Hey there internet, it’s me, the Philosopher. This is my first blog post on this here illustrious blog and I wanted to share an artist that many of you may not have heard of.
I first saw Portland’s Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside open for the Avett Brothers in Asheville, NC (Ford’s hometown) on New Year’s Eve 2009. I was pretty impressed by the upbeat, folksy sound they have but that was nothing compared to how enthralled I was by Ms. Ford’s pipes. The first comparison that jumped to mind was Joanna Newsom, but I don’t know how apt a comparison that is. Both women have a way of fiddling with pronunciation just enough to make you cock your head oh so slightly, but Sallie Ford’s huskier tone might make her just a little more accessible, at least initially. The band is building themselves quite a reputation in the Northwest and it was awesome to see her performing in her home state.
I ended up seeing the band again about five days later at the Visulite in Charlotte, NC, opening for Sam Quinn (formerly of the Everybodyfields) and was further impressed. They also brought a great, unconventional Tom Waits cover to that show, turning “God’s Away on Business” into nearly a gypsy-jazz groover. It was pretty great.
Embedding’s disabled on this one, but here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKhKDISR58o
