If you like Rufus Wainwright, thank Judee Sill

Back in the halcyon musical days of 2001 (that same year would see the release of Ryan Adams' Gold, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and Cake's Comfort Eagle), Rufus Wainwright released Poses, an album that is so revered among critics, fans and fellow musicians that it established Wainwright as a top artist of his generation, a footing he still maintains to this day. Listen first to the title track from that album, a gorgeously symphonic, polyphonic elegy that blends elements of classical music, Broadway and folk revival:



It's tempting to believe that a sound as distinctive as Wainwright's, blending so many traditional influences in his creative way, has no predecessor. It's tempting to want to believe he has forged a unique sound. But in music, there is rarely such a thing, and in this case, Wainwright has taken a page directly from the playbook of folk-era innovator Judee Sill.

Who, you ask? Judee Sill's story is tragic and now mostly forgotten, which is unfortunate, because the music she wrote during her brief, troubled life has gone on to influence countless musicians -- Shawn Colvin, Joanna Newsom and, most relevant here, Rufus Wainwright.

As a point of comparison, listen to Sill's symphonic, elegiac ballad "The Kiss" from her 1973 album Heart Food:



To quote Alex Stimmel's excellent biography of Sill on allmusic.com, "Lushly orchestrated, the album featured Sill's voice in multiple overdubs, often in a four-part chorale or fugue." This could as easily describe Poses, which sets itself apart with these exact same hallmarks.

So, if you like Rufus Wainwright, thank Judee Sill, may she rest in peace.

I was stranded in the middle of the night

Are you ready to fall in love with a new band?

Yet again I owe a debt to television commercials - this time it was Kenmore Elite that introduced me to the Silver Seas, by using their lovely "Imaginary Girl" in one of their ads. I instantly had to have their first album, High Society.

At times evoking the 70s baroque classic rock-ism of Poco, the intricate surf harmonies of the Beach Boys, the lush-pop wail of Rufus Wainwright and the quirky complexities of Ben Folds Five, this album goes by too quickly and begs for multiple listens. (You know I can't resist a band that makes heavy use of a 12-string guitar.)

Highlights include the unstoppably happy "Country Life," the Wainwright-esque "Imaginary Girl" and the layered harmonies of the sonically perfect "Hard Luck Tom," which, coming in at just 1:51, may be the shortest piece of pop perfection ever recorded. Listen to two of the three on the band's MySpace page.

Or, if you prefer, you can watch the band (formerly known as The Bees) recording "Country Life" in the studio:

He will make of you another believer

Found a hidden Rufus Wainwright gem in the Disney animated feature Meet the Robinsons, entitled "Another Believer":



And there's another lovely Rufus song that plays over the credits as well, called "The Motion Waltz (Emotional Commotion.)" The man can write songs, no doubt about it.

Holiday music that won't make you sick

I'm having trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year - I don't know what it is, exactly, but all of the saccharine Christmas music that I usually crave at this time of year suddenly sounds trite and suffocating.

So the WOXY holiday mixer is a real blessing - like a lot of radio stations, it plays all holiday songs, but they're all indie gems, deep cuts, rarities... All music that won't make you want run screaming from a mall. You'll hear holiday songs from artists like Rufus Wainwright, Fiona Apple, Matt Pond PA, the Flaming Lips, the Dandy Warhols... SO refreshing.

Cue it up and relax into the yuletide spirit on your own terms.

Xponentially awesome

Searching for a great mix of indie, new wave, classic rock and everything in between? I recommend the Xponential radio stream from WXPN - the University of Pennsylvania's unparalleled NPR music station. Recently played artists include XTC, KT Tunstall, Cake and David Bowie. Where else are you going to see all those names in one place?

While you're there, check out the concert archives for live sets from Rhett Miller, Martin Sexton, Rufus Wainwright, Andrew Bird, the Guillemots... basically everyone I've been telling you to check out all year.

By the way, this is also where you can hear the "Folk Alley" channel I told you about a few posts ago...

JPP Review: Rufus Wainwright, "Poses"

I've talked of my love for Rufus Wainwright's Poses before, but for those who may be new to Lost Things Found, or who may like a more detailed explanation of the genius of this album, check out my latest Just Press Play review.

The first paragraph:

Rufus Wainwright is a musician’s musician. As the son of quirky ‘70s folksinger Loudon Wainwright III, he is one of the few children of musicians to surpass his parent in influence, popularity and critical acclaim. His eponymous debut announced Wainwright as a unique talent, fusing his own style of pop songwriting punctuated by influences of folk, classical, opera, and musical theater.

For the rest, go here.

Here's a performance of one of the songs from the album ("Greek Song") from a concert in 2006:



And the incomparably beautiful "Poses" performed live, just Rufus and the piano:

Inspired by

I was attending Fleetwood Mac shows in utero, so it really shouldn't be a surprise that I am a huge Mac fan to this day.

Browsing around Amazon.com today, I noticed a cool feature on their music pages - Music You Should Hear, as recommended by other famous musicians. Basically, it's an artist's personal list of the music that has influenced them the most.

Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham is one of the featured artists, and his list is surprisingly eclectic, ranging from Chuck Berry to Eminem, and each selection features a very literate and thoughtful examination of that artist's place in the rock lexicon.

As always when I read a musician's list of favorites, I had more than a few moments of "I thought I was the only one!" The Drifters' "Save the Last Dance for Me," for instance, has always been a favorite of mine, even before I read, via LB, that its author was wheelchair-bound. (How unbelievably heartbreaking?)

After reading a recent Dave Barry column extolling the virtues of garage-rock paragon "Louie Louie," I wasn't surprised to see it make his list. And I am definitely in the camp that thinks that the late Beach Boys are VASTLY underrated, so I couldn't agree more with his assessment of "Surf's Up" as a piece of musical genius.

But the happiest moment for me was seeing my touchstone album, Joni Mitchell's Blue, listed as one of Buckingham's influences: "Joni Mitchell's genius was never more clear to me than on the album Blue," he says.

Other artists to compile lists include Elvis Costello, ">Rufus Wainwright, Patti Labelle , Mavis Staples and Maroon5.

He'd make my "Best-dressed Musicians" list, easy

Rufus Wainwright would make several of my lists, in fact: Best-Dressed Musicians, Most Influential Songwriters of the 2000s, Musicians' Musician of the Decade (that would be a list of one) ... The list of lists could go on and on.

But first and foremost, Rufus Wainwright makes amazing, lush, unique music that gets stuck in your head for days. Part opera, part folk, part pop poetry, Wainwright's music is like no one else's (which is why the leading musicians of his generation often list him as a major inspiration.)

I am currently in the throes of passion with his sophomore album Poses. John Mayer recommended it on his blog a few months back and I'm just now getting around to following his advice. (Which should be a lesson to me. When John Mayer recommends a CD, listen to it. Immediately.)

Anyhow, you can listen to the songs "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" and "Poses" on Wainwright's MySpace page. Other highlights for me include "California," "Grey Gardens" (yes, a song about the suddenly-pop-culture-adored documentary from the 1970s, proving that Wainwright is both an amazing musician and eerily prescient about pop culture fads) and "One Man Guy" the irony of which is the ever-swelling chorus of voices that rises up to sing a song about a solitary life, that was originally written and performed by Wainwright's father, 1970s folkster Loudon Wainwright III.

(I also highly recommend Wainwright's debut album, the subtler and more intimate Rufus Wainwright. On the rare occasions that I get to take a mid-day nap, this is my absolute favorite soundtrack.)