Morning Shorts

Lisa Germano is someone whose last two records I've wanted to love very badly. Her 1998 album Slide is something of a miracle, sharp songs and perfectly hazy production creating a real mood; while the songwriting stands on its own, listening to Slide is more akin to entering a small, skewed alternate reality, like half-waking from a nice nap in a stranger's bed. Since then, she's put out two records, Lullaby for Liquid Pig and the new In a Maybe World, which have both captured the mood of Slide but left most of the obvious hooks behind. They're impressionistic and fairly impenetrable, and I haven't completely broken through to either yet. But Pitchfork makes the case for giving Lisa Germano's latest, In a Maybe World, multiple listens:

"Whatever subtlety Germano's voice and lyrics might lack is buttressed by the deceptive simplicity of her music. Perhaps her songcraft is too deceptive-- a casual listener might think these songs are just gauzy doodles of piano and guitar. But an attentive ear will learn otherwise. She knows when to hit a bum note, as on the flat chord struck during "Land of Fairies" or the sourness in "A Seed". She can also conjure moments of surprising beauty."

I have a feeling the songs will cut deeper live. The first leg of Germano's tour begins tonight in Philly, and is highly recommended.

Thu 10/5/06 North Star Bar Philadelphia PA
Fri 10/6/06 Tonic New York NY
Sat 10/7/06 Iron Horse Music Hall Northampton MA
Sun 10/8/06 PA’s Lounge Somerville MA
Mon 10/9/06 AS 220 Art Space Providence RI
Tue 10/10/06 Valentine’s Albany NY
Wed 10/11/06 Mohawk Place Buffalo NY
Fri 10/13/06 Beachland Tavern Cleveland OH
Sat 10/14/06 Publico Gallery Cincinnati OH
Sun 10/15/06 Little Brothers Columbus OH (8pm early show)
Tue 10/17/06 Buskirk-Chumley Theater Bloomington IN
Thu 10/19/06 Cactus Bar Milwaukee WI
Fri 10/20/06 Turf Club St. Paul MN
Sat 10/21/06 Beat Kitchen Chicago IL
Mon 10/23/06 Stormy Records Space Detroit MI
Tue 10/24/06 Quiet Storm Coffee House Pittsburgh PA
Wed 10/25/06 Gravity Lounge Charlottesville VA
Thu 10/26/06 Iota Cafe Arlington VA
Fri 10/27/06 Barbes Brooklyn NY

MP3: Lisa Germano - Too Much Space

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Lots of iff-friendly stuff in the blogsphere this morn:

Said the Gramaphone has a couple of interesting downloads today along with its usual great commentary, of Village folk grandaddy Dave Van Ronk and Cat Power. "There are more cello voices than trumpet voices in this world and many more trumpet voices than woodwind ones. Double reed voices are more rare than the raw steak I'm eating right now, so sell Dave Van Ronk's voice on eBay; it'll fetch a fortune."

Chromewaves reports on the Joanna Newsom live experience.

My Old Kentucky Blog interviews Eef Barlazey and offers a few interesting Eef downloads. "You're a dad, I'm about to become one. Can you still be cool with a kid? Any going-into-fatherhood advice? Well, you can't be a total self-absorbed asshole anymore which is really quite liberating. And although it's restricted my free wheeling rock and roll lifestyle it's also made me more empathetic and less apt to hide."