Them Vibes - There Need Be No Other Title.

I first encountered the recording artist Brother Love through the New York internet radio show Keith and the Girl back in 2006. A 1000 watt personality with a killer vocal range as a singer as well as mega chops on the drums, Brother Love's multi-layered music quickly rose to the top of my playlist via his solo albums "Album of the Year" and "Turn It Up". Both albums show case Brother Love's ability to cross pollinate musical genres from rock, to funk to radio friendly urban beats, while anchoring them together with his considerable vocal presence. The result is an attractive package that still stands as one of my favorites.

I was hopeful that Brother Love would continue with his solo work because I always felt he had much more to give. However, an opportunity presented for him to further his career behind the drums and he made the move to Nashville to take up residence in the country rock fusion outfit "Her and Kings County". What started out as a hugely promising career with a band who had major label backing turned out not to be and at the middle point of 2012, it seemed - from the outside looking in - Brother Love as a recording artist, might have run his race. Little did I know, this couldn't be further from the truth.

With another former HKC alum Alex Haddad, Brother Love set about reinventing himself via a new musical project, the boughs of which, are now bearing fruit.

Them Vibes represents a continuation of Brother Love's and Alex Haddad's exploration of a Nashville inspired country rock fusion but as Brother Love himself told me recently, it is a much more personal sound, free from the constraints of the over produced, over packaged fare that so often finds it's way onto music store shelves.

In January 2013, the band began recording their debut record, Shine On, in their backyard of Nashville, TN. They sought out to make an album that was unchained from the grid-perfect, quick fix plug-in standards of today’s recording. Demanding vintage tones, feel, and performance, Them Vibes went to work creating a record that felt both new and familiar. Six months later, they left with an eleven song LP that achieved just that.

Them Vibes’ roots run deep through the veritable ground of music; influences ranging from the gritty rock of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, the rhythmic sway of The Black Crowes and Tom Petty, and the intimate harmonies of Simon & Garfunkel and The Band. The songs themselves vary from the ballistic to the intimate, but throughout, runs a through-line of raw, unapologetic honesty.

From the cut-throat, adrenalin shot, single, Cryin Shame, to the down-home, back porch sound of Lorelei, the band takes you on a journey in sound, and feel, but through it all, the genuine grit and heart of Them Vibes rings on through to the last note. It vibes. It feels. It gets under your skin and makes you feel good. Lorelei alone had me pulling out my Nana's ancient piano accordion and had me jamming along with it.

Currently residing in East Nashville, Them Vibes are doing what they love most; playing live and letting the music do the talking. You can probably find the songwriters, Alex Haddad and Larry Florman (Brother Love) by the bar somewhere. Have a drink with them, ease back, let yourself go, and take a ride with Them Vibes.

As the duo work towards a release of the LP later this year, they are currently promoting their music via their Bandcamp portal. Cryin' Shame and Lorelei (which are available for purchase now) will soon be joined by additional tracks from the Shine On album. Through this effort as well as a possible crowd funding push, Them Vibes will be in a position to raise their profile into the stratosphere. 

Purchase Them Vibes music here.

Follow Them Vibes here.

Tweet Them Vibes here. 

Rock and roll isn't supposed to be pretty. It sure a s hell isn't perfect. It’s just as crooked as the rest of us, and that’s the way it should be.

DFA.

The Slowest Curve/Adena Atkins - There Need Be No Other Title.

I love it when I discover music that has been crafted rather than simply produced. Music as an art form has long been underestimated. This is especially true today when you consider the kind of music that occupies the mainstream. It is bereft of artistry. It resembles an item in an Ikea catalog. It is soulless. 

So when you find examples of music that have been sculpted with real care and honesty, they become something to treasure - something as tactile and tangible as art on a canvas, in a piece of clay, or a surface metal. They live and breath.

Seattle based singer/song writer Adena Atkins is a discovery I made this past week that proves my maxim that there is definitely artistry in music and, in her own music, there is much to experience on many levels. It involves all the senses.


I have arrived at Adena Atkins music through her début EP, The Slowest Curve. It is a recording that, I'll admit, caught me off guard and it took me a couple of listens to get my head around what it was I was listening to. But, right from the opening refrains of the first track, there was a tangible "something" that hooked me and before too long, I was addicted.

