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Discovering Hannah Georgas

This will be quick, but I had to share.

Just when I start thinking some forms of social media are there only for people to show off their egos and the sandwiches they had for lunch, someone I follow tweets a link to something which stops me in my tracks. And so it was that Rose Cousins - we've established I love me some Rose Cousins songwriting, yes? - tweeted a link to a video by Hannah Georgas. I clicked, because I value the musical interests of people whose music interests me, and found myself at a website full of videos from an artist I can't believe I've never heard before.

You might have seen Georgas on the road backing up Kathleen Edwards, but apparently her solo career has been cranking for five years. I feel late to the game, but - better late than never, right? Check her out:

Yes. So, this Hannah Georgas gal? She is something else. Her voice bears an obvious resemblance to Beth Orton, with all its breathy, intrinsic musicality. The accompaniment is dreamy, spacey, atmospheric - again, there's a Beth Orton comparison there. But it also calls to my mind the dark wonder of old school PJ Harvey. She's not making Americana music, but what is she making? It's not rock and roll. It's not folk. It's certainly not the blues. It's just music - music for the sake of manipulating sound into mental images. Building landscapes with the bending of notes against phrasing. It's not just atmosphere she's drawing up, though. Her lyrics aren't nonsense - there's genuine, nuanced, complex emotion, whose verbal terrain lays an exquisite foundation for the path the rest of the composition takes. She's working something out here.

By the time she gets to the song's apex - "There is magic on this planet" - it's like she's channeling something. She's not pushing out the dynamics with her body, with her performance. The song does that on its own. She's tapping into something.

She's touring Canada for the rest of the winter, and it looks like she'll be dipping back into the US in February. Check her out.

Comment by Cat P on January 10, 2013 at 8:47am: If you love Hannah you'll love hopeful monster, they were part of a CBC event together: Here's the latest single, be prepared to fall in love!

http://bodyarithmetic.viinyl.com/

Comment by Ron Myhr on January 10, 2013 at 7:11pm: Kudos to CBC for really pushing a range of folky performers, like Hannah Georgas. She's great. Sadly the CBC seems to be tilting in the direction of more commercial content.

Comment by Todd Kubon on January 15, 2013 at 6:19am: I only listen to CBC Radio 2 and will give them credit for introducing me to more Canadian artists than any other radio station but I also agree with you that there is no need to be playing 80's retro David Bowie and Peter Gabriel and the like on the Morning Drive when one could easily fill more programming with great Canadian artists.

Comment by Fred Arnold on January 15, 2013 at 10:32pm: I too found Hannah Georgas via a link from Rose Cousins and her album is really good, exactly as you described, Kim. Incidentally, by following Rose Cousins links and interviews, I have come across some really excellent music - Luke Doucet and Jully Black just for starters, neither of whom I would have heard of without Rose.

Comment by Todd Kubon on January 16, 2013 at 6:23am: I saw Hannah Georgas play with Kathleen Edwards up here in Toronto. I have been living in Canada now for 13 years Via Chicago and I am always amazed how many great, virtually unkown artists there are up here. Here are a couple of more great Canadian Artist more people should know about if you don't already. I'll keep it to a minimum 3 but I think I should start blogging on my own page. ;)

Romi Mayes - I was at the show where this live performance was recorded. With ripping guitar blues from Jay Nowicki I can't believe this album didn't do better. Only about 20 people showed up for this concert and I was in shock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQZ7Y2AdkUI&feature=player_embedded

Bahamas One of Kathleen Edward's favourite artists she turned me on to this band. Sorta of a Canadian Jack Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbK6QIPE_7M

Basia Bulat - Mesmerizing to watch on the AutoHarp. Anything she plays live just pulls you in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hANYD0_qQl4

Comment by Ron Myhr on January 16, 2013 at 11:10am: Great suggestions Todd. I also agree with your comment about the R2 Morning Show (Drive is in the pm). The irony is that the host, Tom Power, is a pure folky who will be prominent at Folk Alliance in Toronto, interviewing keynote speaker Bernie Finkelstein. His programmers aren't tilting the music in that direction, though.

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