To see my perky smile you might never guess that I am bitter. Bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter! Not 24/7, generally bitter, but peevish when accolades are heaped on a select few in the music industry, while others of remarkable talent do not enjoy commensurate recognition and financial reward.That is why most Reynolds Raps focus on niche talent and “well known unknowns,” as John McCutcheon (see December’s column) dubbed them. I.e., those who meet the standard of the internationally syndicated radio program WoodSongs: artists who are not necessarily famous, just extraordinarily good.I recently channeled my inner-Oprah and gave my bestie one of my favorite things, a copy of The Barnkickers Up Before Noon CD.
This 2009 gem features original compositions by the father-daughter duo, Steve and Amanda Boisen who accompany themselves on ukulele, bass, guitar and clarinet. The dozen songs have infectious melodies and witty, compelling lyrics. Several have a vintage quality with a modern twist such as opener, “Clawfoot Tub,” which deals with placing a loved one in an assisted living facility.
“Father Knows Best” is a charming waltz framed by “There is no end to the lengths I would go/To prove that you are wrong about most things.” Those words alone are worthy of being showcased in needlepoint.
It’s hard to resist quoting the entire “In Spite of You. ” The title itself suggests intentional ambiguity — despite or in retaliation? Sarcasm abounds. “Yes you’re quite a guy/You are a credit to the gender.” Then, “And now I’ve lost my temper/And I’ll bet you took that too.”
The wry initial question of Amanda’s “Friendly Service Announcement,” “What’s this mess on the floor? / I think it’s your ego” softens a seriously stern warning of an inevitable disaster. The following song, “Lortab Confessions,” is a more flip treatment of bold kids who recreationally medicate and play “dodge ball with balloons.”
I am vexed that the viral, award winning video of “One Less Tear” did not elicit a single late night TV show invitation.
There is also The Barnkicker Ukulele Companion: A Songbook and Guide for Ukulele Players that is a treasury of uke tidbits for both fledgling and more advanced musicians who would like to play the songs on Up Before Noon.
Boisen’s prose style is reminiscent of another multitalented Steve, Steve Allen.
Amanda Boisen was quite young when Up Before Noon was recorded. Recently she has ventured out on her own as Amanda Lynn with her own CD, fittingly titled Ambition. More on that in a future column.
Up Before Noon is six years old, but good music has no limited shelf-life.
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I love music and I love to write, so Rock at Night is a perfect forum for me.I appreciate all genres from classical to country and am astounded by the number of extraordinarily talented but under-recognizedmusical artists. So my articles often feature such “well known unknown” musicians and composers.
Before email, I would include a record review along with my holiday greetings as an alternative to annual reports of personal achievements and acquisitions. Among these, I wrote of Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man in 1988 and Bruce Cockburn’s Nothing But A Burning Light in 1991, urging my friends and family to listen to these masterpieces.
Now I can continue to express my enthusiasm for various musical artists to a wider audience.
- Album Review: Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel’s ‘Christmas Island’ - December 19, 2019
- Free For All: community supported high quality music - September 29, 2019
- Album Review: John Prine’s ‘The Tree of Forgiveness’ - February 9, 2019
