Posts by Peter Zimmerman

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lisa Loeb is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a discography that stands up next to her contemporaries. Hopefully the next time she comes into town to play, she won’t try to wear too many hats (or different glasses, for that matter), and she’ll be Lisa Loeb, the musician we came to love over the past fifteen years.

Even still, there’s always been an earnestness to Sarah McLachlan’s persona, as well as a captivating charm to her music that continues to make people pay attention. Her sold out show in February at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre is another testament to the fact that people are still very interested in Sarah McLachlan. All the frustrations with her seeming scarcity of ingenuity at this point in her career are valid and credible, but leave it to McLachlan to look those exasperated listeners square in the eye, crack a wry smile and belt out with that angelic voice, leaving behind all that disappointment.

There was a surprisingly wide spread of ages at Suzanne Vega's recent San Francisco show at the Palace of the Fine Arts, from children to seniors enjoying the two hour-long concert. She split the show into two main sets, followed by a three song encore. She covered the breadth of her catalogue, while also playing two songs from the forthcoming musical Carson McCullers Talks About Love, which she co-wrote with Spring Awakening sensation Duncan Sheik. Sadly, though, she omitted songs from her insanely undervalued third album Days of Open Hand. But, with a collection of songs so rich and compelling, it’s understandable.

Jay Brannan’s performance in San Francisco proved his worthiness among his folk contemporaries. He’s able to craft songs that engage the audience while still retaining a poetry that comes from a maturing artistry. Each of his shows in the city continue to sell out, indicating Brannan’s growing fanbase. With some careful editing and restraint on his new album, he could really rocket from low visibility to sought-after folk singer. T

Joined by daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche (an up-and-coming folk singer in her own right), Loudon Wainwright’s show at Freight & Salvage reminded audience young and old why he continues to be such a great entertainer and social commentator.

pex Manor performed a solid set for the Noise Pop Festival. Their sound is unfussy and sincere, and Flournoy’s singing is candid, heartfelt and mature. He’s a captivating frontman with an impressive grasp of crowd dynamics, knowing how to play to their energy and still lead them to want more. If Apex Manor keeps up this momentum, they will definitely be a must-see act on their subsequent tours.  

Civilian feels like the most decisively authentic, relaxed and dynamic expression of Wasner and Stack’s talent thus far. This era is vital for the band, as it may be exactly the time that they break through into indie-rock stardom. If there’s ever an album with which to do it, Civilian is it. Come December when everyone is compiling “Best of 2011” lists, Civilian will no doubt be featured abundantly.

It’s certainly not everyday that an avant-garde cellist sells out a show in a popular rock club, and adorned with only a cello, series of foot pedals and laptop completely wins over the entire crowd.   That is unless you’re Zoe Keating

Let England Shake continues where PJ Harvey's White Chalk let off– not in sound but in aesthetic endeavor. It’s a daring step forward for Harvey. Dissenters may cite alienation as their key grievance for this new era in Harvey’s career, wishing for a return to the lower register singing and gripping guitar playing that characterized much of her 90’s work. In many ways, they’re not wrong to feel frustrated at Harvey’s new sound; however, reinvention is central to her artistic process, and to deny expansion is limiting and hampers potentially new avenues for Harvey’s self expression.

It’d be easy to file Let England Shake as a political missive—an accessible but dense album of musings about the state of our world through the lens of Harvey’s home country England. Yet, PJ Harvey’s continual (and in many ways insatiable) desire to reinvent both her persona and music make classifications exceedingly difficult. She does not seek to push the limits of her catalog but wholly redefine it, experimenting with vocal techniques, varied instrumentation or poetic structures that both destabilize her oeuvre while creating new spaces in which to exist.