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Samantha’s Stories
Oklahoma native wraps her fiery tales in folk finery
By Nancy Dunham
It's not often that you have a young 20-something whose music writing brings to mind the stylings of author Flannery O'Connor.
Oklahoma native Samantha Crain developed this folk style almost by happenstance when she picked up a guitar her father had bought her a few years before. As she began to strum, setting her short stories to music, a singer/songwriter was born.
"I have been writing stories ever since I was a little kid," said Crain. "The music thing came later, just as a different way to tell my stories."
That story telling is in full evidence on the recently released CD "The Confiscation." The five-song disc is a novella of stories about betrayal and redemption set to folk harmonic, tambourines and other classic folk instruments.
It's interesting to note that the stripped down music is somewhat in contrast to the stories which are filled with characters subject to fiery temperaments, exaggerated emotions, and despair as they face various betrayals and redemption.
That's heady stuff for anyone to write, let alone a 21-year old woman. Just how it all came together is a bit of a mystery, even to Crain.
"I'm in the beginning stage of music; I didn't have a whole lot of knowledge about music, I guess in the sense that I didn't have a lot of influences," said Crain noting that the music of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie is among her favorites. "While I was out on tour I wrote five short stories and I turned those songs into [this recording]."
The stories have the fiery temperament and exaggerated emotions of some characters in literature set to the struggles and turmoil that Crain faced as she entered the music business.
"The young singer has a voice that sounds as though Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst were crossed with Cat Power," wrote Keke Mullins of Playback. "She's almost so quiet that the music seems to overpower her at moments, but she holds her place against the background of acoustic guitars and Dylan-esque harmonica riffs."
Perhaps that's because the music is comprised not just of stories, but of Crain's personal stories.
"I guess I'm like that in everyday life," said Crain of the unbridled emotions and flare of the songs. "In this case, it just flows out in music."
The Soundtrack of John Veseley's Life
A Twist In My Story Brings Struggles to Life
By Nancy Dunham
The title of John Veseley's new CD cuts pretty close to the bone.
The singer/songwriter/musician who is known under the moniker Secondhand Serenade grabbed plenty of attention for his music after MySpace songs captured millions of hits before his debut album "Awake" was even conceived. Little did Veseley know that the songs he originally composed as serenades for his wife would propel him into harsh personal turmoil as he toured and worked to further his success.
"The past two years have been amazing for my professional life but it's just [ravaged] my personal life," he said. "`A Twist In My Story' is very linear; it details all of that."
The truth in Veseley's songwriting combined with a blend of musical elements borrowing from pop, rock, jazz, and acoustic music have won him raves and favorable comparisons to Coldplay. Although his signature style remains the same as it did on his first album, the music has grown more complex as Veseley has developed as an artist. A student of rock masters and the son of a jazz musician, Veseley believes music should remain fluid.
"You look at David Bowie; he didn't care what the genre of music was," said Veseley. "He was using rock, using jazz and that is ultimately where you should be; using all the resources that are out there. Your album shouldn't be linear."
The result is riveting, according to Billboard which reviewed an advance of the single "Fall for You" prior to the album's release earlier this year.
"Riveting emotion explodes from this piano driven ballad as John Veseley's scorching vocal conjures a tale of patching things up with a lover after a fight," wrote a Billboard critic. "Take this track for a spin and break bad with one of the most promising acts of the year."
Expect to hear this song and most of the rest of the album, plus a few special treats including a Coldplay cover, when Veseley comes to town. And don't expect a sterile rendition of the songs; because Veseley believes in keeping it real.
"Even though I tour with a band, I still play songs up there by myself with an acoustic guitar or maybe a piano," he said. "It's a very personal show between me and the fans.
All Hart
Mickey Hart plays on
By Nancy Dunham
If you want to know what kind of guy Mickey Hart is, watch the just-released Rhythm Devils Concert Experience DVDs.
In it, you'll see the legendary Grateful Dead drummer and percussionist not only playing music as only he can, but also coaching many young musicians in his band. As fans know, The Dead were always about making the world a better place, and Hart's proving the mission continues.
"You want to see what is behind the green door as it were," said Hart of making the DVD which shows the band in concert and behind the scenes. "It tells about the people behind the music…the adventure."
Let's face it; Hart is a guy who knows adventure. After three decades of drumming for The Dead, Hart launched what can almost be termed a second career, as a solo artist (winning a Grammy for "Planet Drum") and leading his own bands. He teamed with Grateful Dead alum Bill Kreutzmann for Rhythm Devils and with other Dead members for various side projects.
For some, it's tough to understand why a legendary drummer who is in demand to write and play with some of the biggest names in music continues to tour heavily with so many lesser-known artists under his wing. Clearly Hart could have his own "All Star Band" ala Ringo Starr.
"I am desperate to make this music," said Hart. "The only way I can describe it is a real need to make music. I was coded to make music. This isn't a job for me, but a way of life."
That life includes coaching and nurturing somewhat new talent such as Jen Durkin, lead vocalist for The Rhythm Devils who will be singing with the Mickey Hart Band when they appear in the area.
"Jen is a gem," said Hart. "She could develop into an amazing vocalist because of the ability she has. She just needs to be taken out of her comfort zone."
That shouldn't be problematic considering that Hart's shows feature newer music and also dip back into the Dead's catalog.
"I have a choice, and it's a good choice," said Hart. "Do you go back and cover Dead songs, some of which I created…or do you play new? I opt to play heavy on the new. To recreate the Grateful Dead is not possible."
But to keep their mission alive, most certainly is.
Klose Encounters
Jann Klose Mixes Pop with African Beats
By Nancy Dunham
When you consider that German-born Jann Klose lived Nairobi, Kenya and Johannesburg, South Africa when he was a young boy, it's not surprising that his music is full of African influences.
But don't mistake Klose for a soul singer. Indeed his music arguably owes as much to pop and classic rock influence he heard as an exchange student in Cleveland as the music that played freely in the African cities in which he lived.
"I was always inspired by the people I was listening to," said Klose. "In the first cover band I joined I wanted to sound like [a combination of] Robert Plant and Janis Joplin. That's when I started writing and playing my own songs."
Klose, who has lived in New York for seven years, has just released a new album "Reverie" which was co-produced by Klose and Stewart Lerman (Dar Williams, Black 47, Loudon Wainwright III) and was mastered by Dominic Maita (Bryan Ferry, Fall Out Boy).
The combination of Klose's work with a voice coach -- which he credits with "turning my voice inside out, almost like a piece of clothing" -- and the high wattage behind-the-scene talents he engaged - has created an album which has received a range of critical kudos. "When I did my second CD, I really didn't know what I was doing," said Klose. "This was different…"
Certainly different enough to perk up the ears of Jim Vickers of Cleveland Magazine who was among those lavishing praise on Klose's work.
"Everything about "Reverie" showcases the current New Yorker's wide-ranging voice," wrote Vickers. "His lyrics are elementally human, measured and sincere. He's the sort of musician who can build a song around the lyrics."
Klose relishes such praise noting that writing the songs' lyrics is the most difficult part of his art. It's something he works on, rewriting and rethinking well after the tune is finalized.
"Mainly it's just a matter of doing it over and over," said Klose. "When I get feedback from people, that's what keeps me going. I am inspired by that feedback, those people."