Got a Girl
| Got a Girl | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | French pop, hip-hop, trip hop, indie pop, jazz |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | Bulk Recordings |
| Members |
Mary Elizabeth Winstead Dan the Automator |
Got a Girl is an American musical duo consisting of actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead and music producer Dan the Automator that formed in 2012. The band's first studio album, I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now was released in 2014.
Formation
Winstead and Nakamura have previously worked together on Deltron 3030’s album Event 2, which Nakamura produced and Winstead provided vocals for the songs “The Agony” and “Look Across the Sky”.[1] Nakamura had also written songs for the soundtrack of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which Winstead starred in.
According to Exclaim!, Got a Girl originated in 2010, when the pair met at a cast dinner of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Winstead approached Nakamura saying she was a fan. At the film's red carpet premiere, Nakamura asked Winstead if they could "make music together".[2]
In May 2012, The Playlist reported that Winstead and Nakamura were working on a record.[3] Winstead had previously sung an a cappella cover of the song "Baby It's You" by The Shirelles for the 2007 movie Grindhouse, and co-wrote and recorded a demo with music producer Thai Long Ly. Winstead and Dan had also performed an original song at the SXSW in March 2013.
Discography
I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now (2014)
| I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Studio album by Got a Girl | ||
| Released | July 22, 2014 | |
| Recorded | 2012–2013 | |
| Genre | French pop, trip hop, Indie pop | |
| Length | 46:22 | |
| Label | Bulk Recordings | |
| Producer | Dan the Automator | |
| Singles from I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now | ||
|
||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Digital Fix | 8/10[5] |
| London Evening Standard |   [6] |
| AllMusic |  [7] |
| Under the Radar | 3/10[8] |
| NME.com | 7/10[9] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[10] |
| Renowned for Sound | [11] |
| Spectrum Culture | [12] |
| ABC News | [13] |
The duo revealed that the album would feature heavy influences of French pop music, which were a shared interest between the two. According to Vents Magazine, Dan has "assembled a rich, enveloping sound world all its own, with hints of Laurel Canyon folk, yacht rock, and sunshine pop stylized and synthesized through sumptuous arrangements, intricate electronics, and unfettered melodic invention," whereas he has collaborated with Winstead to write the lyrics.[14]
In an interview with Complex Magazine, Winstead also details the inspiration behind the album — "French ’60s pop—Jane Birkin, and stuff like that. It’s kind of married with Dan’s sensibility, which is his beats and a little bit of that low-key hip-hop vibe. So it makes for something that’s very unique; it’s very lounge-y and light. It's got a little bit of a French quality."[15]
In May 2013, the official promo track "You and Me" was released.[16] It was promoted as the first single from their upcoming album, but according to the track list that was released, it will not be included in the album.
On May 31, Got a Girl also recorded the song "I'm Down" from Beck's music sheet album Song Reader. The recording was released on YouTube.[17] On July 8 2014, the final track listing for the album was released, and Got a Girl's cover of the song was not selected to be included in the album.[18]
Initially, Got a Girl's debut album was reported to be set for release on January 2014 via EMI,[19] but was bumped to July 2014.[20]
In June 2014, Spin.com revealed that the album, titled I Love You but I Must Drive Off this Cliff Now, will be released on July 22 via Bulk Recordings. The album's full track list is also revealed on AllMusic.[7] The first single, "Did We Live Too Fast" premiered on June 3.[20] The music video, directed by Hope Larson, premiered online on June 16.[21]
The second single, "There's a Revolution" was released on July 8.[22]
All lyrics written by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, all music composed by Dan the Automator.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Did We Live Too Fast" | 3:50 |
| 2. | "I'll Never Hold You Back" | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Close to You" | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Everywhere I Go" | 4:34 |
| 5. | "Last Stop" | 3:57 |
| 6. | "There's a Revolution" | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Things Will Never Be the Same" | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Put Your Head Down (feat. Mike Patton)" | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Friday Night" | 3:22 |
| 10. | "La La La" | 4:22 |
| 11. | "Da Da Da" | 2:09 |
| 12. | "Heavenly" | 3:58 |
Total length: |
46:22 | |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Pop |
US Adult |
US Alt |
US Rock |
AUS | CAN | CAN Alt |
UK | ||||
| 2013 | “You and Me (Board Mix)” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| “I'm Down” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2014 | “Did We Live Too Fast?” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now | |
| “There's a Revolution” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
References
- ↑ "Deltron 3030 Talk New Solo Projects Involving Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jon Spencer, Ladybug Mecca and Mike Patton". exclaim.ca.
- ↑ "Dan the Automator and Mary Elizabeth Winstead Announce Debut Album as Got a Girl". exclaim.ca.
- ↑ Oliver Lyttelton (23 May 2012). "'Scott Pilgrim' Star Mary Elizabeth Winstead Working On A – The Playlist". The Playlist.
- ↑ "Reviews for I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now by Got a Girl – Metacritic". Metacritic.
- ↑ Got A Girl – I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now | Review | Music @ The Digital Fix
- ↑ Evening Standard Critics (19 September 2014). "Album reviews of the week (Sept 19–25)". Evening Standard.
- 1 2 Timothy Monger. "I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now". AllMusic.
- ↑ "Got A Girl: I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now (Bulk) Review – Under the Radar – Music Magazine". undertheradarmag.com.
- ↑ NME.COM. "NME Reviews - Got A Girl - 'I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now' - NME.COM". NME.COM.
- ↑ "Got a Girl". PopMatters.
- ↑ "Renowned for Sound – Album Review: Got a Girl – I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now". Renowned for Sound. 23 July 2014.
- ↑ Jester Jay Goldman (22 July 2014). "Got a Girl: I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now". spectrumculture.com.
- ↑ ABC News. "Music Reviews: The Latest From 5 Seconds of Summer, Common, La Roux and More". ABC News.
- ↑ RJ Frometa. "Dan "The Automator" + Mary Elizabeth Winstead (@Got_A_Girl) announce Album: Stream new song -". Vents Magazine.
- ↑ Matt Barone. "Mary Elizabeth Winstead: Geek Chic (2012 Cover Story)". Complex.
- ↑ Charlie Schmidlin (21 May 2013). "Listen: First Track From Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Dan Th – The Playlist". The Playlist.
- ↑ Got a Girl – "I'm Down" from Beck's Song Reader. YouTube. 31 May 2013.
- ↑ "Beck's Song Reader CD Tracklist Revealed: Jack White, Jarvis Cocker, Tweedy, Fun., & More". Stereogum.
- ↑ "Dan the Automator + Mary Elizabeth Winstead Team Up for Album". ARTISTdirect.
- 1 2 "Hear Dan the Automator and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Cinematic 'Did We Live Too Fast'". Spin.
- ↑ "Deltron 3030's Dan the Automator and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Video for "Did We Live Too Fast" Would Make Ernest Hemingway Proud". NOISEY.
- ↑ "Here's a new song from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura". avclub.com.