Thursday, September 26, 2013

Janis Joplin Talks Rejection With Voice Writer Howard Smith in Last Interview Ever

Thanks to the Village Voice for posting this. 



And on the topic of the late Ms. Joplin, I recently saw D.A. Pennebaker's "Monterey Pop Festival" documentary, which I highly recommend to everyone.  Janis' performance of "Ball and Chain" is without a doubt one of the highlights of the film.  (Be sure and watch until the end of the clip when you can see Mama Cass in total awe of the performance.) 


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Dawn Landes

In many ways, artists like Dawn Landes are the reason why I wanted to start this blog.  Spanning genres from French (á la Françoise Hardy) and American folk, to indie singer-songwriter driven rock, the diversity of her growing discography displays a talent that demands attention.


Her musical career took root in New York City, where she first moved to study at NYU, and later dropped out to start working in recording studios (working with the likes of Phillip Glass, among others).  In the meanwhile, she also began to write and record her own music.  Her first record came out in 2005 and she has been making them ever since.  

Dawn has just finished working on a record with Doveman (Thomas Bartlett) that will be coming out in early 2014.  Three preview tracks are available for streaming online here.

I recently sat down with Dawn before her show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, where she was both opening for and singing with the Brooklyn-based folk band Hem.  Since she has been working with Bartlett, our conversation began by discussing the recent Kate McGarrigle tribute album that he has been part of.  We went on to discuss her role as a female music engineer, her views on creativity and technology, and what her top five "Girls on Your Turntable" playlist is.

Read full interview below.