You want an EP??? Read on....
Hum Along with Humming
Duncan Sheik to release limited-edition EP along with his second albumThose of you who can't get enough of Duncan Sheik's moody lyrics, symphonic melodies and pin-up good looks are in for a treat. Not only is the Brown-educated, Nick Drake-weaned slickster getting set to drop the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed, self-titled debut into anxious ears, he's also planning a treat for fans who pick up Humming at independent record stores.
Although the album is set for release on October 6, Sheik just last
weekend laid down tracks to appear on a free EP that will accompany the
full-length. Offered solely with the purchase of Humming at lesser-known
record stores, Sheik is not only giving accolades to small shops that
assert their independence in the much-franchised music biz, but to the
music that influenced him during his formative years."At this point, it's called something like, Hum Along," said Sheik by phone from his New York loft, a day before recording was scheduled to commence in his home studio on Sept. 26. "It will probably be all-acoustic, but it's not completely decided, since we haven't even started on it yet."
Presently, the EP is set to include five cover songs, mostly by British Invasion acts from the previous decade. Tracks tentatively include "River Man," by Nick Drake; "Reel Around the Fountain," by the Smiths; "Forbidden Colors," by David Sylvian; "Blasphemous Rumours," by Depeche Mode; and "Sympathy and Understanding," by Nineties invaders Dodgy.
This EP is NOT going to be ready for October 6th release date - so what is happening is that certain retailers are getting 50 vouchers to be redeemed by mailing the voucher to Atlantic records. Only 50 vouchers per store. That's all ! Atlantic will mail the EP to you directly from NYC. However, these "certain retailers" will be very rare and hard to find. They are part of an organization called the "Coalition of Independent Sales". I have not found any information on them yet. What you'll have to do is call your local mom and pop CD stores and ask if they belong to "CIS" and ask them if they have the vouchers for the EP. Happy hunting, everyone. Keep your eyes peeled and your hopes up. Best of luck and don't be greedy!! :)
For more information and updated info, be sure to keep in touch with
Atlantic
and
Rupert Hine's Official Site.
Rupert always has some very interesting comments, so check out his site!
Music Monitor Review
Review by Robert Beverly.
Cali Arts Section
Decent review by Karen Wilson.
Echo Online
A superb interview by CT State U's Online Paper.
Wall of Sound
Check out Wall of Sound's almost completely complementary review.
NY Times
The NY Times has lots to say about "Humming".
the New York Post
Check out this very interesting interview
Launch
Cool new interview... check it out!
New Reviews!!!
An article shown to me by a good friend.. not sure of the source, though.
Duncan Sheik, Humming ( three and half stars out of four): Sheik's self-titled 1996 debut, featuring the graceful hit single Barely Breathing, won acclaim for revitalizing the sensitive-singer/songwriter ranks, a camp too confining to contain his meatier sophomore effort. Social commentary joins romantic ruminations in the richly orchestrated atmospheric art-pop of Humming, co-produced by Rupert Hine. Sheik's tone is spiritual, not spiteful, as he surveys world decay in Varying Degrees of Con-Artistry or waxes humble in the prayerful Nichiren. He draws lessons from rock icons in That Says It All and recalls the drowning two years ago of singer Jeff Buckley in A Body Goes Down, a eulogy awash in lugubrious Middle Eastern strings. In such lush tracks as Bite Your Tongue and Alibi, Sheik crafts gorgeous classic pop with artful touches of exotica and psychedelia. Message and music enjoy equal footing on this contemplative gem.
