The May Company

For Los Angeles outfit May McDonough & Company‘s last single “Hell Is For Lovers”, “The Zombies-as-fronted-by-Grace Slick” is the best way we could think of to describe the track’s slinky and bluesy psychedelic-pop/ rock.

On follow-up release “Mannequin”, MM&C take parts of that winning recipe and toss in a bit of Phil Spector-produced girl group to help frame the tale of a woman who has had it up-to-here with a less-than-satisfying beau. “I’ve been washing my new skeleton/ And I won’t let you underneath my skin/ Tearing me limb from limb,” frontwoman May McDonough sings, before bringing things to a finely-whittled point on the hook: “I won’t be a mannequin for you”.

Assuaging May’s sassy lyrical edge with coos that drip with a candied doo-wop melodicism and a swaying backing arrangement that nicely melds both the murky and bubblegum leanings of ’60's-vintage pop, “Mannequin”‘s sweet n’ spicy spin on classic yester-year rock forms proves to be just as inviting as May McDonough & Company’s preceding effort, leaving us (and, apparently, Quentin Tarantino) that much more intrigued to hear what the rest of their forthcoming album bullyboywithaglasseye has on deck. - MIXTAPE MAESTRO, May 6 2013.

For Los Angeles outfit May McDonough & Company‘s last single “Hell Is For Lovers”, “The Zombies-as-fronted-by-Grace Slick” is the best way we could think of to describe the track’s slinky and bluesy psychedelic-pop/ rock.

On follow-up release “Mannequin”, MM&C take parts of that winning recipe and toss in a bit of Phil Spector-produced girl group to help frame the tale of a woman who has had it up-to-here with a less-than-satisfying beau. “I’ve been washing my new skeleton/ And I won’t let you underneath my skin/ Tearing me limb from limb,” frontwoman May McDonough sings, before bringing things to a finely-whittled point on the hook: “I won’t be a mannequin for you”.

Assuaging May’s sassy lyrical edge with coos that drip with a candied doo-wop melodicism and a swaying backing arrangement that nicely melds both the murky and bubblegum leanings of ’60's-vintage pop, “Mannequin”‘s sweet n’ spicy spin on classic yester-year rock forms proves to be just as inviting as May McDonough & Company’s preceding effort, leaving us (and, apparently, Quentin Tarantino) that much more intrigued to hear what the rest of their forthcoming album bullyboywithaglasseye has on deck. - MIXTAPE MAESTRO, May 6 2013.

Just a bit of sultry psychedelic western rock for your earballs today courtesy of May McDonough & Company, a new indie outfit out of Los Angeles.

With a bass line reminiscent of The Zombies “Time of the Season,” a husky Nancy Sinatra-esque voice, and a bit of country twang, “Hell Is For Lovers” soulfully sidles its way into your consciousness. - AESTHETES ANONYMOUS

Just a bit of sultry psychedelic western rock for your earballs today courtesy of May McDonough & Company, a new indie outfit out of Los Angeles.

With a bass line reminiscent of The Zombies “Time of the Season,” a husky Nancy Sinatra-esque voice, and a bit of country twang, “Hell Is For Lovers” soulfully sidles its way into your consciousness. - AESTHETES ANONYMOUS

Be excited, because new music is coming from May McDonough and Company! With the new album, bullyboywithaglasseye, being released in the not-so-distant-future, “Hell is for Lovers” is the first single which the band coins “psycho-pop.”

The group’s videos are usually always pretty unique, however, they take things a step further this time by creating one hell of a tent fortress. Forget the baby one that you obstructed in your living room with cushions from the couch, a couple of blankets and some chairs when you were a little kid- this monstrosity was actually 2,500 feet of twists and turns set up with trap doors and other secret passageways. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I kinda want to create a big one, too. However, I don’t think the boyfriend would appreciate me destroying the house in the name of fun. Just a note- the background song is a shorter, live and uncut recording of what’s to come.

Upon first watch, I couldn’t help to think of the French movie Irreversible with the topsy-turvy camera angles and disjointed actions from the cameraman. Shot in first-person, you go through the maze of the unknown, meeting creatures and masked characters along the way. It’s pretty Eyes Wide Shut with people in carnival masks, men in horse heads and even a roaming dog. You don’t know what is coming around the next corner and that’s what hooks you in to the end. Are these friends? Foes? Dunno- however, if Hell is going to be this much fun, I’m not too worried about my fate.

I might be biased as I have a semi-hetero crush on the the front woman and her amazing voice; but I stand by my assumption that you too will fall in love with the new single and fiend for more as well. Bring it on! - ROBOTS FOR HIRE, March 2013

Be excited, because new music is coming from May McDonough and Company! With the new album, bullyboywithaglasseye, being released in the not-so-distant-future, “Hell is for Lovers” is the first single which the band coins “psycho-pop.”

