Revue Noir: The Revue Noir Single (Out-of-Print)

1. The Gravediggers | 45 second MP3
2. Amsterdam | 45 second MP3
3. A Girl A Smoke | Full-length MP3

Sorry, this ep is out of print. The tracks are now available on the Anthology Archive CD

2005 Debut recording by the collaborative band from Sam Rosenthal and Nicki Jaine. Dark Cabaret with hints of burlesque and rock. Packaged in an environmentally friendly 5″ cardboard jacket.


If you like your dark cabaret with a sprinkling of Nico and Marlene Dietrich, then let Revue Noir fill your black heart with joy. Revue Noir’s sound can best be described as “Weimar-Republic-era Expressionism,” an apt coinage for songs capturing the essence of an era when the world was crumbling and all one could do was lose one self in beauty and debauchery. Embodying the decadence and sorrow that filled the nights of pre-WWII Europe is stunning frontwoman, Nicki Jaine.

“Nicki is a performer who’s never left an audience less than riveted: With her cabaret noir style and a compelling to coquettish emotional nudity, Jaine is simply possessed of a timeless style within a voice that is just unexpected from such a vulnerable looking young woman.” – East Coast Rocker

Revue Noir was born when Black Tape for a Blue Girl leader Sam Rosenthal invited Jaine into his band for the 2004 Halo Star tour. Before they were even home from the road, the two decided to join creative forces. Mixing her stunning stage persona, songwriting and powerful voice with his sensitive production, songwriting and musical poignancy makes for an amazing new musical statement. Gregor Kitzis on violin, Meredith Yayanos on violin & theramin and Tim Karsten on drums complete the line-up. Together, this charismatic group creates intense, narrative-driven, songs reminiscent of 1920’s Berlin supper clubs that exude the sexually-charged energy felt in film classics such as “The Blue Angel” and “Pandora’s Box.”

This is not to be missed!

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A review from High Bias
Revue Noir is black tape for a blue girl leader Sam Rosenthal and solo artist Nicki Jaine (plus a violinist); the partnership was born when Jaine toured with black tape as both opening act and auxiliary bandmate. Rosenthal’s electronic ornamentation takes a back seat as Jaine’s tastefully theatrical song stylings center each tracks on this three-song single. Rosenthal’s “The Gravediggers” strikes a properly stentorian tone, while Jaine’s “A Girl, a Smoke” and “Amsterdam” revel in carefully pruned bathos. Revue Noir flirts with the top, but, thanks the talent and taste of its participants, never comes close to going over it. -Michael Toland

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A review from Metal-only.com
REVUE NOIR is a new band founded by Sam Rosenthal, previously well-known from the band BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL and as the brain behind the label Projekt, and the talented musician Nicki Jaine. The Revue Noir Single is as the title suggests just a single, and it’s the first release by the band and is meant to be a preview for the upcoming EP and video.

The band’s own description of their music is quite special, namely “Weimar-Republic-era expressionism”. This doesn’t really tell you that much musically, but emotionally and atmospherically the description is more understandable. It’s also on the emotional level that REVUE NOIR moves and try to build up their music around the feelings and moods of the pre-WWII Europe. In practice the music consists of bleak piano playing together with guitar and violin that are being backed up by a simple and moody drumming. It’s nothing new that violin easily spellbinds be, but this time it’s however Nicki Jaine’s amazing voice that manages to get a hold of most of my attention. Her voice pulsates out of emotions and moods and it quickly gets hold of the listener and keeps the interest on top during all the three songs. Especially the song “Amsterdam” is a wonderful song that I fell in love with immediately, but both “The Gravediggers” and “A Girl, A Smoke” doesn’t lie far behind when it comes to the quality and atmosphere.

REVUE NOIR has really succeeded in spellbinding me with the debut single and it will be with great expectations that I’ll be waiting for the new material that will be released this autumn. Those who find pleasure in emotional and atmospheric music will definitely fall for REVUE NOIR.

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A review from Fun Prox
Dark cabaretesque music has become in vogue since the Dresden Dolls. Perhaps Revue Noir is jumping on that bandwagon, but that’s no grave concern, because this type of music stands in a long tradition, from Kurt Weill to Nico. Somewhere between moody pop, rock, cabaret and singer-songwriters. Typical for Revue Noir are the smokey, low vocals of Nicki Jaine, who also plays piano and guitar. I would not call her singing beautiful, but she has a personal, emotional style. Sam Rosenthal (Black Tape for a Blue Girl) takes care of a subtle electronic background, with further musicians adding a tasteful accompaniment of drums, violins, cello and theremin.

The three songs on this first mini cd make up for interesting listening music with a lot of feeling and atmosphere. The songs have something of a lazy, sensual cabaret style. Songs which tell stories, like the morbid ‘The gravediggers’ or the personal confessions of ‘A girl, a smoke’. There’s also a nice song situated in Amsterdam, though when it comes to music about the Dutch capital, I prefer Jacques Brel’s song by far. Nevertheless Revue Noir shows quite some potential on this first offering. -HD

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A review from Liar Society
The spirit of the Weimar Republic lives on in the music of Revue Noir. Ostensibly a project of vocalist Nicki Jaine and Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s Sam Rosenthal, Revue Noir’s sound brings to mind a forgotten world of cabaret and torch songs, but without the postmodern performance art aspects of a group like The Dresden Dolls. The songs on this single feature beautiful arrangements of piano, drums, strings, and my personal favorite, theremin, yet the real star of the show is Jaine’s voice, which makes me think of Kafka and Marlene Dietrich drinking the night away at the Blue Angel. While some may balk at there being only three songs on this debut single, I can think of no wiser way to spend two dollars. – Jack Shear

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