An article from HX magazine courtesy of my good friend Brian:
"Being Sheik"
by liana jonas
It's been said that people refect their names. Chastity Bono, Dweezil Zappa and Calista Flockhart all come to mind as being as colorful as their signatures. Another name to add to the list is Duncan Sheik. The 28-year-old South Carolina native, whose 1996 hit "Barely Breathing" spent a record-breaking 55 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, holds a degree in semiotics, the study of cultrual symbols, from Brown University. But more important, he's been a practicing Buddhist for the past nine years, something that has shaped how he lives and views the world. Sheik's devout Buddhist faith permeates his everyday speech and music, and on his sophomore release, Humming (Atlantic), the singer's ideology is undeniable. This is a man with something to say, even if his name does incite "all the obvious things about doughnuts and condoms." Whether you agree with his views is not the point, evoking thought, change and motion on a personal and global level is. And therein lies the singer's self-appointed musical mission.
"I was watching a documentary on Bob Dylan called Don't Look Back," Sheik recalls. "He was singing songs championing the common man. It was a great image of this one man alone challenging the accepted ideas of hierarchy. I just thought, 'Why should I be afraid to talk about my important views?' People are going to say I'm on a soapbox, but i no longer think it's okay to just hide. You need to engage in some kind of dialogue."
The outspoken singer practices what he preaches. He uses Humming to engage in a dialogue with society en masse. The collection makes a distinct departure from his introspective, self-titled first album and sees Sheik backed by a full band and focusing his attention outward at the world. Such songs as "Bite Your Tongue," the set's most uptempo offering and first single, "Varying Degrees of Con-Artistry" and "Nothing Special" all take aim at rejection of accountability, society's apathy and our obsession with material success. The singer admits that his ability to make a statement on record doesn't quite translate to the stage, but he's more than comfortable with that fact. "When I'm onstage, I'm not a big entertainer, and I'm the first one to admit that," he says. "For me, I don't want to be an entertainer. I'm not there to entertain you; I'm there to make music that will hopefully move you. It's about music and effecting change through it."
The desire to find his own truth came early on for Sheik. At age 19, the singer, who grew up Catholic, set out on a quest for meaning and spirituality. He began studying Eastern religions and happened upon Buddhism, which he says filled the void in his life. "I felt a need to engage in some kind of spiritual practice," Sheik says. "It turned out that I had a relative [at the time] who had been practicing Buddhism for 30 years. She taught me how to chant."
In addition, Sheik attributes his good graces and sense of style to yet another relative-his mother.
"My mom [a jewelry designer] really great taste," he says, beaming with pride and affection, "and she was always very concerned about how I looked. She took me shopping and to the Ralph Lauren store...she always put me together really well. Now, we have all these arguments about what I wear because I'm not preppy enough for her. I dress pretty simple now, but hopefully not completely boring!"
Because he is blessed with a gay man's fashion savvy, Sheik was right at home during his recent visit to Barracuda. "It was hilarious! I had a great time!" he enthusiastically says of his outing to the Chelsea bar. "I did an interview the Hedda Lettuce, hung out and had some drinks. It was great!"
But it wasn't sheik's first time in a gay bar.
"Actually, Junior [Vasquez] took one of my songs, 'Reasons for Living,' and made a track for that. So, I've gone a couple of times to see him spin with, like, 2,000 gay men getting down." And did he dance?
"Oh, yeah!"
The singer, who is currently enjoying a relationship with his girlfriend, cites matters of the heart as "definitely an important, wonderful and huge part of life." In his eyes, romance is not dead, and its presence, or lack of, is something that he feels people have some control over.
"We have the ability to decide between which emotions we pat attention to," he says. "[Romance] is something that can be encouraged. I think there are certain parts of our culture that really do encourage it. There are great movies, songs and books that are intensely romantic."
Being a talented musician, spiritualist and snappy dresser all rolled up into one is no easy task. But then again, when you get to wake up every morning, look in the mirror and say, "Hi, my name is Mr. Sheik," well, that's gotta help.
