City Beach

Jill Cunniff

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 20, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 20, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Militia
• ASIN: B000MCICAQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,331 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Luscious Jackson fans who bemoaned that group's demise in 2000 will be pleased to hear of the debut solo release by founding member Jill Cunniff. Unfortunately, this sample-and-groove-based record sounds like it was made at home with late '90s equipment, not to mention ideas. The samples are loud in the mix, and don't show much originality. The same can be said for Cunniff's lyrics, which start with "Here's a song for lazy girls and laid-back boys/ Who never quite outgrew their toys" on the track "Lazy Girls," and don't improve from there. Cunniff's voice sounds as clear and melodic as ever, and the few songs that reveal a Brazilian influence are pleasant. Let's hope that next time she can either bring back some of the layered, multicultural funk of her former band or find a way into Hip Mama territory with a touch more invention, or soul. --Mike McGonigal

About the Artist

Jill Cunniff

"When you are feeling down, let the record spin around"
from "Happy Warriors"/ Jill Cunniff/ City Beach

When I spoke with Jill Cunniff, ex-lead singer of alterna-girl pop group Luscious Jackson, she explained her album as a "mood record made to bring the beach to caged up city dwellers. I hope it will also bring the city to homesick urbanites everywhere." The poignant pop chanteuse hasn't been in the public eye for six years, but has created a brand new solo album entitled City Beach, to be released on February 6, 2007 by indie label The Militia Group. The twelve-track album is a breezy, earnest yet celebratory piece--aglow with motherly wisdom and metrical nods to the unassailable grit and color of urban life. The album is dedicated to Coney Island, New York, a city beach known for its faded glory. Visiting Jill's home to discuss her new solo record, I was greeted by countertops full of heart-shaped pink cupcakes for kids, and chopped watermelon at the hottest time of the summer. Amidst the bursting fire hydrants in still-lively Brooklyn, the party starts, the slick vinyl spins in the saxophone afternoon and Jill sings: "get down now."

Jill was born and raised in NYC, and spent her days in Greenwich Village in an intense, bursting time of artists and individuals searching for like-minds to connect with. Her first musical milestone dates back to the 1980's when at the tender age of thirteen she had her birthday party at CBGB, parents in tow. With a liberating exposure to the raw, prismatic music found in the less-visible sectors of the city, junior high school was only a day job. Traces of late night, teenage club hopping can be heard throughout Cunniff's musical choices and acute, inviting lyricism. Jill was in a rock 'n roll play in her neighborhood, right in the heart of an ardent artistic community--where, as Jill described: "you'd find the freshest kids breakdancing right down the street from St. Marks Sounds record shop and Rat Cage Records", which is where Jill's friends the Beastie Boys first sold their records. Jill recalled: "we used to help our friends sell records on the street back then, and it was such a great place to learn about music--just hanging out and being a teenager. All the shop owners were artists and musicians; it was a cultural exchange. At the time, things were intense--we used to just hang out the window and see the craziest things go by. This group called the Panic Squad rolled by once in the back of a truck, playing loud punk rock all the way up 6th Avenue. Everything was in-your-face and it was good, it's what inspired me. As a teenager, everything is intense, and being exposed to good art and music is so inspiring. I loved all the Lower East Side storefront galleries and people bonding on the street."

At fifteen, Jill learned to play the guitar--self-taught with a friend who played her a song on one string, Jill was hooked on songwriting right out of the gate. It came naturally to her, but as a songwriter, not as instrumentalist. Jill explains, "If I had to take classes and learn how to play music, I think I would've quit. It's so important to have the right initial musical experience--finding out what kind of musician you are, or else it could go very wrong. I started writing songs with lyrics and just playing them."

Cunniff began playing with punk bands in basements at age 15, with different incarnations of the Beastie Boys, her street singing band the Moppy Skuds and others. The DIY ethic that surrounded her in her early years prompted Jill to make moves, editing a music fanzine with friends called "Decline of Art". Jill's done it her way from the start, but she also appreciates the many inspiring influences she's been surrounded by.

"You can't teach music appreciation. Whether it's a recording or any concert where you feel inspired, sitting in a classroom learning about music just doesn't seem to come close. Good music is a soundtrack to life--it puts you in a place, creates a mood. Jazz always seems to do it for me: Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, these musicians make me feel like I am in my life, whereas often I feel like I'm just racing through. With this album, I wanted to evoke a mood for the listener, a kind of slowed down longing. I also made sure to add some beats."

