| DIY Top 12 Picks: May 2007by Mare Wakefield |
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Showcasing independent songwriters who have
released an album without the backing of a label.
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Derek Lee Bronston
Empty River
Carefree country meets tortured soul on Derek Lee Bronston’s Empty River. “What Is Wrong” kicks things off with Bronston bemoaning his actions: “What is wrong with me, I treat you like I do / What is wrong with me, I leave you feeling so blue.” A slow drumbeat, mournful slide guitar and harmonica complete the desolate picture.
 The consolatory “That’s Alright” picks up the mood, and Bronston bares all to his soulmate on “Woman Like You.” “We walk alone, and I need you / We make one from two,” Bronston growls and moans like a male Lucinda Williams. There’s even a starkly beautiful cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “No Place to Fall” which fits the mood of the record perfectly. Got an empty space on your CD shelf? Let Empty River fill it.
derekleebronston.com
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Spencer Durham
Much More Than Words
“Spencer Durham” could be a synonym for directness. The 18-year-old Georgia native has laid down an album brimming with straight-ahead Southern rock—hard-driving rhythms and lyrics that cut to the heart of the matter. On “Without a Doubt” he dares people to “Say what you will, the rumors that you hear /
What someone else has said, I really don’t care.” On “The Fog” he asserts “A bunch of hypocrites think they are prophets / It’s only words they have to say.” Full-band arrangements including overdriven electric guitar and Hammond B-3 organ crank the already-stellar songs up by five or six more notches.
Shades of Marshall Tucker and Lynyrd Skynyrd can be heard throughout Much More Than Words, but Durham brings a refreshing vitality to the genre—so much more than your typical Southern rock band.
spencerdurham.com
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Everyday Atlas
Your Move
To accurately describe the music of Everyday Atlas, we’ve invented a new genre: smart-harmonious-pop. They’re smart like Elvis Costello, harmonious like the Beach Boys, and pop like Fountains of Wayne.
Your Move is deliciously decadent, with stacked vocals, heavily layered guitars, keyboard, bass, drums and more instrumentation than you could shake a Rand-McNally atlas at. In fact, there’s so much going on in this record that it’s easy to overlook the well-crafted tunes. “Radio Song” delivers tight rhythm and an undeniably hooky chorus, “Take Me Home” finds lead vocalist Ryan Thies pleading with heartfelt earnestness, while “Hang Around” is a love song no object of affection could resist. Sound good to you? Then your move is to seek out this record.
everydayatlas.com
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Jessica Heine
Either Way
Either Way is the debut recording from Canadian artist Jessica Heine, but the music on this 12-song collection is put together with a confidence and skill that most artists take most of their career to develop.
“Sweet Song” kicks things off with Heine’s recipe for getting over a break-up. “I’m gonna write down math equations, problems I could never hope to solve,” she sings in her breathy soprano. “Dragonslayer” features delicate acoustic guitar work while Heine promises to “Climb over mountains, swim through the sea / Crawl through the desert upon bended knee” for her lover. “Funny How the Days Go By” will enthrall with its chugging rhythm, while the gorgeous title track has a cascading melody that will stay with you long after the song fades.
Are you a fan of poetic lyrics? Beautiful melodies? Either way, you’ll love Either Way.
jessicaheine.com
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Libby Johnson
Annabella
The New York–based Libby Johnson concocts an intriguing mix of folk and R&B on Annabella. Her words demand attention, but it’s the sultry beat of “Don’t Mean You Lost Your Love” or the steady groove of the title track that’ll keep your body swaying.
Lyrically, Johnson takes listeners across the artistic map—from the back room of a seedy brothel in the title track, to a tender new love in “Under the Gate,” to a street-wise rap in “Undone.” Stellar accompaniment is provided by piano, drums, bass and acoustic, electric and slide guitars. Johnson’s vocals are versatile—going from tough to tender, changing as the song demands. Take this Annabella to the ball.
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Chris Kasper
Flying Boy
Not everyone can take an acoustic guitar and make it groove like a full band, but Philadelphia-based Chris Kasper accepted the challenge—and delivers astounding results. On his latest, the stripped-down Flying Boy, Kasper and his guitar alternately rock out and sing gently, sweetly filling your ears. “The Stoop” is a delicate, reggae-flavored tune about chasing your dreams (“You can steer around the clouds if you learn to fly”). “Fly by Night” recalls mid-’70s soft rock with an acoustic feel and lyrics about stars that “blast off and glow.” The circular rhythm of “Fireworks” will draw you in, and we challenge you not to tap your foot along with “Bit Older.”
Kasper gets help from conga drums and Dobro, but voice and guitar are the stars of the show—and they belong on the marquee. Call him a friendly ghost if you must, but Kasper’s songs are alive and kickin’.
chriskaspermusic.com
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Alicia Bay Laurel
What Living's All About
What Living’s All About—a title that’s appropriate for a woman who has lived her life with such gusto. A Bohemian artist, Alicia Bay Laurel lived on a houseboat off Sausalito and a commune in Sonoma before spending 25 years on Maui. In addition to her music, she’s worked as a cook, collage artist, yoga instructor, wedding planner, underwater photographer and she’s the author of a New York Times bestseller, the whimsical Living on the Earth, first published in 1971.
