Edie Carey
“Accidental Poet,” one of Edie Carey's earliest songs, describes a particularly eloquent friend, but could just as easily refer to Carey herself and the circuitous and serendipitous route that led her to become one of the country's most notable young songwriters. Somehow, all of the seemingly unrelated turns – from her intention to become a doctor, to a tiny music room in the basement of a Morningside Heights' chapel, to a year in Italy – managed to steer her towards music.
Born in Burlington, Vermont and raised in the Boston suburbs by her English teacher father, therapist mother, and poet stepmother, Edie Carey couldn't help but learn to love words. But her ear for music only became apparent after she “took the stage” in the back seat of her babysitter's green Cadillac, belting out her own rendition of “Up Where We Belong.” From age nine, after beginning voice lessons, she became involved in singing groups and musicals, which she continued all the way through high school.
A typical child of the 80's, she dressed in lace and sequins and dreamed of appearing on Ed McMahon's “Star Search.” However, as much as she loved performing, Carey was unaware that there was any middle ground between singing at weddings and being Madonna, and never considered music a real career possibility. So, she made plans to major in English/Creative Writing with Pre-Med classes at Barnard College in New York City. However, during her freshman year, two pivotal discoveries knocked those plans right off course - the Postcrypt Coffeehouse and the Italian language.
In the Postcrypt, an intimate music venue in the basement of St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, the seeds of possibility were sewn as Carey watched artists like Jeff Buckley, Ani Difranco, and Lisa Loeb perform unplugged to candlelit audiences. She saw how words could sometimes have even greater power when used in a song, and simultaneously came to appreciate the sonorous quality of words regardless of their meaning or the melody in which they were framed. This appreciation for their musicality grew deeper with the study of Italian, which eventually led her to spend a year abroad in Bologna, where she taught herself to play the guitar.
In Italy, Carey set herself up in a corner of the main piazza and played every Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Sarah McLachlan, and Rickie Lee Jones song she knew, throwing in a few of her own tunes, which would later land on her debut album, The Falling Places. Her experience abroad gave her a newfound confidence and encouraged her to begin performing on campus, where she started to build a student following. She made her first album in 1997, while working days at Worth Magazine and recording until the wee hours. Though the process was a daunting one, by the time she was finished, Carey wondered if she might have “accidentally” ended up exactly where she was supposed to be.
After the release of The Falling Places in 1998, she began venturing outside of New York City to play neighboring east coast cities, and gradually expanded throughout the United States, then Canada and the UK. While the debut was a very sparsely produced acoustic contemporary folk album, Call Me Home, Carey's follow-up in 2000, was by comparison an all-out pop record, a tribute to her early musical inspirations and the playfulness of her childhood. Shortly after its release, the “accidents” continued, and Carey unexpectedly found herself achieving her childhood dream of appearing on television with Ed McMahon.
Since 2000, she has been working as a full-time performing songwriter, touring rigorously to promote all of her independently self-released records, which now include her 2002 live CD, Come Close , When I Was Made (2004), and the latest addition to her growing catalog, Another Kind of Fire. Looking back, she has to wonder if maybe this wasn't an accident after all.
Elope
Elope is a righteous power trio in the tradition of Cream, and the first album ‘The No Name Record’ (2003) is a collection of glassy-eyed classic rock escapism. Possibly the mellowest stoner rock album ever, infused with the spirit of the aforementioned Cream, plus broad hints of Badfinger, The Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, uncannily Beatlesque at times; and akin to more modern marvels like Parasol faves Delta and The Green Pajamas! And maybe it's like Supergrass and The Super Furries after a few liters of Quaalude Quoolaid.
Thrill to the compelling sweetness of vocalist and guitarist Sebastian Aronsson's wandering voice and breathtaking guitar gymnastics, bassist Tomas Eriksson's frilly runs and dreamy harmonies, while drummer Anders Persson gets all Ginger Baker and Ringo Starr with it, way back in the pocket. Swedes adore their Neil Young so naturally there's a cover of Young's "Bad Fog of Loneliness", starkly drawn, as are all the band's originals. Understated to the point of paranoia.
