SOUNDTRACK: DANA FALCONBERRY-Tiny Desk Concert #292 (July 29, 2013).
This Tiny Desk Concert introduced me to Dana Falconberry:
Dana Falconberry’s songs are gentle, almost invariably delicate, sometimes mysterious and frequently feather-light. But her music’s sweet, intricate softness never stands in for strength: This is a confident songwriter, whether she’s ambling through six- and seven-minute epics (“Leelanau,” “Dolomite”) or chirping sweetly in the bouncy “Crooked River.”
The compositions on Falconberry’s most recent album, last year’s Leelanau, are sturdy enough to be stripped down for a space like Bob Boilen’s desk at the NPR Music offices. But each benefits immeasurably from the broad assortment of lovely flourishes she re-creates here with the help of five instrument-swapping backing players. What makes Falconberry stand out in a crowded field of singer-songwriters is her music’s unfailing impeccability, and this Tiny Desk Concert finds her and her crack band hitting every immaculately crafted mark.
I tend to agree with the blurbs, but this one really is spot on: delicate, impeccable, sturdy. These are words I would absolutely use to describe these songs. I would also use fantastical–not suggesting that there might be fairies floating around during these songs, but it wouldn’t surprise me if one made an appearance.
“Dolomite” is a beautiful 7 minute song with many different sections. Falconberry’s delicate (but not wimpy, it must be said) voice works perfectly with the capoed guitar she’s playing. After the first verse, she’s joined by a cello, banjo and backing vocals, and the song builds. Then after almost 2 minutes the bass and drums jump in and the song, while staying basically the same, gets a whole new feel (the bassline is staccato and unexpected while everything else is so smooth). At around 3 and a half minutes the keyboards start adding these pretty little runs that make the song seem even more magical. The middle of the song has the three female singers rotating through a series of oohs and ahs as they make a cool-sounding fugue.
For “Crooked River,” the bassist switches to melodica. Once again there’s a great sequence where each of the female singers sings one note in a very complex melody–it’s quite enchanting. The cello is plucked giving the whole song a very different feel from the first.
Before the final song Bob asks if she has had any desk jobs. She says she has had her fair share. “I currently have a desk job…I hope. We’ll see when I get home.”
For Leelanau, the keyboardist switches to accordion, and there is prominent banjo and delicate melodica. The verse is really quite catchy, and after the verse there is a gently rocking section where everyone joins together–it bursts forth in contrast to the rest. It is repeated a few times throughout the song, and each one is more fun than the previous. The middle has a kind of slow break down with the cello scratching and the melodica and accordion sounding like they are running out of breath. Dana even hit’s Bob’s gong. The accordion is even “breathing” without making a musical note. The song returns to that super catchy verse and jam section and just as you think its going to fade to an end, there’s very cool chime that echoes and then a huge buildup to the conclusion.
I was so entranced by Falconberry’s music that I need to hear more of it.
[READ: September 19, 2016] Bandette 2
Two years ago I wrote about Bandette Volume 1: “The book was very exciting and sweetly charming as well. I’m looking forward to Volume 2.” And I waited and waited for it to come out. I even saw Vol 1 the other day and wondered when we’d get volume 2. Well, apparently this has been out since 2015, but the library just acquired it. So I’m happy to say it’s not my fault it took two years for me to get around to reading it.
Even though I didn’t exactly remember how book 1 had ended, Tobin & Coover added a helpful “Previously” section to get us caught up.
The wit and charm of the first book is back in spades. Bandette continues to be seemingly immune to the world around her–she says what she wants and does what she wants and no resistance will get in her way–whether it is verbal sparring or her uncanny gravity-defying stunts. Her love of chocolate remains as well, of course. And the tone retains that agelessness. It feels like this book could have been written in the 1950s but for the cell phones and scooters.
Chapter One reminds us that Bandette is a civilizan as well She has dark hair and a love of pastries–she even gives the bakery owner priceless urn (from where) as payment for the delicious sweets. (more…)
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