The group’s videos are usually always pretty unique, however, they take things a step further this time by creating one hell of a tent fortress. Forget the baby one that you obstructed in your living room with cushions from the couch, a couple of blankets and some chairs when you were a little kid- this monstrosity was actually 2,500 feet of twists and turns set up with trap doors and other secret passageways. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I kinda want to create a big one, too. However, I don’t think the boyfriend would appreciate me destroying the house in the name of fun. Just a note- the background song is a shorter, live and uncut recording of what’s to come.

Upon first watch, I couldn’t help to think of the French movie Irreversible with the topsy-turvy camera angles and disjointed actions from the cameraman. Shot in first-person, you go through the maze of the unknown, meeting creatures and masked characters along the way. It’s pretty Eyes Wide Shut with people in carnival masks, men in horse heads and even a roaming dog. You don’t know what is coming around the next corner and that’s what hooks you in to the end. Are these friends? Foes? Dunno- however, if Hell is going to be this much fun, I’m not too worried about my fate.

I might be biased as I have a semi-hetero crush on the the front woman and her amazing voice; but I stand by my assumption that you too will fall in love with the new single and fiend for more as well. Bring it on! - ROBOTS FOR HIRE, March 2013

On this latest cut from Los Angeles four-piece May McDonough & Co., front-woman May McDonough dishes some words of wisdom for those so eager to rent their heart out chasing after long-lasting romance: “For what it’s worth/ Before you enter your lover’s December/ Tethered to the earth/ Maybe you should just remember…hell is for lovers”.

Of course, these are words coming from someone who has just had their whole heart stomped all over by a jerky ex (who’s belatedly trying to get back in her good graces), but you almost feel like you should heed her advice anyway, especially as she delivers these lines in a quivering, bluesy contralto rich with not only a fresh ache and bitterness, but edged with a sliver of sinister darkness that hints of some pretty devilish revenge-plotting currently in the making for a certain male.

Expanding upon that striking vocal eeriness, a supporting organ-laced churn that swings, pummels and grooves with vintage rock, jazz and psychedelic-pop notes, gifting “Lovers” with a The Zombies-as-fronted-by-Grace Slick sensibility that’s way too compelling a combination to deny.

“Hell Is For Lovers” is currently available on iTunes, with LP bullyboywithaglasseye due out later this year. - MIXTAPE MAESTRO, March 2013

On their recent freebie single 'Hell Is For Lovers', May McDonough & Company gave us a good old fashioned piece of blues/psych that wouldn't have sounded out of place being recorded by Janis Joplin. The slow, deep groove resonated well. New single 'Mannequin' doesn't stray vastly from that sound; it's still a heavy psych track at heart although somehow manages to sound more modern while still referencing the past. You could say it's a slight improvement as well, not that there was anything wrong with 'Hell Is For Lovers', but here there's added variety.

The chorus could be lifted from a pop song and reinterpreted by the blues-rock band that her Company are. Therefore we get that same groove, that same depth of sound, the same robust musicianship and solid-as-a-rock performance, however it's lightened by this sunny break. Adding this extra melody doesn't make for a scatterbrained song made of random bits and pieces, it all ties in very well. The vocals are rich, even on the poppier section, and this indicates a diversity to May McDonough & Company that we didn't know existed until now. - THE SOUND OF CONFUSION, March 2013

On their recent freebie single 'Hell Is For Lovers', May McDonough & Company gave us a good old fashioned piece of blues/psych that wouldn't have sounded out of place being recorded by Janis Joplin. The slow, deep groove resonated well. New single 'Mannequin' doesn't stray vastly from that sound; it's still a heavy psych track at heart although somehow manages to sound more modern while still referencing the past. You could say it's a slight improvement as well, not that there was anything wrong with 'Hell Is For Lovers', but here there's added variety.

The chorus could be lifted from a pop song and reinterpreted by the blues-rock band that her Company are. Therefore we get that same groove, that same depth of sound, the same robust musicianship and solid-as-a-rock performance, however it's lightened by this sunny break. Adding this extra melody doesn't make for a scatterbrained song made of random bits and pieces, it all ties in very well. The vocals are rich, even on the poppier section, and this indicates a diversity to May McDonough & Company that we didn't know existed until now. - THE SOUND OF CONFUSION, March 2013

In the video for May Mcdonough & Co.’s latest single “Hell is For Lovers”, the band turned their house into a giant pillow fort, which took 14 hours, 92 bedsheets, 13 friends, and 2,500 square feet to create. This is an appropriately dark adventure through the LA act’s stunning ghost soul sound, that reminds us very much of Ryan Gosling project Dead Man’s Bones. We would love to take a visit to the underworld, if it was always soundtracked as good as this.
- HAND CLAP MOVEMENT

Nadia Noir // Staff Writer

2011 OC Music Awards, Music
1/16/2011
8:00 am


Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the OC Music Awards kicked off on January 4th with seven weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists will compete for the titles of Best Live Band or Best Live Acoustic and a performance slot at the 2011 OC Music Awards, March 5 at the Grove of Anaheim. And, the voting is open now!

