Just found my Vera

I never ever had negative feelings towards you. We were only too young to grasp what others expected us to be.

But I was never the same again.

"(...)
Remember how she said that
We would meet again
Some sunny day?
(...)
What has become of you?
Does anybody else here
Feel the way I do?"

in "Vera", by Pink Floyd

Female voices (pt.5) - Alison Sudol

...and then, "Liar Liar", the song with the accordion which related to today. Well, I mean, after "Almost Lover" and "Hope For The Hopeless", I just had to follow her/their path and know them. Alison Sudol fronts the band, A Fine Frenzy.

From StarPulse.com:
Though she was born in Seattle, songwriter Alison Sudol spent most of her life in Los Angeles, having moved there with her mother when she was five years old. She began playing piano as a teenager, with bands like Coldplay and Keane inspiring her whimsical, pop-minded music. After recording several compositions and sending out the resulting demo, the singer received an immediate response from Capitol Record's Jason Flom, who came to Sudol's house to hear her play and soon signed her to a record contract. Following a South by Southwest appearance in March 2007 (opening for the Stooges, strangely enough), Sudol -- who chose the name A Fine Frenzy (taken from a line in Shakespeare's +A Midsummer Night's Dream) as the moniker for her musical efforts -- released the full-length debut album One Cell in the Sea.

With the album hitting stores in July, Sudol widened her audience by opening shows for Rufus Wainwright that summer. Her tastes expanded while on the road, and by the time A Fine Frenzy returned home, Sudol had become intrigued by the songbooks of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and the Talking Heads. Such varied influences convinced her to take more risks with her songwriting, and Sudol issued her sophomore effort, Bomb in the Birdcage, in mid-2009, embracing a wider palette of sounds in the process.

Female voices (pt.4) - Jem

Almost by accident (thanks to Last.FM), I bumped into Jemma Griffiths (a.k.a. Jem) and she instantly caught my attention. From her own website:

Jem was born in Wales, a misty and oddly shaped UK peninsula also responsible for bringing the world Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey among other things. From the age of thirteen she was singing and writing songs, basic recording equipment was ever-present and she decided that one day she would be a singer. Keeping her dreams of this future career mostly to herself however, after finishing school she headed to Sussex University.

Whilst in Brighton, Jem's great passion for music drew her into the music industry, but at this point it was the behind-the-scenes side that attracted her. She hurled her energies into club and festival promotion, became a DJ agent and finally helped set-up and run the specialist breaks label 'Marine Parade'. After a time however, it became clear something was missing. She realized that she'd been circling her own artistic instincts and it was time to take a leap of faith. But that great leap forward first required a small step back.

In November of 1999 Jem surprised her colleagues by leaving everything behind and retreating to the creatively inspired air of Wales and a lifestyle of sofa surfing. Moving from the limits of her dictaphone, she assembled a mobile studio and got cracking on her songwriting and music production craft. This turned out to be a fruitful time. She completed a strong collection of 4 demos and things began to move quickly from there.

Jem moved to London where she continued her nomadic existence and started collaborating with other writers/producers. Two days into her first writing session with acclaimed electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Frou Frou), the song 'Nothing Fails' was born. This collaboration between Guy, Jem and subsequently Madonna, appears as track 6 on Madonna's 'American Life' album. Her love of beats and bass also lead her to Brooklyn where she teamed up with NY hip-hop producer Ge-ology (Mos Def, Talib Kweli) and in autumn 2002 she met her now co-producer Yoad Nevo. Together they have succeeded in fusing her many musical influences to create a fresh and distinctive new sound. Jem's music is a combination of bright melodies, soul searching lyrics and diverse rhythms that grab you from the first listen. Her seemingly innocent lyrics contain those closely observed details that are as much about optimism as they are about discovery.

