festival report: folk alliance 2009
wears the trousers goes to memphis
Last month, Wears The Trousers staff writer / resident accordionist Anja McCloskey accompanied UK folk songstress Katy Carr to the 2009 Folk Alliance conference in Memphis, Tennessee, and soon found herself surrounded by the sheer madness that ensues when 1500 musicians and industry people take over a single hotel for five days. There was music in almost every corner of the building, including lifts, the lobby and along random hallways. And it wasn’t hard to spot new exciting talent, though of course there was the ever-present fear that you could just as easily be missing something equally exciting in the overloaded schedule. Here, she spotlights a few of the artists that stood out.
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Folk Arts Quartet
The beautiful thing about Folk Alliance is that you bump into talented people wherever you go, be it in the hotel gym or the all American breakfast diner down the road. It so happened that I sat next to the wonderfully talented and energetic multinational Folk Arts Quartet at the Blue Plate breakfast café one morning. All graduates of the Berklee College of Music, Scottish violinist Hannah Read, Canadian violinist Ivonne Hernandez, and Americans Julie Metcalf (viola) and Liz Davis Maxfield (cello) play what they refer to as ‘chambergrass’ music, an enchanting mix of folk and classical approaches to string composition. Evidently passionate and extremely tight, it was an absolute delight to see them perform on the GoGirlsMusic stage. They release their debut album next week.
www.myspace.com/folkartsquartet
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciyxKy2lgok]
Good Lovelies
If a highlight had to be picked from the whole Folk Alliance experience, it would most likely be meeting aptly-named trio Good Lovelies. Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore are a Toronto-based band whose charm and chemistry translates into their music 100%. With their sassy close-harmony vocals in the vein of The Ditty Bops or The Puppini Sisters, they couldn’t fail to light up even the sternest of industry faces. Their joyful and emotive performance make this one classy and highly recommendable act. Their debut full-length album Good Lovelies was self-released in January.
Maria Dunn
Singer and fellow accordionist Maria Dunn also left an impression. A Canadian resident with Scottish blood, she combines Americana folk with her Celtic heritage to create a unique sound that has previously netted her a Juno Awards nomination in the Roots / Traditional Solo category. Her fourth album The Peddler, released in September 2008, is a poignant collection of spacious arrangements, honest vocals and touching lyrics, of which the gorgeous title track is the perfect illustration.
Chiara Angelicola
This feisty San Franciscan was at the Folk Alliance for the very first time and was pretty open about being there primarily to soak up the atmosphere. Luckily she found the time to play a showcase of her own as her surprisingly powerful soulful vocals definitely left an impression, lingering over bluesy piano rhythms with a touch of Bob Dylan and Rufus Wainwright. Her debut EP Masquerade, available on iTunes since November 2008, shows that she can hold her own even with a full band backing her up. I recommend listening to ‘Masquerade’ and ‘Wooden Heart’ especially.
Jeni & Billy
Acoustic duo Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp stood out because of their honesty. Apart from possibly being the nicest people on earth, Jeni and Billy really do mean every word they sing. They are what country music should be – telling authentic stories with meaning, capturing the heartache of tough lives and embracing the natural sounds of Americana instruments. Standout track: the heartbreaking ‘Local 6167′ from their debut full-length album Jewell Ridge Coal, released last summer.
www.myspace.com/jenihankinsbillykemp
Sisters 3
Having played together since the tender ages of 5, 7 and 10, it is evident when watching these three sisters from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that have a very special bond. Catching the end of their showcase, I was extremely impressed with their musicianship and quirky vocals. Together with sparse arrangements and the odd drumstick beat on a random object, their set was a thing of beauty. On record, Beatrice, Anna Christie and Cassandra have a much more polished and electronic sound. Perhaps the current Myspace version of ‘Patsy Cline’ (originally from their 2007 debut Star Spangled) best reflects the enchanting nature of their live performance.
www.myspace.com/thesistersthree
Baskery
Another sororial trio, but with an entirely different feel. The Bondesson sisters are from Stockholm and play what could be best described as bluegrass pop. Seen live, there is plenty to look at. With Greta playing a six-string slide banjo and drums simultaneously and Stella rocking out on the double bass, Sunniva must feel a little odd with her plain acoustic guitar, but there’s a surfeit of interesting ideas and the sisters clearly possess a lot of drive. On sight alone you might expect their music to be much quirkier, and it will be interesting to see which direction the Bondessons will take. With upcoming shows at SXSW and Glastonbury, they’ll probably head down the more accessible route. Their debut album Fall Among Thieves was released in the UK in January on Glitterhouse Records.
Maeve Gilchrist
This young lady from Scotland is incredible. A harpist and folk singer, she has developed and fused jazz and traditional styles into a happy mix of excellent musicianship and passion. Another Berklee graduate made good, her debut album Reaching Me was self-released in 2006, and she soon went on to work with Shara Worden on last year’s breathtaking My Brightest Diamond album.
www.myspace.com/maevegilchrist
Anja McCloskey
For more information on becoming a Folk Alliance member, visit www.folkalliance.org
Written by: Anja McCloskey
Tags: baskery, chiara angelicola, folk alliance, folk arts quartet, jeni and billy, maeve gilchrist, maria dunn, sisters3, the good lovelies
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 11:24 pm and is filed under feature, special features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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