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anyone want to discuss Joanna Newsom/Newcome?
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anyone want to discuss Joanna Newsom/Newcome? |
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Subject: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: GUEST,Fogie Date: 25 Jul 07 - 12:58 PM I guess I thought this extraordinary performer would have been in a previous thread. I have found her CD Ys by chance, and have been through a gamut of thoughts about it. The reviews of the album on Amazon are worth reading, and those converts to her abilities have lots of advice on similarly singular albums, such as Scott Walker's recent musical output, which is much weirder- ! Going back to Newsome, I have found her songs have wormed their way into my brain, in an emotional and very distracting way. They remind me a bit of Robin Williamson's most eccentric efforts, but are more fragmented ,and her voice is so strange that I am still learning to accept it. However I can say that it is without doubt the most hypnotic recording I have heard for years, and I can't say why! There are little stories and rhymes, which leave pictures in your mind, and disconcertingly I wake up singing phrases, even though they are just shreds of the songs. Yesterday I tried to work out the chord structures for the songs and was stumped by the complexity of the changes. Her harp work is minimalist but complex. Her previous CD the milk-eyed-mender is much more primitive, but some fans like it's simplicity. Anyone got their own thoughts to share abot her? |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: LesB Date: 25 Jul 07 - 12:59 PM Sorry Fogie I havn't the foggiest what your talking about. Cheers |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 26 Jul 07 - 02:26 AM Her - to my ears - silly vocal delivery makes her very hard to listen to. |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Dave Hanson Date: 26 Jul 07 - 04:39 AM WHO ? eric |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Giant Folk Eyeball (inactive) Date: 26 Jul 07 - 05:34 AM I had to laugh, hearing the phrase 'silly vocal delivery' said with a straight face (and as a criticism!) on a folk music forum. Thanks for that! I'm not a huge fan of JN's recorded output, but she's a phenomenal live performer. I saw her at the Bridgewater hall earlier this year, performing Ys with the Northern Sinfonietta (sp?) - it was a truly spellbinding performance and her harp playing was magical. I'd definitely recommend going to see her. Although she's clearly influenced by aspects of folk music I wouldn't personally described her as a folk singer/musician, though. Not that that's a problem. Cheers Nigel |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Giant Folk Eyeball (inactive) Date: 26 Jul 07 - 07:59 AM Also, in the live context, her voice makes more sense - there are elements of both Bjork's and Kate Bush's delivery. I'm not saying whether this is a good or a bad thing... Cheers Nigel |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Fudged Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:09 AM I like the Cd I have, but must admit I'm still getting used to it (which means I haven't listened to it enough). But the mere fact that she manages to slip a line about Cair Paravel into a song gets my vote. I may be getting on a bit but I'm still a child at heart :) xx |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: GUEST,MoonMoth Date: 27 Jul 07 - 06:56 AM This thread has raised such a lot of issues in my head that I don't know if I'll be able to get them written down in the right order or whether all of them are relevant; however: There seems to be a divide similar to that associated with Marmite about Newsom's vocals, and about any unconventional vocal delivery in general. One review of Newsom on Amazon begins, 'This album would be far better if Ms Newsom had any singing talent what so ever'; and there's the above comment about 'silly vocal delivery'. I completely agree with Nigel about the latter being quite amusing on a folk forum - if nobody had ever sung in certain strains of the traditional 'folk' style and then one person started doing it amidst the masses of bel canto and transatlantic pop voices they'd probaby get told that they were silly or talentless as well, just because it would be unusual. I've noticed that vocals always seem to get the most criticism when taking a slightly different approach to the norm - people playing instruments in an unusual way are more often described as 'using avant garde techniques' or, if they lack any technique at all, 'earthy', yet any vocals that don't sound like 'normal singing' are often deemed either 'bad' or 'weird. Presumably this is a reflexive human response because the human voice is much closer to our consciousness than instruments are, and thus it's more disturbing for people to hear it in an unaccustomed way. However, she (and Kate Bush, Bjork, Robin Williamson and Bob Dylan and probably plenty of other people who've been told 'you can't sing like that') has become successful, because, thankfully, there are plenty of people who can overcome the built-in reflexes saying 'weird voice' and recognise the art in it, even if they don't initially find it appealing. I completely love Joanna Newsom's first recording (I haven't heard the second) - I didn't like it quite so much as I do now to begin with (although found it intriguing enough for repeat