| DIY Top 12 Picks: May 2006 by Mare Wakefield |
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In support of the independent spirit of songwriters who have
released a CD without the backing of a label.
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Peter Adams
The Spiral Eyes
Peter Adams certainly knows how to set a mood. After a full minute of what can only be described as eerie spaceship noises, the Cincinnati-based artist uses a music box and lone violin to decorate the opening track “Cementalisque.” Lyrics describe a civilization that happily saves lots of money when they “stick the poor in boxes of gray.”
 The rest of the album is equally apocalyptic: “The iron city rusts and falls into the sea” in “I Evolve,” while “When the Morning Dies” describes how “Empires will fall in the sunken sky.” However, with a well-placed harp here and an entire string section there, Adams manages to keep the album thoughtful and somehow hopeful. Maybe it’s his soaring melodies, maybe it’s his refreshing instrumentation, maybe it’s his Elliott Smith–style, understated vocal delivery. Can’t quite put your finger on what makes this such a spectacular album? Better listen again.
www.peteradamsmusic.com
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Quincy Coleman
Come Closer
Strains of a Spanish-style acoustic guitar are the first thing to sail out of the speakers on Come Closer, the latest offering from Los Angeles–based artist Quincy Coleman. Trumpet kicks in as her delightfully sparkling vocals detail the madness of a lover playing hard to get on “Calling Your Name.” Ukulele and vibraphones carry us off to a tropical luau on “Indeed In Love.” The spooky accordion on “Want Me Back” swirls around lyrics detailing a failed relationship, including the gem “That little mouth of yours has been door to door.”
The most compelling aspect of this record are Coleman’s melodies: part Portishead, part Partridge Family, all joyful goodness. Whether she’s singing about ex-boyfriends or taking a chance on life, Coleman manages to keep even heavier topics light and flowing. Check it out—your ears will thank you.
www.quincysongs.com
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Dana Cooper
Made of Mud
Cross Paul Simon with David Gray, throw in a little Tom Petty and you’d start to get a sonic synopsis of Dana Cooper. His latest release, Made of Mud, has him singing of cowboys and outlaws, beggars and queens.
“She cried when I left her, the sky a cruel blue / Our hearts pressed together as they both broke in two,” Cooper sings in “Bird On the Wing.” His clear tenor contains just enough grit to accent his point, and the hooky melodies scoop you up and carry you along for the bouncy, pop-rock ride. Other album highlights include the soft balladry and finger-picked guitar of “Nothing to Fear” and the jangly country-tinged folk of a splendid cover of Woody Guthrie’s “Pretty Boy Floyd.” Piano, clavinet, flugelhorn, B3 organ and pedal steel give each song a distinct flavor, while Cooper’s intelligent, image-laden lyrics stir it all together to make for a tasty experience.
www.danacoopermusic.com
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Diane French
This Trick
“There was no talk of compromise / no wrong movement to revise.” Diane French begins her new record with a hushed murmur and ambient noises almost cinematic in character. The first track, “Animal,” goes on to describe the struggle between cerebral and carnal; bass and drums kick in well after the second minute of the song to highlight the refrain, “No one knows the animal he was.”
French follows that wild ride with songs of disappointment and charcoal hearts. Her voice is mesmerizing: big even while whispering, a cross between Toni Childs and Suzanne Vega. Instrumentation is full but not heavy, leaving plenty of room for the vocals to shine in between bass, drums, piano, acoustic guitar and the occasional trumpet or saxophone. If you’re a fan of soulful vocal jazz, if you’re a fan of intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, or if you’re just looking for a good, relaxing listen, this is the album for you.
www.dianefrench.net
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Jennifer Kimball
Oh Hear Us
The former member of the Story tells her own stories on her latest recording. Oh Hear Us marks Kimball’s first solo release on her own label and her first solo album since the 1998 Imaginary Road/Polygram release Veering From the Waves. Kimball’s kept herself busy with a live album and a Maybe Baby collaboration with her husband, Ry Cavanaugh. But fans who have been hungry for pure Kimball finally have something to sink their teeth into.
The record starts strong with “Can’t Climb Up,” a rollicking tune describing moving out of an unsupportive relationship (“You’re on the train and headed out of town / I’ll put a penny on the track”). Electric guitars underscore the lyrics while drums and shakers move us on down the line. Other stellar tracks include “Don’t Take Your Love Away,” in which accordion and toy piano give an added poignancy to lyrics like “How could you love somebody so much, knowing they’ve chosen to leave?” The bluesy Appalachian melody of “Eternal Father,” the raucous burlesque of “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” and the classical strains of the gorgeous ballad “East of Indiana” all go equally well with Kimball’s unmistakable vocals—half yodel, half moan, all effortless beauty.
www.jenniferkimball.com
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Danielle Miraglia
Nothing Romantic
Folk fans in the Northeast are already hip to the talents of Danielle Miraglia, and with her latest release, Nothing Romantic, it won’t be long before the rest of the country takes notice as well. The record begins with “Snow Globe” which showcases her impressive talent on the acoustic guitar, fingerpicking like ol’ Doc Watson himself. Next comes “Sell My Soul,” a rowdy, bluesy number about the temptations and frustrations of the music scene. “Pull up the black limousine, dig me from this hole, set up the drum machine, I’m ready to sell my soul,” Miraglia sings as soulful harmonica and bari sax commiserate.
