| DIY Top 12 Picks: September/October 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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Shane Alexander
Stargazer
California resident Shane Alexander hails from just north of Malibu, and that West Coast beach atmosphere permeates his latest release, Stargazer. From the opening strains of “Spaces in Between,” in which Alexander’s honey-sweet vocals roll over phrases like “On a stretch of moonlit beach, you were so far from my reach.” Even full production utilizing bass, drums, piano, organ and multiple acoustic and electric guitars doesn’t interfere with the laid-back energy and groove of the record.
 Highlights include the melancholy lyrics of the title track: “I know love can never last, with a girl and a season past / Now the summer’s almost over, and all the waves are changing shape,” and the stunning “Ripe” which features dreamy piano and Alexander singing about a girl who was “the ripest of all, the pride of the tree.” Been longing for a trip to the beach? Listen to Stargazer and close your eyes, you’ll be halfway there.
www.shanealexandermusic.com
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Sean Michael Dargan
The Big Picture
Sean Michael Dargan’s latest release starts with a sound clip of laughter, and it sets the mood for the entire record. The Big Picture is a collection of mainly upbeat, super-fun, feel-good pop-rock. The Madison, Wis.–based Dargan blends songs of summer camp and beach trips, Christmas and the morning sun, all with his crunchy, enthusiastic rock ’n’ roll tenor. Bass, drums and electric guitars chug gleefully along, occasionally embellished by piano, tenor sax and trumpet.
Highlights include the rollicking “A Note From the Heartland,” the feedback-driven “Paint a Target” and the Tom Waits-inspired “Headed Back Out to Sea.” Even in his darker moments, Dargan is an artist who exudes the sheer joy of making music. If current trends have been sounding a little too glossy or jaded for your tastes recently, take a look at The Big Picture.
www.seanmichaeldargan.com
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Abbie Gardner
Honey on My Grave
The twang of a Dobro is your first indication that Abbie Gardner is not your typical New York–based folksinger. Leaning heavily on bluegrass sounds and instruments, Gardner yodels and mourns with the best of them. She’s a former John Lennon Songwriting Contest winner, and her craft and skill are evident throughout the record. In the title track she advises, “Sister don’t you mourn me, from heaven I will wave / I don’t need no wailing wall if I get honey on my grave.” In “I’m a Fool” she laments waiting for “something we had to turn from love into sadness,” as acoustic and slide guitars dance a slow, country waltz.
An ode to chocolate-covered coffee beans (“Caffeine”) and a well-placed cover of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” lighten the mood without breaking the spell that Gardner’s mixture of New York smarts and Appalachian sounds will surely cast over you.
www.abbiegardner.com
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Melineh Kurdian
From Where You Are
Layered acoustic guitars solidify the rhythm on Los Angeles resident Melineh Kurdian’s debut record. On “As Good As You,” a lone electric guitar fills the spaces between lyrics telling a lover “You know everything / Oracles, stars and swings.” On “Icarus Kiss” Kurdian’s vocals are doubled for a pleasant, fuller effect. “I’m burning like Icarus,” she sings, recalling the Greek mythological character that flew too close to the sun. “Goddamn and Just Do” carries the energy of an out-of-control freight train as Kurdian instructs a suffering sop to “Pack your heartache, put away your bellyache.”
Kurdian’s vocals move from smart and sassy to sweet and sultry. Arrangements are kept sparse—a cello here, mandolin there—to let her literate lyrics shine through. Acoustic pop fans take note—Kurdian’s From Where You Are is the real deal, poised to grab you wherever you are.
www.melinehkurdian.com
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Sandra McCracken
Gravity | Love
Gravity | Love is girl-pop meets folk-rock. Sandra McCracken’s latest release could almost be categorized in the same vein as the Go-Gos or the Bangles, but with a mellower, rootsy vibe.
The opening track “Head Over Heel” recalls “Sunny Came Home”-era Shawn Colvin, with electric guitars and layered vocals as McCracken sings of falling dizzyingly and desperately in love. “Long Way Home” takes on a more country flavor with Appalachian-sounding acoustic guitar lines as McCracken invites listeners to slow down and cruise the more winding paths. “Goodbye George” is a poignant yet clever ode to George Harrison (“Something in the way you made us feel … your guitar is gently weeping in our heads”). “Portadown Station” combines accordion with lonesome lyrics comparing life to a train running off the tracks. It’s hard to pick a favorite because they’re all so distinct—you’ll just have to decide for yourself.
www.sandramccracken.com
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NYCO
Two
Lead singer Ted Atkatz left his position as principal percussionist with the Chicago Symphony to put Nyco together, and rock music fans everywhere should rejoice. Atkatz combines blues-tinged melodies with utterly original lyrics. “You sing a song of fear and lithium / And I see you’re lost and blind, but I know your eyes are fine,” he sings in “English Song” as guitarist Dave Saenger displays overdriven excitement in all the right places. Drummer Devin Staples also delivers the goods, especially on tunes like the Alice in Chains–flavored “Out on a Limb” or the down and dirty “Cash for Time.”
