The Villainess

The words ‘dark’ and ‘haunting,’ must be ones that San Francisco-based performer Jill Tracy is exhausted to find when reading her latest review. But they are the words that instantly come to mind when hearing her unique blend of jazz/parlour music. And while there are many artists who are considered to write on the darker side of music, it is Tracy who seems to wield it with uncanny ease.

Tracy’s music serves as a window to an older world. One where candles serve as the sole source of light and velvet adorns the furniture. Extremely adept in her piano playing, hers is a devilish brew of beautifully chilling tales perfectly suited for a dimly lit cabaret and each one is wholly capable of sending shivers down your spine. Yet despite their macabre themes, the listener is strangely entranced.

Recently re-issued, Quintessentially Unreal is Tracy’s collection of early demo material. Originally recorded in 1995, the disc serves as an intimate listening experience in that it is barren of fancy production and features Tracy at her most raw: just a piano and her wicked purr.

‘Extraordinary’ and ‘Anything At All’ are both taken from this album.

Diabolical Streak arrived in 1999 with a more polished set of gems, but no less amazing. This time, Tracy is backed up by The Malcontent Orchestra, a talented group of musicians consisting of Alexander Kort, Daniel Baer, Nadine Whitfield, Eric Gebow, and Eenor. Their contribution of strings and percussion add richness and texture and seem to intensify Tracy’s already powerful music.

‘Evil Night Together’ and ‘The Fine Art Of Poisoning’ are both taken from here.

Since the release of Diabolical Streak, Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra have regularly performed ‘Into The Land Of Phantoms,’ their original score to F.W. Murnau’s ‘Nosferatu’ to sold-out crowds, and in 2002, officially released it as an album.

The following year, Tracy collaborated with director Bill Domonkos and released ‘The Fine Art Of Poisoning,’ an award-winning animated short film based on her song of the same name.

Currently, Tracy is preparing to star and write music for a new project by New York filmmaker Jeremy Carr in the Spring of 2005 and is expecting her latest album to tentavily arrive later in the year.

Ms. Tracy was kind enough to provide her time and materials for this entry.

Downloads:

Extraordinary
Anything At All
Evil Night Together
The Fine Art Of Poisoning

WWW:
Jill Tracy (official site)
Pretty Little Rage (fan forum)

Eyes Can Make Pictures

Even though they’ve been together for over fifteen years, I’m still a fairly new convert to the music of Over The Rhine.

The band formed in 1989 in Ohio and have released a steady catalogue of albums since. Fronting the group are the incredible talents of songwriter/vocalist Karin Bergquist and husband/pianist/bassist/songwriter, Linford Detweiler.

But describing their music isn’t easy, however, as their sound seems to cover many genres. From folk to rock to the more traditional to the more experimental, each album has a focus.

‘Mary’s Waltz’ is taken from their 1996 release, The Darkest Night Of The Year, which is a Christmas album of the most melancholy variety. Beautifully sung by Bergquist with only a piano and a violin, you can’t escape the story being told here, as somber as it is. And once you hear it, you won’t want to.

In 2001, Over The Rhine released Films For Radio, a stunning collection of more lushly textured songs, making it the band’s first foray into a more experimental sound. One such track, ‘Give Me Strength,’ a song originally co-written and recorded by Dido (although never officially released), is a unique sound for Over The Rhine, but as always, Bergquist’s voice weaves perfectly through its thick landscape.

The band’s tenth album (and most recent) is 2003’s Ohio, a 2-CD set which features Over The Rhine at the top of their game. Each disc exhibits a different side of the group and it is remarkable that the quality of an album this focused can be so consistent throughout.

‘Show Me’ is instantly likeable because it sounds so familiar; the kind of song you start singing along to even if you’re hearing it for the first time. Then there’s the emotionally powerful break-up song, ‘Suitcase,’ whose line ‘Why’d you love me in the first place?,’ although seemingly simple, somehow manages to get me every time with a sting of empathy.

For more of Over The Rhine, be sure to visit their official site which features extensive information on their album releases, ordering information, a fan forum and even more MP3s.

Downloads:

Mary’s Waltz
Give Me Strength
Show Me
Suitcase

WWW: Over The Rhine (official site)

Ways To Keep You Occupied

It was in 1999 when Ambrosia Parsley and her band Shivaree first appeared with the oddly titled I Oughtta Give You A Shot In The Head For Making Me Live In This Dump. The album was highly praised amongst music critics and select radio stations, much in part due to its standout track, ‘Goodnight Moon,’ but spawned only a modest following. Its luke-warm commercial reception incited Capitol Records to refuse an American release of their follow-up, the equally superb, Rough Dreams in 2002.

But when ‘Goodnight Moon’ found itself on Quentin Tarantino’s film, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Shivaree found itself a much wider audience. The exposure resuscitated what could have otherwise been another band lost in music oblivion. It also allowed Parsley and company an opportunity to end its ties to Capitol and negotiate a new deal with Zoe Records.

Shivaree’s first release with Zoe was the Breach EP; a tidbit for what was to come on Who’s Got Trouble?. Here you can find ‘657 Bed B,’ a beautifully delivered duet performed with Ed Harcourt, as well as four more tracks, two of which found their way onto the full-length album.

Who’s Got Trouble?, the band’s first album with the Zoe label, continues their unique brand of avant-garde dark country, which at times resonates with the feel of a dimly lit lounge or a slinky cabaret, but is consistently marked with Parsley’s playful, witty coo and girlish delivery. At times, Parsley’s vocals easily draw similarities to No Doubt’s front woman, Gwen Stefani.

The songs found on Who’s Got Trouble? are polished with the same wry songwriting style and clever lyrics listeners have come to expect from the band. The jaunty ‘I Close My Eyes,’ is instantly catchy and follows a similar formula that backed the success of the groovy ‘Goodnight Moon,’ where as ‘Little Black Mess’ instantly invokes a potential piece forgotten in a classic James Bond film with its melodramatic violin backdrop. Also here is a particularly notable, organ-heavy cover of Brian Eno’s ‘The Fat Lady of Limbourg.’

Downloads:

I Close My Eyes
The Fat Lady Of Limbourg
657 Bed B
Bossa Nova
Goodnight Moon

WWW: Shivaree (official site)