Singer-Songwriters Feathe

While students at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Alyssa Rieper, Johanne Swanson, and Adelyn Strei decided they wanted to join musical forces to start a band.  The result was Feathe (rhymes with “breathe”).  Featuring guitar, accordion and light rhythms layered with delicate harmonies, their mellow and sweet folk-pop would fit nicely in a playlist with the likes of Iron & Wine, Neko Case, The Starlings and The Decemberists.

This is the kind of music you can have as a soundtrack to so many things – an art day in your room, a sunny long-distance drive, tea with friends, to name a few.  No matter what, it’s going to bring a little smile to your face and to your heart.

Check out this video of Feathe performing their song Roses to see what I mean:

The Valley: 2.3 from The Valley on Vimeo.

Their music may have that satisfying lo-fi feel to it, but the girls of Feathe are also pretty tech savvy.  They’ve been releasing their EPs on Bandcamp, a great site for musicians, and you can get the songs there for free! (or pay what you want, if you are inspired to support them financially!)  You can also find them on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Feathe is coming to Fairfield for a show at The Beauty Shop on July 31st with She Swings, She Sways and X-Ray Mary!

Join me Tuesday for the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour from 9-10am Central to get your weekly dose of music by female singer-songwriters!  KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!  Feathe will be calling in at 9am.

Singer-Songwriter Jennie Hunter

Classically trained in piano, LA-based singer-songwriter Jennie Hunter has international connections. Her debut album, Feel the Fire, was recorded in Chile with producer Claudio Valenzuela.

If you jumped to any conclusions after seeing the words “classically trained” and “Chile” in that first paragraph, you probably jumped too soon. With songs ranging from rock to electronica to pop, Jennie’s classical training really only shows in that she never misses a note. You won’t really find any Latin rhythms, but every part of the songs, whether sung or played, is drenched with that passion Latinos are famous for expressing.

So what you get from Jennie and Claudio is lush, rich, piano-driven landscapes, the emotional details painted with a delicate voice that might at times even be described as childlike, except for the maturity of the lyrics and the crystal clear control.

The eleven tracks on Feel the Fire pound, skip, rock, flow and tumble by turn.  The songs are sometimes sassy, sometimes melancholy, sometimes pleading, sometimes gritty, and sometimes playful.  All-in-all, the album is a pretty delightful ride. Check Jennie out on her MySpace or Facebook pages to hear tracks and find out more!

Tune in Tuesday, July 20th to get to know Jennie a little better. KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online from anywhere in the world with internet.  Music from 9-9:30am Central, Jennie will be calling in at 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Sheila Nicholls

7/19/10 UPDATE: We are working to reschedule the interview with Sheila, should be in early to mid August, stay tuned! In the meantime, check out this fantastic in-depth feature on Sheila over on the amazing site KGRL.

It’s always interesting to hear what sort of music an artist comes out with after they’ve been with a label and decide to go independent.  Whether it’s very different or essentially the same, you know it’s definitely the artist’s true vision.

It’s also always interesting to hear what sort of music an artist comes out with after having a child.  Such a profoundly life-changing experience is bound to change your artistic expression as well.

I admit to not knowing Sheila Nicholls’ music before either of these events that happened in her life, but I do know I like what I hear now! Ranging from acoustic to alternative to trip hop, Sheila’s style is grooving and twinkling by turns, her versatile voice sliding easily up the scale and dropping into a gritty growl. With song after multi-textured and rich song, Sheila is one of those artists so easy to put on repeat!

But don’t take my word for it, here are two of her new tracks available to stream or download:
Sheila Nicholls – Bardo by artofbroadcast

Mighty Love (Live)
Sheila Nicholls – Mighty Love (Live) by artofbroadcast

Lovely interview about music, songwriting, being an artist and behind the name of the album:

Connect with Sheila online:

http://sheilanicholls.com/

http://www.myspace.com/sheilanicholls

http://www.facebook.com/sheilanichollsmusic

http://twitter.com/splendidfrock

Tune in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of Lyrical Venus! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, or http://kruufm.com online anywhere!  The first and only solar powered radio station in the Midwest!  Sheila will be calling around 9:30.

