Cover Girls, Vol. 8

Patty Griffin is arguably one of the most talented songwriters in the business, and it would seem that many of her fellow songwriters would agree. Her songs have been covered by the likes of the Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris and even Bette Midler.

Folk singer Melissa Ferrick has also taken a stab and recreates Griffin’s ‘Moses,’ a spectacular song found originally on Griffin’s debut, Living With Ghosts. Ferrick’s is good; she enlists a strong, steady use of an acoustic guitar and sets the tempo high. But alas, no artist in my opinion can quite touch the power of Griffin’s originals, but bless them for trying.


There are a few cover songs found on Jonatha Brooke’s latest album, Back In The Circus, but it’s her rendition of Alan Parsons‘ ‘Eye In The Sky’ that is particularly noteworthy. With her superb voice, Brooke adds a nice intimacy that sets her version apart from the original, carving the song to something the uneducated ear would consider to be penned by Brooke herself.


Although she performs under her married name now, Jessica (Riddle) Jacobs was only nineteen when her debut record, Key Of A Minor, was released. On it featured a slightly odd choice for a cover song in the form of Paul Westerberg’s ‘Sadly Beautiful.’ Riddle has transformed the song from it’s soft acoustics to a full-band foot-tapper, yet still managing to stay true. Possessing a ‘wise-beyond-her-years’ voice, in both this song and all of her others, one could never rightfully place Riddle next to sugar pop acts like Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears.


Before making musical history with Eurythmics, both Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were making music with the Tourists, a pop outfit which lasted but a few years in the late seventies.

In just a short span of time, the band released three albums, but their version of ‘I Only Want To Be With You, the song made famous by Dusty Springfield, was a true standout, reaching high on the British pop charts way back in 1979. The band dissolved a year later, but that wasn’t the last time Lennox and Stewart would make an impression.


Downloads:

Melissa Ferrick - Moses
Jonatha Brooke - Eye In The Sky
Jessica Riddle - Sadly Beautiful
The Tourists - I Only Want To Be With You

Pyre Starter

Robin Wynn was kind enough to send me a copy of her album, Oblivion a few weeks ago and I’m just now finding the opportunity to post about her.

Wynn, a native Virginian who has been singing since her early childhood, eventually learned how to play guitar and took a brave stab at performing during an open-mic night. That performance opened Wynn up to her first taste of singing her own songs in front of a live audience. It also allowed her to meet her future producer and band member, Mark Goldstein.

In the few years that followed, the result of Wynn and Goldstein’s collaborations led to Oblivion, Wynn’s first album on One True Vibe Records, a label Wynn founded.

Debut albums generally tend to be a bit uneven, as some artists are never sure where their musical focus is. But with Oblivion, Wynn serves up a mixture of rock-laden cuts and softer ballads that make for a remarkable debut.

While there is the occasional track that seems to fall a bit languid to the ear, there are definitely some stand-outs that the album can boast. ‘Bait,’ for example, the album’s opener, immediately starts with a steady percussion and Wynn’s clear honey-lined voice. A true rock song.

On the title song, Wynn rocks out with the band and delivers a track that is sure to win listeners with its classic rock formula. The use of harmonica also adds a nice touch.

‘Pyre’ and ‘New World’ serve as two of the album’s softer songs. Wynn actually wrote the former while inspired to Paul McCartney’s ‘Let It Be,’ as both songs deal with a sort of surrender. Delivered with soft guitar strumming and weeping strings, this is easily my favorite song from the album. The lovely ‘New World’ closes the album and is themed on starting things anew with its chorus: “Let’s get the hell outta here / And we’ll take no baggage with us, baby / And we’ll leave nothing for them to find us / Say good luck to those we left behind us.”

Robin Wynn’s Oblivion was released in September of 2004 and is currently available through CDBaby and she can regularly be found performing in the Virginia area.

Downloads:

Bait
Oblivion
Pyre
New World

WWW:
Robin Wynn (official site)

Unconditional Love

It was never my original intention to post about Fiona Apple. While I’ve occasionally featured high-profile artists, I’ve attempted to keep Womenfolk focusing more on people I felt were a bit more obscure. By now, I figure everyone has heard of Fiona Apple and that there were enough web sites out there praising her musical goodness.

However, despite her wide fan-exposure, it seems Ms. Apple needs to be mentioned.

It’s been a long wait since Apple’s last record, 1999’s When The Pawn…. Since then, fans have eagerly awaited the release of Apple’s third record. And from the looks of it, a release date is still in limbo.

Although there are different stories about its future, Apple’s third album, Extraordinary Machine, is complete and has been so since early 2003! It’s been said that her record company (Sony Music) simply are lost in how to properly market it and have since taken the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ path.

But somehow, an early copy of the album made its way into the hands of DJ Harms, a disc-jockey for 107.7 The End in Seattle, Washington, and in-turn, onto the airwaves. Even more recently, what appears to be the entire album of Extraordinary Machine has been made available on the web in an attempt to get this music heard.

But just because we can now download the album shouldn’t deter us, the fans, to lessen our desire to get Extraordinary Machine properly released so that everyone can have access to the album and so that Ms. Apple can finally enjoy the fruit of her labors.

Free Fiona, indeed.


Downloads:

I have personally opted not to post any leaked songs off of Extraordinary Machine, as there are many sites out there offering them. Still, I encourage that you listen to them and do what you can to support the album’s release. Be sure to check out www.freefiona.com for more information.

WWW:
Free Fiona
Loveridden (fan site)
Fiona Apple (official site)

I’ll Sing The Songs And You’ll Keep The Beat

Thanks to Mr. Evan Newman, I have discovered the fine music of Jill Barber.

The Canadian-based singer-songwriter makes some of the most beautiful folk-inspired music I’ve heard of late. Her rich, old-timey voice beguiles her youthful appearance, but is the perfect counterpart for the instruments she enlists in many of her songs.

Barber’s solo career began after the break-up of the indie folk-pop outfit, Bent Ivy, and in 2002, she independently released A Note To Follow So, an eight-song collection whose songs found ears through college radio and served as a platform for the accolades that would follow.

From this album is the lyrically strong ‘In Perfect Time,’ and ‘Two Brown Eyes,’ whose seemingly simple formula invites a mood which is genuinely intoxicating.

Sadly, A Note To Follow So is no longer available.

Barber’s second release was the six-song EP, Oh Heart, released in 2004 with the Dependent label.

Oh Heart offers further proof of Barber’s talent. It’s title track is a waltz-worthy, string-laced song of troubled lovers which is the perfect song to introduce Barber to new fans.

Also noteworthy is the equally exceptional ‘Measures & Scales’ on which Barber sings: “I am just a dreamer wearing sensible shoes / And I still dream in color even though I sing the blues.”

Barber’s brand of jazz-inspired folk fits nicely with artists like Sylvie Lewis, Sarah Harmer and Patty Griffin, yet is thankfully unique. I impatiently await a full-length release as I’m sure does the rest of her growing following.


Downloads:

In Perfect Time
Two Brown Eyes
Oh Heart
Measures And Scales

WWW:
Jill Barber (official site)