"Sea Green, See Blue" - Jaymay (Sea Green, See Blue, 2006)
Jaymay is a currently little-known singer-songwriter based in New York who, according to her online biog, started out playing local open-mic nights and quickly found a captive audience around the city. The U.S. being so vast, and its network of major & independent record labels so complex, it’s difficult to gauge how much attention she’s getting from the industry when you’re stuck across the pond scanning a Myspace page you stumbled upon by chance – but you can bet your ass it isn’t half the recognition she deserves. Before enduring the hassle of getting her EP imported from the States, I happened to check eBay to see if anyone was selling it on these shores and was more than a little surprised to find some short-sighted buffoon flogging it for a Buy-It Now price of just £2. “Unwanted gift”, the item description rather callously read - had they bothered to look more carefully though (not to mention actually listened to the thing), they might’ve noticed just what a treasure it was they were selling, since it also happens to be personally signed… Produced with an ear for improvisational nuance which recalls the likes of Nizlopi, Damien Rice and the low-key atmosphere of the East Coast bars where she honed her craft, the first thing that strikes you is the remarkable warmth and homeliness that her music evokes. Jaymay’s world is one of kites being flown on beaches, of lying next to someone gazing up at a clear blue sky and watching the vapour trails fade from a passing aircraft. She sounds almost bemused to find herself feeling the kind of sensations she sings about, as if experiencing the simultaneous confusion and euphoria of adolescent love for the first time. Her voice is effortless but bursting with character; her songs shuffle along with an ambling grace, twinkling with occasional xylophones and anchored by a lumbering double-bass. On one track you can even hear bottles being blown beneath the modest instrumentation. Each of the five songs on her debut EP has its own distinctive feel and flavour, ranging from gentle lullaby (Corduroy) tolanguid, waltzing jazz (Snow White – which, as coincidence would have it, bears a slight resemblance to one of my own songs, Sweetheart Maybe – a deliberate attempt on my part to write a Brenda Lee-style late-50s pitter-pat torch ballad. It never really suited Cause of Accident, but if Jaymay ever fancies having a crack at it she’s more than welcome…) However, there are two tracks in particular on here which hit the spot as previously only a Big Kahuna Burger & Sprite could. The first, Gray or Blue, is a rambling, ever-so-slightly off-key ukulele-led affair which sounds like Jenny Lewis performing one of the Marimba-based tracks from the last White Stripes album. Its lyrics are achingly, desperately sweet, spinning out the kind of bashful sentiments that you just wish someone would write about you while they sit gazing longingly from across the room: “I know the shape of your hands, ’cos I watch them when you talk / I know the shape of your body, ’cos I watch it when you walk…” The real zinger though is the title track, an affectionate but reflective tale of a love curtailed by circumstance which gradually swirls out from inside a down-turning, countrified chord sequence with a wide-eyed innocence that evokes images of someone sat aimlessly watching the world drift by from a railway bench. Underscored by a beautifully restrained string arrangement which never overwhelms the dreamy intermingling of memory and regret, there is an almost conversational style to her writing (“You dreamed you’d make movies, you’d dance; you moved to Montreal to be closer to France / How’s that working out? How’s the music? How’s the food?”) which, when combined with the song’s indolent structure, gives the impression of a wide-eyed, sad-happy girl alone with her thoughts. Its title perfectly sums up the mood of the entire EP by suggesting a tearful romanticism infused with an acute eye for kooky poetry; the song’s themes of self-sacrifice (“This is crazy, but I know I left you to be with your art / You always put me first, and somehow that broke my heart”) are never less than utterly heart-wrenching and bring to mind the equally affecting Your Sweet Voice by Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody’s side-project The Reindeer Section. The song has no discernible chorus as such, just a lilting melody-line which she hums wistfully over and over while the strings build to a gently melancholic crescendo. Whoever sold me this record for a few quid is an utter fool. I’ve never met Jaymay, and probably never will; however, on the basis of these five quietly yearning gems I can honestly say without thought or hesitation that I would marry her in an instant. Her music invokes the hopeful innocence of a child’s unsullied and uncomplicated naiveté, communicating the purest of intentions through the simplest of sentiments. Sea Green, See Blue is exactly what being in love sounds like.
Young NY singer builds big following with Web exposure
Mon Aug 7, 2006 10:54am ET
By Mark Egan
MATTITUCK, New York (Reuters) - Inside a disheveled Long Island beach cottage on a muggy summer day, Jamie Kristine Seerman sings into a microphone, strumming a battered guitar, recording on a computer a song that she hopes will be a hit.
She has no financial backing or marketing plan, but with the help of new technology, the 25-year-old who performs as Jaymay has quickly graduated from Manhattan open-mike nights to become a folk music darling.
And while she says major record companies from New York to London want to sign her in hopes of making her a star, Seerman is recording and plans to release her debut album alone.
"I've been offered conventional contracts from major record labels and very indie-friendly, unconventional contracts," Seerman said during a break from recording. "They have offered me everything I could want."
But with the music industry in flux because of the Internet, iTunes and inexpensive recording, she said that for now she would rather maintain control of her work.
"For a long time, the way you were discovered was through record labels. Now it's through the Internet, through blogs, through MySpace," she said. "For all I know, maybe music will all be sold as ring tones in seven years."
Playing New York's folk clubs since August 2003, Seerman began recording songs in her Brooklyn bedroom last year using a computer program. "It took a long time because of dogs barking and my landlord screaming. It was a very difficult setting."
DOWNLOADS AND PODCASTS
She released those recordings -- the five-song "Sea Green, See Blue" EP -- on the Internet site www.insound.com in February. On her MySpace page, fans have listening more than 75,000 times to her songs, which feature her seductive voice, poetic lyrics and sparse, unusual musical arrangements.
"Then in May I got a phone call from iTunes out of the blue," she said. "It really took off on iTunes."
Featured on Apple's iTunes' indie spotlight, her song "Gray or Blue" became a top-selling folk song in June and her EP made the top 100 albums.
Those sales -- over 1,300 EPs and more than 2,500 songs sold on iTunes plus more than 500 discs sold at concerts -- are funding her first full-length album, she said. "iTunes ... opened me up to people all over the world."
New technology gave her another boost on July 11 when Santa Monica, Calif.-based radio station KCRW put the song "Sea Green, See Blue" on its popular "Top Tune" podcast -- making the song available for free download to people worldwide.
British entertainment lawyer Nicky Stein, who first saw Seerman perform in a New York bar 18 months ago, likened her style to Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen. He began representing her in September and said he is now in "advanced" talks with "two major record labels in Britain" to release her album there.
Stein -- of London firm Clintons, which has a client roster including Paul McCartney, The Who and U2 -- said, "I hope to conclude a deal within the next couple of months." He declined to name the companies involved.
"WORD OF MOUTH ON STEROIDS"
Paste magazine music editor Jason Killingsworth said the music industry is so fragmented that for many artists, "there is no compelling reason to sign up to a major record label."
With cheap recording software and the Internet available to build a fan base, he said it often makes more sense to go it alone in the early years of an artist's career.
"These technologies have changed everything. They put the means of production in the hands of the average person in the same way blogging has made the average American Joe into a journalist," he said.
"The Internet is word of mouth on steroids, so these artists are building a real fan base," Killingsworth said. "It seems that the artists which start with slow-building momentum are the ones that that end up sticking around for 30 years."
