Linda Draper

"Linda Draper returns with her 3rd album for Planting Seeds Records, an understated, lyrics-centric, alt-folk confessional with clear, upfront vocals. inda’s plaintive, pliant delivery in tone and phrasing recalls a milder Amy Duncan, a less nasal Aimee Mann, and Kate Tucker with less twang."

http://www.adequacy.net/2009/11/linda-draper-bridge-and-tunnel/

- Delusions of Adequacy

And now for something refreshingly unpopular among people who wear giant sunglasses and tight jeans: Singer/songwriter Linda Draper has been kicking around New York’s folk scene long enough to remember the antifolk coffeeshop days of Kimya Dawson and Regina Spektor; she recorded a couple albums with producer Kramer (you really should read this article we wrote about the man) and this week is releasing sixth full-length Bridge And Tunnel via Planting Seeds Records. A West Coast mini-tour is planned for June.

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/05/24/mp3-at-3pm-linda-draper/
- Magnet Magazine

It would be easy to fly the folk flag over singer/songwriter LINDA DRAPER‘s music. But that would belie her associations with such outsider artists as KRAMER or stage-mates like REGINA SPEKTOR and KIMYA DAWSON. Her quiet meditations on life in the 21st century may involve more acoustic guitars than electronic geegaws, but this ain’t JOAN BAEZ or even CHRISTINE LAVIN. Draper’s songs push her thoughts and feelings outside arbitrary comfort zones, while she and producer BRAD ALBETTA add just the right touches of organ or drums to keep things interesting without distraction. All of which is merely a fancy way of saying that “Broken Eggshell,” “Pushing Up the Day” and the title track are difficult to resist. Kudos also to the overdubbed a cappella take on the ROLLING STONES‘ “Mother’s Little Helper,” a choice that says a lot about Draper’s tastes and attitude.

http://www.bigtakeover.com/reviews/linda-draper-bridge-and-tunnel-planting-seeds - The Big Takeover

Quietly and methodically, New York songwriter Linda Draper has climbed into the ranks of the elite: to rank her with Aimee Mann, Richard Thompson or Neko Case would not be an overstatement. To put that statement in perspective, consider that this new cd is her sixth consecutive consistently excellent album, a rare achievement. Bridge and Tunnel harkens back to the strikingly direct, tersely catchy acoustic pop feel of her 2001 debut, Ricochet, without compromising her utterly unique, brilliantly literate, characteristically dark lyrical voice. Brad Albetta’s production here is beautifully minimalist, with terse bass, live drums and occasional organ looming behind Draper’s alternately soaring and hushed vocals and dexterously fingerpicked guitar. Staring from the shadows, haunted but resolute and defiant, she sounds something akin to Nina Nastasia with a broader sonic palette. The album title is a New York reference: the phrase”bridge and tunnel” is a slur meaning suburban and unsophisticated. The song itself, a bitter, bluesy, minor-key number is, like pretty much everything else here, spiked with sharp lyrical gems. Refusing to budge, the narrator holds her ground, knowing she’ll have to struggle to stay where she is, whether that place is literal or metaphorical: There’s no tunnel without a light Still my vision is failing me now Little girl what you gonna do When the day comes and there’s no one left to run to, You could stand, you could stall Play dead in the middle of it all… There’s no way I’d rather feel tonight Though tomorrow I will pay the price… The cd’s catchy opening track alludes to madness and confinement: Through the bars of my window I see many lives… Black turns into blue as the day turns into night How low will you go? But it turns warmer with Sharks and Royalty, a quietly confident anthem for nonconformists everywhere: Among the sharks and the royalty There must be room for you and me Oh my dear have no fear of what you can’t see Oh my dear have no fear for me I’ll tell you just what happened here We all begin and end and tears The moral of the story’s in your dreams Sometimes things are the way they seem Among the rotten ones we’ll run free… With its swinging backbeat, Time Will Tell offers a vivid autopsy for a doomed relationship: the narrator misses the guy, but only when she’s “not quite at my best. You are the shipwreck, I am the sea, you’re sinking right through me,” she charges, matter-of-factly. After that, the cleverly titled Pushing up the Days offers a similarly jaundiced view of how relationships inevitably decay: Instead of clutching I will fold The daylight lives in the hearts of those Who give without expecting a gift to be given in return You can smell as long as you want to smell those roses But keep in mind they’re from another time When you’re pushing up the days, pushing up the daisies Close Enough, with its insistent, percusssive fingerpicking is a throwback to the hypnotic feel of much of her most recent work: “If your love is not enough to bring home tonight, I suggest you take your pulse to make sure you’re still alive,” Draper taunts. Then it’s back to the defiant feel with the bouncy, Rhode piano-driven Broken Eggshell: Every corner I meet there’s two more empty streets I’ve been walking down And every step that I take there’s an eggshell to break It’s the perfect sound The cd wraps up with a playful, tongue-in-cheek Stones cover and the country-inflected outsider anthem Last One Standing: “Some will lead, most will follow, then there are the lucky few who find better things to do.” So many levels of meaning, so many nuances in Draper’s voice and a wealth of beautifully minute detail in the music as well. You can bet this will be high on our best albums of 2009 list at the end of the year; watch this space for upcoming September live shows.