The band is already garnering airplay on Chicago stations. Call it Pearl Jam without the histrionics and John Mayer with more gusto. Call it solid rock ’n’ roll.
www.nycomusic.com
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Van Preston
Van Preston
Every so often you’ll hear a singer with so much unbridled joy in her voice, you can’t help but smile. Van Preston will hit you this way with well-crafted lyrics to match her sassy soprano. Preston’s self-titled release has a decidedly classic country flavor along the lines of Dwight Yoakam or Loretta Lynn. Sweet fiddle and pedal steel add just enough sparkle without detracting from the lyrics.
Highlights include “What Goes Around Comes Around” and the fast-paced “Heartbroke for the Last Time.” But the cherry on top of this musical sundae is “Bought Myself a Toy.” “When I’m missing you, I just snap that baby right out of the case and it gets rid of my blues,” Preston sings over electric guitar and raucous drumming.
www.vanpreston.com
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Stacie Rose
Shadow & Splendor
Stacie Rose isn’t messing around nor is she one to mess with. Her album opener, “Consider Me,” begins with the tough-as-nails lyrics “It’s making me mad, picking up your pieces / I’m not your mind, I’m not your mess … consider me gone.” Electric guitars and a kicking drum beat mimic her no-frills attitude. She sweetens the lyrics on “Okay” (“I feel the thunder breaking on the range /
I feel your wonder running through my veins”) but keeps the no-nonsense delivery and quick pace. “Be Real” proffers bluesy Hammond organ as Rose tells us she’s “tired of the pretenders / standing in the rain, acting like they’re dry.”
Even when she slows things down on “High as the Moon,” her crisp delivery and poppy melodies keep things energized.
www.stacierose.com
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Sad Girl
Twenty Years
Don’t be confused by the smart, descriptive lyrics. Sad Girl is definitely rock you’ll want to turn up. But pay attention—you won’t want to miss a word. Case in point: the stellar “Twenty Years.” Broken lights, Mayan gods and Israelites all make an appearance, and lead vocalist Tommy Swerdlow paints vivid pictures with his slightly distored, half-mumbled vocals: “An Asian man with seven grand is talking to a blonde / She’s dressed in bad intentions, got issues with the law.” The song clocks in at over six minutes and closes with some Native American chanting. You’re one track into the album, and you’ve already been on a heck of a ride.
The rest of the album follows suit. Songs are long, many over the five-minute mark, but you won’t want them to end. Sad Girl combines the narrative power of Bob Dylan with the Doors’ dreamy psychedelia, and the results are spectacular.
www.sadgirlmusic.com
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Rachael Sage
The Blistering Sun
The piano pop of Rachael Sage incorporates jazz, reggae, funk and even a few cartoony sound effects (think the Inspector Gadget theme song). Traces of Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco are unmistakable, but through originality and sheer talent, Sage is certainly carving out a niche that is all her own.
Highlights include “Featherwoman,” where Sage showcases her notable range over atmospheric electric guitar and syncopated drumbeats. In “Wildflower” Sage asks a potential lover, “Are you going to fly to me? / Are you going to keep on walking?” as an R&B-infused brass section hits all the right accents. “Violet or Blue” is a delightful throwback to mid-‘70s pop-rock, Bread’s “Baby I’m-A Want You” crossed with the best of Olivia Newton-John. Intrigued? You should be. Enchanted? You will be.
www.rachaelsage.com
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Doug & Telisha Williams
Rope Around My Heart
The Virginia duo of Doug and Telisha Williams deliver honest, no-frills music on their first national release. Part Texas honky-tonk, part mountain jamboree, Rope Around My Heart moves seamlessly from bar rooms and freight trains to small towns and coal mines. Telisha’s vocals carry the twang of Steve Earle and Nanci Griffith, while Doug’s bluesy, country guitar conveys both rhythm and harmony.
Standout tracks include the after-hours anthem “Bar Room Story” and the fast-paced “Bringin’ My Daddy Home Again” in which a lap steel convincingly mimics a train whistle as Telisha tells us, “You can ride a truck on down the road, you can fly an aeroplane / But there ain’t nothing in this world like a mighty railroad train.” If you’re an Americana fan, let Doug and Telisha Williams tie a rope around your heart.
www.DandTW.com
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The Yayhoos
Put the Hammer Down
The Yayhoos kick things off with a growling bassline straight out of vintage Sly and the Family Stone, making us want to write adjectives like “nasty” and “phat.” Comprised of two former members of the Georgia Satellites, this New York City–based quartet are serving up pure, unadulterated rock. It’s enough to make you think that somewhere on the airwaves the Rolling Stones must have fused with Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC.
Even with a dangling participle, “Where’s Your Boyfriend At?” pounds out a relentless rhythm as the lyrics sneeringly ask, “Where’s your other man? / He can’t love you like I can.” Other highlights include the blues-influenced “All Dressed Up” (“Spit shine on my shoes, my dress shirt starched and ironed / I’ve been this way since noon, waiting on a big fat lie”) and the fast-paced, rebellious “Never Give an Inch.” Been hungering for some real rock ’n’ roll? Dish yourself up a healthy serving of Put the Hammer Down.
www.yayhoos.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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