Every once in a while I get an itch and go back to my old favorites from years past.
Occasionally, I am blown away anew at how absolutely kick ass an artist can be.
My current visit down memory lane is Jennifer Nettles. If anyone is an American country music fan, they may recognize her as the front woman for Sugerland. I don't care for Sugerland. It's entirely too homoginized, and Jennifer has altered the raw power of her voice to be more compatable with country pop. She sounds just like every other diva out there with Sugerland.
But back in the day. Oh back in the day...That woman rocked ever sock I ever owned. In the early 90's she was co-lead singer to a band out of Athens Georgia called Soul Miner's Daughter (not to be confused with a Seattle punk band by the same name). It was Inde bluesey kick ass. They released two albums, the first of which, "Sacred and Profane" , is pure visceral spiritual magic.
Then, because of a rift with her co-lead singer Corey Jones, she split with him, and she and the rest of the band reformed as The Jennifer Nettles Band. The sound became more introspective of Jennifer's journey of self discovery. She sang with power and unapologetic prose. "The Story of My Bones" is amazing. She's this little petite blonde who sings like she will rip your head off and swallow it whole and you will smile all the way down.
Just check out these lyrics alone:
Story of My Bones
"It's been two long months since I took a good look in the mirror
And in that time I find these lines on my face have gotten clearer.
It's time I reintroduce myself to the world
Show them what I'm all about
Even if it's just so they can chew me up and turn their heads and spit me out.
These bones in my face are from my mother
These lips I use are from my father
And the nose that rests above them is from another man
Somewhere who didn't bother.
I wonder what he would say
If he knew I got up here and rambled on this way
Would he then be proud and make it known
That he was part of me and I was one of his own."
and from her angry struggling days, "Listen":
"Come on over sir and let me buy you a drink
Cause everyone in the world is simply dying to know just what you think
Yes we value your opinion as a measure of our self-worth
Yeah you've been in this business awhile but baby
I've been destined since birth
What's your name don't you work for that radio
Then you write for that paper well then by all means you know, you know
What's happening now, what's hip, what's putridly insincere
Yes, you're right it's time for you to go, we don't sell any of that here
This ain't my thing, you know I really can't compete
Yeah you're as deep as the fucking ocean with your snobbish underground elite
Perhaps I bite the hand that feeds or cut off my nose to spite my face
But if you didn't come here to hear the truth
You shouldn't have come here in the first place
Then I turn to myself and ask if the turn will be mine
Maybe I bitch too much maybe too angry
Maybe I whine
Or maybe the picture of them I paint I paint too well
And though afraid they still adjust themselves as they put me back on the shelf"
Anypoo:
Do check her out! You can find some MP3 samples of her songs, lyrics, and some of her Jennifer Nettles Band releases at her website.
http://www.jennifernettles.com/index.cfm
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"Spider sense....tingling."
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