Lissie Returns with "Shameless"

Not really too much to say about Lissie that hasn't been said here in the past - so we'll let you live with her huge new single "Shameless" which finds her stepping out of the pop/country/americana world and into an edgier more rock zone. Enjoy. We are. "Shameless" comes out June 16 in the UK (Columbia).

Lissie Covered Up with Flowers

It's been a good while since our initial media blitz during Lissie's rapid rise to prominence behind her debut EP and good, but uneven debut full length Catching a Tiger. We're glad to bring her back to the Stark pages today to support her new covers EP - Covered Up with Flowers. While we haven't taken it for a full spin yet, we've heard at least 3 of these tunes during her numerous live shows and they were a pleasure to watch and listen to. Fat Possum released this as an iTunes exclusive yesterday. Welcome back Lissie, it's been too long.

Tracklist:
Pursuit Of Happiness (Kid Cudi cover)
Bad Romance (Lady Gaga cover)
Games People Play (Joe South cover)
Nothing Else Matters (Metallica cover)
The Ship Song (Nick Cave cover)

Lissie - Games People Play (Joe South cover) by rfp86

To Ramona

[mp3] Lissie: "Everywhere I go"

While we're the 179,016th person to discover this 2009 video - it's no less charming. Looking forward to more from Lissie soon. She hasn't been on the site for a bit now. Thanks to When You Awake (great blog) for this.

Lissie: Billboard Tastemakers / US Tour Dates

[MP3] Lissie -- "In Sleep (Live)

Rock Island, IL-native, Lissie, has been a slow burn on the US music scene. Her debut LP, Catching A Tiger, was released almost one month ago and has found placement on all the major media outlets. Critics are confused albeit highly intrigued -- the record is a mix off old, introspective, highly-angelic ballads and fresh, new, well-crafted mainstream pop songs. We aren't that confused though. We're one hundred percent on board with all that Lissie touches. While Tiger wasn't the record we expected after our introduction via her EP, Why You Runnin (which has sold almost 40K copies according to Neilsen Soundscan,) we are nonetheless thrilled to watch this campagin take off. What's missing right now? Lissie -- she is touring in the UK. What are we pumped for? Her US tour kicking off on Oct. 6 in LA. Meanwhile, you will need to satisfy your desires via this fantastic Billboard Tatsemakers piece. Dig "Bully" above. Follow the Billboard link for two more Lissie live videos.

US TOUR DATES AFTER THE JUMP!

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OCT. 6 SAN FRANCISCO, CA GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL

OCT. 7 LOS ANGELES, CA TROUBADOUR

OCT. 9 AUSTIN, TX AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL

(12:15-1pm, ZYNC Card stage)

OCT. 10 HOUSTON, TX HOUSE OF BLUES - Bronze Peacock

OCT. 11 DALLAS, TX GRANADA THEATRE

OCT. 13 DENVER, CO BLUEBIRD THEATER

OCT. 15 MINNEAPOLIS, MN TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB

OCT. 16 DAVENPORT, IA REDSTONE ROOM @ RIVER MUSIC

OCT. 17 CHICAGO, IL LINCOLN HALL

OCT. 20 WASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB

OCT. 21 PHILADELPHIA, PA JOHNNY BRENDA'S

OCT. 22 NEW YORK, NY HIRO BALLROOM

OCT. 23 BOSTON, MA T.T. THE BEAR'S

After the jump.

Lissie: US Tour Dates

[mp3] Lissie: "In Sleep" (live)

[mp3] Lissie: "Record Collector"

To celebrate today's release of Lissie's sprawling, captivating, beguiling, yet ultimately very satisfying debut release Catching a Tiger, Fat Possum has announced a new set of US tour dates (she's been in the UK forever) and debuted the above live version of album cut "In Sleep" at RCRD LBL. (PS we hate the myspace interface). Definitely looking forward to hearing these songs fleshed out live and having Lissie back in the states. What do the Brits know about country music anyway? (Kidding, love ya guys.)
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Lissie North American headlining tour:

OCT. 6 SAN FRANCISCO, CA GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL

OCT. 7 LOS ANGELES, CA TROUBADOUR

OCT. 9 AUSTIN, TX AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL

(12:15-1pm, ZYNC Card stage)