Small review from New York Sidewalk
Just call Sheik a white Seal. Like the soul songs spun by his elder, Sheik makes adult-contemporary music with a hip, Dolce-and-Gabbana kind of edge. Just listen to his hit "Barely Breathing," a wispy, hypnotic trifle clad in flawless Teflon production. Still, there's something haunting and hypnotic about Sheik's futuristic lounge-folk. And his latest, Humming, finds him expanding his breathy sound. Live, he plays up the sensitive-guy thing with style.
Another new review from the New York Times
By ANN POWERS
Don't hate Duncan Sheik because he's beautiful. He is trying very hard to distance himself from that fact.
"Fakers," the pop artiste muttered, smiling, at his screaming fans Wednesday night at the Bowery Ballroom. He sheepishly introduced the ambitious "Varying Degrees of Con Artistry" as "the arty song of the set," and apologized for contributing "In the Absence of Sun" to the soundtrack for "The Saint," which he called "a bad movie." He introduced the sumptuously desolate "Houseful of Riches" as "the final tragic song of the evening." Then he focused so hard on strumming his acoustic guitar that he nearly tumbled off his stool.
Through all these qualifications, Mr. Sheik projected the calm bemusement of a man resigned to success. His songs are beautiful, and he can't seem to help it. The selections he played from his self-titled 1996 Atlantic Records debut and its just-released follow-up, "Humming," uninhibitedly indulged in gorgeous songcraft. An intricate rhythmic base anchored by the percussionist Juliet Krager gently buoyed Jerry Leonard's bell-like guitar and Mr. Sheik's own Spanish-influenced playing. The sound ebbed and flowed almost imperceptibly; at times, the band was playing quite loudly, but the music's build was wavelike and seemingly weightless. Above these swells, Mr. Sheik sang in a sleepy, seductive voice about the ephemeral nature of desire. A Buddhist as well as a heartthrob, he writes lyrics that try to blend romanticism and transcendent wisdom.
Hardly the only pop star currently exploring the cosmos, Mr. Sheik does not always hit upon profundities. But he does create a musical environment that evokes the spiritual state he seeks, adding just enough human longing to maintain an exquisite tension.
He does this by trading pop's usual drama for a diffuse flow that comes closer to ambient music. This is not music for meditation in the New Age sense; the words and Mr. Sheik's almost aggressive rhythm guitar displayed too much personality for that. Rather, it is music as meditation, an aural recreation of the contemplative state in which one allows one's thoughts to drift by without grasping at them.
The sound's essence seemed to float from player to player, arising when a finger cymbal crash propelled a bass line, or when Mr. Sheik's falsetto intertwined with Mr. Leonard's vibrating chords. This approach recalled the experiments of Joni Mitchell, as well as Brian Wilson and Nick Drake, both of whom Mr. Sheik mentioned in one song.
Rejecting the liberating expressionism of most pop for this more refined endeavor, Mr. Sheik pursues a grace that stays shy of catharsis. Some may find it too pretty. But its smooth surfaces go surprisingly deep.
A review from the Philly City paper, Nov 6, 12th issue
"Duncan Sheik is that most perplexing of pop paradoxes: critics love him, but many in the public dismiss him as just another pretty-boy pop crooner. Those who take the time [US!!!], however, find a soulful man whose earnest voice delivers something akin to liquid silk for the ears. His sophomore effort, "Humming" (Atlantic), proves his eponymous 1996 debut was no accident. Don't let his ready-for-radio single "Bite Your Tongue" fool you. Sheik layers a smooth, clean-channel guitar sound, ambient music experiments and orchestration to produce full, luch songs with a wisdom that belies his 20-something years."
-Rosemary Darigo
Rolling Stone's review of Humming...
On his 1996 debut, Duncan Sheik played the pining lover in a soulless world. It was a pose that made for good melodrama at the expense of great art, bogging down the album with syrupy arrangements and narratives that bordered on maudlin. Two years do make a difference. Humming finds its predecessor's woebegone crooner replaced by a philosophical singer-songwriter who now tempers his yearning sentiments with droll fatalism. "I feel a little undefined," Sheik confesses on "In Between," the album's opening track, ". . . like I'm returning/Most everything I bought."