listens) but like lots of people I've spoken to, most of my favourite recordings are the ones that I had to listen to many times before I really understood them. If I can understand everything about a song the first time I hear it, I can't usually be bothered to listen to it again. I don't know whether it's a recent thing, or just in the trad. folk scene in England, but I get the feeling that a large section of folk audiences at the moment don't like being challenged. People outside the small inner hub of the folk scene call Joanna Newsom 'folk' or 'alt folk', yet she doesn't appear to be at any UK folk festivals and neither do many other so-called 'wyrd folk' type people. A while ago we used to see Jim Moray, who apparently infuriated a lot of 'traditionalists' for being too strange and yet as far as I could see didn't do anything that outlandish or disturbing - certainly no more strange than what the likes of Steeleye Span used to do, for example. And yet in the 60s and 70s you would often see people such as the Incredible String Band on folk festival listings, and they were just as - if not more so - strange - so what happened? Is it just that these days all the same people are going to festivals but a lot older, more set in their ways and without the drugs? I missed the seventies by being born just ten months too late, so obviously I wasn't there then, and maybe I'm looking at it all through a rose-tinted YouTube screen. I've heard about the Great Folk Scare Of Dylan Going Electric so I'm sure it wasn't all openness and light, but I get the impression that the UK folk scene then was more diverse then than it is now. People saying to an artist 'your music's a bit strange' should be a compliment, not an alienation. |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Fudged Date: 27 Jul 07 - 07:59 AM Good comments Moonmoth - the same reasons I didn't even mention her voice in my comment. Newsome's voice is only one aspect of her undoubted talent. It could be that her singing style deflects attention away from the quality of her poetic song-writing or her Kora-influenced harp styles (don't tell me no-ones noticed!) her voice is different - so what? Tibetan and Inuit throat singing sound a lot more wierd but that doesn't make the exponents of these styles untalented musicians (Tanya Tagaq - awesome). I think she has a lot more to offer than a 'strange' voice, and I also get the distinct feeling her voice has yet to develop and find its way (and by that I don't mean it's childish). At some point in the future she'll deliver some quite wonderful vocal performances. Whether she's indie,alt-folk,weird-folk,pysch-folk or whatever pigeon hole one's tempted to put her in she's a talented musician and songwriter at the start of what promises to be a very interesting career. |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Giant Folk Eyeball (inactive) Date: 27 Jul 07 - 11:48 AM QUOTE: 'alt-folk,weird-folk,pysch-folk' I love seeing these descriptions on Mudcat! And I'm looking forward to Joanna, Alasdair Roberts and loads more of them at this years Green Man Festival... Cheers Nigel |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: SINSULL Date: 27 Jul 07 - 11:59 AM A sample of her voice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvDBQlkJXdg Strange but interesting. I can hear her doing a number of Dylan tunes. Or maybe The Great Selkie. |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 27 Jul 07 - 01:04 PM Are we talking about Joanna Newsom? |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: stallion Date: 27 Jul 07 - 02:45 PM mmmmmmmmm |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: The Sandman Date: 27 Jul 07 - 05:25 PM no. |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Bonnie Shaljean Date: 27 Jul 07 - 06:19 PM CLONES: Can someone please change the thread title spelling to "Newsom" rather than Newcome - not trying to be pedantic but the search engine won't pick it up otherwise. Thanks - |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: SINSULL Date: 27 Jul 07 - 07:46 PM I googled Joanna Newcome and found some info. |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Dave Hanson Date: 28 Jul 07 - 04:18 AM I've just tried ONE sample on Amazon, she went into a twee ickle girly voice which quite frankly sounded bloody awfull. eric |
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Subject: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newcome? From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Jul 07 - 07:26 PM refresh in a Spam-free thread (I hope) |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newsom/Newcome? From: fogie Date: 30 Jul 07 - 04:02 AM MoonMoth thanks for your entry you must get Ys- you'll love it yes her name's Newsom -sorry Where's this Green Man Festival?? |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newsom/Newcome? From: Giant Folk Eyeball (inactive) Date: 30 Jul 07 - 04:10 AM Fogie - The Green Man Festival is at Glanusk Park in the Brecon Beacons. And here is the website It's a beautiful setting for a festival, and whilst it's far from being a folk festival, there is plenty of folk and allied music on offer. lovely, chilled out, friendly atmosphere, too. Cheers Nigel |
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Subject: RE: anyone want to discuss Joanna Newsom/Newcome? From: fogie Date: 30 Jul 07 - 06:18 AM ffaster-clust - where are you from????????????????????? |
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