OCT. 10 HOUSTON, TX HOUSE OF BLUES - Bronze Peacock

OCT. 11 DALLAS, TX GRANADA THEATRE

OCT. 13 DENVER, CO BLUEBIRD THEATER

OCT. 15 MINNEAPOLIS, MN TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB

OCT. 16 DAVENPORT, IA REDSTONE ROOM @ RIVER MUSIC

OCT. 17 CHICAGO, IL LINCOLN HALL

OCT. 20 WASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB

OCT. 21 PHILADELPHIA, PA JOHNNY BRENDA'S

OCT. 22 NEW YORK, NY HIRO BALLROOM

OCT. 23 BOSTON, MA T.T. THE BEAR'S



Previously announced European dates:



AUG. 21 HYLANDS PARK, UK V FESTIVAL

AUG. 22 WESTON PARK, UK V FESTIVAL

SEPT. 6 BELFAST, UK THE OPEN HOUSE FESTIVAL

SEPT. 7 DUBLIN, IRL ACADEMY 2

SEPT. 8 BELFAST, UK OPEN HOUSE FESTIVAL

(McHughs Basement Bar)

SEPT. 10 ISLE OF WIGHT, UK BESTIVAL (New Band Stage)

SEPT. 11 LIVERPOOL, UK UNIVERSITY*

SEPT. 12 LEEDS, UK 02 ACADEMY*

SEPT. 13 LONDON, UK HMV HAMMERSMITH APOLLO*

SEPT. 15 EDINBURGH, UK CORN EXCHANGE*

SEPT. 16 LEICESTER, UK DE MONTFORT HALL*

SEPT. 17 PORTSMOUTH, UK GUILDHALL*

SEPT. 20 BERLIN, DE LIDO

SEPT. 21 KOLN, DE LUXOR

SEPT. 22 MUNCHEN, DE 59:1

SEPT. 23 ZURICH, CH HARTEREI FESTIVAL

SEPT. 26 HAMBURG, DE KNUST

SEPT. 30 BERGEN, NO USF VERFTET

OCT. 26 GLASGOW, UK ORAN MOR

OCT. 27 MANCHESTER, UK ACADEMY 2

OCT. 28 BRISTOL, UK THEKLA

OCT. 30 NORWICH, UK WATERFRONT

OCT. 31 BIRMINGHAM, UK ACADEMY 2

NOV. 1 LONDON, UK HEAVEN

* supporting The Script
After the jump.

Lissie's Official Video for "When I'm Alone"

We know you have seen this already, but we had to post it at of pure respect for an artist. and soon a debut record that will know no bounds. Lissie's debut LP titled, Catching a Tiger is due out on June 21 via Fat Possum. We've said it before, but this will be the best release of 2010.

Pre-order the record here. We'll take the vinyl, digital and physical when it drops. Thank you.

Yours Truly Debuts New Lissie Track

Lissie "In Sleep" [Part 1 of 2] from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

While we're way behind on posts today, this was too good not to share immediately. Thanks to our good friends over at Yours Truly who sent us this fantastic vid of Lissie playing "In Sleep" (an unreleased track from her upcoming Fat Possum debut LP) before her recent show at The Fillmore in SF. Make sure you click the above link to read Lissie's completely charming and endearing handwritten letter (Yours Truly tradition) to her parents. Also click after the jump to see Lissie play "Little Lovin'" from her current EP.

Yours truly,
Stark

Lissie Little Lovin' [Part 2 of 2] from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Lissie: Tonight at Webster Hall

[mp3] Lissie: "Everywhere I go"
[mp3] Lissie: "Little Lovin'"

One of the fastest rising stars out there right now, Rock Island, Illinois' Lissie has been all over the press of late, including this rag. She remains one of the most striking talents we've seen (and spoken with) in recent memory. Her EP Why You Runnin' (out now on Fat Possum) gives merely a glimpse as to the many facets Lissie offers. You need to see her live (tonight) to get a true sense of the powerful voice, commanding stage presence, and finely wrought songwriting. Check out her recent session with Baeble Music above, and go see her tonight. Seriously, do it. She opens for City and Colour.

Matt's Top 14 EPs of '09

Here's another for your list of lists Winston. I realized that I should give some love to the awesome EPs that came out this year as well as the albums. So without further ado, my top 14. That's right. 14.

Animal Collective: Fall Be Kind

I'm still convinced Animal Collective put this EP out to remind critics that they had a record out this year (who would forget?) for year-end lists. Yet, the motives do not take away from the fact that this was another excellent offering from the gods of indie rock.



Acrylics: All of the Fire

This band appeared on the radar in the spring with a few stand-out singles. The momentum continued for this duo (soon to be permanent full band) as they were signed to Chris Taylor's Terrible Records and released this stellar EP of well-written, 80s-inspired, pop-infused gems.