The aptly titled song 'Finally Woken' found its way to influential Los Angeles radio station KCRW 89.9 FM. Music Director Nic Harcourt began spinning Jem's demo on the nationally acclaimed program "Morning Becomes Eclectic" and it created a proper stir. “As soon as I heard the demo from this Welsh songstress I had no choice but to put her on our playlist,” said Nic Harcourt, “the beautiful ‘Finally Woken’ first made its way across our airwaves in March 2002 and ‘Flying High’ has become one of my favorites.” With each play causing an assault on the station's telephones, her demo tracks quickly made her one of the most listener-requested artists at the station and landed her in their coveted top 5 played artists, and all prior to any record label being attached.

As fate would have it, A&R Bruce Flohr was one of those listeners and he wooed her to sign onto Dave Matthews' ATO record label, which has enjoyed successes with David Gray, My Morning Jacket and Ben Kweller. Jem's EP 'It All Starts Here...' was released by ATO Records in Autumn 2003 and her full-length debut CD ‘Finally Woken’ followed in March 2004. After a long and winding road to becoming a full-fledged and working artist, Jem has finally woken, indeed.

Female voices (pt.3) - Mary Black

"If life is a river and your heart is a boat
And just like a water baby, baby born to float
And if life is a wild wind that blows way on high
Then your heart is Amelia dying to fly
Heaven knows no frontiers
And I've seen heaven in your eyes"

One morning is London, I was visiting an audiophile's basement (my father is an healthy addict to good sound) and I heard Mary Black for the very first time.

That same afternoon, I had bought "No Frontiers". A few years later, I travelled to Cork to watch her perform. Her music was definitely worth it.

From her website:
Mary Black's distinguished career has spanned over 25 years from her early days in Dublin folk clubs through ever-escalating success with seven platinum solo albums one of which - No Frontiers - spent fifty- six weeks in the Irish Top 30. Needless to say Mary Black is a seminal figure in Irish musical history and one of the artists responsible for it's blossoming on a global level.

Mary released her first eponymous solo album in 1983. It reached No. 4 in the Irish Charts and is ranked among the best Irish albums of the early 1980's. It won for her the Irish Independent Arts Award for Music, the first in a staggering list of Music Awards that have continued to the present day.

After a successful period working with traditional band "De Dannan", she reunited with producer/guitarist Declan Sinnott to record her second solo album " Without the Fanfare" in 1985. This established what has become a Mary Black trademark - her ability to discover some of Ireland's finest contemporary song-writing talent and through her remarkable voice project the songs onto a world stage. The San Francisco Chronicle later called her "One of the best interpretative singers around".

"By The Time It Get's Dark" in 1987 saw Mary extending her repertoire, adding songs by the likes of Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny to the wealth of Irish song writing talent. Yet to all of the material Mary Black brought her own unique Irish combination of the ethereal and the earthy. The Telegraph described her voice as "Serene and achingly beautiful".

"No Frontiers" followed and proved to be one of Ireland's best selling albums of 1989. It also established Mary in new markets in Europe the US and Japan. "Babes in the Wood" in 1991 went straight to No.1 in the Irish charts and led to two sell-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall. Touring the UK for the first time Mary received superlative reviews from The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph.

"The Holy Ground" in 1993 went platinum on the day of its release. Subsequently Mary played 5 sell-out shows at the Point Theatre in Dublin to an audience of 20,000 in one week. "Circus" in 1995 went straight to No.16 in the British charts, becoming her biggest selling UK album to date.

Perhaps more gratifying than the habitual awards and recognition bestowed on her is the respect and admiration of fellow artists. Mary has recorded and performed live with Emmy Lou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joan Baez and Van Morrison.

Her ’97 release, “Shine”, saw Mary taking something of a new direction. She asked renowned American producer Larry Klien to produce the album. Recorded in Los Angeles in late 1996, many have judged it one of her finest works.