Mandolin, bass, piano, dobro, pedal steel and drums all make appearances on the record, weaving in and around the true star of the record: Miraglia’s smoky vocals. They sweetly draw you in, while spiritedly getting her point across.
www.daniellem.com
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Northern
Your House and Mine
Every once in a while a record can lift you out of your daily frustrations and worries, and float you right up into the atmosphere. Northern’s Your House and Mine is just such a record. The soft baritone of lead singer Chris Greiner can introduce us to a father asleep on the couch, “the TV almost drowning out his snores,” and make it sound like the most beautiful poetry you’ve ever heard.
Throughout the album, a dreamy wash of electric guitars, vibraphones, pedal steel and brushes on a snare drum lull you into a state of meditative relaxation, while stimulating your brain with scene-setting lines like “The two of us in my car, underneath the stars / High beams prying dark roads open, the radio plays Yo La Tengo.” There’s nothing left to do except sit back and enjoy the ride.
www.northernmusic.net
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Joe Rathbone
I Can Hear the Windows of Your Heart Breaking
Somewhere between Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson lies the voice of Joe Rathbone. The Nashville-based artist sails from atmospheric falsettos to gritty, low refrains, always with an ear for catchy melodies and a clever turn of phrase. “I’m really not so bad, I’m just bad-looking,” he sings in “I’m Gonna Make It Up to You,” attempting to forge a new start with an old love.
Rathbone can marry lyrics and melody together as effortlessly as a Las Vegas preacher, making the solid unions seem fluid and easy. “Love is like a costume, go and hang it on a wall / You can tell your mother that you lost your favorite doll,” Rathbone sings in “You Make the World Go ‘Round,” while bass, drums and piano float sweetly along, dotting the sonic landscape like cotton-candy clouds.
Longing for music that’s well-crafted and refreshingly original? Take a listen to this record, and watch out for shards of glass as Joe Rathbone breaks the windows of your heart.
www.joerathbone.com
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Amy Roberts
No Miracles Today
Imagery is Amy Roberts’ strength, and she flaunts it in her latest offering, No Miracles Today. “I stepped outside and watched the leaves fall down into a carpet of red and gold,” she sings in “New England Girl” as acoustic guitars weave around the lilting melody. “I am granite carved by reason, my bones were formed by every season.”
The humorously titled “Mistake #458” begins with harmonics on the acoustic guitar and light percussion as Roberts explains that she’s got more regrets than she does common sense. A military snare drum accents the lyrics of “Ready to Burn”—“I’ve walked the edge of the ice so it wouldn’t break … I’m going out to burn some bridges tonight.”
Even the most jaded of listeners will be seduced by Roberts’ clear voice and clever lyrics. With lines like “We’ll pull the shades down and order in / Have a conversation skin to skin,” there’s really no escape. And why would you want to?
www.amyroberts.org
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Karen Savoca
In the Dirt
Part angel, part Earth mama, Karen Savoca possesses a voice capable of sounding ethereal and tough all in the same moment. It’s an appropriate mix for songs of transcending worldly troubles (“Just Let Go”) or getting back to basics (“In the Dirt”).
Savoca is an accomplished percussionist, and her creative drumming techniques establish a groove that provides a solid foundation for lyrics like “What do the birds think when they look down at us / Tugging and pulling and kicking up dust.” Acoustic and electric guitar join with organ, mandolin, bass, banjo, piano and accordion to flesh out the arrangements on Savoca’s bone-and-sinew strong compositions. The New York-–based artist is in fine form on In the Dirt, and the album is a must-have for fans and a great introduction for the uninitiated.
www.karensavoca.com
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John Shipe and the Blue Rebekahs
John Shipe and the Blue Rebekahs
On his latest record, John Shipe sings of kings and volcanoes, spaceships and a place called “Disneyville.” With a nod to Aretha Franklin, he spells out the title on his song “Self-Respect,” adding the lyrical twist of “find out what I mean to me.” In “Underground Debutante,” Shipe describes a girl with tattoos and piercings all over her skin. In “Coffee House Gig,” he offers encouragement to a budding young singer-songwriter who “keeps it simple so you can’t really tell / She can’t handle the guitar very well.”
Shipe has the perfect voice for the sensitive rock he delivers, backed by his five-piece band. Strong enough to compete with the driving drumbeats of the record, but perceptive enough to convincingly deliver lyrics like “If she can’t paint her masterpiece, she’ll be one.” His refreshing topics seduce your ears, while trumpets and lap steels add variety to the traditional guitar, bass and drum arrangements.
www.johnshipe.com
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Mark Stepakoff
There Goes the Neighborhood
Boston-based singer-songwriter Mark Stepakoff certainly deserves to be a national folk figure, up there with the likes of Christine Lavin and Jonathan Richman. The clever lyrics in the title track describe living next door to the blues and the troubles, but mention that “A funny thing’s been happening since you and I did meet / There are moving trucks all up and down the street,” giving new meaning to the phrase “There goes the neighborhood.” The creative rhymes found in “Worst Cast Scenario” will put a smile on your face (Lake Ontario and Lothario), while acoustic guitar and pedal steel keep the music humming along beautifully. “Barbecue Sauce” could be the next commercial jingle for Heinz … or Crest toothpaste: “When the meal’s over, don’t forget to brush and floss / I wish they made a toothpaste that tastes like barbecue sauce.” It’s impossible not to chuckle while listening to Stepakoff’s unbeatably original songs; There Goes the Neighborhood should find its way home to your collection.
www.markstepakoff.com
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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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