Ever since Tift Merritt debuted with Bramble Rose in 2002, critics and journalists have attempted to align her with specific musical trends or fellow artists, such as Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams or Caitlin Cary, but by doing so, they missed the mark.
Whereas in a two or three day festival (like Newport Folk, Treasure Island or Outside Lands) one may feel more an observer, when a festival enters into the fourth day of music, the attendee becomes more than a participant, but rather part of the fabric of suspended reality. Such was the sentiment surrounding Monday at Sasquatch.
By all accounts, Sunday was the softest of the SASQUATCH! lineups when matched with Saturday and Monday; however, it contained the most surprises and exuberant sets of the weekend. Campers began to fall into the rhythm and routine of partying, wandering the campgrounds and taking in the concerts, but Sunday also brought a large contingent of day visitors, who tended towards the younger, budding hipster adolescent variety.
2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the Sasquatch! Music Festival, one of the most beloved and well-attended of its kind in America. Held at the breathtaking Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, Sasquatch mixed indie rock, folk, punk, hip-hop and experimental music over the course of four full days. Selling out all 25,000 daily tickets in a mere couple of days, the popularity of the festival is only eclipsed by the consistent strength of its annual lineups. This year, headliners the Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse and Wilco in no way embody the flashy, the opulent or the minimal; however, their solid rock-based performances were heartfelt, powerful and undeniably compelling.
Natalia Zukerman’s latest album Gas Station Roses, released in March on Weasel Records, not only amplifies her strengths as a songwriter but sets a new standard of excellence in her career.
Low’s ninth album C’Mon, released in April on Sub Pop Records, in no way diminishes their catalogue or reduces them from the fantastic slowcore indie band they’ve known to be, but at the same time it never quite reaches its full potential.
With the upcoming release of her new live album, Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony, Brandi Carlile opened up about all aspects of her career, ranging from beginning in Seattle up to the new studio album she’s already recorded. In the meantime, we also touched upon her strong bond with the Indigo Girls, her love for recreating synth-based 80s music and why she’s carrying on Dolly Parton’s well-deserved diva flame.
Despite the criticisms, The Head and the Heart is an excellent debut album. The musicianship is high and they clearly have strong songwriting capabilities. As the band tours this album for the next year or two, they will no doubt gain quite the following, as these songs are infectious, heartfelt and downright stunning. In lesser hands, this album could have become a hodgepodge of affected Americana, but The Head and the Heart prove their skilled hand at producing a sincere work of impressive talent.
All in all, it was certainly an off night for Ani DiFranco and her band. But for a performer who is such a regular fixture on the folk circuit, it’s both understandable and forgivable. Still, as DiFranco continues to advance in her career, she could learn from going back and revisiting some of the rawness and emotional honesty of her earlier records to invigorate some of the new work with a similar empathy
On Eisley’s third album, The Valley (2011), anger and desperation act as both the record’s centerpiece and Achilles heel. Those looking for a return to the ethereal angst-laden dream-pop of Combinations (2007) or Room Noises (2003) are certainly in for some disappointment. The songs on The Valley are deeply rooted in the visceral rawness of heartbreak and the ensuing waves of disillusionment, wrath and desolation.