“Speaking with the Angel” followed in 1999. On this she continued to bring some of Ireland’s best songwriters into the spotlight, once again interpreting the songs of her personal favorites such as Shane Howard, Noel Brazil and Steve Cooney. Summing up its review of this album Ireland’s leading music magazine, Hot Press, said: “If it is a benchmark in excellence that you seek, a life-affirming statement, then this is the album for you . Staggering stuff”.

“Still Believing” is a documentary filmed in 2002 celebrating Mary’s life in music. In this film Mary tells her story and takes us from her birthplace in Dublin’s inner city on a musical journey through her career. The documentary is followed by a live recording of Mary and the Band filmed on the final night of a week long run at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin – one of Mary’s favourite venues. Both the documentary and the live recording at the Olympia make up "Mary Black Live, the DVD" which is accompanied by a live audio CD recorded at various venues around the world.

In Feb 2005 Mary and her band started work in West Kerry recording new material – songs from, Noel Brazil, Sandy Denny, Bob Dylan, Shane Howard and Mary herself. The fruits of their labour, a brand new album entitled “Full Tide”, was released in Ireland on October 28th. It was Mary’s first studio album in 6 years.

Female voices (pt.2) - Sia Furler

Listen to "Destiny" (by Zero 7) and you'll know her. Or, at least, you'll wish you knew her already.



Babs Sahretti (from girlieaction.com) writes about her:
Sia Furler, a native Australian, was born on December 18th, 1975 and was destined to be an entertainer. At a young age she would perform for her family and friends with her interpretations of Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Men at Work. If one should be so lucky to peruse her family albums, they would certainly find photos of Sia as a child adorning pink tutus and roller skates in poses fit for Cirque du Soleil. When Sia was 9 she performed with her father’s band The Soda Jerx covering the song “Shimmy Shimmy Coco Bop”. Beer drinking Aussies found her to be quite entrancing.

Once mature enough to explore her natural talents, Sia decided to leave Australia and discover her place in the world, taking with her only her confidence, her sense of adventure and a fresh box of tampons.

It is believed by some Sia-ites that on a journey through the famed neighborhood of Rappongi, Japan, Ms. Furler came to a crossroad, much like the heralded guitarist Robert Johnson. Little is known about the actual events that unfolded, but some say that in the face of adversity and desperation Sia Furler renounced material need in order to preserve her innocence and perfect her craft, thereby solidifying her professional calling card: a distinct balance between sophistication and incorruptibility. Others say she simply bought a ticket and got the hell out of Dodge.

Soon after, she would find herself in England, an island of the Britains, where she further developed her talent, singing with musical outfits such as Zero 7 and making two solo records. But often depressed by the god-awful weather, and highly influenced by the famed song “California Dreaming” by The Mamas and The Papas, Sia once again moved on to Los Angeles, where under the gubernatorial umbrella of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ms. Furler completed her most profound album to date “Some People Have Real Problems”.

Sia’s new album is most notably recognized by her compelling voice, at times fierce and resounding at others, immaculate. All the while projecting sincerity through lyrics that swing between emotional self-awareness and youthful exuberance, Sia Furler writes music which scores a wide spectrum of sentiments for the listener. So the next time you ask yourself “who is Sia Furler”, perhaps you should be asking yourself “who isn’t Sia Furler.”

Female voices (pt.1) - Fiona Apple

Listen to "Fast As You Can", "Never Is A Promise", "Please Please Please", "Across The Universe" and you'll become addicted. Addicted, I said.

Her bio (at "Epic Records") reads:
Out of virtually nowhere, 19-year-old Fiona Apple established herself a visionary singer and songwriter with her 1996 debut album Tidal. With gems like "Shadowboxer," "Criminal," and "Sleep to Dream," the vocalist/pianist reaped critical and commercial success almost overnight. As aficionados found echoes in her songs of such legends as Nina Simone and Carole King, Apple found herself at the vanguard of contemporary pop. Released in July 1996, Tidal went gold in December and currently is certified triple platinum for sales of more than three million copies.

