Release date on iTunes: July 27 ...or stream now for free from NPR!
With breathy, dreamy vocals that envy Marissa Nadler's, Jesca Hoop's swirling new songs will undoubtedly stamp a swelling footprint into the movement that is "new-folk." Swiftly, she goes from four-part vocal harmonies (Whispering Light) to poppy banjo tunes (Four Dreams) to ethereal cooing (Angel Mom) with a light ease that makes her music feel free and pure. While Whispering Light's vocal arrangements compare to fellow folkies Fleet Foxes' White Winter Hymnal (only creepier, darker, and stealthier-- although in Hymnal, Michael does bleed from his head into the snow...), Feast of the Heart sounds something spawned from PJ Harvey. The very next track, Murder of Birds, gives strong and beautiful references to Irish folk music even though it sounds unarguably current.
Hoop is certainly experimental, and she takes grand risks and liberties with her work. The result is a beautiful, timeless sound that could be of yesterday, today, or tomorrow. She has fun, though she never turns too far into any box or corner, which keeps the album exciting. Her abrupt changes in sound never feel too unforewarned, uncomfortable or unnecessary. Furthermore, the different styles she samples stretch her gorgeous voice in every direction, allowing her to melt enigmatically through the album from start to finish. The start, however, is hard to shake, for Whispering Light leaves a haunting paw print on the listener's brain that remains long after the album has ended. The song may just be the best first impression I've ever encountered.
Now that her live chops have been proven spectacular, check out her visually stunning music video for The Kingdom.
Recently I've been paying a lot of attention to the music I listen to, and I assessed that I didn't listen to enough women. For the longest time (2005-2009 -- it was a dark path, but I was young and foolish) I was completely stuck in the frightening phase that is alt-rock. I sampled bands such as Good Charlotte, Yellowcard, Simple Plan, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Green Day, Foo Fighters, and the list grows more and more monotonous. And "manly." As in, all the artists I was listening to were men.
As a woman, as a musician, and as a growing feminist, discovering that I listened to no female musicians bothered me. So I went and found some great ones! Now that I've educated myself, I present my compiled list of my favorite ladies:
1. Karen O
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' frontwoman Karen O is my number one bad-ass musician heroine. Her style is totally rad (androgynous mixed with bizarre mixed with hawt) and I kind of want to be her. Last summer, I got the chance to see YYY's, which was incredible-- I mean the best concert I've been to incredible-- and the performance was EXCELLENT. KO was dancing maniacally and gleefully around the stage while screaming into the mic and completely beasting. Speaking of beasting, her work on Where the Wild Things Are shows what wonderfully beautiful music she is capable of making (All is Love, people? So catchy, so adorable). And we've seen Karen magnificently collaborate with children in the past, as well-- I direct you to one of my personal favorites, Y-Control, below.
I want to be corrupted by Karen O.
2. Cat Power
I have blogged my love for Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) before, and I've covered her twice. I find myself drawn to her beautiful voice, her ability to be simultaneously enigmatic, personal, and warm, as well as her back-story, which adds to the complexity of her music. You Are Free might be my favorite recurring message on any album I've ever listened to, What Would the Community Think is as gorgeous as it is sad, and everything Cat Power has ever covered has been stunning. Example:
And I absolutely wish I had Cat Power-hair. But I tried the bangs, and it was not so.
3. Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is completely odd, gorgeous, and original. I place emphasis on the word "original," because really, how many artists make poppy-medieval sounding tunes playing a harp, and playing it so beautifully?
What I love about Joanna is that she is entirely outside of the box, whatever the box that applies to her would be. You can't really put any sort of label on Joanna, although people have certainly tried. If she received a nickel for every time she was called a fairy or an elf, she could buy everyone in the world a harp. 10 times.
PS. I also want Joanna Newsom's hair, so I am currently growing it out. Oh, and I try to focus more time on perusing the dictionary in order to develop Joanna's incredible vocabulary.
4. Lady Gaga
No longer can I deny my love for this lady. I was completely and utterly turned off by her at first, simply because she wasn't showing me anything I couldn't find in the other gaggle of blonde pop-ladies breezing up and down the charts. But then I began to pay a little bit of attention and became amused at just how bizarre Gaga is. Her job suggests that she should be incredibly fake, yet she knows exactly who she is and has decided to scream it to the world. And the world, and more surprisingly, the mass top-40 world, is listening. Gaga dons sunglasses made of cigarettes and pants made of... actually, donning no pants is more typical of Gaga. She makes epic video after epic video, and with the latest (Alejandro) she shows she is not afraid to shock, awe, and piss off a few people. Now I have never been to church, so I can't say what kind of blasphemous actions Lady Gaga is carrying out. I can say, however, that her face (or lack of face) at the very end absolutely terrified me as I watched the video for the first time, alone, in the dark, at three in the morning.
Below is my favorite (and dare I say, underrated?) jam of Gaga's. I particularly enjoy double fist-pumping to this song, which is bad, for I usually listen to this song while driving to work everyday.
5. Tegan and Sara
Has there ever been a duo who can simultaneously pull of the perfect mix of being adorable and angsty as successfully as Tegan and Sara? Well, I haven't found one, so these two are dubbed the winners. Seriously, I want to be in this music video. I WANT TO DO THIS CUTE DANCE.
