As incorrect as it may seem to judge a work alongside an artist's earlier albums, rather than as an isolated piece, it is a reasonable position to take because the artist will have themselves created the work in full knowledge of their previous successes. Where the creation of their earlier work was, more likely than not, an organic process, the sense of pressure on the artist to find a new direction forces the artist to become more self-conscious and consider elements of their sound and style that had been hitherto created naturally. As a result, it's always a difficult prospect, recording the [...]
Anaïs Mitchell - Shepherd
Anais Mitchell - Any doubts that the creative smarts behind 2010's impressive folk "opera" Hadestown -- a mix of Greek mythology and dust-bowl Americana -- might have peaked are easily dispelled with this intelligent, thoughtfully personal new work of storytelling inspired, she says, "by American manhood, British ballads and my father"...producer/musician Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird) is once again at the studio helm // Release : Young Man In America (February 28) // Sounds like : Mitchell's distinctive, girlish voice serves as a counterpoint for her [...]
Anaïs Mitchell - Ships (Live)
I started this review with a little trepidation. While I love Anaïs Mitchell and am practically an Anaïs completest/stalker; I was worried the this record might be a letdown. Sometimes it's that 5th (or 4th or 6th) record where you might notice a dropoff. Maybe an artist has said all she needs to say, or becomes musically stagnant or unnecessarily experimental. That's often the time an artist puts out the special guest record or the duets record or the inevitable children's lullabies record or the covers project (I could go on and on). But I [...]
To say Anaïs Mitchell's fourth album, Young Man in America, was my most anticipated release of the new year would be a chasmic understatement. Listening to this worthy followup to 20102s spectacular "folk opera" Hadestown, I kept thinking Anaïs Mitchell is like a modern day Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan. Her epic lyrical narratives echo [...]
Carsie Blanton's new album, Idiot Heart, will be released on January 31st. Carsie has opened for Paul Simon and also performed in stage productions of Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown. Idiot Heart is an immensely charming collection of catchy jazz- and folk-influenced Americana. You can download two free, legal mp3s from the album below, then I suggest [...]
Ani Difranco's new album, Which Side Are You On?, will be released on January 17th and I have extremely mixed feelings about it... The first two tracks on the album are so lifeless that I almost stopped listening, but the gritty, thunderous, magnificent title track is a whole other world. Folk legend Pete Seeger joins [...]
Anais Mitchell's 2010 effort, Hadestown , was nothing if not ambitious. While concept records still exist in today's musical climate, few of them come from the realm of folk rock, and even fewer would have the audacity to refer to themselves as a "folk-opera", but such was Mitchell's endeavor. Birthed first as a stage show in her home state of Vermont, Hadestown tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but set in a post-apocalyptic depression era America. If the concept itself wasn't ambitious enough, Mitchell was able to draw some high powered individuals to portray the roles for that [...]
![Vermont-based artist Anaïs Mitchell to release Young Man in America [Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3868407_lg.jpg)
Wilderland Records / Thirty Tigers Releases Acclaimed Artist Anaïs Mitchell's Young Man in America on February 28, 2012 "Best New Solo Artists of 2010" - Paste Magazine "an Americana Princess" - Uncut Wilderland Records / Thirty Tigers is set to release Young Man in America , the fourth album from Vermont-based artist Anaïs Mitchell on February 28, 2012. For her new album, Mitchell continues her work with producer / arranger Todd Sickafoose , [...]
Photos by Nick WosikaAni DiFranco with Anais MitchellSeptember 23, 2011Pantages Theatre, MinneapolisFeminist folk singer Ani DiFranco celebrated her birthday Friday night at the Pantages in exactly t
by Stephanie Stevens-Wade Photos by Joshua Lawrence For a majority of music lovers the start of summer is the start of festival season: overpriced tickets, boxes of wine, headache-inducing lights shows and portaloos that burn your nostrils. Whilst you're packed like a sardine in the crowd dodging the flying cup of 'cider' spinning above, a day festival, set in a secret serene Kentish woodland sounds like heaven. Curated by The Laurel Collective , [...]
There was one thing that didn't change under the new Bluesfest management at this year's Ottawa Folk Festival . It was the afternoon workshop at the festival. These workshops is not just about the musicians collaborating with other musicians. It was a great way for the Ottawa community to participate. Don't forget these workshops are fun and more of a intimate setting with the musicians. The workshops that I saw/attended were: Storytelling & Mythology [...]
Eighteen venues, four days, and a whole earful of great of music make up this year's MusicFestNW.
To enter any contest submit an email to contest[at]thebaybridged.com with your full name in the body and the concert you're entering the contest for in the subject line. You may only submit your name once to only one contest. Winners for each show will be decided using the guidelines listed below. Friday, July 1st Sonny & the Sunsets, Calvin Johnson, The Sandwitches, Wounded Lion @ Great American Music Hall To win a pair of tickets to the show be the THIRD person to [...]
I was thinking this morning that I never did do a "Best of..." list for either 2009 or 2010. It's a bit of a daunting task the way I do it, but in anticipation of doing that, I put together a list of 25 songs from last year that I really enjoyed, and I figured I might as well share that, six months late be damned. The rankings are rough at best, but give a general idea, and it'll be a nice preview for the album list if I ever get around to that. Because this is gonna [...]
![[Album Review] – Anaïs Mitchell – "Hadestown"](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3361337_lg.jpg)
This album review comes from Sam over at the wonderous-yet-under-appreciate d Middle Class White Noise blog. Subscribe to his blog and follow him on Twitter . No Seriously, do it. Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown came out over a year ago, so this might seem redundant, but the album seemed to fly entirely under the radar. Considering it boasts a guest list that includes an indie darling like Bon Iver 's Justin Vernon, it's a little surprising. Considering how gorgeous and unique her sound is, as well as the breadth and success of this project, it's almost [...]
We heard that, allegedly, through the grapevine, Ani DiFranco (aka The Greatest Artist On Earth ) has an album coming out this summer! Please, let ma wake up to June. Although, right now Rio De Janeiro feels like July. Yes, I am Northern Hemisphere -centric. Related Articles Ani DiFranco on Being a Mindful Mama (parenting-success.com) Ani DiFranco cancels 11/16 Colonial show (timesunion.com) Sexy Hippie Meets Chris Farley At News Corp. [...]
People jostled eagerly into the beautiful Union Chapel, full of grand expectations for the sole London performance of Anais Mitchell's acclaimed folk-opera Hadestown. Featuring a stellar cast of folk greats including Jim Moray, Wallis Bird (who totally rocked during her support set) and the LEGEND that is Martin Carthy, the pressure was on for them to deliver a knockout show. And at times they did. At times the fourteen-strong cast held us deeply under the spell of Mitchell's superbly written tale, helped not a l... Read more..
If 2009 was the year of Larry Jon Wilson, 2010 was the year of Bill Fox and the Gibson Bros. I think I listened to Bill Fox's two reissued albums - Shelter from the Smoke and Transit Byzantium - more than anything else. ( Shelter got a deluxe vinyl reissue, and Scat promises a similar treatment for Transit in 2011.) Go get 'em . And working on a story about the Gibson Bros. reunion show back in July occupied my brainspace and held my interest for months. I [...]
![Feed of [Anais Mitchell] at Elbo.ws](http://cdn.elbo.ws/images/feedicon.png)
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