Siberry - Weirder Still

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Last time I checked, Ms Jane Siberry had released a cd of Christmas songs all done in her wailing lonesome fashion that managed to keep itself unknown except to the failing few amongst her mailing list. Now she's 'officially' changed her name to Issa and is recording under that name in Belgium or something. One great album and then phooey, even if she thinks otherwise.

PS - isn't it sad when sort-of-stars lose it and then release these novelty things: the above noted sib/christmas cd has now been done by aimee mann as well - i'll never buy one of her records again - and i suppose we can include shawn colvin, who's last release was tunes for her baby - do they think anyone really wants to buy this stuff?

― phil turnbull (philT), Monday, 7 August 2006 06:45 (nineteen years ago)

Is this a new Christmas disc? Because the double-disc live one she released back in the mid-nineties is absolutely wonderful through and through.

The larger question -- well, I don't know! Something like that could be of general interest still regardless of intended audience, though I agree it's rather likely only the fanbase would care in the first place.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 August 2006 19:13 (nineteen years ago)

Which one of her great albums is the one great album? If you want to talk about artists releasing one great album and then (next to) zilch you should be talking about Mary Margaret O'Hara. Apparently both artists find the recording process to not be worth the hassle.

On a related note, both these artists happen to be friends with The Rheostatics who are known for odd releases. A double live album, an album based around an art exhibit, a soundtrack for a movie with the same title as one of their other albums, a cd with a hardcovered children's book, a live-ish album based around the finale of a long running radio show and their first album was entitled "Greatest Hits".

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Monday, 7 August 2006 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

> Which one of her great albums is the one great album?

Hmm. When I Was a Boy drags a little bit in the middle, but I would still describe it as "great".

― Palomino (Palomino), Monday, 7 August 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

My favourite Siberry album is probably The Walking (1987) but I think she actually did several great albums, and I really love her last "proper" album Maria (1995 - the jazzy one). This is why her ensuing writer's block has seemed so odd - it wasn't like she only had one great album in her.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 7 August 2006 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

The Walking. Thanks for reminding me. Must dig that out again after all these years. 'The White Tent The Raft', 'Red High Heels'?

One of the few times I've dropped my snob guard to ask who was playing in a shop.Jane Siberry; 'The Walking'.

― Jessie the Drunk Dutch Mountain Dog (Jessie the Drunk Dutch Mountai), Monday, 7 August 2006 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

i think "when i was a boy" pretty much sums up her style and it still makes me cry occassionally. "the walking" and "bound by the beauty" are also pretty good too. but anything past that time leaves me cold.

i think she's only released one xmas album but i wouldn't put it past her to do it again.

― phil turnbull (philT), Monday, 7 August 2006 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.myspace.com/issalight

― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Tuesday, 8 August 2006 02:14 (nineteen years ago)

that new song is really beautiful and simple. i saw her live in vancouver in.. 2002, i think? she's totally loopy, but still doing good stuff.

the albums i especially like: 'the walking' and 'no borders here'

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 8 August 2006 04:23 (nineteen years ago)

I was just reconfirming it this weekend, but I do feel that The Speckless Sky is still my favorite. The album feels stronger on a whole then No Borders Here which is propped up by the brillant Mimi On The Beach and The Waitress.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 8 August 2006 17:30 (nineteen years ago)

Is she still offering a trust system for MP3 downloads on her website? You had three options: pay nothing ("gift from Jane"), pay a fixed amount, pay what you like. The average people were paying for tracks was typically a touch above the fixed amount...

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 08:32 (nineteen years ago)

There's a good 2CD Rhino compilation Love Is Everything which does a pretty thorough job of picking the best stuff from each of her key albums.

I was very fond of The Walking in the late '80s but When I Was A Boy (hmmm, we know at least one person who was listening...) and Maria are masterpieces. Maybe I should play something by her on our upcoming Resonance Canadian music special...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 09:09 (nineteen years ago)

"No Borders Here", hello? It's weird and tinny sounding new-wave/singer songwriter? Totally best.

Anyway, she's been working hard since "Maria", in fact, she's self-released seven albums in that time, on her own label Sheeba. "Teenager", "Tree", "Lips", "Child", "Hush", "City" and "Shushan". "Teenager" has some nice moments but I couldn't get into the other ones.

Give some serious respect to an artist who goes independent and self-released after 15 years of major label support and a dwindling fanbase. Even if Sheeba was a failure it was a ballsy move.

― Owen Pallett (Owen Pallett), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 15:40 (nineteen years ago)

some musicians have a compulsion to keep making music regardless of who buys it or who likes it. i stopped paying attention to jane circa teenager, but i think that periods of unselfconscious fruitfulness (those "wilderness years" when the artist thinks nobody's looking) can produce really interesting music. and, yes, sometimes self-indulgent crap too.

― Leave Brintey Alone (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 10 August 2006 00:42 (nineteen years ago)

i love the crystal sound of 'no borders here'. it's gorgeously self-assured, with none of the extravagance of 'the walking', for example. very precise, clean. i bought it some years ago on the strength of the cover, knowing nothing more about jane except that she was canadian and my dad thought she was pretentious.

the cover is one of my favourite album covers ever:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000NEH.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― derrick (derrick), Thursday, 10 August 2006 04:24 (nineteen years ago)

the allmusic reviews of her records are all spectacularly bad (short, wrong, and dont' match their star ratings).

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

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