Lou Dawson - Cold Coffee and Advice

by Frank Gualtier -- 10/06/07

I

listen to the music of Lou Dawson and one thing I always hear in her voice regardless of the lyric is strength.

It's a strength that's tangible. A strength that makes you think.

You want to know how it got there, how it works, how it found you and how you can find it.

All that and at the same time you're just loving the song sans complexia in some bizarre twist of 'action versus reaction' neutrality.

Very difficult to explain.

They say "a picture paints a thousand words". I believe music is much the same so I included her song 'Cold Coffee' to go with some words she sent out this morning.
--

"late night musings

"happiness and success" is not something you are OWED.. it is something that you EARN.. every day of your life.. even after you "achieve it".

this is not something you can buy in a book or watch in a movie you heard about on oprah.

just be nice.
don't talk about it.
don't read about it.
don't think about it.
BE IT.
otherwise it doesn't count.

got it?

and by nice i mean EVERYONE, servers, elderly, cashiers, addicts, the homeless, and even those misguided unpleasant ones with unrealistic expectations of the aformentioned. they are the true challenge.

know why? because all of them are someones son or daughter, someones brother or sister. which in turn makes them YOURS.

for some reason we have been led to exist in selfishness. with no consideration for the unfathomable [amount] of life that [exists] outside of our own minds.

live like it means something.. because it does.

stop judging, stop hating stop complaining..


no religion here... i don't $buy$ into that.

love is free.

just like you." ~Lou Dawson

Alexandra Krakus - Birdsong

by Frank Gualtier -- 08/08/07, 07/18/06

Ever have one of those moments when you see someone as if through a completely new set of eyes?

Sometimes that's a bad thing but I think those we remember most are the times when our vantage of someone is whipped into a higher plane. When it's a good thing. And perhaps the most profound of all is when someone who resides already very high in our sky appears suddenly to have shot off into the cosmos and become a blazing star.

Last February I was off surfing the net for 'something music something good' and I came across the myspace profile of Alexandra Krakus. This was definitely 'something music something good'.

She had several Americana songs on her profile player that were excellent. Though she spent her childhood in Poland I noticed she had Canada listed as her location so 'excellent' didn't surprise me too much. The best bluesy folk in the world is coming out of Canada right now and especially from the ladies. One thing that does surprise me is that so many of them are friends. Does that kind of thing rub off on people or does it just bring out what's already there?

Much of what I heard had a very DIY laid back sound to it. I'm talking standard DIY definition -- not punk as Wikipedia sort of mentions in passing as perhaps a predominant musical assocation. There's definitely strong associations to electronic music and DIY but ... some other time.

The point I was making is that it seemed as if good songs maybe fell from her when she shakes and she then whips out the guitar and hits record and presto -- instant music. To this day I do actually believe it comes that readily to her. Amazing.

She's quite prolific so I tend to hit her profile frequently but I missed a gap of a couple months with the internet as a whole awhile back so I've recently been playing catchup.

In the process of catching up she was one of the first people I visited to see what was new. That was the day I first heard 'Birdsong'. That was the day Alexandra Krakus went from a highly situated resident in my sky to a blazing star out in the cosmos.

I'll spare you my cursing "why can't I hear anything remotely this good on the radio" rant and leave this on a peaceful note -- an Alexandra Krakus singing Birdsong note.

(hit the little right arrow [play] button - enjoy)



Alexandra Krakus -- Birdsong
Big blue sky up above
Perfect weather for love
I'll stretch my feathery wings
And
sing sing sing to the sky
sing sing sing as I fly
high high high up above 'bove 'bove
the humans and their...

...troubled, rubble-filled lives
Downcast, sensitive eyes,
Haunting habits and fears
With
tears tears tears in their eyes
tears tears tears as I fly
high high high up above 'bove 'bove
the humans and their...

...young ones running amok
Old ones tending their clocks
Lost ones tossed in the crowds
And
loud loud loud in their cars
proud proud proud like the stars
far far far up above 'bove 'bove
my simple song of love.

