Where’s Mer?
You may have noticed that COILHOUSE is down one writer this week. Where’s Mer? Did she run away? Did she join the circus? Actually, kind of. Resident musician Meredith Yayanos is in The Old Country right now, touring with a band called Faun Fables as opening guest performers for Sleeytime Gorilla Museum. Faun Fables’ sound is difficult to nail in the written form, especially for someone like me, a person whose daily music vocabulary is limited to phrases like “uber” and “truly epic.” I love music passionately, but I don’t want to torment you with my caveman language when it comes to describing this band’s unique sound. This is where my eloquent friends CTRL+C and CTRL+V come in:
“FAUN FABLES is DAWN McCARTHY’s vivid imagination come to life in song and theater. Dawn is a composer, singer and theater artist whose work is a sea of gorgeous elemental nitty gritty; haunting melodies, breath, stomping, and natural theatricality led by the voice, rooted in the physical body. It is a crossroads where ancient ballad, art song, physical theater and rock music meet. Her lyrics speak to people of all ages about things like rugged housekeeping, street kids, growing old, sleepwalking and exiled travelers returning home.”
[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/pNF7jcUq-yM" width="400" height="330" wmode="transparent" /]
More about the tour, Mer’s whereabouts, and a bonus horror film clip (!) by Faun Fables after the jump.
Faun Fables’ next and final stop in Europe is an Austrian music festival called “Unlimited 21: Music for Hands and Mouths” curated by Carla Kihlstedt of Sleepytime GM and Tin Hat Trio fame. The event takes place this weekend, beginning on Friday, November 9th and concluding on Sunday the 11th, in Wels, Austria. Those of you lucky enough to be living within proximity, be there or be square! Mer touched base with me briefly online to that she’s having many adventures, and that she can’t wait to tell you guys about the things she’s discovered on her travels.
In addition to the haunting music that you can find on their MySpace Page, Faun Fables has also made several short films, including this melodramatic horror clip inspired by the silent film era, directed by Merri Cyr. It looks like they had a blast putting this together, watching it with the lights off actually gives me the willies. Behold:
[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="400" height="322" fvars="m=3790045;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]
November 6th, 2007 at 11:47 am
I knew that was her! I was browsing through some of the new SGM photos on Flickr and saw a violinist in FF that looked oddly familiar… I actually thought “Is that Mer? Could it be?”
Yes, yes. All good music is connected.
November 6th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I saw Faun Fables open for the Dresden Dolls in Toronto and the music was so fantastic, really deep and overwhelming and incredible. Wahoo!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Now that I have a chance to actually watch the clip… I think the best description of the band is freak folk. I know it’s pretty narrow minded but I think it works. It’s folkish in a sense, but at the same time is weird and never the same.
Dawn is STUNNING. She’s got the face for this. Maybe it’s the cheekbones, but damn, she’s beautiful here. Not to say she’s not beautiful elsewhere, but my lord, that’s perfection! And oh my, I love rockin monster. It’s so cool.
November 6th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Nils and Dawn make a great “American Gothic.”
November 6th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
I was just listening to Faun Fables’ Family Album yesterday, great band. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum however is just about my favorite thing ever (at least musically).
November 8th, 2007 at 1:01 am
By the way where did you find that video?
November 8th, 2007 at 1:36 am
@ lauren: Someone just sent me the video. Here is the link to it on MySpace
November 27th, 2007 at 1:15 am
Really good and really interesting post. I expect (and other readers maybe :)) new useful posts from you!
Good luck and successes in blogging!
January 18th, 2011 at 2:07 am
I absolutely love faun fables, going on tour with them..wow. I hope your writer knows how lucky she is!
ben morris- sleepytime gorilla museum rocks! they’re so underrated. You should try listening to panic ensemble.
much love
January 18th, 2011 at 2:45 am
Nya, you bet your sweet bippy I do. I spent several years traveling and recording with them and it was one of the most healing and lovely experiences I’ll ever have as a human being, let alone as a musician!