“Self Realizing” is the first new release by Bloomington guitar-and-voice force Jenny is a Boy since January’s “Folkilla” (a name revealing both musicians’ alliance with the “people” nation of Chicago gangs over the “folk” nation) split with Life Under a Tree. ”Self Realizing” is a live set recorded with just Adam Coppess’s passionate voice, guitar, and a very talented bass player. Most importantly, however, this release features many new songs as well as some old favies, and is currently being offered for free download over at last.fm, a gift for which we should all be thankful this coming November.
A band you people should check out is Jenny is a Boy. Yes, he went to high school with me, yes, we were roommates, but I think that that, if anything, gives me license to be more critical of his music than the average listener. Fans of The Mountain Goats (i.e. everyone) and Paul Baribeau will find some common ground here, but really Adam is doing his own thing here. His latest release is “Folkilla,” (whatever the hell that means) a split with the wonderful Life Under a Tree that you can buy over at Bob Heavens Records. Solo, Jenny is a Boy is a treat to watch for anyone who loves intense, earnest, personal acoustic guitar music, with equal doses of whispered lyrics and shout-alongs. But it is when he plays with his full band, The Proclamation where he really comes into his own and it’s a lot easier to see how original and versatile his songwriting really is. You can get one of his songs on the Real Live Tigers tribute comp (available from the wonderful Toby Foster’s myspace page), and there is a new album which should be out in two or three months on Bloomington, Indiana’s Let’s Pretend Records.
MP3s:
Jenny is a Boy - What’s Wrong with Me from Folkilla
Jenny is a Boy - I’m the Asshole pt. 2 from Folkilla
Jenny is a Boy and the Proclamation - The Preacher’s Daughter from Life is Easy: A Tribute to Real Live Tigers
Jenny is a Boy and the Proclamation - I’m the Asshole pt. 2 from the upcoming Jenny is a Boy and the Proclamation album
OH! And holly fucking shit guys (there’s a christmas typo for you), three of my favorite musicians in the word, Super Famicom, Redbear and imadethismistake, are all putting out a 4-way-split 7″ with me. And it’s going to be out on Fall of the West records in a couple months. How damn exciting is that?
One Love,
Tinyfolk