Singer-Songwriter Anne Heaton

In the strange small world of coincidences, this Iowa girl’s first experience with both the Boston-based songwriters featured in this post was in Colorado!

Long-time readers know that I met Anne Heaton at The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival last year, and interviewed her on my show when she came through Iowa with Winterbloom, a group of four women songwriters joining forces for the holidays.

Singer-Songwriter Rose Polenzani

I have yet to meet Rose Polenzani in person, but back when I lived in Boulder for a short while after college, my roommate came home from a concert with a CD that would become a fast favorite of ours to play in the house – Voices on the Verge.  Rose was one of four artists who had joined forces and were touring together under the name.  When I started my radio show a couple years ago I was re-introduced to the album and featured it one week, plus a new song by each of the four.

Anne contacted me again earlier this year when she was in the planning stages of a tour with Rose from the East Coast to the Midwest.  I offered her an interview and the option of a house concert on either side of a show up in Cedar Rapids and she took me up on both!

Then a few months later I found out that Winterbloom was in the running for the Lilith Fair Local Talent Search in Boston, and that Rose had joined Anne, Meg Hutchinson, Antje Duvekot and Natalia Zuckerman for the competition.  With that much star-power, it’s perhaps no surprise that they won!

Still, it’s no small feat, considering how many amazing musicians live in the Boston area. Winterbloom will be performing July 30th.  That sounds like a great show. It’s not looking good for me to make it to any Lilith Fair this year, but having two Lilith Fair performers in my living room is going to be pretty darn exciting!  (And heck, who am I kidding, I was stoked about them coming LONG before I even heard about the competition.)

Before their Lilith Fair performance though is Anne & Rose’s tour!  Check them out together in this video for Anne’s song, Where Your Scar Is.

If you’re reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video.

Sweet, funny, talented, quirky, creative and smart are all words I would use to describe each of these women and their music.  If you’re ready to find out more about them, check out their websites for more info, music clips, tour dates and more.

AnneHeaton.com

RosePolenzani.com

The house concert with Anne & Rose at our place will be on July 13th, starting with an optional potluck at 6:30pm and the music getting started at 7:30.  Suggested donation is $10-$15 per person.  Email me to RSVP and ensure a seat, plus get directions! LyricalVenus [at] gmail [dot] com.

Get to know them a little better before they come by tuning in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour!  KRUU-LP 100.1 here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere.  The 9am interview will be followed by more music.

Singer-Songwriter Emily Zuzik

Checking out her bio, it seems like Emily Zuzik can do pretty much anything. Maybe it’s her initials, EZ, that bless her with the ability to handle so many different skills and opportunities and collaborative projects with grace, but whatever it is, she sure is doing something right!

Currently based in New York, Emily is a singer, songwriter, journalist, voiceover artist and fit model. Her songs have appeared in TV and movies. She has written with artists such as Moby, Wes Hutchinson, UK dj duo REFIX, Tim Lefebvre, Art Hays, Tom Glynn and Marwood.

Emily’s sultry vocals are equally at home over all-out rockers like Potential, sparkling-sweet folk-pop like This Time Around, or torch-tinged ballads like Make It Right, to pull a few examples from her album You Had Me At Goodbye.

Her latest release is the Jagged Life EP, which includes the sweet downtempo Magic.  Check out the video of Emily performing it with her band at Rockwood Music Hall in New York earlier this year:

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video

There are a bunch of other great tunes from the same show on her YouTube channel that show off Emily’s versatility and more of her charming stage presence.   If you’re already ready, head on over to Emily’s website and besides getting the rundown of all her projects, from there you’ll find links to the other places you can connect with her on the web.