If the name is at all familiar maybe it's because Elope previously had a split with California's Backbiter on Man's Ruin at the turn of the century, released just as the label was disappearing into the haze.
Next two albums, recorded together but with the songs slip between rockin' and mellow.
"3WD" is the rockin' record of the pair and falls in line with the Cream, Badfinger, Beatles comparisons heaped upon their briliant debut album "The No Name Record". Elope offer up another helping of late-60s, early-70s classic rock escapism, the kind that Scandinavians seem to be born into. From the serpentine Cream-meets-Faces romp of title track “3WD” to the beauteous flower-power-poetic-serene-pop-McCartney-Lennon-maximalism of “Misbehaving In The Summernight” to the ecstatic Neil Young & Crazy Horse-esque “Not Even Close”. I mean, what’s not to love about a song called “Misbehaving In the Summernight”?
The sequel, ‘9 Distilled Dreams’ is perhaps Elope's finest album to date...and that's saying something considering how brilliant their debut 'The No Name Record' and last year's '3WD' are! It is also their very mellowest, perchance therein lies the magic? '9 Distilled Dreams' is the mainly acoustic companion piece to the rocking '3WD', both albums recorded during the same marathon sessions, with the song split between the two "moods". 9DD explores Elope dreamy side, their hazy prog-mellowosity referencing a big time Big Star vibe, with nods to Pink Floyd, Neil Young, and even CSNY...
SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN: "Mashing together such titanic influences as Neil Young, Badfinger, and (gulp) the Beatles is hardly novel, even from a Swedish stoner rock band. Still, I keep dialing up this mellow, mesmerizing album on the iPod and digging it hard every single time."
Emm Gryner
Emm Gryner makes records that matter.
Impressed more by the freedom to express herself than by straightjacket promises of major labels and slavery to modern radio, Emm has made records in her native Canada for the past eight years. With sales in the tens of thousands on her own Dead Daisy Records label, Emm has been able to guide her own career and follow her own inspiration. Emm sees no limitations — writing, playing most of the instruments, producing and releasing her own albums has given her a unique perspective.
Inspired by the work of a diverse range of artists who fuelled her passion (Peter Gabriel, The Pretenders, The Cure, Bright Eyes, PJ Harvey, Madonna, Beck, Prince, Guns ’N’ Roses, Tori Amos, The Eurythmics) Emm has crafted her own distinctive sound and path.
“My influences are all over the map. I was raised on classical music, ’80s pop and ’90s grunge and metal. Later I discovered indie rock, britpop and singer-songwriters. When I find a great song I don’t care where it has come from or what anyone else thinks of it.”
As much as Emm enjoys the talents of other artists, happily the reverse is also true. Her unique voice, plaintive and expressive, capable of communicating heartbreak and soaring joy, has brought her to the attention of a number of artists she admires. Emm has been invited to sing on recordings with Lou Barlow, Rob Zombie, David Bowie and Curtis Mayfield, as well as to tour with Ron Sexsmith, Rufus Wainwright, Bernard Butler and The Cardigans. In addition, Nelly Furtado listed Emm’s self-produced album, Science Fair, as one of her all-time favourite albums.
Intimately lo-fi yet never lacking in ambition, Emm’s albums have topped college radio charts and brought her major commercial airplay. Engaging, exciting and emotional live performances have made Emm an artist who has to be seen to be believed. Sometimes solo, often with a band, Emm has toured constantly across Canada and widely in the US and has recently begun to win fans in Europe. Bit by bit, through good old fashioned word-of-mouth, Emm has built up a dedicated following of creative and inspired music lovers. Nominated for three Juno (Canadian Grammy) Awards, Emm makes being a workaholic look like fun and having fun look like the most intoxicating way to live.
Ever looking to broaden her horizons, Emm will sometimes take a song by another artist and pick it apart, lay it bare and then build it up again, this time infused with a little Emm magic.
