The Way Your Soul Finds Its Groove

When Holly Palmer’s self-titled debut arrived in 1996, I was pleasantly surprised at both her artistic style and unique sound. This was a record that set itself apart from the flux of Alanis-esque records that seemed to be ever-flowing during that year. Blending soft, soulful ballads with more jaunty numbers, Holly crafted a collection that was both refreshing and long overdue.

‘Sal The Gardener’ is among my favorites. Accompanied by only a piano, Holly sweetly delivers the story of Sal, who while drunk, imagines dancing with his long-lost wife and can still ’smell her sweetness if he’s still.’

Holly toured extensively for the record, sharing stages with artists like Paula Cole and k.d. lang and began to build a large following, largely in Europe.

In 2000, Holly was gearing up to return with her second record, Tender Hooks, but it was unfortunately shelved, leaving Holly at a point of reflection.

Enter David Bowie. Holly was given the opportunity to work alongside Bowie for his 1999 album, Hours, joining the tour with fellow artist and friend, Emm Gryner. The experience assumingly had a major impact on Holly, both professionally and personally. It also provided her with the proper time to think of her next move.

It took eight years, but Holly has finally resurfaced with I Confess, a melting-pot of sexually charged funk, bluesy soul, groovy pop and plenty of sass. A prime example comes in the form of the lead single, ‘Just So You Know,’ released last year. Instantly infectious, the song is a testament to Holly’s musical evolution and easily became one of my favorite tracks of the year.

Holly exhibits her strong jazz influences too. One such song, ‘Down So Low,’ taking its form in a classic jazz-lounge style, spotlights Holly’s remarkable vocal talents and incredible versatility as a performer.

Never one to be lyrically lazy or stuck in just one genre, I Confess is pop music at its most intelligent, refusing to rely or allow a series of dance beats to carry it. While the beats are o’plenty, they’re constantly serving up something new and memorable.

You will never find this kind of substance on a Britney Spears record.


Downloads:

Sal The Gardener
The Three Of Us
Just So You Know
Down So Low

Fatal Kind Of Charm

Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn’s voice is soft and pleasant, and at times, can sound as if she’s channeling Juliana Hatfield. But it’s Mirah’s unconventional lo-fi sound and incredible lyric writing that hold her music’s distinguishable mark.


Mirah’s unique, musical solo-catalog officially began with 2000’s You Think It’s Like This, But It’s Really Like This, a sixteen-track collection of unpolished gems, ranging from the starkly beautiful to strange amazement. The bass-line and thudding loop in ‘Of Pressure’ is a good example of the latter, as it creates a hypnotic backdrop to Mirah’s intentional monotone. ‘Sweepstakes Prize’ begins with considerably less fuzz, only to transform more than halfway through into a steady beat of percussion and guitars, possibly making it one of her most accessible songs.


Advisory Committee arrived in 2001 and followed the similar lo-fi sound that is heard on her debut. ‘Mt. St. Helens,’ is taken from here and features a single acoustic guitar strummed throughout, ultimately bringing in heavier sounding instruments which begin to slowly bubble up until it finally fizzing over.


Things seem slightly more cleaner in terms of production on C’mon Miracle, Mirah’s fifth album released earlier this year. In ‘We’re Both So Sorry,’ the listener will discover that Mirah hasn’t lost her lyrical talents. With phrases like, “You always seemed to lose that spark when I was only half-undressed…”, it’s difficult to deny Mirah’s power to draw the listener into her heartwrenched world.


While it’s arguable that Mirah’s music will probably not be listened to by people who prefer music done in the typical verse, chorus, verse format, it’s my guess that Mirah is establishing herself just the way she wants to - someone with her own voice and a story to tell.


Downloads:

Of Pressure
Sweepstakes Prize
Mt. St. Helens
We’re Both So Sorry

Angie

Citing musical influences that range from Ani DiFranco to PJ Harvey, singer/songwriter/actress/model Angie Mattson creates a swirling blend of music, brimming with brilliance and performed with confidence.

Born and raised in Michigan, Angie was already performing on stages by the age of eight, traveling the country with a musical theatre group. Later, after a stint in Tokyo, Angie sailed the Caribbean for a year and started writing her own songs, many of which make their official debut on her 8-song EP, Monarch.

Having developed a unique style, much of Angie’s music seems accessible enough to be well-received if given the proper promotion through radio circuits. Her songs are well-written and beautifully executed through smart production and Angie’s obvious confidence. One stand-out in particular is ‘Cold Soul,’ with it’s driving thump intro and Angie’s beautifully rendered vocals set to an almost eerie backdrop. ‘Fade Away’ takes things down a notch, coming across as a much softer, piano focused ode to hopelessness. Also featured below is the soulful ‘Too Much,’ and the more carefree and sunny ‘Alright.’

Already Angie is earning much deserved recognition for her music; in addition to having been nominated twice at the LA Music Awards, her songs have made appearances in television (8 Simple Rules) and will soon be heard on a DVD release of Party Of Five.

Currently, Angie continues writing and recording and can be seen performing largely in the Los Angeles area. Her official website also allows visitors to purchase Monarch and keep abreast on current happenings.


Downloads:
Cold Soul
Fade Away
Too Much
Alright