Pete Giberga, who scouts and develops talent for Epic Records, said new technology had helped some artists become established without record companies.
But, he said, that new dynamic had neither made his job easier or more difficult. "Our goal is still to sign great artists with great songs. None of that has changed."
Raised on Long Island, Seerman graduated from university in Florida in 2003 and had wanted to work in book publishing. "No one would hire me," she said. "So, I moved back to New York ... and started playing open mikes."
"It was hard torture," she said of her early shows. "I would stay until 2:30 or 4:30 in the morning just to play one song. No one would be left, maybe four drunk people."
Despite that, Seerman felt being a singer was her fate.
Now as she puts the final touches on an album she hopes to release herself in America, Seerman is in no hurry for fame.
"If I don't have my big break for the next five or 10 years, then that's just the way it is. But I feel confident that something will happen," she said.
And while technology helped her get noticed, this young woman says she is still more bookworm than computer geek.
"I don't even know how to put songs on my iPod," she admitted with a smile.
[ back to top ]Jaymay: "Sea Green, See Blue" June 11, 2006 - 12:03 pm | Posted by BenKrieger
(Since last we blogged about her, Jaymay, a Jezebel 2006 Featured Artist who earned 2nd Place in the Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition, has snagged some significant chart success on iTunes. Read further for details and a...err...review of her latest EP.)
Dear Jaymay: I'm floating above your bed, fly-on-the-wall fashion, observing...
The boy is curled up (as I picture it, turtle-ishly), wrapped in the sheets next to you. The lamp on his side of the bed is off. Yours is not, and the glow reaches him in a few chosen places while splashing you squarely on one side (you're awake, staring, on your back). Your eyes point in my direction, but this is a story of the past, already etched into a combination chords and melody that lift me up and out of the audience every time I hear it and I remain unnoticed. Sometimes there is a xylophone at your side and you're leaning over to tap in cautiously, tinkering out the melody about that unobtainable love who you wish was curled up next to you (though I question whether or not he too would slip out of the lamplight once won over by you, your thoughts now focused on the corduroy boy). The scene plays itself over and over in my mind every time I hear you, and with a performance finally pressed and packaged into the most recent EP, I was hoping to have the scenario freely at my fingertips on evenings of my choice (face-to-face encounters have, after all, become increasingly more difficult to grasp; I recently walked home from a sold out performance, turned away at the door, downcast).
So I spin the song and the curtain rises once again. The scenario is the same, the bed, the lamp, the turtlish boy (it is all very Good Night Moon), you on your back staring upward and outward it's raining out the window your companion exudes the sounds of sleep...and then there are these other voices. Piping up from the left and right stereo channels, as loud as cotton, calling out for the course of a verse. Who are these people and why are here?! I think to myself, Go away! You're going to wake the turtlish boy! They listen, thankfully, but as I breathe a sigh of relief I'm greeted by the cheerful jiggling of a ukulele man? Is that a balafon team? Why?! Why are they here?! The piping voices return, and within seconds my once silent scenario has been bombarded by some sort of Van Morrison appreciation party. And against the grating cognitive dissonance I find myself tapping my feet. It's lovely and confusing to me at the same time, and as the counter reaches 3:24 it's all over.
I find myself sadly elated for you. I adore this song madly like every one of your compositions, and I am happy that this collection has helped you recently climb up the ladder of iTunes (in Top 100 Albums Overall, #1 Folk Album, 3 songs in Top 100 Folk, an Apple Store performance).
Still, you've left me longing. I miss the quiet, I miss the sound of the rain on the window, I miss the gentle, slumbering breath of the turtlish boy. And I know that the only way I'll regain these things is by wandering out into the evening, standing in the ever extending line of fans and hoping that, by some random roll of the dice, tonight's arrangements will be sparse enough to cradle the images that your words never fail to sculpt across my imagination.
Lovely jaymay, a young lady with wonderfully touching songs and a quirky but sincere live attitude, has been working hard in the last few years to her music and is now enjoying rewarding results. After becoming The Deli's Artist of the Month in April, when her new EP "Sea Green, See Blue" was released, and after a few important shows and interviews in other magazines and websites, the word about her has obviously started spreading around - and so has the music. The latest accomplishment is quite impressive: #1 folk ablum on i-Tunes with 3 songs in the top 100 in the Folk category. Last week her EP was actually featured on the main page of i-Tunes in the "Indie Spotlight". Wanna have a free listen to a few tracks of "Sea Green, See Blue"? Go here. The embedded Mp3 is not included in the EP.
Format: Five song EP. You�ll want to hear more, but this what she�s got for you right now.
Fidelity: Decent indie. We�ve both heard this kind of music recorded better, but there are no practical consequences attached to the problems. Some of the ancillary instruments aren�t as clear as they could be, and some percussion parts and backing vox are a bit dinky. Jaymay isn�t the sort of singer who stays steady in front of the microphone -- there are times when she approaches it like a friend, and other moments when she�ll drift away or trail off for dramatic effect. It heightens that sense of quiet intimacy that Jaymay music invariably generates, but it takes a moment or two to get accustomed to. Sea Green, Sea Blue sounds like it was mixed quickly. For reasons I�m about to go into, that was probably a wise decision, and in any event, it suits both the songs and the tone.
Genre: Indie singer-songwriter. Think Emiliana Torrini or Joanna Newsom, not Sarah MacLachlan. That�s not to say Jaymay sounds anything like Newsom, just that you could play their records back to back and it would make more contextual sense than it would if you heard Jaymay next to a singer shooting for the coffeehouse circuit. If the folks at the Abaton Book Company in Jersey City ever heard Jaymay, I bet they�d pass out, liquidate their entire indie-folk back catalog, and devote themselves to spreading her gospel. On second thought, she probably wouldn�t be weird enough for them. But they�d be impressed.
Arrangements: Artificial piano, voice, bass, acoustic guitar, minimal drums on a few songs. Jaymay harmonizes with herself occasionally and doubles a couple of choruses, but there�s usually no need for that. She�s best at the direct address. Jaymay gets great emotional mileage out of cheap Radio Shack-type synth sounds that would make your average singer-songwriter flee to the nearest Wurlitzer dealer: �Snow White�, for instance, begins with a glassy kalimba patch. Later, the sound (or something like it) reoccurs during the outro to the title track -- but there, it�s met by a Rhodes electric piano and reverbed violin and cello. Juxtaposing strings and thick, warm bass with dimestore Casiotone, tricycle bells, and xylophone sounds like the express train to Tweepop Station, but there�s nothing particularly childlike about this music: these are the reflections of a grown woman with an adult's heart. In concert, she likes to bust out that ever-popular imaginary mouth trumpet and blow a solo (and, fetchingly, some of the hair out of her eyes), but it barely shows up on Sea Green, Sea Blue. She throws in a quick snatch at the very end of �Snow White�, but if you�re a Jaymay mouth trumpet obsessor and you�re jonesing for a solo, you�re just going to have to wait until the next recording.
