By Loudon Wainwright III out of Kate McGarrigle.
What a voice.
She doesn’t do much but Factory is enough:
These are not my people, I should never have come here
The chick with dick and the gift for the gab
I know a place, I’ve seen the face
And I’ll take the coast from factory to factory.
What a lucky discovery - glad I was running late for work.
Don’t forget her brother, Rufus Wainwright, who’s a pretty good singer in his own right.
Damn straight. She’s on one track with LWiii on his ‘So Damn Happy’ live CD and while she may be young but her voice is old.
What’s a good CD by either sibling? I’m a huge fan of Loudon, or was back in the day, and am familiar with these two only via songs Loudon wrote about them as infants: “Pretty Little Martha” and “Rufus is a Tit Man.” If I wanted to introduce myself to either one, where should I start?
Martha’s one and only is Martha Wainwright.
My ex was a huge Loudon fan, and I remember when Rufus and Martha were born.
Damn, I feel old.
Hmmm, maybe I used to be married to you. Are you anywhere near Fort Lee?
Yes, now I’m in Englewood. Did you use to be married and live in Boston?
I used to be married and I used to live in Boston, though I left Boston a couple of decades back. I think this is “Close, but no cigar.” I think my ex- is quite happy she never has to listen to “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road” at top volume on the car stereo any more, and especially glad not to hear me singing along.
I am absolutely in love with Rufus. The siblings work together frequently
Rufus Wainwright performs additional vocals and vocal arrangements on “Don’t Forget” and additional vocals on “The Maker” on Martha’s album.
Martha does backup and plays violin on several songs scattered throughout Rufus’ albums, most prominently on his first, eponymous album.
Poses is a good starter for Rufus’ work. Then the eponymous album. Once these two have wormed their way into your head, you’ll crave Want One and Want Two. Then you’ll be longing for more than just a Live CD and random appearances on soundtracks and duets on other people’s work. But you’ll be left in the lurch for now.
from her website:
She is also now selling a more recent 4-song CD called Factory at her shows. Factory contains the title track, plus “The Car Song”, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, and “New York, New York, New York”.
But Martha Wainwright is a** full CD ** with 13 tracks including Factory and the charmingly titled Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole.
grabs his copy of The McGarrigle Christmas Hour
I know Martha has a couple on this one, too…
Well, looking at the liner notes, she performs on most of the songs on it, but they’re mostly Christmas songs. I especially like “Rebel Jesus”, which she sings with Lily Lanken.
Last year I got to see Martha AND Rufus AND the McGarrigle Sisters all at once, at the Leonard Cohen tribute show, Came So Far For Beauty, at the Sydney Opera House. They’re all amazing performers with just beautiful voices - and even better when they sing together.
And what a show! It also featured Nick Cave, Antony, Beth Orton, Jarvis Cocker, and the Handsome Family. I sat there with my jaw hanging open for most of it. Thought I’d died and gone to music heaven.
don’t ask, Martha is playing in Sydney soon, at the Metro in George Street… but I think it’s sold out.
The McGarrigle Hour is good for hearing the whole “family” (Kate, Anna, Loudon, Rufus, Martha and others like Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris) on some classic and fun tunes. It’s mellow but really showcases their voices, songwriting and harmonies. Martha is great on “Allez-Vous-En”. And Rufus has the instant classic “Heartburn”:
Is this heartbreak or is this heartburn?
Have I been played or do I need a rolaid?
Gotta learn the difference 'tween I love ya
The difference 'tween I love ya and the symptoms of ebola
Don’t forget Rufus and Martha’s talented auntie, Louden’s sister Sloan Wainwright. That whole family is just amazing. I’m deeply envious of anyone who grows up in a musical, creative environment. Lucky sods.
Oooh, meant to give a link there: Sloan Wainwright.