Mary Bue w/ Ida Jo - $6

Friday, April 20, 2012

Mary Bue:
What do songs sound like that come from a girl who: loves seaweed, seals and cats, has a bachelor-s in psychology, teaches yoga, used to attend rave parties in the late 90-s, adores Pee Wee-s Playhouse, and still hand-writes letters? You-ll get songs that run the gamut of curious human experience. From the epically melodramatic pop stuff of Rufus Wainwright, to the crunchy strumming of an acoustic guitar with driving, aching melodies akin to Neko Case; to the lovably raunchy poetry of Regina Spektor, the magical fairy never-never land of Tori Amos and the meloncholy lullabye drawls of Sarah McLachlan or Lucinda Williams -- Mary Bue draws from these influences to create her own home of sound. This is soothing, cathartic and quirky piano and vocal music, full of melodies with symbolic tendencies and the potential to \"emotionally sucker-punch\" you!

The craft of songwriting to Mary is a phenomenon that seems to come from a secret place. Her Heart? The Heavens? The Collective Unconscious? Sometimes worried that the channel will close, but mostly trusting that the words will come, Miss Bue is open to possibility and the experience of being human. The stressful graspings and yearnings of her late teens/early twenties of wanting to -hit it big- as a Rock Star has eased into an interesting story to recall -- and to launch from into her thirties. These are all adventures, and the songs she sings and the stories she tells at her shows reflect a lover of life.

Ida Jo:
Ida Jo began setting herself apart long ago. A violinist since the age of 7, her childhood was filled with countless performances on three continents and awards such as the prestigious Emerson Scholarship to Interlochen Arts Camp. Now, at the young age of 24, Ida Jo has added a music performance degree to her resume along with performances at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, SummerFest, and SXSW.

These days, Ida Jo is pioneering a seldom-heard violin technique called -chopping-. She uses the bow rhythmically to create a percussive sound when playing. Rooted in the folk fiddle tradition, the chopping is -original and unexpected- (Rich Albertoni, Isthmus Daily Page). Influenced by The Band and Van Morrison since she was young, Ida Jo-s music \"combines soulful rhythm and blues with a folk sensibility and jazz elements to create something uniquely her own.- - Local Sounds Magazine