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THE TRANSIT RIDER After working up short vignettes of the material with Nils Frykdahl over the years, The Transit Rider was made into a full length theater show in 2002 in San Francisco, aided by the inspiration of director Allen Willner with a cast of thirteen. The album received further songwriting & development, plus collaborations from Dawn's mother Michelina Tyrie (Earth's Kiss) and a poem by her dad Will McCarthy (I No Longer Wish To), written during his last days as a stock broker. Also incorporated into the setting were songs from Polish 'art song' composer Zygmunt Konieczny (Taki Pejzaz/Such a Landscape), Soeur Sourire (Je Voudrais/I'd Like To Be) and an Anglo Saxon traditional (House Carpenter). It's debut release was celebrated with a remounting of the theater show newly adapted, aided by Bay Area artists Matt Lebofsky and Jenya Chernoff, which toured North America Spring 2006. "Faun Fables latest disc, THE TRANSIT RIDER, is the musical equivalent of staring into a cat's eyes; intriguing, if somewhat unnerving. McCarthy's untamed vocals are like a cross between indie songstress Cat Power and Heart's Ann Wilson. Alone, her flight-of-fancy melodies are interesting. When accompanied by frequent collaborator Nils Frykdahl's canny baritone, they're positively riveting" - Seven Days
- MULE magazine * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FAMILY
ALBUM "...O tell me this is all old and light...like a summer's day, so bright and complicated..like the night" These songs belong to daughters and sons, entwined and orphaned, domesticated and feral; to all the family vines unraveling from a ball of yarn. In this family album, runaways graze the wild together, a mother finds her courage playing the piano, dogs become thieves & wolves, and a son is taken too soon. Fourteen-year-old nymphs sit dangerously at the crossroads, a younger brother tries to find his place, packs of girls defeat fear with a march, and the nightly adventures of the household mouse are spied upon. "Only three tunes on MOTHER TWILIGHT hinted at the feral energy generated by her union with Frykdahl. FAMILY ALBUM makes no such omissions, swinging between the dulcet nostalgia of a child's song and the wild desperation of a pack of wolves." - SF WEEKLY, 2004
- CHICAGO READER, 2004 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
MOTHER
TWILIGHT Dawn and Nils made a hand-assembled, first pressing of MOTHER TWILIGHT (self released 2001) that's mostly been available at Faun Fables live shows. They peddled it to nearly every bar and rural hall across North America from 2001-2003, in the course of national and international tours. This first pressing is nearly sold out. Drag City is releasing a re-issue in new packaging, available August, 2004. With this recording, I salute two portals of my life, twilight and travel. - Dawn "This music is rare and seems to hark back to days of old when magic was still alive and strange creatures roamed the earth. A beautiful and brave record." - www.collectedsounds.com
- SF Weekly
- The Gazette, CO Springs
-Village Voice, NYC
- Other Music, NYC * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EARLY SONG EARLY SONG is the first chapter of Faun Fables. A songbook documenting the first material I performed and travelled with as a soloist in 1997. The songs are near and dear to my heart; old travelling companions that helped me get around the big, strange world. EARLY SONG's originals were written from 1994-1998, some adapted from material I had written for bands. It was recorded in 1999 with producer Hans Wendl and Mark Orton, and one song with Dan Rathbun, but it was never offically pressed. Many thanks to Drag City for helping it see the light of day...and to Hans. - Dawn "Eerie, Appalachian-tinged confessionals marked by spellbinding honesty. One of the most gifted singers performing today, McCarthy suggests what the next world might sound like." - The New Yorker, June 2000
- CMJ, Sept. 2000
- Change MusicFestival/San Francisco, Sept. 2000
BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY songs by Will Oldham "The Letting Go' is possibly the most adventurous and unexpected record Will has ever released. The most striking inclusion is that of Dawn McCarthy, who shares vocal duties with Oldham on almost every track - the harmonies she adds take Oldham's songs into places that they have so far only hinted at. Her voice is comparable to Sandy Denny and gives a subtle but haunting 70s folk resonance to the grandiose arrangements. The real key here is the quality of songwriting, and coupled with Oldham's most innovative and enjoyable arrangements yet, it really must be a very strong contender for album of the year." - Boomkat (UK)
- Nicola Meighan, Play Louder
- Robin Denslow, The Guardian (UK)
- John Bush, Allmusic.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * My Grandmother (2005 dvd) |
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