I think it's time for an ETHEL CAIN thread

"michelle pfeiffer" is on another level from the rest of what i've heard from her, but she's definitely someone to keep an eye on.

I love "Michelle Pfeiffer," tho I could do without the Lil Aaron verse.

Bought tickets to see her in July, I'm betting she puts on a good show.

I was about to either start this thread or revive another vaguely appropriate one. I feel like she's getting better? Like, "Michelle Pfeiffer" and "Crush" are great, but the run this year - the "Everytime" cover, "Gibson Girl", "Strangers" and now "American Teenager" - is just like bam bam bam bam. Not necessarily stronger material per se, but it feels more confident, more connected to its own value, more embodied with a sense of the artist's distinct personality. Relatedly, I like that she is sharpening her commercial instincts, especially with "American Dream" which from the title on down is very calculated but in a way that totally works for me (the Journey-esque guitar solo is A+). Though I think "Strangers" is perhaps the best of them: I love how it's unclear whether the overtones of violence are metaphorical or literal - is she singing about a past obsessive relationship she has moved on from, or is she a ghost haunting the lover who murdered her?

lol *"American Teenager"

She deserves her own thread, of course, and assuming all trans rockers sound the same/are the same is dumb and limiting, but Mel Stone, who I've been following since an appearance on a podcast to talk about Velvet Goldmine some years back, is also a choice listen, and in ways there is a connection to Cain's work because they both find differing/distinct ways to make the hoary burnout dullness of whatever classic rock as such was sound better again. One of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8P1DJCG58c

Tour dates:

07/14/22 — Bloomington, IN — The Bishop

07/15/22 — Chicago, IL — Pitchfork Festival

07/18/22 — Detroit, MI — El Club

07/19/22 — Toronto, ON — Horseshoe

07/20/22 — Montreal, QC — Le Ritz PDB

07/22/22 — Boston, MA — Brighton Music Hall

07/23/22 — Philadelphia, PA — Johnny Brendas

07/24/22 — Washington, DC — Union Stage

07/27/22 — Richmond, VA — Richmond Music Hall

07/28/22 — Asheville, NC — The Grey Eagle

07/30/22 — Gainesville, FL — High Dive

07/31/22 — Tallahassee, FL — 926 Bar

08/5/22 — Denver, CO — Vortex Fest

08/20/22 — Seattle, WA — Neumos

08/21/22 — Vancouver, BC — Wise Hall

08/22/22 — Portland, OR — Mississippi Studios

08/2522 — San Francisco — The Independent

08/27/22 — Los Angeles, CA — This Ain’t No Picnic

08/28/22 — San Diego, CA — Humphrey’s (Here & There)

08/30/22 — Phoenix, AZ — Valley Bar

09/1/22 — Austin, TX — ACL Live @ Moody Theatre (Here & There)

09/2/22 — Dallas, TX — Ruins

09/6/22 — Atlanta, GA — The Earl

09/7/22 — Nashville, TN — Basement East

09/9/22 — NYC — Bowery Ballroom

NYT profile https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/11/arts/music/ethel-cain-preachers-daughter.html

At the same time, Cain has no manager and no interest in forcing a hit on TikTok or Spotify. The dreamy, longing songs on “Preacher’s Daughter” — largely written, recorded and produced alone in her bedroom — may be soaring in sound and intention, but they are deliberately slow, hazy and dense, often stretching past the six-minute mark before exploding into an out-of-fashion guitar solo or spooky instrumental passage.

Cain also insists on living in the middle of nowhere, the better to drive her truck around barefoot and hang out in empty fields and graveyards or under dilapidated bridges. Before rural Alabama, she rented an abandoned church in a random Indiana town of fewer than 2,000 people.

In her slight Southern lilt, Cain expressed nothing but shellshocked disdain for cities like New York and Los Angeles, where most in her enviable position end up.

Disappointed to learn she's signed to Dr. Luke's company tbh

Yeah that's not great.

Overall good article though.

I'm on my 2nd time thru the album, I like it. Some songs I love, some that are more about vibe than tune, but overall the ambition of the thing is pretty impressive. Several songs past 7 minutes, one past 9, less of a pop sensibility than last year's singles but a real sense of almost cinematic scope. It sounds gorgeous, of course.

Great guitar playing and production too. There are sections that sound like Crazy Horse, others that sound like metal.

London tickets went on sale today and we’re gone immediately but she’s added an extra date for December 7th.

*were

Seeing her next week, psyched.

saw her earlier this week, great show though her voice live is a bit thinner than i expected from the record but still yeah, a fun time (considering her whole thing)

Show tonight was great, she sounded terrific and the rapport with the crowd was warm and friendly. She didn't do "Gibson Girl" or "Michelle Pfeiffer," which surprised me, but it was a strong set. And she has serious star power and presence.

Also the crowd (this was Asheville) was a nice slice of queer-friendly Appalachia. Totally heartwarming to see a high-school age trans girl there in a full bridal gown, accompanied by her frumpy middle-aged parents.

thoroughfare is one of my fav songs this year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XocCIxoeilo

finally listened to this and surprised by how much it's taylor swift with a ton of reverb (not that that's a bad thing)

but how on earth did she get that voice! what the hell

She sounded great love too fwiw. Obviously her voice on the album benefits from tons of reverb, but it is no small instrument.

Live, not love