Joanna Newsom | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Although Joanna Newsoms Appalachian-meets-avant-garde take on folk music is her most celebrated work, her range is even more inclusive than her solo career suggests: the classically trained harpist adds a decidedly different, textural sound to Nervous Cop, the noise rock trio that also features Deerhoofs Greg Saunier and Hellas Zach Hill, and she also plays keyboards for the Pleased, another San Francisco-area band more akin to Blondie or Television than her other projects. Like her résumé, Newsoms family and hometown of Nevada City, California, were musically rich: her mother trained to be a concert pianist, her father was a guitarist, and her brother and sister played the drums and cello, respectively. Meanwhile, the Newsoms also counted composer/pianist Terry Riley as a neighbor, along with Howard Hersh and W. Jay Sydeman. Newsom herself started on piano lessons at a very early age and played for several years before switching to the harp at seven. Her approach to the Celtic harp -- from the percussive aspects of her playing to her chord changes -- was also influenced by West African and Venezuelan harp music, which she began studying at a folk music camp she attended in her early teens. At the same time, she also listened to more vocal-based folk, punk, and jazz like Karen Dalton, Texas Gladden, Patti Smith, and Billie Holiday. By the time she reached high-school age, Newsom decided she wanted to become a composer, and while that became the focus of her studies, in her free time she began writing and recording instrumental songs. Eventually, Newsoms passion for songwriting won out, and she began studying creative writing to work with words in the same way she was accustomed to working with music. Despite her extensive musical background, she hadnt sung until she began concentrating on her songs, but her voice -- which had a pure, untrained sound somewhere between a child and a crone -- was the perfect complement to her music. Newsom recorded some collections of songs that she gave to her friends, but eventually her music made its way to like-minded musicians like Will Oldham and Cat Power, both of whom invited her to play opening slots for their shows in 2002. That year also saw the release of the Walnut Whales EP, which she followed up with more appearances and another EP, Yarn and Glue, in 2003. After signing to Drag City, Newsom released her full-length debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender, in spring 2004; later that year, she toured the U.S. with Devendra Banhart and played European venues with Smog. She also appeared on Smogs 2005 album A River Aint Too Much to Love and began work on her second album that year, drafting collaborators such as Bill Callahan, Steve Albini, Jim ORourke, and Van Dyke Parks for the sessions. The ambitious, intricately lovely Ys arrived in late 2006. The album became one of the years most critically acclaimed releases, and Newsom spent the rest of that year and early 2007 touring in support of it. That spring, she returned with the wittily named EP Joanna Newsom & the Ys Street Band and continued to tour, all the while collecting material for a new studio project. That project ultimately arrived in the form of a triple-disc album, Have One on Me, in early 2010. While gathering ideas for her fourth album, Newsom worked on a wide range of other projects and events: she contributed vocals to the theme song for the Muppets film as well as albums by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down and Hard Skin; appeared in Paul Thomas Andersons 2014 film Inherent Vice and the television show Portlandia; and played select dates -- including a 2012 benefit show for the Henry Miller Memorial Library that also featured Philip Glass and Tim Fain -- where she debuted new songs. Her fourth album, Divers, which included contributions from Steve Albini, Nico Muhly, and Dave Longstreth, arrived in October 2015 and was preceded by the single "Sapokanikan," the video for which was directed by Anderson. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 4 Title: The Milk-Eyed Mender Released: 2004-03-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bridges and Balloons (03:42) 2 Sprout and the Bean (04:32) 3 The Book of Right-On (04:29) 4 Sadie (06:02) 5 Inflammatory Writ (02:50) 6 This Side of the Blue (05:21) 7 "En Gallop" (05:07) 8 Cassiopeia (03:20) 9 Peach, Plum, Pear (03:33) 10 Swansea (05:05) 11 Three Little Babes (03:42) 12 Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie (04:21) |
| The Milk-Eyed Mender : Allmusic album Review : Classically trained harpist Joanna Newsom uses her appreciation of Appalachian folk and bluegrass for an oddly alluring set of indie rock melodies. Milk-Eyed Mender, which follows her homemade EP releases Walnut Whales and Yarn and Glue, is rich in harvest colors. Newsoms childlike voice brings an unstudied grace to an innocent setting of songs, and such quirkiness is hard to find among most guitar-driven indie acts. From the more whimsical moments of "Peach, Plum, Pear" and "Inflammatory Writ" to the dovelike ballad "This Side of the Blue," Newsom welcomes the listener to sink into its imagination. Delicate harp arrangements are nicely sprinkled among specks of pianos, organs, and a harpsichord, only adding to the fascination that is Milk-Eyed Mender. Some may find the album to be overly sweet in spots due to Newsoms girlish voice; however, the fairytale-like appeal of Milk-Eyed Mender is far too intriguing to dismiss. Newsom exists in several musical spheres, one being a member of the Pleased, while not forgetting how wonderful it is to live in a warm place that leaves you bright-eyed and hopeful for only what is good in life. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 4 Title: Ys Released: 2006-11-14 Tracks: 5 Duration: 55:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Emily (12:08) 2 Monkey & Bear (09:28) 3 Sawdust & Diamonds (09:55) 4 Only Skin (16:53) 5 Cosmia (07:15) |