Imagine a twilight raft escape through the swamps of the Mississippi River. With the magical focus of a voodoo queen and a lifetime of morally questionable crime behind you, your raft takes you to a swamp side bar. Crawling through the illuminated windows is the sound of a sultry, eerie piano and a breathy, bluesy voice. That languid voice could easily be that of Orange County-native, May McDonough.

McDonough’s melancholic refrains are punctured with mysteriously gritty, yet absolutely fearless instrumentation. Her sound would easily serve as both the raucous soundtrack to a pool hall brawl or a lingering night with a bottle of bourbon and a bucket of heartbreak. However, her beautiful voice is still ominous enough to rattle the bones of the dead.

And thankfully, McDonough’s seen enough dead bodies to keep singing through their macabre parade.

“ The first time I ever heard Tom Waits when I was a teenager...I was like, 'Shit, someone is out there already making the music that I have in my head.'
”

“I’ve seen my fair share of dead bodies in my lifetime,” said the 20-something, slightly cynical chanteuse. May McDonough then relayed a story about witnessing dead bodies on her doorstep when she was a child living in Silverado and the old woman she saw throw herself from a third story window.

“I used to be an Irish step dancer and one time we were walking home from a competition past a senior citizen’s home and ten yards in front of us, we watched an old woman, she must have had enough, jump from a third story window.”

“My mother was an EMT at the time–like I said she’s had a lot of jobs–and she had to rush over to help. So, I’ve kind of had a lot of experiences like that. Experiences where it’s the wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose.”

Artistically, McDonough is in the exact right place at the exact right time. In a musical age where people have become comfortable with embracing their dark sides with vigor and realism, McDonough is a poetic, jazzy singer-songwriter with her finger on the trigger of their desires.

Painting a bleek but beautiful soundscape, her album Spilt Milk evokes the carnivalesque story of the heartbroken hooligan or the demented femme fatale. The old-world creak of her instruments sound like Rasputina or Devotchka, but her voice sounds sweetly supernatural. Her wry, adept lyricism draws many parallels to Tom Waits or Bonnie “Prince” Billy.

McDonough concurred and described how her “bizarre” life has influenced her songwriting:

“The first time I ever heard Tom Waits when I was a teenager…I was like, ‘Shit, someone is out there already making the music that I have in my head.’”

“As a female musician, I never just want to sound pretty. That’s not the world I’ve grown up in and that’s certainly not what’s inside my head. So I try, with the music, to make the music as grimy and organic and raw as my perspective on life has been. Not to stay that I am a pessimist in any way. It’s the honest truth.”

“I’ve definitely seen the nitty-gritty of life. There are so many bizarre experiences that I’ve been through that as a child I definitely had to contemplate things that I don’t think children necessarily always things about and gained awareness of the world and of myself that I think children usually get to forego in childhood. That’s definitely given me a different perspective in the world.”

Beyond the obvious horrors of seeing dead bodies at such a young age, McDonough also had a strange, but fantastical upbringing by her multifaceted mother. McDonough is one case where all the rumors you hear about her almost cinematic life are true.

“It’s a little bizarre, but most of it’s true,” McDonough elaborated. “My father started his own P.I. bureau when he was still in his teens and my mother’s had every job on the planet. My friends jokes that if there was a Dos Equus woman advertisement that she’d be it for the most interesting women. Because she’s been a lion tamer. There used to be a place called Gentle Jungle and she actually worked with lions, tiger, and elephants.”

“Eventually she went through a lot of bizarre jobs and then eventually that’s how she started being a private eye. And that’s how she met my father…I happen to have a very bizarre upbringing and a very bizarre life. I feel like I’m kind of a magnet for strange occurrences.”

Born in Orange, McDonough remembered that as a child she loved the Orange Circle. Despite having lived all over, McDonough was attracted to Orange as an adult and hijacked her brother’ - KROQ

Nadia Noir // Staff Writer

2011 OC Music Awards, Music
1/16/2011
8:00 am


Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the OC Music Awards kicked off on January 4th with seven weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists will compete for the titles of Best Live Band or Best Live Acoustic and a performance slot at the 2011 OC Music Awards, March 5 at the Grove of Anaheim. And, the voting is open now!

Imagine a twilight raft escape through the swamps of the Mississippi River. With the magical focus of a voodoo queen and a lifetime of morally questionable crime behind you, your raft takes you to a swamp side bar. Crawling through the illuminated windows is the sound of a sultry, eerie piano and a breathy, bluesy voice. That languid voice could easily be that of Orange County-native, May McDonough.

McDonough’s melancholic refrains are punctured with mysteriously gritty, yet absolutely fearless instrumentation. Her sound would easily serve as both the raucous soundtrack to a pool hall brawl or a lingering night with a bottle of bourbon and a bucket of heartbreak. However, her beautiful voice is still ominous enough to rattle the bones of the dead.

And thankfully, McDonough’s seen enough dead bodies to keep singing through their macabre parade.

“ The first time I ever heard Tom Waits when I was a teenager...I was like, 'Shit, someone is out there already making the music that I have in my head.'
”

“I’ve seen my fair share of dead bodies in my lifetime,” said the 20-something, slightly cynical chanteuse. May McDonough then relayed a story about witnessing dead bodies on her doorstep when she was a child living in Silverado and the old woman she saw throw herself from a third story window.

