Big Rock Finish… reviews of independent music

Name: Alyson Greenfield
Album: Tuscaloosa
Released: 2008
Members:
Alyson Greenfield – piano, guitar, keyboards, tambourine, handclaps, vocals
Jason Mercer – bass
Geoff Hug – drums
Denise Barbarita – background vocals, bowed guitar & guitar
Rich Kulsar – percussion
D-Sharp# – Viola

Website: www.alysongreenfield.com
Favourite Song: School (Track 4)

Again, an artist who was actually happy with the idea of me reviewing them, enough to send a second effort to me. I’m honoured and grateful! Since it’s getting tough to get music from the masses (seeing as how… well what can I say, Myspace kind of sucks these days) so here we go. Let’s listen to some more Alyson Greenfield! Oh, but one thing I just have to mention. I hate plastic wrap. Drives me insane because it’s nearly impossible to open. I received a CD opener as a gift from a management company that has been invaluable (sorry to them, I scratched the name off!) but it wouldn’t work with Alyson’s CD since it didn’t fit. And it took me… about 20 minutes to get the plastic wrap off since I had no sharp utensels at my disposal.

You know I probably won’t agree with any type of label that Alyson Greenfield has set for herself? Every song sounds so different from everything else. And every song I’ve heard so far from her defies logic. The strangest thing is her songs remind me of how the Simpsons are written. How… the beginning of a song and the end to a song sound completely different, and only in hearing the whole thing at once will you be convinced it’s the same song. But there’s no defining moment where it changes.

Honestly, anyone who knows me knows that I was made to play the piano for many many years of my life. And I never found anything beautiful about the music that would come out when I sat near the thing, because I never really considered myself a musician. And because of that, I think I am always in a type of disgusted awe where beautiful music is able to come out of the instrument, and how I was not one of the people able to do it. Quiet jealousy probably.

Alright, so where I would listen to Alyson Greenfield, I honestly don’t know. I can think of a pretty wide collection of friends of mine who would really love to give a listen, and I’ll probably pass the CD along to at least a few of them. I’m starting to think of new music in terms of who else might enjoy it. And at this point, I’m thinking of the people who are a little bit hippy-ish, and those who always have had a penchant for all things “on the strange side of normal.”

Name: Alyson Greenfield Album: Six Songs Released: 2004 Members: Alyson Greenfield – piano, acoustic guitar, vocals Website: www.alysongreenfield.com Favourite Song: Sexual Identity Crisis of a Duke (track 6)

Bet you didn’t know I played the piano for 8 years of my life. Eight of the most wretched painful years of my life. I was never happier than the day my mom finally said “Okay, you can stop playing if you really want.” I’d wanted to for the past eight years of my life! But really, if I could play like Alyson could play, of course I wouldn’t have given up on it. But really, while my family will always think of me as a quitter, I keep thinking, if I had any talent don’t you think I would have showed it after EIGHT YEARS?!

Alyson oozes the feeling of “solo artist”, not that that’s a bad thing. But I can’t picture Alyson with a full band behind her or anything like that. Seeing a show I would see a grand piano, a woman in an elegent outfit, and a microphone on stage. And the microphone isn’t even always necessary. When I first opened the CD I wondered why only three of the six songs had lyrics printed… yea, so not all the songs Alyson performs have words. Just proves her musical ability.

The instrumental songs are pretty awe-inspiring. I don’t know how people write songs at all, I never had that creative streak in me, so it’s just amazing to watch people write something, and how simple they make it seem. Just comes out of them and they can put an instrument to use and make something sound like how they wanted it to sound. But to write an instrumental song… something that isn’t meant to have words sort of break it up, where all of the feeling and emotion comes through the instruments themselves… breathtaking.

I would absolutely <3 to see Alyson live for a show. I love acoustic shows and this would definately be awesome to watch. I still have a fear and loathing of pianos due to my childhood traumas, but therapy is facing your fears, and seeing someone be able to take a hold of such an instrument and actually make music, rather than painful noise as I was prone to making, would definitely help appreciate the arts more.