Self Help Serenade [Import]

Product Description
Hailing from Los Angeles the four piece, have created an album that is as rich as it is beautiful, packed full of slow burning melodies & soul-inspiring songs. Tapping into the same vein as Mercury Rev, Grandaddy, Coldplay & Doves whilst drawing inspiration from Neil Young, John Lennon & Brian Wilson, they present a glorious vision of West Coast pop that deals as much with gentle melancholy as wide-eyed wonder.

Self Help Serenade,Marjorie Fair,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating:

Self Help Serenade is beautiful and soothing

hit and miss, usually hit

Personally, I was disappointed

Original, moody, and surreal

AN ASTOUNDING EPIC POP ALBUM, SONICS LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE....

Self Help Serenade
Marjorie Fair
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Sunday Runners

Between the Senses

Gonna Get It Wrong Before I Get It Right

Stare

Heroes and Villains

ASIN: B0009VBU6I
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

Don't Believe
Halfway House
Empty Room
Stare
How Can You Laugh
Waves
Please Don't
Cracks In The Wall
Stand In The World
Hold On To You
Silver Gun
My Sun Is Setting Over Her Magic

Customer Reviews:

Self Help Serenade is beautiful and soothing.......2007-07-03

I had never heard this band before I bought the cd. I have loved it though. The music and lyrics mesh perfectly together to produce very deep and soulful tracks. You definitely have to be in the right mood for these guys though. They are very deep and heartfelt. I find that their songs on this album are not necessarily upbeat. However, I still recommend this album.

hit and miss, usually hit.......2007-03-12

sometimes this album bores me to tears, other times (i'd say 65% of the time) it charms me to tears: imagine some sort of mildy psych-pop/shoegaze/low key red house painters-inspired stuff and you get the picture. it drags along at times, other times it sounds like beachwood sparks getting beat at their own game. quite catchy at times too, to boot.

Personally, I was disappointed.......2007-01-04

I really like the song "Empty Room", so I bought the CD. There were only about two more tracks on the disc that I like.

Original, moody, and surreal.......2005-10-23

I just saw these guys open for Porcupine Tree and they were outstanding. Very original sound and song construction. Hope to hear more from them in the future.

AN ASTOUNDING EPIC POP ALBUM, SONICS LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE...........2005-09-13

As GREAT as this album is, a marvel in songwriting and production, guaranteed, this sucker's going to flop...that could be the reason for it's 3-year delay...maybe Capitol/EMI knows this, and were hesitant to release it???

You can look at this band in 2 ways...classic and contemporary. If you were to answer someone's question, this band intrigues me, who would you compare them to?? From a contemporary angle, definitely in the same realm as the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev...melodic like powerpop, indie in approach, original and twisted in it's lyrical angle, epic in production. From a classic angle, Marjorie Fair finds the odd common ground between classic powerpop like Badfinger (singer/songwriter Evan Slamka's voice, the songwriting and guitar tone so spookily evokes the late lamented Pete Ham that it's scary) and the melodic but proggy/spacey elements of 70s-era Pink Floyd!! Weird and unexpected but it works and reaps a bottomless well of musical rewards.

Sonically, this album should be looked upon as a standard in record production too...yes it sounds that good. Plus, track #3, "Empty Room", I THINK there was a video I saw...with Evan on a bicycle...one of the finest songs I've heard all year...

The album could be album of the year as well, a candidate along with the new Eels record...haunting, spacey and melodically beautiful...just amazing...highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Great for bed time.

Mozart for Young Minds

Manufacturer: Creative Kids Prod.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Self-Help | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000ALFXH
Release Date: 2003-06-11

Tracks:

Serenade No.13
Concerto In D Major
The Magic Flute
Andante In C Major
Concerto No.4
Romanze From Concerto No.20 In D Major
Sonata In C Major 1st Movement
Adagio From Sonata In C Major

Album Description

Mozart selections arranged and recorded to enhance children's study and learning. Includes the 28-page booklet Creative Kids Power Learning Methods.

Customer Reviews:

Great for bed time. .......2007-01-18

My son loves the show "Little Einsteins" and recognizes quite a few of the songs from that show. We put it on a bed time and he loves it.

