The Substance of...

One would naturally expect an album authored by a banjo-playing, female folk rock vocalist to be despondent little done-me-wrong pluckings about drunken and brutish men, and the various methods by which they've victimized or deflowered an assortment of protagonists.   On Lady Cannon's debut album, on the other hand, appropriately entitled Whiskey Dear, Martha Cannon and her band offer a sneering array of alcohol soaked Canterbury Tales, where the victims are anyone but her,  and told from anything but the typical gudgeon's point of view.

Jack Tell In Other Attire

Arguably, one of the highest marks of a song composition's integrity is its ability to withstand alternate presentation.  As AIHA frontman Jack Tell demonstrated in his brief performance last night at Linneman's Riverwest Inn, the songs on his band's self titled release, easily endured a solo acoustic presentation.

Confessions and Concessions...

photo courtesy Ilana Gilbert, IG Photography

The Riverwest Public House Co-operative seems to be establishing a reputation as frequent host to some of Milwaukee's more avant-garde performers: unconventional folk rock ensembles, piano soloists and other such demiurgic musicians more inclined to use violas and xylophones as their lead instruments than electric guitars and drum kits.  

This past Friday's Women In Music headliners there - The Lady Cannon, Ilysa Spencer and Meadow Parish - while adhering to the use of the more traditional bass, guitar and drum arrangements (though The Lady Cannon did, of course, employ her oft used five string banjo), provided performances that night that were no less intriguing.  Meadow Parish, in particular, lead by Flojo pendant Sarah Marie Spielmann, put on a noteworthy and captivating set.