http://lucidculture.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/cd-review-linda-draper-bridge-and-tunnel/
- Lucid Culture

Linda Draper's been doing the New York folk singer-thing for a while now, judging from her large body work. Her latest album is called Bridge & Tunnel and is out now on Planting Seeds. While I am not familiar with her earlier works, I would guess that her sound haven't significantly changed from her folk/anti-folk roots. She's been compared to Regina Spektor and Kimya Dawson, but based on the latest album, I feel like she's all that and more so like Joni Mitchell. Starting today, Draper begins her second West Coast Tour in Los Angeles, California, playing support for "hot indie act Cotton Jones and The Parson Red Heads". This is just on the heels of her appearance in Magnet Magazine's MP3@3PM (this month's cover features Nick Cave on the cover!). After listening to Bridge & Tunnel, I instantly knew that the song I wanted to talk about is "Time Will Tell" (but the truth is, pick any song off Bridge and Tunnel and it's all good). All of Draper's songs contain two important elements: enchanting vocals with beautiful melodies. I don't recall ever hearing any drums, instead barely noticeable percussions and bass (mostly upright bass). The mixer and engineerers, Brad Albetta and Brian Fulk, focused mostly on the crystal clear vocals and the acoustic guitar. I also wanted to talk about "Mother's Little Helper". I didn't know this was a cover at first, but even on first listen, I did make a mental note that this song stands apart from the other songs. It turns out that this is a Rolling Stones song, the one exception cover on the record. With absolutely no music, you really tend to focus on Draper's vocals and her tambourine. Bridge & Tunnel is out now, check out Linda Draper on tour on the West Coast.

http://news.weheartmusic.com/reviews/linda-draper---bridge-and-tunnel-2009
- We Heart Music

Linda Draper's Bridge and Tunnel stands among the NYC-based singer-songwriter's warmest and most accessible albums, polished with the help of producer Brad Albetta (who counts the Wainwright family among his return customers). Now a veteran of the "anti-folk" scene that pushed Regina Spektor and The Moldy Peaches into the national spotlight, Draper has a somewhat more conventional and commercial side to her folk leanings, as shown on Bridge and Tunnel standouts like "Time Will Tell" and "Broken Eggshell."

Draper took some questions from The Red Alert about anti-folk, covering the Stones, and making the adjustment to the big city as a young, aspiring artist.

Patchwork was my introduction to you – and in my review of that album, I tried to explain the difference between anti-folk and folk only to admit that, when it came to practice and not theory, I didn’t really have a very good idea. Can you help shed some light all these years later?

When I moved to the city, I thought Antifolk was just a name associated with an open mike that took place at the Sidewalk Café (and for a while, another bar down the street called the Raven). The term Antifolk was coined by Lach (who ran the open mike and the festivals for many years) after he got ostracized from the traditional folk music scene in NYC, because his music was too loud for ‘em. So he said, “if they’re folk, I’m antifolk!” From what I understand, Antifolk is supposed to convey a more acoustic punk rock/DIY aesthetic. But you know, so many artists are doing their own thing (indie, lo-fi, no-fi, whatever you want to call it) these days anyway, I don’t think a label stating one’s anti-folk or anti-conformity or whatever is really necessary anymore…you know? Things change.

In the time between then and now, we’ve seen a few people from that anti-folk “scene” (for lack of a better word) find some crossover mainstream success – like Regina Spektor and The Moldy Peaches. Was there a sense that they were going to make a break? And is there anyone in particular that you’re surprised didn’t make a similar jump?