I'm gonna toss another of my esoteric side notes in here and say that I was reminded, a little, of David Gilmour's pairing with British Trance outfit The Orb for the 2011 Metallic Spheres album. Both compositions are highly experimental in their execution and dance with a thematic under-current to drive the music forward. 


On The Slowest Curve, Atkins and her producer partner, Jay Pinto, craft - from the ground up - four tracks which have the thematics of the four seasons at their centre. Each track is set in front of a window in the morning and the listener is invited to "see" what the artist sees through the glass. Atkins describes parallels with the impressionist work of painter Claude Monet, whose repetitive compositions highlighted variety in light and colour.

Appropriately, the album begins with a track entitled "Glass" and it immediately challenges the listener with an off-beat signature, reminiscent of Phil Collins "In The Air Tonight". There is a sensuality within the track as it depicts the voice of two lovers during the autumn. It speaks of trepidation, of fragility, of wanting to surrender yet hesitating - akin to the leaves falling from the tree. "End Of Story" moves into a darker, more cynical phase as winter descends upon the lovers and we observe conflict within them - a disconnect. It is deceptive here because the music itself has seductive energy to it. Transitioning into spring, "April Rain", is a subtly uplifting piece as the darkness of  the winter dissipates. It hints at the passing of a significant amount of time between the lovers, yet there is a sense of rediscovery in each other. Rounding out the recording is "Hot Gray Morning" and here we find the voice is singular now, reflective as she sits by a Boston window - looking out and reflecting on having left her home. The song has a languid, gospel feel to it. As the listener, you drift on its back and it concludes quietly, with warmth and absolution.

In all of Atkins tracks, there is no lyrical repetition. Atkins herself explains that they follow a poetic structure, showing concern for small particulars such as mallow, stained glass, pigeons, and creeks. These might seem overly random and of little consequence within the wider context of the pieces, but they are in fact, essential ingredients. Nothing is added, either lyrically or musically, that should not be there.

At the core of the artist is her exquisite voice which Atkins has honed over many years of performance. Her approach to song is from the discipline of soprano but Atkins has extended herself immensely, taking her voice farther and in varied directions from classical and opera,  to jazz, atmospheric and even pop. Thus, she can occupy different aural spaces, centering her vocals there and owning that space effortlessly. 

As a song writer, Atkins takes her astute skill of observation and constructs lyrical poetry with song in mind, but the lyrics stand on their own terms as a beautiful language that are at home on the page without music as they are within the music she weaves for them. 


Musically, Atkins is at home with experimentation, infusing her sound with heavy keyboards, digital percussion a la Peter Gabriel and a side of bass. She pairs these traditional elements with a variety of other sounds - both organic and inorganic - including a hurdy-gurdy, typewriter, running water, bassoon, a creaking boat, bells, vocoder, a string quartet, and even a gong. In isolation, they are abstract and, seemingly, without meaning. As part of Atkins whole - they are everything.


Adena Atkins has entered my catalogue and now occupies a special place where atmosphere and feeling within music run freeely. She has challenged me to appreciate a truly artisan style of music and she has captured me. 


I surrender willingly.


DFA.


Visit Adena and Purchase Her Music here

Friend-up with Adena here

Tweet with Adena here

Then Came The Sun by Trainwreck In Sarasota.

I've talked about the work of singer/songwriter Rob McCann previously when I took a look at his début E.P. "The Narrow Escape" back in 2011. Under the stage name of "Trainwreck In Sarasota", I enthused about his talents as a songwriter at the time, but I was also taken by his exquisite talent with the guitar combined with his nuanced vocals which made him one of the stand out musicians of 2011. 


Well, Rob is back and has just released a follow up E.P. entitled "Then Came The Sun" via his Band Camp portal.

The E.P. comprises four tracks of unadorned beauty, again showcasing McCann's skill as a song smith, instrumentalist and vocalist. Recorded, once again, in a stripped back fashion in Oklahoma, McCann delivers a varied musical palette that, from a story perspective, traverses themes such as reflection, determination self doubt and questions of endurance in an industry that favours polish over substance.


His vocals are complex as he marries them with superb guitar instrumentals that are acoustically wondrous. His chord progressions a crisp and he favours a use of minors and sharps over straight up conventional chord groupings which makes for a more interesting sound form. 


As I was listening to Then Came The Sun, I was reminded of a passage from "Every Man For Himself by author Beryl Bainbridge. 


