5 December 2008 - Well hello there. I didn't think I would ever update this page again, but Azure Ray came out of hiatus to play one night at the Troubadour and one morning on KCRW (which turned out to be Nic Harcourt's last real show). Unfortunately, I couldn't catch the live show over Thanksgiving weekend, but KCRW has been kind enough to share the radio set. Maria and Orenda were joined on the radio by the inimitable Andy LeMaster and Tilly and the Wall's Nick White.
After listening to their radio show, I am struck by the difference in Maria and Orenda's voices. I believe they copped in the past to deliberately trying to sound the same. Now, they still sing pretty quietly (and quietly pretty) and harmonize like nobody's business, but they don't seem to have a subsuming twin delicacy anymore. They said they may record another album, and I'm curious to hear if we get a bit more attitude (quiet attitude?).
nb: LAist did a nice interview with Maria. The interviewer is clearly a fan, and they cover Azure Ray stuff plus a bunch of other things (including the ongoing annoyances with her and her band's stuff being stolen).
KCRW, 26 November 2008, Set List
1. Sleep from Self-Titled
2. Safe and Sound from Self-Titled
3. Displaced from Self-Titled
4. Rise - from Self-Titled
Interview interlude
5. Timelapse Lifeline (Maria Taylor song) from forthcoming album
6. (Orenda Fink song) from forthcoming album
7. November from November EP
8. Hold On Love from Hold On Love
Hello & welcome. Azure Ray is great. Azure Ray is even more especially great when heard live and in person. Imagine a crowd listening very quietly. It's fucking breathtaking.
Here are performances that capture some of that magic.
Azure Ray was on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic on 19 December 2003. It was a full set, with songs off of all three albums. Personnel included the kicking Crooked Fingers and a special guest appearance by Moby. The KCRW site has the broadcast in video form on their website. I've converted the whole thing to MP3s for your listening pleasure. Due to bandwidth constraints, I can only have a few up at a time, but I can hook you up with the rest of them if you contact me (use the contact us links below).
kcrw - broadcast 19 dec 2003
| nic harcourt intro
| hold on love
| the drinks we drank last night
| the new year
| displaced
| band interview
| the great beyond (w. moby)
| beautiful things can come from the dark
| these white lights will bend to make blue
| nic harcourt conclusion
Azure Ray was on NPR's World Cafe on 28 April 2004. It was a short (and sweet) 2-song set -- Beautiful Things Can Come From The Dark and If You Fall -- recorded back in March (in fact the day after the Boston show). The personnel included Dan McCarthy from Mayday and Stefanie Drootin and Alance Ward from Cansafos. "If You Fall" was slower than the album version, like a story for the bartender. I've included the song below for download. There was also an interview whose details escape me right now.
world cafe - broadcast 28 apr 2004
| beautiful things can come from the dark
| if you fall
This is a new song (or unreleased as far as I know) that they were playing on tour. It's called "Only Love, Only Hate." The rhythms seem more complex than most of the songs in their catalog. PS- The recording is clean but at a low volume, so turn your speakers up a bit.
soundboard recording - 23 march 2004
| only love, only hate
10 July 2004 - Hello, everyone. An update is in order. Azure Ray is not touring right now, and I don't think Orenda and Maria have joined any of the Now It's Overhead shows yet. NIO is headed out again soon, so we'll see if that changes. Either way, check Now It's Overhead for a different but worthy vibe. In other news, I found a soundboard recording from an Azure Ray show and pulled them down, but of course I've forgotten the URL. I've posted a song from that set, anyway, and with permission will get some more up here. That's all for now. Thanks for visiting!
[Key info: azure ray is orenda fink and maria taylor. they have recorded 3 full-length albums. they have passed through sundry partys including birmingham, athens, and omaha. they are as good as you've heard.]
[More key info: orenda and maria help out with now it's overhead, another band worth your time.]
[Buy their albums here]
