Songs to Love & Die By

8mm | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Appeal Records
• ASIN: B000HDZK8C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,956 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

What's On In London, April 13, 2005

Â"[Juliette is] a cross between Billie Holiday and Jessica Rabbit.Â"

Product Description

8mm wrap us in a thick, smoky, cinematic beauty that has been described as a cross between Portishead, Massive Attack, Aimee Mann and Mazzy Star – but they are definitely a sound of their own.

Femme fatal frontwoman Juliette BeavanÂ’s voice portrays an intimate combination of vulnerability and sexuality that one feels almost voyeuristic listening to. Wrapped around her vocals is a smoldering soundscape created by multi-instrumentalist producer/mixer and 8mm co-founder, Sean Beavan.

Sean helped forge the Nine Inch Nails sound from stage to studio and is known for the groundbreaking sonics and contagious hooks that have underpinned career-defining records with artists as diverse as NIN, Marilyn Manson, No Doubt, Kill Hannah and Thrice.

After quietly self-releasing their debut EP, Opener, through their website, the band quickly generated a local underground buzz in Los Angeles, attracting the attention of the LA Times. Internet word-of-mouth led to tremendous organic support, including critical acclaim from both artists and influential tastemakers like Nic Harcourt of KCRW. Following a string of television placements, 8MM made their cinematic debut on the Â"Mr. & Mrs. SmithÂ" soundtrack with their sultry version of the James Bond classic, Â"Nobody Does It Better.Â" They have maintained a Top 3 position in Trip Hop and Down Tempo on myspace throughout 2005-6, while their plays range from 2,000-7,000 per day.

Â"Songs To Love and Die ByÂ" is one of those classic albums that fits comfortably in any record collection.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And everybody runs away from what they don't understand, August 9, 2007

By 

Brett Corkins (Hutchinson, KS) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs to Love & Die By (Audio CD)

8mm is one of those bands that is far too easy to write off. Juliette has a great voice but it's not in-your-face so, in all honesty, it's easy to forget if you're not paying attention to what you're hearing. As intricate as the music can be I couldn't have told you a single standout beat the first time I heard this CD. However! Once you make a point to sit down and listen and focus solely on this CD, woo! It's a heck of a listen. From beginning to end there might be one song you think is inferior to the rest of the pack but even then you still like it.

One of the many reasons I decided to check out 8mm is simply because every singer (well, mainly Free Dominguez) kept referring to them. With good reason it turns out. Once you get a taste for what's brought to the table on Songs to Love and Die By... you'll find yourself singing a certain lyric to yourself without even realizing it, a sign of a great CD for sure.

Juliette has quite the seemingly delicate voice. No Way Back makes you think this at least. From Bones on though you realize that she definitely knows what she's doing. Her vocal delivery in some songs (You Know most prodominantly) is splendid and her vocals never overpower the music itself which is nice as well. Songs like Bones, You Know, Never Enough, Quicksand, and Give It Up are all immediate hits that will never fail to please. As for the rest, especially the unbelievable Sean-led Forever and Ever Amen, are sure to find their way into your head as well.

My favorite songs are You Know, Never Enough, Quicksand, Give It Up, and Forever and Ever Amen. Here's hoping you won't make the same mistake I did by overlooking them for so long because 8mm is such a great band with so much potential to only get better that it can be sickening to think about. Worth checking out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wishing for More of the Last, October 22, 2007

By 

E. [Holmes] Asbenson "E." (Michigan and Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs to Love & Die By (Audio CD)

I learned about 8mm after hearing (and being quite impressed by) the final track, "Forever and Ever Amen." Unfortunately, that cut seems to be out of synch with 8mm's characteristic style. Other reviewers have said it and I agree: 8mm has a solid sound, but you could play the album and every track would blend into the next forming a general 8mm stream. The tone, tempo, key, and subject matter do not differ significantly enough from song to song for individual pieces to stand out--with the exception of the excellent final track. "Forever and Ever Amen" is a wonderful piece of music and I hope to see more diversity in that vein from 8mm.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful addition to the record collection, August 5, 2008

By 

N. BRODIE - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs to Love & Die By (Audio CD)

I came across this band randomly through myspace (what a wonderful invention, allowing people across the world to unite through tearful blogs and spouting hate at ex loved ones) and they are truly magnificent. Admittedly I have not played their album for quite some time (then again when your collection is 500+ albums, you tend to forget a few) but whenever I do it is an aural pleasure that is perfect when you just want to relax and smoke a j and spend quality time in peace.

Think of a chillout jazz band with trip hop influence and you have these guys.