Star Anna (photo: Hillary Harris) and Chan Marshal of Cat Power (photo: Steve Gullick)
Star Anna’s artist and album recommendation: “Cat Power’s You Are Free is the first one of hers I bought. I was in High School and I had just started playing guitar. It meant a lot to me that the songs could be simple without compromising depth or feeling. This was one of the records that really helped me make the transition from garage band drummer to singer/songwriter.”
About our guest author, Star Anna: As soon as we clicked play to listen to For When We Go (mp3 below), we were immediately knocked out by Star Anna’s voice. It has the same controlled urgency that drew us to Lucinda Williams. It’s experienced, it’s soulful, it’s honest and it has won over a couple of big name fans to help spread the word. Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses fame classified her as ‘the real deal’ in this editorial for The Seattle Weekly and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam (who plays guitar on her new album) states that her singing ‘…takes me to a higher place.’ Her first two praise-magnet records won her a Song Of the Day spot on NPR in 2009 (Through the Winter) and she was labeled as one of the ‘Next Big Things’ in On Sound magazine. The new album is called Alone In This Together and it’s on Local 638 Records, the label run by our favorite female North Westerner, Rachel Flotard of Visqueen fame. Buy Star’s album here and check her site for upcoming tour dates.
Brett Dennen’s recommendation: “I’ve always thought that Van Morrison is the greatest. Nobody sings like him. He could sing about anything and make it sound soulful. Yet, his songwriting is amazing. Which makes him even more incredible.”
New to Van Morrison’s music? Brett suggests you start here:”I’d cut straight to the chase and recommend the album Veedon Fleece. Songs like Linden Arden and Don’t Pull No Punches are some of his very best. The album puts you in a trance with repetition like a lot of Van’s albums do. He suggests an idea musically, lays down a groove and it keeps getting deeper and deeper.”
About our guest author, Brett Dennen: We first got turned on to Brett when we heard his Darlin Do Not Fear single get play on KEXP in Seattle. Our obsession deepened when the ultra-talented Tom Freund recommended Brett here on Rock Torch, citing his “…beautiful high voice and lyrics that hit home with an “old soul” presentation.” Dennen is California based and has a sound that gracefully blends the bright, world feel of Paul Simon with the reflective lyrical style of, yes, Van Morrison. His music has recently turned up on television, being featured in a Twitter commercial and on several network shows (Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, Brothers & Sisters, and House). Brett’s latest album, Loverboy is one of the best purchases you can make this year, but if our words alone can’t convince you, perhaps Amazon’s lure of selling the album for $5 will drive you. Buy it here on Amazon or from the indie shop Insound, but definitely buy it and enjoy.
Christina Perri’s recommendation: “My musical influences are all around me, mainly love + relationships + beauty + feelings + good songs + good melodies + good lyrics. I am influenced by singer/songwriters like John Lennon + Paul McCartney + Jason Mraz + Elton John + Lady Gaga + Conor Oberst + Lissie + The Swell Season + Adam Duritz + Adele + Dean Martin. I’m really into Lissie’s new album Catching a Tiger. I love her voice + style + overall performance. I’ve seen her live a few times and she is just amazing!”
About our guest author, Christina Perri : Christina’s rise is as Cinderella as you can get. She moved to Los Angeles with dreams of making it big. She worked as a café manager and posted YouTube videos of herself singing both originals and covers. Bill Silva Management took interest and she began recording. Her song Jar of Hearts was featured on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance and the rest is history. The song was downloaded over a million times and she snagged a deal with Atlantic Records. Christina was asked to perform the song live on the show and she went on to record eleven more songs for her full length lovestrong collection that was released in May of 2011 and was produced by Joe Chiccarelli (White Stripes, Tori Amos, The Shins). She’s now on the road and playing to capacity crowds. Merch, news and more can be found over at http://www.christinaperri.com.
