Marissa Nadler
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Marissa Nadler (born 5 April 1981) is an American dream-folk musician and fine artist born in Washington D.C. Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, Nadler came from an artistic family, often describing it as a kind of renaissance family. Nadler studied illustration and painting at Rhode Island School of Design, where she became interested in music more seriously, while exploring old artistic techniques such as woodcarving and encaustic painting.
Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice (often bathed in a wash of reverb) is what people immediately respond to in her music, described by the popular online music website Pitchfork as "a voice you would follow straight into Hades." People have compared her unique guitar playing style to the intricacies of John Fahey and Basho. She is known for her dreamy, atmospheric music, that although rooted in some folk traditions, manages to stay modern through use of electronics and effects. Live, she is often described as shy and suffering from stage-fright, with a delicate disposition.
Many describe Nadler as a balladeer with American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation. Her links to American Gothic are reinforced by "Annabelle Lee", the last song on her debut album, Ballads of Living and Dying, which puts the poem of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe to a musical backing. Singing in a haunting mezzo-soprano, the foundation of her songs are her delicate six string guitar, often accompanied by variety of instruments, ranging from organ to theramin to electric guitar.
Marissa Nadler released her first album, Ballads of Living and Dying, on Eclipse Records in 2004; her follow-up, The Saga of Mayflower May, was released in July 2005. Both records were distributed in the US by Eclipse Records, and by the UK label Beautiful Happiness in Europe. Eclipse Records' Ed Hardy is said to have "discovered" Marissa Nadler, and also bringing her into the underground music family. A Welsh Label, My Kung Fu records, released a 7" Diamond Heart / Leather Made Shoes in 2006 - two versions of tracks off of her third record. Marissa Nadler released her third record on Peacefrog Records (Nouvelle Vague, José González) in Europe, Songs III: Bird on the Water, on March 12th 2007. The album was released in the US and Canada on August 12th by Kemado Records and received glowing praise from the underground and independent music community. She is currently a member of the Kemado Records, with a 2008 release in the works.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Ballads of Living and Dying (2004)
- The Saga of Mayflower May (2005)
- Songs III: Bird on the Water (2007)
[edit] EPs and demos
- Four Track Recordings, Outtakes (2005)
- Diamond Heart/Leather Made Shoes (2006)
- Diamond Heart (2007)
[edit] References
- Edwin Pouncey: “Death becomes her”, The Wire, August 2005, p.10.
- Dickenson, J. Andrew: "Saga of the Siren", Urban Guitar, August 2006
- Reed, James: "Through music, she builds her own myth", The Boston Globe, September 15, 2006
