Posts by Peter Zimmerman

Over the Rhine has negotiated their space among contemporary music as inhabiting both old and new, bringing in elements of the past and updating them with intimate production, razor-sharp arrangements and excellent songwriting. One of their main weaknesses, however, has been in the parallel and often uniform sound that they have across their oeuvre, and that's fairly apparent on The Long Surrender.

The last thing many would expect from Anaïs Mitchell would be a foray into psychedelic folk rock. This transition period, though, signals that Anaïs Mitchell is not only a voice to watch out for, but to actively pursue.

Hadestown is unlike any other musical you might have seen in the past ten years. It’s not based on the songbook of some famous artist. It’s not an adaptation of yet another well-known Disney movie. Hadestown is in a class of its own, and as such it’s often difficult to describe. Sure, it’s about Orpheus’ descent into the underground to rescue Eurydice from Hades’ grasp, but what makes the show so successful is its employment of ambiguity throughout the whole ordeal.

On her most recent album Ithaca, Paula Cole often sings about the process of homecoming, using the Greek myth of Odysseus and his ten-year sojourn away from home as a parallel for her album. The title, as well as the music on the album itself, is deeply personal, denoting upheaval, discord and eventual calm. While this comparison between her journey and Odysseus’ is especially apt, it can be extrapolated further to describe pretty much the way Paula Cole writes music.

Steven Page has the ability to spin a moment of turmoil into both hopeful and hopeless, and it is the oscillation between these two that make him such a strong songwriter. Whereas his co-BNL writer Ed Robertson either came across as too earnest or too banal-parading-as-comedic, Page strikes an excellent emotional balance when deciphering the human experience, and it's no more apparent than on opener "A New Shore."

Oftentimes bands lose steam after a year of promoting an album, tapering off at the end from the weariness of touring and media appearances, but this was not the case as Stars winded up their last tour to support Ghosts in November. Instead, they burst with energy and ended the era on a serious high note.

Despite having a fairly successful fifteen-year career, Kim Richey is still virtually unknown to the general public. While she's sung on albums by Shawn Colvin, Ryan Adams and Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as writing hits for the likes of Trisha Yearwood and Brookes & Dunn, Richey continues to fly under the collective radar of both country and rock radio.

Azure Ray fans have been eagerly anticipating their return, despite the lengthy wait. Taylor and Fink certainly delivered in many ways on Sunday at the Independent, but at times their musical weaknesses (lack of experimentation, crowd connection and risk-taking) became particularly apparent in the live setting. Even so, it was a thrill to see them back together again.  The show was a night of real emotional catharsis, and a great way to bring Taylor and Fink back into the indie music fold.

The material for The Weepies' 90 minute set came from all three albums fairly equally, yet unfortunately omitted any of the tracks from Happiness, their debut record. Still, for most fans this was the first time hearing two-thirds of that material—really anything written and released post-2007

Jenny Lewis writes incredibly good pop songs that are fairly upbeat, intellectual and catchy. Her voice is an instrument with which to be reckoned, and every time I’ve seen her perform in the past has been a delightful and exciting experience. Unfortunately, this show seemed unrehearsed, emotionless and disingenuous. I would have rather stayed home and listen to the record and reminiscing on the great times I’ve seen her play with Jonathan Rice and they didn’t make the audience feel used and part of a big joke.

If you try to classify exactly what type of music it is that Crooked Still plays, you’ll find that you’re at a loss to find the perfect description. Part bluegrass, part folk, part old-time, part gospel—these are just the beginnings to best define the band’s musical genre. Never was this more clear than during their recent show at the historic Great American Music Hall in San Francisco—a city they haven’t played since touring behind their 2004 debut album Hop High.

Natalie Merchant recently broke a seven-year silence with her rapturous, albeit lengthy, double album Leave Your Sleep. The offering was met by many fans with resistance, and at some level ambivalence. It had been almost ten years since a fully Natalie Merchant-penned album, so while she wasn’t digging up and reviving older folk songs (as was done on 2003’s The House Carpenter’s Daughter), Leave Your Sleep is comprised of 26 songs whose lyrics come from 19th and 20th Century poetry, all dealing with or written by children.

To say that Joanna Newsom is a Bay Area favorite would be both selling her short and reducing her to a trend among the hipsters, techies and young cosmopolitans that propel a constant search for those artists, figures or places that are the most innovative, cultural conscious and thought-provoking. Certainly Joanna Newsom shares quite a bit of celebrity throughout the United States, but rarely have I witnessed such ardent fervor over her and her music as that of a Bay Area Joanna Newsom fan. Perhaps it comes from the fact that she grew up near here, or that she is second cousins with mayor Gavin Newsom; however, there is no exact answer save the fact that she holds the power to keep her fans always wanting more, while satisfying and exceeding their own expectations of her.