Home » Music
Miranda Lee Richards
By Terry Westhoff
In a small, intimate setting, a young musician/singer gives a personable, warm performance that left a feeling only a few musicians can achieve. The feeling was almost indescribable, but it felt like delight mixed with charm mixed with ennui, but in a good way. This is possibly the best way to explain the music of Miranda Lee Richards. At times, her music evokes past heartache, jubilant joy, and emotional gestation. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, Miranda's performance certainly struck these feelings. The audience gave Miranda loud cheers after each song, and listened intently during the more poignant ones.
The Hotel Café provided the perfect atmosphere for Richards' soft, somber performance. The small, informal venue kept the audience close to Richards by allowing them to hear every note, chord, and beat from her and her band. The audience was literally a few feet from the stage, which allowed them to connect with Richards and her lulling sound. She started the show off with a one of her more faster-paced, upbeat songs about the optimistic affects of love and the power it has on each person. From this point, Richards grasped hold of the audience and guided them through her songs as if each member was floating on a cloud.
Her more notable songs that resonated through the room and left a lasting impression with the crowd were Hideaway, and her lead single, Early November. Hideaway carries a slow, calm beat lead by Richards' skills on the piano as she sings about being saved by love. What leaves the lasting imprint is the ending of the song. As the beat winds down, Richards ends with dark, solemn chords from the piano that create an exquisite sound unlike anything else in her songs. The ending to Hideaway drew a big reaction from the crowd and even Richards' herself proclaimed her strong feelings toward the eccentric sound. Early November, which is her best song, topped off her performance and was the highlight of the night. The distinct sound is fast paced and picks up speed toward the end of the song. A heavy bass, Richards' own acoustic guitar accompaniment, a twang electric guitar, and her soft voice makes the song stand-out from the rest. The solid beat and shifts in rhythm must the best reason why Early November is her lead single and drew the most attention from the audience.
Richards closed her set with a solo performance of Last Day of Summer. The song was fitting for a last impression on the audience. The song has a slower-paced sound that allows Richards to wind down her performance and finish on a compelling note. In the end, Richards did draw a strong reaction from the crowd.
There doesn't seem to be a specific category to focus Richards' sound. Her music comprises of a wide spectrum of genres from folk to country, to soft alternative with even a mixture of blues. Her sound is similar to Mazzy Star, Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, and even The Sundays. To be comparable with those artists is a great honor and Miranda Lee Richards is deserving of that recognition. Her music is definitely worth a listen. She will be performing weekly at Spaceland in February for those who wish to hear her live.
http://www.clubspaceland.com
Sarah Hethcoat Doesn't Do Bullies
By Staff Writer
Los Angeles' singer/songwriter Sarah Hethcoat is a women to watch. You may have heard her tracks "Show Me" and "Every Time" on "The Hills." Driven with a force, Hethcoat works at her musical craft every free moment of the day and is building up a string of show dates. This October, Hethcoat released her new EP "Nobody Likes a Bully," produced by Dave Cobb (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Chris Cornell).
Hethcoat's songs are about recognition of growth in oneself. They're very reflective. They center on learning to love and growing from the trials and tribulations.
Musically, for the entire EP, producer Cobb looked to the 60s for the inspiration. Drums were covered in sheets, the way Ringo Starr used to do to give them a muted "handsy" sound. The sound channels influences from David Bowie to the Bee Gees to Phil Spector and The Ronnettes to Cream to even Lou Reed.
Sarah Hethcoat gives Valley Scene the rundown…
VS: Tell us about your new EP "Nobody Likes a Bully." Why that title?
SH: I think the title really represents the journey I've been on, the people I've encountered both professionally and personally. I think it's a universal theme that anyone can relate to, whether you encounter a boss, a friend, lover, relative, anyone who masks their own insecurities by trying to put other people down. The EP as a whole is really about that recognition, understanding that despite all of that we have the power within us to grow, to not succumb to old patterns and behaviors, to not be discouraged and derailed by others, and personally for me finding the strength and courage to keep going!
VS: What is your favorite song on the EP?