Tune in to Lyrical Venus Radio on Tuesday, June 29th from 9-10 am Central to get to know this super-talented women a little bit better! KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!  Emily will be calling at 9am.

Lauri Kranz of Snow & Voices

So I’m sitting here in front of a fan on high speed, it’s thundering outside and apparently there’s a flash flood warning and a tornado watch going on for the I don’t know how many-th time in the past couple of weeks.  I’m also cooking a big batch of caramel sauce that involves boiling down a gallon and a half of milk for two hours, as in, all four stove burners are going.  So yeah, it’s hot and the humidity is sticking to me, along with a huge buzzing swarm of thoughts and to-do’s.

Then I scroll to the album Anything That Moves by Snow and Voices and click play.  A sweet, relaxed voice floats on top of an ocean of cool piano and waves of ambient strings.  I remember to breathe.

Lauri Kranz and Jebin Bruni are the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist fronting Snow and Voices, and they pulled together an impressive collective of other artists in their LA area to create Anything That Moves, which just released on May 25th.

Have a listen to their track Maybe Finland and see if you get the same sense of fresh air that I did:

Snow and Voices Maybe Finland by artofbroadcast

There’s a picture on their website of Lauri and Jebin lying in a patch of sunlight on a shaggy rug. Between the relaxed attitude, the fact that Anything That Moves is their third full-length album and their just coming off a month-long Saturday residency at Hotel Cafe, I have a feeling that the sense of ease created by their music has more to do with their incredible skills and putting in the time to make good music than actually having a mellow attitude toward life. Which they may have as well, but I’m just saying, sometimes really talented people have this way of making things look easy that are not.

I also have the feeling that I could put this album on in the winter and feel all toasty warm somehow.  That’s pretty powerful all-weather stuff!  Check them out yourself on their website or MySpace page.

Join me Tuesday, June 22nd from 9-10am Central for music by female singer-songwriters and an interview with Lauri Kranz from Snow and Voices.  Tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town, kruufm.com online anywhere!  Lauri will be calling at 9am.

Singer-Songwriter Sarah Tracey

It’s no surprise to hear that Sarah Tracey claims inspiration in noir films.  A few moments of her sultry “modern torch” songs are enough to transport you to a gritty black and white film from back in the day, full of fedoras and elbow gloves, thick with smoke and lipstick.

Chicago born and raised, the classically trained Tracey found her voice when she discovered jazz, soul and blues.  The songs on her Cards on the Table EP are gaining attention all over the web, and her live performances are turning heads in popular music rooms in New York City.

Sarah recently took some time to answer 10 questions (plus a few of our favorite bonus ones!).  Get to know her below, and don’t forget to tune in to Lyrical Venus Radio to hear her feature set this Tuesday! (more details at the bottom of the post.)

1. Do you remember writing your first song? How does that compare to your songwriting process now?

My very first song ever was called ‘Springtime’ and I wrote it when I was about 5 years old… it was just one of a whole series- a song cycle, if you will- that I did about Spring, which was apparently an endlessly inspiring subject to my 5-year-old self. I had a whole lot to say about trees, flowers, rainbows, and birds singing! I wrote a whole hand-illustrated poetry book about it too…

Considering my recent compositions have been about poker, whiskey, jealousy, temptation, obsession, infidelity, lust and revenge- obviously a lot has shifted in the balance! One thing that hasn’t changed is that I love love love language and I love to play with words. I think that showed itself early when I found a way to express my love of flowers and rainbows a dozen different ways. I still just love writing lyrics, finding the perfect way to tell a story within a certain constraint of cadence, rhythm, and rhyme… when the right phrases fit together it’s like the sun breaking through the clouds. Or like solving a really hard crossword puzzle. I find it really satisfying.

2. Where is your favorite place to sing?

In front of a fireplace, with a guitar and some good friends… hopefully it’s snowing out.

