Lemonade (CocoRosie song)

Last updated
"Lemonade"
Lemonade cover.jpg
Single by CocoRosie
from the album Grey Oceans
ReleasedApril 17, 2010
Genre Freak folk, Hip hop, Experimental
Label Sub Pop Records
Songwriter(s) Bianca Casady, Sierra Casady, Gael Rakotondrabe
Producer(s) CocoRosie
CocoRosie singles chronology
"'God Has a Voice, She Speaks Through Me'"
(2008)		"Lemonade"
(2010)		"'We Are On Fire / Tears for Animals'"
(2012)
Music video
"Lemonade" on YouTube

"Lemonade" is a single by experimental band CocoRosie, released on April 17, 2010, from their album Grey Oceans . The B-side of the CD contains a cover of the Beach Boys' song "Surfer Girl". While both sisters of CocoRosie wrote the single, the music for the album was also contributed to by keyboardist/composer Gael Rakotondrabe. [1]

Contents

Background

In an interview with Metro New York , Sierra "Rosie" Casady stated that the album was strongly influenced by "spooky memories from growing up in the desert," such as stealing a car (despite being "way too young to drive") and hunting rabbits, an activity referenced in the song. "Just shoot them through the window while we were driving," said Casady, "and take them home and skin them and make a big rabbit stew. That was a pretty dramatic memory for us." [2]

Bianca has stated that the opening lines of the song - "It was Cinco de Mayo/Pillowcase on his head/No more breathing time/An ambulance sped/It sped ‘round every corner/Calling out his name" - is a reference to the 2006 death of their older half-brother Simon Casady. [3] [4]

Critical reception

James Reed of the Boston Globe said that Lemonade was a "genuine thrill" compared to the rest of the album, explaining that "after Bianca’s grim recitations, Sierra pierced the song with a gleeful interlude, her distorted voice making her sound like a psychedelic Judy Garland." [5] Grant Lawrence for American Songwriter magazine exclaimed, "Both the title track and the brilliant “Lemonade” are beautiful piano ballads that deliver some of their clearest and most focused lyrics." [6] Chris Mincher for The A.V. Club said the song "mashes together eerie, dreary techno balladry with a softly orchestral chorus" and was one of the more "catchy and cerebral" songs on the album, along with "The Moon Asked The Crow". [7] A review in Qué! stated that CocoRosie managed to "ignite the audience with their sublime song, Lemonade." [8]

Billboard's review explained that the song especially showed the duality evident in the album because it featured "melancholy piano over verses about death, juxtaposed with a cheerful pop chorus accompanied by warm vocal harmonies". [9] A reviewer for music blog Stereogum said that they "generally like the group best when they sound insular and emotionally naked but impenetrable and unexpectedly catchy. This one does that trick." [10] In a separate review of the album, the same Stereogum reviewer stated that the music video for Lemonade is a "gorgeously surreal, intimately familial clip". [11] Heather Phares of Allmusic complimented the song, giving it an "album pick," signifying it was one of the better tracks from the album. She reviewed the song by saying it "captures summer’s idyllic beauty by melding a melody that sounds like it could be from a long-lost Broadway musical with trip-hop-tinged beats, electro synths, and brass." [12] Matthew Fiander of Prefix Magazine called the song "moody and surging, the kind of lofty yet pulsing song that reminds us how CocoRosie pulled such visceral reactions out of us for the last six years", especially when compared to the "slack-yet-shimmering keys and overly simple beats" of the other songs on the album. [13]

On the other hand, Dan Cairns of The Sunday Times said that the song was a "lyrically opaque and vocally screeching collage". [14]

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
French Singles Chart [15] 74

Related Research Articles

<i>I Should Coco</i> 1995 studio album by Supergrass

I Should Coco is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Supergrass, released on 15 May 1995 by Parlophone. The title of the album is Cockney rhyming slang for "I should think so".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devendra Banhart</span> American folk singer (born 1981)

Devendra Obi Banhart is a Venezuelan singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Texas, and raised in Venezuela and California. In 2000, he dropped out of the San Francisco Art Institute to pursue a musical career. In 2002, Banhart released his debut album and is best known for his albums in the late 2000s such as Cripple Crow and Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. He has since expanded his career to incorporate his interest and training in the visual arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CocoRosie</span> American musical group

CocoRosie is an American musical group formed in 2003 by sisters Sierra Rose "Rosie" and Bianca Leilani "Coco" Casady. The group's music has been described as folktronica, freak folk and "New Weird America", and incorporates elements of pop, blues, opera, electronica, and hip hop. The group has released seven studio albums, La Maison de Mon Rêve (2004), Noah's Ark (2005), The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (2007), Grey Oceans (2010), Tales of a GrassWidow (2013), Heartache City (2015), and Put the Shine On (2020), and two EPs, Beautiful Boyz (2004) and Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food (2009). They released their sixth album Heartache City on their own record label, Lost Girl Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jana Hunter</span> American songwriter and musician

Jana Hunter is an American songwriter and musician based in Baltimore.

<i>La maison de mon rêve</i> 2004 studio album by CocoRosie

La Maison de Mon Rêve, stylized as La maison de mon rêve is the debut studio album by American musical group CocoRosie. The album was recorded in an apartment in Montmartre, Paris, France during 2003 and released by Touch and Go Records on March 9, 2004, in the United States and April 12, 2004, in the United Kingdom.

