Born in Malmö, Sweden Christine Owman lived a couple of years in the States as a child. She started playing the cello at the age of five, started to sing before she could speak and write songs before she knew how to spell.
Her latest collaboration is a duo with one of her own favorites - Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age).
This young lady has started to build up a reputation of explosive live shows: headbanging to obscure movie projections from the 20s & 30s, playing the saw, the cello, the ukulele and singing through effect pedals.
I stumbled across her album "Spelling Words" and I'm in love with it. Just amazing, don't know how I missed it when it was released last year. But making up for it now.
Much of women’s pop and rock seems to be primarily directed at men, packaging femininity in ways that confirm or overturn male-generated stereotypes. Throwing Knives comes at womanhood from the inside, painting a far more complicated, conflicted view that may or may not appeal to the opposite sex. That it’s couched in beautiful, eerie melodies, sometimes delicate, sometimes ragged arrangements, and a dream-like vocal prettiness can only add to the conundrum. Christine Owman is certainly not going for the obvious.
“Spelling Words,” the first song on this 3rd full-length album from the Swedish singer/songwriter Christine Owman, begins in a tipsy saw of cello, a regular plink and plunk of banjo, the soft-focus drift of folky female vocals. Traditional sounds turn slightly askew, sheer sonic pleasure turns into something slightly darker and more eccentric, as Owman questions the very nature of human connection, fallibility of human communication. It’s an odd song, seductively soft on the surface but full of sharp, jutting angles, familiar-sounding but, once examined, contrarian and vaguely unsettling. It’s an excellent introduction for Throwing Knives, too, showcasing the wiry, unconventional intelligence of an unusual artist.
Spelling WordsSong taken from the album Throwing Knives, released in Sweden Dec 2010. U.S release in July 2011.
Listen to the whole album on Soundcloud
Song and video by Christine Owman.
Music and Lyrics by Christine Owman.
Song is mixed and produced together with Ola Frick of Moonbabies.
Guest singer is Andi Almqvist.
Dancers are Betty Page and Sally Rand.
All rights reserved. RevolvingRecords
Check out a snippet of a song from the forthcoming collaboration with Mark Lanegan.
Christine says about it: "This is a little treat for you, just to get a sneak peek of what's going on. The song is called Familiar Act with guest vocals from Mark Lanegan. This tune is part of a forthcoming vinyl EP which will include another duo with Mark Lanegan".
Mark Lanegan has this voice that just blends so well with the female voice, remember Isobel Campbell?
Here's another song from the Throwing Knives album, again with a tremendous video. Maybe here is even a clue to the title of the album.
I Live I DieSong and Video by Christine Owman
Lyrics and music by Christine Owman
All rights reserved. RevolvingRecords
Here's an acoustic version of another track from this amazing album.
SinnersA wonderful performance for Balcony TV.
And now, just to see the comparison to a regular live performance, Christine is known for her astounding live performance, try and catch her some time.
The Agreement
One more from this album. Again with the terrific videos.
DanceSong and Video by Christine Owman.
Music and lyrics by Christine Owman.
All rights reserved. Revolvingrecords
This one's so good you have to have the lyrics.
Dance
She's the best damn woman that you ever saw
And she teases you to death
When her eyes are on you you'll do anything
To Make her eeeee for you the same.
And when you're closer now, you can see the drips, on her sweaty lips, the way she mimes the words to which she moves her hips
She's dancing baby but she's not dancing for you
I'm dancing baby but not for you
Dance til I fall asleep, until my legs are numb
and when I fall and can't get up I'll know I've just begun
Dance til I fall asleep, until my legs are numb
and when I fall and can't get up I'll know I've just begun
She's dancing baby but she's not dancing for you
I'm dancing baby but not for you
The best damn woman that you ever saw
Damn woman
She's the best damn woman that you ever saw
Damn woman
And she teases you to death
Damn woman
The best damn woman that you ever saw
Damn woman
She's dancing baby but she's not dancing for you
Damn woman, damn woman
I'm dancing baby but not for you
Damn woman, damn woman
