Joanna Newsom and the Brooklyn Philharmonic

I remember when Keith first told me about this girl. I think he was going through one of his "I'm obsessed with this girl singer/songwriter" stages. Either way, I remember putting on his headphones and listening to this girl wail on a harp and sing in an almost off-key manner.

Well, she's grown up a lot since that little music session in the University Cafeteria. Just reading New York Magazine, I came across her name and an announcement for one of her shows. It's amazing how a really good musician can become an overnight sensation within a few short months.

Besides the fact that she will be playing a show in the near future here in New York City, she's also playing it in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (aka BAM) which Brooklyn Industries is currently selling bags for.

And to put the icing on the cake, she's playing with the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Even though that does sound like a group of rowdy gangster together with their musical prodigy, it doesn't sound half bad. You know, going to a show in Brooklyn for a Philharmonic. That's pretty much news to me because I never knew that.







On a sidenote. Heath Ledger died on Monday night. You know, just in case you didn't hear about it within the first ten minutes of the breaking news.

The new(som)est love of my life.

Here's my last post for the morning. I really ought to shower.








It seems to me that people are either hot or cold when it comes to Joanna Newsom. Upon playing her music for friends I've gotten responses such as

She sounds like a demon.

to

She makes my skin crawl.

and my favorite...

Her voice is the sound of kittens being murdered.

But the people who do love her music LOVE her music. You only need to take a trip over to any number of 'Song Meanings' sites where there are pages and pages of people analyzing "Emily" or "Peach, Plum, Pear." She's quite the overachiever when it comes to song lyrics - you will more than likely need to consult a dictionary at least once.

Her talent on the harp is also noteworthy. Most people don't know much about the instrument but I had the pleasure of dating a harpist and after showing her "The Sprout and the Bean" she came to the conclusion that

Her fingerings made me horny.

I personally have never heard a vocalist, female or otherwise who is as daring as she is when it comes to melodies or inflection. This is especially true on her second record, "Ys." The Joanna Newsom on that one is much more mature and free than the one on "The Milk Eyed Mender." It's to my understanding that she was still working out the kinks as she recorded the first record. She got so damn good at singing and all you need to do is listen to "Monkey and Bear" to realize that she's kind of fucking amazing. Unless you think she makes the skin of dead kittens scrawl.

Anyway, all singers are supposed to paint a picture with their voice but I think she has broken past forming those pictures on a flat canvas and added a Pixar-esque third dimension.

With that said, I'll direct you to one of her music videos. It was my own starting point and I think it's a good one.



Enjoy.