3. What’s the hardest thing about performing? What’s the best thing?

The hardest thing about performing… hmmm that’s a tough question! Performing live is one of my favorite things about being a musician. It’s where I really feel I shine the most. I grew up performing in school plays and doing all the choir solos and directing talent shows in neighbors’ backyards- I’ve always been a natural performer and playing live is something I love. I suppose the only hard thing is that anything can happen in a live situation- anything can go wrong, and unlike in the studio, you can’t rewind and do a dozen different takes. You just have to kind of go with it. To be able to connect directly to an audience is amazing. That feeling where a room is so silent you could hear a pin drop, where the audience is hanging on every word, and I have them in the palm of my hand- that’s the best feeling in the world to me.

4. What things are you passionate about besides music?

Food, wine, entertaining- like music, they’re sensory communal social experiences that drive memory-making. If I weren’t a musician I would probably be a Martha Stewart-style lifestyle guru…

Also I’m pretty passionate about books, and classic cinema.

5. One is one thing (besides your instruments) you can’t leave for tour without?

The perfect red lipstick. I’m convinced it’s all a girl really needs in this world.

6. What was your favorite thing about making the video for This Plum?

Definitely getting to play with fashion and each different look/persona my stylist and I got to experiment with! We did a couple of classic looks, but also one look that was a very edgy, dark, almost vampire-esque vixen… she was the ‘evil’ character, or the bad side of myself. It’s fun to throw on the fishnets and stiletto boots and indulge that bad-alter-ego fantasy. Obviously when I’m writing songs, or working on instruments, or in rehearsal, or in the studio- it’s not all glamor all the time. So when I get to go there, I really love to do it all the way.

Sarah Tracey – “This Plum” Official Video from Ruth Du on Vimeo.

If you are reading elsewhere, you may need to come to the blog to see the video

7. What are you proud of with your new album?

On my EP that was released last year, Cards On The Table, I was just so proud of how all the components really came together to create this whole other world. Each musician and producer and engineer that worked the album added their own unique contribution- their own interpretation of my vision- and with each layer that was added, the project evolved even more. In the end, the results to me sound just seamlessly sexy and gorgeous. The first time I heard the rough mixes I was sitting by myself in the control room of this beautiful, famous recording studio, with the whole Manhattan skyline outside the window, and it was so overwhelming- a dream being realized. Everything that was in my soul with these songs was made real. I was just struck by that feeling of how far I had come since sitting on my rooftop with a guitar and a notebook and dreaming about that moment, which was so surreal when it actually happened.

8. Any new projects currently or on the horizon?

Yes, we’re about to start recording a full-length LP for release this fall! These new songs are pretty juicy New York stories, with some compelling characters… all inspired by true events… I can’t wait to share! Everyone in this city has secrets and that’s the overarching theme of the new album. There’s also a companion multimedia component that will be hosted on my website that will integrate photography and video projects inspired by the songs. It’s exciting to me that we can use the web to continue and expand upon the content of the album!

I’m partnering with Kickstarter to fund some of these production aspects, so I’d encourage anyone interested to check that out:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sarahtracey/sarah-tracey-saves-the-universe

You can pledge funds to get involved and support the project and in return get some awesome prizes! It’s exciting that now there are so many options in terms of direct fan-to-artist relationships. Artists can truly be independent and control their own musical output- without the big corporate major labels calling all the shots, and in many cases putting commerce before artistry. I’m all about marketing appeal- but I don’t think it should be the sole factor in determining what music gets to be created and heard.

9. Do you have any pre-gig rituals that help you prepare for a show?

Yes, I always have a glass of Jameson with me on stage. That’s what my grandfather used to drink, and he was really my musical mentor. It makes me think of him and remember why I’m so passionate about music- it also relaxes me and soothes the vocal chords just slightly. I have to limit it to one though— it’s a pretty interesting show if I’ve had more than one! And, that’s happened a couple times… maybe…

10. If you could create a musical super group with any artists, living or dead, who would you choose and what would they play?