Links for Alexandra Krakus:

• MySpace
  
• Kaya Fraser and Alexandra Krakus live at Zeke's 06/28/07
  

Ali Bartlett

by Frank Gualtier -- 07/28/06

It was Mark Collins of the Live365 Internet Radio station Women of the '90S who pointed me in the direction of Ali Bartlett. He's a man on a mission not so unlike my own. He set an awful high bar this time.

It seems lately every time I hear something I'd swear was steeped in the American heartland it turns out to be americana by way of Canadian blood. Ali Bartlett exemplifies this as her Canadian veins are flowing rich with americana song. As well she has one of those once in a lifetime heard exemplary voices. A voice that is intoxicating to the point of near wreckless abandon and so mesmerizing I think she might stop a few hearts.

It's a smoky voice -- near the Rachael Yamagata neighborhood -- with a tone color somewhere between Gileah Taylor and Tanya Tucker. It's one of the most uniformly textured voices I've ever heard and very full. When she sings the "ment" of "judgment" (nearly spoken) in the song radiant the lushness of it nearly cuts you in half.

The songs that were on her myspace player when I arrived were Alright By Me, Common Criminals, Lay Me Down, and Radiant -- the last of which features Melissa McClelland on backing vocals.

Much to my surprise I found out that she writes her own music and the songs I heard were her own. The surprise was justified and I think you'll agree because it's rare to find either a voice or music of this high a caliber. To find both dwelling in the same person? The odds must astronomically disfavor such phenomenon.

My favorite song is Lay Me Down. It oozes acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin (barebones bluegrass band minus fiddle) drenched americana spirit. It's got a soft.2.3.hard.2.3 rushed catch-up rhythm that I swear projects scenery right out of a small calm in a big storm of the depression and dustbowl era American deep south. Like many songs that actually were from 1930's America it sings idealistically with the chorus "lay me down -- won't you stay here beside me -- your wandering heart -- found". If we're not on the same page try listening to the soundtrack of O Brother, Where Art Thou? This song would have fit nicely with the overall flavor I believe.

She definitely covers more territory but the orbital path seems to be centered around americana and folk with flavors dictated by how far she strays into the alt-* / progressive-* space.

I'd bet a large sum that were she to put out an album comprised entirely of her songs it would be one of those "not a single weak track" affairs.

Finally -- she seems always to sound a bit somber regardless of the mood. I think it's just how she chews her words with that lush smoky voice. Ali herself calls it "optimistically sad". She nailed it.

Click here and to listen to her. Go encourage her. Go tell her you love her music and you want more.

Martha Wainwright

by Frank Gualtier -- 04/14/06, 04/24/06, 06/17/06

Tastes like adult acoustic/electric folk/country/alt-rock/alt-pop fusion. Chew...

Martha Wainwright writes and sings the way most people think but don't speak. The surge of emotion that comes through in her voice reminds me of how a child reacts when opening a gift that causes emotional response (good or bad). The song G.P.T. sports a perfect example with "...and she's got a name. i don't care" sung in a way as to conjure an image of Martha actually stomping her foot and then smiling because she got it out of her system. These 'my heart is an open book' deliveries are disarming and often quite seductively charming.

I've seen many genre attached to her name including 'Alternative & Punk' but to me she sounds like a mostly acoustic folk/country fusion with lyrics that might earn the 'punk' moniker.

She sings several songs with backup from her cousin Lily Lanken. Lily and Martha compliment each other's voices like a craving that makes your mouth water. Each ingredient good but when they swirl you squirm.

So natural - so real - so contagious.

Links for Martha Wainwright:

• Wikipedia
  
• Website
  
• MySpace
  
• Amazon - Martha Wainwright (EP 1999)
  
• CD Baby - BMFA EP
  
• Amazon - I Will Internalize EP
  
• Amazon - Martha Wainwright (2005)