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02/18/09 Genghis Cohen Los Angeles, CA
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02/19/09 Don Quixote’s Felton, CA 02/23/09 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA 02/25/09 Sam Bond’s Eugene, Oregon 02/26/09 SPACE: A Design Build Collective Seattle, WA 02/27/09 ABC House Olympia, WA 02/28/09 Mississippi Pizza Portland, OR |
Gretchen Phillips wants you to know that she's a Lesbian singer/songwriter - it's written all over her latest album, I Was Just Comforting Her. I'm not familiar with her previous work, but based on hearing this album, I can tell you that she's very funny and clever. There's clear evidence of her lesbianism on the album, but it's not riot militant. It's also not preachy (Save the world! Save the cows!)... Instead it focuses on humor and desire and love.
I did end up reading her biography, about the various bands (punk Meat Joy to country/folk Two Nice Girls) and what an extraordinary life she's lead up to this album, and all those years of performing on stage contributed to her confidence in her songs. In fact, from my understanding, this is her most accessible, most poppiest, album ever.
The funniest song on here is "Peola", about a cat that doesn't love her master. Although if you read too much into it, it could be about a hard-to-get lover, but I'm pretty sure this is about her cat. I think even the cover art is a portrait of Peola by Phillips. Well I felt so inspired about this song about her cat not wanting to sleep with her - that I made this drawing my own experience with my cat in bed.
The main single and video for the album is the song "Red State/Blue State". Although the title is political-sounding, the song is not about politics, it seems to be about hope ("I could believe that this world is going straight to hell, but I'd rather believe that kindess will prevail.")
Although a great song as a lead song, I prefer the most poppiest song on the album, "To The Lady C". I just love the melodies and her voice on this song. It's just full of love and happiness.... unlike the very serious song about alcoholism on "Your Drinking".
So, it's been over five years since her last co-album Togetherness, with Dave Driver, so fans of her work should definitely want to pick up I Was Just Comforting Her (which was just released today - on February 4th). You can find it on Amazon and, of course, iTunes. See her on tour if you can make it to any of those dates, I'm sure it would be quite an entertaining time.
I did end up reading her biography, about the various bands (punk Meat Joy to country/folk Two Nice Girls) and what an extraordinary life she's lead up to this album, and all those years of performing on stage contributed to her confidence in her songs. In fact, from my understanding, this is her most accessible, most poppiest, album ever.
You know, after listening to her spoken dialogue at the end of "Swimming", I thought she was clearly an actress. Just listen to that vulnerable, awkward, anxious, scared voice. You can just hear it. I was squinting my eyes out of embarrassment for her! It's quite an entertaining way of ending that Rated-R song.
The song is 'drench' in sex, and it's the first time I've ever heard a pop song with the words "public hair" in it (to rhyme with "freak and stare").
Although a great song as a lead song, I prefer the most poppiest song on the album, "To The Lady C". I just love the melodies and her voice on this song. It's just full of love and happiness.... unlike the very serious song about alcoholism on "Your Drinking".
So, it's been over five years since her last co-album Togetherness, with Dave Driver, so fans of her work should definitely want to pick up I Was Just Comforting Her (which was just released today - on February 4th). You can find it on Amazon and, of course, iTunes. See her on tour if you can make it to any of those dates, I'm sure it would be quite an entertaining time.
02/04/2009 02:25:28 ♥ vu (
) ♥ gretchen-phillips.com ♥ www.myspace.com/gretchenphillips
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