| Moon Hut | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 9, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | Bloomington, Indiana | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 49:41 | |||
| Label | Dreamworks | |||
| Producer | Paul Mahern | |||
| Kim Fox chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Moon Hut | ||||
| ||||
Moon Hut is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Fox, released in 1997 by DreamWorks Records. [1] It spawned two singles: "I Wanna Be a Witch", and "Sweetest Revenge". [2]
Fox grew up in the New York City area, later moving to Bloomington, Indiana, where Moon Hut was recorded. All musicians featured on the album were native to Bloomington, with producer Paul Mahern also originating from the city. She told Billboard in 1997, "the combination of music school musos and the locals makes Bloomington a pretty amazing place. You can see great music about every night. And the atmosphere is so relaxed. Living here, I've gained a new respect for music with a real simplicity." [3]
On the album, she was influenced by musical theater, as well as singer-songwriter and indie artists such as Liz Phair and Helium. [4] It incorporates orchestral elements, including on the song "Bleed a Little Allison". The orchestral sound was inspired by the singer-songwriter Cindy Lee Berryhill, who Fox had seen live while in New York. [4] When the record was being made, Fox was in a relationship with Paul Mahern. Fox later recalled that, "a lot of the songs on there, when we recorded them, it would just be like him and I alone in the studio and it was very romantic and creative." [4] Fox has labelled "Cowgirl's Lament" as her favorite track on the album. It was recorded during a thunderstorm in Bloomington, with these sounds being captured within the song itself. [4]
The song "Jen" was written about a longtime friend of Fox, who said in 1998, "Jen, who hates being called Jen (which I do in the song for artistic license), has been a friend of mine since we were three. She is a very sensual, sexual person. She’s an artist and a sculptor and a puppeteer. I wrote this song about her at a time when I was feeling really repressed. I looked at her as being someone who was free with her body and free in expression. At that time, I felt like I wasn't, so it was inspiring for me to break free and learn from her. A lot of people do take it as being either that I’m singing about a woman that I’m very attracted to or that it has more sexual connotations, which is perfectly fine. Why can’t I admire another woman for being sensual and beautiful?". [5]
It was originally scheduled to be released by DreamWorks on July 15, 1997, [3] although it would end up being released on September 9, 1997. [6] Shortly before the album's release, Fox performed at the inaugural edition of Lilith Fair, a festival centered around female artists. Fox has said that she felt starstruck since she was a fan of many of the artists who were performing at the event, including Beth Orton and Victoria Williams. [4] Following the release of Moon Hut, Fox opened for Ben Folds Five during late 1997. [7]
In 2021, Geffen Records released the album to Spotify and other streaming services for the first time. Prior to this, only Fox's second independent album Return to Planet Earth had been available on streaming services. This was since the rights to Moon Hut remained with DreamWorks Records, who were absorbed into Geffen after folding in 2004.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Houston Press | [8] |
| Stereo Review | [9] |
Moon Hut received 4 stars out of 5 from AllMusic's Tom Schulte, who wrote that "Potent lyrics and the bright decoration of glockenspiel, concertina and more makes Moon Hut an unforgettable album." [6] Stereo Review gave the album 3 stars out of 5, [9] and Houston Press 's Hobart Rowland gave it 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as "one of the most satisfying debuts of the year". [8] The New York Daily News ' Jim Farber named the album one of the overlooked CDs of 1997, writing that "If Fox lacks the bite of Sobule, or the smarts of Rigby, she bests them all in sheer vulnerability. Her self-deprecation couldn't seem more sweet." [10] Robert Christgau, however, was less favorable, giving the album a "neither" rating, [11] indicating that, according to him, it "may impress once or twice with consistent craft or an arresting track or two. Then it won't." [12]
Monica Kendrick of the Chicago Reader gave the album a negative review in October 1997, writing "[it] finds her posing as a whip-smart Morissette-ette and sounding like a second-rate sex kitten. She’s breathy and squeaky as a cracked piccolo, and the unbelievably cloying string-and-piano arrangements must be to hedge her bets with the adult-contemporary crowd. I cannot begin to describe how awful this record is; if the fact that she’s sampled Ituri forest Pygmies for her baby-voiced cover of Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” doesn’t convince you, I am powerless." [13]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Wanna Be a Witch" | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Found a Penny" | 4:12 |
| 3. | "Could Have Been a Saint" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Bleed a Little, Allison" | 3:46 |
| 5. | "Say Anything" | 4:19 |
| 6. | "Sweetest Revenge" | 3:18 |
| 7. | "Flowers Have O's" | 3:55 |
| 8. | "Cowgirl's Lament" | 4:12 |
| 9. | "Jen" | 3:20 |
| 10. | "I'm Discovered" | 3:26 |
| 11. | "Daredevil" | 5:26 |
| 12. | "Atlantic City" | 7:13 |
| Total length: | 49:41 | |
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City and formed in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005, and Mark Ibold was a member from 2006 to 2011.
Kim Althea Gordon is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, California, where her father was a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduating from Los Angeles's Otis College of Art and Design, she moved to New York City to begin an art career. There, she formed Sonic Youth with Thurston Moore in 1981. She and Moore married in 1984, and the band released a total of six albums on independent labels before the end of the 1980s. They would subsequently release nine studio albums on the major label DGC Records, beginning with Goo in 1990. Gordon was also a founding member of the musical project Free Kitten, which she formed with Julia Cafritz in 1993.
