Vuk

See:

http://tasteslikecaramel.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/artist-spotlight-interview-vuk/ - Tastes Like Caramel

"Critics battling space limitations may opt to describe The Plains with such tired platitudes as "magical," "uncompromising" and "ambitious" (words this album will no doubt attract like a magnet), but there are few other ways to describe one of the most interesting albums released in Finland this year."
- Samuli Knuutti - Image

"You can expect nothing but surprises from Vuk. [She] has created a spellbinding album, and unpredictability is one of The Plains' absolute strengths. [...) Vuk avoids the common pitfalls of experimental noise musicians. Not only that, but her pop sensibility caresses the ear." ****
- Marko Ylitalo - Rumba

"beautifully fragile and beautifully taunting and, in general, always straight-up powerful."
- Brandon Stosuy - Stereogum

"The fact that it was Midsummer Night, and that the artists were relatively unknown, led to a rather small crowd. What a pity, since as it turns out, the evening was unforgettable.

The climax of the evening occurred right at the beginning, as Emily "Vuk" Cheeger dumbfounded everyone with her trans-global avant-blues, performing with a second young woman who remained anonymous Armed with two small harmoniums, drums and unusual vocal harmonies, this intense, yet charmingly relaxed duo performed unprecedented wonders in a territory somewhere between that of PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Anette Peacock, a church organist on acid and ancient Bulgarian folksongs.

The songs of [Vuk] (who is also a former member of Dirty Projectors), which have been performed in numerous different lineups, were consistently astounding combinations of experimentation in the spirit of the New York avant-garde, tribal dance and bloodcurdling blues. This young woman, who exuded a whimsical sense of humor, is one of the most impressive singers I have heard in a long time. She has a perfect handle on ancient tribal techniques – a snippet of a Robert Johnson song placed most other contemporary blues singers in an unflattering light – but the performance did not limit itself to a mere show of technical brilliance. The most stunning thing of all was the deep expression of joy and sorrow – the heart of the blues.

Check out [Vuk's] album "The Plains" as soon as it is released. If justice prevails, Vuk will be the next sensation of experimental and world music. In truth, she already is."


JUSSI NIEMI - Aamulehti

"This radiant album operates on a level above dry platitudes, and with its power, renders meaningless any demands that would inhibit its growth or diminish its complexity."****
- Soundi

She’s a thief and admits it, Finnish-American Emily Cheeger. Even though she’s responsible for one of the most imaginative, creative releases this year with her sophomore effort ‘The Plains’, she’s downright stolen her artist name, Vuk. From a child, too. A little half-Serbian boy to be exact (apparently it’s a very common Serbo-Croatian boy’s name, so there should be plenty more around, but still…). Anyway, since I’m neither judge, jury or executioner this only serve as intro and a fun fact on this great artist.

I want to compare her to compatriot Astrid Swan, especially her 2008 album ‘Spartan Picnic’. Not because they’re directly comparable, but they do share some characteristics. They’re both powerful vocalists and have a love for the theatrically grandiose, and like Swan Vuk knows how to balance the avant-garde with the accessible, and the experiment with solid, straightforward pop within songs. New layers and details constantly surface, making this a challenging experience. In a good way, that is.

Like the funky, repetitive ‘Kiss The Assassin’ where a handclap ‘n bass groove is contrasted by an eery siren choir and suddenly torn by a horn section gone desperately apeshit. Or when she has Brazilian samba clash with a Balkan orchestra in ‘All My Worries’. She touches on David Sylvian/Japan in opener ‘Flint In The Pines’ and offer dreamy calms in ‘The Arms Of Spirits’, ‘Gramophone & Periscope’ and the title track, the latter waltzing, melancholic balladry at its finest and still she manages to sneak in delicate tribal drums as a perfectly natural element.

The former Dirty Projectors collaborator released her debut ‘Exile!’ (which I don’t know) in 2003 and ‘The Plains’ were in fact ready to be released in 2007, but her then label Verdura Records opted out. Don’t matter now, because it’s out and excellent, and thankfully it sounds like it won’t be another six years before Vuk will spoil us with a new album.

http://allscandinavian.com/2552/vuk-the-plains/#ixzz0WfyQp4hn
- Allscandinavian.com

(Excerpt concerning Vuk:)

"Our headline artist tonight has come all the way from Finland: Vuk. No, me neither, but that's the other reason why promoters with passion are important: find one whose taste you can trust and it's a far more reliable source of new music than those "if you like that you might like this" websites. Not that Vuk would be likely to feature on them anyway, as she really doesn't sound a great deal like anyone else. She doesn't, for instance, sound vocally anything like Kate Bush - if anything, she's more of a female Nick Cave in that department - and yet there is something of the long-ago young Kate's free spirit and dream-influenced feel to her compositions. Blending the organic with the electronic, her wooden organ and autoharp with her backing players' synth and percussion, she pulls together echoes of Icelandic post-rock, Eastern European folk and the pretty melodies of Swedish-spec lo-fi indie; all Finland's nearest neighbours, really. Unfortunately we're getting rather close to curfew time and she has two songs left and does not want to drop either of them. We don't want her to, either, so our promoter backs himself against the door and tells her to go for it; a member of staff comes upstairs to be faced with Vuk flinging her long hair back whilst breaking into an almost primal scream (no, not the band) sequence about apple trees and wisely takes a step back to let her finish. It's still Salford, it's still Thursday night, but in a strange way it feels like we've travelled somewhere tonight."

By Cath Aubergine

http://www.music-dash.co.uk/live/live.asp?item=1833 - Manchestermusic.co.uk