Joanna Newsom

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Nevada City CA, United States (2002 – present)

Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) started taking piano lessons at a very early age and played for a couple of years, but switched to the harp at seven. Her approach to the harp, from the percussive aspects of her playing to her chord changes, was also influenced by West African and Venezuelan harp music, which she began studying at a folk music camp she attended in her early teens. At the same time, she also listened to more vocal-based , , and like Karen Dalton, Texas Gladden, Patti Smith, and Billie Holiday. By the time she reached high-school age, Newsom decided she wanted to become a composer, and while that became the focus of her studies, in her free time she began writing and recording instrumental songs. Eventually, Newsom’s passion for songwriting won out, and she began studying creative writing to work with words in the same way she was accustomed to working with music.

Although Joanna Newsom’s Appalachian-meets- take on music is her most celebrated work, her range is even more inclusive than her solo career suggests: the classically trained harpist adds a decidedly different, textural sound to Nervous Cop, the noise rock trio that also features Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier and Hella’s Zach Hill, and she also plays keyboards for The Pleased, another San Francisco-area band more akin to Blondie or Television than her other projects.
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Popular tags: folk, singer-songwriter, female vocalists, indie, freak folk  See more

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  • GeorgesDanton

    yulia tymoshenko

    2 hours ago

  • theoneofshadows

    I just watched the Portlandia episode. Swooning pretty hard. <3. I think that Ys is her best album, but 'Peach, Plum, Pear' is my favorite song.

    yesterday morning

  • cjkisaragi

    Finally getting to see her at ATP!

    Wednesday evening

  • cjkisaragi

    all of Joannas work is good [2]

    Wednesday evening

  • MilkyMoon14

    @mic180 I too left HOoM for a while. And Ys was also the first Joanna album I'd ever heard. I've just, fairly recently got into the Walnut Whales and Yarn and Glue EP'S as well. Her voice has changed so much! Anyways, happy listening everyone.

    Wednesday evening

  • stephmnm

    I'm going to see Joanna again soon. I am so excited.

    Tuesday morning

  • clockworkwombat

    hoom used to be my least fave b/c of the production, but i got over it ... wish she waited a little longer to record it though because her voice seems significantly more recovered now, i think it's the technical things in the sound that mess it up for me, not the songs themselves

    Monday afternoon

  • mic180

    @MilkyMoon14 I'm working on Mender! Ys is where I began with Joanna, in 2007 I think. Monkey & Bear was the first track I ever heard. I can't claim to have been hooked but it was unique and intriguing enough to make me want to listen to more of her. I liked Joanna, but HOoM has made me love her something fierce. I think it's the best album I've ever heard. I ignored it for a few years, but made up for lost time. In about half a year it's my top played album :D I too should probably sleep, seeing as how it's nearly 4am...

    Monday morning

  • MilkyMoon14

    @mic180 I found your comment right-on. HOOM is a good place to start with Newsom, and I promise you that you'll come to adore Mender. And yes, rightly said, every song on HOOM is just out there. Everything Newsom sings is utterly beyond comparison. :D. So now I'll stop spamming the Joanna shoutbox and find something better to do, preferably sleep.

    Monday morning

  • RobHF

    urg '81 is just perfect <3

    Sunday evening

  • mic180

    HOoM is her BEST album. But that's just my own opinion. That being said, I don't criticize her previous works or anyone who feels differently. It's music, we all experience it differently, as MilkyMoon14 below said. I enjoyed Ys very much and am still trying to get into TM-EM. But HOoM is on another level completely. I can't even begin to describe how amazing this album is and how much I love it. If I were to choose 3 songs from that album to play on repeat forever it'd be Ribbon Bows, Esm... nvm, I take it back. I can't decide.

    Sunday morning

  • MilkyMoon14

    How about we say that all of Joannas work is good, because that's very true. Every single song that she sings is powerful and emotional, and it doesn't matter if she sounds different in Mender than in HOOM. Different people will, of course, enjoy different music. All that matters is if you like it or don't like it, and that's your choice. Meanwhile, over In California...

    Sunday morning

  • CaseyDeAnn

    Have One on Me is her only album I have enjoyed thus far. In fact, I loved it upon my first listen. Her vocal change, for whatever reason, is for the best.

    Saturday morning

  • classmates

    I don't understand why anyone is taking out their precious time to degrade one of the most influential artists of our generation, really. If you want to bitch, visit Ke$ha's last.fm page or something, jesus.

    Saturday morning

  • SpiritOfYetaxa

    I admit I hated HOoM at first because of the voice and the fact that all the songs sounded the same, but then I took some interest and listened more. It's a great album

    last week

  • puismourir

    and if you think HOOM is bad because her voice is different, I suggest you actually listen to the music, lyrics, etc...?

    last week

  • puismourir

    oh my god. of all the stupid things that go in this shoutbox, this probably tops them all. artists develop and explore, get over it.

    last week

  • HeySharpshooter

    A common issue it seems... Not going to call her a liar, as those things do happen, though many a singer has made similar claims in the past to cover up for a change. Have One On Me is not a bad record. It just doesn't compare to her previous work.

    last week

  • GenryAi

    She didn't change her vocal approach because of whiners, she developed vocal cord nodules in the spring of 2009 and recovering from it changed her voice. She stated in an interview she could not sing with the same vocals as she did before even if she wanted to.

    last week

  • HeySharpshooter

    The issue with Have One On Me is that she changed her vocal approach... she gave it to those who whined and bitched about the vocals on Milk Eyed Mender and Y's.

    last week
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