We Want Jelly Donuts

Shalini | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 31, 2000)
• Original Release Date: August 15, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Parasol Records
• ASIN: B00004WJDX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #560,443 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

We Want Jelly Donuts is the record fans of producer Mitch Easter have been waiting years to hear; its blend of shimmering yet ragged guitar riffs and gauzy melodies so vividly recalls the heyday of Southern jangle pop icons like Let's Active, ... Full Descriptionthe dB's, and Tommy Keene that it's almost easy to overlook the name-above-the-title contributions of ex-Vinyl Devotion frontwoman Shalini Chatterjee. Which is to miss the point of the record entirely, of course: Easter's contributions as composer and producer aside, WWJD is undoubtedly Shalini's baby from start to finish -- her vocals project a warmth and intimacy that lend songs like "Get Free" and "Pandora at Sea" an emotional depth those vintage jangle pop records typically lacked, while the electronic textures that underscore "Emotion Bomb" and "Conviction Overturned" capture an intriguing marriage between past and future.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage + Modern in this case = Unique, October 10, 2000

By 

kevin c bowman (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Want Jelly Donuts (Audio CD)

If you don't have chills down your spine by the end of the first verse of "Telepathic World", you aren't a true fan of well-crafted pop/rock. Here, Mitch Easter channels familiar spirits (Joe Osborn's bass playing, Hal Blaine's drumming and the sonic grandeur of The Ventures) while Shalini's deadpan, yet somehow coy vocal delivery lends the tasteful ironic twist to the swirling audioscape. Exciting and varied musical refreshments abound on this record.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Let's Active..., June 19, 2008

By 

Kevin P. Mccarthy "Art School Loser" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: We Want Jelly Donuts (Audio CD)

In case you did not know, Shalini is the wife of Mitch Easter. She was originally in the band Vinyl Devotion which is brilliant indy-pop. Her solo stuff does have Mitch Easter on guitars, and in many ways the sound is Let's Active--not in a derivative way but rather an extension and natural progression. Shalini is one of the best bass players araound, and her song writing is equally strong. All of her releases are great fun and a must have for true indy fans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Stuff - Let's Active meets Vinyl Devotion, March 4, 2002

By 

Scott McFarland (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Want Jelly Donuts (Audio CD)

Let's Active was the band fronted by guitarist/songwriter/producer Mitch Easter in the mid-80's. They were, in their heyday (say, 1984) criminally underrated; Mitch wove beautiful shimmering, chiming guitars over memorable pop landscapes. Mitch plays in Shalini's band, produced the record, and wrote half the material. "Telepathic World" strikes me as particularly beautiful.

Vinyl Devotion was fronted by Shalini. Their CD "Floor Model" was mostly produced by Mitch and written by Shalini; her songs usually combine a punk-like minimalism and directness with classic pop hooks. Good stuff. She's got a real feel for this music, though her voice leaves a bit to be desired. She writes half the songs here; "Creepy Emily" strikes me as a classic.

The record's a few songs shy of being "solid" but about half of it's startlingly good stuff. I definitely also recommend "Floor Model", and for that matter Let's Active's "Cypress" (sadly out-of-print) to anyone who loves pop-rock.