"In this clip, Tori Amos does a solo piano performance of her classic Winter (from her 1992 album Little Earthquakes) at the SIRIUS XM studios in NYC. Tori's latest album is Midwinter Graces. Hear the full performance starting 12/24 at Noon ET on SIRIUS XMs channel The Coffee House SIRIUS Ch. 30 and XM Ch. 51. For more broadcast dates and a free trial, go to http://www.sirius.com/thecoffeehouse"
Posted on 17 December 2009
PopWreckoning’s Dese’Rae Stage got the chance of a lifetime: an interview with the one and only Tori Amos, a longstanding hero. Tori is currently out doing press for her holiday album Midwinter Graces. Faced with a ten minute time limit and the daunting task of playing it cool, Dese’Rae dropped questions on topics ranging from fear, regret, pop music (then and now) and more. Check it, and some photos, out below.
Dese’Rae Stage, PopWreckoning: Hey, Tori.
Tori Amos: Hi there, Dese’Rae. How are you?
PW: Good, how are you?
TA: Very well.
PW: Awesome. Alright, we’ve got such a quick interview, I’ve just got a grab bag of questions here.
TA: Okay.
PW: Okay, so, you’ve got your new album, Midwinter Graces. I wanted to know what your favorite holiday tradition is or what one tradition you’ve created for your family is?
TA: Well, one of my favorites is Christmas dinner, and that’s my mother’s fried chicken: southern fried chicken.
PW: Mm, good stuff.
TA: Yeah, I’m not a turkey person. Once in a blue moon, y’know, but it’s not my thing usually. So, my mom makes that and my husband’s pretty wicked in the kitchen, so he helps my mother and we have Christmas at our beach house. My folks live about half an hour north, and we meet up with Tash’s cousins. My sister has five kids from 16-24, so we meet up with them usually every year. That’s a tradition we’ve created. Before Christmas, of course.
PW: Does Tash believe in Santa?
TA: Oh yeah.
PW: Really? That surprises me.
TA: Yeah, she does. She also believes in Kali.
[Laughter on both ends]
TA: She has all kinds of beliefs.
PW: I love it. So, I heard that this album doesn’t count toward your contract, and I was wondering what was next?
TA: Oh, um, well, I’m finishing writing this musical, The Light Princess, which is something that I’ve been developing with Samuel Adamson, the playwright, along with the producer Tim Levy, who’s out of New York now. He’s New York based, although he was with the British National Theatre for a long time. And so it’s a mixture of American and British, um, people together.
PW: Which will be nice. It’ll be opening in London, right?
TA: Well, we’ll see where it’s opening. It’ll be workshopped in the spring in London, and after the three week workshop, I think everybody will decide the best place for where it should open.
PW: Okay. I was wondering what your writing process looks like with regards to your music?
TA: Well, I like to write on the road, mainly because you have different sights and sounds and you don’t fall into the same routine that you can when you wake up in the same place day after day, night after night. And you can fall into a routine when you’re doing that, but as a writer, I don’t like to fall into a cliché pattern, so I push myself to travel. Touring is just part of my life, so it all works together that I travel while I’m touring.
PW: Here’s one—I think this is my favorite question—I wanted to know how you combat fear?
TA: Well, you have to confront the issue that’s causing you fear. You know that saying, “If it’s too loud, turn it up?” You have to go into that place of… if you’re being intimidated by an idea or thought, you have to hold your ground and look it right in the eye. And that’s tricky sometimes, because whatever you’re confronting might be more slippery than a—well, I don’t know—and that could just be information, crap your friends are telling you about something. You know, you don’t… sometimes. Fear comes because you don’t know what to believe.
PW: Right.
TA: What you’re facing, what fear you’re facing, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be getting the truth from it. And that’s scary, too.
PW: Definitely.
TA: So when you’re facing a fear, whether it’s in a relationship at work or personal, um, you know, you have to go back to instincts and making sure that they’re razor sharp and a place of neutrality is the most powerful place you can be to confront a fear. You have to be okay that things don’t work out the way you’re fantasizing.
PW: Right. Which is also hard.
TA: Which is also hard. But neutral is… when you’re facing a fear, I try and step into a place of neutrality, where everything doesn’t have to end okay. Everything doesn’t end with a hug.
PW: Okay. Um, here is kind of a—taking it back a little bit, but the last I heard, you never got a chance to meet Greg from “Pretty Good Year” and you never heard from him. Is that still the case?
TA: That’s still the case, yeah.
PW: That’s insane.
TA: Mmhmm.
PW: Do you have any quirks that are reserved solely for alone time?
TA: Yeah. Yeah. Yes. [Laughs] That’s okay. That’s why you marry who you marry and that’s why your kid is your kid and hopefully, they enjoy them.
PW: [laughs] Yes. Well, what are you listening to and/or reading right now?
TA: Listening to I keep pretty much to myself.
PW: Oh.
