Vanessa's Digital Holiday EP 'Hear The Bells' IS HERE!!!

[cassiemoy]

just bought and listened to it. personal verdict is: gorgeous EP.

love the arrangements for "do you hear what i hear?" which i think is very pretty song, and the storybook quality of the lyrics is really suited to her. i like acoustic "hear the bells" just fine. and none of my enthusiasm for her stellar, stellar "happy xmas" cover has diminished. and as for "a thousand miles" ... missing the iconic riff which i will always be a fan of, but heartstoppingly beautiful vocal performance. i love the quiet command she has over that song, now that she's performed it literally hundreds of times. she is utterly in control of it, in a really undertated way, and she makes that song breathe again.

an A+ year for v.

[Arwen]

New email from V:

   
'Ello,

I am releasing a little holiday EP called Hear The Bells today.  I recorded the tunes with Rick Kwan over the course of 3 days in New York a couple of weeks ago.  My favorite holiday album is the Vince Guaraldi Trio playing Charlie Brown's Christmas, and so I was really excited get the Young People's Chorus of NYC to sing on all the tunes.  The only song that is sans choir is "A Thousand Miles."  I re-recorded that song for the first time and came at it from a completely different angle.  What you hear on the album was recorded in the evening and was a one-take performance (I think it was the second attempt) with me standing next to guitarist Steve Lewis in a wooden room with my back to a big window overlooking the Hudson River.  I heard "A Thousand Miles" on the radio the other day and I didn't recognize my voice!  Perhaps you'll dig this off the cuff, inspired little evening performance of it.  Also I'd like to give props to Sky Steele, my friend and violinist on this album, for playing so brilliantly.

I hope you all have many lush moments this holiday.  I was envisioning getting toasty around a fire with family or friends, vino or tea, a good book, some chocolate, and a cool holiday soundtrack humming in the background.

Cheers my phantom friends,
Vanessa

[beautydivine]

New email from V:

   
'Ello,

I am releasing a little holiday EP called Hear The Bells today.  I recorded the tunes with Rick Kwan over the course of 3 days in New York a couple of weeks ago.  My favorite holiday album is the Vince Guaraldi Trio playing Charlie Brown's Christmas, and so I was really excited get the Young People's Chorus of NYC to sing on all the tunes.  The only song that is sans choir is "A Thousand Miles."  I re-recorded that song for the first time and came at it from a completely different angle.  What you hear on the album was recorded in the evening and was a one-take performance (I think it was the second attempt) with me standing next to guitarist Steve Lewis in a wooden room with my back to a big window overlooking the Hudson River.  I heard "A Thousand Miles" on the radio the other day and I didn't recognize my voice!  Perhaps you'll dig this off the cuff, inspired little evening performance of it. Also I'd like to give props to Sky Steele, my friend and violinist on this album, for playing so brilliantly.

I hope you all have many lush moments this holiday.  I was envisioning getting toasty around a fire with family or friends, vino or tea, a good book, some chocolate, and a cool holiday soundtrack humming in the background.

Cheers my phantom friends,
Vanessa

Yep, I knew it was Skye. There is no other like him.  

[Fred_Saboya]

New email from V:

   
'Ello,

I am releasing a little holiday EP called Hear The Bells today.  I recorded the tunes with Rick Kwan over the course of 3 days in New York a couple of weeks ago.  My favorite holiday album is the Vince Guaraldi Trio playing Charlie Brown's Christmas, and so I was really excited get the Young People's Chorus of NYC to sing on all the tunes.  The only song that is sans choir is "A Thousand Miles."  I re-recorded that song for the first time and came at it from a completely different angle.  What you hear on the album was recorded in the evening and was a one-take performance (I think it was the second attempt) with me standing next to guitarist Steve Lewis in a wooden room with my back to a big window overlooking the Hudson River.  I heard "A Thousand Miles" on the radio the other day and I didn't recognize my voice!  Perhaps you'll dig this off the cuff, inspired little evening performance of it.  Also I'd like to give props to Sky Steele, my friend and violinist on this album, for playing so brilliantly.

I hope you all have many lush moments this holiday.  I was envisioning getting toasty around a fire with family or friends, vino or tea, a good book, some chocolate, and a cool holiday soundtrack humming in the background.

Cheers my phantom friends,
Vanessa

she's a poet!

[Fred_Saboya]

Don't feel guilty.

thank you

[AG.]