What's this record about?: Five sweetly-appointed love letters. Part of Jaymay�s appeal is the emotional honestly with which she writes: she�s very good at artfully turning a phrase, but she also knows when not to overwrite. She�s quotable, in other words, but she doesn�t waste time rummaging around for the mot juste: sometimes she�ll just address her intended flatly, fully inhabit the phrase, and bring her scenarios to life with an urgency that many pro writers would squeeze out. So it�s beside the point to wonder whether there�s a real recipient attached to these notes. Every word she sings has the ring of truth, and that�s all that matters. It helps that the narratives often unfold in real-time: it establishes the Jaymay character as playful, even when she�s being ruminative. For instance, in �Gray Or Blue� (Jaymay likes colors), she�s �struggling with her xylophone�, and sure enough, there it is, tinkling away in the background. �I�m winning you with words, because I have no other way�, she entreats her infatuation -- and you can practically see her at her desk at midnight, snow on the windowsill, perhaps, moon peeping between the clouds, her head hunched over a piece of paper, desperately summoning her belief in the power of language. But on �Snow White�, she won�t even pick up the phone: she loves him, but she�s going to keep her mouth shut, and by the end of the song, we�ve got a pretty good idea why. �Sea Green, See Blue� is the epic in six Dylanesque verses -- it�s a achingly-detailed story about an aesthete boyfriend who seems to have treated the narrator all too well. �You moved to Montreal to be closer to France/ how�s that working out?� she sings -- and she plays it for laughs, of course, but not just. A cheaper singer or a more ungenerous performer would whack him for it, but in Jaymay�s hands, the joke only deepens the poignancy and makes the scenario that much richer. Hers are terrifically-human characters, and they say the sort of things that terrific humans say: pained, regretful, ambivalent, magnetic statements of faith and belief in each other.
The singer: Jaymay has that whiny-ass Billie Holliday catch in her voice that is currently all the rage in Kingsborough. But if others are impressed by her pipes (and they definitely have been so far), there�s very little evidence that the singer herself shares the reverence. Sea Green, See Blue is not a vocal showcase. At the end of the five song set, you�ll feel pretty confident that Jaymay could sing in almost any style, including jazz -- but for a vocalist with chops galore, she goes extremely easy on the melisma. She�s interested in presenting herself as a songwriter first, and a singer only after that, and she only indulges in vocal gymnastics on the rare occasions when she feels they would serve her narrative. No matter how beautifully she glides from note to note, she�s still winning us with words, and she still believes she has no other way: so she keeps things conversational, tripping over consonants and twisting vowels like a mid-Seventies balladeer would. The great exception is �Corduroy�, where Jaymay shoots for the stratosphere -- here, her inflection is dream-drunk and maybe even madly slurred, kinda like Pirates-era Rickie Lee Jones.
The musicians: It�s a safe bet that the bassist who plays on Sea Green, See Blue is familiar with that there Astral Weeks album. The parts are prominent, fluid, and they keep venturing into slipstream, if you know what I mean. Hell, it could be Jaymay herself overdubbing them so they accompany her basic tracks; there�s more than a little Van the Man in her six-string strum patterns. Drums are understated, and the alternate percussion -- including that xylophone -- is confined to the peanut gallery. She�s a good hand with the cheap synth, and while she�s not as unpredictable as, say, Marianne Nowottny, she has a very intuitive and elastic sense of meter. And anything that sounds slightly off-kilter immediately makes sense the minute she starts singing. Her voice is like that -- it imposes its own private alignment on everything it reaches. The secret star here is violinist Olivier Manchon, who discharges his countermelodies with a nice Gypsy edge. He, too, has logged some serious time on Cypress Avenue. You don�t need to be a Van Morrison fanatic to play Jaymay music, but it helps.
The songs: When I mentioned Rickie Lee Jones before, I did it in passing. But the more I think about it, the more it occurs to me that Jones writes music the same way Jaymay does: they�ve both spent a lifetime doing self-assigned �compare and contrast� essays on Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell albums. And they both feel no need to flash their compositional sophistication or jazz credentials at you every time they sit down to write; they've got 'em, and they figure if you really care to look closely, you'll notice. �Color Confused� is the song here most indebted to swing-era recordings, but Jaymay, who has proven she can use the chromatic scale elsewhere, practically throws this one away. Now, if you�re looking the jazz chanteuse who knocked you dead at the Sidewalk Cafe, well, you can find that girl�s pretty footprints in every track. But it turns out that Jaymay is much more interested in establishing herself as an heir to the legacy of Seventies confessional singer-songwriters than she is in embodying anybody�s smoky-nightclub fantasies. This, incidentally, is my major problem with the latest batch of jazz-folk singers; they spend so much time chasing Dust Bowl v�rit� that they inevitably forget to write any songs or breathe life into the performances. I ain�t going to name no names, you all know who I�m talking about. Anyway, that could never happen to Jaymay -- she�s got her copies of Blonde On Blonde and Blue (more colors) to save her. �Sea Green, See Blue� is the most traditionally-written number: a flexible four-line melody with the big chord and feel change on the third line, building to a repeated tag. She breaks with the format exactly where Bob Dylan would have -- on the penultimate verse, when, overcome with passion, regret, and simple curiosity, she starts asking her direct questions. There�s even a little reiterative hummed bit; I mean, this woman knows the ropes. �Gray Or Blue� is the Joni Mitchell number -- here, there�s no chorus at all, but the cycled melody is loose enough to give the singer lots of interpretive storytelling latitude. And of course she takes it, and heightens the emotional intensity with each passage. She can ride this swell for years if she wants to, or as long as her inspiration holds out.
What differentiates this record from others like it?: It may have come to your attention that there are a hell of a lot of talented people in Brooklyn right now; in fact, the twenty-block stretch from Ash Street in Greenpoint to South 6th in Williamsburg probably contains the biggest concentration of white arts talent in American history. That makes it an exciting place to be. But the trouble with concentrations of talent is that it means that people who used to be able to distinguish themselves by sneezing suddenly can�t get recognized, and, inevitably, those people start to get screwy on you. It�s the natural human response to competition to redouble your efforts -- to find your comparative advantage, and sharpen that edge until it slices straight through everything and everybody you meet. I now get records from Brooklyn that strain so hard to impress you and hit you over the head with their compositional excellence and literary erudition that it actually hurts to listen to them. What�s amazing about Sea Green, See Blue is how confident it is. There is almost no sign of grinding, striving, or anticipatory friction on this record; I mean, it could have been made in Vermont. Jaymay doesn�t knock every line in her songs around until it bleeds metaphor; she�s perfectly content alternating between the prosaic and poetic as the mood strikes her. She doesn�t load her melodies down with acrobatic passages so she can show off her vocal moves, or twist her melodies into those attention-grabbing, inedible pretzels now on sale at EarWax. She hasn�t indulged in stupid Pro Tools tricks, or mastered the EP so that it blow you away with its perfect, irritating sound. No, Jaymay does something that almost nobody in Brooklyn does anymore: she relaxes, and allows her songs to unfold. She's not auditioning for anything -- and that makes these love notes feel real. Listening to Jaymay is like going up into an old attic with a record player on a day when you�ve got nothing pressing on you, no deadlines to hit and nobody to answer to, breaking open a crate of Carole King classics, and just wading into the sound. She�s not trying to kill you with music. She�s trying to reach you.
