Drewsic

A Little of the Music That's Helped Me Make It Through the Years

You may not believe it, but this is me at open mike night in Jacksonville.
It was my Beach Blanket Buddy Holly look. Whaddya think? I'm tellin' ya' North Florida can change a person.
(Okay, that's not really me.)

I've always found peace in music and the lyrics of performers who put their stuff out there for the world to hear. Below are some folks I've listened to during the last year. Some I've seen in concert or live performances and some I've caught on CD or dvd or occasionally on, the apparently now defunct, Sessions at West 54th.

	More Rachel Garlin. I was lucky enough to be at the CD release party for this one. I think I got there a little late and had to sit in the back, not my favorite location for taking in shows at the Feight and Salvage. The title track has a catchy sound to it and describes something I might try. There are a number of tunes on this wonderful CD that seem to suggest it's a getting over and moving on CD.
	I don't think you can go too wrong listening to a woman from Berkeley with a guitar. There's something about the culture here that nurtures and supports a young woman speaking her mind, especially through song with a guitar in her lap. The title track from this CD, while perhaps predictably about relationship, is mundane and beautiful and revelatory. I've been honored to cross paths with Rachel Garlin performing a couple of times in the last few months. I was first exposed to Rachel's performing through the Alternative Fuel song. It's on this CD and fun. Her song to/about Julie, a middle school kid struggling to find herself or maybe just survive, is touching and beautiful. It was Rachel's performance of One Hell of a Life and description of interacting with the writer that helped me find the work of Katell Keineg.
	I recently got to hear Sparlha Swa perform at La Pena. I first encountered her gracious spirit at the wedding of a certain human whom I relentingly adore. This was my first opportunity to enjoy her performance undistracted by other factors. It was the occasion of the release of her CD, In The Distance. She has recently relocated from the Bay Area to NY. If you ever want to experience a performance of loving, gracious, vitality catch her. The CD release party was a joyous celebration Sparlha, her friends, their music and her music. This is a CD that I'll give to several folks I love.
	Emmylou
	Impossible Dream is only the second Patty Griffin CD that I've acquired. I've listened to a number of others and I have to say that I just don't know anyone that I listen to who consistently meets and exceeds my hoped for music experience. I saw her open for the Dixie Chicks four years ago in Jacksonville, but the sound wasn't great. I appreciated her then, though I don't think I grasped how profoundly my appreciation for her songwriting would deepen. The Chicks introduced her as who they listen to. This is a great album.
	Vienna Teng's Warm Strangers both manifests and embraces so many of the things that I appreciate about the San Francisco Bay Area. Let there be no doubt she is a beautiful, smarty pants with incredible gifts for expressing herself lyrically and musically. I could listen to her voice endlessly.
	I should be crying for forgiveness for having missed Libby Kirkpatrick during her recent swing through the Bay Area. And I suppose I should be appreciative of whomever evoked the feelings that led to Libby writing and performing Crying from her Songs From The Ether CD. I think you can catch a bit of it in this sampler from Heart Music.
	My current "fave rave." I picked this one up at The Down Home Music Store in El Cerrito. I've been an appreciator of Michael Franti, but this acoustic CD just goes beyond. I think I've been listening to this for a month now and I still haven't tired of it. Maybe my neighbors are getting tired of it....
	Another great effort from one of my favorite artists that I've never gotten to hear in-person. Each beautiful effort from Lorna Bracewell shows increasing maturity, confidence and versatility as a songwriter and performer.
	I ran into The Snake Trio at the Frontrow Festival in downtown Berkeley in August. This CD has found it's way into my regular music listening in the evenings. I've been meaning to catch them in another live, but indoor venue. They'll be at the Jazz School, just up the street from me, next weekend, but I'll be in helLA.
	Every once in a while I luck out. I was wandering through CD Baby recently picking out $5 CDs and I sampled Lorna Bracewell's Don't Stop Now. After having a chance to listen to her in my home, I ordered her second CD, Little Miss Obvious, directly from her. She's a Florida-based performer. I hope to get a chance to give her a listen in person during a future visit to my home turf.
	Currently the DVD by the same title is one of my favorite multimedia happenings. 1 Giant Leap is a beautiful blending of music from around the world and philosophy. Watch the DVD then get the CD. You'll listen to it.
	On A Clear Day shows a beautiful progression (or maybe just a little different side) of Natalia Zukerman. I was gonna say that she somehow conjures up a blend of Diana Krall, something stylistically Ani and a little bit of Patty Griffin's exposed-heart poetics, but I decided not to say that 'cause when I read comments from her website everybody kept saying she's a little of this person and that one. I decided describing her in that way does not do justice to the dynamic, musical voice she is. Just give her a listen.
