Manzanita:Mia Doi Todd

Title: Manzanita

Label: Plug Research

Genre: indie folk

Rating: 6 of 7

When I was in New York this last fall I stumbled on Mia Doi Todd while waiting to see Fog, Dosh and Subtle. As I watched the petite Asian women sing delicate songs and intricately pick at her acoustic guitar, I couldn’t help but wonder, what was this lady doing opening for a bunch of experimental hip-hop artists? Yet I shut my mouth and watched mesmerized in her heartfelt lullabies. Now I come across Manzanita, her latest full length, and even more questions arise. Why is electronica based Plug Research releasing her album? Why are members of Dead Meadow, Beachwood Sparks, Frausdots, Further and Dim Mak reggae artists Future Pigeon (see song 6) making cameos on her cd? How is this Yale graduate and classically trained singer who slates Elliot Smith and the Palace Brothers as her influences creating such subtly entrancing songs? Then again, I think I just answered myself within those questions. This is not my usual choice of genre when I pick up a cd, but I’ll be damned if I have not fallen under the same spell that this folk singer has cast upon the indie music scene.

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