Noise From the Basement [Enhanced]

Skye Sweetnam | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B0002VL10U
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,616 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Number One

2. Billy S.

3. Tangled Up in Me

4. I Don't Really Like You

5. I Don't Care

6. Heart of Glass

7. Sharada

8. It Sucks

9. Fallen Through

10. Hypocrite

11. Unpredictable

12. Shot to Pieces

13. Smoke + Mirrors

14. Split Personality [Multimedia Track]

15. Tangled Up in Me [Video: Including Live and Behind-The-Scenes Footag]

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sixteen-year-old Skye Sweetnam's debut sounds more like noise you might hear at the Macy's junior department than noise issuing from anybody's basement. But that's as it should be. Billed as the next Pat Benatar, the pouty-lipped, kohl-eyed Canadian steps out with a solid rocker ringed with a touch of Ramones (hear it on the rebel schoolgirl song "Billy S.," which earned a spot on the How to Deal soundtrack, as well as on the hopped-up, swing-your-hair-around cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass," and the bad-boyfriend basher "Number One"). It's a distillation of all that's right with modern rock--hyper guitars, a heavy dose of the kind of attitude that parents prefer to think of as teen spirit--and girls, the little sisters of Ashlee Simpson fans and those whose love of Hilary Duff is "so yesterday" especially, will slurp it up like it comes in a 64-ounce cup from 7-11. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

Skye Sweetnam is a true original, but she's also a worthy successor to the female rockers who came before her. Imagine the spunk of a 16-year-old Gwen Stefani, add a dash of Joan Jett's in-your-face attitude & finish with a splash of Avril Lavigne's earthy sexiness & you'll get the idea. On Noise From The Basement, her Capitol Records Debut, her high spirits & playful personality come through on tracks like "Tangled Up In Me," the album's sassy first single, the girl-powered anthem "Number One," written with Eric Valentine (Good Charlotte, Smashmouth, Third Eye Blind) & the sweetly rebellious "Billy S.," which bowed last summer on the "How To Deal" soundtrack & earned Skye the #1 video on Canada's YTV. This isn't rock through the eyes of a songwriter trying to sound young-this is pure teen spirit straight from the source.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge Skye by her age...this is good stuff!, January 1, 2005

By 

eric_f (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Noise From the Basement (Audio CD)

I only found out about Skye Sweetnam recently, and I'm sure glad I did! Noise From the Basement, her debut album, is nothing short of great. I admit, I was a little hesitant at first to buy this. It's easy to dismiss Skye as just another teeny-bop act. But I can tell you that Skye is *not* just another face in the crowd. This album is impressive, and goes way above what one would initially expect from this genre of music.

Yes, comparisons to Avril Lavigne are going to fly left and right. After all, both Avril and Skye are "punk-rock chicks." Both are about the same age. Both are Canadian. But that's really where the comparisons stop. While Avril's music has its merits, her albums tend to follow one single theme and stick with it, causing all the songs to sound alike. But Noise From the Basement is a refreshing change from that. Each song seems to have its own personality. There's also a quirky variety to this album, most notably an unexpected (but great) cover of Blondie's "Heart Of Glass."

Lyrically, Skye sings about stuff that, well, girls her age think about. It's sure better than if she tried to sing about more adult-oriented themes and end up coming across as pretentious or just having no clue. The lyrics on Noise From the Basement may not be deep or profound, but they're genuine. I mean, didn't we all think about these things when we were her age?

If you like music with energy to it, that's fun to listen to while not taking itself too seriously, Noise From the Basement is a great buy. Skye Sweetnam is going places.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PRETTY IMPRESSIVE...WITH BITE and even some DEPTH..., September 22, 2004

By 

Larry Davis "powerpoplarry" (NYC/Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Noise From the Basement (Audio CD)

OK, here goes...first off, I'm a discerning 36 year old, eclectic, open-minded music listener...and I don't shy away from an artist because of his/her age, even if said artist is Canadian Skye Sweetnam, who is only 15 years old...if she has something that sparks my interest, I WILL check her out, and yes, she DOES have that X-factor, and her debut album, "Noise From The Basement" is one impressive debut!! The artist also has to be just that, an HONEST ARTIST, not a corporate creation, all fake and contrived...Skye is anything BUT contrived!!

