This Woman’s Work: The Damn Millionaires
February 23, 2006 by Robbie McCown · 3 Comments
The Damn Millionaires is a quartet of friends whose brand of exquisite Country/Folk is like magic for the ears.
Consisting of Vince Chao, Jesse Grinter, Chris Huff and vocalist Allison Lowe Huff, the group has sustained through many years of various real-world experiences, much of which kept them scattered throughout the country. But wherever they were, their songwriting never waned, nor did their friendship.
The worthwhile result is their debut album, Be Sure Your Sins Will Find You Out, released during the latter part of 2005.
Womenfolk is proud to introduce the tenth in its This Woman’s Work series with the inclusion of The Damn Millionaires.
High Notes, Vol. 1
February 12, 2006 by Robbie McCown · 2 Comments
In addition to Womenfolk’s ‘Cover Girl’ series, I’ve decided to start ‘High Notes,’ a new monthly (-ish) post that will feature short introductions to newly discovered artists, news briefs about upcoming albums and projects, or updates to artists previously featured on Womenfolk.
Let your musical discoveries begin…
A Womenfolk favorite, singer-songwriter Jen Trynin can now add author to her list of accomplishments.
Trynin has just published her first book, a memoir, titled Everything I’m Cracked Up To Be: A Rock & Roll Fairy Tale. Witty, sharp and extremely entertaining, the book charts Trynin’s remarkable (albeit brief) journey through the world of the music business where broken promises are as plentiful as bad radio interviews with clueless disc jockeys.
Lauded by everyone from Entertainment Weekly to the Onion and fellow songwriters like Aimee Mann and Adam Schlesinger, Everything I’m Cracked Up To Be is a book you’ll be glad to own.
For excerpts read by Ms. Trynin herself, be sure to check out her newly updated official site.
And for a nice flashback of Trynin’s music, listen to ‘Around It,’ one of many stand-outs from her second album, 1997’s Gun Shy Trigger Happy.
Jes Hudak is a talented singer-songwriter-pianist based in New York whose freshly released demo features many incredible songs. One of which, ‘No One In The World,’ is featured here. Instantly memorable, Hudak’s voice is strong and clear and the song seems destined for radio if given the right springboard.
You can find Hudak’s untitled demo available through her live shows and more samples can be found on her official site as well as on MySpace.
Hudak’s sophomore album, Tiny Dream is also available through CD Baby.
The gene pool in the Zeitlyn family is blessed with heaps of musical talent. Like her sister Mirah, Emily Zeitlyn and her folk outfit, the Weeds, create some of the most unique folk currently heard.
Their debut album, The Faraway Flying Of Broken Beating, released in 2004, is available through K Records and features ‘See Saw,’ a song whose blend of country/folk is presented with Zeitlyn’s smooth vocals.
On her upcoming album, The Sound Of You And Me, Mississippian Garrison Starr continues her brand of rock-infused country. The formula is similar to her previous albums, but no less effecting. A talented songwriter and powerful live performer, Starr hasn’t lost her shine and continues to win fans over with every release.
Featured here is ‘No Man’s Land,’ a highlight to be found on The Sound Of You And Me when it hits the shelves on March 13.
You can also see Starr on tour. Check her MySpace page for current dates and venues.
Downloads:
Jen Trynin - Around It
Jes Hudak - No One In The World
The Weeds - See Saw
Garrison Starr - No Man’s Land
Old Fashioned Songbird
February 5, 2006 by Ali Marcus · 11 Comments
In a land where the blues reign, where California is both home and a place far, far away, and where pretty much all emotions reflect off the surface of the radiant moon before hitting paper, resides Jolie Holland. Raised in Houston, and somewhat of a gypsy traveler from Austin to New Orleans to Vancouver, BC to San Francisco, this woman’s music possesses that elusive authentic quality that demands notice. The success of her first solo album, Catalpa, earned her a spot on Anti- Records’ roster, home to such icons as Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, and Merle Haggard.
Though it’s the 21st century and Holland lives in San Francisco, her music sounds more like it is from the first half of the 20th. In the era before music splintered into blues, jazz, pop, country, folk, and gospel, it would have been much simpler to describe the sound. Her latest release, Escondida, includes straight blues, a civil war dirge, and a sincere love song for her ukulele, among other things.
defining characteristic of Holland’s music is the sense of stable optimism that permeates everything. She sings about death and loneliness and regret, but it lacks grief. In her most frank confrontation of lost love, the chorus reminds: “I know there’s a sunrise on the other side to pull me through.”
One of the highlights of this entirely solid album is ‘Goodbye California,’ an upbeat country track that highlights her mystical, finely sharpened sense of imagery:
When I’m dead and gone
My immortal home
Will hold me in its bosom
Safe and cold
No more desires
Will light their fires
Or disturb my immaculate calm
And the birds of the air
And the beasts of the soil
And the fishes of the desperate seas
Will know who I am
And our substance will expand
As part of everything
–Jolie Holland
Other lovely parts of the album include the bits of musical saw, the gory English tale of ‘Mad Tom of Bedlam’ and the wistful ‘Damn Shame.’
Downloads:
All The Morning Birds
I Wanna Die
Goodbye California
Damn Shame
WWW:
Jolie Holland - official site
Jolie Holland - official site at ANTI- Records
* Special thanks to Ali Marcus, who contributed this post.
