YeonGene with an indiepop star-team on her new album
I know that the sweet song “Ally, ally oxen free” by BMX Bandits and the South-Korean singer YeonGene, was a favourite by many of our listeners on our free compilation “Birdsongs, Beesongs”.
YeonGene will release her new album “Bonnie Gene” next monday (February 8th) on the Poppydisc-label, and “ally ally oxen free” is one of the many great songs on it, – among them several written and performed by BMX Bandits together with her. BMX Bandits is in fact more than heavily present on “Bonnie Gene”. Just have a look at the people involved here, – lots of old Bandits-members participating, and a real indiepop star team!
It’s a two-part album, and part one, a Burt Bacharach songbook, is produced by David Scott of The Pearlfishers (ex.bandit) and Duglas T Stewart, of BMX Bandits. It features guest performances by several people who have been involved in the BMX Bandits: Norman Blake and Francis Macdonald (both ex.bandits, now in Teenage Fanclub), Eugene Kelly (of The Vaselines, also an ex.bandit), Sushil K Dade (Future Pilot A.K.A./ex.bandit and ex. The Soup Dragons) and Stuart Kidd + Gabriel Telerman (both ex.bandits, and both from The Pearlfishers). Other guests include Stevie Jackson from Belle & Sebastian and Bill Wells (The Bill Wells trio +++).
Part two is YeonGene together with the Scottish godfathers of indie pop, BMX Bandits. It features songs Duglas T Stewart and Francis Macdonald have written especially for her, as well as a cover of Daniel Johnston‘s “Do You Really Love Me” performed as a duet between YeonGene and Duglas.
The album will be available as both a CD and as digital download, and it’s already now available for download on 7digital.
Here’s the song we had on “Birdsongs, Beesongs”, Ally Ally Oxen Free:
This post was tagged with: belle & sebastian • belle and sebastian • Bill Wells • birdsongs beesongs • bmx bandits • burt bacharach • daniel johnston • future pilot aka • poppydisc • scotland • south korea • Teenage Fanclub • the pearlfishers • the soup dragons • the vaselines • yeongene
Posted in Bandprofile, Recommended Releases | 10 Comments »
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:33 am
Followed the link over from Indieful ROK blog. This is exciting, I hope Yeongene is able to reach a lot of new fans!
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:43 am
Aww man…I’ve been dying for more BMX Bandits stuff. And this track with YeonGene is how I found the eardrums site, which led me to discover many great artists… BUT, although I liked the *song*, I really *didn’t* care for YeonGene’s voice. I know I’m in the minority there, but I can’t help being disappointed that Duglas is working with her again and I’m gonna have to listen to her sing many many more songs… because I just can’t ignore anything he’s involved with!
Why can’t she write her own songs? *grumble* I want more BMX Bandits releases! (Without YeonGene) The fact that she has to have all these talented people writing for *her* doesn’t endear her to me any or make me think *she’s* got a great talent herself. I mean, what’s she got? Other than that grating voice?
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:15 am
Crispy, reading your comment made me think of something I read today on another blog: “Being critical of YeonGene is like punching a kitten.”
I see your point, and I agree to some of what you say. I really miss “a real” BMX Bandits album, and I prefer the older ones. I enjoy the feeling on YeonGene’s album, – nice and easy, good for the coming springtime, but I do believe that the same album with Duglas on vocals would last a lot longer here in my house.
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Hey Knut, Thanks for the friendly response (and for allowing critical opinions here!) Should we be nice so we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings… or be honest? Hopefully the words of one curmudgeonly stranger can’t really affect anyone’s self-esteem. People should do what makes them happy without caring much what others think. So I realize that YeonGene has the right to sing (and Duglas has the right to write for her) – whatever makes them happy. But listeners have a right too, to react negatively and not be a fan of something.
Or am I trying to rationalize my rant because I feel a bit guilty for hitting the kitten? If you had bashed my comment, I’d be all defensive, with no remorse!
But your tolerance, lack of censorship, acknowledgement that my point was somewhat valid, and gentle sorta-reprimand… has reminded me it’s not just music or disembodied voices I’m reacting to, but real people with feelings that can be hurt.
Damn, you’re good.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I’m very much in favour of critical responses, as long as the response keeps an intelligent and not aggressive tone. Your critique of YeonGene was not at all offensive. Even kittens will have to deal with bad critique and even offensive language in comments and in reviews on the web today, and YeonGene will (or have) probably learn to put the good ones in her heart and maybe learn something from the bad ones. It’s ok not to like everything.
“If you like everything, there’s nothing left to love”
February 8th, 2010 at 2:27 am
Well of course I love YeonGene’s voice but more than that she is also a great musician and she writes her own songs too (mostly for her own group in Korea Linus’ Blanket). Apart from all this both David and I regard working with YeonGene as possibly our happiest recording experience ever.
The album very much came about because her label in Korea wanted to make an album of her singing Bacharach songs and they asked me to produce it for her. The additional tracks on here happened because we wanted to take full advantage of her being in Scotland and she inspired me to want to make more music with her.
There have been a few “proper” BMX albums recently including My Chain, Bee Stings and the compilation The Rise & Fall that features a few originals. We’re currently working on another new album.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Thanks for the update, Duglas! Interesting to hear the story behind your collaboration with YeonGene. I have been looking for releases by Linus’ Blanket, as I am really curious about their sound, but I can’t find anything anywhere. It’s kind of jazzy, isn’t it? Great news about a new BMX album! Really lookiing forward to it!
February 8th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
As Duglas writes, YeonGene does write songs on her own and has been doing so for a long time. Although she herself seems unaware of just how talented she is as a songwriter as she has yet to be convinced to release all of those melancholic, rockier tracks she recorded pre-Linus’ Blanket.
As for buying Linus’ Blanket, both EPs are still available in Korea so you could ask for them at mrkwang.com. Their sound at that time was more in the twee pop direction, however the upcoming album is indeed slightly jazzy.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Thanks for the link to mrkwang.com, Anna! I must definitely get those now…
February 11th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Hi from San Sebastian, Spain. any possible way getting the album in vinyl? or in physical CD here, miles and miles away from scotland…