Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill
If you’re asking yourself “Judee who?” don’t worry, nobody thinks less of you (except for Judee Sill. But she’s dead and is probably not actively concerned with your ignorance). I too said “Judee who? What? Why?” Thankfully, Wikipedia exists.
Judee Sill was a folk songstress during the early 70s. Her sweet voice and gentle plucking placed her alongside fellow folkies Carole King and Joni Mitchell (see: “Laurel Canyon”); although Sill, who died in 1979, never reached the same popular mass as her peers. As the first artist signed to David Geffen’s Asylum label, Sill released her debut album in 1971; nearly two years later she followed it up with Heart Food. Neither album fared well commercially. Career disappointment, a series of car accidents, and a history of drug abuse are the likely catalysts for her departure from the music scene and subsequent overdose in late 1979. In 2005, Water Records released Dreams Come True, Sill’s “official” third album (most of the songs were recorded with the intention of release). Also in 2005, Rhino reissued Judee Sill and Heart Food as limited editions with bonus material.
This brings us to the present: independent label American Dust invited a smattering of current musicians to cover selections from Sill’s discography. All artists, presumably fans of Sill, approached the task with unique styles, ranging from traditional to interpretative to faintly bizarre (Nicolai Dunger’s stripped down version of “Soldier of the Heart” warbles flamboyantly as birds chirp in the background). Mostly, the songs remain faithful. Sill’s posthumous presence amongst contemporaries is obvious—very few of the covers stray too far from the calming folk base (i.e. no psychedelic, droned-out, heavily rhythmic adaptations). Standouts include Frida Hyvönen’s (blue-eyed) soulful “Jesus Was a Cross Maker” (yes, Sill’s lyrics are filled with religious allusions), Daniel Rossen’s restraint on “Waterfall” (popular on the Internet; Google ‘Judee Sill cover’ and note the first few results), and Marissa Nadler (ft. Black Hole Infinity) tackling the lush “Kiss” with Air-like flair. As a tribute album, Crayon Angel certainly highlights the best of Sill, but for those of us unfamiliar with the artist’s brief legacy, the impact may be lost amongst the mishmash of soft-pop melodies and indie-familiar names.
Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill is available Sept. 22. Pre-order the album here. For more information, visit American Dust’s website at www.americandust.net.
Track Listing:
1. Ron Sexsmith – “Crayon Angel”2. Beth Orton – “Reach for the Sky”
3. Daniel Rossen – “Waterfall”
4. Frida Hyvönen – “Jesus Was a Cross Maker”
5. The Shalants – “Lopin Along Thru the Cosmos”
6. Final Fantasy – “The Donor”
7. Nicolai Dunger – “Soldier of the Heart”
8. Trembling Blue Stars – “Lady-O”
9. Colossal Yes – “The Phoenix”
10. Marissa Nadler & Black Hole Infinity –
“The Kiss”
11. Princeton –
“Down Where the Valleys Are Low”
12. The Bye Bye Blackbirds – “There’s a Rugged Road”
13. Meg Baird – “When the Bridegroom Comes”
14. Bill Callahan – “For a Rainbow”
15. P.G. Six – “Til Dreams Come True”
08/17/2009 10:35:28 ♥ lara (/lara206.vox.com)
♥ americandust.net