Tift Merritt

[searchinbig]

Anybody hear of her?? Just searchin around and found that Yim does backing vocals on a tune called "Feel Of The World"

Don't know if this was posted before. Did a search and could not find it.

Check it out. Sweet tune.

[bluesky]

Anybody hear of her?? Just searchin around and found that Yim does backing vocals on a tune called "Feel Of The World"

Don't know if this was posted before. Did a search and could not find it.

Check it out. Sweet tune.

I think she ended up preforming at the "I'm Not There" show at the Beacon here in NYC a few years back. She is not on that album but stood in for Cat Power (who couldn't make it) I remember being really impressed with her voice. Soon after, I saw her at a small place in Brooklyn, Union Hall. But I didn't enjoy her own stuff as much.

[searchinbig]

Interesting article here: http://www.jambase.com/Articles/12008/I%27m-Not-There-11.07.07-New-York?vm=r

Maybe that's how they hooked up.

Edit: Just noticed Tucker Martine produced her last album. 2+2= !

[Jon T.]

She popped up on a Spotify station I was listening to and it got my attention enough to see who it was.  I had never heard of her but I'll be checking her out.

[Shug]

I was a big fan of her first two albums, especially her second album, Tambourine, http://www.amazon.com/Tambourine-Tift-Merritt/dp/B0002OPES2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1325957138&sr=8-5 which was produced by George Drakoulis and had much more of a Muscle Shoals rockin' soul feel.  She toured it for over a year with a great band including Brad Rice on lead guitar and Danny Eisenberg on Hammond organ and electric piano (both guys from the last incarnation of Whiskeytown; Tift was  helped along some years ago by fellow North Carolinian Ryan Adams).  She also put out a limited release live EP Home Is Loud from that tour.  There is also a KILLER Austin City Limits performance from that tour that you can buy http://www.amazon.com/Live-Austin-TX-Tift-Merritt/dp/B000VI4UUC/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1325957138&sr=8-10. 

If you want to check her out, I'd recommend:

Live DVD from Austin City Limits
Tambourine studio album
Home Is Loud live EP (probably out of print)
Bramble Rose (first studio album, very autobiographical has her sounding like a very young country folk waif with a surprising toughness underneath, standout track is When I Cross Over)

She's mellowed a lot with the last two studio records and basically tours solo acoustic now and she lost me with her turn of direction.  Great voice and she can rock the hell out, but just doesn't do it any more.  I find her last album produced by Tucker Martine to be nearly unlistenable.  I guess she is following her muse, can't fault her for that, but I don't feel the inspiration and I don't hear great songwriting and I certainly don't hear a great band on her last couple records.  Just my taste, I suppose.  But her good stuff is fantastic, and that's part of what bums me out so much now that I can't get into her current stuff at all.