SH: That's a tough question. The truth of the matter is I just want to keep writing and growing, so I think my favorite song is yet to come. I'm having so much fun with my band working the songs live and creating the show that it changes everyday! I'm playing guitar now too, instead of just piano, so it's really exciting and I can't wait to start touring! But for this EP I can tell you that "I Got You" was a real starting point for us. I had originally written it as a ballad and it never quite felt right, then Dave and I sat with it and turned it into this rocking empowering song, the viewpoint changed entirely for me which was amazing. That release really helped shape the tone of the other songs on the EP.
VS: How is this new EP different from your past works?
SH: The major difference has been in the process itself. Even though my older works contain my own songs too, they were really influenced by whoever happened to be playing on them, mixing them, recording them. Don't get me wrong, I love collaborating, but ultimately I had songs that really weren't me. My sound was missing. So I took the time to meet with several producers, spoke to them about timing, sounds and textures went through my entire catalog, cleared time to write and collaborate. Even when it came time for the mastering I sat in on that session and had the final say, so I was able to really spearhead the effort to make sure it was precisely how I intended it to be.
VS: Why did you and producer David Cobb look to the 60s for musical inspiration on this album?
SH: It wasn't so much that we specifically looked to the 60s or even a specific genre of music, we simply created a feel and sound that matched the tone of my stories. We ended up having a very honest production with minimal effects I think. The EP contains stories of vindication, hurt, heartache, hope, love, raw emotion, the struggles of growing you know, we just wanted the music to reflect those attitudes, so at times it's gritty and dirty, at other times ethereal and open.
www.sarahhethcoat.com
www.myspace.com/sarahhethcoat.
Music for Stress Management
By Tracey Burchard
Music has long been known to have an emotional effect on humans. There are so many kinds of music - country western, classical, eastern, rap, pop, hip hop, rock and roll, soul...but what kind of music are you listening to, and how is it affecting your level of stress?
Music moves us - listening to a sad song can make us feel melancholy, soft jazz piano can calm and soothe us, and rock can make us feel strong, excited, and even free. Music has been proven to speed healing, is used in malls to put us in the mood to buy, in churches for inspiration and much more. So can you use music to influence your mood and lower your stress in your daily life? Absolutely.
First, consider your general mood. Are you normally stressed, happy, positive, sad, angry, fearful, even shy? Are there consistent times in your life that you would like to change your mood - maybe the drive home from work, or getting up in the morning, or maybe at night, while you lay in bed, tossing and turning?
How does music influence our mood?
There are many ways. Music is energy - vibrations that have a certain frequency. As we listen to the music, our brainwaves adjust to match the vibrations of the music. This is why music can be very effective for meditation and hypnosis; it actually "entrains" the brain to enter a deeper, or more relaxed, aware state.
Your memories may also be part of the influence of music. Many times, the brain stores emotion alongside memories - if a song makes you blue, you might remember a time when you were really sad, and that song came on the radio, virtually anchoring itself to that sad feeling. Your brain would create a direct link between the song and the emotion, so every time you hear the song, that emotion is accessed as well.
Words can also have a large effect on us...there may be words in the music that really resonate with you, like in some inspirational songs. You may relate to the story of a song because of a similar experience. These things can strike a chord (pun intended) with you and alter your mood.
Many people listen to music in the background while they work, drive or do other things. They are not focused on the music, but their inner mind does take it in. If you listen to music with negative or harsh words or themes, you might want to consider that many times when listening to music, people have a tendency to enter into an altered state of awareness. The conscious mind is distracted with work, but the subconscious, or inner mind, is recording and storing it. This can actually cause you to feel more stress. If you listen to a lot of negative music or other media, consider that it can have a negative effect on your beliefs, thoughts, feelings and actions. Of course, listening to positive music can have a positive effect.
You can use music as a tool to help you achieve the feeling that you want. If you want to have a more relaxed environment at work, play music that calms you and helps you to focus. There is music that is specifically designed to help you meditate, coaxing your brainwaves into a specific pattern. You can play upbeat music when cleaning the house or exercising. If you're feeling down you can listen to inspirational music.
Music has a big influence on your mood, increasing your ability to relax, making you feel good, increasing your focus and much more. When you choose music for yourself and the people around you consider how you want to feel, then choose the music that produces that feeling.