Closing Time is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released on March 6, 1973, on Asylum Records. Produced and arranged by former Lovin' Spoonful member Jerry Yester, Closing Time was the first of seven of Waits' major releases by Asylum.
Either/Or is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Either/Or was recorded in several locations, mostly in Portland, Oregon – while Smith was still a member of Heatmiser – and was produced by Smith, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Either/Or was released on February 25, 1997, on the Kill Rock Stars record label, following Heatmiser's dissolution. Book-ended by its two singles, "Speed Trials" and "Ballad of Big Nothing", Either/Or did not chart in the US, but was acclaimed by critics.
Pack Up the Cats is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Local H, released on September 1, 1998, through Island Records. This would be their last album released on Island before they split from the label, as well as the last album with original drummer Joe Daniels. Local H described the album as "our little concept record about a shitty mid-level band". The album was released around the time when PolyGram, the parent label of Island, merged with Universal, causing the album to be all but forgotten during the transition.
Charles Allan Rich was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel.
Who Are You is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 21 August 1978 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and MCA Records in the United States. Although the album received mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success, peaking at number 2 on the US charts and number 6 on the UK charts.
Sonic Youth is the debut EP by American rock band Sonic Youth. It was recorded between December 1981 and January 1982 and released in March 1982 by Glenn Branca's Neutral label. It is the only recording featuring the early Sonic Youth lineup with Richard Edson on drums. Sonic Youth differs stylistically from the band's later work in its greater incorporation of clean guitars, standard tuning, crisp production and a post-punk style.
Moon Pix is the fourth album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter, Chan Marshall. It was released in September 1998 on Matador Records.
The Wanderer is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer, released on October 20, 1980. It marks a musical departure for Summer, being an album influenced by rock and new wave whilst previous albums all fell under the disco music category. Her inaugural release of the Geffen Records label, it became a top 20 album in the United States, with the title track reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100; other singles failed to enter the top ten. However, the record was more unsuccessful on the charts than her previous album Bad Girls, which topped the Billboard 200 for five weeks.
Jude Anthony Cole is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and talent manager from Carbon Cliff, Illinois. He began his career as part of Moon Martin's backing group The Ravens, and joined the English power pop band The Records in 1980 by the age of 19. After his work on their album Crashes, he signed with Reprise Records to pursue a solo recording career and released his eponymous debut studio album (1987), which was followed by four subsequent releases—A View from 3rd Street (1990), Start the Car (1992), I Don't Know Why I Act This Way (1995), and Falling Home (2000). Afterward, he outsourced his work onto managing, producing, and co-writing for the alternative rock band Lifehouse. This led to Cole receiving production credits on many of their singles throughout the 2000s, including "You and Me," "First Time," "Whatever It Takes" and "Halfway Gone"; each became hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40, and Adult Contemporary charts.
Maxinquaye is the debut album by English rapper and producer Tricky, released on 20 February 1995 by 4th & B'way Records, a subsidiary of Island Records. In the years leading up to the album, Tricky had grown frustrated with his limited role in the musical group Massive Attack and wanted to pursue an independent project. Shortly after, he met with vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, who he felt would offer a wider vision to his music, and signed a solo contract with 4th & B'way in 1993. Tricky recorded Maxinquaye the following year primarily at his home studio in London, with Topley-Bird serving as the album's main vocalist, while Alison Goldfrapp, Ragga and Mark Stewart performed additional vocals.
Slow Dancing with the Moon is the thirty-second solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on February 23, 1993. The album features a number of famous guest artists, including Collin Raye, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea, Tanya Tucker, Maura O'Connell, Billy Dean, Pam Tillis, Marty Stuart and Billy Ray Cyrus. The album released three singles, "Romeo", "More Where That Came From", and "Full Circle". Despite the singles' lackluster chart performance, however, the album itself was well-received critically, and reached number 4 on the U.S. country albums charts – where it spent 35 weeks – and number 16 on the pop albums charts. It ended up being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II is the first greatest hits album by American singer Donna Summer, released on October 15, 1979. It was her fourth consecutive double album, and also made her the first person ever to take three consecutive double albums to the number one spot on the U.S. album chart. This would become Summer's third multi-platinum album to date.
"Death Valley '69" is a song by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth and featuring Lydia Lunch. The song was written and sung by Thurston Moore and fellow New York musician Lunch, and recorded by Martin Bisi in 1984.
"Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)," also known as "Soldiers of Love," is a 1962 song written by Buzz Cason and Tony Moon It was originally recorded by soul artist Arthur Alexander and released as a B-side of the single "Where Have You Been (All My Life)", which reached #58 in the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1962. The song was later covered by The Beatles during a 1963 session at the BBC, released on the 1994 album Live at the BBC. It was also covered by The Kaisers, Marshall Crenshaw, Pearl Jam, Little Steven, and The Derailers.
Thomas Jefferson Kontos, better known as Thomas Jefferson Kaye, was an American record producer, singer-songwriter and musician. He collaborated with The Shirelles, Loudon Wainwright III, and Gene Clark, and also recorded solo albums.
"Speedoo" is a song written by Esther Navarro and performed by The Cadillacs featuring the Jesse Powell Orchestra. It reached number 3 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 17 on the U.S. pop chart in 1955. The song was featured on their 1957 album, The Fabulous Cadillacs. The lead vocal was by Earl Carroll.
Kim Fox is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist based in New York City.
"Right in Time" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1998 as the first single from her fifth album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998).
{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)