Joan Shelley

as discussed on
Guy/Gal With a Guitar (Or Anything Else): Rolling Folk/Singer-Songwriter/Americana Thread 2015
ILX Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday (new post-Fahey folk for ppl posting in Takoma/Tompkins Square threads Pt II)
totally great singer-songwriter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktSYVR6cn0w
recent clip w/ will oldham

i'm a fan! hits my sandy/joni/heidi buttons in a good way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIDvKqCPI5w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcR2bin7dsU

I'm a bit in love with our Joan.

this is happening! if you're in colorado, or know anyone in colorado, or want to drive to colorado ...
https://40.media.tumblr.com/7fd50f07edb289f65c8cd293e7b8dc4b/tumblr_nyorda4Q2J1qzy30io1_1280.jpg
if you can't read my chicken scratch, that's tywilc AT gmail.com

this woman was sent to us straight from heaven

I found a cheap used copy of Electric Ursa on vinyl yesterday. *incredible* album.

so jellz of tylerw like RIGHT NOW

show was great! everyone should have her and salsburg play in their living room.
https://41.media.tumblr.com/64489ac3b3ae51c240e4bd21547ca214/tumblr_nzcsrweV0T1qzy30io1_540.jpg
got a copy of the Maiden Radio album, Joan's old-timey group. Really nice!

https://maidenradio.bandcamp.com/

Wow, "Over and Even" is great. My favorite discovery so far from year-end lists. The Maiden Radio album sounds nice, too. So her earlier albums are worth digging up too?

i haven't heard her first one, but Electric Ursa from last year is fantastic too -- a bit more of a "band" sound, but really great.

electic ursa and over and even both have that quality that just makes me want to play them over and over. maybe that's just called playability. i have them on vinyl but almost considering getting them on cd to play at the store. so that i can play them over and over at work as well as at home.

I like her earlier records fine, but Over & Even hit me way harder. I "appreciated and respected" her before, now I'm a superfan. I think the addition of Salsburg has a lot to do with it. That, and she seems to be in a really great place right now, songwriting-wise.

Anyone heard her album with Daniel Martin Moore? That's the only one I'm missing (I think)

yeah i do think this latest one is her best yet, but i dig it all so far...
on saturday she closed with a cover of this June Tabor song, which was devastating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=perCiNp5-ZE

worship June Tabor

that song is a heartbreaker, for sure

xps looks great tyler!

really was wonderful, feels a bit like a dream at this point
they also sounded amazing during the etown taping i saw, which was a bigger space and more of a pro setting.

this is a really nice set on NPR tiny desk concerts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VATGBUBkrUc

Funny, I literally just a few minutes ago sent that link around to some family + friends I thought might like it.

here's that etown broadcast: https://soundcloud.com/etown-3/sets/episode-1606-bob-schneider-joan-shelley
definitely skip bob schneider.

buncha tour dates coming up

Feb 14 - Mountain Stage - Charleston, WV (SOLD OUT)

(As MAIDEN RADIO Opening for Bonnie "Prince" Billy)
Feb 17 - Buskirk-Chumley Theater - Bloomington, IN
Feb 18 - Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL
Feb 19 - The Accord - Champaign, IL

JOAN SHELLEY EUROPEAN TOUR feat Nathan Salsburg
Feb 27 - Auditorio de Espinho - Espino, Portugal
Mar 2 -De La Warr Pavilion - Bexhill-On-Sea, UK
Mar 3 - The Islington - London, UK
Mar 4 - The Band Room - Farndale, UK
Mar 5 - The Glad Cafe - Glasgow, UK
Mar 6 - The Basement - York, UK
Mar 8 - The Castle - Manchester, UK
Mar 9 - South St Arts Centre - Reading, UK
Mar 10 - The Prince Albert - Brighton, UK
Mar 11 - N9 - Eeklo, Belgium
Mar 12 - London Calling Festival - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mar 13 - Cloud Nine Club - Utrecht, Netherlands
Mar 14 - Monarch - Berlin, Germany
Mar 16 - White/Noise - Stuttgart, Germany
Mar 18 - Hauskonzerte - Munich, Germany
Mar 19 - El Lokal - Zurich, Switzerland
Mar 21 - Black Market - Rome, Italy
Mar 22 - House Show - Turin, Italy
Mar 24 - Espace B - Paris, France
Mar 25 - Broadcast, Brussels, Belgium w/ Broeder Dieleman

West Coast Tour April/May
April 27 - Bootleg Theater - w/ Emmet Kelly - Los Angeles, CA
April 30 - Vines on the Mary Crest - Paso Robles, CA
May 1 - Folktale Winery - Carmel By The Sea, CA
May 2 - Freight & Salvage - Berkeley, CA
May 4- Old St. Francis School - Bend, OR
May 5 - Axe & Fiddle - Cottage Grove, CA
May 6 - The Old Church - Portland, OR
May 7 - Ballard Homestead - Seattle, WA
May 8 - Concerts at the Barn - Kingston, WA

May 20-22 The Moonshiner's Ball

June 2-5 Nelsonville Music Festival, OH

July 15-17 Forecastle Festival, Louisville, KY

Aug 18-21 Green Man Festival, Brecon Beacon, Wales

looks like there's a new record in the can -- with Tweedy
https://scontent.fapa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/p843x403/15493637_1192138917568779_4233230122179903918_o.jpg?oh=4530e41cd0bdce186d9442572fe15860&oe=58B14467

single that came out this summer was perfect, too
https://joanshelley.bandcamp.com/album/cost-of-the-cold-b-w-here-and-whole

who's the guy holding tweedy?

her last album was so great.

her new album is out today??

yeahhh, it's great

Absolutely. Phantastic. Reminds me a little of Gillian Welch with a grain of Margo Timmins. Bluegrass as I like it.