I've been waiting for a YEAR or so for the release of Skye Sweetnam's debut opus, ever since I heard "Billy S." + saw the video, and let me tell you all, it was worth the wait, and Skye did not disappoint me one iota!!!

At 14 cuts and 39+ minutes, it's a quick listen, BUT there's a lot going on and songs that completely hold your interest, so it feels like a satisfying, full meal when you are done. At first, you might think, oh no, not another Avril clone from Canada like Fefe Dobson, or Avril herself!!! What IS it about these teen girls from Canada who turn out like femme-punks??? But, if you look below the surface, peel back the layers and investigate closer, you'll find more going on here than just "Noise From The Basement". First thing you'll notice is she is no corporate board creation...no professional PRODUCERS were involved with this baby. Skye's been recording demos since she was 12!! Skye has a musical partner in James Robertson, a 21-year old multi-instrumentalist + producer, who happens to be her boyfriend. The two of them together produced the album, and recorded the tracks as DEMOS in his parents' basement!! The album is truly the title, those basement demos, not corporate studio big-budget reproductions...yet there are some well-done overdubs + mixes by the respected Tom Lord-Alge...but the heart of the album are those charming demos. Also, Skye and James co-wrote 11 of the 14 cuts, with James PLAYING all the instruments, engineering and producing too...NOT a sign of corporate tinkering whatsoever!!! The other 3 songs are a cool cover of Blondie's "Heart Of Glass", with a neat arrangement, and Skye's vocals resembling a punky Kylie Minogue (JR played everything here, engineered + produced)...the single "Tangled Up In Me", which was co-written by Skye, JR, along with Aslyn + J. Harry, and produced by cool pros Andrew Slater, Julian Raymond + Howard Willing, HW engineered it...great job...and opening cool cut "Number One", produced by LCV + Skye, all instruments played + engineered by LCV, and written by Cafaro, Konicek + Valentine, with additional lyrics by Skye...and that's it!!

Is that corporate?? No. That's actual faith of a label in an ARTIST they believe in, not so much the $$$$$...something US labels should study and take notes on...seriously!! Skye is here for the long haul.

Now, the songs...really good punky powerpop TUNES...all hooks and choruses, 2-plus minutes so they are get in there and leave fast, swell harmonies, nice spunky attitude, variety of moods and vision...holds up well over the course of 14 tunes without sounding samey or like 1 big blur. Lyrically, she is smarter than most 15 year olds, artist or not. She also acknowledges that people will label her or trash her or whatnot, so she responds with "Hypocrite", taking these putdowns, turning them on their heads, and making fun of them in the process, in the vein of Toni Basil's "Mickey" or REM's "It's The End Of The World As We Know It"...very cool and brilliant really. The tunes have an energy, catchiness and irresistibility that keeps you coming back for more...all of em, espesh the first single "Billy S." with it's rebel-anti-school rant, opener "Number One", the snotty but tuneful "I Don't Really Like You", with it's minor-key + grungy verses, going into the bright chorus, just awesome. The single "Tangled Up In Me" is poppy with bite, even if it's sense of rage is "Kicking The Coke Machine"...hey that's normal for a 15-year old, at least she's not shooting guns!! Skye even shows her vulnerable side in the "ballad" "Fallen Through", which beats Avril at her own game...many might call her an Avril clone, but haven't they ever heard of an artist that BETTERS one that came before?? Skye does that, with better tunes, lack of cheesiness, lack of corporate intervention, a lyrical honesty and depth...Skye's got it all...and you think her voice was doctored + pro-tooled in the studio?? Think again...that is REALLY Skye, warts and all...seeing her live on Leno proved it and she has that magnetic stage presence you either have or you don't, Skye has that "something"...I want to see her kick ass live...no lip-synching either, lip-synching is so NOT rock + roll!!

Oh yeah, lastly, don't put Skye in a box, because she WILL experiment if she feels like it...on the CD single "Tangled Up In Me", there are 2 non-album B-sides, "Too Late" and "Tidal Wave", which Skye + James recorded themselves...it has Skye experimenting with trip-hop!! And it works!!

I think Skye is a force to be reckoned with, and her detractors better look deeper before they trash her...Skye does NOT mince words, and these critics will look like asses because their arguments don't hold water.