Alina Simone’s recommendation: “I love Daniel Johnston. I spent three years living in Austin when his cassette tapes were still on sale for three dollars next to the cash registers of most of the record stores in town. One of the tapes I bought then, Yip Jump Music, lives in a little portable tape player I bought for this express purpose. His music manages to combine the pop genius of Beatlesque melodies with the heart-clawing rawness of outsider art. Lately I’ve been listening a lot to Rocket Ship. I love the chilling falsetto of Johnston’s voice, the way he pumps the chord organ propulsively to build the tension as we approach lift-off, and the glorious, sloppy, shimmering mess of the last verse, “The stars are blurry, we’re going fast!” The whole thing is more like an audio poem, the words anthropomorphized by the quaver in Johnston’s voice and the klang of the cheap air organ keys hitting the baseboard. As a singer, my chief concern is always, “How do I make people FEEL something? How can I make every note interesting and every word matter?” I never want to just coast through a song. I hate “mellow.” I want the tension strung like a tight wire. It’s a reason to love my music or hate it. Daniel achieves this seemingly effortlessly. We are with him in that rocketship. And even if it’s made of cardboard and the controls are nothing but a string of christmas lights, we’re taking off.”
About our guest author, Alina Simone: We learned about Alina Simone from our long time friends at Donewaiting.com and shame on us for not hearing about her sooner. This Brooklyn based indie wonder made USA Today’s Top 100 People List in 2008 and from there the praise just kept on a-comin’. Her 2008 release Everyone Is Crying Out To Me, Beware snagged 3 1/2 stars from Spin Magazine and landed on Yahoo Music and The Huffington Post’s best music of the year lists. Her new record, Make Your Own Danger has perked up the ears of Pitchfork who praised her as ‘…always being on the verge of blowing up’ and secured a solid 7.2 rating. And if all the acclaim for Alina’s music wasn’t enough, she is also getting attention in the literary world for her collection of essays, You Must Go and Win. Be sure to check Alina’s site for Summer tour dates.
Anais Mitchell’s recommendation: “I’m really into this songwriter Amy Correia’s record You Go Your Way. I first heard a song from it called Powder Blue Trans Am (mp3 below) which is probably the single she’s gonna get sick of everyone asking her to play, but it is SO unbelievably catchy funny sad and anatomically perfect, that she’ll have to deal with it for the rest of her life. I mean I quote entire verses and choruses of this song to other songwriters and when I play the track for people I go, ‘okay listen, okay check this out, okay BEST BRIDGE EVER coming up,’ like a crazy person. For that song I admire amy as a master craftswoman but then there are other songs on the record that are so raw and true and heartbreaking, she’s able to come right out and sing “LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING” and you feel her as a humanist, emotionalist, true artist… her poetry is just… there’s a real tough honest straight-up thing mixed with very careful high art. Just like on the record there’s these awesome deep simple, dirty Jay Bellerose drums, but then there’s also these gorgeous string arrangements and backup singers (like actually backing up call-and-response style). and Amy’s VOICE too is a mix of the fact that she can do anything she goddamn wants, and the fact that she never ever ever shows off. This woman live is like, it’s like watching a volcano, its so effortless and so mind-blowing at the same time. In my world she is a classic, iconic singer and writer. she also happens to be a beautiful humble friendly great person.”
About our guest author, Anais Mitchell: We were first turned on to Anais a few weeks ago when Peter Mulvey recommended her in a post right here on Rocktorch.com. For those who are unfamiliar with Anais, she is best known for her Hadestown musical production and recording, a folked-up retelling of the Orpheus tale (myth summary here). When it came time to make the record, she was able to enlist top-notch talent: Greg Brown sang the part of Hades, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) took on the role of Orpheus, Ani DiFranco nailed it as Persephone, and Ben Knox Miller (The Low Anthem) donned the Hermes persona. The reviews of the album are nothing short of stellar as The Guardian gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 score and Stereo Subversion’s Jonathan Sanders said it was “a lasting example of where folk music can go when the right musicians take hold of history.” After picking up the album, be sure to click on over to Anais’ site to see where she is performing Hadestown this summer.
Mark Charles Heidinger’s recommendation: “Joe Pug stops me in my tracks. There aren’t many things I can say about his music or his spirit that aren’t abundantly clear the first time you listen to Hymn #101 (clip below) from his first EP, Nation Of Heat. Joe happens to be a friend, which makes the task of writing about him a great deal harder, getting too syrupy about a buddy and all… Anyway, Rosie and I had the pleasure of touring with Mr. Pug and his Hundred Mile Band last fall, and while we were familiar with his music before said run, we honestly weren’t prepared for the dozen-night heart pummeling that followed. I’ve been trying to pick a few lyrics from Hymn 101 to share here, a glimpse, a sample, something to whet the appetite. But every line is so damn poetic I feel slightly irresponsible pulling any one chunk out of context… I’ll just get on with it, for brevity’s sake if nothing else…
And I’ve come to meet the legendary takers
I’ve only come to ask them for a lot
Oh they say I come with less than I should rightfully possess
I say the more I buy the more I’m bought
And the more I’m bought the less I cost
I read an interview of Joe’s a while back where he mentioned spending a great deal of time playing with words to see which ones sound nice together. It certainly shows, ’cause they all sound very nice together. And the sum is simply arresting. I’ve caught wind that he’s working on a new record this year. I know it’s early, but I know exactly what I want for Christmas.”
About our guest author, Mark Charles Heidinger: Mark is the frontman and songwriter for Vandaveer, a band whose lineup changes from studio to stage (although Rose Guerin has been a constant in many of the recent press photos). Vandaveer caught tons of buzz when they shared the bill with both Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver and their credibility continues to rise with the release of their latest album Dig Down Deep which was produced by Duane Lundy (Jim James, These United States). There’s been a gush of good press for Vandaveer, including praise from Q Magazine which said that Mark “…mixes French chanson with folk and sounds like an updated Leonard Cohen.” Be sure to check The Vandaveer site to see when they are playing live near you.
About our guest author, Star Anna: As soon as we clicked play to listen to For When We Go (mp3 below), we were immediately knocked out by Star Anna’s voice. It has the same controlled urgency that drew us to Lucinda Williams. It’s experienced, it’s soulful, it’s honest and it has won over a couple of big name fans to help spread the word. Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses fame classified her as ‘the real deal’ in this editorial for The Seattle Weekly and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam (who plays guitar on her new album) states that her singing ‘…takes me to a higher place.’ Her first two praise-magnet records won her a Song Of the Day spot on NPR in 2009 (Through the Winter) and she was labeled as one of the ‘Next Big Things’ in On Sound magazine. The new album is called Alone In This Together and it’s on Local 638 Records, the label run by our favorite female North Westerner, Rachel Flotard of Visqueen fame. Buy Star’s album here and check her site for upcoming tour dates.
About our guest author, Brett Dennen: We first got turned on to Brett when we heard his Darlin Do Not Fear single get play on 
About our guest author, Christina Perri : Christina’s rise is as Cinderella as you can get. She moved to Los Angeles with dreams of making it big. She worked as a café manager and posted YouTube videos of herself singing both originals and covers. Bill Silva Management took interest and she began recording. Her song Jar of Hearts was featured on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance and the rest is history. The song was downloaded over a million times and she snagged a deal with Atlantic Records. Christina was asked to perform the song live on the show and she went on to record eleven more songs for her full length 
collection that was released in May of 2011 and was produced by Joe Chiccarelli (White Stripes, Tori Amos, The Shins). She’s now on the road and 
About our guest author, Alina Simone: We learned about Alina Simone from our long time friends at 
About our guest author, Anais Mitchell: We were first turned on to Anais a few weeks ago when 
About our guest author, Mark Charles Heidinger: Mark is the frontman and songwriter for Vandaveer, a band whose lineup changes from studio to stage (although Rose Guerin has been a constant in many of the recent press photos). Vandaveer caught tons of buzz when they shared the bill with both Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver and their credibility continues to rise with the release of their latest album 