With the Moldy Peaches and Regina, there was this kind of feeling you got at their show – like you and the crowd were in on a big secret, that you were witnessing something unique and special. I figured it was only a matter of time until they made it to the BIG time – or, at least, the bigger time. With that being said, there are SO many talented people I have seen perform over the years, that one gets that same feeling with, like they are witnessing something pretty special, just watching them perform – like Dina Dean, Barry Bliss, Amos, Knot Pinebox, Danny Kelly, oh forget it, the list is endless. Most of the people that really inspire tend to be the ones that go by unnoticed in their own time. So, because of that, it’s great when people like Regina Spektor, or Jeff Lewis, or the Moldy Peaches somehow find a way to break through that glass ceiling.

Picturing like-minded artists sharing the stage in solidarity makes me wonder: have you ever been on a comically mismatched bill?

Ha! Yes! One time I had to play right after this punk rock act, Joe Bendik. He is the LOUDEST solo punk-rocker out there. And then I, the Queen of Quietcore had to follow him. We were both laughing about it afterwards.

You got an early start in music and grew up in a musical home. What kind of music were you exposed to at an early age? What kind of posters did you have hanging up on your wall or in your school locker?

My dad is a professional classical guitarist so I grew up listening to some pretty cool music. Posters in my school locker? I actually don’t think I had any! In high school I was listening to mostly Black Crowes, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, the Pixies, Indigo Girls, Nirvana, Mazzy Star…a very mixed bag music, but it got me through.

The big city can swallow people up pretty easily. When you were starting out, how did you find your community? When I hear someone is moving to LA to live the dream, I tell them that’s the big key – finding a pocket of the city that really becomes home.

That’s a good piece of advice. Find a pocket of the city that you can make your home…I like that. I guess that’s just what I did, accidentally. When I first moved to the city, back in 1999 (I grew up in New York state, so the move for me was not too far away). I was looking through the Village Voice and read about an open mike at the Sidewalk Café. I went there and signed up on a list to play a song. I stayed the whole night, and somewhere around 1 am, my name was called and I went up on stage and played “As The Story Goes” (from my first CD, Ricochet). When I finished, Lach invited me to play a show there. So, I kept coming back and people for the most part were really sincere – I felt like I was a part of something, at least for a little while, which felt good.

You get compared to a lot of fine singer/songwrit - The Red Alert

-- Folk pioneer Odetta passed away a year ago, and to celebrate her legacy, artists including Marissa Nadler, Ane Brun, Linda Draper, Liz Durrett, and Pepi Ginsburg have contributed tracks to the tribute album Beautiful Star: The Songs of Odetta. It's out November 30 in the UK and December 1 in the U.S. via Wears the Trousers. Proceeds from the record benefit women's charities. Check out the project's MySpace to sample a couple tracks.

http://pitchfork.com/news/37176-news-in-brief-pablove-foundation-odetta-dukes-of-stratosphear-tristeza/
- Pitchfork

Linda Draper makes folk music of the best sort: lighthearted and charming with firmly grounded melodies and honest, straightforward lyrics with a poetic yet realistic slant. Bridge and Tunnel's opening track, “Limbo,” is a good indication of what’s to come. It’s a slow yet fairly upbeat tune with understated organ, acoustic guitar, drums, and electric bass and showcases her lovely voice, particular on the drawn-out vocals of the refrain. An echoing chorus, upright bass, and an irreverent attitude distinguish “Sharks and Royalty,” while Draper’s vocal, which teeters on the edge of a breathy soprano, is showcased on the chiming “I Will.” The peppy “Time Will Tell” stands out for its jaunty beat; muted bells and chimes contribute to its jazzy feel. Her clever lyrics are amply displayed here too: “Everybody else needs somebody else who/got something more than them to lose.” And the rhymes trip off her tongue on “Broken Eggshell,” an appealing upbeat tune. “Every corner that meets/there’s two more empty streets/I’ve been walking down.” The slow and plaintive “Close Enough” is a change of pace and deals with a troubled long-distance relationship. Draper’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper” is noticeably different from the rest of the songs. It is essentially a cappella, with Draper’s chanted vocals accompanied only by tambourines. While I don’t know what Mick Jagger et. al. had in mind as the “helper” in 1966, today’s audiences will undoubtedly think of Prozac. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics and oddly echoing vocal create a jarring though enjoyable ambiance, and describe the life of a disaffected housewife with an uncanny immediacy. The more things change, the more they stay the same, she seems to be commenting with this song choice. The tracks on Bridge and Tunnel are deceptively simple at first, but upon repeated listening they get under your skin and you find yourself humming along. Draper’s vulnerable yet clear-sighted persona makes it easy to relate to her music, and her voice carries the album.