	Natalia Zukerman's voice makes me want to be in love. Her lyrics, perhaps, push me in the opposite direction, or at least remind me how difficult the reality of being "in love" can be. Clearly my stumbling across her music and getting to hear her perform recently has been the highlight of my musical amblings of late. On first listen, I fell hard for Mortal Child. I'm still falling.
	Lucinda is scheduled to come to the Warfield in the near future (7/26/01). I've been equivocating about buying tickets 'cause my mood has been a little funky lately. I did pick up this album recently and haven't been disappointed.
	Right now, I'm listening to Tom Petty. I like him and his music. He's from Gainesville. I used to see him playing around town when I was a kid. I've written a couple of stories about him.
	Another recent acquisition was the album Pneumonia by Whiskeytown. I'm evolving appreciation for Ryan Adam's music, but no so much for him. I'm not sure what to make of the image he presents of himself. Nonetheless, I love the sound.
	I first of heard of Sweet Honey in the Rock from a friend who had been to see them the previous night. She kept singing the chorus from Ella's Song. I visited Napster. Listened. Fell in love. Bought.
	I'm not quite sure what to say about Less Than Jake. I just know that I should say it really fast. I used to love to play Greased just to annoy my showtune loving ex. It never really worked. They are hot. The music is lively. The lyrics are whiney. What more could you ask for from a post-punk, post adolescent boy band from Gainesville?!
	Nancy Luca's my latest fave rave, as another musical friend of my sister's used to describe his intense music interest. Nancy Luca's intense or at least she used to be. (Notice she's not holding an acoustic guitar in any photo.) I can't remember when I didn't know Nancy's music. I'm pursuing her recent CD. I'll have more to say when I get my hands on it.
	Shelby Lynne performed live at Bimbo's in SF in April or May. I remember her performance, but the rest of the details are a little fuzzy. I seem to remember something about getting dumped about midshow.
	Here's another one that I stumbled across at a music listening station in Tower Records. I'm not exactly sure what struck me about her. She's cute. (I'm sure that struck me.) I believe she's an Aussie. She sings young. I like that, too. It's kind of country and kind of not. I liked Southern Kind of Life when I heard it, but I pretty much liked everything I heard on the captain.
	I saw Bob Schneider recently in SF. He's from Austin. According to my music guide for the evening, he was (and maybe still is) dating Sandra Bullock. His music covered quite a range from funk to tejano to rap to old buffet-sounding countryish to just plain old texas sounding stuff.
	I was fortunate to go see Rodney Crowell recently at The Cellar at Johnny Foley's with one of those magnificent young women in my life. I'd heard him interviewed on NPR and read an article about him. He didn't disappoint. He was fun and folksy and engaging.
	WhiskeyTown is still a favorite of mine. Krista introduced me to them a couple of years ago. I didn't have much say in the matter. As I mourned the loss of an opportunity with her, the tone of much of their music was just perfect - "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight."
	Bill introduced me to Robbie Fulks. In fact, all of my Robbbie Fulks listening has been a consequence of Bill's album purchases.
	Ambrosia Parsley of Shivaree. I heard Shivaree at a listening station. I was struck by their name. It wasn't until I dragged home their CD, I Oughtta Give You A Shot In The Head, that I discovered they had a beautiful, quirky lead singer, I swear.
	Naked Barbies, formerly known as the Vagabond Lovers, lead singer, Patty Spiglanin got my attention with her wonderful voice at the Homeless Action Center 10th Anniversary celebration. Danny's cute, too but his gorgeous wife was there.
	Right next to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings' albums are Beautiful Freak and Electroshock Blues by the Eels. Listening to these four albums in the same day guarantees the onset of a major depressive episode.
	I was lucky to catch Gillian Welch and David Rawlings at the Acoustic Music Festival at Dominican College in Marin County a couple of years ago. Hell Among the Yearlings and Revival are among my favorite albums in my megadepressing collection section.
	Jonny Lang opened for Sting in whOrlando in early September. I was surprised to see him. He looked a little more grown up than the last time I'd seen him and he sounded outstanding. I've still only got one of his albums, Lie To Me. he made the concert for me, well him and being able to see it with my two sisters and one of my nephews.
	I saw Inspection 12 with my two nephews at an all ages show in Jacksonville. My youngest nephew, Josh, spent most of the evening in the mosh pit. Zane hung out behind a pillar near the mosh pit. And I hung out in the VIP lounge upstairs. All you've gotta do to be a VIP is be 21 or over, I think.
	I was lucky enough to see Ani DiFranco in concert in Jacksonville, FL in September '01. My sister Andrea and I saw her along with a coworker of my sister's from the PGA Tour. I'm betting we were the only ones who arrived at the show in a PGA Tour auto.
	The hardest part about writing about Allison Moorer is not to compare her to her sister, Shelby. At times, I hear Shelby in her voice, but her music is very different. Allison seems just a little bit more traditional country.

This page is always very much under construction.
10/16/04
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