Average customer rating:

Is it me?
Celestial Mozart
Celestial Mozart for Relaxation

Celestial Mozart

Manufacturer: Astromusic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Self-Help | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Celestial Mozart for Relaxation II
Music of the Angels
Music from the Pleiades
Best of the Pleiades
Music of the Angels II

ASIN: B00001YVCD
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

Sonata In C
Concerto #21
Laudate Dominum
Concerto For Flute And Harp
Serenade #13
Concerto #23
Concerto #20
Concerto #5

Album Description

• Mozart's most beautiful slow melodies • Beautiful, celestial orchestrations arranged and performed by Gerald Jay Markoe • 30 - 60 beats per minute throughout (The best tempo range for deep relaxation) • 63 minutes of tranquility and beauty

PERFECT FOR: Relaxation Meditation Yoga Tai Chi Massage Healing Music Therapy Stress Release Deep Sleep Accelerated learning Anti-Depression

ARRANGED FOR: Strings Piano Harp Guitar Angelic voices Monks choir Flute Oboe Cello

Synthesizers Harpsichord

Customer Reviews:

Is it me?.......2006-04-05

I think its on tracks 4 and 5 that it sounds like the same song being played over. Don't get me wrong I love the beautiful music, and the sounds are out of this universe, but whenever i listen to this c.d. and I hear the start of track 5, its like deja vu. I might of not even noticed if it was spread out, but its right after another. Other than that little nit pick, this music is a gorgeous twist on already beautiful music. If you love mozart its a must have.

Celestial Mozart.......2002-01-29

I bought this CD as an experiment. I am the 3-11 charge nurse of an Alzheimer's Unit and I wanted to see if by playing relaxing music after dinner the patients would respond to the music and be less anxious. Evenings are a difficult time for Alzheimer's patients. I did not tell the staff what I was doing and the results were immediate. The patients quieted and we had a wonderful night. We play it frequently now and not only has it helped the residents of our facility but the staff too! Buy it for yourself. You will love it!

Celestial Mozart for Relaxation.......2001-03-23

Celestial and heavenly - It is! This was my experience with Gerald Markoe's music and I rated it a five star for several reasons. The tracks are beautifully orchestrated, high quality and non repetitious. Each track is unique and yet the music flows from beginning to end. If you are searching for true relaxation in music... this is spiritual, calming, and restful. I highly recommend this CD for those who like soft instrumentation with continuity of ambience.

Average customer rating:

The Serenade

Self Help Serenade

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000A5E6PA
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Customer Reviews:

The Serenade.......2005-10-03

If Mercury Rev had a more intimate sound, and had a more melodious lead singer, they might sound something like Marjorie Fair. And this is only their debut. One can only imagine how beautiful their music will be in ten years' time.

The Los Angeles quartet creates a dazzling first impression in "Self Help Serenade," a polished indie pop album that combines slow, eerie melodies with panoramic sound. Like a strange dream full of stars and rainy spring forests, this album sticks to your mind even when you wake up... I mean, when it's over. Why did this languish in limbo for three years?

Faint sound effects and a guitar melody kick off "Don't Believe," a dreamy pop song that starts the album off on a dark note. "Don't believe a word they say/they're only there to take you away... don't believe a word they say/they're only trying to scare you away..." Evan Slamka sings in the opener, sounding like a cynical, sad young boy.

Things don't get much more cheerful as the album goes on, using the same kind of epic pop sound that Mercury Rev and the Doves made famous. But in addition to that, Marjorie Fair dips into catchier art-pop, murky ballads, and acoustic laments that are colored by ghostly keyboard.

The songwriting is even more tragic, with Slamka singing, "They found her in a plastic veil/with blood stained boots and glass in her hair." But it ends on a startlingly mellow note, with Slamka resigning himself to his girlfriend leaving. He sounds peaceful as he sings, "My sun is setting over her magic/equal parts caring and tragic/I'll be burning for awhile..."

Marjorie Fair is not just a talented bands. It's also one of the few bands where the musical influences aren't worn on its sleeve -- there are hints of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Flaming Lips, and others woven into these songs. But they aren't blatant hints, nor does "Self Help Serenade" ever harken back to other musical eras.

Nor does it succumb to trends, like stripped-down garage-rock. Its fours members manage to create unusually lush sounds. Usually the combined sound is uniformly smooth and sweet, but for example, "Halfway House" has a rich, gritty solo by bassist Scott Lord. "Waves" lets drummer Mike Delisa get to shine. Dain Luscombe' panoramic keyboard is a ruling influence in almost every song. Slamka plays guitar as well, adding a grounding acoustic note to the swirling music. He also sings each song, lending extra poignancy to the already sad songs. This guy has a beautiful voice, and he smears it all over the dismal words ("staring at junkies and cracks in the wall")

Originally recorded in 2002, "Self Help Serenade" was an album definitely worth waiting for. As smooth, rich and eerie as a dream, this may well be a future hit in the world of indie rock.

