The three Peace & Love 'outtakes' which have been streaming on Juliana's MySpace since last year, are now available for mp3 download from her official site.
That's two songs which didn't make the final album - I Won't Let You Go and Between The Clouds, plus an alternate version of I Picked You Up.
As ever, it's the honor system. You know the drill.
Part 2 of an audio interview, titled "Juliana Hatfield On Vocals, Recording, And Musical Education Of The Higher Sort", is now available to listen at Gearwire.
If you missed Part 1, it's here.
If you thought the negative review of Peace & Love in Pitchfork was infuriating (and others did), take a deep breath before reading the PopMatters review.
It's OK if a reviewer doesn't like the album and can offer a criticism that explains why but other than an opinion that the lyrics are weak, the gist of the review seems to complain that Juliana has the audacity to still be making music after 20 odd years. The review has been suitably taken to task by 'stever' in the comments on the PopMatters site.
Hopefully this is not a view shared by every writer on PopMatters. Indeed, in 2008 Juliana was described there as a "talented iconic rock star" and How To Walk Away as "a brilliant new album of intensely personal songs"
Ho hum.
Another bunch of Peace & Love mentions from review sites, blogs and the wide world of the web:
Three new tracks are now streaming on Juliana's MySpace page. Described as Peace & Love outtakes, there's an alternate version of I Picked You Up plus two previously unheard songs - I Won't Let You Go and Between The Clouds.
"my lack of technical expertise is, I think, an aesthetic of sorts"
Juliana talks about the recording process of Peace & Love in an interview with Patrick Ogle for Gearwire. Listen to it at gearwire.com.
It looks like there's more to come as according to Patrick's twitter post this is Part 1.
Part 2 is now available at Gearwire.
Peace & Love can now be heard on Spotify, the streaming service available in parts of Europe (UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Finland and Norway).
A handy tool for those of us who want to recommend the album to non-Juliana fans who use the service. Just suggest that if they like it they might want to buy the CD from Ye Olde. Although Spotify is legal there are doubts as to how much independent artists are compensated, and your site admin is a bit suspicious of the motives of a DRM / p2p service by stealth, and still prefers to 'own' music, rather than trusting a collection to the cloud. Maybe he's just old fashioned.
Peace & Love is this week's Editor's Choice on the US version of the digital download site 7digital. The title track, easily one of the standout songs on the album, is currently free. Hopefully this will spark a few sales among the curious. A good thing, even if the Editor's blurb is a bit sloppy:
"Peace & Love is the 10th studio album by Hatfield, marking 20 years as a recording artist. The title track on this album is free this week and offers listeners a nice example of the singer/ songwriter's somber folk magnifigance (sic). She supposedly produced all the songs on this album as well as playing the instruments. Her heart seems weathered but her sound remains very young and fresh on this 12 track album."
Magnifigant! As for the self-production, there's no supposedly about it.
Another collection, this time of largely indifferent reviews from blogs, review sites and the internets at large:
"Her music allows one to contemplate the depth of her sadness, and to compare their own to hers."
Nicely put in a small piece on Microphone Memory Emotion.
Another recommended review can be found at Indie Rock Grrls and, a notable rarity in the reviews so far, a couple of negative ones at Express Night Out and Pitchfork, the latter being a particular stinker. So much, that the critic has been critiqued. It's the internet. It's what it does.
"it’s been a long time since Hatfield put out a record so warm and affecting, so hopeful in its examination of loneliness and pain, and just plain comforting"
One of the best reviews that captures the themes of Peace & Love is by Michael Fortes at Popdose.
Other reviews now online include a take by the marvellously named "Rev. Theodore Marley Renwick-Renwick" at the oh-so-knowlingly-pompous Donnybrook Writing Academy and, to less enjoyment, a small 3 out of 4 stars review at the Los Angeles Times.
Juliana's new album Peace & Love is released today.
CD:
As expected distribution of the CD format appears to be very limited. Orders can still be placed directly on Juliana's official site but given the scarcity elsewhere on online stores you might want to get your order in now.
The dedicated Peace & Love page on this site has now been updated with a track by track review, together with its usual collation of info and links.
A reminder of course that Peace & Love is released this week. But you knew that.
Reviews of Juliana's new album Peace & Love are now appearing on blogs and music sites. Here's a selection with links to the full articles:
"Modest atmosphere, fearless honesty"
"Hatfield is at her best when she's in full-on confessional mode" 3/5
Jonathan Keefe, Slant
"Peace and Love has a real organic feel to it throughout, filled with strummy acoustic guitars and Hatfield's rich, emotive voice that add up to a collection of heartfelt, intimate songs." 7/10
Tim Hinely, Blurt
"What might seem at first to be a darkly solitary album turns out to be subtly strong and affirming." "4/5
Neil Carver, Eat Sleep Drink Music
"As Hatfield as always done, she seems content to produce music from within herself in this effort. With the grittiness of the '90s washed away, the album reveals a soft honesty."
Michelle O'Brien, Ink
"An admirable change in pace, it sounds sparse but crystal clear, with Hatfield’s radio-friendly vocals having a very pure quality." 3/5
Terry Mulcahy, Wears The Trousers Magazine
"A girl and a guitar can be a powerful thing. If that girl is Juliana Hatfield, you know that it will be an enjoyable experience. " 3/5
Robyn Gatsby, The Fire Note
This is one of four alternate cover art ideas designed by Jordyn Bonds originally considered for Peace & Love. See the other three alternates at Juliana's official blog.
Two songs from Peace & Love - Let's Go Home and Evan, can be heard now at Direct Current.
The new homepage at julianahatfield.com"I always try to learn from painful experiences, and to forgive myself and others - and to move on, with an open heart and mind. At some point one realises that anger is a real waste of energy, it's draining and damaging, and one learns to deliberately let go of it, and the letting go brings a lightness, a new freedom and hopefulness that may unfortunately be hard to sustain at all times. Peace and love are ideals toward which we reach."
Juliana, on the title song from Peace & Love. Read her track by track comments on the whole album at the newly revamped official site.
Peace & Love pre-orders from Europe, Australia and Japan are now being taken at Juliana's site, priced at $12 plus $6.50 shipping. This is in addition to the North American (now clarified as USA and Canada) pre-orders announced last week. CDs will be in limited numbers available from Juliana's site and "a few other places".
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