Best Coast: Make You Mine

Best Coast were one of the stand-outs from the cliched "summer/beach" movement that took up a lot of attention in '09. Yet, along with Real Estate, the songs here are very solid, and show a ton of promise. More to come in 2010 I'm sure.



Class Actress: Journal of Ardency

Class Actress were a late entry to the race. Also signed to Terrible Records, Class Actress are dead ringers for Glass Candy and Chromatics, but that doesn't make their songs less great. Again, another band to watch in 2010.




Delorean: Ayrton Senna

I honestly don't know too much about Delorean other than that they make infectious, dance-floor, elctro-rock jams, that really work well at parties that go past dawn. Not like I would know or anything.




Dinosaur Feathers: Early Morning Risers

Thanks to Pop Tarts Suck Toasted and The World in a Paper Cup for turning me on to this group of Philly acoustic-poppers. They purvey lazy, pleasant melodies that are at once arresting and extremely well-crafted.




Lissie: Why You Runnin'

Stark is heavy on the Lissie bandwagon. Check out our review. This EP heralds a new talent and force to be reckoned with. By far the most promising artist I've seen in 2009. Hands down.




Lissy Trullie: Self Taught Learner

This EP began what was to become a break-out year for Lissy Trullie. These songs eventually went on to become part of the excellent Self-Taught Learner LP, but the EP was so strong that it got everyone's attention and sufficiently whet their appetite for more from this fantastic new post-rock star.


Mountain Man: S/T

Thanks to Microphone Memory Emotion and Chocolate Bobka for these guys. Here is some of the most organic and well-written folk songs you'll hear all year. There is a strange ethereal quality to everything they produce, and the Vermont trios' vocals are utterly captivating and quite moving. Still haven't' seen them live, but I can imagine it's a thing to behold.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Higher Than the Stars

No one made it through 2009 without hearing about Pains. This EP could be called a victory lap, if it wasn't so goddamn good. The highlight here is the Saint Etienne Remix of "Higher Than the Stars." Worth the price of admission alone.



Sleigh Bells: Demos

Another late comer to the game, Sleigh Bells slowly released several demos which could constitute an EP over the past few months. The music is loud, trashy, catchy, annnnd LOUD. Fuck, even Sasha Frere Jones loves 'em. Did I mention that they're super buzzy right now? Yeah. That too. Oh well. It's good.


Tristen: Deceivers are Achievers
Full disclosure - Stark is in cahoots with Tristen. Does that make her EP less good? Not a chance. Tristen is the predominant talent in Nashville right now, in a field that's crowded and downright competitive as hell. Tristen turns out hand-crafted exquisite country-pop gems faster than us Yankees talk. And they are all amazing. THE artist to watch in 2010.



Washed Out: Life of Leisure

While the LP didn't deliver (like at all) this EP was a true standout in the EP collection. Call it chillwave or whatever stupid name the kids are calling it, this is good stuff, and some of the best in that whole weird genre. It's just great music, maaan.



Warpaint: Exquisite Corpse

This EP is filled with crazy, weird and boarder-line genius stuff. Most all of the time, I don't know what the hell is going on with Warpaint. I just like it.

Lissie at the Mercury Lounge

STARK VS. LISSIE

Lissie: "Everywhere I Go"

Lissie: "Little Lovin'"

Interview: Matt, Review: Vince/Matt Photos: Karp

It comes to me if I'm not paying attention – in this state of no mind – It’s like I channel this information that’s vibrating and swirling around. I’m just a vessel.

How many times have you walked into a show with no preconceived notions about who is on stage or what they are about? How many times has that experience been miserable? Yeah. A ton. How many times have you been completely consumed, taken aback and purely enchanted in an almost youthful sense by what you walked into and were witnessing? Our experience with Lissie epitomized the latter.

We knew basically what she was about - EP release Why You Runnin', middle-America upbringing, recent signing to Fat Possum etc...but nothing could prepare us for the in-your-face beauty and talent of Lissie. She harnessed the upper register of her vocal range with precision, all the while mirroring the soulfulness of an Adele or early Amy Winehouse. Lissie's vocal vibrato was well executed and accentuated by an extremely tight backing band.

Lissie produces a clean sound, but is also influenced by the indie underworld. From her over-sized clear-framed glasses, to her rollicking, folk sound laced with elements of gospel and mainstream rock (not like Creed...but cool...) Lissie commanded the Mercury Lounge. Her stage presence was dynamic and provocative, as if her California beach-blond good looks weren't enough for you. Yet, Lissie is not just another for eye candy fodder -- she is a well-versed, poignant talent and an entertainment beast all her own. She has that undeniable it talent and is destined to have a huge 2010. We caught up with her on tour in San Francisco. Read our conversation after the jump.



