Silent Moving Picture

Ursa Minor | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 29, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smells Like Records
• ASIN: B00008J2HQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #595,871 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Having combed the notoriously tough and crowded NYC club scene to rave reviews for the better part of the past year, NYC-based Ursa Minor has now emerged with 'Silent Moving Picture', a debut release which perfectly captures the stark, distilled beauty of their subtly dynamic music. Envisioned, founded and fronted by sireny singer and keyboardist Michelle Casillas, Ursa Minor conceives a sound combining the contemporary rock, singer-songwriting, ethnic and experimental music that Michelle was exposed to growing up in Manhattan and working as a sound engineer at famed downtown NYC venue Tonic. The band's rhythm section, Robert di Pietro (drums) and Robert Jost (bass), share a similarly vast pool of influences, having played together for several years in various projects, developing a unique chemistry and flexibility in music which blurs the lines between rock and singer-songwriting ritual and the freedom of jazz and experimental music.

Product Description

Sultry singer/songwriter Michelle Casillas' band, Ursa Minor, blurs the line between folk, jazz, and experimental music on the group's debut, Silent Moving Picture, with haunting, spare, even cinematic songs. From the dreamy opener, "Works Like a Charm," to the noir-ish "Damage Control" and "The Frame," Silent Moving Picture sounds as bold and original as Portishead's Dummy. Throughout the album, the band maintains a subtly powerful and consistent tone while hopscotching from a PJ Harvey swagger ("Down Like That Again") to Tori Amos-style elegance ("Crossing Lines") to a backwoods feeling worthy of Cat Power ("Missippiland"). The most ambitious track on the record comes in the form of a cover of Jane's Addiction's classic "Summertime Rolls" -- and Casillas and company pull it off beautifully. Silent Moving Picture is an album that spotlights an amazing voice that would impress fans of Joni Mitchell, but the delicate instrumentation is equally as moving. ~ Charles Spano, Rovi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Sounds, May 29, 2003

By 

Vanessa (NY,NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Moving Picture (Audio CD)

Nice and mellow, now i am usually a lenny kravitz 50 cent girl, but this CD called me the first time i listened with a fionna apple type of vibe. This is the type of CD that you can listen all the way through unlike the one hit wonders. I highly recommend anyone who loves new and exciting music to add to their collection.
I have also seen Ursa Minor perform at Tonic Club in NYC, even more striking LIVE!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent new sounds that keep u intrigue, May 27, 2003

By 

Vanessa (NY,NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Moving Picture (Audio CD)

I love this cd!!! It is not something that i usually listen too (Im an lenny kravitz,50cent girl) but i am definately feeling the great vibes and suttury voice of michelle casillas and her group. I can only imagine once this blows up how much more great music is expected from this new group. I can play this cd all day and actually listen to the whole thing, i hate when i buy a cd that has only one 0r two good singles!!!
This CD is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4.0 out of 5 stars brilliant., June 24, 2004

By 

e.s.h. "qualitative reasoning" (massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Moving Picture (Audio CD)

this album is easygoing and beautiful. i consider it one of a kind, even though a few of my friends might disagree. this one's worth buying (since you'll be hard-pressed to find it for downloading at this point in its release).

sidenote: ursa minor are from sonic youth drummer steve shelley's label smells like records, the same label to host other brilliant artists such as blonde redhead, cat power, the clears, the raincoats, and the not-so-subtly named band f*ck.

enjoy.

e