“I used to be an Irish step dancer and one time we were walking home from a competition past a senior citizen’s home and ten yards in front of us, we watched an old woman, she must have had enough, jump from a third story window.”

“My mother was an EMT at the time–like I said she’s had a lot of jobs–and she had to rush over to help. So, I’ve kind of had a lot of experiences like that. Experiences where it’s the wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose.”

Artistically, McDonough is in the exact right place at the exact right time. In a musical age where people have become comfortable with embracing their dark sides with vigor and realism, McDonough is a poetic, jazzy singer-songwriter with her finger on the trigger of their desires.

Painting a bleek but beautiful soundscape, her album Spilt Milk evokes the carnivalesque story of the heartbroken hooligan or the demented femme fatale. The old-world creak of her instruments sound like Rasputina or Devotchka, but her voice sounds sweetly supernatural. Her wry, adept lyricism draws many parallels to Tom Waits or Bonnie “Prince” Billy.

McDonough concurred and described how her “bizarre” life has influenced her songwriting:

“The first time I ever heard Tom Waits when I was a teenager…I was like, ‘Shit, someone is out there already making the music that I have in my head.’”

“As a female musician, I never just want to sound pretty. That’s not the world I’ve grown up in and that’s certainly not what’s inside my head. So I try, with the music, to make the music as grimy and organic and raw as my perspective on life has been. Not to stay that I am a pessimist in any way. It’s the honest truth.”

“I’ve definitely seen the nitty-gritty of life. There are so many bizarre experiences that I’ve been through that as a child I definitely had to contemplate things that I don’t think children necessarily always things about and gained awareness of the world and of myself that I think children usually get to forego in childhood. That’s definitely given me a different perspective in the world.”

Beyond the obvious horrors of seeing dead bodies at such a young age, McDonough also had a strange, but fantastical upbringing by her multifaceted mother. McDonough is one case where all the rumors you hear about her almost cinematic life are true.

“It’s a little bizarre, but most of it’s true,” McDonough elaborated. “My father started his own P.I. bureau when he was still in his teens and my mother’s had every job on the planet. My friends jokes that if there was a Dos Equus woman advertisement that she’d be it for the most interesting women. Because she’s been a lion tamer. There used to be a place called Gentle Jungle and she actually worked with lions, tiger, and elephants.”

“Eventually she went through a lot of bizarre jobs and then eventually that’s how she started being a private eye. And that’s how she met my father…I happen to have a very bizarre upbringing and a very bizarre life. I feel like I’m kind of a magnet for strange occurrences.”

Born in Orange, McDonough remembered that as a child she loved the Orange Circle. Despite having lived all over, McDonough was attracted to Orange as an adult and hijacked her brother’ - KROQ

Two hours before a radio gig on KUCI last year, May McDonough's band bailed on her via text message. So she called on a couple of friends: Lo Schmitt to fill in on drums and Rusty Huber to play trumpet and the bicycle he rode in on, brushing its spokes for percussion and taping its chains to the singer's ankles. After this gypsy-troubador arrangement of her set, they added bassist Xavier Cabrera a month later, thus forming May McDonough and Co.—a noir-folk junkyard outfit who have caught our ear with their tattered-beauty debut, Spilt Milk.
McDonough couldn't remember where her bike went
McDonough couldn't remember where her bike went
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Taix French Restaurant

1911 Sunset Blvd.
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May McDonough and Co. perform with Sisters Rogers at Taix, www.taixfrench.com. Thurs., June 2, 8:30 p.m. Free. 21+.
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More About

* May McDonough
* Long Beach (New York)
* Fat Albert
* Brooklyn (New York City)
* Jolie Holland



OC Weekly: Some of the artists who come to mind when listening to your stuff include Portishead, Jolie Holland and Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs. Which artists do you recognize as being your influences?

May McDonough: That's always tough. Tom Waits gets called out a lot for the first album. But it's funny, I think some of my biggest influences aren't recognizable yet in the music—Sonic Youth and JackieO and all that really harsh stuff that strays so far from the usual melody but is still so clearly music to me. I get my love for grimy tones and musical sarcasm there. Xavier is really into Motown bass. We only have one album so far, so over time, you'll hear our influences better.



One of the band's aesthetic points is playing found objects such as bik- wheel spokes. Where did you get the inspiration for that?

Some of it came from the impromptu nature of the KUCI gig, some of it's the brainchild of Rusty's engineering skills, and some of it is just stuff I found on construction sites and took to a school welding shop with a friend. I should clarify, though, we only ever use things we specifically need for their sound. Nothing is just for show, although if we can play up the visual element, we will.



Were Fat Albert and the Junk Yard Band an influence at all?

Yes. Fat Albert are mandatory listening in the company.



You wrote that Long Beach has become the Brooklyn of LA with all the hipsters migrating here. What did you observe to make you write that?