In 2001, she released a critically-acclaimed album containing the most unlikely combination of songs. On Girl Versions, Fugazi rubbed shoulders with Def Leppard, and Nick Cave was found lurking next to Blur. Add an Ozzy song and a Clash tune and the result is an album only Emm could have made, simple and spectacular all at once.
Asianblue (2002) brought two Emm Gryner assaults on the Canadian charts and with her singles lodged on the airwaves, Emm decided to release a DVD. This followed a launch of a book of lyrics and other writing Emm penned in 2000 called The Secret Letters. Following the success of Asianblue Emm took to the road with her band for 2 sold-out tours across Canada.
“Touring with my band really inspired me to return to making sparse, intimate yet powerful recordings. I like to hear the rough edges and the spontaneity of a song, not just a computer-crafted track similar to what you hear all over mainstream radio these days.”
When a three-week window opened up on the calendar, Emm decided to make a record.
Setting up in her living room in Montréal, Emm got to work with her usual intensity. An album of songs by Irish artists was placed on the drawing board — artists as diverse as Thin Lizzy, The Thrills, The Corrs and Gilbert O’Sullivan, amongst others. As the songs began to be assembled, the twin themes of love and death emerged. Folk legend Kate McGarrigle added some skilled banjo to a Virgin Prunes’ song. Emm stripped The Corrs’ shiny, happy “Breathless” down to piano and cello and rendered it an orchestral suicide note. Therapy’s “Nowhere” was transformed into a downhome kitchen toe-tapper.
Essra Mohawk
Her 1st record release was a single “The Boy With the Way” /b-side “Memory of Your Voice” on Liberty records in 1964. “Newcomer Pick” in Cashbox, it was produced by Hutch Davie (He produced Shirley Ellis “Name Game”). A year later in New York both Koppelman & Rubin and United Artists offered her a position as a staff writer. She took neither offer but Shadow Morton who produced both the Shangri-Las and Vanilla Fudge, discovered her and her music and in 1966 the Shangri-La’s recorded Essra’s song “I’ll Never Learn” . Soon after that, her song, “The Spell That Comes After” was recorded by Vanilla Fudge on their “Renaissance” album. In 1967, Essra was discovered once again. This time by Frank Zappa who, after hearing her play was so blown away, he immediately invited her to join his band, The Mothers of Invention, thus making her their first female member. Within a year he signed her and released her first solo album on Verve. While performing with the Mothers, Essra also opened for Cream (their first time in New York), Procol Harum(Keith Reid’s lyrics to “Quite Rightly So” are about Essra), Albert King, Electric Flag, Grateful Dead (their first performance in N.Y.), and Jimi Hendrix.
By 1969 Essra was recording her second album in L.A. and S.F. for Reprise after Mo Ostin (then Vice President) discovered her singing at a club in N.Y. and asked her on the spot to come to the label. The result was “Primordial Lovers”, an LP that received a 5 star review in Downbeat, raves in Mix, and was stated as being “one of the best 25 albums ever made” in Rolling Stone magazine. Unfortunately, these reviews came over a year after the release of the album and new fans found it hard to secure the LP due to poor distribution and the sale of the Reprise label following the release. Nevertheless, this critically acclaimed musical work continues to generate a cult following for Essra. In fall of 2000 it was released on CD by Rhino Handmade. She wrote most of the songs while living in Mendocino, California. While recording the album, Essra married her producer, Frazier Mohawk, and from that time on was known as Essra Mohawk. She also sang in a background vocal trio with Carole King.
Essra’s third album, released in 1974 on Elektra/Asylum, once again without proper promotion or distribution, led England’s music magazine, Melody Maker, to declare it, “the richest and most unheralded event in American music” that year.
After moving back to Philadelphia in the 70’s, Ms. Mohawk continued to sing as a session vocalist. She is especially known for singing on Schoolhouse Rock, the popular educational and musical cartoon series that continues to air on TV. Essra’s vocals are on “Interjections”, “Sufferin’ Till Suffrage”, and “Mother Necessity”. After ABC Video released the cartoons on video in the 90’s, they received an upsurge of popularity and the troupe, led by music director, Bob Dorough, began performing live in the mid-90’s. A new album on which Essra sang wrote and produced a track entitled “Do You Wanna Party” about political parties in the U.S. was released on Rhino in Sept. ‘98 on an album called “Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote”.