The rich tapestry of her life translates to her music. In the Billie Holiday-esque “Floozy Tune,” Laurel plays the role of the Sunday School teacher turned barfly. In “America the Blues” she dishes out scathing political commentary to the tune of “America the Beautiful” (“America, America, greed sheds disgrace on thee / You don’t need nukes, you don’t need slaves, you don’t need gasoline”). She has fun with the smart “Aquarian Age Liberated Woman Blues” (“Seaweed for breakfast is good for you”) and the gospel-imbued “Doctor Sun and Nurse Water.” Laurel’s jazzy Earth-mother sound will seduce and inspire.
aliciabaylaurel.com
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Mara Levi
What Are You?
What Are You? is the sophomore release from Washington, D.C.’s Mara Levi. She’ll capture your attention with a gypsy swing groove, bluesy electric guitar lines and dramatic melodies. She’ll win you over with her plainspoken lyrics and honest delivery. And she’ll surely raise a few eyebrows with the delightfully candid “Homo Song”: “Oh dear old missus so-and-so, I thought I’d call and let you know / Your daughter is a big homo, she’s lying next to me.”
“Change My Mind” finds Levi showcasing her impressive vocal range while asserting “I am ready for the fall / I am ready for the call.” “Drink It Down” is bolstered by an irresistible rhythm while Levi states, “My life played on TV would star Halle Berry, Angelina.” There are even a few mariachi-style horns in the Latin-flavored “I Get By.”
What Are You? combines creative harmonic modulations with sharp references to pop culture. The result is a record that will woo your ears while surreptitiously increasing your social awareness, and that’s never a bad thing.
maralevi.com
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Amy Obenski
Kite
Quirky rhythms and unexpected melodies abound on Kite, the refreshing sophomore release from Amy Obenski. The 12-song collection leans toward jazzy pop, with Obenski switching off between guitar and piano.
There is a definite West Coast vibe to Kite, defined by percussion like rain sticks and lyrics about being “circled by an overwhelming presence” and “traveling onward toward the sun.” But Obenski will hook even the most hardened cynic with her harmonic experimentaion and dissonant yet appealing vocals.
Back when she had a mere two years of songwriting under her belt, Obenski’s debut album was licensed by MTV for use on the show Made. Pick up a copy of Kite and hear how much further she’s soared.
amyobenski.com
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Willy Porter
Available Light
Jazz, funk, folk and philosophy unite on Available Light, the latest release from Milwaukee resident Willy Porter. With a tenor that will send chills down your spine, Porter sings of hometowns, heartbreak and grass stains on a lover’s cotton dress. “These tunes were inspired by the extremes of human experience,” says Porter. “Everything from the stupidity of losing your keys to the profound loss of a family member.”
Porter’s 17-year career has seen stints on both major and indie labels—he had a modest radio hit in 1994 with “Angry Words”—but Available Light is out on Porter’s own Weasel Records. “I’m a lone wolf of sorts, so recording on my own label is a logical destination for me,” he explains. “This record didn’t have the drama that comes with a label, though the economic pressure was certainly there. But I was alone with my band on this one, and that was vital to the way the album sounds.”
Available Light is a masterpiece of subtleties. Porter’s vocals soar and sigh while organ swells throughout intricate guitar work. An accomplished guitarist, Porter was heavily influenced by the late Michael Hedges. “I hope folks check out the record with headphones on,” says Porter. “That’s how it was made, and if you don’t listen closely you’ll miss the details—like my mother-in-law’s piano. We had to haul it down to the studio, but the distant, fragile tone was perfect.”
Porter has toured with Paul Simon, Sting and Tori Amos, to name a few. While echoes of these artists can be heard in his music, Porter crafts a distinct sound on Available Light and enjoys being independent. “I want to see what the term ‘label’ morphs into,” he says. “Right now I’ve got a great team working with me. It feels right.”
weaselrecords.com
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Sunshone Still
Dead Letters
Listening to Sunshone Still’s debut Dead Letters is like strolling through a Carolina pine forest. The musical brainchild of South Carolina resident Chris Smith, the band has perfectly captured the relaxed, rural feel of the Southeast from the peppy “Fireflies” to the mournful “Damn You California” (“As we slow-danced to a fast tune / I felt my heart begin to bruise”) to the autobiographical gem “Land of Tar and Cotton.”
Much of Dead Letters’ appeal lies in Smith’s aching melodies and laid-back delivery. Banjo, mandolin, harmonica and acoustic guitar add accompaniment while lap steel, piano, bass and drums keep the songs elegantly serene. Dead Letters is a fantastic first offering, perfect for beers in the back yard, outings on the lake or camping trips to Carolina.
sunshonestill.com
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Kim Taylor
I Feel Like a Fading Light
On I Feel Like a Fading Light, Cincinnati’s Kim Taylor fuses disparate elements into a cohesive sound. There are burlesque tunes like “Troubled Mind” side by side with gorgeous folk gems like “Baby I Need You.” On the title track, old-timey piano and saloon-style vocals are juxtaposed with the new-age lyrics: “I can’t seem to find the end to all the hate, to all the war.” On “Glove,” introspective lyrics blend with a delightfully funky R&B chorus, and “My Dress is Hung” crosses a straight-up bluegrass beat with irreverent lyrics about who (or what) she prays to.
Taylor spent the better part of 2005 touring as a back-up singer with indie group Over the Rhine, so we’re sure glad she got back to making her own music. She may “feel like a fading light,” but we say she’s a rising star.
kim-taylor.net
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To Submit Your Album:
Please send CD, bio, mailing address and e-mail to:
Performing Songwriter
ATTN: DIY
2805 Azalea Place
Nashville, TN 37204
You will be contacted if your album has been chosen, so there is no need to call the office regarding this. Please be patient and continue to send us your new releases. We do listen to all submissions for DIY consideration.
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