Yeah, actually I was asking Sam Brown, one of the Whitest Kids U'Know—name drop!—to come to our show a few nights back in Long Beach, and he moaned over how far away it is from the heart of LA. It reminded me of the way Manhattanites groan about Brooklyn. For people who didn't grow up in the area, it's a foreign country. And as for equating the hipster migration . . . I think that's obvious.



Some message-board commenter said that calling someone a hipster has become the equivalent to saying, "Whoever smelt it, dealt it." Is there any credence to that statement?

Hipster is the first uproarious youth movement that no one wants to be a part of. I think it's because there's no cause involved, so the arts seem to be worn like badges instead of megaphones. And, yeah, some of it's superfluous, but I'd like to believe there's something there, even if it gets bastardized sometimes.



What's the plan for the next six months?

We're really pushing to get the next album ready for recording. We're only taking gigs we really need right now, in order to have time for rehearsal. We're all just really anxious to get the next album done and expand the scope of our sound. We don't want to feel stale or stagnant, and some of these songs are more than 4 years old. What's that Woody Allen quote? "A relationship is like a shark; it has to keep moving or it will die." That goes for everything, in my book. - OC Weekly

see link - OC Weekly

see link - OC Weekly

video. see link. - KROQ

[OC Music Awards Show Review] Minds Get Blown At Night Three OCMA Showcase

'Bluesy, gritty May McDonough and her talented band took the stage with one of the most interesting percussion set-ups the audience had ever seen. It included chimes, bells, and an upside down bicycle. Someone next to me asked, “What are they pouring into that bicycle? And is that a propane tank?” Half expecting pyrotechnics, the audience were treated to McDonough’s sultry, yet sweet vocal stylings–a rare dichotomy that not many can capture with ease.

McDonough also has a dominating stage presence and a wry personality that she calls “rusty whiskey lips humor.”' - KROQ.com

[OC Music Awards Show Review] Minds Get Blown At Night Three OCMA Showcase

'Bluesy, gritty May McDonough and her talented band took the stage with one of the most interesting percussion set-ups the audience had ever seen. It included chimes, bells, and an upside down bicycle. Someone next to me asked, “What are they pouring into that bicycle? And is that a propane tank?” Half expecting pyrotechnics, the audience were treated to McDonough’s sultry, yet sweet vocal stylings–a rare dichotomy that not many can capture with ease.

McDonough also has a dominating stage presence and a wry personality that she calls “rusty whiskey lips humor.”' - KROQ.com

'May McDonough and Co. are something to behold. The sultry singer busts out blues-infused cabaret numbers in a deep, smoky voice. As she strummed her guitar, her piercing eyes scanned the audience, her face occasionally breaking into a playful smirk. She is backed by two percussionists: one is a standard drummer, the other plays a menagerie of found instruments, including a propane tank and a bicycle with a brush attached, which sounds like a rattlesnake. As she played, girls in the audience could be heard commenting on how much they liked May's general style, both musical and aesthetic.' - OC Weekly

'May McDonough and Co. are something to behold. The sultry singer busts out blues-infused cabaret numbers in a deep, smoky voice. As she strummed her guitar, her piercing eyes scanned the audience, her face occasionally breaking into a playful smirk. She is backed by two percussionists: one is a standard drummer, the other plays a menagerie of found instruments, including a propane tank and a bicycle with a brush attached, which sounds like a rattlesnake. As she played, girls in the audience could be heard commenting on how much they liked May's general style, both musical and aesthetic.' - OC Weekly

in Spilt Milk, May McDonough has the type of voice and batch of songs that make heartbreak and pain sound like pleasurable things. McDonough sings with a seductive, hot heat hypnotism that's hard to ignore. She carries a certain emotional weight in her voice in much the same way blues singers do. Like a cross between Fiona Apple and Tom Waits, Spilt Milk is an album meant for hot summer nights and lazy Sunday afternoon relaxation, on a porch covered equally by sunlight and shadow. It's an album that can celebrate and mourn, all at once.

The songs here are all about slow-paced rhythms that provide the perfect backdrop for McDonough's voice. The album carries an unmistakable classic spirit that's reminiscent of old jazz singers from the '30s and '40s, which provides her with the opportunity to exercise and display her warm, soothing croon. On songs like the entrancing "Riverside" and the jazzy, 12/8-driven "Mama Drained the Bathtub," brass cries out in the night and shines bright recalling New Orleans jazz. These songs are indicative of the album's blues, jazz, ragtime, and soul roots. For good measure, McDonough also proves she's not a one-trick pony as she displays a knack for the psychedelic garage rock of the '60s on "Gone With the Snake".

McDonough maintains a nuanced sound that's intriguing for its raw honesty, favoring emotive delivery over excited rhythms. She never aims to get your foot tapping as much as get inside your head and never leave. Her songs are the embodiment of that smitten feeling one receives after meeting that one special girl or boy; the kind of scenario where no matter what you do, you can't get that person out of your head. And with songs like "Your Body" and "Red Tag Nation," McDonough's casual zest and sultry tone are bound to make you smitten with Spilt Milk's seductive charms. It's not about hooks, it's about mood; and that's something that's hard to come by these days.

