¤ milky moon ¤

Joanna Newsom lattest offering has often been compared to Kate Bush early style and voice in the medias (especially in France where we lack good points of comparison as long as female singer/songwriters are involved).

As many of you noticed, I'm a big admirer of this english lady and I've been since the very begining. I was even lucky enough to see her perform on stage in Paris back in '79...

I'm so fed up by those endless lazy comparisons between numerous girl singers and Kate Bush as I rarely can't see it. But it sounded really obvious for early Tori Amos, Happy Rhodes (for whom Kate Bush was a definite inspiration) and Björk (in some aspects of her style, especially the experimental side of songwriting and research for sonic elements). When Joanna Newsom appeared, I immediately thought they belonged to the same musical "family" allthough they didn't really sound the same, but with "Have one on me", it seems the similarity between their respective styles and singing can't be avoided, allthough both sound so personal and idiosyncratic.

A new unreleased early Kate Bush demo has just surfaced on the net. You can hear it here:



I can hear some Laura Nyro inspiration in it, but obviously, once again the similarity with later Joanna Newsom's material is obvious (Soft as Chalk especially).

I think it's probably more difficult for the younger generation (especially american people)to rely on Kate Bush when talking about Joanna, but I'm sure british european fans of my generation can't really escape from it.

Any comment about that?

No comments about that (I'll go listen now) but just wanted to say I also love Kate Bush. Hounds of Love is my favorite.

Edit: Love the piano on that demo.

Kate and Joanna are still apples and oranges, fruit yes, but nothing alike. Sure if you want to add difficulty in broaching the mainstream(or more likely disinterest) you could make more comparisons. Kate still it seems was better directed toward the mainstream in her takes, her feel of it. She has much more of a Gothic(well she plays it up dosent she) feel to me, in the sense of her taste in lit, if not so much her style.
I would be hard pressed to choose between them, but my sense is today i would come down on the side of Kate still being the better of the two, so much more polish, but JNew has time on her side
I luv em both, but Kate hit me in a blindisde manner i wasnt at all ready for, knocked me off my center when i heard her, and just kept slaying.......

dwain-the demo is pretty rough but u can hear the train coming, be ready for it to exit the tunnel

In my opinion I can't see that Joanna Newsom looks a little bit like Kate (or Joni). The first time I've listened to Kate I was impressed from how much things Tori Amos had in common (well actually I'm not a fan of Amos anymore, Kate is so much better than Tori) , but not really Joanna.

I love Kate Bush so much. Really love Aerial and Sensual world albums. And the song under the ivy makes me go all weak at the knees!
I think I do hear some of Kate in Joanna's music. But it is possible that it is just because they are both experimental and unconventional artists.

The Kick Inside will always be a favorite. Alan Skidmore's solo on The Saxophone Song is legit.

SEXY
I think she is soooo sexy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT26hnP62aU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJc64xncBt4

@Pierre Yes I do also hear KB in HOOM particularly.

^ I want a poster sized print of that.

"Hounds of Love" is to be released in vinyl again:

Loving Aerial right now Possibly inappropriate smiley there but you get what I mean I hope :p

Am I one of those horrible people who only like Wuthering Heights? I think I may be.

KT is my and my wife's favorite contemporary recording artist. Own every bootleg, video, recording, book over the last 25 years. She is the only artist in the world we would both pretty much pay anything and go anywhere to see perform live. Her profound, positive impact on us in different ways when we were younger has been a gift for which we can never repay. Words fail me when trying to capture her true essence in any way- so I have spent along time on the InterWebz mostly avoiding discussing her.
Glad to see some Lovehounds about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPk0mzsxJyQ
Kick Inside from the Efteling tv special 1978.

Remember this is quite a few years before MTV as were many of her music videos
Her videos weren't just a band performing their track or vapid like the vast majority to this day
She has always created mini films, stories full of symbolism, featuring characters, dance, acting, humor, emotion
She is a visionary who blazed the path for many
She called the shots on her recording deal and has never been pressured by her label or the industry
I could go on and on and on...

and on

Kate always had something i think Joanna is just begining to grok, call it timeing or phrasing or however it is named. Listen to some of the simple stuff she did, Babooshka or Army Dreamers, there is a fantasticly complex clockwork going on there and Kate is ticking off the movements with her singing and actions, the music can barely keep up with her.....

dwain

Pierre,

Thanks for such a complete list. I'm bumping Kate Bush to the top of my to-do list now... as soon as I finish moving homes. I love music and love people who love music

Listeining to Delius right now! It's rather strange Love it though.

alright Pierre what about the rares whats your favorite one? Cathy's Song? My fav is the The Sensual World ep, because i think the music is so much better than the straight album cut, i have it on vinyl and it fairly screams its so good.....? Its not so rare but is so much better.

dwain