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Gavin B. · 12-10-2009, 10:33 AM

Song of the Day
Notable Albums of 2009

Notable Album of 2009- Yakiimo by Simone White

Yakiimo- Simone White I recently saw Simone White at a club in Chicago and she is a mezmerizing performer. She has a childlike voice similar to that of Mo Tucker in the Velvet Underground. Simone's musical oeuvre is minimalist folk ballads that are mysterious, humorous, erotic and often disturbing. She didn't learn to play guitar until age 22 but her simple finger picking patterns underscore the power of her songwriting and she uses few if any backup musicans on her recordings.

By her own account Simone was born in Hawaii to a family of artists and spent her early years "playing in the dirt and moving from town to town." Her parents were hippie cultists who lived a bedouin lifestyle. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, work as a photographer and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar. But other interests prevailed and it wasn't until she moved to New York from London in 2000 that she was ready to get on stage and play. She played at NYC clubs and bars. A chance meeting in 2004 took her to Nashville to record with Mark Nevers (Calexico, Will Oldham, Lambchop). Here website is @ http://simonewhite.com/

Simone White is a distinctive musical stylist and won't be everyone's cup of tea but if you like musical eccentrics like Cat Power or Lisa Germano you'll probably like Simone. It takes a few listenings to appreciate the complex psychosocial themes Simone White explores with her music and she views herself and the world around her with a sublimely dark existential gaze.

12-10-2009, 10:33 AM	#155 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Song of the Day Notable Albums of 2009 Notable Album of 2009- Yakiimo by Simone White Yakiimo- Simone White I recently saw Simone White at a club in Chicago and she is a mezmerizing performer. She has a childlike voice similar to that of Mo Tucker in the Velvet Underground. Simone's musical oeuvre is minimalist folk ballads that are mysterious, humorous, erotic and often disturbing. She didn't learn to play guitar until age 22 but her simple finger picking patterns underscore the power of her songwriting and she uses few if any backup musicans on her recordings. By her own account Simone was born in Hawaii to a family of artists and spent her early years "playing in the dirt and moving from town to town." Her parents were hippie cultists who lived a bedouin lifestyle. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, work as a photographer and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar. But other interests prevailed and it wasn't until she moved to New York from London in 2000 that she was ready to get on stage and play. She played at NYC clubs and bars. A chance meeting in 2004 took her to Nashville to record with Mark Nevers (Calexico, Will Oldham, Lambchop). Here website is @ http://simonewhite.com/ Simone White is a distinctive musical stylist and won't be everyone's cup of tea but if you like musical eccentrics like Cat Power or Lisa Germano you'll probably like Simone. It takes a few listenings to appreciate the complex psychosocial themes Simone White explores with her music and she views herself and the world around her with a sublimely dark existential gaze.