http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNew ... 6920080726

Yamagata readies split-personality album

Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:00pm EDT
By Gary Graff

DETROIT (Billboard) - Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata says her ambitious sophomore album, "A Record in Two Parts ... Elephants and Teeth Sinking Into Heart*," "almost goes against everything I believe in (for) a record.

"I'm not a big fan of long records or double discs by any means," the singer-songwriter tells Billboard.com about what is, in fact, a two-CD set -- one ("Elephants") with 10 songs and the other, "Teeth...," with five. "After I played around with (song) sequences and stuff, I felt like there were really two listening experiences. So I split them, and it really came out beautifully, I thought."

The two parts of the album, which comes out October 7 on Warner Bros., have decidedly different characters. "Elephants" is more similar to Yamagata's 2004 debut, "Happenstance" in its darker and more intimate tone. "Teeth..." takes her in a new direction, strapping on the guitar for what Yamagata describes as "this mix of 'Pulp Fiction' surf guitar, PJ Harvey (and) Tom Waits-flavored rock tunes which would be great to play live but ... just developed into this entity that would break the beauty of ('Elephants')."

The four-year break between albums -- which Yamagata made mostly in Nebraska with Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley) and also with "Happenstance" producer John Alagia -- was the result of changes at her original label, RCA, which eventually released her from her contract. Yamagata says she considered releasing the new album on her own if she had to.

"It certainly was extremely frustrating," she acknowledges. "Was there a period where I was severely depressed? Absolutely. But I realized I loved the record and was proud of it, and whatever comes will come. Things just randomly fell together."

Yamagata plans to start playing live to support the album, with showcase gigs in major cities during September and October.

Reuters/Billboard

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Rachael Yamagata has hardly been idle since her acclaimed 2004 full-length debut, Happenstance, and its Adult Top 40 hit 'Worn Me Down.' So for her Warner Bros. premiere, the singer-songwriter-pianist with the sultry voice unveils a double disc set: Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart. Produced largely by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, The Faint), and also John Alagia (John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Happenstance), [title]Elephants[/title] is darker and more vulnerable while the more guitar-driven [title]Teeth Sinking Into Heart[/title] is grittier and more defiantly cynical. Together, they reveal the two sides of one of today's most entrancing artists.

Disc: 1
1. Elephants
2. What If I Leave
3. Little Life
4. Sunday Afternoon
5. Elephants (instrumental)
6. Duet
7. Over And Over
8. Brown Eyes
9. Horizon

Disc: 2
1. Sidedish Friend
2. Accident
3. Faster
4. Pause The Tragic Ending
5. Don't

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E1DJD4/?tag=imwan-20

Bump: added tracklisting to the first post.