L'Oreal's National Woman of Worth Voting Ends Soon!

Just a gentle reminder that Toriphile and friend of Undented Shannon Lambert is one of ten Women of Worth honored by L’Oreal for their community service and volunteerism. The voting period for the National Woman of Worth, in whose name L’Oreal will make an additional donation of $25,000 to her cause, ends on on Tuesday, November 24th at 11:59 PM EST. If you haven’t voted already and want to support Pandora’s Project, an on-line resource for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, please cast your vote for Shannon to help her and Pandy’s out!

Paste Midwinter Graces Review

Tori Amos: Midwinter Graces

By Matt Fink

Famously idiosyncratic songwriter continues mid-career slump with album of holiday songs

Given that holiday-themed releases are just a step above albums of pop standards on the continuum slumping toward creative irrelevancy, Midwinter Graces presents a career crossroads for Tori Amos. Having long wandered between pagan and Christian themes, here Amos attempts to combine the familiar spirit of well-known Christmas carols with Winter Solstice mysticism but eventually sinks into the same sentimentality and overproduction that often mars her more conventional projects. Struggling to stick to the script, her rendition of “Star of Wonder” starts off shrouded in a haze of pattering hand drums and darkly snaking strings but eventually gets lost in an overstated chorus. Similarly, the Amos-penned “A Silent Night with You” is one long seasonal cliché, just as the big-band gloss of “Pink and Glitter” becomes too cute for its own good. Aside from an imaginative melodic makeover for “What Child, Nowell,” Amos fails to find an entryway into these songs that justifies her willingness to bury her personality inside them, ending up with a well-meaning but ultimately inessential vanity project.

Shower The Web With Pink & Glitter

Yahoo! Music has the video premiere of “Pink & Glitter.” This is a solo acoustic performance of the song, stripped down to just piano from the big band version on Midwinter Graces. Check it out on Yahoo! or just stream it below.

Thanks to Luis Manuel and Valerie for the tip!

Innerviews Interview (November 19, 2009)

The rebirth of light isn’t exclusive to Christianity. Jesus was a metaphor for that, but there were other solar deities before Jesus that were honored at this time of year by our ancestors. So, I felt as a minister’s daughter that I could walk a very delicate balance in which I could open up the circle to all of those who might not want to embrace Christianity, but who have a spiritual feeling about the time.

Anil Prasad interviewed Tori for his long-running online music magazine Innerviews and the conversation, which centers on the just-released Midwinter Graces, is now up on their website.

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Tour Update: Adelaide and Perth

Setlists for Thursday’s Adelaide concert (thanks to @mattbie) and Saturday’s Perth performance (thanks to @Almond87) have been posted in the Tour section. Apologies for the belated front page article about both shows but the end of the week ended up being a rather busy one for both Violet and me.

As always, concert reviews are welcomed with open hands! If you were there and would like to share your thoughts on the performances, please leave a comment and we’ll get it posted as soon as possible — speaking of which, we’re caught up on comments so, if you are so inclined, do check out the earlier shows from the Australian tour for additional reviews of those shows.

The final concert of the Australian leg — and of the Sinful Attraction tour — takes place this coming Tuesday in Brisbane. We’re looking forward to it and hope all that go will enjoy what will undoubtedly be a special performance as the tour comes to a close.

Get Tix To Attend Tori's WNYC Soundcheck Performance

WNYC’s Soundcheck with John Schaefer presents

TORI AMOS
Performing Live and In-person in The Greene Space

Wednesday, December 9 at 2pm
Tickets $10

(November 19, 2009, New York, NY) – Due to popular demand, the Tori Amos interview on WNYC’s weekday music show, Soundcheck, has been moved from the program’s regular radio studio into the station’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space.

With listeners writing in from as far north as Buffalo, New York and as far south as Austin, Texas to request an up close and personal visit with Ms. Amos, Soundcheck and The Greene Space teamed up to relocate the interview into WNYC’s recently opened, 120-seat street-level, multiplatform broadcast studio and performance space.

Ms. Amos will appear on Soundcheck in The Greene Space on Wednesday, December 9th at 2pm. Tickets are $10, but audiences can also enjoy the interview and performance as a live video webcast at WNYC.org.

Some unlikely artists have produced holiday albums this year, including Bob Dylan and metal god Rob Halford of Judas Priest. But Tori Amos – the minister’s daughter who titled her last album “Abnormally Attracted to Sin” – might be the most surprising candidate. Ms. Amos will talk with Schaefer about the process of overhauling Christmas carols and perform songs from her own contribution to the genre, “Midwinter Graces.”

* * *

WHO: Tori Amos

WHAT: Soundcheck with John Schaefer live from The Greene Space

WHEN: Wednesday, December 9th, 2-3pm

WHERE: WNYC’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space 44 Charlton Street (at Varick)

TICKETS: $10, available for purchase at Ovationtix.com

LIVE VIDEOCAST: WNYC.org

Tickets For eTown NY Holiday Show On Sale November 19th

Tori and Jesse Winchester will be the guests for the eTown NY Holiday Show live taping on December 7th at the Manhatten Center Grand Ballroom. Tickets go on sale Thursday, November 19th at 10am. (That’s today. Thanks, Ashley!)

No Meet and Greet In Adelaide

Due to extreme heat, there will be no meet and greet in Adelaide today. Apparently there is no shade near the venue, and Tori doesn’t want people standing out under the hot sun.

Sydney Got A Pretty Pretty Garden

Well, we we didn’t get a recap posted for the second Sydney show until now but the complete setlist, thanks again to @sarakthx — who somehow managed to crack the Opera House’s cell phone reception code — was updated live and a few reviews have been submitted as well.

Tonight’s show featured several rarities and uncommon songs including “Butterfly,” “Girl,” “Honey,” “Etienne,” “Take Me With You” and a cover of Carly Simon’s “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be.” (if you don’t recognize the song, stream this sample on iLike and it should come to mind). For the full setlist, check out the second Sydney show page in the Tour section and, if you were there and are so inclined, add your review to the others.

The New Yooxer Interview (November 13, 2009)

The New Yooxer on Yoox.com posted a video interview with Tori over the week. Interspersed with live video clips, Tori talks about Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Midwinter Graces and the dresses she’s wearing on the current tour.

The feature also includes a slideshow of photographs by Fabio Costi and Tori’s “Dream Box,” where she picks out some clothing and accessories from Yoox.com, the site that the New Yooxer is part of.

Visit The New Yooxer (or jump the cut) for the video — be warned that it starts automatically — though it’s perfectly safe for work if you’re worried about that sort of thing.

Thanks to Susan, Jamie and Kirkland for letting us know about this one!

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