Ms. Mohawk’s fourth album was released on Private Stock records in 1976. After the same lack of support that has kept Essra’s remarkable music in the shadows, she left the label and moved back to California in 1977. Paul Kantner wanted her to be the lead singer in Jefferson Starship after Grace Slick dropped out for a while but he couldn’t convince the rest of the band to use another female vocalist so they chose a male, Micky Thomas, instead. In 1980-82 Essra performed as a background vocalist with the Jerry Garcia Band. During the same period she co-wrote “Haze” with Bobby Weir and his band “Bobby and the Midnights” for their Atlantic release. Also, Essra has collaborated with Al Jarreau, Bonnie Bramlett, Mark McEntee of the DiVinyls, Eric Bazilian, Al Stewart and Narada Michael Walden. She sang and recorded with John Mellencamp. (He’d seek her out wherever she lived for her advice and encouragement.)
Essra’s music and ideas inspired Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” (Essra was scheduled to play at the original Woodstock, but her manager missed a turn and they arrived too late. She finally played at the 25th Anniversary at Bethel.) David Crosby’s “Deja Vu” was inspired by Essra’s song “I Have Been Here Before”. David would ask her to play it for him whenever he saw her and then wrote “Deja Vu” as a result.
In 1982, Essra moved back to Philadelphia from L.A. and was brought into the McFadden & Whitehead pre-production sessions. She conjured up “Not With Me” overnight for the duo and they released it on their Capitol album that year.
Essra recorded two more solo albums in the 80’s. Both were released independently and both were produced by her, then, husband Daoud Shaw (Van Morrison’s drummer for many years and original drummer for Saturday Night Live). They first met during those early days on Bleeker St. in New York’s Greenwich Village, where she jammed vocally with jazz greats: Mike Manieri, the Brecker Bros., Eddie Gomez and Jeremy Steig. As a result her vocal style developed more along the lines of a wind instrument than that of a typical pop singer. Being in the Mothers then also helped to propel the youth to such a creative and original stance as a vocalist.
Essra’s eclectic influences begin with her parents, Anne and Henry Hurvitz, who sang and wrote 40’s style standards, and include: Judy Garland, Nina Simone, The Coasters, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Thelonius Monk, Erik Satie, Billy Holiday, Otis Redding, The Beatles, Ravi Shankar, The Rolling Stones and Ravel. Essra’s career as a songwriter took off when Cyndi Lauper recorded “Change of Heart” in 1986. It went to #3 on Billboard’s top 200 in 1987, winning an award from BMI for airplay. The album it was on (“True Colors”) went platinum. Since then many artists have recorded Essra’s songs and continue to do so. (see list below) The singer-songwriter’s over 600 songs, have recently been archived for future releases.
Three of her early LPs were reissued on CDs in Japan in spring 2003, followed by her recent tours to California, the East Coast and Japan . Essra’s first album on CD “Raindance” which was released on Schoolkids Records in ‘95 was reissued on Evidence Feb., 2005. Her 1999 CD, “Essie Mae Hawk Meets the Killer Groove Band”, was remastered and reissued on Essra’s own label, MummyPump, in 2003. Essra’s been living in Nashville, TN since 1993 where she continues to write and record, playing her music on piano, mandolin and guitar. Keb’ Mo’, Steve Cropper and Bonnie Bramlett are among the stellar performers who joined Essra on her 2003 Evidence CD “You’re Not Alone”. Her songs were used on the CBS series Joan of Arcadia in 2004 and 2005. The new book, “Hotel California” is one of many books about music that mention Essra.
Eugene Ruffolo
Eugene Ruffolo was born in New York City and grew up in surrounding Westchester County. The son of a clothing designer with a love of the classical guitar, Eugene would spend hours as a child listening to the fluid strains of Bach preludes and fingerstyle exercises, as his father practiced tirelessly.