Average customer rating:

Mozart's Sleepytime Music Box

Manufacturer: Creative Kids Prod.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Self-Help | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000060OIG
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

Concerto 23 (Elvira Madigan Theme): Romanze
Piano Concerto 20 In D: Romanze
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Romanze
Divertimento #1 In D: 2nd Movement
Piano Sonata In C: 1st Movement
Sympnony 40: Second Movement
Violin Concert In D: Adagio
Piano Sonata In C: 2nd Movement
Sympony 40: 1st Movement

Album Description

Mozart's most beautiful slow compositions played on the little bell sounds kids love. Includes the 20-page booklet 54 Natural Ways to Help Your Child Fall Asleep.

Average customer rating:

Bluegrass Mozart!

Mozart for Creativity

Manufacturer: Creative Kids Prod.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Self-Help | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000630DG
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Tracks:

Allegro from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Allegro from Piano Cncerto #5
"Queen of the Night" aria from the Magic Flute
Allegro from Piano Concerto #8
The Overture to the Marriage of Figaro
Allegro from Piano Concerto #23

Album Description

A CD/Book combination (CD booklet) Mozart for Creativity and The Little Book of Creativity by Gerald Jay Markoe

Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Arranged in Bluegrass style by Gerald Jay Markoe

THE INSTRUMENTS Country Fiddle Harmonica Mandolin Banjo Guitar Pedal Steel Guitar Bass Drums

OVERVIEW Creative Bluegrass arrangements of Mozart's Liveliest Music

The music is played note for note from the original score and NOT simplified or edited. The only additions are the grace notes, slides and other embellishments necessary to transform it into Bluegrass.

Includes the Book THE LITTLE BOOK OF CREATIVITY (CD booklet) which shows many ways that parents can help to awaken the creativity in their child

Mozart's music has been proven to have a beneficial effect on children.

This is a “one of a kind” new recording of Mozart's' music played in Bluegrass style. The included book, THE LITTLE BOOK OF CREATIVITY was written by Gerald Jay Markoe, and shows parents many ways to help bring out the natural creativity in their child.

Creative Kids Productions is “dedicated to the creative spirit within each child”

Customer Reviews:

Bluegrass Mozart!.......2004-10-11

This is one of the most creative CD's I have ever heard.
It's Mozarts livliest melodies played on Bluegrass instruments!
Country Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Bass, Pedal Steel Guitar and Harmonica.
It's amazing!
The booklet shows 66 ways to develop childrens natural creativity and has great activities for parents and teachers to keep kids busy with activities that bring out kids creativity.
This book and CD are a rare combination and DO make kids more creative.
It's working on my kids, and with 66 activities I never run out of new and interesting things for them to do.
Most of these activities are truly creative. I have never seen them anywhere else.

Tony Delphi

Average customer rating:

Benjamin Paint
Serenade us
Great album -- "Stare" and "Waves" are really awesome
This is a record that will become legendary
Finally Capitol Releases This Album!!!

Self Help Serenade
Marjorie Fair
Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0001XQ6EK
Release Date: 2004-05-17

Tracks:

Don't Believe
Halfway House
Empty Room
Stare
How Can You Laugh
Waves
Please Don't
Cracks in the Wall
Stand in the World
Hold on to You
Silver Gun
My Sun Is Setting Over Her Magic

Album Description

Hailing from Los Angeles the four piece, have created an album that is as rich as it is beautiful, packed full of slow burning melodies & soul-inspiring songs. Tapping into the same vein as Mercury Rev, Grandaddy, Coldplay & Doves whilst drawing inspiration from Neil Young, John Lennon & Brian Wilson, they present a glorious vision of West Coast pop that deals as much with gentle melancholy as wide-eyed wonder.

Customer Reviews:

Benjamin Paint.......2005-08-01

If you buy one album this year, it should be Marjorie Fair's "Self Help Serenade." If Capitol records had any sense they would be pushing this record more vigorously. Fortunately for Capitol and the band, this album is an instant classic that will thrive with or without the marketing machine.
Simply put, this album will put you in a Trance. Like the title suggests, if you allow the album to run its course in your CD player, you should find some moments of needed introspection. Alas it's refreshing to hear a singer who can actually sing! Even Coldplay's Chris Martin does not stand a chance. Moreover, singer / songwriter Evan Slamka offers melodies that are memorable, haunting and classic though without pointing to familiar melodies from the collective pop subconscious to trigger memories from the listener's melodic comfort zone. Rather, Slamka carves out a style of his own that features heart-on-the-sleeve lyric honesty and a knack for guiding classic melodies through interesting chord changes. One could compare his writing to that of the Beatles, yet only in structure and form, not in style and production. That is to say that Slamka is like the Beatles for his ORIGINALITY, which stands on its own without campy songwriting / production tricks, like those used by Eliot Smith and the Jellyfish (to name a few), aimed at FORCING comparisons with the great songwriting duo.
There is no point in doing a song by song analysis, though I have my favorites (Don't Believe, Empty Room, Stare, How can you laugh, Halfway House). Each song is a classic if you have the patience to let the whole album sink in. If you don't have the patience for this album you likely don't have the patience for many worthwhile things in life. If you think this record is too melancholy it is only that you are not comfortable confronting the underlying feelings this album will stir within you.

