As there are so many videos from this round of promo, instead of doing a post for each, I've put them all together in the embedded playlist below along with some brief comments. There are 15 performances in 14 videos in at 8 different stations. There should be more but we don't have anything yet for Sirius XM.
95.5 WPLJ New York
WWFM features Kevin strumming on guitar, and as before, I still feel that there's something slightly unpleasant about the sound. Maybe it's one string that's affecting the balance of the chords, I don't have enough expertise to put my finger on it. The performance has quite a lively energy and it's rather endearing to see Adam twisting around on his swivel chair. I'm pleased to hear Adam still changing it up with a lovely run on 'now' and notable variations at the end.
This BTIKM has only a guitar accompaniment so I'm thrilled they decided to dispense with the drum machine. It's very quiet, all the better for hearing Adam's gentle voice, which has quite a bit of an echo. We realise it's only quiet because the mic's too far away and someone comes to move it closer. The expression on Adam's face when it happens is priceless but he's unaffected by it, showing no signs of being distracted with the beautiful vocals and harmonies.
Fresh 102.7 FM New York
Again, there's something with the guitar that sounds imperfect to me in this WWFM. There are more variations to this one and I really like the low 'Just keep coming around' and how Adam plays with the timing at the end. He takes the unusual step of singing a final 'me' which doesn't sound like 'may'.
He sounds wonderful on this slightly mournful BTIKM, even though there is a shaky moment at 'All along' from which he quickly recovers. There's less grain in his voice than some of the other versions but there are so many pretty embellishments, especially on the 'whoa's near the end.
B104 Allentown
This WWFM sounds quite different with lovely improvisations in both the melody of riffs and the timing.
BTIKM has a wonderful ending which alternates rapidly between power and tenderness, a bit like the contrasting sides of himself in the video.
94.5 PST Princeton
This BTIKM is a bouncy one that sounds rushed compared to some of the others. I realise that I always look forward to listening to ending of his performances, not only for the crescendoes but I think he's at his best and vocally most creative when he's outside of the confines of song structure. This is one ending that I love, where his sweet falsetto floats like the chirping of a songbird at dawn.
This WWFM features lots of the rougher texture of Adam's voice.
Q102 (Mix 106.1) Philly
This WWFM, although acoustic, has a harder edge than the others.
It's during this performance of BTIKM that I really get to appreciate the the less-is-more beauty of the bridge which goes from a hectic plucking of the guitar evoking the chaotic feeling of being rushed, to the soothing tranquility of ''Cause I need you now'. It's like the climax of the song, counter-intuitively, is a diminuendo. A powerful, belting performance.
B98.5 Jersey Shore
Unusual for any performance, this mini-set has no speakers set up for the audience. It's my dream to be able to hear Adam's actual, unprocessed singing voice that hasn't gone through any audio equipment. Lucky them. This is the first performance where Adam skips all the yodelly parts, and I actually prefer it as it sounds more elegant. Without backing vocals, Adam balances his delicate falsetto with some belting freestyling at the end.
WWFM is powerful and more aggressive than the other versions.
94.3 The Point
BTIKM is rather fast and bouncy, again without backing vocals and yodelly parts. Adam is spectacular in voice in both falsetto and belt.
There is little to report about this WWFM other than the voice being near perfect.
92.7 WOBM
Adam seems to have only sung WWFM at this station. There's not a lot that's particularly different about this version but this is as perfect as it gets.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Friday, 2 March 2012
HR3 Radio Germany - Better Than I Know Myself
As you can tell, I'm a bit behind on all the reviews after the overload of radio promo performances (imagine what it would've been like for him!) so I'm going to just post brief comments with the videos.
Adam performed this BTIKM at Germany's HR3 radio station on his birthday, dressed as Light!Adam in what looks to be a turtleneck for those with necks the width of a torso. It looks so comfortable, ideal slouchwear but there's no slouching here.
An acoustic performance with Kevin, Isaac and Tommy, the piano is flowy and Adam's voice has a beautiful balance of both tenderness and grit.
Adam performed this BTIKM at Germany's HR3 radio station on his birthday, dressed as Light!Adam in what looks to be a turtleneck for those with necks the width of a torso. It looks so comfortable, ideal slouchwear but there's no slouching here.
An acoustic performance with Kevin, Isaac and Tommy, the piano is flowy and Adam's voice has a beautiful balance of both tenderness and grit.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Z100 New York
During his promo rounds in New York, Adam performed an acoustic WWFM and a plugged-in BTIKM at radio station Z100, with Kevin doing the instrumentals.