What's not so good?: When I first heard Jaymay sing, it occurred to me that she could write her own script: if she wanted to become a Top 40 artist, say, there was no reason she couldn�t make herself into Corinne Bailey Rae. But I mentioned to Jed Smith that I thought it would be cool to make a Jaymay record sound as if it was a 78 unearthed from your grandpa�s collection of jazz sides. Now that I�ve heard Richard Swift and Jolie Holland and Sylvie Lewis and countless others do just that, I recognize that move would have been effective but corny. In short, I was wrong and she was right, and anybody with a real ear for music could have told you that right then. Jaymay is too good, and too indebted to real classic sources, to allow herself to be hyperstylized. That would have introduced an element of tenseness and caution into her music that doesn�t need to be there, and that she�s managed to avoid on Sea Green, See Blue. Still, the tug of verite is a hard one to resist completely, and on �Color Confused�, she attempts a rapproachment -- not by orchestrating the track like it�s a Billie Holliday number, but by pulling that old Williamsburg trick of running the vocal through some kind of distortion. It probably sounded cool in the studio and all, but coming as it does after the painfully intimate �Sea Green, See Blue�, it makes the last track seem like a throwaway or an add-on. It�s a really good song; it would have benefited from a more straightforward treatment.
Recommended?: The nice thing about this review format is that it keeps the writer from getting too hyperbolic, which is a good limit to put on yourself when you�re me writing about Jaymay. But I�d be remiss if I failed to mention how spellbinding she is in concert: how she can make a roomful of drunk hipsters drop their side conversations about Stephen Colbert�s genius and focus complete attention on the stage. She can hypnotize a loud rock club with her voice and her guitar, and in a more intimate space, she can absolutely make you forget what city you�re in. In part, it's the force of her gigantic talent, and in part it's her undeniable charisma; yes, those things are related, but they aren't quite indistinct. Wisely, Jaymay doesn�t try to duplicate the total eclipse vibe of her live show on Sea Green, See Blue, because that can�t be done. Instead, she relaxes, paces herself, and slowly swings open a door into her world, and invites you through. There�s no attempt to show you all the cards at once; she trusts you'll be coming back for more. She's got all the time in the world.
Where can I get a copy/hear more?: Here�s the website, and the obligatory MySpace page; you'll find the stupefyingly-great "You Are The Only One" on that site. I�m sure she�s all over iTunes, too.
Mates of State Manchester Roadhouse on Saturday 20 May 2006
The Mates of State appear to have splashed over the music scene lately with their catchy pop-esque yet exceedingly hard to classify style. The ‘cute’ duo, as they have been called, hail from California and look the very picture of sunshine electro.
Opening at the Manchester Roadhouse, a wet dream of a venue for any band to grace, the crowd mounted to a mere 50, a slight surprise after all the hype and record sales.
JayMay supported, a small time New York girl, standing in the spotlight with only her guitar. Now this woman can sing. I mean, really sing. She was captivating to watch and even more so to listen to, with her voice showing off the husky tones of a Regina Spektor vocal. Her songs were simple yet meaningful, summing up life as a mid 20’s girl in the strum of a guitar. She played a stunning tribute to her late friend Paul, and the short six song set was by no means enough to fully justify her musical potential. She was the best support I have seen in a long time and I encourage you all to buy her EP or check her out on myspace, you will not be disappointed.
Mates Of State opened with that annoying banter that so many American bands seem to do these days, complaining of what they’ve been called and trying to mock the British accent. (It doesn’t work, you sound stupid.) However, the moment was soon forgotten as 50 sweaty electro kids spazzed (I really don’t know how else to describe it) there way to the front of stage, waving around their cans of Strongbow and stamping their converse clad feet. The music was catchy, funky keyboard rhythms and a drumbeat you could clap along too, yet they seem to lack something live that they do on record. Oh wait, they actually can’t sing live. Gardner’s voice held the equivalent of a teenage shouting tantrum, whilst Hammel was barely heard.
Although they played the hits, the songs did seem to merge into one, and after a while the set became monotonous and lacking in any substance. A big disappointment for a band that seemed to have the ‘goods.’ (bad pun, but there you go).
Here I was thinking Jaymay had a nice following in New York City and hoping that I could do my little part to spread the word beyond. And then I hear that she’s got a banner in the Folk section of the iTunes Music Store, and that her record is in the top 10 there. So I guess she’s bigger than I thought, though I’m not really surprised.
It’s really gratifying to see people embracing good music. So much of the best stuff remains below the radar. And I have to assume that good old fashioned word of mouth (amplified by the newfangled internets) is responsible for her success thusfar, and to a guy like me, that’s deeply encouraging.
If you haven’t heard Jaymay on PulverRadio yet, you’re probably not listening all that much. WTF, guy. So listen a lot more. And go right now to her myspace page and check out her stuff. She’s quite good.
(Note: you can download “You Are The Only One I Love” there, which was recorded the first night I saw Jaymay, which was by accident, at The Living Room. She was on before Josh Pyke. New York rules like that. After Jaymay and Josh Pyke a little jazz trio got up and then Norah Jones got up on stage and sang a few songs with them in a hoodie in front of about 20 people.) www.jaymaymusic.com
don't breathe. that's impossible.
some people have it and some people don't and lately i'm becoming more and more convinced that there's really nothing more to it than that.
i went to see jaymay last night (since i can't say enough good things about her i'll keep it short). but she introduced one song as one of the first songs she wrote on the piano she learned to play on and it was really quite beautiful.
the first songs i've written, for the most part, are not so great. which is why you'll never hear them.
now maybe she meant that it was just one of the first songs she wrote that she thought was good, or maybe she's just got more talent in her little finger than i do in all mine. i lean towards the latter.
not that it matters really. she's amazing and she'll go places and people will talk about her.
as for me, all i've really ever wanted was to have a few people clap for me in a bar for something other than being intermittently good at darts. i'm gonna do that sometime soon.
the title of this post is just something my friend chris said to me today after he gave me some good advice that i'm sure we both know i won't take. if you read it like "breathing is impossible" (which is what i did at first) then maybe you can walk around all day feeling like you're a miracle or something.
[ back to top ]tuesdays shall go down in infamy this day was long and exhausting.
from work to meetings meetings meetings. from zola to cathartic songstresses. i haven't slept well in ages. the bags under my eyes are starting to show through the foundation. my makeup is smeared and my hair is slightly limp. my eyes are brighter than usual because my face takes on a pinched-up, bony look when i have to rely on my reserve will-power to get through it all.
jaymay was amazing tonight. her band was phenomenal and i now have a newfound crush on the pianist nico georgis. i was comfortably sandwiched between two people who just needed to be there and i was able to see some old faces amongst the crowds of industry people. jaymay played most of the songs i wanted her to. it was a great set. i don't think i'll be likely to put it out of my mind anytime soon.
i have fabulous friends, i hope they don't forget me.
now i'm home and exhausted and slightly teary-eyed from the fatigue and the knowledge that a good rest is still far off.
maybe my eyes are bright for other reasons as well.
could you remove the light from the room dear one?
If you've spent any time at all at the Sidewalk Cafe or similar Manhattan venues in the past two years, you've probably seen Jaymay perform.
An upstart on the local antifolk scene, the young singer/songwriter has caught the notice of music bloggers and A&R types alike through her live performances and 2 EPs, including the just-released "Sea Green, See Blue."
Her luscious vocals and Dylan-esque sound won her many fans in a short period of time. But despite the hype and pressure of being branded "the next big thing," Jaymay maintains a level head.
"Something's going to happen this year," she said, in reference to a potential album with a major label. "[But] I can't be specific, I can't until it really happens."
Low-key and unassuming in temperament, Jaymay had been interested in music since she was a child, but hadn't seriously considered it as a career until recently.
"On my AP exams, I wrote all song lyrics," she said. "I failed them, I got ones on all of them. I really wrote on one test, 'Maybe one day I'll be a singer songwriter.'"