"The quick success was a bit strange to get used to," she says today. "But the album was, for me, a great workout of the mind. It pushed me. I realized that I had to live every second, not shut myself off from anything. Deliberately, I didn't read any reviews when Tidal came out. I didn't want to gauge myself by anything I was hearing or reading. I didn’t want to get stuck in mirrors--I wanted to carry on."

With When The Pawn, Fiona does considerably more than "carry on." She takes her music down deeper avenues, alternately more artful and more real. And she took her time in doing so, first developing ideas for songs while on the road. "I didn’t really have a piano to work on," she says, "so in my head, I'd play around with certain rhythms, ideas for drum sounds. Generally, I’d think of writing whenever I was overwhelmed by something in my life." Finally back home in Los Angeles ("there, I have a piano--a cheap one I've rented," she laughs), she crafted her material.

Everything began to coalesce when Fiona chose to work with producer and multi- instrumentalist Jon Brion (Aimee Mann, Rufus Wainwright). "We're friends." says the singer. "He'd played all over my first album. And he's wonderful to work with. Jon has a million ideas in his head and references of almost everything that's ever been recorded."

The album's supporting cast included keyboardist Patrick Warren, who adds his patented touch on the chamberlain (a pre-synth sampler, its keys activate 8-track tapes of various instruments); virtuoso drummer Matt Chamberlain; and other veteran players on woodwinds, bass, guitar and percussion.

Throughout When The Pawn, the playing is elegant, assured. From the shifting rhythms of "Fast As You Can" to the distorted guitar of "Get Gone" to the majestic gospel-like purity of "I Know," the music approaches a jazz sense of freedom. Fiona's lyrics match this risk-taking: in the bittersweet tenderness of "On the Bound" ("It's true, I do imbue my blue into myself"), in the wordplay of "To Your Love" ( "My derring-do allows me to dance the rigadoon/Around you"), in the close-up cinematic detail of "Love Ridden" ( With the focus I gave to my birthday candles/I've wished on the lidded blue flames/Under your brow").

Fiona Apple grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and can hardly remember a time when she didn't sing. "I'd come home from school and hang up my keys on a keychain that was right beside a mirror. I'd look in the mirror and realize that I was singing. I sang all the time." Her father a television actor, her mother a former dancer and singer, Fiona listened early to jazz standards--still her music of choice--and began exploring her creativity. She read (John Irving and Maya Angelou remain favorites), dreamed, played piano, and soon began writing songs. Her meteoric rise began with a simple three-song demo tape.

From a first gig (in Paris, no less) to Saturday Night Live guest spots; profiles in Rolling Stone, Time, and The New York Times; and early tour dates with Chris Isaak, Fiona moved on to stellar appearances on the 1997 Lilith Fair tour and sold-out headlining concert hall performances. Her videos for "Criminal" and "Sleep To Dream" became ubiquitous on MTV as Fiona's music seized the imagination of listeners attuned to a new sound--a sound of naked emotion and profound artistry.

In September 1997, Fiona Apple won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist In A Video for her performance in "Sleep To Dream." In February 1998, Fiona's song "Criminal" won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The following September, her "Criminal" video won another MTV VMA, this one for Best Cinematography.

When The Pawn proves that Tidal was no accident, but paved the way for richer music. "For a while, I was really afraid of not being able to write new songs," Fiona admits. "I've never wanted to put out an album I wasn't proud of." Trusting herself and her vision, in time Fiona found that new music was emerging.

"Mainly I write to clarify my thoughts and feelings," she explains, "and when I sing, I just concentrate on getting my point across. I just want to make a statement and make it right."

With every song on When The Pawn, Fiona Apple "gets it right." From the yearning of "Paper Bag" to the fury of "Limp" to the lovely resolution of "I Know" (which Fiona, with a laugh, calls "probably the only happy-ending song I've done"), she embraces the full range of human emotion. And in that embrace, lies the bravery of Fiona Apple and the beauty of the music she makes.