Dana Immanuel

Llegaba uno de los momentos para mí más esperados de la noche, Dana Immanuel. El motivo de mi asistencia al festival salía al escenario acompañado de su exótico percusionista y bien escudada por su banjo y su guitarra. Habrá tiempo de hablar de su reciente disco Character Assassination, y que nos cuente como una mujer se acerca al banjo, y consigue fusionar los sonidos country y jazz con pop de cámara, pero el caso es que pese a que no pudo estar acompañada por su banda, el concierto de Dana fue espectacular. Pureza en los sonidos, de nuevo otra voz para guardar en la memoria, y esa ironía y esa mala leche tan sureña, que hace de sus canciones pequeñas joyas dignas de escuchar en directo. Los temas volaron, y con ellos uno de los momentos de la noche, el que se produjo cuando junto a Beth Dariti interpretaron “Leave Me Be”, tema que cierra su disco, y que da lo mismo donde uno se encuentre, que transforma el entorno en un viejo y polvoriento saloon del lejano oeste. - Muzikalia

There is a very popular question you see floating around Dana Immanuel’s pages… and no, I’m not talking about ‘did you discover this artist from a porno?’ (curious now?) I’m talking about the ‘where on Earth can I find your album!!?’ question. There is definitely a demand for more of this artist. And people who are willing to pay, something that may become a luxury in music. The other really exciting thing about Dana is that she’s pretty relaxed and straight-forward. The way she tends to carry herself (even if just online) is a beautiful thing to see in an industry that’s becoming a bit stagnant with too many figures who tip-toe around big issues and are extremely careful not to offend any part of a fan base. I’m not sure what effect being her music being featured in pornography would have on her reputation… personally I could give a damn. I’m just worried people won’t realize how truly brilliant and beautiful these songs are, especially well-layered and perfectly wrought songs like Time Flies.
In any case, a little about her: Dana Immanuel comes from a less-than-lovely childhood, from which she proceeded to try some ‘real’ careers before finding a nice spot in busking in which she honed her musicianship.
Now she graces a woefully small audience with amazing songs on SoundCloud.

If nothing else, definitely listen to Drift Away, Time Flies, and Sidekick. This artist is truly brilliant and unfortunately underrated and yet to be much noticed by big critics. The more popular songs are Nashville and Motherfucking Whore.

I’d definitely give this recording an excellent rating of 8.5/10, but it’s one of those times where one feels out of place rating the album. It’s something that’s going to effect everyone so differently that a ‘rating’ wouldn’t be much help. But for the quality of the production and balance as well as the excellent melodies and the occasional beautiful layering and interesting percussion, I think we can all agree this deserves a very high rating. - The Universal YellowKeys

Let’s not beat around the shrubbery people, Dana Immanuel is a star and anyone who describes themselves as the sound of the “Cadbury’s Caramel bunny having a very bad day, in a swamp, somewhere in North London” quite frankly deserves to be. There was always something decidedly hypersexual and wrong about Miriam Margolyes’s wascally wabbit and it’s these and similar elements of life’s pink fleshy underbelly that Immanuel taps into with undeniable brilliance. It’s only fitting, then, that she was discovered by awestruck producer Tim Shoben whilst busking on the London Underground, possibly scaring the tourists. This all-too-brief EP truly does shine under his tutelage, an ugly-beautiful hit-and-run where poptastic knob-twiddling hero collides with dryly observational antifolkstress and both bounce off all the healthier.

Though sadly not a messed-up lo-fi cover of the Dobie Gray supermarket soul compilation classic, ‘Drift Away’ beats even that most tantalising of prospects hands down and then some. With its snappy lyrical prowess, stop-start stuttering hooks and Dana’s husky, whiskeyfied croon, it’s an absolute gem. Her impeccable timing is key but she still can’t resist cheekily enquiring “am I going too fast? / I know you can muster much more than half-assed” and who is anyone to argue with that? With its gentle rolling percussion, ‘Time Flies’ takes five minutes out from a daydream to revel in the glow of creamy melancholia, its slightly woozy melody instantly hummable and stick-in-your-head-for-days fantastic. Call Fiona Apple, call Ani DiFranco, their musical lovechild has been located.

In the grand tradition of saving only the best for last, the finest track here is undoubtedly ‘Banjo Song’, or to use a slightly politer version of its alternative title, ‘Mo Fo Ho’. A feast of finger-picked banjo, sinister keys, spaghetti western electric guitar and a filthy great bassline right out of a PJ Harvey song circa Is This Desire?, it’s a genuine tour de force. Taking the Martha Wainwright route-one approach to notoriety surely won’t hamper Immanuel’s cause and the Janis Joplin-style wailathon in the middle is torturously inspired. The lady herself knowingly intones “you can’t resist its pull / so go ahead and bow to the inevitable” and that, my friends, is prophecy. - wearsthetrousers.com