Swahili Blonde (Nicole Turley and John Frusciante) to release a digital single later this month!
Sick of Saturday questions? Not into Chad Smith's quotes on RHCP? Seen all the media that's posted every now and then? Today's your lucky day, I guess, as there's some REAL news and some MUSIC! ^_^ I've been nudged to post some more news on this ever since some people first spotted it; but - just as it was the case with Speed Dealer Moms - I thought it would not be all right to disturb the musicians at work until they're ready to present something to us.
Swahili Blonde is a new project of the percussionist/vocalist Nicole Turley who formerly played with Los Angeles-based new age band Weave! (you can hear their music here - they opened for Warpaint and the John/Flea/Josh/Stella improvisation band back in September 2008 at the Troubadour) on which she's exploring new musican horizons and improving her skills by playing alongside other instruments and her collaborator on it is the guitar maestro we all love - John. They were assisted by Stella Mozgawa and a violin player named Laena Myers-Ionita.
For now, you can go to the band's Myspace page and listen to a couple of their songs - Red Money, Release The Ghost, Tiny Shaman, an instrumental called Dr. Teeth and the above mentioned Elixir Fixir/Elixor Fixor. As keen Bowie fans may notice, Red Money is a cover song that will also appear on the Manimal Vinyl David Bowie tribute album- due out early 2010.
The band's debut single Elixir Fixir will be released digitally on Manimal Vinyl later this month and there will be an actual CD/EP and 12" coming up come next year. They describe this style as a mix of Raincoats-style noodlings with the early 70’s Kraut-rock such as Can or Faust.
Here's the artwork for the single. You can read how the band feels about it here and the description definitely makes sense.
You can also read an interview with ms. Turley where she's talking about her musical background and this project.
And, of course, say if you dig this! It's pretty different, but really good, too. No gossip in comments, please.
*Thanks to Katie, Laura, Carole and Harrz for information during this period of time.
Laena Myers-Ionita, she has her full name listed on MySpace.
Just heard Elixor Fixor. John’s guitar is pretty recognizeable.
I’m no bowie fan but Red money sure sounds like Iggy Pop’s sister midnight. Iggy and bowie were friends and collaborated and such so it’s not so surprising iggy also covered this.
Awesome band this one!
I just checked wikipedia and it’s the other way round – Bowie helped iggy write Sister midnight and later wrote Red money with the same music. My bad.
I know I’ve heard dr teeth somewhere before. Is it a cover, or could it have come from a live perfomance, like part of an outro? Anyone else recognize it?
thanx for this news! i heard the song and it’s great! john never stops surprising me!
Probably not really relevant but something I just noticed:
quoting the interview on their mySpace
“TTM: Do you play any other instruments? If so … how does that affect your drumming?
NT: I started a DIY project this year called Swahili Blonde – where I write, play, sing, record, and mix everything myself – actually, everything except guitar – my boyfriend’s been doing the guitar stuff. ”
And the music is simply weird. I love it =D
What does that have to do with anything?
Just the idea that John is her boyfriend… No big deal. He was just delicately pointing it out.
Yes, but this website is about John’s music and I like to keep it that way, out of respect for everything he’s done for us. Let them have their privacy and enjoy their love, we’re nobody to talk about it. OK?
They provide us with beautiful music, so really, that’s everything that matters.
and that is why i said it wasn’t really relevant, just a thing i read.
Good for John. Naturally, he’s doing what he loves! I checked them out, and I definitely don’t like it at all, but I’m still happy for John.
I agree. Love John and all, but my suspicions after hearing the name of the project and hearing some of Weave!'s stuff, that I would be like "This is cool and all, but I'm just not into it." were confirmed. No problem at all, who knows, maybe in 5, 10, 20 years I'll hear it again and fall in love with it.
I am with Kelly here. Not my stuff, but good luck to them on all plans!
The Swahili Blonde stuff is reallllly weird. But I like it. Its very good. It’s definitely different from anything I’ve heard before. But its all good vibrations and sounds great.
Sounds interesting.^^
Talking Heads much? Wish John and David Byrne had gotten to collaborate on that NASA album, oh well, maybe next time.
Well this is pretty wonderful! I like the recording quality, and i bet the full album will be fantastic.