I love her little email letters, they feel so intimate and personal. Cool knowing that ATM was 'off the cuff' it sounded so wonderful and I think she pulled off the different angle approach she was going for.

[Onyx]

I was having iTunes troubles, so I didn't really get to listen to it till now. I love it! Hear The Bells with the choir and the piano, sounds so amazing!! I love how ATM sounds so... mellow. This Do You Hear What I Hear is my favorite christmas song, I really like the ending. Merry Xmas sounds cool with the choir.

^ I had to... The snow was right there... And the EP is... so... cool   Bad pun

[nutnlp]

I love it!  Glad V released this! Hope she tours a lot in 2012!

[VaderDawsn]

I just finished listening to the EP. I prefer this version of "Hear the Bells" over the version on "Rabbits on The Run".

I am so glad she released this EP. "Do you hear what I hear" made me smile.  Also I enjoyed the variation on "A Thousand Miles".  I still heard the iconic riff in my head though!

[beautydivine]

I just finished listening to the EP. I prefer this version of "Hear the Bells" over the version on "Rabbits on The Run".

I am so glad she released this EP. "Do you hear what I hear" made me smile.  Also I enjoyed the variation on "A Thousand Miles".  I still heard the iconic riff in my head though!

And I thought I was the only one. I couldn't agree more. It's riveting. And Skye's violin tingles my spine.

 

I was having iTunes troubles, so I didn't really get to listen to it till now. I love it! Hear The Bells with the choir and the piano, sounds so amazing!! I love how ATM sounds so... mellow. This Do You Hear What I Hear is my favorite christmas song, I really like the ending. Merry Xmas sounds cool with the choir.

^ I had to... The snow was right there... And the EP is... so... cool  Bad pun

I would've done the same if it were snowing here in California. 

[sarab]

I'm waiting to listen for when I'm doing my holiday decorating this weekend 

[MVES]

yey! its out i'm gonna get it right now!!!!

[[sobriquet]]

A Thousand Miles sounds so far from the first time she recorded it. I love the plainness - there's some genuine emotion in the way everything sounds. And though I think that the Rhodes doing the riff won't hurt, I think V came up with the best arrangement.

To be honest, when I listen to the BNN version of ATM, all I picture out is this lovesick girl on the piano. But with this acoustic version, I picture out a woman in front of a fireplace missing somebody she truly loves. Maybe that's what makes it beautiful - it sounded as if it is true love, not the romantic one (I sometimes call it suicidal too) that the first version often leave in my mind.

(I just realized that there's no separate thread for ATM in the lyrics/sheet music section. I thought it was kind of weird)

[joey]

A Thousand Miles sounds so far from the first time she recorded it. I love the plainness - there's some genuine emotion in the way everything sounds. And though I think that the Rhodes doing the riff won't hurt, I think V came up with the best arrangement.

To be honest, when I listen to the BNN version of ATM, all I picture out is this lovesick girl on the piano. But with this acoustic version, I picture out a woman in front of a fireplace missing somebody she truly loves. Maybe that's what makes it beautiful - it sounded as if it is true love, not the romantic one (I sometimes call it suicidal too) that the first version often leave in my mind.

(I just realized that there's no separate thread for ATM in the lyrics/sheet music section. I thought it was kind of weird)

Ah the word is fireplace.

The song sounds so cozy. It's weird maybe since the first time I heard the song (I was millions of miles away from the people I loved and I used this song like crack) it sounded like she was missing someone. This time it's like she's already with the person and she's telling them that she needs them and they'd walk a thousand miles if they could see them....

It's cozy.

I love her.

[sarab]

A Thousand Miles sounds so far from the first time she recorded it. I love the plainness - there's some genuine emotion in the way everything sounds. And though I think that the Rhodes doing the riff won't hurt, I think V came up with the best arrangement.

To be honest, when I listen to the BNN version of ATM, all I picture out is this lovesick girl on the piano. But with this acoustic version, I picture out a woman in front of a fireplace missing somebody she truly loves. Maybe that's what makes it beautiful - it sounded as if it is true love, not the romantic one (I sometimes call it suicidal too) that the first version often leave in my mind.

(I just realized that there's no separate thread for ATM in the lyrics/sheet music section. I thought it was kind of weird)

totally related to that sentiment and I agree.  Most of the songs on that CD give me that vibe and at 16 it makes total sense. (any other girls remember that 16 year old "love"?)