There's something a little dissonant with the guitar near the start of WWFM which makes me think it's not perfectly in tune, and a very rare flat note from Adam. This rocking rendition sounds quite different from any other WWFM so far, with his voice being harder and raspier than usual. For the first time in a while, he remembers all the lyrics and there's a lovely low change on 'You could save my life'.
Maybe it wasn't the guitar after all but a very dodgy sound mix as when we get to the BTIKM introduction, the synthetic drums sound like they come from a cheap toy that even five-year-olds would turn their noses up at. The beat is key to the song and without drums and bass, the amateur effect is quite comical, distracting from the intended mood. I hope that as funk features heavily on the album, this drum machine won't be used again. Better to go acoustic than sound like this plugged in. Perhaps it sounded much fuller live and it's just the recording. Anyway, when Adam's voice comes in, the little ants hammering on the hamster-sized drum kit take a back seat. Beautiful and sweet with that little bit of scrapeyness I love. The crescendo is another spine-tingling moment where he palms the air, tongue out, and his endearing glory-note lever of a leg rises up. The ending is simply divine.
There's something a little dissonant with the guitar near the start of WWFM which makes me think it's not perfectly in tune, and a very rare flat note from Adam. This rocking rendition sounds quite different from any other WWFM so far, with his voice being harder and raspier than usual. For the first time in a while, he remembers all the lyrics and there's a lovely low change on 'You could save my life'.
Maybe it wasn't the guitar after all but a very dodgy sound mix as when we get to the BTIKM introduction, the synthetic drums sound like they come from a cheap toy that even five-year-olds would turn their noses up at. The beat is key to the song and without drums and bass, the amateur effect is quite comical, distracting from the intended mood. I hope that as funk features heavily on the album, this drum machine won't be used again. Better to go acoustic than sound like this plugged in. Perhaps it sounded much fuller live and it's just the recording. Anyway, when Adam's voice comes in, the little ants hammering on the hamster-sized drum kit take a back seat. Beautiful and sweet with that little bit of scrapeyness I love. The crescendo is another spine-tingling moment where he palms the air, tongue out, and his endearing glory-note lever of a leg rises up. The ending is simply divine.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Mix Megapol Showcase Stockholm
Peering out from the pile of media from Adam's European promo, we have an official recording from his acoustic showcase in Sweden though we're still agonisingly short of a full set. I'm hoping that once the album's out, the other songs will be posted. We have the same set as the other acoustic showcases of Fever, BTIKM, OOL, WWFM and Trespassing:
As I'm used to Fever being one for getting up and shaking it, the instrumentals seem a bit tame here. But it does mean we get to hear Adam's voice more clearly in its deliciously rich form. The climax is a highlight for the riff, even though it sounds a bit gargly-growly in the throat. It's a fantastic version and Kevin does a great job on keys with his jazzy free style.
As in the other recent acoustic sets, BTIKM is sung in an even lower key than the TV performances which in turn are lower than the single. I don't think the lowest notes here sound very assured but the voice is laid bare as the instrumentals are so quiet. Adam's rich velvety voice is a beauty though, and I'm thrilled that he continues to improvise and experiment with the melody on each performance. The crescendo is a very satisfying one and the ending a very tender one.
This OOL has such a quiet sombre start, so minimal and it would be wrist-slittily sad were it not for the building up into something powerful and defiant through the introduction of drums and other instruments. There's a beautiful a cappella section followed suddenly by a magnificent crescendo that's gasp- and goosebump-inducing. I love the way he sobs one of the last "Outlaws of lo-o-ove"s. Exquisite.
I really love the raspier tone of Adam's voice on this version of WWFM which features a couple of instances of lyric fail. It's the charming way he deals with it that's so endearing, also finding amusement in the fact that even after a few hundred performances he can still forget the words. Which he has done on each of the acoustic showcases on this promo tour! I guess it goes to show how much Adam has been focusing on this new era of songs. The ending is yet another unique one I haven't heard before.
Tommy's little funk riffs are a fabulous addition to this extremely cool performance of Trespassing. The claps don't feature quite as prominently as in some of the other performances, probably because everyone's hands are busy. Needless to say, Adam sings this flawlessly and fiercely. Like Fever though, I would've liked the instruments to have been a little louder as it's one for dancing to. It doesn't stop Adam though, who ends up on his feet. And so do I.
