It’s been driving me CRAZY that there’s no good live footage of Curtains For You, because they put on such an energetic show, and they sound so different than they do on the albums. I looooove seeing them live, as I think you’re all aware, and it’s been hard to explain. This is, finally, a professionally-produced video of a new song from their set at Caffe Mela. You get to see their goofy jumping, Mikey’s enthusiastic harmonica playing and a drum solo from Matt. It’s the beeeeest.
New song and beautiful new video from Matty and Mikey of Curtains For You!
Matty, Mikey and Peter from Curtains For You singing The Beatles with the Seattle Rock Orchestra! Whoever took this video also caught a bunch of other acts from that night too. It’s aaaaalmost like I didn’t miss it. :D
(Sean Nelson’s cover of Got To Get You Into My Life is my other favorite.)
Doe Bay Fest Snippet #3: I’ve raved before about Bryan John Appleby’s writing, and I’ll probably do it again. He stands out even in the crowded field of Seattle talent. His voice is clear and warm. Listening to it is like being wrapped in the softest blanket. Which you are going to need to cushion your fall, because his lyrics are often intense and heartbreaking. He speaks knowledgeably about despair and loss and doubt, and his imagery is so specific and clear, you feel as if you are living those feelings. There’s a moment in one of his songs that has startled me to actual tears on more than one occasion. And yet, his songs contain moments of exaltation, either lyrically or musically, and even the saddest of them aren’t the kind of sorrow that drags you down. There’s something heroic about them, the voice of someone who is looking suffering right in the face and describing what he sees in the most clear-eyed way possible. It’s beautiful.
Okay, Doe Bay Fest bands, let’s do this! The first official act I saw was Tony Kevin, Jr. He has a self-deprecating stage presence that is very appealing, but that self-deprecation is nowhere to be found in his music. He’s a passionate and powerful singer, with a voice that commands attention. It’s got a rough edge to it that makes me think of wide-open spaces and dusty country roads, and it communicates anger, longing and triumph by turns. Great stuff.
This isn’t my usual thing, I know. I don’t even watch American Idol, but Kris Allen came to my attention as the kind of Christian who should make all of the bigoted, close-minded, so-called devout who are shouting about how anyone different is ungodly feel ashamed of themselves. The show tried to set up a conflict between his small-town Arkansas self and the gay, LA weirdo on the show, and he just REFUSED TO PLAY. It was kind of the most beautiful thing happening in reality TV that year. I’ve been following him ever since, in sheer admiration for his class and integrity. And trufax, his voice is lovely. I wish he’d get away from the pop machine, and stop making over-produced albums, but you can’t have everything. This is fun to listen to anyway.
Bryan John Appleby’s full performance from KEXP’s Audioasis.
Shenandoah Davis got to play one of her newer songs on the world’s longest piano, and Michael Ryan Dellinger captured this video of it. I’ve heard the song a few times in concert, and I’m so glad to have a recording. It’s intimate and dramatic and beautiful.
Better writers than I have said everything that ever needs to be said about Damien Jurado’s songwriting, which is intimate, beautiful and melancholy. I won’t belabor the point here, but what gets me each time I listen is how vulnerable his voice is. He sings in a conversational style, like he’s confessing something to you, but then leaps up into these quavery high notes at key points. They’re like an arrow to the heart, truly. The timbre and vibrato of his voice recall the sound of someone in the grip of strong emotion, and it’s hard not to follow him there.
Sound on the Sound and Tyler Kalberg have done it again! They’ve found a way to explore the mechanics of songwriting without robbing it of any mystery or magic. This is a beautiful, strange and interesting look into the creative mind of Bryan John Appleby.
