You Crazy Dreamers |
| Posted: 18 Apr 2009 06:35 AM PDT 
I was in New York last week and during my time there, as well as meeting my wonderful fellow blogger Laura I also found time to go to a couple of gigs in town. The first one I went to was Jolie Holland who was playing at a great place called The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in Lower East Side (supported by the brilliant Ana Egge). I also won a guitar signed by Jolie at this gig but that’s another story. During Jolie’s performance she invited various friends up on stage to sing with her and as well as Sam Parton (The Be Good Tanyas), one that really stole the show for me was the above mentioned Steve Abel. Originally from New Zealand where he was an active campaigner for Greenpeace and other worthy environmental causes he is now spread between his homeland, France, the UK and I’m guessing New York now too. Having released his debut album Little Death in 2005 to critical acclaim winning the New Zealand best alternative album prize and also Pavement magazine calling it a a melancholic masterpiece, he is now on album number two, Flax Happy. Steve reminds me of a mixture of some earlier Will Oldham (Bonnie prince Billy) with it’s sparseness and cut throat honesty, the looseness of the playing of some Elvis Perkins and the dark, haunting lyrics of Nick Cave and surely you can’t go wrong with that? Incidentally, Jolie Holland also guests on the latter album and with titles such as Sad Girls, Cinders of the sun (Duet with Jolie) and Heart Of Misery you would expect a depressing album but It isn’t. Sad? perhaps, but not depressing as the songwriting and musicanship is outstanding and not only that, what’s wrong with depressing music anyway? I’d much rather listen to someone spilling their guts out in front of me than someone pretending to be Mary Fucking Poppins, honesty from a songwriter is all I ever ask for, good or bad. Steve has a UK date lined up in May and I’m praying he adds more shows to that. I highly recommend both his albums, talent. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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