It's so great. Not sure if it'll surpass Over and Even for me but it's right there.

yeah over and even is tough to beat. i think they made the right decision to keep things pretty sparse -- there's probably the temptation to add bells n whistles but you really don't need a lot when it comes to that voice, these songs.

the right decision on the new one, that is ...

The right soundtrack to the not-quite-spring weather.

xpost: agree, i feel like Tweedy's best decision on this was to stay out of the way and let the songs do their thing.

BUT if you look in the promotional stuff (like the graphs on Joan's Bandcamp) she essentially says "Tweedy protected the songs by stopping us from doing too much."

whatever, it worked.

for me, Over and Even currently wins out *maybe* on overall strength, but the thing is ... Over and Even has its title track, Not Over By Half and Subtle Love. those three songs are beautiful and affecting and *perfect* -- as good as anything anyone has done in recent years. and i feel like the s/t might be as strong as O&E ... it might even have a song or two that competes with those three ... but i just can't imagine it overcoming the way I feel about those three songs in particular.

time will tell, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz9tZIV6ckY

Tyler your living room is huge!

haha, yes we've also upped our light show game

she is playing in the berghain tonight. i'll be there.

The concert was phantastic. Her voice is incredibly pure. Besides Margo Timmins it reminded me of Sandy Denny. She can hit very high registers without warbling. The songs were mostly from her last s/t record. Most of them instant classics. Usually very soothing and calming. They are grounded very deep in the earth. Often they are short pastiches with simple but beautiful tunes which seem to end in the middle. She was accompanied by Nathan Salsburg who is a guitar virtuoso. Her in between song banter was great, she is such a warm person. There were only about 50 people in the canteen of the Berghain, maybe also because it was Monday. If she is in your town go and see her, she is stunning.

Yeah she's great esp w Salsberg
Did Jake Xerexes Fussel open up?

Just listened to Over and Even tonight actually, I think I slightly prefer it to the new one but it's close

No, the opener was Emma Elisabeth. She was great too.

This record is so beautiful

and there's a new covers EP https://joanshelley.bandcamp.com/album/rivers-and-vessels

A covers record with no songwriting credits, just "all songs arranged by joan shelley." That's...odd.

Beautiful new tender song, album will come out late August.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95WaiDfPwu8

you guys

the new album

it's even better than Over And Even and the s/t

i did not think that was possible

this is officially an all-time three-record run

I was disappointed that I didn't love the s/t as much as Over & Even but she's really back with this one. Beautiful stuff.

The s/t kind of passed me by but this is really lovely. I know this was recorded in Reykjavik but this feels very 'home'. I've been reading lots of John Jeremiah Sullivan and have felt the Kentucky pull; this has come at the right time and intensified that tug.

I was disappointed that I didn't love the s/t as much as Over & Even
my introduction to her was the s/t, i love it to pieces. i saw her on the subsequent tour and she was stunning to say the least. this new one is slowly sinking in, over and even i haven't listened to seriously. for the time being the s/t is still my fave. which actually says nothing as it is the only one i really know.

she's playing at my house again next week! crazy. if you're in colorado and want to come, get in touch tywilc at gmail.

!

That's awesome Tyler, if I was anywhere near Colorado I'd reach out. Enjoy! Any chance it is being taped?

not sure, but maybe?

Do you have many people play at your house or just Joan Shelley?

just joan shelley

(actually, after the last time, I was like "we should do this all the time!" but we haven't done it since.)

Was surprised to pull up Wtf on the podcast app just now and see Joan as the interview.

Yikes, this is the most clearly out of his element he's been in a long time.

This recent live album is fantastic so far, I somehow had missed last year's album but "Coming Down For You" is a highlight.

Yes the live album is so good! The version of "The Fading" on there damn near made me cry the first time I heard it, and that's a song I thought I had worn out from constant replaying.

the latest studio album was great

didn't know there was a live record

having seen her I can't imagine it's not wonderful

the line from "Like a River to the Sea" - "to tear apart Summer's stuffy and stale rooms/with fresh air and wind and waves" really tugs at my heart in quarantine

Joan and Nathan had a baby! Yay!

Ginko and Electric Ursa are being reissued: https://joanshelley.bandcamp.com/merch

Bill Callahan collaboration out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eAR8pFpjIU

gorgeous

who is better at this than Joan right now?

no one?

i have forever blues, when the light is dying, and fawn on repeat

Love her

She's great. I'm kind of guilty with the new one of being like, "Oh, another really good Joan Shelley album," as if that's something to take for granted.

same. she has spoiled us.

new digital live album is fantastic: https://joanshelley.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-chapel-of-st-phillip-neri