TA: Reading… we were just in Poland, and we got a lot of material on Auschwitz. We went there, and um, it was some pretty harrowing reading, as you can imagine. Just different accounts from all different viewpoints. Um, one thing that I found fascinating was… I went to Churchill’s war room, and I was reading a lot of—I had a few books on that whole time, that he was able to conduct the war, a lot of it, from underground in the war room when they were being bombed. And that his wife was there and she had a place. Underground. And they had a flat above where they were when the bombings weren’t occurring and they could go upstairs. I don’t think they enjoyed it down there, but just to see what they went through at that time. That was from both sides, so seeing how the people in the camps were, what their story was, and then seeing the story of the Allies who were fighting.
PW: That’s really interesting. Hm. I’m kind of interested in how you feel about this new guard of female pop stars who are kind of taking over lately, like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, and whether or not their fame is valid.
TA: Well, of course their fame is valid. I think Lady Gaga is very entertaining.
PW: Me too.
TA: She’s very entertaining, and we need some entertainment about now. Taylor Swift seems to… she writes her songs, and there’s something to be said for the fact that both of them are musicians as well as performers. And what you might—well, not just you, but what one might think about those songs, whether they think they’re in the league of Lennon or McCartney, that’s a different conversation. But not everybody can be in the league of Lennon and McCartney. That doesn’t mean they’re not entertaining.
PW: True.
TA: But for those that are in the league of Lennon or McCartney, then that’s for you all to highlight as well. That’s not my job. And those who are will be known in ten, fifteen, twenty years’ time. And history will support that. It’s hard sometimes when it’s happening to be able to christen that.
PW: Okay, so I guess my last question is a pretty broad one and I wanted to know if you had any regrets?
TA: I think you always have some regrets. Sometimes they’re little. It’s how you handle certain situations. I go back to that thing, “Be smart, not right.” I find that when I have to be right over being smart, which can achieve the win that you’re wanting to achieve, that you usually look back and wish you were smart instead of needing to be right.
PW: Sage advice. Thank you, Tori.
TA: Lovely to speak with you. Happy holidays to you.
PW: And to you. Thanks so much.
Photos by Dese'Rae Stage from the 12/7/09 recording of the etown radio show at the Grand Ballroom in NYC, which will air on NPR on Christmas Eve.
Fonto: PopWreckoning
Posted on Dec 11th 2009 10:45AM by Jessica Robertson
The first round of artists have been confirmed to play Lilith Fair this summer when the all-female music festival returns after a 10-year absence. Among the artists set to perform are Sheryl Crow, Tegan and Sara, Mary J. Blige and founder Sarah McLachlan. But one artist that won't be on the bill is Tori Amos.
"There's so many young artists that want to [play Lilith] and because I'm able to tour on my own, they should have the chance," Amos told Spinner this week when she stopped by our New York City studio. "I usually do my own thing. I like to tell a story, and I'm stronger -- I'm better as a performer -- when you come and decide, 'OK. I'm gonna take some audio mescaline and hang out with Tori. And God knows how I'm gonna get across the galaxy, but I'll get there and she'll make sure I get back.' And it's different thing when you're doing a gig for 15 minutes, or 20."
While Amos also didn't perform as part of the original Lilith, which toured every summer from 1997-99, it's not for lack of support for the festival. "It opens the doors for a lot of women that can't tour on their own," she said. "Sarah [McLachlan] is able to hold that space and she benefits as well. If it is a success, then by holding a space and helping others, the public gets to see these artists and it can be a win-win. It's a brilliant concept. You have to acknowledge that she's a brilliant business woman. There are a lot of guys in the industry that have very successful festivals. And they don't get criticized for it -- they get acknowledged that they're good at business as well as music."
In 1997, McLachlan launched the all-female music festival, which became the top-grossing festival of that year and top-grossing female music festival of all time, featuring artists including Natalie Merchant, the Pretenders, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow and Missy Elliott, among many others.
Fonte: Spinner
Vídeos: marckarlock
Vídeos: favregrl
Far be it for me to rely on Fame Pictures for gossip scoops, but their caption for these photos was “Pregnant Tori Amos Glows In Glitter.” I looked all over the internet, including a number of impassioned Tori Amos fan sites, and I didn’t find confirmation anywhere else. That being said…
Tori Amos is pregnant!
Fame Pictures continues their description of the photos:
A very pregnant Tori Amos makes her way inside to perform this evening on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ in New York City,New York on December 10, 2009.
Let me correct myself…
Tori Amos is VERY pregnant!
Foto: starcasm.net
Vídeo: HoorayForDVRs
Foto: scott mecum
Foto: WireImage
Mais fotos no site FilmMagic.
Fonte: @forumz
(3/5)
Reviewed by Andy Gill
Friday, 11 December 2009
Like Thea Gilmore, Tori Amos broadens her approach to Christmas here to include pre-Christian celebrations, though the mood remains comparatively more religious.