But she went off to college and studied for a career in book publishing, only playing music for herself in her room. In time, however, she figured out that what she really wanted to do was perform, and she found her way downtown to an open mic night at Sidewalk Café.
They loved her and invited her back. She played to packed houses there (and at the Living Room and Pianos) and became integrated into the anti-folk community, a loose collective of like-minded musicians centered at Sidewalk. "I recommend to everyone I meet who asks, 'How did you get started?' to definitely [immerse themselves in that crowd] because it is such a supportive environment, especially if you're new to performance," Jaymay said. "They're really encouraging. They embrace your beginnings, and you watch each other grow."
And it seems Jaymay is in the middle of a growth spurt. She's in talks with labels to produce a full-length album later this year, and she has tentative plans for a two-week tour of Japan in July. Tuesday night she hits up Joe's Pub to celebrate the release of "Sea Green, See Blue."
Jaymay With Palo Colorado at Joe's Pub Tuesday night 9:30pm, FREE. 425 Lafayette St, RSVP: 212-539-8778
SESAC presented a special evening with star talent Jaymay on April 11 at NYC's infamous Joe's Pub. Jaymay performed a fantastic show to support her latest EP release "Sea Green, See Blue."
SESAC's Jamie Dominguez and Trevor Gale hang backstage with Jaymay (center)
Jaymay onstage at Joe's Pub.
The crowd is captivated by Jaymay's musical prowess.
Jaymay soothes the audience with her pleasing melodies.
Palo Colorado accompany Jaymay in her performance.
Celebrating with Jaymay after her fantastic show. Pictured left to right are SESAC's Trevor Gale, Jamie Dominguez, Jaymay, SESAC Chairman/CEO Stephen Swid and SESAC's Tara McDermott
Jaymay is the moniker used by Jamie Kristine Seerman, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Brooklyn. She is part of New York’s so-called “anti-folk” movement. Although her influences are fairly common (Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Lou Reed), Jaymay has developed a unique and original voice since her debut on the Manhattan music scene three years ago. She released her first EP via her Web site yesterday. (See review.)
I had the good fortune to speak with Jaymay last week. We were supposed to talk about the new EP, but ended up discussing Bob Dylan and J.D. Salinger instead.
Why did you move to New York City?
I always wanted to move to New York. I originally planned on becoming a book publisher, but I never ended up doing that.
New York seems to be a recurring theme in your lyrics.
Yeah. I have a thing for this city, or maybe particular people in it. I have a feeling it’s going to start showing up more and more in my songs too.
Let’s talk about influences. Obviously there’s Dylan. What else?
Well, I’ve been listening to Dylan since sixth grade when I first discovered him. “Ballad in Plain D” is playing in my stereo right now. That’s my favorite Dylan song. But also, I love Blood On The Tracks, Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61…I am so in love with him it’s ridiculous. Since sixth grade, nonstop. Also Salinger. I read Catcher in the Rye almost every year. I definitely read more than I listen to music.
Did you ever go look for the ducks in Central Park when you got to New York?
No, I was more into the museum scheme of things. I lived in Italy for a year, and only listened to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Listening to that record is like riding a train through Italy. I want to approach my first album in a similar fashion. It’s probably my favorite album.
What draws you to these individuals?
I have a thing for personalities: Lou Reed, Dylan, Van Morrison… The thing with Dylan in sixth grade was that he got me musically. His music is as good and as powerful as his lyrics. It’s funny. Anything I truly love I don’t think I quite loved immediately, except for him. I first read Catcher in the Rye in sixth grade, but it wasn’t until tenth grade that I liked it.
You mentioned wanting to do your first album like Astral Weeks. Do you mean approaching it from a live standpoint?
No. I don’t mean production-wise. Although who knows… I mean, as a theme… as a whole. This EP does that, too. I just got back from L.A., recording ten to 13 hours a day. It was kind of dreamy. It was like, “for the next 10 days, you live here.” But those recordings are live with a band, as well. It was very strange. I’m accustomed to my Brooklyn apartment.
What material were you working on in L.A.?
Well, I’ve been writing forever, and only just started recording it. I have tons of back material. Literally, garbage bags full. I am constantly listening to myself on tape cassette. That’s part of my writing process. There’s a shitload of material that’s gonna be released this year. [The music from the LA sessions] will be divided into two EP’s, maybe. Maybe there will be a full length next year, too.
Will “On and On” be released on one of those? The opening lines to that song are excellent.
Thank you. I think, yes. I had so much fun writing that song. I wrote it on our shitty piano at home in Long Island.
It reminds me of Nilsson.
I get compared with him a lot. But I think I only know one of his songs. I have very limited knowledge of music. I think influences, in general, is a strange question. I take long walks. I’m more influenced by what surrounds me than music. Subways rather than songs.
Sea Green, Sea Blue. chronicles the aftermath of a romantic relationship that provided the inspiration for many of Jaymay’s early songs. The EP maintains the same level of quality songwriting that has generated a lot of buzz about her on music blogs.
“Gray or Blue” begins with acoustic guitar, shaker and upright bass. Ukulele and glockenspiel accentuate specific phrases and rhythmic elements throughout. The song uses imagery from the past and present to figure out whether the subject’s eyes are gray or blue: “You haven’t written to me in a week/ I wonder why that is/ Are you too nervous to be lovers/ Friendship’s ruined with just one kiss/ I watched you very closely and I saw you look away/ your eyes are either gray or blue/ I’m never close enough to say.” A falsetto chorus sings “charming eyes have you/ are they gray or blue…” underneath Jaymay’s lead. The song has an optimistic tone. It is strong and assertive without being vindictive. Melodically, it provides the best hooks on the EP.
The title track, “Sea Green, See Blue,” begins simply with acoustic guitar and Jaymay singing, “‘Won’t you miss me?’ you said inside Grand Central Station/ and your eyes grew red and wild before the chasin’/ I felt your body move thru my coat/ I felt you footstep silent but/ heavy, you followed me onto the shuttle/ tapped my shoulder one last time…that was all.” Brushed drums and upright bass enter and fill out the rhythm track. Rhodes, violin and cello play during later refrains. The song puts the rest of the EP in perspective in the final verse: “This is crazy, but I know I left you to be with your art/ You always put me first and somehow that broke my heart/ Cause it’s not my place to choose/ my first love and my only muse/ sea green, see blue.” Here, she explains the circumstances of the relationship’s end. It is a striking lyrical moment – both poignant and tender.
Three other songs are on the EP: “Corduroy” is a ballad with a stretched falsetto in the chorus and rich accompaniment. “Snow White” uses a Brion-esque arrangement of balaphone, wine bottles filled with water (which are blown into for the song’s bass notes), tape loops, violin, cello and marching snare. “Color Confused” is a live recording of acoustic, upright bass and drums. The EP—recorded in Jaymay’s Brooklyn apartment with friend, Jared Engel—is well recorded and well produced. The arrangements are unique and interesting, but never get in the way of Jaymay’s understated voice. Some reviewers have likened her to Norah Jones and Regina Spektor. Though there are similar elements in her music, she doesn’t sing with the sultry presence of the former or the abrasiveness of the latter. Nor do these comparisons exemplify her lyrical prowess. Jaymay is a true poet, weaving the sights and sounds of New York City in and out of her personal life. The New York she describes is not the hustle of Times Square or the trendiness of SoHo; it is old New York, characterized by Salinger and The New Yorker. Her lyrics are sophisticated yet intimate.