I’d have Tom Waits crooning in the corner in a fedora, and Elvis Costello on guitar. Nina Simone on the keys. Willie Bobo on percussion. Astor Piazzola playing accordion.

Bonus questions!

1. What’s your favorite sandwich?

Egg sandwich with cheddar, avocado, bacon and hot sauce on toasted mutigrain. Or, a turkey reuben.

2. What’s your favorite hot drink?

Coffee. I am a coffee fiend. Just plain old coffee with milk.

3. Do you have pets or a favorite animal?

No pets here in NYC- I’m working and traveling so much that it’s hard to imagine taking care of one right now. There’s a stray cat that sneaks in my window all the time though- I think she really wants to be my pet. I keep hoping she gets home to her real owners— and I do really need to get a screen for my window!

4. Anything else you want to let people know!

I love to hear from listeners and fans, so don’t be shy about reaching out– via myspace or facebook etc, or you can email me: sarahtraceysings@gmail.com. Let me know how you’re liking the tunes, and if you have any requests, or great venue suggestions near you for tours, or any other artists you think I’d love. Hope to hear from some of you!

Thanks again to Sarah for taking the time to answer all the questions!  Find out more about her on her website, follow her on twitter and check out her links in the interview to get to her Kickstarter (which she has really taken to another level, I think you’ll get a kick out of it – pardon the pun!), MySpace and Facebook.

Tune in to the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour from 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of music by female singer-songwriters this Tuesday 6/8.  KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in town, kruufm.com online anywhere.  Sarah Tracey’s feature set will start around 9:15am Central.

The Whispering Tree

Now based in New York, classically trained vocalist Eleanor Kleiner and French bassist Elie Brangbour met at the London Center of Contemporary Music in 2004. Together they formed The Whispering Tree, Eleanor’s liquid-sweet voice balanced and grounded by Elie’s solid bass, their extensive training only evident in how effortlessly the songs flow.

Since their meeting, Eleanor and Elie have traveled the world, sharing their music and picking up new influences everywhere from China to South America. Their new release, Go Call the Captain, combines elements of folk, rock, jazz and bluegrass into a melting pot of musical inspiration that is at once familiar and otherworldly.

Indeed, if one listened to only a couple of tracks, they might get a fairly different impression of the duo compared to listening to the whole album.  Piano-rich songs like By the Side of the Road and Las Vegas evoke a certain melancholy.  So Many Things speaks to consumerism in a quirky, jazzy upbeat flavor including peppy brushed drums.  The twangy banjo in Slide sidles up to the funky bass and adds a down-homeness to the groove I could see myself dancing to at an outdoor concert on a summer evening.

It may be hard to imagine without actually listening to it, but all the variety works well together, and listening to the album is like getting to know the different sides of a friend.  The different styles come one after the other as naturally as a coffee shop conversation turns from one subject to another over the course of an hour.

Speaking of spending time with friends, it seemed like a friend popped over a few weeks ago when I was de-cluttering in my little home office with my iTunes set on random and So Many Things came up for the first time.  I stopped for a moment and laughed a little – it was almost as if Eleanor was standing over my shoulder observing the many things I had managed to cram into the tiny space over the past couple of years!  Have a listen and see if you can relate to any of it as well:

If you’re reading this elsewhere, you may need to come to the actual blog to see the video.

Check out their website to hear and purchase other tracks.
You’ll also find easy links there for connecting with The Whispering Tree on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter.

Finally, don’t forget to tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM here in town or kruufm.com online anywhere for The Whispering Tree interview on Tuesday, June 1st!  Eleanor and Elie will be calling in at about 9am Central.  Plus we’ll have more great music for the second half hour too!

Singer-Songwriter Theresa Storch

I met Teresa Storch at Rocky Mountain Song School last summer. Somehow we ended up sitting next to each other for one of the group meals and striking up a conversation. While the exact details of the conversation have faded nine months later, my positive impression of Teresa has not.