I don't foresee myself growing a twin or cloning myself anytime soon, so for now I will just stick to fantasizing over what would be if Olivia and Adelaide (twin name is still in the works) existed.
6. Beyonce
Oh, Sasha Fierce, you have totally won my love, what with being a bamf DIVA and all. I completely believe that she could kick my ass (or anyone's ass) on any given day. In particular, I love just how classy Beyonce has become since breaking free from Destiny's Child. I don't mind all of the collaborations with my other favorite pop-songstress, Lady Gaga, either.
This retro homage to/mockery of 1950s housewifery makes me swoon. When she dusts off her Grammys = THE BEST.
7. Marissa Nadler
Psst. Hey. Marissa. How do you do that thing with your voice? You know, that thing where you sound entirely too beautiful to be packed into a three-minute song? How your voice sounds like it should just radiate all over the world and end all the evils in existence? Yeah, can you get back to me on that? Thanks.
P.S. About the ending evils thing. Can your reverb block up the BP oil spill? Get on that.
I must give Feist some major credit, for she was one of the first female artists I majorly got into. Her down-to-earth quirkiness first captivated me. But I quickly fell for her voice (I have a thing for breathy singer-song writers, if Cat Power and Marissa Nadler haven't tipped you off), which wears every emotion in the boldest of colors. I just hope she brings us something else soon. She hasn't presented any new solo material since The Reminder (and the iPod commercial) made waves. Her songs make me so happy, even when they are oh so melancholy.
9. Janelle Monae
This girl knows who she is and where she's going, you can be damn sure of that. I love her style, her dancing, her androgyny, her social commentary, her weirdness, her pipes, and her ideas. She's never afraid to just "be," whether that means being herself or being android Cindi Mayweather. Janelle Monae is presenting ideas that are absolutely innovative and sounds that are entirely catchy, and I have definitely been hooked.
10. Joan Baez
Now this lady rightfully stands a cut above the rest, if not for her legendary career, but for those fine vocal chords. I want to play guitar like Baez, I want to sing like Baez, and I want to roam the Earth and promote causes like Baez. I deeply admire this woman, all she does, and all she stands for. I kick myself everyday, for she came through town two years ago to play a show at the local theatre, but I had not yet entered into my pseudo-hippie folk-loving days. Hopefully, I get the chance to see her and take it. I've already seen Dylan in concert, but a live show from Joan is something I certainly don't want to miss. I probably wouldn't breathe the entire way through, just because those pipes amaze me.
Example:
I am kind of ecstatic that I escaped my rut and found all these wonderful female artists to look up to. Because really, now I get to work at emulating all my women idols, whereas before, I was all, "Yeah! I totally want to be... that sweaty dude?" Hopefully, my list will grow, and I'll continue to add to it ladies I love and admire.
By the way, none of these songs are really in any specific order, save Joanna Newsom, who thoroughly deserves the number one spot.
10. Avi Buffalo - Summer Cum
I cannot believe these kids are, well, kids. I could call them my peers.
While this song doesn't have a trip-tastic video like their equally great "What's In It For?", the lyrics are quirky and the melody is oh so sticky. Also, the best line of the song = "And I could taste a robot's fist." Yep... I can relate.
9. Lightspeed Champion - Marlene
Okay, so there are so many good things about this video, which mainly is the amount of giggles it induces. But this video can never reach the greatness that is the tasty guitar hook during the chorus ("Stop being cool! / Uh-oh.")
8. Janelle Monae - Cold War
R&B from space? I think so. And I love it, her, and her style.
7. Jakob Dylan - Everybody's Hurtin'
Yeah, Jakob, you wear those sunglasses indoors. Oh, and KELLY'S AND NEKO'S BACKGROUND VOCALS.
6. Sparklehorse, Danger Mouse, and Julian Casablancas - Little Girl
Technically, this song has just been released, although it was done quite awhile ago (and it has been on my iPod for awhile, too). Danger Mouse apparently had some beef with EMI, though, and Dark Night of the Soul couldn't be released until July 12. Unfortunately, Sparklehorse left us before we could appreciate the fully released project. RIP Mark Linkous, and I hope whatever afterlife you believe in is giving you peace.
5. Jamie Lidell - Compass
Can you describe this song using words other than "beautiful," or "stunning?" Yeah, I can't either.
4. The Avett Brothers - Slight Figure of Speech
These boys are usually a bit more folky, mellow, and heartfelt, but this song just makes me want to jump around pumping my fists in all directions. Especially when they RAP.
3. Laura Marling - Devil's Spoke
Another individual who just seems much to young to be this good.
2. MGMT - It's Working
I must say, I simply love MGMT's new sound, maybe even more than their old sound. I think this is because their new sound is a little bit 60s-tinged, and I'm such a sucker for the 60s. Another great new band with another great, new, innovative video is also a plus-- the highlight has to be their drummer coming out of the ground wearing a rainbow sombrero.
#1 by a grand-spankin' mile. Joanna Newsom - Baby Birch
Joanna Newsom might just be my favorite person in the world right now. I kind of want to be her. Was I ever surprised to listen to her new album and hear her new voice style. I still love the old warble, but these buttery smooth vocals are so stunning that I'm speechless. Her whole album is great-- the arrangements are BRILLIANT. But Baby Birch, without a doubt, is one of the most emotionally charged tracks on the album, and I could listen to it on repeat all day.
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