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MP3 Beth Arentsen - Sap
10 MP3 Songs
POP: Piano, POP: Today''s Top 40
Details:
Originally from New Jersey, Beth Arentsen is a singer-songwriter-pianist who has carved a niche in the competitive New York City music scene. She has entertained standing-room only crowds at The Fez, The Cutting Room, The Sidewalk Café and The Living Room, sharing intimate stories that tow the line between tragedy and triumphant. Arentsen’s debut solo release, Sap (2007), marks her most personal artistic statement yet. Arentsen says of her music, “it excites me to explore dangerous and uncomfortable themes of love, loss, sexuality, gender and abuse, looking at everyday situations from a different angle.”
Arentsen supported herself through NYU''s Tisch School of the Arts with a spate of film and television work, often appearing as “herself” – a piano player. She has accompanied Kevin Kline in the film In & Out under the direction of renowned music arranger Marc Shaiman and performed Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” in MTV commercials. Arentsen’s on-screen exploits earned her enough money to record a demo of her original pop ballads, which she showcased at Austin’s SXSW conference. Chicago-based producer Steve Butler heard Arentsen’s demo and knew her unique, pop-based style of writing would be the perfect complement to his jazz-funk band. This brilliant blend of ingredients was the genesis for the band P-1.
P-1 released two albums, Step (2004) and Power (2006), which brought Arentsen regional acclaim as a writer and performer in Chicago, DC, and New York. Arentsen recalls, “I was really flattered when Stevie approached me to collaborate, it seemed like a great challenge both as a writer and performer. I had been solo up to this point and the idea of touring with five guys sounded like a blast.” With Arentsen leading the way, P-1 went on to perform to sold-out festivals and concert arenas and most recently was heard singing “Wisteria” in the Fox Searchlight film, Trust the Man, starring David Duchovney and Julianne Moore.
With P-1 in full swing, Arentsen decided it was time to turn her attention inward. Produced by Jimi Zhivago and recorded at The Magic Shop (New York City), Sap departs from the atmospheric club vibe of P-1 in favor of a more stripped down telling of Arentsen’s tales. “Most of my songs come from a Technicolor recollection of some troubling past event. Sometimes it’s a loss or ‘what if’ but it’s hard for me to stay in that place for long, so inevitably the story becomes more sardonic and twisted as I work it out.”
“I left you for the simple satisfaction” begins the opening song, “Used to Dream,” setting the tone for the album’s beautifully arranged, distinct and sometimes disturbing stories of love and loss. “I simply write what I feel,” Arentsen states about her process. The memorable title track “Sap,” further demonstrates Arentsen’s lyrical appeal, displaying her vulnerability, “why do they always want to take me away” and her fighting spirit, “flew to Hollywood to take you away.” In the funky jam, “Like They Care” Arentsen unravels the memory of a broken home with playful wit, “Like they really care mama, like they really care about me.” Arentsen admits, “to me the song’s about going home, seeing what you long for and accepting what you’ve got.”
Arentsen explores her tender side with the fragile love song “Any Less Than This” whose vivid descriptions are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell. The intricate, piano-based melodies and hooky choruses of “Penelope,” “Spider” and “Arms of Three” cast a mesmerizing spell of musical enchantment and keep the album moving towards its beautiful and haunting conclusion. “Captain of Me” and “Conquistadora” play on nautical themes from Arentsen’s childhood in New Jersey and leave the listener thirsting for more.
Beth Arentsen is a writer who’s equally comfortable penning electronic tracks for P-1 as she is a confessional couplet for her acoustic solo project. In an era where much music is packaged and predictable, the songs of Beth Arentsen wield many scintillating surprises.
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