'Think of music," he said. "Why is it that we are most moved by those works composed in a minor key?" 


It's a obscure reference I know but it is entirely apt.


I really wish that I had been acquainted with Rob's work during the period in which I was writing The Hambledown Dream. In early incarnations of the novel, I'd expanded my protagonist, Andy DeVries, repertoire to include both vocals as well as guitar but I opted to go for a pure instrumentalist in the final cut of the novel. If I had known of Rob's work back then, I most certainly would have infused his musical influence into my characterization.  


McCann is an artist in the truest sense and there is a patience and deliberate quality to his compositions that is so appealing because it is honest. Honesty in music is an increasingly rare commodity. 

"Then Came The Sun" can be purchased from Rob's "Trainwreck In Sarasota" Band Camp portal. How this works is that purchasers can nominate an amount they would like to pay for the artists work and are then able to checkout securely. It's a wonderfully democratic way to purchase music, so long as one respects the time, effort and sweat the artist has put into their work. 


In the case of "Trainwreck In Sarasota", no less than his heart has been poured into these tracks, so it is deserving of a proper reward.


Buy "Then Came The Sun" here.


Follow "Trainwreck In Sarasota" here.


Tweet "Trainwreck In Sarasota" here.


DFA. 

The Maple Ridge - There Need Be No Other Title.

April 17th (April 18th in Australia) sees the world wide release of New York outfit Swear & Shake's debut long player "Maple Ridge". This is an album I have long been looking forward to, ever since I chronicled the band in my 2011 T.N.B.N.O.T feature. At that time, I had discovered S & S through their self titled E.P. which quickly rose to the top of my playlist and has remained there ever since. Back then, I felt their music was a kind of nod to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Arlo Guthrie, Henry Rollins and The Decemberists. Make no mistake though - Swear and Shake have a passionately individual and original sound that should be seen and experienced on it's own terms.

"Maple Ridge" represents and important milestone for the band. Funded partially through Kickstarter - of which I was a proud contributor - the album show cases Swear & Shake in all their indie cred glory. And it is a sumptuous album, full of charm and character, brass and banjos, accordions and acoustics. Recording as they did at the titular Maple Ridge barn in upstate New York, the overall sound has a beauty that is warm and real - untainted by the studio process. The production team have experimented, drawing on the natural acoustics within the barn and adding them to the aural tableaux which makes the listening experience just so damned interesting. The core musicians along with their guest artists are at the top of their game too, bringing each track an individual style - no two tracks are quite the same but, as a collection, they are synchronous - they belong together. And of course, the vocal duets between Kari and Adam are raucous at times, intimate at others and honest always. They have fun and they have heart. It is a jewel of a recording.

As I write this, I've been away in rural South Australia on a locum placement and I've had the good fortune (as a Kickstarter backer) to have an advance listen. It has become my soundtrack to my journey on the back roads and highways of the Outback, a perfect accompaniment to the wide open spaces of the rural heartland, the wheat fields and the sheep paddocks and the towering grain silos that are really, the only evidence that anyone is out here. "Maple Ridge" really does suit any place though or any mood. Losing yourself in it is sublime.

If you are a connosieur of an earthy sound, an indie folk rockabilly,  this is an album that you must treat yourself to. Do yourself a big favor. "Maple Ridge" is available for purchase directly from the band's website in either digital download or physical CD. 


DFA.

Apartment C3 - There Need Be No Other Title.

I can remember my grandfather being an avid reader of the broad sheet newspaper. 

Long before sunrise, Pa would be out on his morning walk, doing a few laps of the local race track in those pre-dawn hours where your breath is visible in the cold morning air, swinging by my father's barber shop for a coffee and a few minutes of conversation before collecting the daily newspaper on his way home to read with his breakfast. 

Along with the cross word puzzle, one of Pa's greatest joys was the daily cartoon. The cartoon, usually a single panel, captured the mood of the day or the week perfectly with some sort of tongue in cheek observation about life or politics or society. Anything that took the piss really. And you could almost be guaranteed that Pa would let out one of his patented chuckles that sounded like Mutley the Dog from the Wacky Races cartoon back in the day.

20 years after his death, I still remember his love of the daily cartoon and I like to think that I've kinda continued the tradition, in a sense. However, my version of the daily cartoon comes to me via the web and is enjoyed on my Samsung Tablet - usually with a cup of coffee on the patio.