As I'm used to Fever being one for getting up and shaking it, the instrumentals seem a bit tame here. But it does mean we get to hear Adam's voice more clearly in its deliciously rich form. The climax is a highlight for the riff, even though it sounds a bit gargly-growly in the throat. It's a fantastic version and Kevin does a great job on keys with his jazzy free style.
As in the other recent acoustic sets, BTIKM is sung in an even lower key than the TV performances which in turn are lower than the single. I don't think the lowest notes here sound very assured but the voice is laid bare as the instrumentals are so quiet. Adam's rich velvety voice is a beauty though, and I'm thrilled that he continues to improvise and experiment with the melody on each performance. The crescendo is a very satisfying one and the ending a very tender one.
This OOL has such a quiet sombre start, so minimal and it would be wrist-slittily sad were it not for the building up into something powerful and defiant through the introduction of drums and other instruments. There's a beautiful a cappella section followed suddenly by a magnificent crescendo that's gasp- and goosebump-inducing. I love the way he sobs one of the last "Outlaws of lo-o-ove"s. Exquisite.
I really love the raspier tone of Adam's voice on this version of WWFM which features a couple of instances of lyric fail. It's the charming way he deals with it that's so endearing, also finding amusement in the fact that even after a few hundred performances he can still forget the words. Which he has done on each of the acoustic showcases on this promo tour! I guess it goes to show how much Adam has been focusing on this new era of songs. The ending is yet another unique one I haven't heard before.
Tommy's little funk riffs are a fabulous addition to this extremely cool performance of Trespassing. The claps don't feature quite as prominently as in some of the other performances, probably because everyone's hands are busy. Needless to say, Adam sings this flawlessly and fiercely. Like Fever though, I would've liked the instruments to have been a little louder as it's one for dancing to. It doesn't stop Adam though, who ends up on his feet. And so do I.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
BTIKM Music Video
Today, Adam's music video for Better Than I Know Myself was finally unveiled. We'd had a preview and a yellow-eyed still beforehand so we had an idea of what was in store for us, that the twist in the video was going to be Adam reconciling opposing sides of himself rather than singing to a partner.
The flickering gives it a home video feel where we're peering in on his private life through a letterbox aperture. The light and dark duality theme of the album pervades the video with two neighbouring rooms separated by a mirror/window. On either side we have evil hell-raising vampire Adam and cherubic cuddly domesticated Adam. We see the characters act out their separate parts, in a dark versus light, negative versus positive, masked versus bare, hard versus soft, stormy versus calm, action versus contemplation, destructive versus constructive, cold versus warm battle.
As Evil Adam increasingly acts up in a temper tantrum and starts to disturb Good Adam from his Zen, Good Adam tries to help but is frustrated that his efforts are thrown back at him, finally leaving it up to Evil Adam who then sets fire to the place in a self-destructive rage, depriving him of his life-force. It's only he who can save himself from himself, which he eventually does.
In the end, it says to me the power to be who we want to be is in our own hands, that people aren't black and white but have elements of both as depicted by Adam's in-between look with different coloured eyes (nod to Bowie? Also note the Trespassing visual reference as he passes the striped warning tape on the wire fence). This could personally apply to Adam the performer and Adam the person as well. It's something we've seen so often, going from the snarling predatory disdainful sex-magnet to the sweet wholesome cutie in a matter of seconds at the end of a performance.
This has many shades of the WWFM video in it, the acting more accomplished. It's interesting and engaging to see the different Adams with their expressions which are both fun to watch and easy to identify with. I have to say I'm much more drawn to the dark side, finding a vodka-guzzling mischief-making lairy night out on the lash with him much more appealing than having the homebody nurse me in my hangover state with his juicing. How many times have you re-watched him rip apart the pomegranate he hands himself, run his fingers through the lighter flame or throw his drink? It's a fascinating, fabulous and entertaining story for a video that I will watch again and again.
The flickering gives it a home video feel where we're peering in on his private life through a letterbox aperture. The light and dark duality theme of the album pervades the video with two neighbouring rooms separated by a mirror/window. On either side we have evil hell-raising vampire Adam and cherubic cuddly domesticated Adam. We see the characters act out their separate parts, in a dark versus light, negative versus positive, masked versus bare, hard versus soft, stormy versus calm, action versus contemplation, destructive versus constructive, cold versus warm battle.
