Only the Sweetest Voice Could Save Me
December 20, 2007 at 11:16 am
Photo credit: Joanna Branson
With her debut full-length Faces in the Rocks Nevada City songwriter Mariee Sioux has recorded one of this year’s most breathtaking and haunting albums. I was lucky enough to witness her spine-chilling performance on a beautiful afternoon in Amsterdam several weeks ago. That afternoon her songs seemed enriched with spiritual tales and Native American imagery. Her songs worked very well with just Mariee Sioux on guitar (see video below). What struck me the most that day was that these songs that sounded so sweet and light-hearted on cd, now on stage suddenly evoked a much deeper and distinct feeling of nostalgia and longing. Her eyes were telling tales that were not audible on the album recording to me at first.
As I was sitting there in awe – with a small crowd of maybe eighty people hanging on every word – and watching her sing I had numerous images running through my mind. One of them was the picture as shown above which I randomly came across on Flickr many months ago. Somehow it seemed to capture the tension that I felt that afternoon between light-heartedness and nostalgia quite wonderfully. It also seemed to fit perfectly with a mix that I had already announced previously in a lullabies post. So I decided on the spot to build a mix around this picture and Mariee Sioux’s entrancing performance.
As always my mixes come out rather melancholic, you should probably already know this. Nonetheless I feel that these songs work really well together in portraying a neither downright sad nor cheerful atmosphere, but instead – with sometimes whispery, dreaming voices – bring comfort, joy and sorrow all at once.
Photo credit: Joanna Branson
- Mariee Sioux - Wizard Flurry Home
Faces in the Rocks (Grass Roots, 2007) - Peggy Honeywell - Peach and Yellow
Faint Humms (Galaxia, 2005) - Kimya Dawson - Trump Style
I’m Sorry That Sometimes I’m Mean (Rough Trade, 2002) - Larkin Grimm - Link in Your Chain
The Last Tree (Secret Eye, 2006) - Pantaleimon - We Love
Mercy Oceans (Durtro, 2007) - TwinSisterMoon - Demonized Nature
When Stars Glide Through Solid (Self released, 2007) - Meg Baird, Helena Espvall, Sharron Kraus - Barbry Ellen
Leaves from Off the Tree (Bo’Weavil, 2006) - Sibylle Baier - Forget About
Colour Green (Orange Twin, 2006) - Josephine Foster - An die Musik (Schubert)
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (Locust, 2006)
Video of that afternoon:
Mariee Sioux (Dwars Festival, Amsterdam, November 11 2007)
I recently got Mariee’s CD and have a review ready to post (waiting for the mp3 verdict first, the perils of being legal). I was very impressed with her lyrics and voice, and I love the Native American flute on the album.
As always, interesting list.
And don’t worry about the melancholy — that’s what keeps me coming back!
Not that I’m a sadness junkie - but upbeat songs make me cringe.
As for the list…
Peggy Honeywell — great at any time
‘Barbry Allen’ — Like the plainsong chant. This is as it should be sung - a Gothic horror story.
‘An die Musik’. For me, the gem of the bunch. The double-tracking on the vocals works very well. But what’s with the appalling, sinister, Jimi Hendrix-like guitar which squawls beneath the second part of the track? Is this an accidental mix? I can’t believe its intentional as it wrecks an otherwise charming rendition. Wish I could strip it out.
Have a bleak and lovely Christmas
Quoted from above:
“And don’t worry about the melancholy — that’s what keeps me coming back!
Not that I’m a sadness junkie - but upbeat songs make me cringe.”
I couldn’t agree more. Took the words right outa my mouth.
Well done.
Melancholy is in the eye of the beholder. Try posting this on June 20!
sweetest ladies
as sweet as tupelo honey
I’m listening to the list now…Liking it so far. You all should check out Alela Diane, too. She’s on Grass Roots Records with Mariee Sioux, and she has a sweet and beautiful voice; “The Pirate’s Gospel” is my favorite song of hers thus far. Thanks for the introduction to the other artists.
My favourite of her I guess is “Oh! My Mama”, because of the lyrics, but maybe I’m a bit too sentimental here. ;)
You know, in a way, this list was actually a follow up on “Oh! My Mama” which I used in a previous list (linked in the text above as lullabies post). So I thought it was a funny coincidence that you mentioned Alela Diane here. Seems we are on the same page. :)
I saw her on Dutch tv a couple of weeks ago, doing a short solo acoustic set and she was really good! Better even than on cd.
Found a video of that performance:
Vrije Geluiden, October 20 2007
She opens the show with one song and returns after about 40 minutes with a couple more and an interview.
FYI, TwinSisterMoon is actually male, Mehdi Amaziane of the band Natural Snow Buildings. The female half of the band is Solange Gularte, who records as Isengrind.
Yeah, it’s kind of hard to believe, I know. I only found out while writing this post but didn’t think it would be of much significance for the playlist though, I mean, it sounds right in combination with the other songs and most people wouldn’t be able to tell anyway. I sure as hell didn’t in the beginning, haha. Joel Thibodeau from Death Vessel has a similarly unique voice. I could easily use one of his songs on a female oriented mixtape without anyone noticing.
Wow Bob, I found this post by chance through google and it had to be you! every single song is pure beauty! Glad I met it, and glad I met you! :)