A weekly web series entitled "Apartment C3" has now firmly captured the mantle of my 'daily cartoon' and it makes me laugh my pants off (not literally)...


Apartment C3 follows the travails, the trials and the and tribulations (is that even coherent???) of four New Yorkers - comedian and Spanish/American orator Carmen Lynch, photographer and filmmaker Chris Vongsawat, comedian and self confessed sweet tooth tragic Liz Miele and finally, quite possibly the most gentrified cat with 'tude I've ever come across Pasta.

Each Monday, the Apartment C3 gang present a short video vignette in which the minutiae of apartment C3 life is presented in all it's unabashed quirkiness. The four performers innate sense of timing and comedy are joyful to watch. They are a HILARIOUS combination! Each Wednesday, under the exquisite eye of Vongsawat, the gang put up a comedic photo which is invariably topical and centers around their lives in the Apartment. Directed and shot by Vongsawat, the guy and girls serve up something fresh and funny every week and I am always guaranteed of a laugh. 


It's like the modern day equivalent of a newspaper cartoon, except that Apartment C3 lives and breathes. I have become a self confessed tragic...in much the same way that I was a Footrot Flats tragic as a kid. Here is just one example of their genius for you to enjoy...

The team behind Apartment C3 are a razor sharp unit who bring to the comedy a wealth of experience and talent.  

Carmen Lynch is a stand-up comic who has appeared on Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central and ComedyTV. She’s freelanced for Mad Magazine and was a writer for TuNite Con Lorenzo Parro on Telemundo. She speaks fluent Spanish - which I can attest to, having seen this video of her performing on stage in Spain itself very recently. Her performance is nigh on flawless - at least, I think it's flawless...because I don't speak Spanish...I only speak Australian. Lynch is a master of expression and physicality which she invariably puts to use in the Apartment C3 vignettes.

Chris Vongsawat is a photographer/filmmaker whose pictures have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Crain’s New York Business and Photo District News. He has produced work for Louis Vuitton, Banana Republic and SHAPE Magazine. I have viewed Chris' portfolio at his website and, I have got to say - it is ah-mazing! Chris has produced a series of wonderful 'moving headshots' for various models and actors which not only show case the subjects themselves but also Chris' brilliant eye, his innate sense of lighting, texture and movement. They are quite lovely to behold. With his Apartment C3 work, Chris imbues his moving images and stills with wit and humour. If he was ever to produce a coffee table book based on his Apartment C3 material alone, I'd be first in line to secure a copy.   

Liz Miele is also a Brooklyn based stand-up comic who’s been on the circuit in her home country at - now get this - aged 16! Liz has been profiled in The New Yorker, New York Times, New York Times magazine and New Jersey Monthly. Her stand-up - which combines a cooky and high watt energy with astute and whimsical observation - has also been featured at Live at Gotham and Comedy Central no less. In Apartment C3, Liz shines as the kind of glue that holds it all together - the eternal optimist, although there are occasions where she can unleash a Jekyll and Hyde slap down when it's called for. When she's not performing on stage, Liz likes running - a lot - and she regularly competes in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC with her Dad. According to Liz, she speaks three phrases in French.

  
And of course, I would be remiss if I were not to profile Pasta Miele - the self confessed lynch pin of the whole Apartment C3 operation. Pasta is described as a professional cat model whos pictures have been seen by anyone that has talked to Liz in the last 6 years. She’s vocal, loves kitty treats, has abandonment issues and loves to cuddle. Pasta wears the pants in the Apartment. 

As a document for the modern age, Apartment C3 is resoundingly fresh and fearless, presenting comedic minutiae that is guaranteed to make you smile. Like the daily cartoon that my Pa used to look forward to when I was a kid, its RSS feed is one I proudly display at the top of my Pulse aggregator on my Tablet and, come Tuesday (Australian time) and Thrusday (Australian time), I get a more than a little buzzed when I see a new alert from the Apartment C3 gang.  

DFA.

Be In Love - There Need Be No Other Title.

I've had quite musical banquet in the past couple of weeks and it has led me to some new aural discoveries which are always welcome to my ears. 


I took my serioso to see Feist for her birthday at the 'Thebby' in Adelaide back on the 9th and I made the comment at the time that I would renounce my Australian citizenship tomorrow, just to become a Canadian and have the opportunity to see Feist live a lot more. She was, in a word, sumptuous. 