If I had any complaints about the record, they would stem from the fact that it’s so short. The five songs just miss the 20-minute mark but, hey, it’s an EP. Besides, she’s assured me she has more music on the way. Good thing I have this one to listen to until then.
The Deli is into predictions today -- we predict that the 79th Annual Academy Awards will feature a song by our own Jaymay, the all blog-hyped, and major-label attracting, jazz singer-songwriter. We expect that within the year, her record will be picked up by the biggies, she'll score a movie, and be up for Best Song, right along Dolly Parton (ok, maybe not Dolly Parton, but one how can one not hope for another song about transgendereds played by Dol?). Don't miss her EP release "Sea Green, See Blue" at her Mercury Lounge show Tuesday, March 7. $8, 8:30 p.m. CATHERINE ADCOCK
A young girl sits on the stage, quiet and intent, the last vestiges of her youthful shyness peeking out from behind wide alert eyes. She greets the crowd casually, with only the slightest touch of an endearing nervousness and then begins singing. Her voice is as quirky as it is sweet and clear. The song is about herself. She sings about relationships, colors, the city and the sky, all told through a simple honest vision of the world reflected inwardly. A comparison to Woody Guthrie might seem out of line for a poppy, melodic songwriter far removed from the politics Guthrie was known for, but she shares his most striking characteristic - the innocent nature that allows someone to look at the world and sing it back simply. It’s the ability to look at the sky or a strolling couple and instantly find a line and a melody to describe it, turning it into a song for anyone to relate to.
“I feel so helpless now/my guitar is not around/ and I’m struggling with this xylophone/to make these feelings sound... It’s raining out the window,” she sings on Gray or Blue. The lyrics are a fluid snapshot, a personal moment captured vividly, but one that rings true universally for its nakedness. The ability to poeticize everyday moments helps to explain her prolific songwriting. “I only write things that are honest,” she explains “It’s how I learned to express myself.” This natural ease carries over beyond her lyrics into the music itself. Her songs sound familiar with an old time feel, while at the same time fresh and all together new. The melodies are usually bittersweet and catchy, floating breezily over easy progressions. She sounds personable, and backed up by arrangements that borrow as much from jazz as they do from traditional folk, her four chord songs become as complex and intriguing as they are accessible.
Despite the simple sweetness of her sound, offstage she exudes a strong presence and a sense of certainty and command over her burgeoning career. “Quitting is not an option,” she tells me. Perhaps this attitude explains the patience and maturity she has brought to her career so far. Despite a large amount of attention from, indy labels, major labels, publishers, and other suit types, she is biding her time. She’s not nearly as interested in leaping at illusions of stars and empty promises as she is in steadily building her fan base through her own efforts, and continuing to retain control over her future. “I’m building leverage with the labels,” she explains, “I wouldn’t take anything unless it was exactly what I wanted.” She is confident enough that she doesn’t feel the need to leap at the first thing to come along. That kind of confidence can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but her music and hard work have already shown she can afford the patience.
A shy girl growing up, she has been writing songs as long as she can remember. For most of her life they were something personal that she was reluctant to share. Finally at 22, she decided to put herself on the line and played her first open mic at the Sidewalk Café. She found a supportive community of likeminded musicians who took to her instantly. Their encouragement spurred her on as she used gigs at the Sidewalk to build a draw and open the door to playing other Lower East Side venues like the Living Room where last summer she did a month long residency that was a smash success, packing the venue every week, and drawing out well deserved attention from the press and other industry types. Shortly after she found herself able to quit her day job and devote herself full time to music. Now she is building her notoriety patiently while keeping her goals in sight. When I ask her how far she sees herself going she answers “Huge!” without a moment’s hesitation.
This year she will be releasing a series of short concept EP’s, beginning with the soon to be released “Sea Green, See Blue,” including the track Gray or Blue. It will be four songs, each one focused on a color. As to the idea of a full length, she seems as patient and unhurried about the idea as she is in regards to major labels. “An album is a big statement, and I don’t think I’m ready to make that kind of statement. I won’t release a full length album until I’ve written the songs to be one.” The EP’s are written to stand on their own. They showcase her as an artist always moving forward, more willing to take risks and try new things. The production is more flushed out than on previous recordings, and the songs sound mature, almost plotted, but with an experienced guiding hand.
In many ways Jaymay embodies the modern New York singer/songwriter. With an organic accessible sound that is as familiar as it is refreshing, she exudes independence and confidence that shows what we all learned from the punk and grunge years of the nineties. The unforced organic quality to her performance and songwriting make it look natural enough to inspire anyone to want to pick up a guitar and try for themselves. Taking a listen though will make anyone glad that it was her who did.
Jaymay performing at the Jezebel Music Feature Show, February 16, 2006 at Galapagos Art Space.
Photos by Judith Levitt
"She's not nearly as interested in leaping at illusions of stars and empty promises as she is in steadily building her fan base through her own efforts, and continuing to retain control over her future."
Issue 7: New York meets London Download PDF Release date: 11.07.05 Featuring: The Five O'Clock Heroes, MClap Your Hands Say Yeah, Aberdeen City, FeverKing, The Cloud Room, The Changes, The Diggs, The Boy Least Likely To, Jaymay, and more
Jaymay’s “little EP that could” contains 3 songs that pack a sonorous wallop. This little sister keeps a firm grasp on her guitar while she allows her voice to meander through some complex song-scapes. Her voice is all this: flowers, scissors at the heads of those flowers, refreshingly bearing no comparison to any other book on the shelf so someone, please, buy her dinner.
You seem to have it all figured out. What’s the secret?
I'm not telling.
What is it like growing up with 5 siblings?
It's awesome. One masters the art of sharing. For Christmas there'd be one big gift under the tree and it was always whatever the oldest wanted (Turbo Graphix 16, for example).
How did having an “English teaching Dad” affect your relationship with words?
In 5th grade we had to memorize a poem and recite it to the class. Most kids memorized a poem by Shel Silverstein. I memorized "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" by W.B. Yeats. So, not at all.
Do you think Salinger is revered because he is talented, or because he is reclusive?
I think he is reclusive because he's talented. I think he is revered because he is successfully reclusive.
Do you sing because you want to or because you have to?
I sing so someone will buy me dinner. I have to eat.
Who/what do you think about when you sing?
I think about the song and the song is usually about a boy. I think about boys.
Your shows at the Living Room are intimate and still. Have you had any problems with hearing a little too much of the audience/hecklers?
Sometimes I think it's the other way around. Maybe sometimes the hecklers are hearing a little too much of me.
What song have you written that you are most proud of and why?
Dylan wrote “Like a Rolling Stone” when he was 24. I think he still considers that to be his best song. When I turned 24 I was like, oh shit! I gotta write my best song too. Then I wrote “Sea Green, See Blue” or rather, it wrote itself over the course of three days. I got this funny feeling after I wrote it, like I knew it was my best. Now I gotta go write something better.
If you decided to trash the whole music thing, what job would you like to try?
Professional, revered recluse.
Who are your heroes, musically or otherwise?
Dylan.
What is the best song to hear while falling asleep?
Dylan's “Ballad in plain d.” In your case, “Salad in plain d.”
What do you think about 5 minutes before falling asleep?
Boys and words to go along with them.
