From The Mailbag: JadeMcNelis, Mieka Pauley,The Swimmers Live

May 9, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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Shuffling through the mailbag to bring you some recent music fom the inbox.

First up is Jade McNelis. Good Fences Records label mate to BOS favorite Memphis.

Jade McNelis’ debut EP is a terrifically beautiful amalgam of fate and destiny. This 20-year-old singer-songwriter was born in Taiwan, adopted by an American couple at only 42 days old and began learning the piano at age 4. Discovered when she opened for Stars in her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, she was quickly signed to new Montreal label, Good Fences. She came to Montreal in the summer of 2006 to record and never went back. Chris Seligman (from Stars) co-produced the All The Fables EP. His co-producer and engineer was Drew Malamud, who has worked with The Dears, Death From Above 1979, and Stars. Murray Lightburn from Dears plays guitar, as does Gregory Paquet, formerly of the Stills. Andrew Barr of The Slip plays the drums. It was mixed by Ryan Hadlock at famed Seattle’s Bear Creak Studio. Yet her sound is all her own, a frozen stream unlocking its force by way of hungry piano playing, haunting melodies and a voice that brims with all the hope of a bright dawn pouring through the window. As the EP’s title indicates, McNelis writes songs that are like fairy tales, little stories with their own morals and mysteries. “Aesop’s Fables were one of my first influences as a human being when I was growing up,” she says. Her songs are the decisive moment, a call to adventure, arrows of destiny. Wistful lyrics that soar above rich and affecting piano arrangements. The sun is rising, the town is deserted, but the enchanted landscape is filled with golden, ghostly harmonies.

MP3: Jade McNelis – Life In Grey

Some of Jade’s Upcoming shows:
May 15 2007 10:00P The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario
May 20 2007 8:30A Bar St-Laurent 2 Montreal, Quebec
May 29 2007 8:00P The Tranzac Toronto, Ontario
May 31 2007 9:00P Union Hall Brooklyn, New York

[myspace] [website]

photo by Baratunde

Next up is Mieka Pauley

Mieka Pauley was born in Boston and raised in Kentucky, Colorado and South Florida. School brought her back to Boston where she makes her home. She started singing as a child and studied classical voice and piano. In high school she sang in alt rock garage bands and Motown funk bands and in jazz, classical and church choirs. In high school she taught herself guitar on an uncle’s old acoustic, then cut her teeth in college playing on the street corners of Harvard Square. Her immediate ability to captivate audiences quickly made her a favorite of Boston’s best clubs including the Paradise Lounge, House of Blues, Club Passim, and Kendall Café – next at New York’s renowned Bitter End, Living Room, Makor, Knitting Factory and Village Underground – and then at the best clubs and festivals throughout the U.S., North, South, East and West.

She follows her own vision for her music and her soul/blues/rock/acoustic/alternative style has brought comparisons to Ben Harper, Cat Power, Neko Case, Patty Griffin, Martin Sexton and others. She came up listening to all of those artists, and also to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Eva Cassidy, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. She has traveled in several directions as well in her recordings and bands while defining her own personal sound and style, and this road has lead her to take the reins in her own hands and draw her own map from here forward.
date

MP3: Mieka Pauley – All The Same Mistakes

Upcoming Shows
May 10 2007 8pm Pianos New York NY
May 12/2007 8:20pm Rusty Rudder Dewey Bch DE
Dewey Beach Chick Fest showcase
May 17/2007 10pm Pianos New York NY
May 18/2007 11pm Twisted Tree Cafe Asbury Pk NJ

[myspace] [website]


The Swimmers just finished a short Spring tour. Here’s a few songs from some radio appearances they made.

From the World Café Live in Philly:
MP3: The Swimmers – It’s Time They Knew
MP3: The Swimmers – Heaven
From WHFR in Detroit:
MP3: The Swimmers – Mr Blue Sky(ELO cover)

[myspace] [website]

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