But in all of my gushing about Feist and Canadians being the most beautiful people on Earth, I received a new Twitter follower who instantly caught my attention and had me eagerly checking out her website and her music. As such, I just had to add her to my growing list of "There Need Be No Other Title" entries.


Amanda Abizaid, though not immediately recognizable to me, is a songstress and composer of formidable talent and one who has amassed a seriously impressive portfolio since she first emerged onto the scene in the late 90's.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon and migrating to the U.S. in the middle 90's, Amanda has worked as both a model and actress garnering critical success for her work but it is to her music I am drawn and her vocal talent in particular which is truly something to behold.


Her body of work as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, and flute) Amanda is best known as the captivating vocalist on the theme song “A Place In Time” from Paramount’s The 4400, the featured song “Dreams in Ashes” from Lifetime Television’s Odd Girl Out, as well as other lead vocal appearances in songs appearing in Smallville, Ed, One Tree Hill, Felicity, and Charmed. Amanda has also contributed compositions for feature films such as 3 Below, 13th Alley, and an independent short film, Facing the Lion, by writer director, Joe Plonsky, and executive producer, Scott Spiegel, in which she has a starring role.


"Be In Love" is Amanda Abizaid's latest solo release, an eight track EP that show cases Abizaid's wide ranging vocal talent, her skill across a number of instruments and her ambitious fusion of a number of musical styles.

Abizaid's voice has a smoky, sensual and passionate sensibility which is incredibly attractive and she has quite a range too, which allows her to vary her ability effortlessly across the six vocal tracks. Her Middle Eastern roots shine through which adds a earthy texture to her voice and I have to say that I am a sucker for these influences. I have been listening to a number of artists who have drawn from Middle Eastern musical styles - both Chemda Khalili and Lisa Gerrard come to mind instantly - and I'm happy say Amanda Abizaid is a beautiful addition to my catalog.


Her music fuses those Middle Eastern rhythms and instruments with an urban flavor that floats from jazz to world music to even a little bit of hip-hop. It has the potential to get a bit messy but here, on each track of the EP, it totally works. It sounds effortless and well polished. You will be bouncing your head after a while, I guarantee it. 


Thematically "Be In Love" speaks of love and life and personal growth from Amanda's perspective and it has been influenced largely from her life thus far, growing up in Lebanon and migrating to America. It feel is positive and reflective and it's a refreshingly individual work, created with a lot of care and constructed meticulously. 


At $5.99 "Be In Love" is a worthy addition to your library and one that connects you directly with the artist - avoiding the various middle men/women along the way. As with previous entries to my "There Need Be No Other Title" series, I am pleased knowing that 100% of my hard earned goes directly to artist. 


Amanda Abizaid is one of those gems that you find when you least expect it. And they are truly the best ones. 


DFA.  

Gemini Downs - There Need Be No Other Title.

On New Years Eve, my young family took a tram up to Adelaide's Elder Park to enjoy a free NYE's outdoor concert in the twilight hours on the river Torrens. It was a typically balmy Adelaide evening after a day which had brought temperatures of up to 100 degrees (F). By the time we set ourselves down on the grass in front of the rotunda however, it was a much more hospitable environment in which to enjoy some live music and we had a totally lovely time there.


One of the things that made the free concert so enjoyable was the quality of the acts that were headlining the event. Bands such as the Atlantic Street Band, Lucky Seven, The Wholias, Matsuri Taiko Japanese Drummers,  Las Chicas Bomba Brazilian Dancers entertained in an atmosphere that was suited to everyone - not just families. You had big band sounds, the sounds of Bourbon Street, Argentine rhythms and some eclectic Bollywood bravura in amongst the set list and it made for a totally enjoyable evening, which was capped off by an early fireworks display at 9PM - perfect for the kids. 


But in amongst all these stellar musical acts was one band that stood out like a beacon and had me wanting for more. And, true to form, I embarked on a typically enthusiastic information gathering exercise the next day on the band Gemini Downs.

On stage during 2011's NYE celebrations, Adelaide, Australia.

