Daniel Martin Moore + Haley Bonar + Holcombe Waller - Cafe 939 (Boston, MA; Jun. 22, 2011)

On a rainy, dreary Wednesday night, Berklee’s Cafe 939 offered a cozy sanctuary from the elements outside and a strong line-up of three thoughtful songwriters and their bands. Sadly, few were there to witness. This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve seen this happen. The thin crowd recalled a Wye Oak show where musicians outnumbered fans and a Cryptacize show with ten people and overflowing toilets.

Considering this felt like a private show with a dozen or so new friends, I hesitate to document this special evening. So instead of my typical show analysis, I’ll offer brief profiles of these talented artists, with the hope you’ll listen to their music and dig it as much as we do. Stream the albums, download the songs, watch the videos, and check out their tour dates below.

[the presciently named] “Waiting for Lightning to Strike” Tour Dates with
Holcombe Waller, Haley Bonar, and Daniel Martin Moore

06/26/11 Grey Eagle Tavern (Asheville, NC)
06/28/11 The End (Nashville, TN)
06/29/11 Off Broadway (St. Louis, MO)
06/30/11 Rudyard Kipling House (Louisville, KY)

Haley Bonar & Holcombe Waller only:

07/01/11 Englert Theatre (Iowa City, IA)
07/02/11 The Hideout (Chicago, IL)

Daniel Martin Moore only:

07/21/11 Natasha’s Bistro (Lexington, KY)
09/03/11 End of the Road Festival (North Dorset, UK)

Hailing from Cold Spring, Kentucky, Daniel Martin Moore writes simple, inviting, and heartwarming folk songs, true to his humble Appalachian roots. Remarkably, Sub Pop Records signed Moore after receiving his unsolicited demo--a hope for all aspiring musicians. Moore has released three full-length albums on Sub Pop, varying in theme, but unified by Moore’s warm and gentle vocals. This is a man you trust within seconds of hearing him. When he opens his debut album, Stray Age, with the lyric, “Come be close and be rested,” it’s impossible not to oblige.

In Moore’s second release, Dear Companion, Moore collaborates with melophobe favorite Ben Sollee, with the greater purpose of raising awareness of mountaintop removal and its devastating affect on the people and environment in Central Appalachia. It’s a wonderful match of two artists’ distinct styles. Moore’s soothing vocals beautifully complement Sollee’s inventive cello and up-beat melodies (see “Something, Somewhere, Sometime"). And within the confines of thematic songwriting, Moore proves himself a powerful and thoughtful storyteller (see “Flyrock Blues” and “Wilson Creek").

Another theme-driven project, Moore’s latest release, In the Cool of the Day, is a collection of new and old hymns, each arranged with Moore’s signature gentle style. Whether the tune is playful ("Dark Road” and “Closer Walk With Thee") or soothing ("Softly and Tenderly") the tone is always strikingly humble. Moore’s version of “It Is Well With My Soul” might be the only one where the eschatological final verse feels more resigned than triumphant. 

Listen to and download two tracks from Daniel Martin Moore’s latest release In the Cool of the Day here:

Daniel Martin Moore – In the Cool of the Day

Daniel Martin Moore – Dark Road

and the title track from his debut Stray Age here:

Daniel Martin Moore – Stray Age

Check out the videos for ”In the Cool of the Day” and ”It Is Well With My Soul,” both filmed in stark rooms, accompanied solely by a piano and guitar, respectively.

Stream NPR’s recording of Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival (we were there! check out our photos!).

Like Daniel Martin Moore, Haley Bonar’s story inspires the struggling musician. At just twenty years old, Alan Sparhawk of Low saw her perform a small show in Duluth, Minn. and invited her to tour with his band. Eight years and several albums later, Bonar is touring in support of Golder, which she describes as, “an evolution into something brighter, heavier, and stronger.” And, indeed, Golder is almost herculean.

As she proved on-stage, Bonar jumps between musical styles with graceful ease. After Bonar opened with ”Too Much Nothing” from Lure the Fox, I prepared myself for a set of acoustic folk ballads. But instead, Bonar’s repertoire offered twangy, alt-country foot-stompers ("Daddy" and “Bad For You"), waltzy lullabies ("Wendy Bird") and slow-burn rock songs ("Candy Machine Gun"). In fact, my favorite performance of the night was an instrumental, “Leo,” which saw Bonar playfully jumping around the high keys, while a shimmery cymbal was regularly snuffed out and a tuneless guitar was simultaneously strummed and muted. Bonar clearly doesn’t hesitate to experiment with styles, and her results are fantastic.

Stream and purchase Haley Bonar’s latest release Golder here.

Listen to and download “Raggedy Man” from Golder here:

Haley Bonar – Raggedy Man

Taking the stage first was Holcombe Waller, who played from his lastest (re-)release Into the Dark Unknown. The album follows a theater piece of the same name (with the subtitle “The Hope Chest"), which presented the majority of these songs in a dramatically staged setting. Like Bonar, Waller commands a variety of styles. Though folk-based, Into the Dark Unknown offers everything from acoustic ballads ("Into the Dark Unknown") to an airy pop song full of hand claps and shakers ("Hardliners") to an explosive Buffy Sainte-Marie cover ("Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan).

Intriguingly, Waller chose to include on the album both live and studio versions of his compositions. I suspect he feared some of the live energy of the theater piece would be lost in the studio. But what strikes me most about the live recordings is that they allow Waller’s voice to show rawness and frailty. As his friend Alec Hanley Bemis (of Brassland) writes in Waller’s bio, Waller is “both gifted and cursed with the voice of a seraph and perfect pitch.” But Waller’s live pieces, such as “The Unicorn,” let that spotless voice trail off or be overly breathy in emotionally intense moments—sounds this classically-trained musician might hesitate to record in the studio. 

Stream and purchase Holcombe Waller’s latest release Into the Dark Unknown here, with two free song downloads.

Check out the video for “Hardliners,” a sweet, uplifiting pop song, full of simple synths, soothing strings, shakers and hand claps. For when you can’t get out of bed or when your insecure significant other needs some encouragement. Directed by Daniel Fickle and with choreography from Miguel Gutierrez.

Check out the video for “Bored of Memory,” a longing, soul-bearing love song, sung over an achingly strummed acoustic guitar. Directed by Alicia J. Rose and Holcombe Waller.

DOWNLOAD: Daniel Martin Moore - In the Cool of the Day (MP3) or Follow us for more Daniel Martin Moore MP3s (Twitter)

Daniel Martin Moore review to your liking? You'll sweat:

Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI; Jul. 31, 2010)

Newport Folk Festival: Day 2 (Newport, RI; Aug. 1, 2010)

Low - Paramount Theatre (Boston, MA; Apr. 29, 2011)

Ray LaMontagne - Providence Performing Arts Center (Providence, RI; Nov. 3, 2009)

0 comments thus far ...

melophobe sponsors

Connect To melophobe

1. melophobe
2. concert reviews
3. fifty-word reviews
4. articles
5. links
6.