| My brother called me
the other day to tell me that I had a package waiting for me when I got home. So I asked
what is it? He said, "I don’t know, but it’s big! I hope to hell someone
didn’t send you a bomb!" So I got home and there, waiting for me, was the Lourds
press kit, and yes it was (and still is) big! This isn’t a problem, but it does make
one wonder what, if anything, is left to be said? But I’ll try, and in doing so, I
hope to open your eyes and ears to something so special that I call her The Queen!
So who is Lourds? Well, she’s one hell of a
talented singer/songwriter slash violin player, yes you read that right - violin player.
But wait! Don’t run just yet, I’m not doing a Mozart review. Lourds rocks!! Boy
does she ever!
But let’s start at the beginning. Lourds started playing the Violin at age 3, she
then went on to play Carnegie Hall at age 6 - you talk about your over achiever! But then,
as the story goes, at the age of 7or 8 her farther took her to a Kiss concert. This, as it
turns out, became somewhat of an epiphany for the young Lourds, who loved the glamour of
it, the intensity and the emotions. However, when she tried to incorporate the two
(classical and KISS) by jumping off the stage and soloing in the audience, her conductor
was less than pleased! Even though the audience loved it! When her conductor told her that
she was making a mockery of classical music, something she still can’t believe he
said, the classical world lost it’s promising little prodigy, and rock gained a
Queen!
So what’s all this Queen business? Well, the opening track of Lourds’ stellar
debut is a song called "I’m A Queen" and her fans refer to her as such. But
"I’m A Queen" is only one of 14 tracks on the CD, a CD that is filled with
great songs. Lourds does have some of that singer/songwriter angst, but not to the point
that she sounds like a whiney little (well, you know), but rather a strong confident
woman. She also has songs that show a more vulnerable side. The counterpart to
"I’m A Queen" would be "Weak", where Lourds sings "I walk
away and close my eyes to all this sorrow knowing your tomorrows don’t include that
much of me, as hard as that maybe be ‘cause I still love you".
 Let me make this very clear, when
Lourds and her band rock, they could push back a hurricane! Songs like "Soothsayer
Lies" and "Kiss Me Kiss Me" will leave you in awe. She can also be
whimsical, with songs like "The Circus Song" and "Snaggletooth" The CD
never seems contrived or stale, it has a wonderful flow to it and songs that will sound
fresh for years. Musically she is an original and no, not because she plays violin in a
rock band, but because she has her own sound. You hear one Lourds song, and you know
it’s her. Can you say that about all these cookie-cutter boy and girl bands that the
record labels seem to crapping out every day! Ican’t!
Now let me tell you about the look. It has been called Bowie meets Queen (Queen the band)
and some have also said that about her sound. Lourds has taken the art of make up and
fashion to a whole new level, she can look like something from outer space, to something
that could be from the pages of Fetish Monthly! No shit! But that’s Lourds, a true
original. Lastly, along with The Basement Tapes" Lourds has two singles and an EP -
"And She Was" Lourds", "America United" and the
"Orange" EP - all highly recommended!
So that’s it, I hope that I made enough of an impression on anyone who reads this
that they will check out the CD. Who knows, you might just find yourself saying Long Live
The Queen!!
Lourds web site
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