Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Cannonball Jane

Street Vernacular

Label: Fortuna Pop! Release Date: 09/01/2006

12198
Mike_Diver by Mike Diver January 4th, 2006

Let’s cut straight to the chase with this one, as it’s a record that heads straight for the seat of the pants from the outset: Street Vernacular is a summer-come-early joy. All retro hip-hop beats, cooed girl vocals and upright and super-tight bass, it’s a record to strip off and wrench a hydrant open to (assuming that you, like Cannonball Jane – a.k.a. Sharon Hagopian, elementary school music teacher by day – call Brooklyn your local turf, the home of your particular street vernacular); it’s a record to sip icy beer to and party ‘til the summer sun drops and circles right back around again. So, what’s the sole problem? It’s January, silly.

What the label are doing releasing this now is a mystery: it’ll be swallowed whole by the sales shoppers, shifting not nearly enough copies to cover the cost of actually putting it into stores (only for it to sit in a rack until summer comes around and the label sensibly pushes it all over again). If they don’t give it another oomph come the rainclouds’ desertion, it’ll be a crime of such significance that I may shed a tear; Street Vernacular really is that joyous. It makes your body move without your brain’s prior consent, its sampled scratches itching their way down your legs and twitching your toes about your winter boots. Your behind will wiggle; your hands may mould themselves into amusing shapes. People on the bus will stare at you, but just beam right back.

‘Breaker Breaker’ and ‘Let’s Go’ are like The Breeders playing at being The Beastie Boys circa ‘No Sleep ’Til Brooklyn’ and Run DMC vs Aerosmith respectively, rocking popping beats and synthed-up guitar licks; ‘Add A Wrap’ begins with air raid sirens before slipping into something close to an electro ballad, the kind of thing that Dido should lend her talents to if only she’d pull away from her current MOR conveniences; and ‘Hey! Hey! Alright!’ is positively delirious, a dizzying Bis-meets-Le Tigre mash up. ‘Brave New World’ even samples Pac-Man – respect. Dare we suggest that Street Vernacular, recorded entirely solo at Hagopian’s home, could be this year’s Check In, a pop album that even the most tedious of indie snobs can enjoy without fear of shedding scene points? Yup, we dare.

(Hey, indie snobs: Cannonball Jane has shared bills with Le Tigre and E.S.G., so chin up.)

Fortuna Pop!, promise me something: slip this into a few select stores now and then open the PR floodgates just as soon as the sun has got its hat on. It’ll brighten dull winter days for sure, but Street Vernacular’s home is in the bright midday sunshine, clasping a cool drink and bopping with the biggest of smiles on its face.

  • 7
    Mike Diver's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Chris Brokaw

Incredible Love

Mobback
12196
12165

The Motorettes

Super Heartbeats

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND