Posts Tagged ‘Get Gone’

Mikaela Davis: Delivery – The Review

Posted: August 19, 2018 in 2010s, 2018, First Impressions, Mikaela Davis
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My original plan was to review this album alongside the disposable camera I ordered from Mikaela Davis’ web store, but the camera was delayed…and then processing the film took two weeks. (Are there no more one-hour photo shops in this land?) And then…well, I didn’t want to rave about this while damning that. It didn’t seem fair.

Make no mistake: Delivery is a superb set. Echoes of the Day-Glo 1970s can be heard throughout the grooves of the full-length debut of the Rochester, N.Y., singer-songwriter (and harpist!). She stirs a sumptuous sonic stew that, somewhat similar to the Staves-branded brew, is spiced by sounds that are simultaneously retro and modern. Her recipe, however, is a tad more funky than theirs. 

And, like theirs, it’s quite addictive.

The title track is a good example. The opening chords conjure Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” but morph into a Dylanesque parable about self-doubt (“I’m not in control/I’m not cut out for this/So I took it back to New York/and cried to my mom, oh/I thought I’d know me by now…”).

I’ve featured it before, of course, along with the propulsive “Get Gone.” In another era, both would be getting played to death on radio.

The deceptively breezy “In My Groove” is another highlight. A strong undertow flows beneath its seemingly gentle current. “I’m not the one who’s gonna change the world/or change the way you want to live.”

Here she is in the Paste Studios performing it:

“All I Do Is Disappear” explores love and self-doubt, of pulling away instead of leaning in to commitment. (“My love is like the setting sun/It doesn’t wait for anyone/But how can I make myself clear when/All I do is disappear?”)

Since I mentioned the Staves up top, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the sisters Staveley-Taylor lend their angelic harmonies to two songs. The stark “Emily” explores what happens when a broken heart leads to a broken mind. The sublime “Pure Divine Love,” which closes the album, features a George Harrison vibe alongside Mikaela’s swirling harp.

In short: Seek out Delivery. I’ve been enjoying it since its July 13th release, and enjoying it more with each listen – always the mark of a strong album.

Mikaela Davis: Disposable Camera…

Posted: August 10, 2018 in 2010s, 2018, Mikaela Davis
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So, as I’ve noted before, I fell for Mikaela Davis’ music in March 2017, when she opened for the Staves at the World Cafe Live. After the show, I purchased her five-song EP, ripped the songs to my library, and enjoyed them off-and-on over quite a few months. I liked it enough, in fact, that I pre-ordered her new album, Delivery, without a second thought despite having an Apple Music subscription.

Here’s one highlight from the album:

Here’s another: 

And here’s a third:

At her best, she reminds me a bit of Stevie Nicks, as her songs are at once airy and intense. They float like feathers, yet are weighted by way-cool melodies and vocals.

In addition to the album, however, I picked up a “premium” item from her Web store. To quote from said store, “Mikaela will take ten disposable cameras on the road. The camera will be shipped to you, undeveloped. This is your chance to own an exclusive photo set – one of a kind.”

I assumed, as perhaps only I would, that the photos would be as interesting and cool as her music. Maybe shots of a few cities visited, touristy sites seen, venues played, and rehearsal/concert shots, with Mikaela in most of them. But I was wrong.

Live and learn.

Here’s the entire roll (as developed by CVS):

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Today’s Top 5: New Music (& One Classic Track), Vol. XLI

Posted: June 17, 2018 in 2010s, 2018, Haerts, Jillette Johnson, Mikaela Davis, New Music, Nichole Wagner, Treetop Flyers, Willie Nelson
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I planned to trip back to September 18, 1984, this morning and bore into my first two published reviews – in the Ogontz Campus News, the weekly newspaper for what’s now known as Penn State Abington. But my archives are not as organized as, say, Neil Young’s. From the time I hit on the idea – Friday – to Saturday afternoon, when I finally located said newspaper, something happened: I discovered two new-to-me artists whose music made me feel young again.

So, here’s today’s Top 5: New Music, Vol. XLI.

On Friday night, while browsing the Paste Magazine sessions (always a rewarding endeavor), I stumbled across singer-songwriter Jillette Johnson’s four-song set, which was live-streamed earlier in the day. 

Her latest album is All I Ever See in You Is Me (2017) and, based on the above performance, I’ll be checking it out this week. 

Then, Saturday morning, a fan post on the Nanci Griffith Facebook Fan Page recapped a Nanci tribute in Austin that was organized and hosted by Austin-based singer-songwriter Nichole Wagner. That led me to look Nichole up on YouTube. Here’s her boss rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Tougher Than the Rest,” a track that has been covered by a coterie of cool artists in the past, including Emmylou Harris and Shawn Colvin.

That led me to check out her own songs – and, as I’m apt to say, wow. Just wow. I’m looking forward to her forthcoming album, which is slated for release on July 13th.

Another group that I came across on Paste’s YouTube channel, albeit earlier in the week: Haerts. They’re originally from Munich, but moved to Brooklyn some time ago.  Very cool retro vibe and harmonies. As Diane just remarked, “they’re fabulous.”

Another band with a cool retro vibe: the UK-based Treetop Flyers, who borrowed their name from a Stephen Stills song. Here’s the lead single from their forthcoming self-titled set, “Needle.”

I’ve mentioned Mikaela Davis’ Delivery, due out July 13th, before. Here’s the funky “Get Gone” as performed live at the Layman Drug Company in Nashville.

I’ll close out with what a classic track for the bonus – Willie Nelson’s “Living in the Promiseland,” which I’ve returned to quite often in recent months. The David Lynn Jones-penned song was a No. 1 hit for Willie that same year, and the cornerstone of Willie’s 1986 Promiseland LP, which I believe was the first album of his I purchased.