Gemini Downs is a seven piece South Australian indie folk rock outfit who hail from the pretty South East township of Mt. Gambier. Formed by siblings Sean and Jessica Braithwaite sometime in 2010, Gemini Downs takes it's name from a holiday spot on South Australia's Coorong district, where the Braithwaites spent many holidays as children. Their beginnings were unassuming enough but the outfit has since grown exponentially and they now feature a superb line up of musicians from both Australia and abroad. Their music is, what I like to call, heart-land music - a richly Australian sound that turns the traditional notions of folk music on it's head and fuses it with a rock sensibility that is gutsy but understated. Again, I hate comparing here but for the purposes of this article - there are flourishes of The Decemberists, Swear & Shake (who I featured here at DFA Dot Com last year), Australian band The Waifs, Missy Higgins and perhaps a little bit of The Mavericks.


Where Gemini Downs mark their individuality though is in the way they flirt - devilishly so - with the unconventional by bringing a host of instruments to their music including the piano accordion, alto and tenor saxophone, clarinet, mandolins, the Cello even tap dancing. Jessica Braithwaite is a formidable tap dancer who, during the NYE performance in the park, ripped the roof off the place with an enthusiastic tap performance that works - TOTALLY WORKS. Their songs are lyrical poetry and speak of love and places, life in all it's untarnished glory, the passionate and the dispassionate. You will listen for their lyrics but you will experience their musicality as a sumptuous whole and take it all in like a hearty meal that leaves you warm.

My Daughter Rocks Out With the band at Adelaide's NYE celebration.

As their profile Down Under continues to rise, Gemini Downs has already featured on Triple J's Unearthed series which gives exposure to up an coming Australian bands and, at the time of writing, they are working on a debut album to complement a self titled EP release which is available as a download from CD Baby for the princely sum of $5.99. I've already purchased this EP and I can attest to the beauty of the Gemini Downs sound (check my left side bar where I've placed their album cover). It is rich. It is honest and it is wonderfully unconventional. 


I hope for big things for this band and given their impressive work rate on the tour circuit domestically, Gemini Downs will be an outfit to watch in 2012. Try out their music. I know you won't be disappointed. 


DFA.

Post Script - My daughter's first experience of fireworks.

Near Infinite Possibility - There Need Be No Other Title.

My exploration of superb indepedent music has continued unabated over the past few months and I was excited to discover yet another singer/song writer to add to my 'There Need Be No Other Title' series. 

Sarah Fimm is an American song-smith and lyricist who has been around the scene since 2001 producing an increasingly varied and impressive body of work. Her music has found wide appeal despite skirting the edges of the mainstream in terms of exposure, but in this day and age of quality indie artists, this is most certainly a plus factor. I'll admit to having arrived at Sarah Fimm's work quite last in the piece, through her free EP release 'Near Infinite Possibility', which she has shared generously through the Frostwire network. This EP is essentially a shortened version of her latest studio release of the same name and I must say it has quickly risen to the top of my preferred playlist.

Sarah Fimm has been described as a dark, chaotic mixture of rock and pop with alternative influences. These characteristics are clearly on display in the 5 track EP. Her sound is colored with a smoky melodic rock fused with a euro-electronic foundation. It has been said of Sarahs previous work that it tends towards a sharply electronic focus with her voice lending the only human element to her music. If that is the case, then 'Near Infinite Possibility' marks a somewhat stark departure from what has come before.

Across the 5 tracks of this EP, gutsy guitar riffs are paired seamlessy with polished vocal harmonies on tracks like 'Soul Let Swim' and 'Yellow' while vocally, Fimm presents an ability to range from the hard edges of her heavier rock compositions to her uplifting and quite delicate acoustic numbers such as 'Sing'. I was initially reminded of Evanescence's Amy Lee when listening to the opening track of 'Near Infinite Possibility' but, whereas Lee seems limited to the overtly dark and brooding trademark of the Evanescence brand, Fimm displays much more versatility in her vocal style. There shades of Suzi deMarchi as well - an attractive malevolence that is best exemplified on the track 'Invisible Satellites'. Fimm moves her voice really nicely within the harmonies of her backing vocalists and she can carry it deftly on her own. It is a strong and feminine voice.

As a lyricist, Fimm has penned songs on the EP that suggest a dark introspection, depression and isolation but there are hints of hope there too, of love and standing tall. Fimm has stepped outside of her comfort zone here in order to showcase her ability to perform, stylistically quite different compositions. She succeeds amply.

