Results tagged “singersongwriters”

Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian singer-songwriter who claims her primary influences are Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty. She spent some of her youth in Korea and Switzerland and she studied classical violin for twelve years.

GET OUT THE MUSIC: Our brothers and sisters over at LAist recently interviewed singer-songwriter Amie Miriello. She's on the rise these days, after leaving her band Dirtie Blonde and striking out solo. She'll be opening for one of Austin's finest, Bob Schneider. He has some of the most heartbreaking songs we know. But then, he also has songs about bar fights and monkeys. So, you know, there's balance.

Way back in February, we went down to Memphis for our other job to commune with all the other folk music nuts at the International Folk Alliance Conference. While there, we stumbled into a late night songwriters-in-the-round showcase that was taking place in someone's hotel room around about midnight, or one of the hours between it and sunrise. It was all a big blur, to be honest. But one of the artists that struck our fancy was one Natalia Zukerman of New York City. Zukerman will be joining forces with Adrianne (of Atlanta, Georgia) this Wednesday to bring some of that swell East Coast action to our little Pacific outpost. They'll set up shop at the High Dive at 9 p.m., and play until someone shuts them down. We recommend you go, and we bet Zukerman would recommend the same. We didn't ask her that when we got her on the phone last week, but we did ask her other things. Read on...

In all fairness, we've been crushing on Shenandoah Davis for a while, so we're ashamed that we keep missing her live performances. She'll be at the Sunset tonight, and we'll be at the Triple Door watching Jolie Holland. Dammit.

We first became privy to Willy Porter years ago when he opened for Tori Amos at the University of Central Florida, and we still dig his impressive guitar skills and rootsy acousti-pop songwriting. He'll be rolling into town tomorrow night to play an early show at the Tractor with the amazing ladies of Raining Jane. We got him on the phone this week for a little insight into what he's been up to lately. Enjoy!

WHO WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL?: Wow, Seattlest really loved that song when Jewel first came out back in '96. When we went to Lilith Fair, Jewel's set was the one we thought we'd skip and go have dinner during. Then she started, and she was an absolutely captivating performer. We're not totally sure what she's been up to all these years since then, but we can vouch for the truth of the matter that Jewel puts on a great show. If you're looking for some good live music tonight, she may just be the best thing going on.

Slaid Cleaves may not be super known out here on the left coast, but among songwriter circles in the south and back east, he's one of the most respected singer-songwriters on the scene. The man just has a way with words, and he'll be gracing us with his presence next Wednesday at the Tractor. If you're a ZooTunes-hanging Mountain listener who appreciates a good solo acoustic songwriter, then the Tractor will be your place next week. Here he is doing "Lydia," from his covers album. We know Cleaves has plenty of great songs of his own, but we love his version of this one (originally by Karen Poston):

If you're unfamiliar, allow us to introduce you to Laura Gibson—one of the best singer-songwriters coming out of the ever-vibrant Portland singer-songwriter scene. Granted, "vibrant" is not a word we'd use to describe Gibson's work. In fact, we suggest you nap a bit on Sunday afternoon before you head out to the Tractor, because she could sing you into the happiest of bar naps if you're not careful.

AUSSIES IN THE HOUSE: The Waifs are so much fun live. There's just something about families that sing together—you can't get that kind of synchronicity from strangers. The Australian sisters and their male guitarist compatriot are one of the most delightful folk-pop bands around, and their live energy is undeniably infectious. Catch them tonight at that swanky joint, the Triple Door.

Boy, we wish we'd heard about this one sooner, before we tied ourselves to the Block Party. Nicole Atkins writes lovely, singer-songwritery tunes backed exquisitely by the busy-but-purposeful accompaniment of her backup band, aptly named the Sea. She's also gorgeous and has a voice the size of Manhattan, and the smarts to know how to control it, when to back off, when to let it rip. Check it:

NOT BURLESQUE: Columbia City Theater is a really great room to watch singer-songwriters do their thing. Tonight, the room will host a CD release party for the exquisitely talented Shenandoah Davis, featuring special guest Molly Rose, and others. Grab a drink and kick back in the old Vaudeville theater for a night of introspective, arty songwriting.

Last week, we headed out to Smith to catch up with local singer/songwriter Molly Rose, to chat about her work, learn about her purpose in life, and come back here to tell you people all about it so that you'd feel inspired to head to Columbia City Theater for her show this Thursday night.

SALMAN RUSHDIE: He'll be hitting Town Hall tonight to read from his latest effort, The Enchantress of Florence. According to the press release, it sounds like it's one of those quasi-fictional tales pitting opposites against each other (and, possibly, in the process, showing how opposites attract?). Tickets are available at University Bookstore for $5 a pop, or you can just buy a copy of the novel and use that as your entry.

When Seattlest was just a wee lesbian growing up in a small southern town, we did what we reckon other wee small-town lesbians did: we listened to a lot of k.d. lang and the Indigo Girls. We went on long road trips across the whole state with the windows down, our other closeted friends with us, singing "Galileo" at the top of our lungs. Ah, those good ol' days of closeted small-town life.

NOT THE YANKEES: The Mariners, bless their hearts for trying, will take on the Red Sox tonight at Safeco Field. We weren't impressed with the one game we already saw this year, but we're willing to cheer on the home team tonight as they take on that East Coast team that's not the Yankees.

We have a soft spot for any singer-songwriter with enough chutzpah to get an entire festival crowd to storm the stage. Such was the scene when Langhorne Slim seriously rocked Pickathon down in Portland last summer. And that, friends, is one of a thousand things we love about Langhorne Slim. Another thing we love? He's a spectacular songwriter who writes tunes you can't believe aren't already classic folk songs. He'll be hitting the stage at the Tractor tonight, and, if you don't already have plans, you'd be silly not to go.

We don't really know what can be said about Kate Walsh, other than we're not talking about the hottie from Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice. We're talking about the other Kate Walsh. The one who makes us want to bawl our eyes out with every single damn note she sings.

Yeah, and it's not just Ani DiFranco, which would be fine with us. We're pretty fond of the solo singer/songwriter thing, particularly when the artist in question can write intellectual poetics and redefine the way their instrument is played. But considering she's touring these days with a killer backup band made up of Todd Sickafoose, Allison Miller, and Mike Dillon, we're kind of looking forward to this show. We're even willing to miss this week's Idol results for this show. Besides, how can you not love songs like this:

We first caught Kym Tuvim opening for Tish Hinojosa at the Tractor a couple of years ago, and were so spellbound with her soulful observational songs that we tucked her name away in our memory and vowed to pay more attention to her career. Since then, of course, she's been locked up in a studio working on a follow-up record to her 2003 release On the Mend.

This is going to be a damn good weekend, snow or no. And, it all starts tonight with Jack Wilson and the Wifestealers at the Sunset. Tomorrow, we've got Sera Cahoone's CD release party at the Tractor, celebrating the release of her awesome new disc Only As the Day is Long (SubPop).

Here's another chance to get out there and support the, cough, "dying" Seattle music scene.