In the wake of the amicable split of Luscious Jackson, Jill continued recording and collaborating with a varied, talented and brilliant group of artists. Between writing with musicians behind the scenes including Emmylou Harris, Vivian Goldman and others, Jill wasted no time in creating her own music. She went out and bought a Mac, pro tools, and learned how to program and produce the way she wanted to: "I chopped-up samples, hid them slightly, turned them around... fiddled with and re-worked sounds and vocals. I learned how to record my voice better, when you record yourself it's a very un-self-conscious process." City Beach was mostly recorded at her studio, Streetwise Lullabies, in her home city of New York, and Emmylou Harris appears on the last track to the album, "Disconnection".

City Beach has underlying lullaby-like tones and soothing qualities that naturally shone through while laying down the record. Cunniff described the sessions as being very un--self-conscious, and also non-formulaic. Jill has recently been involved a few more commercial, pop-oriented collaborations, and she was anxious to get back into the music she loves: away from the strict formats that come with pop music and all the should-be's. Always going with what's innate, Jill also moves along with what she gravitates to musically: "I was attracted to hip hop, dusty samples, old and scratchy--also beautiful, female-vocal heavy, Brazillian music." City Beach comes along with hits of what Jill listens to at home--Brazilian mixtapes, Bebel, Astrud and Jao Gilberto and Prince Paul among many others. When I sat with her, we listened to the 1965 Charlie Byrd, Brazilian Byrd. "I also do a lot of art. Painting. I'd love to do a painting show", she added, showing me a painting that she and her five-year old daughter painted together--"Mama Jill" the painting says, in a scribbly-cute handwriting of her daughter Chloe. Jill also painted the cover art for "City Beach". Her other daughter, Piper, will be turning two this year.

The record also exemplifies the other side to Jill's personality: a certain edginess akin to the kind that one feels while being in the city--brought on by beats, that overarching grit, and lyrics relating Jill's perceptions of life in the city. How Brooklyn feels like the NYC of old, while nowadays, a lot of Manhattan has been gentrified and glossed-over. Brooklyn still has a lot of the funk and moxie of the old town--but will soon see a lot of the polishing that Manhattan did, with rumors of the cleaning-up of Coney Island and it being surrounded by glass and made squeaky-clean. These things still remain important to Jill, just as they did fifteen years ago. "Well, Chinatown's still here, and taxi drivers get the best opportunities to find that old vibe--same with watching old Martin Scorcese films. There is a lot of character still found just being in the subway, but Manhattan has definitely become a place of commerce with way too many sunglasses and handbags. If I look, I can still take walks and find the mysteries of the city I grew up in."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant debut , February 20, 2007

By	Daniel Maltzman (Arlington, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It's been seven years since the underappreciated alternative rock band Luscious Jackson last released an album. During the 00s, former LJ singer/songwriter Jill Cunniff worked with other artists, but has not released an album of her own until now. Penning seven of the songs exclusively, and co-writing the other five, "City Beach" (2007) is an impressive collection of songs that fans of Luscious Jackson, dream-pop and electrica are sure to love.

While "City Beach" has some of the signature hip-hop/pop styling of Luscious Jackson, the album sounds far less urgent. The entire album sounds completely laid-back and relaxed, but without stalling or running out of steam. Stylistically, "City Beach" sounds a bit like a follow-up the Kostars "Klassics with a K" (1995) album (the Luscious Jackson offshoot band with LJ member Vivian Trimle).

Cunniff states (as noted on Amazon) that "City Beach" is a "mood record made to bring the beach to caged up city dwellers" and I think that description really captures the essence of the album. "City Beach" is a sunny, bright, serene album sprinkled with loops and urban undertones.

Unrequited or otherwise lost love seems to be a running theme with this album, but the music is, for the most part, conversely uplifting, even if it is at times melancholy. In a sense, this album creates for me the mood of a cloudy sky when the sun is really bright and shining through.

Cunniff plays many of the instruments (guitar, bass, and programming) along with several session players. There are a lot of textures, a lot of sounds in the nooks and crannies of the album that you may miss with just one listen. So while the album is instantly gratifying, it gets better with repeated plays.

In some ways "City Beach" sounds like the natural follow-up to Luscious Jackson's swan-song "Electric Honey" (1999) as the album eschews the riot-grrrl/hip-hop trappings of early LJ in favor of their more electronica popish later work.