As Evil Adam increasingly acts up in a temper tantrum and starts to disturb Good Adam from his Zen, Good Adam tries to help but is frustrated that his efforts are thrown back at him, finally leaving it up to Evil Adam who then sets fire to the place in a self-destructive rage, depriving him of his life-force. It's only he who can save himself from himself, which he eventually does.
In the end, it says to me the power to be who we want to be is in our own hands, that people aren't black and white but have elements of both as depicted by Adam's in-between look with different coloured eyes (nod to Bowie? Also note the Trespassing visual reference as he passes the striped warning tape on the wire fence). This could personally apply to Adam the performer and Adam the person as well. It's something we've seen so often, going from the snarling predatory disdainful sex-magnet to the sweet wholesome cutie in a matter of seconds at the end of a performance.
This has many shades of the WWFM video in it, the acting more accomplished. It's interesting and engaging to see the different Adams with their expressions which are both fun to watch and easy to identify with. I have to say I'm much more drawn to the dark side, finding a vodka-guzzling mischief-making lairy night out on the lash with him much more appealing than having the homebody nurse me in my hangover state with his juicing. How many times have you re-watched him rip apart the pomegranate he hands himself, run his fingers through the lighter flame or throw his drink? It's a fascinating, fabulous and entertaining story for a video that I will watch again and again.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Q-Snowcase 2012
Adam's 30th birthday was spent working on promoting his new material for Belgian radio station Qmusic. He performed an exclusive set at the Q-Snowcase event in the picturesque city of Zell am See, Austria. They were kind enough to let us crash their servers while providing a live stream of the event as it unfolded. We were waiting, salivating over the hope that we might hear some new material after reading unanimously glowing reviews of his album from all over the place.
The set is acoustic with Isaac, Kevin and Tommy but no Ashley, and takes me back to the first round of international promo. As well as being more portable and easier to set up, it also allows Adam's talent to shine supreme. Dressed all in black, nothing showy, he keeps his look consistent with the other performances in this era.
The surprise opener is Fever. I'd often wondered how this song with so many electronic sounds would work acoustically, so I'm grateful I've been answered with its first outing. Adam's voice utilises a grainier texture which is my absolute favourite. The song bounces along brightly, a little strange in the absence of crotchularly fixated movements but Adam appears to battle hard to stay seated. Kevin's dexterous piano work is jazzy and free-flowing especially towards the end, and though a touch tentative, I'm really liking Tommy's additional funk riffs.
BTIKM has a bit of a shaky start with Adam's pitch a little off, but he soon finds his feet. The first verse is very gentle, and instead of belting out the highest parts, he goes into his falsetto. It's also less beat-driven than the single with smooth piano work. His timbre is so rich and when he reaches the climax with his powerful belt it's a prickly-hair moment. Kevin's backing vocals complement Adam's well. Make sure you listen to Adam's beatboxing cameo after the end of the song.
The highlight of this set for me has to be OOL. I've heard the St. Agathe one so many times that the audience screams have become integral to it. So it comes as a wonderful relief to no longer hear those sounds when braced and ready for them. Oh my. Even the introduction is a joy to behold, the pleasant sound of the flowing piano nowhere near as harshly jangly as that of the guitar. I've not heard Adam's voice so soft, so sweet and so silken smooth. I'm usually one for the excesses of full-on wails but this is understated perfection. His doleful voice emotes quiet resignation, hushed breathy and fragile, not whispery but still retaining melody. His fluttery vibrato is painfully beautiful and I just can't get enough of that 'clooooooser' along with umpteen other different examples in the first verse.
Kevin and Tommy aren't quite in perfect synch with their timing at the intro to the second verse. Adam changes his volume and tone to go from resignation to mild defiance as Isaac kicks in with percussion. The little embellishments at 'old' and 'enough' are a nice touch as is replacing the final 'oh' at the bridge with a velvety 'eh'. The crescendo is one that's deeply satisfying as Adam ups his intensity to give us my favourite harder scrapier tone of his, rich resonant and harmonious, goosebumps galore, showing plenty more fight left within.
I've heard WWFM so many times now but this goes to show how every one is still unique. I suspect there was a case of lyric fail when Adam started a 'Just' line with 'I' that brought on his freestyling ad-libbing riffs, a wonderful treat. The ending 'I won't let you down' rather than 'WWFM?' gives the song a very different feel. It's abrupt and shifts the focus towards taking responsibility rather than feeling the victim.
