singer, trained in opera, an artist and a clothes designer who's worked for Vivienne Westwood. I spoke with Marcella over the phone. She resides in London.
Buddy Beaverhausen: What drew you to the '30s-'40s big band and swing styles, and harmonies with The Puppini Sisters?
Marcella Puppini: It really came out of loving The Manhattan Transfer, though their harmonies are a bit more strident than ours. I've always been very into harmony music and jazz. I was always into big band music, I love Duke Ellington, and then I got into The Andrew Sisters. And that's when I got the idea of girl-group harmonies and The Puppini Sisters.
BB: Rumor has it The Puppini Sisters also have an upcoming album. Is that true?
MP: Absolutely. We're all very excited. It's set for a March 2016 release. We just finished recording it at the end of September.
BB: I last saw the group at BB King's in NYC. Will the group be touring again in the USA?
MP: Yes, I expect so. The laws have changed regarding taxes but we're figuring out a way of doing it.
BB: Now that we're in this election year in America, what is your view from abroad on what's going on here politically?
MP: I just find it really, really frightening! I think we're all, frightened for you in the States. If conservatives have their way, it would be very dark science indeed for everyone but white, straight males.
BB: I find the whole "open carry" gun thing total insanity. Thank God we don't have that in NY.
MP: Fabulous. Over here, we just don't understand that at all. And the whole religious issue. Isn't it part of your Constitution that denies that?
BB: Yes! Absolutely.
MP: So many decisions are being made on "Christian values", and I don't get it.
BB: Neither do a lot of us.
MP: I even got into an argument on Facebook with someone. Stupid of me, but I couldn't let that slide by. I think your Republican Party is pushing a dangerously fascist-like agenda that we, in the UK and Europe know too well.
BB: Might you be coming to NYC to promote your solo album?
MP: Yes, I'm speaking to an agent about this. We're being promoted on an American label now, which is good news.
BB: I'm sure you're aware you have a large gay following. And my blog has a large LGBT fan base.
MP: Wonderful!
BB: Any shout-outs to your LGBT fans?
MP: I have enormous gratitude for a community that has supported everything I have ever done, and that has shown me love (and fun!) since I first moved to London. I'd be nowhere without the drag artists I worked with at Madame JoJos (when I was a tequila girl), who taught me how to put on make-up properly. Or without the girls at the Candy Bar in Soho, where I used to do podium dancing when I was a student. (That was fun!!) Without the gay community, the world would be such a sad place indeed. So much art and creativity comes to us from that community and enriches us all! Plus, so much strength for positive change. BB: Much success with your new album and where can fans find it currently. MP: Currently at Amzon.com. BB: Thank you very much for taking out your time to do this Q&A with me. MP: Thank you! And I love reading your blog. I enjoy your edge and your comments. I'm not going to use the word campy.... BB: It's ok, feel free! I love it! MP; [laughs] Ok. It's a dream-come-true blog. You like all the things that I like! http://www.marcellapuppini.com
Marcella Puppini's first name is pronounced Marchella; not Marsella. She has just released a solo album, which we discuss in our Q&A. She is also the founding member of the Puppini Sisters, who have a new album coming our way in early 2016. She is a gifted singer, trained in opera, an artist and a clothes designer who's worked for Vivienne Westwood. I spoke with Marcella over the phone. She resides in London.
Buddy Beaverhausen: You were nominated Mayoress of Camden a couple of years ago. What would that title entail you to do?
Marcella Puppini: It's totally honorary. In fact, I wasn't nominated; I was chosen by the Mayor of Camden to be his escort at gala events. We worked with The Amy Winehouse Foundation and I put together other goodwill events for the borough of Camden in London.
BB: Let's talk about your new album, Everything Is Beautiful. How would you describe its overall style? MP: I call it electro-vintage. An electronic recreation of styles such as Swing, Motown, some atmospheric noir-ish ballads, torch songs. So. it's a reimagining of those styles. BB: I thought I detected a bit of Karen Carpenter on your vocals for "Boom Boom," the opening track. MP: Oh, I adore Karen Carpenter! She's an idol of mine. Thank you so much. Maybe it was a little subconscious that I sounded like her on the song, then. BB: Let's talk about "Boom Boom," which is the first track on the album. MP: Yes, all right! I wrote that song to express great optimism. It's a happy song, I think. And I really had a Motown rhythm in mind. When it came to the bridge, I was just making up words like "zoom zoom" and "boom boom." and then I realized that that should be the chorus. BB: Well, I love it. MP: Thank you very much. BB: Your voice is classically trained, but at university, you majored in fashion design. Why was that, and what was it like to work for Vivienne Westwood? MP: I went to college in London, where I wanted to stay. At the time, the Music department was not offering anything, so I thought another talent I had was art and drawing, So, I applied and got in, which amazed me. And I was so lucky to get to work for Vivienne Westwood. It was a great experience because I got to work with such talented, creative people. It was a short period of about two years but it was really wonderful. BB: You were born and raised in Bologna, Italy. When did you move to England? MP: When I was 18. BB: Who were Marcella & the Forget Me Nots? MP: It came together in London, where I was working on a show and had to put together an all-girl orchestra. The bass player in our orchestra used to be with Courtney Love's band. It was really great fun and was meant for pure artistic expression. BB: You had a huge club hit here in the United States as the vocalist on Rich B's "Revolution." Did you know that? MP: Yes. Rich and I met at a club in Soho where I used to be a cocktail waitress. Yeah, just like the song "I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar...." [laughs] Rich and I became great friends. In fact, I met my husband through Rich. We fell in love at one of Rich's parties. "Revolution" was recorded in 2002 and reissued in 2012, and that was when it became such an international hit. BB: What musical artists inspired you when you were growing up? MP: My mom used to listen to David Bowie a lot when I was about eight-years-old while she was doing the housework. I really got to love his music. Then, I got into Kate Bush. I don't know if she's known that well in the States. BB: Absolutely! She's a star. MP: Great. I was completely enamored of her in my early teens, and then I became completely enamored of Jazz. I went looking back... to Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan. I later was crazy about The Manhattan Transfer as well, and that's how I got into the whole Swing sound. http://www.marcellapuppini.com [Part 2 of this interview tomorrow. Lots of surprises and new revelations!]
