happy birthday joanna newsom

bay area harpist, folk singer and all-around a.g. favorite joanna newsom turns twenty six today. and if that doesn't make you feel a little bit old, well, you're younger than i am.

anyway, to celebrate the occasion here's the stunning lead track off of 2006's excellent ys, "emily," about newsom's astrophysicist sister and one of the few songs that, when i listen to it, fully listen, from open to close, there's to my mind no other piece of music that can possibly follow it, not the next track on the album, nor something entirely different & unrelated. no, off must come the headphones in favor of an expansive, transformed silence.

joanna newsom - emily

newsom is in australia currently but will play a couple of shows at the brooklyn academy of music at the close of the month backed by members of the brooklyn philharmonic. and if you haven't picked up a copy of ys or the follow up ep joanna newsom and the ys street band, well, quit mucking about and do it. further evidence of your folly provided by this track off of the ep:

joanna newsom & the ys street band - colleen