The first album's hefty instrumentation has been pared down to a more conventional rock lineup, with piano and a string section tossed in for a flourish here and there. The first single, "Bite Your Tongue," is a driving hard-pop number whose lyrics, with their curt demand to cut the moping and get on with life, might well be addressing Sheik's earlier persona: "You're not the only one who's been let down/. . . Maybe it's good for you to hit the ground." Sheik's best moments come on the meticulously structured slow numbers, especially "Everyone, Everywhere," which juxtaposes spare, ruminative verses with sweeping strings. The Duncan Sheik of Humming has lost interest in being a Byronic hero; and in sacrificing his hammy romanticism, he has become a more compelling songwriter. Because a disciplined craftsman is sexier than ten weepy artistes. (RS 800)
NEVA CHONIN
This is a review written by a close, personal friend of mine
Duncan Sheik Shines On Sophmore Record
Written By Richard Hardesty
A musician's worth should be truly judged on the musical and lyrical acension that is displayed from record to record. This does not seem to be the case in today's music industry where the majority of artists and bands are more interested in cashing in on their successful formula or on the songs of other people...copyright sometimes not included. Going against the grain, Duncan Sheik provides the listening public something of value with his sophmore record "Humming." He provides a sophmore record that displays a remarkable acension from his first record.
"Humming" is a record with a wide variety of sounds and musical nuiances, full of lush orchestration, alternate tunings, and lyrics that reflect Sheik's desire to speak his mind on several issues without him sounding too preachy. "Humming" is a record that displays the growth of an accomplished musician who is maturing and creating roads to explore his craft.
With all the various sounds that Sheik incorporates in his record, it all comes together well. He provides sonic shifts from song to song, from the up-tempo and hard driving "Bite Your Tongue" to the melodic and moody "Alibi." From the uptempoed and upbeat "Everyone, Everywhere" to the middle eastern, funeral procession-esque "A Body Goes Down." There are sounds that range from latin sounding acoustic guitar on "In Between" to the moroccan strings prominent on "House Full of Riches." "Humming" provides a superb patchwork of musical sounds that demonstrate the sonic possibilities that is available for any musician.
Each song is heavily layered with musical techniques and studio trickery which can be appreciated. Heavily prominent on "Humming" is the wide range of alternate tunings. One of the more interesting tunnings that appears is from "Nichiren." Here, the tunning is such that it sounds as if the person playing the Mexican 6-string losened the strings too much and decided to gently place his whole hand on the fret board in order to play the song. This sound provides a breathy, bar room quality to the song that evolves brilliantly to provide an atmosphere that can place an individual in a Buddist monestary in Tibet. Another interesting sound comes from "A Body Goes Down" when Sheik skillfully plays his acoustic guitar like it was a sitar, playing his chords and letting his finger nails gently resonate against a certain string to provide that sitar quality.
Lyrically speaking, Sheik moves himself away from the tortured romantic side of his music to a side where he is looking at the world around him. Although overworked at times, Sheik's lyrics provide for interesting musical conversation. Like his music, Sheik provides a wide variety of different lyrical conversation in terms of being swindled in "Varying Degrees of Con-Artistry," the nature of being "In Between," the death of Jeff Buckely in "A Body Goes Down," Generation X's nature of blaming past generations in "Bite Your Tongue," and searching for the light of the human spirit in "Everyone, Everywhere." The positive aspect with these topics is the fact that Sheik balances things out with some self-reflection in songs such as "Foreshadowing (Over and Out)" and "Nothing Special." This prevents Sheik from being too preachy for his own good.
The overall record is superb musical collection that, in many ways, can be considered an album that describes the American way of life in the 1990's.
