Hey, Everyone! Well, as you might have noticed, the posts have been a bit scarce in the second half of 2011. It’s been a rough year, honestly, and I’ve come pretty close to just throwing my hands up in the air, dropping everything, and running off to Alaska (Into the Wild style…). Of course, being a bit of a lazy sod, I only got as far as dropping everything. And now, here we are. So, what happened? And more importantly, what am I going to do about it?
Friend of the blog, past feature, and all-around excellent singer-songwriter Katie Davis has released three new songs via YouTube, and you lucky devils can hear them after the jump. The songs are currently in the form of home recordings which feature just Katie and her guitar. The result is three wonderfully intimate recordings that feel both confessional and cathartic, with a haunting quality that remains long after the songs have ended.
Sonya Cotton’s new album – It is so – (released this week via bandcamp and her personal website) is a beautiful, touching collection of songs dedicated, as Sonya writes, “…to the life and spirit of my mother, Karen Imparato Cotton.” The album also contains the track “Song For Eric,” a tribute to Sonya’s friend Eric Bayer who died of cancer shortly after her own mother succumbed to the same disease. Given these moments of great loss, it might be expected that an album like It is so would be somber and funereal.
And yes, there is sadness and loss in It is so. And yet, the album is also a wonderful celebration of life in all its forms. As Sonya writes: “The album is a tribute to my mother who passed away two years ago; she had cancer. In addition to exploring loss of many kinds (loss of life, of safe space, of hope,) the songs are also, as I see them, prayers, and celebrations of love.”
Before beginning, I have to confess that I have been criminally negligent with Elisa Flynn’s 19th Century Songs. Elisa e-mailed me a rather long time ago to tell me about the album’s release on Bandcamp, and – despite my thorough enjoyment of the album – I always seemed to forget I had it when I sat down to throw together a post. And so, for that, I’m sorry!
But I am also sorry to you, reader, for keeping such an exciting recording all to myself! Here’s the scoop:
Elisa Flynn is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn who writes songs that walk a fine line between beauty and danger. They treat on topics like the serial killer Dr. H.H. Holmes, William Tecumseh Sherman, and a ship held fast in the ice. It’s an impressive collection of concepts and images that all, rather surprisingly, create a wonderfully immersive recording. Let’s have a look:
Continue reading “Mailbag: Elisa Flynn – 19th Century Songs”
Fax Holiday is the recording/performing name of Eric Schermerhorn (formerly of Mutt and Margin Walker), and it is also the name of a Boston-based indie/folk band containing Schermerhorn (vocals, guitars, autoharp), Ian Macleod (bass, vocals), Elizabeth Bollenberg (violin, harp), and Dana Diplacido (percussion). Importantly, it is also the name of one of my favorite bands of the last few months. Their new album – Rope & Wine – is a solid musical effort – combining indie-rock numbers like “Dropping Out” with more introspective, folk-inspired tunes like “Salt.” Regardless of presentation, each song feels as if it is rooted in something that is deeply personal – coming to the listener as if from a diary entry. It’s a combination that comes up a lot in these parts (you might be familiar with a similar formula as seen in the work of Galaxie 500), and produces an amazingly vibrant emotional tapestry.
Also, it rocks. Did I mention that it rocks?