Song you wish you wrote:
There are albums I wish I wrote. Like Astral weeks and desire.
What else, Jaymay?
Oh, nothing.
"Dylan wrote “Like a Rolling Stone” when he was 24. I think he still considers that to be his best song. When I turned 24 I was like, oh shit! I gotta write my best song too. "
Every Monday night for the past month a waif of a performer has been entrancing shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in the back room of SoHo's Living Room bar, backgrounding the chitchat of Village hipsters with an ethereal concoction of lilting lyrics, wailed laments, clever interludes, and the sort of good old-fashioned folk that freely references its foot-tapping roots. As a songwriter, Jaymay has a talent for taking girl-with-a guitar conventions and nudging them just enough left of center that your aesthetic sense becomes conscious of experiencing something new. She's mastered the sardonic, no-nonsense delivery that made early Ani DiFranco sound at once so personal and so tough, and that serves as such an effective counterpoint to the wispy sentimentalism of soft folk rock. She demonstrates through abbreviated pieces like “Letter” that she's not afraid to let a short but sweet musical theme stand on its own, unadorned, as the sort of ephemeral musical poem with which Tori Amos fans are so familiar, and she seasons old country tropes with contemporary sensibility as adeptly as Neko Case. But these comparisons serve only to illustrate aspects of her art, not to reduce or dissect it. Whether she's strumming along to a ragtime piano solo, whispering confessional poetry over faintly plucked guitar strings, or improvising a horn solo that—due to the absence of a horn—is literally tongue-in-cheek, Jaymay has a style that's very much her own, and that style is serving her well. In the show I attended she bantered confidently with a crowd that barely fit in the room she faced, and that responded to her confessions with a hush, to her single one-liner with a roar, and to the gestalt of her performance with generous contributions to the tip-bucket. In fact, though her songwriting is accomplished and her style is singular, her real genius seems to be for performance, and specifically for the kind of laid back performance that invites attention rather than demanding it. She sits while singing, and while her songs could serve well as ambience for soft coffee shop conversation, her spriteliness and inventive approach ensure that you can't help but pay attention. Unexpected but effective moments flourish—like that weird little hummed horn solo—guaranteeing that your attention is rewarded. You may sense, too, even during a single show, that she is skillful in adapting her compositions to the various requirements presented by different venues, diverse crowds, and a changing roster of backing musicians. Given these gifts, it will be interesting to see what choices Jaymay makes during the production of a full-length album. Her independent promo disc is an adequate document of her unusual style, and an evocative testament to her skill as a singer; but the early productions of a young artist like this invite more speculation than assessment. How will she choose to arrange songs that adapt so well to different performers and new contexts? And what tools and additions will her producer use to highlight, without drowning out, her unique style? There's nothing to do, of course, but wait and see—for now it should be pleasant enough to look Jaymay up in the backroom of some bar or coffee shop, take note of her talents, and imagine the possibilities open to her. By Nick Wolven
A&R types have been making their way in small groups to The Living Room for New York's own Jaymay, who finishes up her residency at the venue next week. Reps from various sides of the industry, including label, legal and publishing, have stopped in to see the singer-songtress' charming live act and mind-blowing vocals. Early comparisons have been made to Regina Spektor.
Last night we caught up with Jaymay performing a fourth week of residency at The Living Room. There has been some buzz circulating this young woman so we had to see a show. She noted that her drummer would not be playing with that night but will be back next week. With or without the drummer, JayMay was pleasing to the ears. She had great stage presence and wowed the crowd. You might want to say she reminds you of Regina Spektor at first listen (Jaymay does a better trumpet impersonation than Regina). Next week she'll end her residency at The Living Room. Be sure to catch that show. It should be amazing.
[ back to top ]5/9/2005 "This Williamsburg resident has a phenominal voice, and her intimate, story-telling singing style is well suited to this room." - AM New York
You never know what to expect in this city, but to hear such thing of beauty on a simple Monday evening is rare even here. Thanks to the superior scouting skills of the lovely Kerry Kennedy, we got to hear Jaymay and her band at the Living Room. Yes, it's just a girl playing guitar (or piano), but this does not get boring, not for a single second. Her voice is a great original mix of Suzanne Vega (timbre) and Lou Reed (phrasing), her tunes are strong, lively and engaging - and her backing band is a pleasure to listen to and a lesson in well-disciplined decency. If these people don't get a bloody good record deal soon, I don't know who does. Jaymay plays every Monday in May at 9pm at the Living Room. Seize the chance - it's free now, soon you'll be paying $80 or more to see her at the Beacon or MSG.
This girl is going places. Currently a starving artist in the Big Apple, Jaymay has only a 3-track promotional EP in her library of recordings, and even so, she is going places. Rarely do we get the treat of hearing a pop songwriter with both an innovative style and a startlingly beautiful, natural voice. And when I say "beautiful," I don't mean "beautiful" like your friend who sings at the coffee shop down the street (although Jaymay does sing at coffee shops down streets); I mean "beautiful" like one of the most subtle and tasteful and fine interpreters of song that I've heard in a long while. Jaymay is young and just getting started, but based on her promo disc, I predict a bright future. Enjoy. - Paul Banks
The first time we saw Jaymay performing her unique brand of folk and jazz it was at Sidewalk Cafe. It was packed, people were dropping money in the hat and we immediately signed the mailing list. Girls with guitars are everywhere in this city, but this one - like a siren - was pulling people into this room and leaving them silent, speechless even. Shocked and lulled into a stupor. Come lose your balance and verbal skills at the Living Room this month as Jaymay starts her residency there.
(Assuming it's not your real name) How did you come up with the name Jaymay? i get jaymay, ja me, james, J, jay, JS, but my name is Jamie Kristine Seerman. I don’t like it. i was nervous singing at my first open mic (sidewalk café) and i didnt want anybody to know my real name so I said it was jaymay. No one pronounces it or spells it right.
What is your first conscious memory of living in New York? Paul Simon’s concert in the park. I was listening from my aunt’s roof.
What is your favorite/least favorite memory involving New York? Warm Weather/Winter.
What is your favorite place to drink in NYC? What's the best night of the week to go out in the city? I often drink on my rooftop in Brooklyn. I like to go out to the living room (154 Ludlow) every monday in may, 9PM.
Do you think your New York connection shows in your music? If so, how? I am crazy about new york. I LOVE NY. It shows in all my lyrics- specially in the song On & On: “please excuse the state of mind i'm in i haven’t been myself for days on end in new york looking inside every window pane i haven’t seen you on the street or in a coffee shop or on a bench hiding behind the nytimes somewhere in central park . . .” i think 99% of my songs are about the city or a particular person in it.
Now its time for some fill-in-the-blank action
You know you've made it when... you can fill in the blank with something better than this.
It'll be time to pack up the gear for good when... i don’t think it will ever be that time.
I'll never forget the first time I... got a watch.
Lets have some fun with word association. Give me your immediate feelings on the following (if you've got no discernable feelings, make something up that won't embarrass you in the morning)
Yankees = dirt. Mets = wynn walent’s passion apart from music. Britney = do you dare? Bridge & Tunnel = water & light Anti Folk = folk music. Times Square = Gordon at the guitar shop. Bloomberg/Smoking Ban/Noise Laws = cartoon/good/motorcycle, barking dog, band practice.
Questions inspired by movies
If you will, a brief justification of the ontological necessity of modern man's existential dilemma (in less than 10 words).(Reality Bites) i won't.