<i>Noahs Ark</i> (album) 2005 studio album by CocoRosie

Noah's Ark is the second studio album by American musical group CocoRosie, released by Touch and Go Records on September 13, 2005. The album features collaborations with various musicians, including Anohni, Devendra Banhart, and Spleen.

<i>The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn</i> 2007 studio album by CocoRosie

The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn is the third studio album by American musical group CocoRosie, released by Touch and Go Records on April 10, 2007.

<i>Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon</i> 2007 studio album by Devendra Banhart

Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is a Devendra Banhart album released September 25, 2007. This album features more instrumentation than the previous records, as well as more genre experimentation. Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon was recorded in Topanga Canyon in Southern California and is dedicated to Alice Coltrane, Malachi Ritscher and Elliott Smith.

<i>Loyalty to Loyalty</i> 2008 studio album by Cold War Kids

Loyalty to Loyalty is the second studio album by American indie rock band Cold War Kids. It was released on September 23, 2008, by Downtown Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God Has a Voice, She Speaks Through Me</span> 2008 single by CocoRosie

"God Has a Voice, She Speaks Through Me" is a single by American music group CocoRosie, released by Touch and Go Records on May 13, 2008. Touch and Go initially produced 3,000 pieces on vinyl, which included an untitled B-side track consisting of noises and distorted singing. On July 8, 2008, the label began releasing 7" picture disc versions of the single. Since 2012, the single has been sold only on digital platforms.

<i>Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food</i> 2009 EP by CocoRosie

Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food is an EP by American musical group CocoRosie, released on June 3, 2009. The EP was self-released and only available to be bought at CocoRosie's 2009 Summer Tour. It has been described as art pop, electronica, experimental, rock, folk rock, folktronica, freak folk, hip hop, and indie.

<i>Grey Oceans</i> 2010 studio album by CocoRosie

Grey Oceans is the fourth studio album by American musical group CocoRosie. It was released by Sub Pop Records on May 3, 2010 in the United Kingdom and on May 11, 2010 elsewhere.

<i>Mount Wittenberg Orca</i> 2010 EP by Björk and Dirty Projectors

Mount Wittenberg Orca is an EP by American indie rock band Dirty Projectors and Icelandic singer and songwriter Björk, released on June 30, 2010, in digital-only format and on CD and vinyl by Domino Records on 24 October 2011. News of the album was announced on Björk's official website on 26 June 2010, four days before its release.

<i>Fields</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Junip

Fields is the debut LP by Swedish-based indie rock band Junip.

<i>Heaven</i> (The Walkmen album) 2012 studio album by The Walkmen

Heaven is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Walkmen, released on May 29, 2012, by Fat Possum Records and Bella Union.

<i>Tales of a GrassWidow</i> 2013 studio album by CocoRosie

Tales of a GrassWidow, sometimes stylized as Tales of a Grasswidow, is the fifth studio album by American musical group CocoRosie. It was released by independent record labels City Slang and Republic of Music on May 27, 2013 in the United Kingdom and May 28, 2013 in the United States. The album's sound has been described as "indie pop" and "indie folk".

"You're on Fire" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released on February 21, 2013 as an advance track from their album Nanobots, which was released March 5, 2013. On May 24, the band performed the song on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

<i>Heartache City</i> 2015 studio album by CocoRosie

Heartache City is the sixth studio album by American musical group CocoRosie. It was released by CocoRosie's own record label, Lost Girl Records, on September 18, 2015. The album is described by music webzine The Line of Best Fit as a freak folk album in which "the tracks all share a strong backbone of hip hop and afro-beat".

<i>Put the Shine On</i> 2020 studio album by CocoRosie

Put the Shine On is the seventh studio album by American musical group CocoRosie, released by Marathon Artists on March 13, 2020.

Gael Rakotondrabe is a French pianist, composer, and jazz musician. He achieved recognition by winning the First Prize in the piano competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2008.

References

  1. ↑ David R. Stampone (May 23, 2010). "CocoRosie: Grey Oceans" (PDF). The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  2. ↑ "'Grey Oceans' and Haunted Deserts" (PDF). Metro New York . May 25, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Cemetery Songs". GoodTimes. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  4. ↑ "Twisted Sisters". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  5. ↑ James Reed (June 14, 2010). "CocoRosie electricity a bit static". Boston Globe . Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ Grant Lawrence (May 11, 2010). "CocoRosie: Grey Oceans". American Songwriter . Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  7. ↑ Chris Mincher (May 11, 2010). "CocoRosie: Grey Oceans". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Coco Rosie y Wilco ponen vida a un segundo día de Primavera Sound". Qué! (in Spanish). May 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  9. ↑ Staff writer (June 4, 2010). "CocoRosie, "Grey Oceans"". Billboard . Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ "CocoRosie – "Lemonade"". Stereogum . March 30, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Op-Ed: An Artists' Dialogue On CocoRosie's Grey Oceans". Stereogum . June 21, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  12. ↑ Heather Phares (May 11, 2010). "Grey Oceans Review". Allmusic . Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  13. ↑ Matthew Fiander (March 10, 2010). "Album: Grey Oceans". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  14. ↑ Dan Cairns (May 23, 2010). "Cocorosie: Grey Oceans". The Sunday Times . Retrieved April 10, 2011.[ dead link ]
  15. ↑ "CocoRosie - Lemonade". LesCharts. May 1, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.