Real Life | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 12, 2006 (UK); June 12, 2007 (US) | |||
Genre | Jazz, pop rock | |||
Length | 38:14 Bonus disc: 15:25 | |||
Label | Reveal Records (United Kingdom) | |||
Producer | Joan Wasser | |||
Joan as Police Woman chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [2] |
The Guardian | [3] |
musicOMH | [4] |
Pitchfork Media | 8.1/10 [5] |
Rolling Stone | [6] |
Spin | 7/10 [7] |
Stylus Magazine | B+ [8] |
Tiny Mix Tapes | [9] |
Real Life is the debut studio album by Joan As Police Woman (Joan Wasser), released by Reveal Records in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2006, and a year later in the United States.
In addition to the standard jewel-case release, it was released in a limited-edition digipak [10] with Wasser art card and as a 2-disc expanded edition. [11]
"I Defy" was co-written by the Antony and the Johnsons' singer Antony Hegarty, who also contributed vocals to the track. In September 2006, she performed a live-session at the BBC. [12]
The album has received much critical acclaim, being variously described as "splendidly slinky", [5] "a magical journey", [13] and "a fine showcase". [8] In her review in The Guardian , Caroline Sullivan described the album as "pensive and gentle; sometimes stately of tempo, sometimes slightly breathless, but always erring on the side of lovely understatement." [3]
In early 2008, Real Life won in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Pop/Rock Album. [14]
It was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 30,000 copies throughout Europe. [15]
All compositions by Joan Wasser except as indicated.
The 2-CD edition had the additional tracks:
Joan As Police Woman:
with:
The Raven is the nineteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on January 28, 2003 by Sire Records. It is a concept album, recounting the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe through word and song, and was based on his 2000 opera co-written with Robert Wilson, POEtry.
Tanya Donelly is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England. She came to prominence as a co-founder of the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band The Breeders alongside Kim Deal in 1989, before leaving to front her own band Belly in 1991. By the late 1990s, she settled into a solo recording career, working largely with musicians connected to the Boston music scene.
Anohni and the Johnsons is a music ensemble originally based in New York City that presents the work of English singer-songwriter Anohni and her collaborators. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2000. Their second album, 2005's I Am a Bird Now, was certified Gold in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland; it also was awarded that year's UK Mercury Prize.
The Dambuilders was an indie rock band that began in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, in 1989 and later relocated to Boston. They released seven LPs and a number of EPs before breaking up in 1998. Members have gone on with other musical projects, including the band's violinist/vocalist, Joan Wasser, as Joan as Police Woman. Kevin March also became well known in indie circles as the drummer of the band Guided by Voices, which he joined in 2002. Dave Derby is the leader and main songwriter of the New York City-based collective of artists known as Gramercy Arms, which has included collaborations with both Wasser and March.
I Am a Bird Now is the second album by American band Antony and the Johnsons, released on February 1, 2005, by Secretly Canadian. After it won the 2005 Mercury Prize, the album shot up the UK albums chart from #135 to #16 in one week, the biggest jump in the history of the prize. As of September 2011, UK sales stood at 220,000 copies.
The Greatest is the seventh studio album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter Chan Marshall. All tracks on the album were written by Marshall, making it her first album not to include any cover songs. The Memphis Rhythm Band includes Roy Brewer, Teenie Hodges, Steve Potts, Dave Smith, Rick Steff, Doug Easley, Jim Spake, Scott Thompson and Susan Marshall. String arrangements were contributed by Harlan T. Bobo and Jonathan Kirkscey.
Joan Wasser is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer who releases music as Joan As Police Woman. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, and Those Bastard Souls. Since 2004 she has released her solo material as Joan As Police Woman. She has released five regular studio albums, one EP, a number of singles and two albums of cover songs. Throughout her career, she has regularly collaborated with other artists as a writer, performer and arranger.
Hang On Little Tomato is the second studio album by American band Pink Martini, released on October 19, 2004, by their own record label, Heinz Records. It has been certified gold in France, Canada, Greece, and Turkey. It was then certified double platinum in France by the UPFI in 2013. In 2014, it was awarded a platinum certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, denoting sales in excess of 400,000 copies across Europe. As of October 2013, it had sold 750,000 copies worldwide.
To Survive is the second studio album by Joan as Police Woman. It was released on June 9, 2008, on CD, LP and digital download.
Parker Kindred is an American drummer who played in the band of Jeff Buckley, appearing on his unfinished second album, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk in 1997, as well as playing live with Buckley and the rest of his band at Arlene's Grocery on February 9, 1997. Kindred was introduced to Buckley through Mick Grøndahl, then Buckley's bassist, as a permanent replacement for Eric Eidel after mainstay drummer Matt Johnson left the band at the end of the Australian leg of the tour.
Easy Come, Easy Go is a studio album of cover versions by English singer Marianne Faithfull, which was released in the EU on 10 November 2008. The album is produced by Hal Willner and features guest appearances from a variety of musicians. It was released as both a standard 10-track CD and a special 18-track edition with a DVD documentary by Anne Rohart under Jean-Baptiste Mondino's artistic direction, with both Faithfull and Wilner commenting on the song selection. A collectible 2-disc vinyl pressing is also available. The album was recorded with Pro Tools in NYC at the Sear Sound Studio.
Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse is a concert film and live album by Lou Reed released in 2008. The concert film was directed by Julian Schnabel, live at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn during five nights in December 2006. Background shots of the characters Jim and Caroline were done by Lola Schnabel.
Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring act, Tame Impala consists of Parker, Dominic Simper, Jay Watson, Cam Avery, and Julien Barbagallo. The group has a close affiliation with fellow Australian psychedelic rock band Pond, sharing members and collaborators, including Nick Allbrook, formerly a live member of Tame Impala. Originally signed to Modular Recordings, Tame Impala is now signed to Interscope Records in the United States and Fiction Records in the United Kingdom.
Sing: Chapter 1 is the seventh studio album from country music singer Wynonna Judd, released on February 3, 2009. It is her seventh solo studio album and the follow-up to her 2003 album What the World Needs Now Is Love and her holiday-themed 2006 release A Classic Christmas. This release celebrates Wynonna's 25th Anniversary in the music business.
The Deep Field is the third studio album by Joan as Police Woman, released in 2011.
The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons, the fifth album by English folk group the Unthanks and the first to be recorded live, was released on 28 November 2011. Its extended title is: Diversions Vol. 1: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & the Johnsons: Live from the Union Chapel, London.
Love Letters is the fourth studio album by English electronic music band Metronomy, released on 10 March 2014 by Because Music. It peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's highest-charting album to date.
The Classic is the fourth studio album by the American artist Joan As Police Woman, released on March 10, 2014, through PIAS. It included the single "Holy City" that was inspired by a visit to Jerusalem.The song was described as "Motown-influenced pop fusion" and the release was supported by an Alex de Campi directed video.
Let It Be You is a collaborative studio album by Joan As Police Woman and Benjamin Lazar Davis, released on October 21, 2016 by Reveal Records. The release was preceded by the single "Broke Me in Two". Music videos were released for "Broke Me in Two" and "Overloaded", both featuring comedian Fred Armisen. The duo followed the release by a UK tour.
Songs and Symphoniques: the Music of Moondog is a collaboration album between Kronos Quartet and Ghost Train Orchestra featuring various arrangers and musical artists. Leading up to the album's release were the release of two singles; "High on a Rocky Ledge" and "Why Spend a Dark Nighty with You?"