It wasn't until his teenage years that Eugene, after flirting briefly with the saxophone and clarinet, one day picked up one of his father's guitars and found the perfect accompaniment for his natural and budding tenor voice. Inspired by the singing and playing of the seventies singer/songwriters, such as James and Livingston Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the young performer immersed himself in the music, and within a year found himself performing professionally in neighboring bars and restaurants.
When it came time to attend college, music was ironically the furthest thing from his mind. "Strangely enough, probably due to the heavily corporate demographic of Westchester County while I was growing up, I wasn't even aware that one could actually choose music as a profession!" explains the artist. So Eugene ended up studying English Literature and Romantic poetry at Ithaca College, all the while remaining heavily involved in music, performing in the college music circuit.
After graduation, he moved to New York City's Greenwhich Village. Once in N.Y.C., it wasn't long before word of Ruffolo's vocal abilities spread rapidly throughout the highly coveted N.Y. session world. Soon enough, Eugene was getting called to sing on everything from national advertising
campaigns, to live TV shows , movie soundtracks, and other artist's recordings. Making his living for years as a hired singer, Ruffolo began to perform live and on recordings with artists as diverse as Garth Brooks, Tony Bennet, Livingston Taylor, Run DMC, David Wilcox, Artie Traum and Spyro Gyra. His singing has been heard on the David Letterman show and Saturday Night Live, and through his contributions to numerous Hollywood Soundtracks, he has worked with composers and directors George Lucas, Brian dePalma and Ennio Morricone.
So far Eugene has released four highly acclaimed albums: “Fool For Every Season”, “When We Were Kings”, “The Hardest Easy”, and the latest one
(just released on Stockfisch Records in Germany), “In A Different Light”.
Faris Nourallah
Born out of Michigan in the winter of 1969, Faris Nourallah moved as a child with his family to Texas, the Lone Star State. He grew up listening the likes of Clash, Beatles and Elvis Costello, and soon he's involved in playing music along with his brother Salim. They formed the ' Nourallah Brothers ' , and their first and only album saw the light on the indie USA label Western Vinyl. Then, he started touring through the US supporting that collection of songs. But something went wrong and the group disbaned.
Then, Faris stopped to go places. In the inner of his house, he began to write solo songs and to go places through them. That places are drawn in three albums , three 'chapters' of Faris' lifebook. Here starts the story.
Critic was immediatly hitted by his ability to put down songs of diasrming beauty as the ones included in ' I love Faris ', the debut solo album. The stone was thrown in the open water and the waves started to spread. Then was the time of 'Problematico' , that signs the begin of the artistic relationship with visual artist Paco Felici , who nails his first artwork on an Nourallah's album. The same was for 'King of Sweden'. With this record, Faris' name landed strongly in Europe too, where his music became a sort of 'must' for the indie lovers. Critic points at Faris as one of the smartest songwriter around, comparing him to the likes of Ray Davis, John Lennon and Plush and his records' feeling to literary milestones like ' Catcher in the Rye '. The myth creeps more and more...But mainly, people loves Faris. People declared the man and his music to be precious jewels to take care of.
So, how can be possible to reach such a status without playing in public ever? How can be possible to have an EU label like GreenUFOs tributing him a "best of"? How can be possible not to love Faris' songs?
Now, the fourth chapter of Faris' saga is ready to be glanched. Played, recorded and mixed all by himself in the inner of his house, " Il suo cuore di transistor " found a winning shot in the final mastering carried out at GoldenMastering Studios (Ventura,CA) by "JJ" Golden, the man behind other great records of great artists such us Calexico, Rachel's, Mark Kozelek, Swearing at Motorists and others.
On graphic side, the front/back cover has been handpainted by the talented and multilingual (!) Paco Felici basing on the concept of the record and realized through the Paco's loved theme of the 'robot'. An impressive and unique touch to enrich the new stunning collection of songs. Furthermore, for the first time ever, you'd read the 'transistor heart' words on a booklet.
