frailamerica - Sweet Jams

Emily Harris - 'Will You Stay'

Jerry Troiano — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:49:51 PST

This is why I love last.fm. I just discovered Emily Harris thanks to the musical compatibility thing last.fm uses to help you find new music. Ms. Harris’s has a Bob Dylan-like biography on last.fm, but she’s from Nashville, which makes sense, because she plays a lovely bit of folk/country rock. To me she sounds like a young Lucinda Williams. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but I think she’s off to a good start.

She’ll be recording this summer, so keep checking here for updates.

You can listen to more tracks here, and and you can download a track here, including one for free.

Caithlin De Marrais - 'Play Fair'

Jerry Troiano — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:51:20 PST

Caithlin De Marrais is best known as the singer/bass player from the now defunct band Rainer Maria. Since the band’s break up at the end of 2006 Ms. De Marrais has been quietly writing her first solo album, My Magic City.

I developed the songs in secret. When no one was around, I talked to them like houseplants. For a long time I didn’t play them for anyone, I just patiently watched them grow.

My Magic City doesn’t sound like a Rainer Maria record, but it feels like a natural next step. Absent are the driving guitars and the dueling De Marrais/Fischer vocals. But De Marrais’s voice never sounded better, and her lyrics are still top notch—more like traditional song lyrics, as opposed to Rainer Maria’s, which read without the accompanying music could easily pass as a book of poetry.

It’s already hard to choose a favorite track from this record, but currently it’s “Play Fair.” Occupying the cleanup position on the record, it’s the kind of song I’m a complete sucker for—slow, acoustic and all about unrequited love. Sad.

My Magic City is available from End Up Records in mp3 format only. You can listen to the entire album here.

Download: Caithlin De Marrais – Play Fair

note: the photo above is from a Rainer Maria show.

Kathleen Edwards - 'Six O'Clock News' Live

Jerry Troiano — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:51:04 PST

Here’s a live acoustic version of Kathleen Edwards’s Six O’Clock News, off her first LP, Failer. For those unfamiliar with Ms. Edwards, allow me to give you the quick bio. She’s a Canadian singer-songwriter. She plays an amazing blend of country/folk/rock. Like if Son Volt started playing Lucinda Williams songs and rocked out like Neil Young. Does that even make sense? Moving on…

Recorded in February 2008 at Oregon Public Radio, this is really lovely version. It’s just Kathleen performing, which something you don’t get to hear very often. If she’s not supported by her full band, she’ll usually have Jim Bryson backing her up. That’s not to say her performances with Jim and the rest of the band are bad, quite the opposite. They’re amazing! But it’s nice to hear just Kathleen and her guitar. It makes the song that much more intimate. Have a listen.

p.s. I realize that I used the word “amazing” twice in describing her music. I wouldn’t normally do such a thing, but it is amazing, so I’m okay with it. I guess that makes three times…

Download: Kathleen Edwards – Six-O’Clock News live at OPR

Now that you’re hooked, you can download Kathleen’s other albums over at iTunes.

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - 'Falling Slowly'

Jerry Troiano — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:52:58 PST

Falling Slowly is the first track off the soundtrack to the John Carney film, Once. Once is basically about the week long relationship of a busker in Dublin and an immigrant Czech girl who plays the piano. They meet, start playing music together and record a demo.

The song easily stands on its own, but it seems to have that much more feeling when heard in the context of its scene in the movie. It’s the first song they play together, and it’s sort of like a musical first kiss.

Download: Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová

You can buy the entire Once Soundtrack at Amazon.