Live Show Love: Jolie Holland

We arrived a bit late, stood in the back of our local dive-ish club, and soaked in the great set by Jolie Holland and her supporting bandmates. Holland is this surprising (and exciting, for me at least) combination of country/alt-country, soul,rock, and jazz singer. It's like she's playing country music with a jazz voice, but rocking it out into a soul/blues feel. It is incredibly easy to get wrapped up in her compositions and melodys--especially for a musician, singer, or songwriter--and seeing her live really cemented, for me, how incredibly talented this woman is.

Jolie Holland is one of the founding members of The Be Good Tanyas and currently labelmates with Tom Waits (who also happens to be a huge fan of hers). She is this kind of musician that I find equal parts inspiring and intimidating. Her voice is freakin' flawless; not only did she sound as good as her extremely well-produced albums--she sounded better. In fact, she blew her own pants off. The girl can SANG.

Jolie Holland, Mexico City


She is also extremely laid back and down to Earth; but most importantly, she is hot and has this cute way of talking out of the side of her mouth. And she loves Bonnie 'Prince' Billie. Le sigh!

Short interview w/ Holland:

do you dare there to give me your eyes?

we've touched on it here in a few posts, but there's really nothing like the "ohmigod that was awesome" sensation of a really excellent live show.
one of my absolutely absolute favorite live performers is the wildly talented, explosively charismatic charlotte martin.
i've seen her perform three times, and each time was a revelation. she's one of those performers who throws herself entirely into the music, the passion, the moment, and it's impossible to not get caught up with her. she evokes (but never invokes) tori amos, but with significantly less crazy. she loves her instrument, but doesn't make love to it, if that distinction means anything to you. (and tori fans, i think it will.) nonetheless, there's a significant overlap between folks who love tori and folks who love charlotte martin, and it's not terribly hard to see why.
she also lingers after performances, and remembers everyone she's met before. it's kind of insane. she also hugs everyone within reach, and there's something about the combination of her personal charm and her passionate performance that makes her truly irresistible.
in a search for her best songs, youtube turned up some great live performances - and some tragically bad listener-produced, um, art.
up all night is a great song, one of my favorites to get lost in, but this is a tragically bad, uh, video. so maybe close your eyes and don't watch what's going on?

yowza. i really hope you listened to that, rather than watching. because it's beautiful, right? the song. never mind that other stuff.
now that you've been introduced, you're ready for the real thing. under the gravel skies is another favorite of mine, full of a dark yearning that, well, frankly, i love. the music is slippery, sinuous and reaches into your heart... in the abstract, it's hard to see how a song with a refrain about "out of the black pools / i've risen up" can be so hot, and yet... it is.



for a somewhat different, but still impassioned, charlotte, there's this music video.
really, more than anything, i suggest you try and see her live. she tours frequently, in small venues, and if you can catch her, she will rock your fucking face off. tour dates can be found, you know, on her site. it looks like there's nothing scheduled right now, but it is worth your while (if you liked anything you heard here) to try and catch her. she's awesome. girl scout's honor.

Har Mar, not just another strip mall

The first time I saw Har Mar Superstar live was at Grand Old Day, which is St. Paul’s annual kick off to summer. The day was slightly overcast and the second this sex machine took the stage the sky opened up and let its tears of pure joy out upon us. It was just the universe’s way of telling us that an amazing show was about to happen.

Har Mar has the looks of Ron Jeremy sprinkled with Tiny Tim and the voice of a young Michael Jackson laced with some Stevie Wonder. Along with that visual, add to it the fact that he routinely performs in spandex and/or just his tighty whities. The second time I saw him live he pranced around stage in his full pale glory with a dollar bill stuck to his sweet sweaty chest.

His stage show isn’t all there is to talk about though. The man behind Har Mar, Sean Tillman, is an extremely talented musician who writes his own music and also fronts the band Sean Na Na. It’s always very refreshing to find a musician who has the complete package: a great stage show, a great voice and great writing skills. He also does a great cover of Alone Again Naturally on his album The Handler.

Jimmy Kimmel Live performance of Power Lunch and Sir Duke

Body Request video

if you don't want a woman who drinks, don't pick up women in bars.

apparently, i'm kind of weak for low brass - because when i went to hear guy forsyth at rodeo bar, and the bass player (will landon) walked into the room with a sousaphone, i got all giddy.
not that i wasn't already a little on the giddy side - i blame the giant prickly pear margarita that i downed with dinner. also maybe a stella. or two. the combination of sugar and booze always makes me d-r-o-o-n-k crunked, so i may have been feeling a little silly.
anyway, my presence at this show was all based on an impulse that i couldn't define. i googled "honky-tonk" one day at work (yes, i have a Big Important Job which allows me pleeeeeenty of time to google whatever crosses my mind), which led me to the rodeo bar calendar, which, after a quick google chat exchange with one of my most trusted music advisers, led me (with music adviser in tow) to hear guy forsyth that friday.
they started out doing some pretty standard, four-on-the-floor guitar-bass-kit tin pan alley fusion action. it was fun, catchy, a little bit bluesy, a little bit rock and roll. but not gripping. there were a few folks at the table in front of us who were clearly bigol'giant guy forsyth groupies, but in those first three songs, there was little to show me why such a thing would exist.
it was nice. but it wasn't a revelation. i even leaned across the table at one point to mutter something derogatory about rob hooper, the fairly unexciting drummer. (don't worry. he lived to redeem himself as a percussionist. boy howdy, did he ever.)
then, after three songs, guy pulled out a little blue plastic ukulele, the bass player picked up the sousaphone and the drummer moved to cajun.
oh. my. fucking. god.
you know that surge of excitement when you are listening to really excellent musicians hit their stride, enthusiastically playing music they love?
yeah.
that.guy forsyth has this... voice. it does everything a voice should do to this style of music. it pets, purrs, howls, caresses, jabs and retreats, only to come wailing back again.
despite lulling me into complacency with the beginning of their set, these fellas totally knocked me on my ass with intelligent, modern, fun, high-intensity music tinged with notes from all walks of american music. they have an album called "unrepentant schizophrenic americana" - and that's exactly what it is.
it. is. fantastic.
and i swear on a stack of bibles that i'm not just saying that because after the ukulele, guy broke out the harmonica and proceeded to rock that. and then he pulled out the saw and proceeded to rock that even harder. i mean, i have a bit of a weird instrument fetish, but it still takes a good musician to make the weird instruments work. (yes, harmonica qualifies as weird.)
there is nothing on youtube that does these guys justice. and while i'm often all about the free illegal download, this is one of those cases where buying the cd from the artist actually supports the artist - so if schizophrenic americana appeals to you, i heartily suggest you consider doing just that.
even more, i'd suggest keeping an eye out for when they might be in your area and then heading down to that there watering hole. because this is definitely a band that should be experienced, as much as heard.