In this scenario , the great mock 'disco' tunes of tracks like ' Black Car ' and ' But Not Tomorrow ' , the masterly brush-strokes of piano of ' Don't kiss ' or ' Tell me Secrets ', the suspended surroundings of tracks like ' Break Your Vows ' or the Lennonesque jewels like ' Move On ' and ' Raining ', are embellished by Faris' strongest vocals ever.
All of Faris’ albums available here :
www.dotshop.se
Filip
Born in 1980 and living in western Sweden.
Singer of songs, strummer of strings, teller of tales, feeler of feelings...
"Crane Grief" is actually the second full-length recording from twenty-six year old Swedish excentric pop poet Filip. A while back he distributed his homemade CDR's of Charles Bukowski-poems put to music, followed by the exciting instrumental single "Tobacco/Sad Autumn Roses".
These two releases got a lot of attention in the media, both in Sweden and in the UK. Among others, Everett True in Plan B happily exclaimed: "Filip is redolent of Daniel Johnston, Will Oldham and Tom Waits, without sounding like any of them. It's brilliant!" Later in the year, Filip, together with Einar Heckscher, made a short tour around Sweden in celebration of the late, great Charles Bukowski. "Crane-grief" is something completely different - It's the self-released debut album proper from Filip.
Recorded in the spring of 2006, during two charged days in a Stockholm located basement. Using old analogue equipment, engineers/producers Henrik af Ugglas and Tom Hakava has created a raw and intimate sound. With just guitar, piano, pump organ and autoharp, Filip performs his simple and beautiful songs all by himself, true to his heart. Hearing is believing...
"Crane Grief" is available here :
www.dotshop.se
Freebo
Freebo's success in rock'n’roll has been well documented over the years. From bass player/band member with Bonnie Raitt for a decade to countless studio sessions and tours with artists ranging from John Mayall, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Maria Muldaur and Ringo Starr, to T.V. appearances on "Saturday Night Live," "Midnight Special," and "Muppets Tonight," as well as tuba performances with Dr. John and the legendary Spinal Tap, Freebo has achieved status and respect in a creative and highly competitive field.
Not satisfied with simply resting on his laurels as a top sideman, Freebo has continued to push his creative envelope, and now has evolved into an acclaimed singer/songwriter, with three well received solo CDs to his credit, 1999's "The End Of The Beginning," 2002's "Dog People" (songs about the human/canine connection), and his new CD, "Before The Separation."
Released in October 2005, Freebo's latest shows his complete arrival and comfort as a singer/songwriter, with thoughtful and insightful lyrics sung with soul and passion, framed by his acoustic guitar and signature fretless bass, and supported by tasty drums, electric guitar, and harmonica, played by some of rock music's finest musicians.
Freebo's songs span styles from folk, blues, and country to R&B, reggae, and rock 'n' roll, and incorporate themes of love, struggle, triumph, peace, and the journey of life. His live performances, mainly on acoustic guitar, take you on a musical and lyrical ride. Freebo creates an intimate unity with his audience and will likely leave you with a tear in your eye, but with a smile on your face.
Fred Eaglesmith
Fred Eaglesmith has done it again – An 18-track tour de force that makes the compelling case - as well as most enjoyable and fulfilling listening - that its a landmark album, not just for the artist himself but within the contemporary music at large.
Yes, his new album, “Tinderbox” is that good, an album that is sure to appear on year-end critics Top 10 lists.
On it, one detects the complimentary comparisons made about Eaglesmith by critics in the past - Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, John Prine, T Bone Burnett and Steve Earle - yet it’s an album that could only been made by Fred Eaglesmith.
With production by Eaglesmith and Scott Merritt that blends deep roots and vivid musicality with atmospheric arrangements and experimentalist touches that remind of Waits’ more progressive work, it captivates listeners and leads them on a musical and lyrical journey that evokes powerful emotions and visions.
Self described as "Dirt Road Gospel" (in a non-religious way).
Edie Carey
Elope
Emm Gryner
Essra Mohawk
Eugene Ruffolo
Faris Nourallah
Filip
Freebo
Fred Eaglesmith
