I came across her via NPR Tiny Desk videos, and the fact that she is currently in a relationship with Julian Lage, the best guitarist around not named Jeff Beck.
She has a fresh-scrubbed, no makeup beauty, a unique voice that she works with well - if you can believe it, she has a bit of Louis Armstrong in her voice, but comes by it naturally so it doesn’t sound forced.
Her songs are guitar/piano thoughtful pop - not quite singer-songwriter, but not simple Pop songs either. She is a great guitar player (Julian has loaned her a Tele she’s been using ;)), who uses her fingerstyle chops to support the song, so they don’t stand out.
Last year I heard a radio station (WXRT in Chicago for those playing the home game) play You & I and missed who it was. I was curious enough to send a Tweet to the station who happily let me know and I bought her album. I haven’t heard her played since that day although I listen to less radio than I used to.
When they played her that day, the DJ gave some bit of trivia about how she had gone to Boston to study music but ran out of money to stay enrolled. So instead she loitered in the hallways outside the classes and listened in for free.
I hear traces of Billie Holiday in this video. Interesting.
I generally don’t care for “quirky” voices. I also listened to “You and I,” and some of her 2016 Tiny Desk Concert: she has solid musicianship, she can sing, and the songs are decent. All in all, though, she isn’t my cup of tea.
But I love the idea of the Tiny Desk Concerts, and had been meaning to check them out for a while. So thanks for that!
I have to be careful with Tiny Desk Concerts, especially if I have to work the next day. Otherwise I would watch all night, going back and forth between TDC and my music subscription services listening to new stuff. Kinda like what I’m doing right now with Margaret Glaspy. And I gotta work tomorrow! DOH!
Whatever you do, don’t watch the TDC of Monsieur Perine, a 30’s style jazz band out of Colombia. Brilliant music with Spanish vocals, and the singer has a great voice - vibrato-less like Norah Jones - and is blindingly attractive. Monsieur Periné: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - YouTube
Spanish vocals? No danger here. I love jazz and admire Latin music, but I don’t enjoy listening to songs with lyrics I can’t understand. They’re too important to me.
