SKYLER BLUE: The Living Room Sessions

Skyler Blue

The Living Room Sessions

© 2003 Skyler Blue (829757162126)

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100% live recordings done in the natural quiet of night preserve the chemistry of Siena & Toast (NOW KNOWN AS MAKENA - www.MAKENAmusic.com). 2 voices for breezy days, solitary drives, and fun-loving nights.

notes

* * * IMPORTANT UPDATE * * * --> "Skyler Blue" has changed their name to MAKENA. Pronounced mah-keh-nah, it's a Hawaiian word that means "abundance." A new website -- www.MAKENAmusic.com -- features a new album being released through Grammy-award winning record label and producer (Daniel Ho of DHC Records, Best Hawaiian Album '06). MAKENA has been selected as one of five musical acts from around the nation to be featured in the Emerging Artist Showcase onboard the Olivia ten-day Hawaiian Island Cruise, Nov. 8-18, 2006. A podcast, and blog with pictures, updated directly from their cruise, will be linked from their website: www.MAKENAmusic.com. Also on their website, photos and blogs from L.A. Women's Fest '06 in Hollywood, which was filmed for future airing on MTV's Logo Network... The old "Sklyler Blue" has kept at it and come a long way, but their mission remains the same...

MAKENA's mission: to serve the worldwide community with music goods and services of comfort and joy, in order to support people's worthwhile purposes through strengthened spirits of peace, inspiration, and love.

A portion of all sales goes towards www.Concerts4Cats.com, MAKENA's labor of love helping abandoned, injured, adult and senior cats. Please visit these websites for a great and entertaining insight into the lives of these full-time professional indy musicians -- www.MAKENAmusic.com & www.Concerts4Cats.com

MAKENA is Siena Lee & Toast Tajiri, an acoustic pop partnership committed to spirit and fun. Their music is well suited for breezy, social days, solitary drives, and fun-loving nights. They usually perform sitting instead of standing, saying it feels like a more natural way to share their music. The Living Room Sessions, their first album, is also unconventional in that it uses recording methods outdated since the 1950's. The album was done in response to audience and booking agent requests, and is designed to capture the songs and the chemistry of Siena and Toast. Both have left initial audiences fascinated with Skyler Blue and their story.

Siena and Toast's individual paths were separate, yet remarkably parallel. They were born in Hawaii within a month of each other. They grew up on different islands and started careers, but ended them at the same time in favor of music, despite family misgivings. It would be three years before Siena completed work on her first album. Toast's album took three years to finish as well. Along the way, each developed a vision and philosophy they would encounter in no one else except each other, a fact they would soon discover after meeting in 2001. This after each had left their island home to pursue music. Ironically, the meeting occurred back in Hawaii, while on tour promoting their separate projects.

MAKENA has logged appearances as guest artists at The Grove in Anaheim, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, The Japan-American Theatre in Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego Pride, Roy's Restaurant, and on screens aboard numerous flights of the air travel carrier Hawaiian Airlines.

Earth conscious listeners will be pleased to know the album uses a minimum of packaging material.

reviews

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  • a-ha!
    author: mel

    12/8/07 -- just recently came to the Makena music experience after finding their podcast. this album is fun to listen to and has a very upbeat energy to it ('k 'cept for "tell me" and "ka manu"). it'd be nice if they'd re-release these songs under the Makena name. i'd buy it all over again.

  • I always knew Denise (Toast) had the gift
    author: Grace Babas

    T's voice has so much feelings that I want to repeat the songs over and over. Along with the smooth sound of the guitar, this album is unique, personal, and powerful. I am very proud and honored to know you! Thanks for the sample music.

  • author: COUN3

    I'M ALSO SIENNA'S BROTHER, AND ALSO HAVE A BIAS OPIONION. BUT THIS IS THE TYPE OF CD THAT MAKES YOU WANT MORE. YOU'RE DISAPPOINTED THAT ITS OVER. THE SONG TELL ME IS MY FAVORITE. THE GUITAR PLAY RIVALS MANY WHO PLAY IT. TOAST ROCKS.

  • GREAT! Siena is my sister after all!
    author: Daywalker

    Okay, Siena is my sister, but, in my most oxymoronic unbiased opinion the songs are tops! Toast can really play that 6-string too! Great music for both relaxation and deep concentration. by that I mean, you get lost in the merging of their vocals and music...Boy, if these two would go to Japan...

  • poetic music with no artificial sweeteners
    author: by John Burnett, in the Hawaii Island Journal

    Skyler Blue is the acoustic guitar/vocal duo [Siena Lee and Toast Tajiri]. Both are originally from Hilo, but live in Redondo Beach, California. Many would call this a demo-quality recording as it was done live with only one microphone for two singers (and on some songs two guitars). The CD sleeve explains that the recording, which is without edits, overdubs or other studio tricks producers and engineers call "sweetening," is a purposeful decision, meant to provide the ambiance of their live performances.... It does pick up aspets of live performance such as fret squeaks and guitar string hum, which music purists love, but those weaned on American pop music seldom hear in recordings. It makes for a technically uneven recording but it provides a sort of honesty as well, which works best on ballads such as the touching "Beautiful The Night," and "Tell Me" and mid-tempo songs like "Wholly Enchanted" as well as the bluesy "Ain't Wasting My Time." More uptempo faer such as "I Never Knew" sounds a tad muddy, but the vocal interplay remains strong throughout. And make no mistake -- these women can sing. Eight of the nine songs are original. The other is "Ka Manu," a poignant traditional Hawaiian song about two lovers kept apart by their families. Most of the songs have intensely personal lyrics. Love is beautiful, but it isn't always pretty. The tenth cut is more a collection of outtakes, giggles and honesty that occasionally comes out when one realizes a microphone has caught them unaware. The poetry is as evident as the artistry. I don't know how the song writing chores shake out as all original songs are credited to Skyler Blue, but Tajiri is heavily influenced by the Indigo Girls. Skyler Blue has the same uncompromising lyrical quality to their music. The Living Room Sessions is a "warts and all" project, not for everyone, but is perfect for those who like poetic music with no artificial sweeteners.

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