BUY: Pick up Spilt Milk at Amazon, CD Baby, or iTunes.
- mixtape muse

in Spilt Milk, May McDonough has the type of voice and batch of songs that make heartbreak and pain sound like pleasurable things. McDonough sings with a seductive, hot heat hypnotism that's hard to ignore. She carries a certain emotional weight in her voice in much the same way blues singers do. Like a cross between Fiona Apple and Tom Waits, Spilt Milk is an album meant for hot summer nights and lazy Sunday afternoon relaxation, on a porch covered equally by sunlight and shadow. It's an album that can celebrate and mourn, all at once.

The songs here are all about slow-paced rhythms that provide the perfect backdrop for McDonough's voice. The album carries an unmistakable classic spirit that's reminiscent of old jazz singers from the '30s and '40s, which provides her with the opportunity to exercise and display her warm, soothing croon. On songs like the entrancing "Riverside" and the jazzy, 12/8-driven "Mama Drained the Bathtub," brass cries out in the night and shines bright recalling New Orleans jazz. These songs are indicative of the album's blues, jazz, ragtime, and soul roots. For good measure, McDonough also proves she's not a one-trick pony as she displays a knack for the psychedelic garage rock of the '60s on "Gone With the Snake".

McDonough maintains a nuanced sound that's intriguing for its raw honesty, favoring emotive delivery over excited rhythms. She never aims to get your foot tapping as much as get inside your head and never leave. Her songs are the embodiment of that smitten feeling one receives after meeting that one special girl or boy; the kind of scenario where no matter what you do, you can't get that person out of your head. And with songs like "Your Body" and "Red Tag Nation," McDonough's casual zest and sultry tone are bound to make you smitten with Spilt Milk's seductive charms. It's not about hooks, it's about mood; and that's something that's hard to come by these days.

BUY: Pick up Spilt Milk at Amazon, CD Baby, or iTunes.
- mixtape muse

Article and artwork: David D. Robbins Jr.
Album: May McDonough “Spilt Milk”
(Art makes use of photo/logo from artist’s MySpace Page)

May McDonough’s graceful Tin-Pan Alley flirtation, “Spilt Milk”, is a spiritual affair. It’s an album awash with concerns of sin, the devil, drowning, fantasies, lost relatives, and the dream of ditching a lifeless town. The record-opener, “Riverside”, is a jazz-infused slow drag with emotive piano and lower register vocals, reminiscent of a Fiona Apple lullaby, and fit for a gloomy descent. The songwriting is stunning. The lyrics an ambrosia of prolixity set to music as elegant as an arabesque: “It’s a mixed-up masquerade/ Penniless arcade … / See, joy around here / Comes in a little pink balloon / And if you got out of here / Yesterday, it would never be too soon / It’s a cardboard palisade / Pocket-change brigade / Every way is down.”

“Spilt Milk” is suffused with jazz and blues tones, and the occasional unconventional curveball. The songs range from Apple-like piano-based laments to upbeat, lighthearted gems like, “Mama Drained the Bathtub” — which sounds like a track on “I Am Shelby Lynne”. On “Church On Sunday”, McDonough’s voice carries a traditional blues melody, poised over the scratchy plucks of an electric guitar and drums so distance they sound like they’re in an entirely different room. The faint bang and clank of the latter, paired with McDonough’s smooth vocals, gives the song its double-edge. It’s floating divination meets a whisper of sulfur. “Your Body” begins with a rustic, out-of-tune sounding piano melody, then McDonough floats her vocals across it like two enmeshed lovers, proclaiming, “Romance is mostly being lied to … / I don’t want your body.” The song takes an irregular, but inspired turn, with the introduction of a tap-dancing track used as percussion, punctuating rising piano lines. The darkest track on the album, “House of Bones”, lyrically feels akin to the Appalachian classic “Oh, Death”. It’s a song about bereavement, the devil, and death — with a harrowing muted horn, resonating with a sadness like Michel Legrand’s collaboration with Miles Davis on “Dingo”. “Gone With the Snake” has an Aimee Mann vibe, circa “Magnolia Soundtrack”, with undulating piano and breathy vocals that glide across lush strings like a skater across ice.

The album is at its best when McDonough sings prettily against musical dissonance. Or in the reverse, on “Lay Down Your Heart”, where she distorts her voice through megaphone or some kind of delay, in front of dreamy xylophone, guitar and a chorus of “ooohs.” The lyrics of that song are nearly unintelligible, but it really doesn’t matter because the ache of her vocal intonation supplants the need to know the words. It’s enough to hear the swaying melody and feel the pathos.

McDonough can rock out a bit too. “Red Tag Nation” opens with a guitar and organ rhythm that calls to mind Dire Straits. It’s a beer-swilling , tavern-brawl ball of aggression, with a heavy blues foundation. Although, it might have been better to hear the instrumentals unravel more and sooner. About three-quarters into the song, the band deconstructs the groove with deliberate breaks in the music — intermittent drumming and bass purposefully trip over one another before the song closes with machinery noise. The last track, “I Know”, is two-and-a-half minutes of lovelorn uke, and two more minutes of the sound of a train rumble nearing and then buzzing by in the night.