It seems a lot is being made of the fact that you’re from Rock Island, a small town in Illinois. How did your home town affect your music, and how do you think your hometown affects how people perceive you as an artist?

I mean I think a lot of artists are from small towns, they just don’t always want to talk about it. In a sense, I was happy to get out of my town, but as I’ve gotten older there are parts of how I lead my life that are influenced by where I grew up. I’m not a person who is really dazzled by bullshit, I don’t need a fuckin Ferrari – some people may have been in it for that, but especially now as I'm getting older, I don’t need all the glitter and glitz. I relate more to normal people.

I’m real close to my family, and I have a lot of good friends from home, I see them, and it’s like we haven’t missed a beat. I have a strong connection to where I'm from. I’m not saying I’m going to go back and live there full-time, but growing up in a small town has shaped my value system. I think the idea of a small town sounds sounds fairly romantic, especially to people from bigger cities. The idea of the Mississippi River or growing up in a blue collar town is a romantic notion. It’s almost a novelty, in a way. I mean, Rock Island Line is a badasss song, so that gives it a little cred right?

In that vein, the last line of “Oh Mississippi” is “take me away from this land” – is it about wanting to leave where you’re from?

It’s sort of funny – it does has that connotation, but sometimes I’ll change the last line to “take me far from this man”, depending on who I feel the song is about. Sure, when I was younger part me was really frustrated. I was young, opinionated, stubborn and it seemed that authority figures would put up a wall. In Jr. High and High School I had a lot of trouble and it seemed I was met a lot of opposition when I was growing up. Yet, I feel that no one is better or worse - I had big ideas, there was something for me to do. Besides my family that really encouraged me there, I started realizing there were more supportive environments out there. A lot of people settle into small towns and feel frustrated they didn’t get to realize their ambitions. I’m super proud of being from Rock Island but if I saw those people from high school or Jr high every day who weren’t as encouraging, I would say get me out of here.

“Oh Mississippi” is really a song about how quickly time passes, and how mighty this river is, in a way it’s kinda of a song about death.

How old are these songs?

The EP songs are all pretty new. “Little Lovin” and “Oh Mississippi” were all written within no more than a year, so they’re fairly current. I wrote “Here Before” and “Oh Mississippi” in London. I wrote “Everywhere I Go” a few years ago. I liked it, and meant what I was saying. I was worried it was a little too sappy – that I was letting it all hang out there, but it was something that I did mean, so I decided to include it.

How much of you went into this EP? How confessional is it? For example, people criticized Joni Mitchell for putting too much of herself into “Blue.” How do you feel about what went into these songs?

Everything that I write is true and it’s me. I was speaking to Ray [Lamontagne] about this the other night and I asked “How is it that these songs only come from these really intense emotions? But I have those dark times, and those are the times that the songs come from. Is this sustainable? Do you always have to be a big mess to write these songs?"

I was also speaking with an older songwriter in his 50s who told me he’s gotten to the point where he has to rely on his memory of those hard times and those feelings. At this point though, the songs are 100% me and totally literal.


How is it that your version of “Wedding Bells” seems so much yours, and so true?

When you have this person that you love – it just breaks your heart to know they don’t want to be with you. You just don’t want to accept the feeling that they’re going to go off and be with someone else. I vaguely remembered [a cover version’s melody of the song] and made my own version of it up with Dave Palmer, using the lyrics as a jumping off point. We never listened to the real version. We just wrote based on the vague recollection of this melody.

What are your influences? What do you bring to bear when writing these songs?

It’s hard for me – it’s a subconscious I think. Childhood perhaps. I remember my mom singing me “You Are My Sunshine” and being little, thinking how sad that was 'I dreamed I held you in my arms / But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken / So I hung my head and I cried.' It’s so sad! My grandfather was also a singer. I draw from everything, my experiences when I was in musicals when I was younger, liking female singers in high school: Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, Dixie Chicks, country – rap – subconsciously I draw from everything. I don’t listen to a lot of music now, melodies come to me, I don’t know where they come from. I’m doing more writing with other people – someone else produces the chord, and whatever feeling their playing suggests something to me or it comes just based on how it feels. I don’t really know where it comes from. I’m not a religious person, but it’s almost, spiritual. I’m really sensitive to the energy around me, or other peoples energy. I’m just very sensitive to what’s around me.

It comes to me if I'm not paying attention – in this state of no mind – It’s like I channel this information that’s vibrating and swirling around I’m just a vessel.