Thanks for being a friend, y'all.
Folks, District Noise is on an indefinite hiatus due to various real-life bidness.
Thanks to all the artists and readers who’ve made this fun; hope you’ve enjoyed reading the various interviews and reviews on the site. See you on down the road.
When an album’s liner notes list multiple banjo players on the same song, you know it’s going to be an enjoyable listen. Dan Fisk has two banjo pickers on”Life and Limb,” from his new solo EP, but that’s not the only thing he’s got going for him on Bruises from the Backseat (out 6/28).
Fisk (an upstate New Yorker who’s spent the past decade in Virginia), has a radio-ready, slightly raspy voice and solid songwriting skills. Album opener “A Thousand Love Songs” is the highlight of the disc, and had it been released fifteen years ago when Vertical Horizon and Matchbox 20 were flying up the charts, Fisk would probably be blowing his nose with $20 bills right now.
The EP’s sole cover is a version of Paul Simon’s “Stranded in a Limousine,” which features fellow area singer-songwriter Ted Garber on harmonica. It feels a little out of place among the more mellow tracks on the record, but it’s definitely a fun listen.
Bruises from the Backseat is a promising solo release from Fisk. Let’s hope a full-length record is next.
Listen If You Like: Duncan Sheik, The Wallflowers, Joe Pug, Jason Mraz
Photo by Erik Jacobs
Boston-based Eilen Jewell (her first name rhymes with “feelin’”) is one of the best roots artists out there. Her music blends classic rock ‘n’ roll, honky tonk, rockabilly, and prewar jazz. Her new album, Queen of the Minor Key (out June 28), might just be her best yet. We got the chance to talk with Eilen before her pair of Iota shows later this month about the new album, guitar solos, and songwriting Unabomber-style.
District Noise: Your sound has really changed since [first album] Boundary County, which was more of an acoustic, folky record. Was this an organic evolution of your sound, or is the more rock ‘n’ roll material found on your past couple records the type of music you wanted to make all along?
Eilen Jewell: I’ve been following my gut all along. I don’t really try to follow a particular sound; I just organically kind of let things happen. The past couple records, it’s been feeling like the thing to do is incorporate more early rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly. It’s what I’ve been wanting to do, and I’ve just been following that inclination.
DN: Sea of Tears and Butcher Holler were both so good and so well received critically; were you feeling any kind of pressure about making a follow-up album?
EJ: There’s always a little bit of pressure. Not from anyone in particular; our label, Signature Sounds, is always very supportive of what I do. I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with something that’s new but not new for the sake of being new, you know? There’s a fine line that I try to walk—there’s such a thing as too much novelty, if you ask me. I want to keep it natural, but at the same time I don’t want to make the same record again. So I have to push myself to create in a new way, but not push myself so hard that I’m out of my element. With every new record comes a new set of challenges, I’d say.
The Decemberists. Photo by Autumn DeWild.
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L to R: Dean Marold, Clayton Britt, Zach Bevill, Joshua Britt, Christian Sedelmyer
The past few years have seen a popularity surge in acoustic music thanks to groups like Old Crow Medicine Show, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and several others. The Farewell Drifters might be the next act to hit it big: they’ve got oodles of talent, sweet ’60s pop harmonies, and an extensive collection of Members Only jackets (did you know they’re still making those?).
On Sunday the fivesome—led by lead singer Zach Bevill—served up 80 minutes of hook-heavy folk-pop for an enthusiastic Iota crowd, opening with insanely infectious new single “We Go Together” from new album Echo Boom (out tomorrow). The Farewell Drifters’ sound is like a convergence of the Beach Boys and John Hartford, and it’s delivered with such fervent, footstomping energy that it’s impossible not to be swept up in the music.
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When Sarah Fridrich sent new album You Call That Brave my way, she recommended “listening with big speakers.” After a few spins, I’d have to agree: earbuds just don’t do these expansive arrangements justice (do they ever?). This collection of piano pop-rock immediately brings to mind moody chanteuses like Fiona Apple and Amanda Palmer thanks to Fridrich’s expressive voice and insane proficiency on the keys (she’s a trained jazz pianist).
The other half of the duo known as Ms. Fridrich, Dan Marcellus, contributes facebreaking drums; at their best, the two have a sound that fills every corner of the room. There isn’t a bum track out of the ten, but a few especially stand out: “Hearts Intact” is a burst of infectious, Sara Bareilles-ish pop, and album closer “Borrow Love”—which features some guest guitar work from Gary Prince—shows off both Sarah Fridrich’s pipes and jazz background.
You Call That Brave is definitely an enjoyable listen, but you know what’s better than big speakers or hundred dollar headphones? Live music. Get yourself to the Velvet Lounge on Saturday for the album release show and hear these tunes in person.
Top Tracks: “First Engine,” “Borrow Love,” “Hearts Intact”
Listen If You Like: Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Amanda Palmer
Happy Memorial Day to those who serve.
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She’s only a few days past her 20th birthday, but Sarah Jarosz has proven herself to be an artist mature beyond her years, with a knack for songwriting, deft musicianship, and a rich alto that fills a room. She also possesses a contagious youthful exuberance that shone through her show from the beginning, as she enthused after her opening song “A sold out show. This is awesome!”
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