It’s hardly surprising anymore that there are musicians as good as this out there just waiting to be heard. In a way, it’s a bit depressing to think about. This album is a must-buy. Stream the song below and then go out to May McDonough’s website to buy the record. You won’t be disappointed. - their bated breath

Article and artwork: David D. Robbins Jr.
Album: May McDonough “Spilt Milk”
(Art makes use of photo/logo from artist’s MySpace Page)

May McDonough’s graceful Tin-Pan Alley flirtation, “Spilt Milk”, is a spiritual affair. It’s an album awash with concerns of sin, the devil, drowning, fantasies, lost relatives, and the dream of ditching a lifeless town. The record-opener, “Riverside”, is a jazz-infused slow drag with emotive piano and lower register vocals, reminiscent of a Fiona Apple lullaby, and fit for a gloomy descent. The songwriting is stunning. The lyrics an ambrosia of prolixity set to music as elegant as an arabesque: “It’s a mixed-up masquerade/ Penniless arcade … / See, joy around here / Comes in a little pink balloon / And if you got out of here / Yesterday, it would never be too soon / It’s a cardboard palisade / Pocket-change brigade / Every way is down.”

“Spilt Milk” is suffused with jazz and blues tones, and the occasional unconventional curveball. The songs range from Apple-like piano-based laments to upbeat, lighthearted gems like, “Mama Drained the Bathtub” — which sounds like a track on “I Am Shelby Lynne”. On “Church On Sunday”, McDonough’s voice carries a traditional blues melody, poised over the scratchy plucks of an electric guitar and drums so distance they sound like they’re in an entirely different room. The faint bang and clank of the latter, paired with McDonough’s smooth vocals, gives the song its double-edge. It’s floating divination meets a whisper of sulfur. “Your Body” begins with a rustic, out-of-tune sounding piano melody, then McDonough floats her vocals across it like two enmeshed lovers, proclaiming, “Romance is mostly being lied to … / I don’t want your body.” The song takes an irregular, but inspired turn, with the introduction of a tap-dancing track used as percussion, punctuating rising piano lines. The darkest track on the album, “House of Bones”, lyrically feels akin to the Appalachian classic “Oh, Death”. It’s a song about bereavement, the devil, and death — with a harrowing muted horn, resonating with a sadness like Michel Legrand’s collaboration with Miles Davis on “Dingo”. “Gone With the Snake” has an Aimee Mann vibe, circa “Magnolia Soundtrack”, with undulating piano and breathy vocals that glide across lush strings like a skater across ice.

The album is at its best when McDonough sings prettily against musical dissonance. Or in the reverse, on “Lay Down Your Heart”, where she distorts her voice through megaphone or some kind of delay, in front of dreamy xylophone, guitar and a chorus of “ooohs.” The lyrics of that song are nearly unintelligible, but it really doesn’t matter because the ache of her vocal intonation supplants the need to know the words. It’s enough to hear the swaying melody and feel the pathos.

McDonough can rock out a bit too. “Red Tag Nation” opens with a guitar and organ rhythm that calls to mind Dire Straits. It’s a beer-swilling , tavern-brawl ball of aggression, with a heavy blues foundation. Although, it might have been better to hear the instrumentals unravel more and sooner. About three-quarters into the song, the band deconstructs the groove with deliberate breaks in the music — intermittent drumming and bass purposefully trip over one another before the song closes with machinery noise. The last track, “I Know”, is two-and-a-half minutes of lovelorn uke, and two more minutes of the sound of a train rumble nearing and then buzzing by in the night.

It’s hardly surprising anymore that there are musicians as good as this out there just waiting to be heard. In a way, it’s a bit depressing to think about. This album is a must-buy. Stream the song below and then go out to May McDonough’s website to buy the record. You won’t be disappointed. - their bated breath

http://www.kuci.org/show_feature.cgi?id=1012 - KUCI

http://www.kuci.org/show_feature.cgi?id=1012 - KUCI

May McDonough – Gone With The Snake
0:00 / 0:00DownloadRight-click and save as to download.

If you go to see Maia, remember: eldest of the seven daughters; a feminine vessel fertile in demeanor with black eyes lively by the fire. From where she sits, only women come courting but these women seek only words and a twist of the wrist, nothing else. And Maia’s left arm is adorned with pearl-white bangles that fasten at her hand. She brings this hand before her courters and speaks in aphorisms: “Romance is mostly being lied to,” she offers.

And, if you’re going with the Snake: remember that it wraps its nubile belly around the grand piano pedal before you pound on the keys.

[Don't cry over Spilt Milk, even though you'll want to.] - tune the proletariat

May McDonough – Gone With The Snake
0:00 / 0:00DownloadRight-click and save as to download.

