Fresh Squeezed: Gigi

I know part of my mission is to bring you, the reader, the latest and my uniquely original music possible, but sometimes the most rewarding and exciting music is deeply grounded in the past. In the case of Vancouver's Gigi it the knowledge and respect for what has come before mixed with the fresh and creative approach to recreation that makes their debut so special. Gigi is the recording project of songwriter Nick Krgovich and producer/engineer Colin Stewart. The story goes that in 2005, Stewart acquired two huge vintage plate reverbs, and enlisted Krgovich and other musician friends to help create a couple of tracks in the style of Phil Spector/Brill Building. The recording session went so well that they continued to record and invite other friends over the next three years.

The goal was to capture the spirit and sound of the '60's, but that was no small task. In addition to Stewart's engineering and production credits on albums by Black Mountain, Cave Singers and Destroyer, as well as, Krgovich's other groups No Kids and P:ANO, Gigi has given the pair an opportunity to unabashedly profess their love of pop music. With vocal contributions from Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Mirah, Zac Pennington of Parenthetical Girls, Katie Eastburn of Young People, Rose Melberg, Bobby Birdman, and Karl Blau, Gigi is a four experiment in pop that pays off in a big way. It's the wall of sound, the harmonies, the innocence, the discovery all over again.

Maintenant (Tomlab, 2/10/2010)
1. No, My Heart Will Go On (Chorus)
2. The Hundredth Time (with Duffy Driediger & Ryan Peters)
3. Dreams of Romance (with Zac Pennington)
4. Alone at the Pier (with Rose Melberg)
5. Everyone Can Tell (with Ryan Beattie)
6. One Woman Show (with Joey Cook)
7. I'm Not Coming Out Tonight (with Marissa Johnson and Sydney Vermont)
8. Some Second Best (Chorus)
9. I Can't Bring Myself To Smile (with Bobby Birdman & Katy Davidson)
10. Strolling Past the Old Graveyard (with Karl Blau)
11. The Marquee (with Katie Eastburn)
12. Impossible Love (Chorus)
13. Won't Someone Tell Me? (with Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn)
14. I'll Quit (with Owen Pallett)
15. 'Neathe The Streetlight (with Nick Krgovich)