And then we have the first listen of the album title track, Trespassing. It's only a short snippet because we agonisingly got cockblocked by request. Adam tries to get the audience to liven up by clapping. First impressions are that it's a fast punchy song, funky as fuck with lots of with and rebellious attitude in the storytelling lyrics. It's very wordy with a quick delivery so there's no room for getting tongued-tied stumbling over them. Definitely not one for singing whilst drunk! The bassline is irresistible, (having already set up camp within my head and showing no signs of ever wanting to shift) the melody of which reminds me of MARRS's 80s classic Pump Up The Volume but more fleet-footed. There's a sprinkling of funk riffs and if you don't feel the urge to move to this then get someone to zap you with a defibrillator because you must have just died. This is just the type of song I've been waiting so long for Adam to lend his voice to, and my, does that voice sound infuckingcredible.
The set is acoustic with Isaac, Kevin and Tommy but no Ashley, and takes me back to the first round of international promo. As well as being more portable and easier to set up, it also allows Adam's talent to shine supreme. Dressed all in black, nothing showy, he keeps his look consistent with the other performances in this era.
The surprise opener is Fever. I'd often wondered how this song with so many electronic sounds would work acoustically, so I'm grateful I've been answered with its first outing. Adam's voice utilises a grainier texture which is my absolute favourite. The song bounces along brightly, a little strange in the absence of crotchularly fixated movements but Adam appears to battle hard to stay seated. Kevin's dexterous piano work is jazzy and free-flowing especially towards the end, and though a touch tentative, I'm really liking Tommy's additional funk riffs.
BTIKM has a bit of a shaky start with Adam's pitch a little off, but he soon finds his feet. The first verse is very gentle, and instead of belting out the highest parts, he goes into his falsetto. It's also less beat-driven than the single with smooth piano work. His timbre is so rich and when he reaches the climax with his powerful belt it's a prickly-hair moment. Kevin's backing vocals complement Adam's well. Make sure you listen to Adam's beatboxing cameo after the end of the song.
The highlight of this set for me has to be OOL. I've heard the St. Agathe one so many times that the audience screams have become integral to it. So it comes as a wonderful relief to no longer hear those sounds when braced and ready for them. Oh my. Even the introduction is a joy to behold, the pleasant sound of the flowing piano nowhere near as harshly jangly as that of the guitar. I've not heard Adam's voice so soft, so sweet and so silken smooth. I'm usually one for the excesses of full-on wails but this is understated perfection. His doleful voice emotes quiet resignation, hushed breathy and fragile, not whispery but still retaining melody. His fluttery vibrato is painfully beautiful and I just can't get enough of that 'clooooooser' along with umpteen other different examples in the first verse.
Kevin and Tommy aren't quite in perfect synch with their timing at the intro to the second verse. Adam changes his volume and tone to go from resignation to mild defiance as Isaac kicks in with percussion. The little embellishments at 'old' and 'enough' are a nice touch as is replacing the final 'oh' at the bridge with a velvety 'eh'. The crescendo is one that's deeply satisfying as Adam ups his intensity to give us my favourite harder scrapier tone of his, rich resonant and harmonious, goosebumps galore, showing plenty more fight left within.
I've heard WWFM so many times now but this goes to show how every one is still unique. I suspect there was a case of lyric fail when Adam started a 'Just' line with 'I' that brought on his freestyling ad-libbing riffs, a wonderful treat. The ending 'I won't let you down' rather than 'WWFM?' gives the song a very different feel. It's abrupt and shifts the focus towards taking responsibility rather than feeling the victim.
And then we have the first listen of the album title track, Trespassing. It's only a short snippet because we agonisingly got cockblocked by request. Adam tries to get the audience to liven up by clapping. First impressions are that it's a fast punchy song, funky as fuck with lots of with and rebellious attitude in the storytelling lyrics. It's very wordy with a quick delivery so there's no room for getting tongued-tied stumbling over them. Definitely not one for singing whilst drunk! The bassline is irresistible, (having already set up camp within my head and showing no signs of ever wanting to shift) the melody of which reminds me of MARRS's 80s classic Pump Up The Volume but more fleet-footed. There's a sprinkling of funk riffs and if you don't feel the urge to move to this then get someone to zap you with a defibrillator because you must have just died. This is just the type of song I've been waiting so long for Adam to lend his voice to, and my, does that voice sound infuckingcredible.
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