The low-key, colorful "Lazy Girls" gets the album off to a great start, setting the pace for the album's serene mood. Maybe the album's strongest track "Happy Warriors" sounds somewhat reminiscent of 70s soul, albeit with a modern twist. The horns and strong background melodies make the song really work. "NYC Boy" is somewhat downbeat and actually sounds a bit like an updated "Daughters of the Kaos" from the classic "In Search of Manny" (1992) EP. The sleepy but intriguing "Warm Sound" follows next. "Eye Candy" with its strong melodies is pure ear candy, although a little short, not clocking in past three minutes. The blissful, dreamy bittersweet "Apartment 3" is easily one of the album's highlights. The strings and effects work especially nice here. "Love is a Luxury" with its popy distorted guitars wouldn't have sounded out-of-place on an Alanis Morrissette or Meredith Brooks album ten years ago, although this sounds far less contrived. The popy, sing-along, equally 90s sounding "Exclusive" is catchy and keeps up the momentum. The lonely, poignant "Kaleidoscope" is beautiful and one of the most soulful songs Cunniff has ever sung or wrote. The album changes pace a bit with the danceable rocking "Future Call," which sounds a bit like the 50s classic "Tequila." The soothing dreamy "Calling Me" is another strong song that keeps the momentum going. The somber, closing "Disconnection" (with Emmylou Harris") ends the album on a whimper, albeit a satisfying one.

While some songs are better than others, there really isn't anything I would consider to be "filler" on this album. It's a really heart-felt, personal album and everything works really well. There is a certain light-as-a-feather, lullaby quality to this album that is quite captivating.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jill Cunniff- City Beach, May 1, 2007

By	Larry Sakin "Larry A. Sakin" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

During our long, hot summers, we sun loving lizards' in the Southwest dream of cool, white sandy beaches, with spritzes of ocean water pelting our bodies. It's the only relief we can afford besides a box fan and a creaking, old evaporative cooler.

Fortunately for us, ex-Luscious Jackson front woman Jill Cunniff has crafted a beautiful slice of life album with her solo debut City Beach, offering comfort for everyone needing a break from the broil of global warming.

City Beach mixes myriad musical styles, from Brazilian jazz to alternative rock into an intoxicating brew of mood pieces. From the opening number "Lazy Girls" to the sullen ending piece "Disconnection", Cunniff paints pictures of her beloved New York City, infusing personal memories of `eating orange popsicles' to observations on how the city is changing for the worse, to deep examinations of male/female relationships. In a way, City Beach is a musical novel based on real life, the ebb and flow of carefree adolescence to the unpredictability of adulthood, much like the shifting tides of the ocean.

Cunniff has packed City Beach with powerful support, from her collaboration with music critic Vivian Goldman, and Emmylou Harris, who provides back-up vocals on "Disconnect". Cunniff contributes guitars, bass, organ and an extraordinary vocal range; handles much of the production duties and works programming on the project. Special call outs go to Rachel Yamagata for a sterling turn on keyboards on "Kaleidoscope", drummer Tony Mangurian; and Nathan Rosenberg, Sam Hollander, Dave Schommer and Jim Kissling for being Cunniff's partners in crime on the post production.

It's rare to find an album so flawless. Cunniff brings a colorful sensuality to her vocal chops, beckoning the listener with intense harmonies that add vitality to the entire album. The instrumentation is relaxed, almost lazy in a sense, rolling along with Cunniff's direct vocals. It's a change from the almost chant-like vox from her Luscious Jackson days. Ultimately, City Beach achieves a nearly impossible goal- you'll find yourself humming to these songs during your morning commute while contemplating meanings of the vivid lyrics.

Unlike so many solo projects, City Beach is not for Luscious Jackson fans only. If anything, Cunniff stamps this project with her persona. It's the kind of album for anyone who appreciates the dynamic range of female vocals and blended with the looping fun of music sampling. Listening to City Beach is a bit like listening to a tougher, edgier Sarah McLaughlin record. It's simply that good.

For my fellow Southwesterners, you don't have to wait until summer vacation to head for the Pacific. You can share a blanket on the beach all year with Jill Cunniff, but beware--she will bewitch you into staying with her on that beach long past your vacation is over.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LUSCIOUS CITY BEACH!, March 2, 2007

By	UK Vinyl "UK Vinyl" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

ok, I've listened to "City Beach" a zillion times and I am ready to share my views. Jill Cunniff of Luscious Jackson offers a multilayer project filled with electronic, bossa nova, jazz and many other influences. With summer quickly approaching, each track is a ray of sunshine meant to warm and energize. A concept album built around driving you to the beach, laying down your towel, putting on your sunscreen, playing a mean game of frisbee and then letting you relax and absorb all the vitamin d your body needs. Come on people, ever had a album do THAT for you? Riis Park will never be the same. Too bad you'll have to get the Pina Colada yourself.