[neil]

I grew up with an old friend named Brian. He has a little sister named Roseanne that I grew up with also. She moved out to Seattle many years back and started a comedy career and sang at small venues in that area. Well, good things happened and she was signed by the Sub Pop label.

She recorded a full length album called When We Were Small. Her official web site is RosieThomas.com.

She's currently on tour throughout Europe opening for Bryan Ferry. In fact, Brian's on tour with her playing piano. I highly recommend that you give her a listen. She has a truly beautiful voice. Indeed a true talent. Also, check her tour dates because her voice is stunning live. She's also the song writer.

LISTEN:
Wedding Day - MP3 - 128kbps - 05:27 / 4.99MB
Two Dollar Shoes - MP3 - 128kbps - 03:11 / 2.92MB
These are MP3s from her website.

Please listen to it and let everyone know what you think. If you're into female vocalists at all, Rosie should be a good fix.

 

[Magicthyse]

I bought the album not so long ago. Not generally my bag - if it can't generate tornado-force wind from the bass on my V700 I'm not usually interested

- but a very nice indeed example of that ilk. She needs a different producer and studio facilities, though...

 

[neil]

From the person who manages her mailing list:
Quote:

Hi everyone, just got word from rosie that her song titled "FAREWELL" will be part of the music for the T.V. show "ALIAS" tomorrow 9/29 on ABC, Check your local listing for exact time. As far as what she's been doing lately, she's been traveling Europe supporting "WHEN WE WERE SMALL" and plans on touring the U.S. this winter while also writing and recording songs for her new record to be released sometime early 2003. Hope you all had great summer, keep your eyes and ears open for ROSIE THOMAS.

 

[JohnActon]

Curiously enough, I have this album (I heard a song on a local NPR music show - love the NPR). Actually, pretty damn good album. Her voice is VERY good. The recording quality is surprisingly decent; not audiophile quality, but natural and uncompressed sounding.

She seems to juxtapose the song subject matter (from a lyrical standpoint) of relationship trials and tribulations, whether they be her own or those of friends, with the pictures in the CD booklet and the background sounds on a couple of songs, which are of herself (so I take it) from her childhood. The chairoscuro dichotomy of grown-up realtionship lyrics and the childhood/family emphasis present in the liner notes and background sounds is almost redolent of Blake's 'Innocence and Experience' stuff. Sounds like a very complex person.

Neil, you should definitely feel priveleged to know her.

One incongruity, however; from her songs and liner notes, I detect nothing that smacks of anything comedic. Maybe, that's why she's doing this...

 

[neil]

Rosie was just on NPR morning news this morning. Here's a link to the text summary of her article. The audio can be found here.. you'll have to jump to the fourth segment, I believe it is. Just fast-forward to the end of each clip until you hear a girl's voice singing. Bob Edwards interviews her. Pretty good interview.

 

[jpelg]

OMG! I heard that broadcast this morning too after my alarm went off. I dug the music and mentally noted her name. When saw this post bump, I freaked out.

I thought it was one of those 'coincidence' things that seems to happen to me regularly. Cool.

 

[neil]

There's an extended interview located here with Roseanne and Bob Edwards. She's a goofy cat, and as you'll hear in the interview. But man, can she sing.

 

[grinch]

subpop = hip

i'll definietly give these songs a try.. if only they'd download faster than the sisy 16kb/s they're going at now!

 

[bangraman]

I would say A- for voice, about the same for the production but a C for the music. Samey even when on the sublime acapella bits (was the pianist's hand welded into place?), with poor faux-pop distractions elsewhere.
A case for a sublime voice, obviously with HUGE potential, needing to work with a wider range of songwriters. Hopefully the current exposure will do the trick.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

The audio can be found here

RealAudio? What???

 

[neil]

Holy crap. Roseanne's Amazon.com sales rank has gone to 2. Put it this way, Eminem is at 46, Pink's at 25, and Norah Jones is at 1 (top ranking). NPR has some serious buying influence behind it, eh? All we need to do is get some Head-Fi coverage on there and we'll be slashdotted by NPR-heads just as soon as they pull into their desks after their morning commute.

bangraman - I think experience will do the trick. I actually enjoyed her demo more than I did her album because I could do without the full band on some of the tracks.

IMHO, some seriously smooth and creative guitar accompaniment and just more of her singing would do it for me. She has such a delicate voice control, that even the notes that are softer than a whisper she can still effortlessly command.

 

[grinch]

she reminds me of marie desal in high fidelity. crossed with tracy chapman. sounds decent, but her voice has a certain sound to it that i don't enjoy.. i dunno, good luck to her anyway.

 

[neil]

I was surprised that you didn't say she sounded like Tom Jones. After all, Norah, sounding like Macy Gray to you, and all.

 

[jpelg]

Bumping this old thread because I happened to catch Rosie at the Highland Ballroom in NYC, opening for "Over The Rhine" last night, where I had a very interesting experience (at least to me

).

I must confess that I was not previously aware of Rosie's music prior to tonight, having attended for the main show. I did not recall this thread, and unfortunately had not listened to the audio clips due to their RealAudio format.

Anyway, when I arrived at the venue (in the pouring rain!) & proceeded to the ticket booth, when a cute young girl approached me & offered me a free ticket. I respectfully declined, stating that I had already purchased my ticket & was picking it up at "Will Call". I thought it was a neat gesture though, especially for New York. But being a bit tired from a long day at work, and a rainy walk across Manhattan to the Highland, I proceeded inside the Hall without thinking any the more for it.

A short while later, Rosie came on stage to start her set. Lo & behold it was the young lady who had offered me the ticket in the outer vestibule! As you might imagine, I was more than a bit embarassed.

In any event, Rosie began her set, which also began my love affair with her. Her music is just amazing! Her singing voice belies her physical size, which is to say she can fill a room with it quite easily. Simply beautiful, (usually) melancholy music, which I love. Her inter-song banter with the audience is hilarious too, especially with her speaking voice.

Why is she not more famous than she is, especially with as many albums out as she has? Her talent is too great to hide under a basket. It is clear she loves what she does, and puts ALL of her sweet heart into it.

As an additional thank you for the wonderful concert experience & the prior ticket offer, I purhased her latest "These Friends of Mine" CD, and listened to it on the train home after the show. The only song title I clearly recall from the show is the "Kite Song". But I don't think "TFOM" has all the cuts she sang last night though.

I have to say though, she is waaaay better live than on this recording. Her voice is much richer sounding than is shown on this CD.

I love finding new, great music in places I don't expect. Rosie is one of those great 'discoveries', albeit five years late

. I definitely have to check out her earlier efforts mentioned here, as well.

If you love female vocals, and get the chance to see her live, just go.