Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores do not have retina damage (that I know of)

Alec K. Redfearn is not a simple man. Alec K. Redfearn is a multitasking musician with around 15 or so years od musical experience, at least. Alec K. Redfearn's website backs me up in saying "his music has been very difficult to categorize" (except I'd spell it with an 's' instead of a 'z'. but that's just geography). Alec K. Redfearn's current project is called Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores, although they're quite pretty to look at. Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores formed in '97 and are still astounding. Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores have worked with a film director, and theatre and dance troupes. Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores could very well be a circus gypsy family, except on the surface at least, they don't look the sort. Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores confuse categorisation maybe because of the instruments they use, with accordion, upright bass, cello, electric guitar, drums, french horn, and bassoon, Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores could very well be the more grown-up, less Australian Architecture in Helsinki (this is mostly just because they have a lot of instruments and alternate between things and sometimes they get more in from other places like ciolins and banjos and stuff. the two bands sound no way similar). Alec K. Redfearn also teaches accordion to friends and family and their friends in Rhode Island, but this is maybe only handy to know if you become a friend of his. Their latest full length album, The Quiet Room is available from cuneiform records and was released in January of this year.

"This is an amusingly complicated musical device, a jerking, juddering clockwork whose workings are difficult to understand but whose net effect is worthwhile. " - Ink 19.

'Mole'
'Dashboard Lazarus'
'Black Tar and White Slavery'
mp3s and photograph courtesy of aleckredfearn.com

Marissa Nadler (and seperation anxiety disorder?)

Marissa Nadler's music I have known about for a fair bit now. Her music and I do so well together that I've not had the heart to tell any one friend about her until now for fear of losing her. I like keeping secrets like these, so I've been a bit tense about giving her to you, but I feel that this is something I should do, as it says a lot more about me than it does about the music when I start admitting my attachments to songs and artists and such... Marissa Nadler contains your interest through her voice and the calm use of strings. There's a alluring sadness in her song and she has this habit of melting me the same way Leonard Cohen does. Perhaps I'm very easily charmed by the rare simplicity in contempory music, or maybe Marissa is nothing more than a Siren. Her music is the sort you very well wouldn't mind spending a day in an empty off-white room listening to in perfect solitude. This is the strongest music I've heard in a very long time.

She may be a contemporary folkie, but she seems somewhat removed from the current trends...There's something a lot more classic and old-fashioned about her approach, which makes hers seem quite a bit more timeless than many of the other records that have been coming out of this genre. - Other Music, New York City

'Turquoise'
'Days of Rum'
'Mayflower May'
mp3s and photograph courtesy of marissanadler.com

How's Your News?

I really need to take a moment to thank Bomarr Blog for this one. "How's Your News?" is a documentary film which features a team of five news reporters with mental and physical disabilities. I havent had the chance to see this film (as of yet. it'll happen, definitely), but it is now on the top of my dvds-to-find-and-buy list (yes, above saved. and above spirited away.). Some of you who know me may or may not be aware of the fact that my longest-running career aspiration is to become a special education teacher. This came about after a profound moment around age eleven/twelve (this was 2000) as my class did weekly work experience/helping out type stuff at a local care facility for the mentally and physically disabled. Unfortunately I live in a (mostly) passionless city so I'm going to be working up a sweat looking for this DVD here. I encourage everyone to find it and see it for themselves, wherever they are, because it looks absolutely brilliant. The music is joyous and the lyrics are so wonderful. Please please please enjoy these songs.

As we drove across America we tried to write some songs about the various places we visited. After the trip was through we got together at Chad's house and recorded some of these songs for the movie's soundtrack. Not all of the songs made it into the movie, but we still like them. Here's your chance to give them a listen. The lyrics were written by Ron and Sue. - howsyournews.com

'How's Your News?'
'Grand Canyon'
'California'

mp3s and photograph courtesy of howsyournews.com

Fran Rodgers,

Fran Rodgers has a voice that leaks the same essense of a woman as Joni Mitchell. She is all of twenty-three years young but her voice speaks of another age entirely. In my opinion, hers is a voice that warms your ears and dampens your eyes, definitely. There is a familiarity in her music that is trusting and full of wisdom and honesty. Through song I am left feeling as though I am with an old friend, being told the most beautiful of secrets whilst at the same time, being healed by her company.

"Fran has a feather light voice that ebbs and flows with emotional pull like the River Esk that flows past the pub. Songs of melancholic beauty, passion but not without wit..." - Robert Nichols, Teesside Evening Gazette

'Song to a Stranger'

'The Girl'

'Out of Time'

mp3s and photograph courtesy of franrodgers.co.uk