 "Photo:")
Tonight Mirah will be playing the Iron Horse in Northampton, a fact most likely unimpressive to those unfamiliar with the artist. This marks the first time in three and a half years that Mirah has toured the Northeast. In November 2003 she played at Smith College and fans have been eagerly awaiting another appearance ever since. Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Mirah (full name Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn) attended school in Olympia, Wash. and resides there now. After befriending Phil Elvrum of The Microphones, Mirah provided backing vocals and guitar for his group's 1999 debut album, "Don't Wake Me Up." Soon after its release, she signed to K Records and, with the help of Elvrum, released her own debut in 2000, "You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This." Mirah presented a set of intimate songs with decidedly lo-fi instrumentation built around her stunning voice, reportedly known in Olympia as "the sexiest voice in rock."
The album was a success, and with her sophomore album "Advisory Committee" released a year later in 2001, Mirah began to generate substantial attention in the world of independent music. Though Mirah's voice remains the centerpiece of her second album, its heightened production makes for an almost theatrical feeling, successfully creating a freshly dramatic set for her intimate songs.
She released two collaborative albums in the years to come: "Songs from the Black Mountain Project" with Ginger Brooks Takahashi debuted in 2003, followed by "To All We Stretch the Open Arm" with the Black Cat Orchestra in 2004. Later that year, Mirah released her eagerly-anticipated third solo album, "C'mon Miracle." The album found her experimenting even further with her sound, adding electronic beats to some songs, loud distorted guitars to others and even including a fleeting accordion.
In November of last year, Mirah released "Joyride," a remix album containing contributions from a variety of musicians including pop producer Guy Sigsworth, fellow K Records artists Tender Forever and Elvrum (here as Mt. Eerie) and many others. Though she's only released three actual solo albums, Mirah stands out as one of the most talented songwriters today. Tonight's show is a co-bill and Mirah will be sharing the stage with Portland-based The Blow. After spending time playing with Elvrum as part of The Microphones, Khaela Maricich, one half of the band known as The Blow, began to self-released music under the name of "Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano" in 2001. In 2002, she released an EP on K Records under the name The Blow and has been known as such ever since.
She released her first full-length album as The Blow, "The Concussive Caress," in 2003. The year after that she began playing music with electronic artist Jona Bechtolt, the second half of the pop-duo (who has his own one-man band Y.A.C.H.T.) and the two released a limited-edition EP, "Poor Aim," in 2005. Maricich was so pleased with the collaboration that she invited Bechtolt to permanently join the group. The two released "Paper Television," their first full-length as a duo, at the end of 2006. The Blow last played the Northampton area in September of last year, opening for Architecture in Helsinki. Bechtolt was then on tour as Y.A.C.H.T. and Maricich performed solo. This year Bechtolt is the one touring with Architecture in Helsinki, which means audiences can again expect an energetic solo show from Maricich. Her personal songs with an often humorous bend are backed by quirky electronic beats programmed by Bechtolt. Concertgoers can expect to dance, especially when aided by Maricich's playful prancing about the stage. Tonight's show brings together two extremely talented songwriters from the Northwest. Seeing how infrequently Mirah tours, this is truly a rare opportunity and any fans of great songwriting would be remiss in overlooking tonight's concert. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
Be the first to comment on this article!