BEAUTIFUL NEW MUSIC: Sharon Van Etten

Sometimes when shitty things happen to me, I want to believe that there has to be a good reason why. Like maybe it's to make me a stronger person, or maybe there's a lesson to be learned. I'm not sure. All I know is that while I'm going through it, it just plain sucks. I'm unfortunately going through one of these "shitty things" currently, and although I know it's for the better, it still hurts none the less. So how serendipitous that I was sent this album while going through this mess. Sharon Van Etten's music has been so therapeutic with it's unyielding beauty that, at times, it has stopped me dead in my tracks. Muscles relax, racing thoughts slow down, and the dust clears. I'm not just responding to her engaging voice & beautiful music, but to the lyrics as well...some seem to mirror almost exactly what I'm currently going through. All in all, I've been completely taken with every song (I even love the faint tape-hiss throughout most tracks). This album comes highly recommended.

Right now you can purchase Sharon's album either through her website, or her Myspace page. If you live in the NYC area, you'll fortunately be able catch one of her upcoming live performances (dates below), for the rest of us we'll just have to wait patiently for her to grace one of our local stages. I've included a video of a recent performance at The Apartment below, as well as a couple of MP3s. Enjoy.

:::DATES:::
4/15 - The Cake Shop - w/ Naked Hearts, Werewolves
New York, NY, 8pm

4/21- Monkeytown - w/ Shilpa (of Beat the Devil), Forest Fire
Brooklyn, NY

4/26 - Collision Machine
Brooklyn, NY

4/29 - Pianos - w/ Jae (from Norway), She Keeps Bees
New York, NY, 8pm

5/29 - Zebulon - w/ WS Burn (from TX)
Brooklyn, NY, 9pm *FREE SHOW*


[MP3] Sharon Van Etten - Tornado from "S/T" (via Box.net)
[MP3] Sharon Van Etten - For You from "S/T" (via Box.net)

[VIDEO] Sharon Van Etten "For You (live at The Apartment)"