Serenade us.......2005-05-16

Great album -- "Stare" and "Waves" are really awesome.......2004-10-21

Like many others, I've been waiting for this album to come out for a long time. But the wait has been worth it. This is a truly great album to chill out to. My favorite songs by far are "Waves" and "Stare." But the other songs are good as well. The songs are subtle and musically subversive. You listen to them and it's not until later in the day that you realize you've been humming or whistling the riffs and the melodies all damned day long. I mark that as the sign of truly good songwriting.
-Andy Napoli

This is a record that will become legendary.......2004-08-20

Finally, solid music with classic influences. There is much going on here, you hear it more and more with each listening.
From the Beatles to Pink Floyd - it's there and it's deep and it's one of those bands you can't wait to hear more from.
You need to give it a chance. You might not get hooked first listening if you are one of those commercial listeners, but you will be soon enough.

Finally Capitol Releases This Album!!!.......2004-07-20

For those of you not hip to the LA music scene, let me clue you in a bit... Marjorie Fair (formerly known as "Parlour" before it was discovered that some bluegrass band already had that name) stuck out as one of the few bands that knew how to develop a solid fan base, a well produced live show and formidable music catalogue all at once. In the two years that I have been following this band, I have watched and listened to these songs evolve in the live performances. Much of that evolution has been captured here. It has taken Capitol Records nearly two years to put this album out, and while us fans have been steaming about this for quite some time, it was still worth the wait... now if they'd just record the second album worth of meterial they already have, that would be great!

Average customer rating:

Serenade us

Self Help Serenade

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00022GJWY
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

Serenade us.......2005-07-10

If Mercury Rev had a more intimate sound, and had a more melodious lead singer, they might sound something like Marjorie Fair. And this is only their debut. If they receive the support they deserve, one can only imagine how beautiful their music will be in ten years' time.

The Los Angeles quartet creates a dazzling first impression in "Self Help Serenade," a polished indie pop album that combines slow, eerie melodies with panoramic sound. Like a strange dream full of stars and rainy spring forests, this album sticks to your mind even when you wake up... I mean, when it's over. Why did this languish in limbo for three years?

Faint sound effects and a guitar melody kick off "Don't Believe," a dreamy pop song that starts the album off on a dark note. "Don't believe a word they say/they're only there to take you away... don't believe a word they say/they're only trying to scare you away..." Evan Slamka sings in the opener, sounding like a cynical, sad young boy.

Things don't get much more cheerful as the album goes on, using the same kind of epic pop sound that Mercury Rev and the Doves made famous. But in addition to that, Marjorie Fair dips into catchier art-pop, murky ballads, and acoustic laments that are colored by ghostly keyboard.

The songwriting is even more tragic, with Slamka singing, "They found her in a plastic veil/with blood stained boots and glass in her hair." But it ends on a startlingly mellow note, with Slamka resigning himself to his girlfriend leaving. He sounds peaceful as he sings, "My sun is setting over her magic/equal parts caring and tragic/I'll be burning for awhile..."

Marjorie Fair is not just a talented bands. It's also one of the few bands where the musical influences aren't worn on its sleeve -- there are hints of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Flaming Lips, and others woven into these songs. But they aren't blatant hints, nor does "Self Help Serenade" ever harken back to other musical eras.

Nor does it succumb to trends, like stripped-down garage-rock. Its fours members manage to create unusually lush sounds. Usually the combined sound is uniformly smooth and sweet, but for example, "Halfway House" has a rich, gritty solo by bassist Scott Lord. "Waves" lets drummer Mike Delisa get to shine. Dain Luscombe' panoramic keyboard is a ruling influence in almost every song. Slamka plays guitar as well, adding a grounding acoustic note to the swirling music. He also sings each song, lending extra poignancy to the already sad songs. This guy has a beautiful voice, and he smears it all over the dismal words ("staring at junkies and cracks in the wall")

Originally recorded in 2002, "Self Help Serenade" was an album definitely worth waiting for. As smooth, rich and eerie as a dream, this may well be a future hit in the world of indie rock.

Average customer rating:

The Serenade

Self Help Serenade

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000AA4HPE
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Customer Reviews:

The Serenade.......2005-08-03

Rock Music:

Rock Music