Check Out MTV's Review of Humming
If Sarah MacLachlan were a guy, she'd be Duncan Sheik. Though he broke through as a purveyor of pop hits, Sheik's not really a radio artist in the big, flashy sense -- this, his sophomore disc, is an exercise in restraint throughout.
"In Between" adds wisps of mournful strings to the mix, while "Rubbed Out" has a lilting, airy feel, propelled by Sheik's pure-sounding upper register, which floats effortlessly above laid-back, pulsing instrumentation. "Bite Your Tongue" has a more rousing conventional pop feel that's not as interesting as Sheik's more minimalist tunes. This is a guy who grew up on Cocteau Twins records, and other melancholy, ethereal British fare, and those influences serve him best. Mixed with a hook-y singer/songwriter sensibility, it makes for music that's accessible but edgy, remaining contemporary while invoking classic influences like Billie Holiday. The latter sensibility works particularly well on "Nichiren," which practically begs for a small, smoky piano bar as background atmospherics.
The gloomy vibe of "Alibi" is one of Humming's highlights, along with the orchestral moodiness of "Varying Degrees of Con-Artistry." (A vague air of depression also works well for Sheik.) "A Body Goes Down" injects a Middle Eastern vibe in the percussion, to good effect. "House Full of Riches" has a similar feel, with whispery, almost meandering vocals that escalate into a dark crescendo. Overall, the disc does tend to blend together; there are differences between songs, but they're subtle ones. There are also marked similarities between this and Sheik's self-titled debut. Both employ producer Rupert Hine (Kate Bush, Tina Turner), who has an elegant, cool approach to sound.
In short, even though he's still in his 20s, Duncan Sheik writes thoughtful, cool songs for grown-ups with good taste.
-- Daina Darzin
Billboard's Hot Product Page previews the week's key music releases.
Edited by Carolyn Horwitz / for October 6, 1998
Duncan Sheik has done an about-face on his sophomore album, "Humming" (Atlantic). The singer/songwriter showed his tortured romantic side on his 1996 eponymous debut, which featured the hit ballad "Barely Breathing," which is tied for fourth place as the longest-running single in the history of the Hot 100.
On "Humming," Sheik takes a critical look at the
world around him. "Lyrically, I became completely
not interested in the trite, overdone thing that I hear on the radio,"
he says. "I just started to feel so conventional. That's boring to me
now. Maybe I was younger and more naive then. There was romantic
idealism before, but I'm not that romantic or idealistic now. Or I just
don't want to be so upfront about it. I wanted to temper it with some
reality." The shift is evident on such tracks as "Varying Degrees Of
Con-Artistry," about being swindled, and first single "Bite Your
Tongue," which targets the Generation X tactic of blaming past
generations for current problems.Sheik hits the road with a full band in November.
"Red Hot + Rhapsody" (Verve/Antilles), the 11th AIDS fund-raising effort from the enduring Red Hot Organization, pays homage to the music of George Gershwin on the centenary of his birth. Included on the disc are sterling performances by more than 20 artists, among them David Bowie, Natalie Merchant, Sinéad O'Connor, Morcheeba, Luscious Jackson, Skylab, the Roots, and Finley Quaye.
courtesy of Norm Dagen
From "Time Out New York" magazine, courtesy of Allison of the Duncan list
What difference does a grammy nomination make? Not much. On his new Atlantic Records album, Humming, due October 6th, best new artist casualty and local hearthrob Duncan Sheik returns to hooky, acoustic, guitar-driven op he visited on last year's debut. So what if it's not exactly uncharted terrain? Songs like "In Between" and "Bite Your Tounge" may start off sounding like less polished Court and Spark-era Joni Mitchellisms, but by the end of each three and a half minute confection, the hooks will have taken up permanent residence in your brain. Humming is exactly what you'll be doing even after the CD stops spinning.
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Lyrics written by Duncan Sheik, copyright 1996 by Duncan Sheik Songs/Happ Dog/Careers-BMG Publishing, Inc. (BMI)
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