In a dive urbanized java-stop I'm giving a first listen to Alela Diane's latest Rough Trade release, To Be Still. This CD is so deck it's killing me, the grayed out bohemian goofing my mind through ear-buds and window reflections, typing on a single-finger keyboard and getting off to the effortless melodies and seemingly overcast lyrics. All the while tapping my foot and abusing the free Wi-Fi, searching out exactly who is Alela Diane Menig?
Running up and around the west coast between Northern California, S.F., and Portland brewed up the smooth loathing Psych Folk style Alela is becoming known for. Her lyrics float and sink on cloudy mountains and snow-covered paths. Windy relationships pull at this child like a sedated kite over a rocky beach. The range of her voice spans the clarity of Arctic ice and the mellowness of a 56 year old whiskey I just dug out of my dead father's liquor stash.
Sniffing through the world-wideness does not give up much dirt on Alela's backing band, except it consists of her father Tom Menig (Deadbeats), hipster Michael Hurley (hepcat fiddler with Son Volt, Calexico and Lucinda Williams) and a host of musically adept friends she keeps in her kitchen by feeding them grilled cheese sandwiches and smoky lyrics.
This 11 track CD is a complete joy and I predict it to be my top pick for 2009... now I am committed. The vocals are right out front and the accompaniment includes a diversity of stringed instruments (cello, fiddle, mandolin, banjo), plenty of tribal beats and interesting effects. It all fits so perfectly with Alela Diane's vocals.
The eerie stillness of "Every Path" makes it my favorite track. Other joys of solace include the walking beat with steel guitar in "To Be Still" and the somewhat traditional folk sound of "The Alder Trees".
Alela Diane Menig is playing SXSW this week, then directly off to the UK for a European tour through April. She returns to the states in early May to play Seattle's Triple Door with Iron & Wine. I can only imagine the harmonic possibilities of a Sam Beam/Alela Diane duet.
Previous releases by Menig include The Pirate's Gospel [Holocene Music, 2006] and two self-released EP's, Forest Parade [2003] and The Pirate's Gospel, [2004].
-Jay Niemoth
"To Be Still" is Radio1190's CD of the month for March 2009.
Read more reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
ALELA DIANE - To Be Still [Rough Trade]
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"To Be Still" is a beautiful record and the more songs I hear from it, the more I like it. I didn't know she was from the west coast but that totally makes sense to me now because I can see her performing at any of the coffee shops in the mountains in northern California and the like. It makes me wonder if she ever played at Mama Llama's in northern California. It's in a town where my Mom lives and I love to stop by for a glass of iced chai tea, take advantage of their free wi-fi and see what local bands are playing there when I visit her. Alela Diane's music reminded me of all that is wonderful and beautiful on the northern west coast. The Pacific ocean, the abundance of pine trees, the promise of snow, the tranquility of the quiet mountains, the overall relaxed attitude everyone has and the nature of wildlife animals who just walk through town like they look at humans and just say, "meh..." It just makes so much sense to me to find out that she has been bouncing back and forth between Portland and San Francisco with stops here and there in-between. Her music sounds like the entire northern west coast experience. :)
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