| Ys : Allmusic album Review : The Milk-Eyed Mender was a striking debut that set Joanna Newsom apart from her indie folk contemporaries. Its simplicity and depth, and the way it sounded timeless and fresh, made her a singular figure in that scene. On her second album, Ys (pronounced "ease"), she continues to move in a very different direction than her peers, and even a different one than what her audience might expect. The Milk-Eyed Menders 12 gentle vignettes sounded like they were basking in sunlight; Ys is epic, restless, and demanding, made up of five dazzling, shape-shifting songs that range from seven to 16 minutes long. Newsom embarks on this adventure of an album with help from talents as diverse as engineer Steve Albini, arranger Van Dyke Parks, and producer Jim ORourke (who, come to think of it, is the perfect meeting point between Albini and Parks). Ys boldly intricate sound plays like an embellished, illuminated, expanded version of Newsoms previous work. Parks lavish, but never intrusive, orchestral arrangements sometimes make the album feel -- in the best possible way -- like a Broadway musical based on The Milk-Eyed Mender, particularly on the album closer, "Cosmia." Crucially, though, Ys isnt any less "real" than Newsoms other music just because its more polished. The nature and craft imagery in her lyrics, the transporting sense of wonder and the one-of-a-kind voice of The Milk-Eyed Mender are here too, just in a much more refined and ambitious form: Ys is a gilt-edged, bone china teacup to Menders earthenware mug. Along with the beautifully filigreed arrangements and melodies, which mingle strings, jews-harps, and spaghetti Western horns with Appalachian, Celtic, and even Asian influences, the album shows Newsoms development as a singer. She has more nuance and control, particularly over the keening edge of her voice, which is recorded so clearly that when it cracks, it tears the air like a tangible exclamation point. Ys daring, plentiful wordplay makes it even more of a rarity: an extremely musically accomplished album with lyrics to match. On "Only Skin" alone, Newsom goes from rhyming "fishin poles" with "swimmin holes" to "heartbroken, inchoate." These songs are so full of words and plot twists that sometimes it feels more like youre reading them instead of listening to them, and indeed, actually reading the lyrics in the book-like liner notes reveals that Ys has a librarys worth of childrens stories, myths, romances, and of course, fairy tales woven into its words. As the album unfolds, it seems like Newsom cant get more ambitious (and more importantly, pull it off), but with each song, she does. Two of the best moments: the darkly whimsical fable "Monkey & Bear," a forest romp that boasts some of the albums best storytelling and some of Parks liveliest arrangements, and "Sawdust & Diamonds," which is surreally sensual and coltish, with surprisingly direct lyrics: "From the top of the flight/Of the wide, white stairs/For the rest of my life/Do you wait for me there?" Ys isnt exactly a reinvention of Newsoms music, but its so impressive that its like a reintroduction to what makes her talent so special. Its breathtaking scope makes it a sometimes bewildering embarrassment of riches, or as one of "The Monkey and the Bear"s lyrics puts it, "a table ceaselessly being set." Yes, Ys is a demanding listen, but its also a rewarding and inspiring one. Letting it unfold and absorbing more each time you hear it is a delight. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 4 Title: Have One on Me Released: 2010-02-23 Tracks: 18 Duration: 2:04:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Easy (06:03) 2 Have One on Me (11:02) 3 81 (03:51) 4 Good Intentions Paving Co. (07:02) 5 No Provenance (06:25) 6 Baby Birch (09:30) 1 On a Good Day (01:48) 2 You and Me, Bess (07:12) 3 In California (08:41) 4 Jackrabbits (04:23) 5 Go Long (08:02) 6 Occident (05:31) 1 Soft as Chalk (06:29) 2 Esme (07:56) 3 Autumn (08:01) 4 Ribbon Bows (06:10) 5 Kingfisher (09:11) 6 Does Not Suffice (06:44) |
| Have One on Me : Allmusic album Review : In case there was any doubt that Joanna Newsom was busy making music -- along with modeling and starring in MGMT videos -- in the four years between her brilliant second album Ys and its follow-up, Have One on Me’s three-disc, two-hour expanse is proof positive. The album’s massive size suggests that Newsom is bent on outdoing herself with each release, but the music is simpler than Ys’ symphonic majesty. Instead, she uses this oversize canvas to travel from Appalachian folk to big city pop, with stops at country, soul, and gospel along the way. It’s a dense journey, not just as a whole, but from song to song. Most of the album’s range is in the title track: Over 11 minutes, “Have One on Me” begins with jazzy harp stylings and some of Newsom’s most polished vocals, returns to Milk-Eyed Mender’s rural