Sarah's music has been featured in some eclectic corners of the media landscape. She has paired with the likes of Iggy Pop, Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus) and in 2008 she supported Canadian outfit Delirium.Songs from both her 2001 debut album Cocooned and her 2002 follow up A Perfect Dream have appeared extensively in MTV's Real World and Road Rules series, Miramax Productions' Comic Book: The Movie (directed by Mark Hamill), the feature documentary A Space for Peace and the Lifetime television series 1-800-Missing.

One of the most interesting projects Sarah has helmed is the Karma Phala Project. Released in October 2010, Karma Phala (or "fruits of action), is a combined music and art project that showcases Sarah's talents in depth. The project comprises 31 music tracks and 4 albums of artworks and photographs composed and compiled by Sarah herself. She is distributing freely to those who request it. It is an important body of work that typifies the ingenuity and  passion of artists who are not restrained by commercial shackles and it really is something quite beautiful.

The end result of my discovery of Sarah Fimm is that I have already sought out more of her work. She is an artist of particular beauty and integrity and she represents the kind of quality that is so lacking in the vacuous wasteland of mainstream music today. I totally encourage you to spend some time getting to know her for yourself.

DFA.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Hambledown Dream

by Dean Mayes

Giveaway ends November 17, 2011.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Train Wreck In Sarasota - There Need Be No Other Title.

Continuing on my journey of musical discovery, this week I'd like to share with you the music of Rob McCann whose acoustic project "Trainwreck in Sarasota" is turning heads - and ears - in all the right ways.


McCann's newly released EP "The Narrow Escape" has just landed through McCann's label Basement Session Records as a follow up to the 2010 release "Something To Call Your Own" and both releases herald a unique take on the trident of singer/songwriter/guitarist that is all at once refreshing and familiar but never stagnant. So it's worthy to explore both pieces as a way of showcasing McCann in his entirety.   


Upon first listen to "The Narrow Escape" I was greeted with the most satisfying of acoustics and I imagined the performer having set himself in some sort of disused apartment building or warehouse with high ceilings, exposed double brick walls and solid timber floors - tall windows along one side, letting in fractured light through dusty glass. Such environments lend themselves to a raw and organic sound that takes you into them - they are tactile and sensual - something that can oft be missed from the crispness of the studio. I often talk about good music's ability to evoke vivid imagery and Trainwreck in Sarasota achieves this handsomely.

Cover art for "The Narrow Escape" (2011 Basement Session Records).

McCann's playing is intricate and complex and by this I mean he doesn't simply stick to safe chord progressions nor labor on one particular rhythm. His instrumental pieces are in and of themselves a dance where the guitar itself is the vocalist and he achieves an almost classical flourish to what is otherwise indie/experimental folk and blues. This is what impresses me most about the performances on both releases - though I tend to favor "The Narrow Escape's" depth of musicality, which is merely a personal preference and in no way diminishes "Something To Call Your Own. As an artist - be it a musical or a literary one - we tend to pride ourselves on our first productions.  


Trainwreck in Sarasota' songs are lyrically appealing and McCann is a songwriter and lyricist of considerable talent. His songs on both releases range through the territory of deep emotional reflection, dealing with such abstracts as depression, substance abuse, fear and loathing as well as soul searching, love and absolution. As vocalist, McCann has a range and a rawness that suits the folk/blues sound of his guitar. It is honest and passionate, reflective and melodious. Most important of all - it is unquestionably individual, which is so refreshing to find in among the dearth of manufactured music that has swamped the mainstream in recent times.

Trainwreck in Sarasota's Rob McCann.

I don't like to compare musicians with one another because I think it can sometimes be unhelpful but McCann himself does cite as musical influences the likes of The Decemberists, Jeff Martin, Hawksley Workman and The Weepies. I myself, was reminded a little of Colin Hay, Chris Whitley and even Seasick Steve. The quality of Trainwreck in Sarasota's sound, combined with McCann's vocal presence, song writing smarts and guitarmanship make him worthy of being mentioned in the same breath. If there were any criticisms at all to make of Rob and his music, it would be to simply say that his sound is crying out for the addition of a session band and some additional harmonies.


"The Narrow Escape" and "Something To Call Your Own" are both available through McCann's official site and, while both recordings are free, I would encourage prospective listeners to kick in with a donation. Both works are highly deserving given the care and attention that has gone into them. 


The final word on Trainwreck in Sarasota, to me, is luminous. Go get yourself some.


DFA.