It starts well, with the traditional "What Child, Nowell" arranged for piano, harpsichord and strings, and Amos's vocal harmonies picking out the most moving aspects of the melody; and gets better with "Star of Wonder", in which the pointedly Middle-Eastern flavour of the strings and percussion sets one up perfectly for the warm, epiphanic glow of the familiar refrain. But things start to go awry with "Candle: Coventry Carol", which seems too studied and pedestrian, and an arrangement of "Harps of Gold" which appears to be aiming for the jaunty momentum of "Solsbury Hill", but over-punches in the drum department. And it's probably best to draw a discreet veil over the ghastly big-band blues ballad "Pink and Glitter". But overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses, with further highlights coming courtesy of Amos's own "Winter's Carol" and "A Silent Night with You" – the former blessed with stately, hypnotic grace, while the latter's undulating melody evokes the warmth of a reverie triggered by seasonal radio fare. Elsewhere, "Jeanette, Isabella" is accompanied by a delicate snowfall of piano notes, a lovely touch of aural imagery.
Download this What Child, Nowell; Star of Wonder; Jeanette, Isabella; Winter's Carol.
Fonte: @forumz e The Independent.
(Universal Republic)
(4/5)
Caroline Sullivan
The Guardian, Friday 11 December 2009
A sticker on the CD case advises that this is Amos's first "seasonal" album – presumably, the piano-based gothic sprite doesn't make conventional old Christmas albums. Midwinter Graces is surprisingly straightforward, however: some new songs, some traditional carols (adapted by Amos, who has excised some of the Christianity from the lyrics and added words of her own, as on A Silent Night With You) and a minimum of eccentricity. Accordingly, it's her most touching album in years: centre stage is given to her voice and the simple arrangements, which feature harpsichord and flugelhorn (Pink and Glitter, a blaring big-band number with vamped-up vocals, comes as a bit of a shock, albeit a pleasant one). Amos sounds so tranquil she could almost be floating, but the stateliness of the orchestral backing keeps the songs grounded. You'd never know this was recorded last summer, so vividly does it evoke crunching snow and frosty nights.
Fonte: @forumz e The Guardian.
Tori Amos LIVE performance from Electric Lady Studios in NY on Friday, December 11th at 12pm (PST) / 3pm (EST)
GLOBAL broadcast will be hosted on Tori Amos' Facebook Page
Interview powered by fan questions will follow the live performance.
WHERE CAN I WATCH?
http://www.facebook.com/ToriAmos
WHAT TIME IS 3PM EST WHERE I LIVE?
http://bit.ly/ToriLiveTime
WHERE CAN I SUBMIT MY QUESTIONS FOR TORI?
You can submit questions on the Livestream player tab on Tori's facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ToriAmos) (story feed next to the video player screen)
WILL THE LIVE PERFORMANCE BE AVAILABLE FOR REPLAY LATER?
No - the performance archive may be launched at a later date, but will not be available on Livestream, Facebook, or ToriAmos.com immediately following the live performance.
Fonte: Facebook
>>ATENÇÃO FÃS BRASILEIROS! O show será transmitido para Brasil ás 18h (horário de Brasília) desta SEXTA-FEIRA. Fiquem ATENTOS!<<
December 11, 2009 6:51 a.m. EST
London, England (CNN) -- Tori Amos has been entertaining audiences for nearly two decades with her blend of insightful and melodic compositions allied to a gutsy and theatrical delivery.
She is one of many musicians who clearly have a special bond with their instrument. This apparently led her to declare once that she preferred her piano to people.
Was this true? Asked CNN's Becky Anderson when she spoke to Amos on Connect the World.
"Sometimes," she said before adding "most people, but not all people."
Amos is well known for tackling some of the major life themes in her work musing on love, sex and religion, and her new album "Midwinter Graces" finds her in familiar territory. A traditional Christmas album it is not.
"My father wanted me to do this for a long, long time," Amos said. "But I wanted to do something that was more inclusive of different cultures and beliefs."
Amos says the album was influenced by the pianist George Winston who she discovered when she was "running around LA in the 1980s." Winston, she said, released albums called "December" and "Winter into Spring" where, "he did a twist on some of the songs we all grew up with."
Religion played a central role in Amos's upbringing -- her father was a Methodist minister in North Carolina -- and her idea of a god is still evolving.
"I'm more inspired by the idea of a creator and the native American tradition has really influenced me into opening and expanding the idea of what that is."
Amos has long been a campaigner for women's rights and in 1994 she co-founded the anti sexual assault organization RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network).
"The good news and the bad news," she said, "is that we've had over one million calls and the people there are highly trained and help people across America."
Sexual violence is something that Amos has had to contend with herself. She said a British psychologist working at the Cedar Sinai hospital in Los Angeles had "helped me for ten years to work through things."
Happier times arrived for Amos when she became a mother in 2000, when she gave birth to Natashya. It was "the missing piece of the puzzle for me," she said.
Her daughter's birth "literally kicked out any kind of negativity or self-abuse that I was holding onto," she said.
Fonte: CNN.com