whimsy, passes through a marching band and lands in a British folk reverie. Similarly striking moments appear at the beginning and end of this triptych, but the first disc presents Newsom’s biggest departures. Have One on Me’s first third incorporates rock and pop, giving it a Laurel Canyon flair that underscores the ‘70s vibe of the whole endeavor. The lovely “Easy” plays like a Ys track rewritten for a rock opera; “Good Intentions Paving Company” flirts with winsome country-rock; “’81” is the closest the album comes to having a pop single; and the limpid, almost painfully quiet “Baby Birch” reaffirms that Newsom doesn’t have to be complex to be moving. The album’s third disc dives into her dramatic side, especially on “Kingfisher,” a chamber pop fantasia that plays like a condensed version of Ys. Have One on Me’s middle stretch unfurls songs that expand on Milk Eyed Mender’s serenity, including the dazzlingly beautiful “Go Long,” which ranks among Newsom’s finest songs, and the pretty but meandering “You and Me, Bess.” Therein lies the problem with Have One on Me: Newsom gives her listeners so much music that not all of it is equally memorable. The album’s cross between Milk-Eyed Mender and Ys isn’t always greater than the sum of its parts -- songs that sound like they come from a less-complex Ys or a less-innocent Milk-Eyed Mender are sometimes simply less. While Have One on Me might be more listenable if it was one or even two discs, it’s hard to say that it would be better. Its flow from disc to disc disproves thoughts that Newsom recorded three albums’ worth of material, couldn’t decide what to keep, and just released them all. At its best, these songs have the feel of an intimate live performance; at their worst, they’re lovely, but exhausting. Have One on Me is quite a technical achievement, but since Newsom has proven she can do just about anything, next time she shouldn’t try to do everything. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 4 Title: Divers Released: 2015-10-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Anecdotes (06:27) 2 Sapokanikan (05:10) 3 Leaving the City (03:48) 4 Goose Eggs (05:01) 5 Waltz of the 101st Lightborne (05:21) 6 The Things I Say (02:35) 1 Divers (07:06) 2 Same Old Man (02:26) 3 You Will Not Take My Heart Alive (04:01) 4 A Pin-Light Bent (04:26) 5 Time, as a Symptom (05:28) |
| Divers : Allmusic album Review : If music is a time machine, able to transport listeners to different places and eras as well as deep into memories, then Joanna Newsom steers Divers as deftly as Jules Verne. She flits to and from 18th century chamber music, 19th century American folk music, 70s singer/songwriter pop, and other sounds and eras with the lightness of a bird, one of the main motifs of her fourth full-length. Her on-the-wing approach is a perfect fit for Divers themes: Newsom explores "the question of whats available to us as part of the human experience that isnt subject to the sovereignty of time," as she described it in a Rolling Stone interview. Its a huge subject, and even though she worked with several different arrangers -- including Dirty Projectors David Longstreth and Nico Muhly -- she crystallizes Have One on Mes triple-album ambition into 11 urgent songs that still allow her plenty of variety. "Leaving the City," with its linear beat and electric guitar, is the closest shes come to an actual rock song; "You Will Not Take My Heart Alive" could pass for medieval music, despite its mention of "capillaries glowing with cars." While Divers is musically dense, it may be even more packed with ideas and vivid imagery; its lyrics sheet reads like a libretto (and is a necessary reference while listening). The bird calls that bookend the album -- and the way its final word ("trans-") flows into its first ("sending") -- hint at the albums looping, eternal yet fleeting nature, while "Anecdotes" introduces how each track feels like a microcosm (or parallel universe) dealing with war, love, and loss in slightly different ways. "Waltz of the 101st Lightborne," in which time-traveling soldiers end up fighting their own ghosts, highlights Divers sci-fi undercurrent, which is all the more intriguing paired with its largely acoustic sounds. Newsom combines these contrasts between theatricality and intimacy, and city and country, splendidly on "Sapokanikan," named for the Native American settlement located where Greenwich Village stands. As she layers the ghosts and memories of old Dutch masters, potters fields, Tammany Hall, and allusions to Percy Bysshe Shelleys Ozymandias, the music nods to ragtime and other vintage American styles; it could be overwhelming if she didnt return to the simple, poignant refrain: "Do you love me? Will you remember?" Indeed, despite its literacy and embellishments, Newsoms music is never just an academic exercise. The albums emotional power grows as it unfolds: "Divers" itself reaches deep, bringing the albums longing to the surface. "A Pin-Light Bent" finds Newsom accepting that time is indeed finite with a quiet, riveting intensity, building to the majestic finale "Time, As a Symptom," where the personal, historical, and cosmic experiences of time shes pondered seem to unite as she realizes, "Time is just a symptom of love." Newsom can make her audience work almost as hard as she does, but the rewards are worth it: Dazzling, profound, and affecting, Divers explorations of time only grow richer the more time listeners spend with them. | ||