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Flanfire (Duggan Flanakin) is bringing LIFE to Austin music -- and telling the world how sweet it is!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Stefanie's Crooked Smile!
It has been a busy week or so -- but we still had time to get out to the Cactus Cafe for the celebration of the new release by Austin's Stefanie Fix (OK, so she's originally a Noo Yawkah!), whose very sophisticated songs fit well with her very feminine aura that reminds this writer of the women of classic movies -- she purrs! No wonder she is able to get top-notch players like Brad Houser (bass), Dony Wynn (drums), Stewart Cochran (keys) and Jonny Sanchez (and Johnny Goudie), along with producer Stephen Doster, in the studio -- and quite often on stage -- with her. [At this CD release, the lead guitar work was handled by Scott Clark -- a very busy guitarist who is playing these days with Dave Madden, J. J. Usher, Radiostar, and John Pointer (and probably lots of others as well).] [Side note -- Brad Houser, who of course is one of Edie Brickell's New Bohemians, had much impressed Clark back in his high school daze in Atlanta -- and here they are playing in a band together, once again proving that Austin is a city where your dreams can come true.]
It has been a busy week or so -- but we still had time to get out to the Cactus Cafe for the celebration of the new release by Austin's Stefanie Fix (OK, so she's originally a Noo Yawkah!), whose very sophisticated songs fit well with her very feminine aura that reminds this writer of the women of classic movies -- she purrs! No wonder she is able to get top-notch players like Brad Houser (bass), Dony Wynn (drums), Stewart Cochran (keys) and Jonny Sanchez (and Johnny Goudie), along with producer Stephen Doster, in the studio -- and quite often on stage -- with her. [At this CD release, the lead guitar work was handled by Scott Clark -- a very busy guitarist who is playing these days with Dave Madden, J. J. Usher, Radiostar, and John Pointer (and probably lots of others as well).] [Side note -- Brad Houser, who of course is one of Edie Brickell's New Bohemians, had much impressed Clark back in his high school daze in Atlanta -- and here they are playing in a band together, once again proving that Austin is a city where your dreams can come true.]Wearing her glitter jeans and spaghetti strap top, Stefanie Fix just oozed a smokey sexiness that reminded me of Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight or Anastasia -- just a little dangerous. Her songs reflect hard times and a ray of hope -- then, again, she also plays a mean slide guitar that she brings out mostly for her solo gigs.
Stefanie began her CD release with the title cut, "Crooked Smile," one of those songs you just want to squeeze your squeeze to. Come to think of it, the same could be said of many of these songs ["Don't Go, Don't Stay," for example] -- even though some tell of broken, or even misshapen, relationships (like "No Reason Now"). "Far From You" is one of those classic ballads that might be from the early Sixties or late Fifties -- and on the CD, the boys really come through to make this an anthem (one that might have been sung by Sandy Denny or Jacqui McShee). Ditto "Dancing with Ghosts," which has that mysterious guitar of Jon Sanchez to complement Fix's sultry lyrics ... this is LATE NIGHT music that must not be played while wearing pastels. Color this music deep red, blue black, and shades of grey.
Black and stark white are the colors for "Holy Sh*t, Ma!" [kids read this site], which Stefanie sings in a broken voice that sounds just like how we all felt on that strange morning -- September 11th, 2001!
"Walking Shoes" features Stef on her big blue Guild playing slide ... and is surely reminiscent of the "walking" away from New York City, where she grew up playing music and recording "Footprints in the Sky" and the celebrated "Survival" CD's -- and from Woodstock, where she put together Limited Sight Distance (LSD) to showcase her venture into psychedelic art rock (the very music that attracted such talents as Houser once she moved to Austin). The final cut on the CD is "The Secret I Keep," which sort of tells us all we need to know -- this is a very private woman who is nevertheless a true "artist" (and, yes, she once got into some serious controversy over that very word!) and one whose music will grow on you.
Of course, Stefanie may one day soon move in yet another musical direction -- after all, "Let the Sun Shine Through You" and some of her newer songs (like "Both Sides of the Divide") suggest that the woman originally known as Stefanie Gleit is not going to be defined by her yesterdays but will continually reach toward her tomorrows. And, in the meantime, call your local radio station and BEG THEM to play "Far from You" over and over again!!!
Okay, so after Stef's show I stopped by the Hole in the Wall (after a visit with Doug Pittman) to say Hello to Adrian Conner, Nina Singh, and Heather Webb of Adrian and the Sickness -- that's Adrian and her dreads groovin' out among the beer drinkers. Got to hear Heather sing and was reminded that she needs to do that more. Couple of days later I got the good news that Eleanor Whitmore was playing a FULL SET on acoustic guitar along with my pal Chris Brecht (which was very interesting, as they both write quirky songs).
Clementine's on Manor Road is one of Austin's two hundred new coffee houses, all of which host live music from time to time. Had a triple Cuban and waited patiently for the sound system to start working (better if you turn up the volume!). Took my 96-year-young and music loving mom to the gig (she also loves good coffee!). Thought we were staying for just the first set, but she said NO WAY we are missing ANY of Eleanor's songs (she liked Chris too, but Eleanor had the bright red curls -- and sister Bonnie IN DA HOUSE!).
Chris has songs like "Jack the Ripper's Very Bad Day," "Every Time I Think of You I Go Blind," "I'd Rather Watch a Dead Leaf Blow," and "If the Street Lights Glow for Us," and my personal favorites, "My Highway 99" and "Old Town Girl," which I had heard him do at a music jam just the night before. Eleanor thinks her songs about coffee and feeling lonely are quirky, when all of us just are thrilled that she is emerging (akin to Allison Krauss a decade or so ago) as much more than just a fiddle (and mandolin) virtuoso. Eleanor only two months ago played guitar on stage for the very first time, and this may well have been her true debut as a guitar-playing singer songwriter. Songs like "Blown Away" and her airplane song (her dad is also a pilot as well as a folksinger, her mom is an opera singer -- and Bonnie has just moved to Nashville!) and "Like a River" and "Sometimes I Wonder" (or whatever the final title will be) are virtual guarantees that this woman will be singing more and more -- just as she is doing on Bruce Robison's forthcoming CD.
While hanging out at Momo's last weekend watching Ricky Stein's show featuring Slowtrain, I was blessed with a copy of some brand-new music from Honor Farm, a band which features the songs and vocals of Jay (Boo) Tonne backed by Zachary Firnhaber and Doug Walseth (from Crawling with Kings), Yamal Said, and Lacey Pipkin. Pure alt-country. Then on Thursday, I got out to see Marshall Jones (whose old band Dark Holler was a personal favorite) and the Frontier Phrenologists -- and pick up a copy of their brand-spanking-new CD. The band will be playing every Thursday in May from 7 till 9 at Woody's South -- and I will soon let you know more about this CD (along with the Honor Farm music). But that's all for now -- except to note that the Phrenologists include (from left to right in the photo below) Gareth Broesche on mandolin and ukulele and vocals, Jones on guitar, Aaron Hinojosa on banjo and guitar (and soon on vocals as well), and the lovely and talented Sarah Stollak on violin and vocals. This band plays a mix of Marshall's original songs (like "The Ballad of Bonnie Parker" and "Jerry, Django, and Billy Joe") and songs in the public doman, with a sprinking of gospel and contemporary (for example, their Thursday show included a cover of "Waterloo Sunset").
Flanfire -- Bringing LIFE to Austin music.