http://feministreview.blogspot.com/2009/07/linda-draper-bridge-and-tunnel.html
- Feminist Review

Linda Draper is schizophrenic, or seems so when you listen closely. Her music—simple, direct and beautifu—belies a complexity of soul and spirit beneath it all. In somewhat somnambulent mode, she drapes herself over you, shroudlike, feeding you a slow-motion potpourri of mood and melody which, if you pay attention, is always more than it seems. Take, for instance, Sunburned, in which Draper channels Patience and Prudence, overlapping voice(s) in P&P's elementary style dragging the subject matter into the present. With a chorus like "…you can leave your bucket and brush at home/There's no need to paint the town red anymore/Because as far as I can tell/It already has all gone to hell," you do a double-take because there is a viper amongst the worms there—somewhere. When Draper wrote Cell Phone, she welded basic folk to the 21st Century perfectly. During the golden era of folk (the '60s), only sci-fi fanatics could have foretold the importance and omnipresence of the phone (and a seemingly unending array of electronic media) in today's world. Draper places herself between that golden era and the futuristic and seemingly inevitable world of I, Robot with a song perhaps bemoaning the lack of real and personal contact between people. With individuals today planting cell phones to their ears while driving, eating, watching movies and even having sex, she makes her point with irony; i.e., "I'll tell you this when you get off that phone". She doesn't like them, doesn't think she needs one and says so with poetic simplicity. Not all songs here have the irony or biting edge, but they all belong to Draper and there is no doubt. The somewhat upbeat (in contrast) Keepsake echoes '60s folk, basic percussion adding to that era's feel and, hey, you can't fault the use of the toy xylophone because it works. Traces Of sleepwalks you through life itself, a look at the fleeting fact of life itself. Hopefulness of a strange sort is the core of Kissing the Ground, which points out that "if you're still around after you fall down/You'll be kissing the ground". Use of a chamber on lead voice adds to the effect and the harmonies (supplied by Draper) are perfecto. On a personal note, I can't say that this album is a huge leap forward. I am still absorbing Draper's previous Planting Seeds' album, One Two Three Four, and am not quite ready to put it aside in favor of Keepsake. The thing is, Draper is so unique that I find myself listening to them both and have this insatiable urge to backstep an album at a time to Ricochet, her first. I have a feeling these two eventually won't be enough. Linda Draper can evidently be addicting. I think they should put a warning on the insert.

http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p04171.htm
- Folk And Acoustic Music Exchange

An established performer on the New York anti-folk scene, Linda Draper is an underexposed treasure. This reviewer was pleasantly overwhelmed by the grace, gentility, and balance of One Two Three Four. Draper resembles Cat Power in the era of You Are Free wide open layered arrangements culled from jazz and folk have been coupled with unique turns of phrase and warm guitar. When produced by Kramer, the man who brought us Low and Galaxie 500, the result is assured. As the title suggests, the album is rhythmically paced (the worthy metronome actually figures in the lyrics). The many strings, horns, and backing guitar sound slightly removed in the mix; Ms. Drapers voice and guitar are front and center. It is like being in the presence of a beautiful street busker, accompanied by an obliging classical quartet from inside the theater. Flowing gently from the nearly sing-along opening track, Super Zero, separate tales of love, loss, death, or change emerge. Almost without pause, Ms. Draper moves from each one. One Two Three Four seems the kind of reflective album one would make after losing someone dear. Counting off, cycles, loss, returnMs Draper is poised to address them all. Ms. Drapers songwriting skills and enviable voice are well displayed here. In Seven Black Crows, watching someone hooked up to a respirator, she sings my tears are dropping like flies, a morose yet accurate depiction of the combined misery and reality of death. Baby Inchworm, sung at the demise of a love affair, has a beautiful harmony vocal that leaves one feeling hopeful, despite the perceived loss. Candle Opera feels almost medieval, with a ghostly choir and a more classical melody. The closing track, One Two Three Four, again brings to mind the whispered sweetness of Chan Marshall, as well as reinstating the thematic cycle. Throughout the album, small touches of flute or violin keep the album sounding rich, while the lack of piano keeps it feeling soft, and somehow immediate. Rosie Thomas, the Innocence Mission, and Cat Power have all brought us albums of sweet reserved sound, spiked by the wry taste of good poetry. Linda Drapers beautiful voice, polished lyrics and refined instrumentation make her a fitting companion to those we trust for a little bit of sweetened honesty as we cycle through the occasionally bitter life.

http://www.leftoffthedial.com/LindaDraper_One.htm
- Left Off The Dial