Alright guys. I think a lot of you are gonna love this bitch.
Josephine Foster is a freak-folkie like Joanna, although probably fits that category much better. She is an opera school drop-out, and as such has a haunting and vibrant voice, and she plays a variety of instruments, including guitar, sitar, and ukelele. However, describing her can't quite get it down. She presents an aura that is totally unique. It sounds like an old record from the 40s you might have found in your grand parents' attic. And unlike sounding a bit gimmicky like some other freak folk musicians (which I don't mind so much), this sounds completely genuine. And though the sound is amazing and entrancing, what really makes Josephine Foster stand out is that she is a massively skilled song writer. Check this one out (honestly just try at least this one it is really great):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ESd7QOw9Mo
I am going to post a mediafire upload to the album that this (the above song) is from, but Josephine can do much more than this. She has a number of albums, including about four studio releases, and her sound changes in each one. The first is acid-dripping psychedelic rock, in which she shreds away using guitar and her voice, all the time with a sense of doom in the background. Here is where you discover that she is not only a talented singer and songwriter, but also a badass guitar player If you are interested in this at all, check out this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx5TVyPXB6M
She also has an album of creepy re-worked German art songs, which are much quieter than her first record, and incredibly beautiful. The album I'm linking below is called 'Hazel Eyes I Will Lead You', and there is perhaps a 60% chance it will change your life. It is perhaps the folkiest of all of them, but as I've said above, what rings true about it is the song-writing. Like Joanna, she is gifted with magic powers, and the songs can stand alone. Josephine Foster is obscure enough that I sometimes dream of giving myself a local music career by just singing her songs and acting like they are mine. But that would be a dick move.
If you want one more to try before downloading this album, here is a song called 'little life' that tends to be popular with the kids. It is sort of comparable to joanna's MEM stuff, in that is a simple, and still beautiful, folk song that exhibits much less experimentation and diversity that her later songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNewbeHiaW0
And here is the album I am sharing with you itself. As always, if you enjoy it, be sure to go out and get the album! It sounds especially good in vinyl.
Josephine Foster - "Hazel Eyes I Will Lead You" [2004]
http://www.mediafire.xom/?y69ge4z7s0r01k4