If you go to see Maia, remember: eldest of the seven daughters; a feminine vessel fertile in demeanor with black eyes lively by the fire. From where she sits, only women come courting but these women seek only words and a twist of the wrist, nothing else. And Maia’s left arm is adorned with pearl-white bangles that fasten at her hand. She brings this hand before her courters and speaks in aphorisms: “Romance is mostly being lied to,” she offers.

And, if you’re going with the Snake: remember that it wraps its nubile belly around the grand piano pedal before you pound on the keys.

[Don't cry over Spilt Milk, even though you'll want to.] - tune the proletariat

Old-sounding new music is all the rage in Orange County, where fuzzy garage-pop has ruled the local scene for the better part of the past decade, with labels like Burger Records and bands like The Growlers thrusting this aesthetic into the International underground consciousness. May McDonough and her trio The May Company (Lo Schmitt on drums and multi-instrumentalist Rusty Huber) are familiar faces for indie rock enthusiasts south of Los Angeles. They call their sound “psychedelic art punk for soul,” which is a pretty spot-on characterization of the noise the they make. Drenched in SoCal sunshine and plenty of reverb, the band cobbles oddball literary themes into their neo-psychedelia, making them one of the more compelling bands in the region. May McDonough talks to Myspace about the band's origins, her kickass guitar pedals and the penchant for Mark Twain's stories.

Hometown and current city: Orange, California

Tell me the story of how you put the band together.

Lo and I met in high school and have been in a couple bands together. Rusty and I met through a friend at a bar. When I was making solo music a few years ago, I called upon the both of them in a last-minute favor to play with me an hour before a live radio gig. My previous band had bailed last minute. The three of us, along with a few stragglers here and there, have played together ever since. Somewhere along that journey our sound took a more psychedelic-punk shape and with that we decided to officially become a band.

Has music always been a constant in your life?

My mother always had us singing in the car, and she was in a few bands in her youth. She taught me guitar and bought me a piano. Lo and I went to a lot of underground shows in high school.That opened up our world.

You have cited Tom Waits and Sonic Youth as sources of inspiration. Who are some of the newer sources?

As far as more current musical inspiration goes, we love everything from Thee Oh Sees, Black Lips, La Femme, and some local groups like Cosmonauts, Feeding People, all the great bands on Ghoulhouse Records—Sean Gospel & The Night Stalkers—and Burger bands like BomBon. Anything that feeds off of that old ‘60s punk sensibility but takes it to a new creative place. Thrashing guitars, spiraling synths, et cetera.

Describe the moment when you realized you wanted to make music for a living.

That depends on what you call a living. I'm not sure any of us truly expect to give up our day jobs. Not because we wouldn't love to—we would! But there just isn't that kind of money floating around for bands making artful music. A handful of bands get that lucky. As for knowing that this is our calling so-to-speak? There was never a moment. It's like asking when we realized we had legs. If it happened it was too organic of a moment to recall.

Why did you change your name from May McDonough & Company to the May Company?

Well, at some point we realized that a name that's difficult to pronounce out loud is a name that's easy to forget, and even more difficult to find online. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and apparently much more powerful when that word is a bit less Irish in origin.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

It would be magical if we could break out the guitar pedals and the synths and put John Dwyer to work. His work is so dense with a dark psychedelia... like he manages to somehow make the macabre bright and shiny. It's just dripping with creativity. Or Ty Segall. He would be fun. Maybe someone out of left field like Jeff Mangum or Ian Svenonious. That would be a real dream team.

I love your guitar pedals. How did you get into building those?

I always wanted to make my own. Over the past couple years, playing with different tones and effects has become an integral part of our sound. I wanted as much control and as much variety in that as possible. So I went online and started learning from anything I could read. Now I mostly make them as gifts for people I like. I should really make more for myself.



What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

Nothing crazy yet. We've had some cool artwork sent to us. We hang it in our studio. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

What was the concept behind your Bullyboywithaglasseye album?

Bullyboywithaglasseye is the name of a microbial character in a short story by Mark Twain called "Three Thousand Years Among the Microbes." It was a name that the character was given that was based on a misunderstanding or something lost in translation. We liked that idea so we borrowed it. The album has a few running themes. We talk about the banality and corruption of bureaucracy, the self-importance of religion, and the symbolism derived from it that we all take way too seriously. People get so caught up in dogmas and paradigms that are arbitrary and insignificant... and more importantly way outdated. - MySpace.com

"First of all, after going to The May Company’s web-page, and seeing a bikini-clad Allen Ginsberg with Shiva arms, I knew that this was a band for me. This 17 minute burner is by a mile the longest song that we’ve ever covered on the blog. With a gorgeous wall of shipper, and the most tantalizing psych vocals this side of Grace slick, this song is a charging force to be reckoned with. Quite frankly the entire EP, a psych-punk rock opera about the illusive Sasquatch, is inspired and you shouldn’t stop at this track. Go buy their EP, then their album, then their t-shirt and a hundred buttons. Bands like this need to be encouraged to keep making greatness." - Pop Occulture