In my opinion, Skye Sweetnam could be like a little genius or something...she is just a helluva lot of fun, and has the brains to beat her competitors at their own game, go Skye!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!, November 15, 2006

By 

Graeme Kanu (Lockerbie, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Noise From the Basement (Audio CD)

WOW!! This CD is great. I came across Skye Sweetnam's music pretty by much mistake, but decided to take a chance and see what her music was like. [...] I went out and bought this album. And what an album, I was dissappointed. It's heavier than your average pop-rock album, with Skye and producer James Robertson adding alot of gain to the the guitars. It more punk rock than pop-rock.

In my opinion, this album puts Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Ashlee Simpson and Kelly Clarkson all to shame.

Skye and James Robertson have crafted a sound which is original and all it own (It may seem to some that the pop-rock genre all the same). But this album really has a mix of genres (pop, heavy metal, punk rock).

Some compare Skye to Avril Lavigne, but the only thing they have in common is that they're both Canadian. After as songwriting is concerned, ulike those before her (Avril Lavigne; Hilary Duff; Kelly Clarkson), Skye Sweetnam isn't afraid to turn it up and really rock out. Those critics who say "She's ok, but nothing special" are wrong cause Noise from the Basement is VERY special album indeed!!

1. Number One. 10/10. Great opener, catchy song. I love the intro guitar riff. Awesome.

2. Billy S. 10/10. One of my favourite songs, cause it says get out of
school, what teenager can't relate to that.

3. Tangled Up In Me. 8/10. Very catchy song

4. I Don't Really Like You. 10/10. Another of my favourite on the album, it's kind of a heavy metal/hard rock cross-over song. I love the guitar riff at the chorus.

5. I Don't Care. 8/10. I like this song, the lyrics are great and the guitar is really catchy.

6. Heart of Glass. 10/10. A great cover, I think Skye's take on this Blondie song is far better than the original (no offense, I like the original version as well).

7. Sharada 10/10. Catchy guitar riff, great melody. What else can I say, everything this song rocks!!

8. It Sucks. 9/10. It's a short song. Great lyrics, catchy guitar riff.

9. Fallen Through. 10/10. I really like this song. It's a great ballad, with a great melody, and lyrics. The guitar is very melodic.

10. Hypocrite. 10/10. My FAVOURITE songs. It a very fast, up-beat song with great lyrics, great guitar riff. The "Hey!! Hey!!" chant in this song reminds of Metallica's song, Creeping Death. I love everything about this song.

10. Unpredictable. 10/10. I love how she sing it, and I can totally relate to the lyrics.

11. Shot to Pieces. 10/10. I love this song. It's fast, up-beat song, with a catchy guitar riff.

12. Smoke + Mirrors. 10/10. A great ballad, with a great meaning.

13. Split Personality. 10/10. I love this song, it's probably the heaviest song on the whole album, apart from Hypocite and Shot to Pieces. It starts off like music from a horror movie, then ROCKS out!! It a kinda like Nine Inch Nails/Marlyn Manson song, but it's very punk.

Some music critics have called Skye Sweetnam is another manufactured product of the music industry, who is just a rip-off of Avril Lavigne, it's ironic 'cause Skye Sweetnam is everything that Arista Record believed -wanted- Avril Lavigne to be (maybe that why some critics compare Skye and Avril). After having listened to both of Avril's album and Skye's debut, they don't really sound alike. The fact that they're both Canadian are where the similarities end.

Skye really stands out from those pop-rock artists who came before her because Skye has a different sound, which is very rock orientant. She'll definitely give Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson and others like them a run for their money. And with Avril Lavigne working on a new album, and giving acting a shot at the moment. Also with Hilary Duff and Kelly Clarkson maintaining a somewhat low profile, I think Skye Sweetnam has pretty much stolen the spotlight from all 3 of the artist which I've mentioned. Capitol Records have definitely found someone, in Skye Sweetnam, who has surpassed both Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson.

Overall, this is a very impressive debut album. But if you're open minded when it comes to music. And looking for something a little different. Skye Sweetnam definitely has talent. I can't wait for her 2nd album, it'll surely give Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson a run for their money, much like her debut album has.