What came first, the music or the misery?(High Fidelity) i like to think about which came second.
A few quickies on the music tip
Who would be in your ultimate music supergroup, your all-star Olympic team of rock? Bob Dylan, bruce springsteen, van Morrison, paul simon, elvis Costello, chet baker, and bjork. And the vitamen.
If you released a 7" what would you put on the cover? A scratch n’ sniff sticker.
What was the first/last album you bought on the day it was released? Beck’s sea change.
[ back to top ]4/7/05 "This local talented singer-songwriter will knock your socks off." - AM New York
It's fun to discover a new artist. One that hasn't been blogged about ad nauseum. Someone who's got their whole career in front of them. That person is Jaymay. I could tell you all about her upbringing and how she got to where she is today...but that's not important; it's the music that counts.
Jaymay is a singer-songwriter with a crystal clear voice who sounds like she's found the secret to mixing folk, cabaret, and jazz (a new trend - Sylvie Lewis and Norah Jones also). If you live in and around NYC you're lucky, JayMay will be performing at The Living Room on Mondays in May.
Three songs are available online with nothing yet available to purchase, so just sit back and relax (unless you're a label type then get on the horn to your superiors). - Craig Bonnell
Jaymay from NYC (previously mentioned). I went to her show last night at the Living Room. Good draw. She revives old jazz and blues but complies with the new folk sounds of Devendra Banhart, Ray Lamontagne and Nellie McKay. At 23, she's very comfortable in her own skin harboring a starlet-like compusure rarely seen in these parts. Spotted in the audience was attorney George Stein (Jeff Buckley) among others.
[ back to top ]Urban Folk (Vol. 1) - Promo CD Review
This three song CD is the jewel of the New York underground. When I first got it, it didn't leave my player for days. Her songs sound familiar with an old time feel, while at the same time fresh and altogether new. She gives us catchy yet complex melodies, creative and personal lyrics that are easy to connect with, and the voice of an angel; a quirky angel with a good sense of humor and an easy going attitude. She almost has a twang to her voice, although more sweet than any kind of country twang. The recording is just her and the piano, but the production sounds good and the simplicity of it brings out the songs well. The ballad at the end says a lot about her talent that she could still make the song drawn-out and moving while not losing the easy melodic sense that made the other songs work so well. This CD is necessary for everyone regardless of his or her tastes. You will be hearing the catchy melodies for days, and thanking life that such sweet sounds exist. -Dave Cuomo
[ back to top ]Thursday, 09 December 2004 REVIEW-Jaymay's Promo Disc
So what would prompt us to do something like review a three-song promo disc? Well, for starters, it would have to be from one of the most exciting, innovative and emotionally invigorating artists we've ever seen. Secondly, we'd have to have a reviewer like Rob Rabiee as enamoured as we are by the musical stylings of young Ms. Jaymay. With Jaymay appearing tonight at Pianos, we decided to hold off on introducing you to the Jaymay promo until now (she released it about a month ago, also at Pianos). We hope you'll forgive us for the delay. Read on...
Review: The Jaymay Promo Disc By: Rob Rabiee
JayMay's generation of female soft pop songsters are damned to stand forever in the shadows of Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, and "That Chick from Belle & Sebastian." This Holy Trinity of Girl Vocal Pop have, more than any set of singers since the "girl pop" luminaries of the early 60s (Ronettes, Cilla Black, the Shangri-La's, etc.), left an indelible stamp on the tone and texture of modern music. Vanessa Carlton and her wicked cadre of pale look- and sound-alikes haunt the decrepit VH-1 mansion at or around the witching hour, and most every open mic is guaranteed to sport a Mann-alike strumming, swooning, humming, and bubbling over with effervescent vocal trills and personal lyrics that would make even Joni Mitchell groan in disbelief. We mustn't neglect, on the other side of the spectrum, the Le Tigre/Sleater-Kinney/Ani DiFranco triumverant, responsible for more olive green military pants, black tank-tops, and shaved heads than a Neo-Nazi compound in Oregon (sorry, Portland League of Racial Purity -- you just don't have enough pop capital to spark a trend.) Women of Generation Fill-in-the-Blank, the powers that be have given you a clear choice: boring and confessional or boring and radical. Take your pick.
JayMay's three-track promo, then, is a breath of fresh air in the stagnant world of the female singer-songwriter, a slice of piano-oriented pop that dares to stand out from the great granola gang and overflow with ebulient, mind-bogglingly catchy pop in the tradition of...well, you know who. Opener "On & On" apes the opening piano stab of the Fabs's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" before settling into a quiet, autumnal vamp with effectively subtle harmonies and a stellar vocal performance from the singer. "Over My Head" is a charmingly baroque guitar-and-tinkerbell concoction, amazingly sweet but managing to steer clear of all-out tweedom.
"Blue Skies" is the closest JayMay gets to falling into the Apple-Mann world, but she skirts the edges of imitation with grace and tact, creating from the obvious influences a gentle, melancholic ballad. In some theoretically perfectly Sundance-winning indie flick, this song would accompany the moment when the protagonist, a pretty girl in New York, would come to whatever realization it is the screenwriter (doubtlessly an ugly boy in New York) has cooked up for her: hands on her head but eyes rolling slowly towards the sky, the protagonist stands, sighs, and strolls with hands thrust in her pockets through a lavishly filmed Central Park in autumn. Or something like that.
The songwriting on these three tracks, as strong as it is, is overshadowed by the beauty and control of JayMay's voice, the tender way she has of infusing each note with a kernel of earnestness that comes off as neither overly whimsical nor heavy-handed. For evidence of this vocal prowess, check out the moment in "On & On" when she sings "window pane," and marvel at how someone can execute on record what would look on the page: "...every window p^!aane!" The pop of the 'P,' the exuberance in the line, the confidence in the melody: there's an almost Nilssonian texture to the vocals on this song. And I'm a sucker for Nilsson.
Long story short, the promo is tremendous and portends very good things for the forthcoming full-length. So long as JayMay errs towards subtlety, understated instrumentation, and sweetly encircling melodies, she'll have a hell of a career ahead of her.
The Deli is into predictions today -- we predict that the 79th Annual Academy Awards will feature a song by our own Jaymay, the all blog-hyped, and major-label attracting, jazz singer-songwriter. We expect that within the year, her record will be picked up by the biggies, she'll score a movie, and be up for Best Song, right along Dolly Parton (ok, maybe not Dolly Parton, but one how can one not hope for another song about transgendereds played by Dol?). Don't miss her EP release "Sea Green, See Blue" at her Mercury Lounge show Tuesday, March 7. $8, 8:30 p.m. 
A shy girl growing up, she has been writing songs as long as she can remember. For most of her life they were something personal that she was reluctant to share. Finally at 22, she decided to put herself on the line and played her first open mic at the Sidewalk Café. She found a supportive community of likeminded musicians who took to her instantly. Their encouragement spurred her on as she used gigs at the Sidewalk to build a draw and open the door to playing other Lower East Side venues like the Living Room where last summer she did a month long residency that was a smash success, packing the venue every week, and drawing out well deserved attention from the press and other industry types. Shortly after she found herself able to quit her day job and devote herself full time to music. Now she is building her notoriety patiently while keeping her goals in sight. When I ask her how far she sees herself going she answers “Huge!” without a moment’s hesitation.
Jaymay Feature Show Slideshow