Calm, confident and passionate, Teresa is not afraid to start over. When I met her, she was in the process of moving to back to Colorado to be closer to her family, after 10 years in the Boston music scene. While she recognized it was a bit of a risk to leave the audiences she had established, Teresa was confident she was doing the right thing and was sure she would find a way to make it work. Reading her bio, I discovered that this was not the first time Teresa has left the familiar to follow her heart.

Though active in music and theater during her childhood in Nebraska, Teresa moved on to ballet for some time, and obtained a degree in engineering physics from the Colorado School of Mines. While Teresa watched concerts with her college friends, a little voice that whispered, “I want to do that!” started to grow louder, until one day it actually came out of her own mouth and she realized she could no longer ignore it.

Teresa found guitar and voice teachers, and as many open mics as she could, first in Denver and then in Boston, where she also found a job as a software engineer. When she was laid off from her job in 2001, Teresa started pounding the pavement, literally, performing her songs in the subways and streets of Boston.

Since then, she has gone on to win numerous awards and recognition for her songwriting from institutions all over the United States. Teresa may still take on a few part-time technical jobs here and there to make ends meet, but keeping it part time allows her the freedom to continue working on her music and to tour the country. In four years she has performed in 33 states!

The title track from her debut feature length album “Stream of Concrete”, speaks to life on the road and sits with 10 other tracks that together show Teresa’s versatility of sound and subject matter. Ranging from folky to funky with some blues, rock, and pop mixed in for good measure, Teresa’s music has drawn comparisons to Tower of Power, Sarah MacLachlan, Natalie Merchant and Hoagy Carmichael.

Have a listen, here she is singing her song Your Story:

Want to find out more about Teresa, hear some of her songs or buy her CD? Check out her links:

Official website

Facebook page

MySpace page

Join me on KRUU-LP 100.1 FM or kruum.com this Tuesday, May 18th for an interview with Teresa. She will be calling at 9:30am Central.

If you like what you hear and you are local, Teresa will be playing a house concert with fellow Colorado Artist Jeremy Facknitz at Dave & Lisa Cohen’s on Thursday the 20th. Email me at LyricalVenus at gmail dot com for details! If you’re not local, check Teresa’s website for tour dates – she and Jeremy may be coming soon to a city near you!

Singer-Songwriter Lisa Brigantino

Spend a few minutes perusing Lisa Brigantino’s website and links and you’ll start to wonder if there is anything this talented musician can’t do!  It starts to make sense when you realize she has been steeped in music making since the age of 5, when she started piano lessons.  Now able to play at least 14 instruments, Lisa has garnered a variety of songwriting and performing awards, has toured the world with an all women Led Zeppelin tribute band, shares a musical comedy act with her sister in New York, and still found time to write, record and produce her two solo albums, the newest one to be released in June.

Wonder Wheel is a well rounded album, featuring everything from blazing electric guitar licks on Go and Find It, to rockin’ blues on This Town, to sweet finger-picked acoustic folk on Those Days, and sparkling piano pop on the title track.  Lisa’s voice moves fluidly from style to style, earthy on the blues and rocker songs, liquid sweet on the acoustic and pop tunes.

Not only did Lisa write all the songs on the album, she played the majority of instruments, and had a hand in the recording and mixing of all of them as well!  Like I asked before, is there anything she can’t do?

Here she is performing a twangy, olde time flavored tune of hers called I Gotta Find Me Something at Songwriters By The Sea, Asbury Park, NJ:

If you’re reading this elsewhere, you may need to come to the actual blog to see the videos

To find out more about Lisa, listen to song samples and pre-order the brand new album, set to release June 7th, check out LisaBrig.com

You can also find her on Twitter as LisaBrig and connect on Facebook or MySpace.

Of course, don’t forget to tune in to KRUU-LP 100.1 FM in town or kruufm.com online anywhere, this Tuesday from 9-10 am Central for the interview with Lisa.  She will be calling at 9am, and after the interview we’ll finish up with some more great music by female artists!