Customer Reviews

DF 05 LiVE

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Several years ago, I attended a Phil Ochs Tribute night in Greenwich Village, and was treated to an eclectic group of folk legends (including Dave Van Ronk and John Wesley Harding) and unknown (to me, anyway) acts performing some of my all-time favorite songs. One singer, however, stole the stage that night: a young woman named SONiA of disappear fear (that's how she capitalizes her name and group, and no I don't know why), who performed Phil's "Is There Anybody Here?" and had the audience actually holding our collective breath in awe of her rendition. It was one of the most electric live performances I'd ever seen, and when the concert ended I marched right down the street to Tower Records and bought every disappear fear CD I could find.

I'm a child of the '70s; growing up my musical idols were three stars who were certainly timeless, but whose stars had shone brightest in earlier decades: Phil, Buddy Holly, John Lennon. In SONiA, I found a contemporary artist with Lennon's way with a phrase, Phil's dedication to social justice, and Holly's sense of fun. From that night until this, she's been my favorite singer/songwriter, and I've enjoyed each new album from her the way a soldier enjoys a letter from home.

SONiA Rutstein is from Baltimore, where she formed disappear fear with her sister Cindy in the late 1980s. A decade later, Cindy retired from the road to raise a family and SONiA pushed on a solo act. She currently tours with a new disappear fear, a self-styled "power trio". SONiA's website (soniadf.com) accurately describes their sound as "part intelligent folk singer-songwriter, part sweaty rock-and-roll and part whimsical pop." They tour incessantly, and their new CD is terrific.

It's an absolutely sterling collection of most of her best songs, including the down-home rip-snorter "Ride This Ride" ("Remember three years ago... I was buckin' to be free, and as I recall you were happy just to be buckin' me"), "No Bomb is Smart", "Bring Your Own God", and "Sexual Telepathy". It also includes the title track from her 2004 Grammy and Out nominated album, ME, TOO. The new CD is a gem that carries our Highest Recommendation.

Even if I were not the photographer who contributed the cover photos I would rate this album as a ten. For this release, SONiA has cooked up a band of incredible talent and passion which drives her songs to a whole new level of glory. An added bonus is sister CiNDY's vocals on the Kerrville tracks which connect this recording to the past of disappear fear. This new incarnation of disappear fear rocks and its sound can only go up from here. It is as spontaneous and as fixed in time as SONiA's smile on the cover. Gotta love this one.

I saw Disappear Fear at the High Sierra Music Fest in Quincy and we even had the honor of jamming with them and sharing ideas. Disappear Fear Live 05 is a wonderful and enlightening work of art. I was entranced twice by their song and bass!

I love the music, but because it's a live show, I wasn't really impressed with the sound quality. All my favorite songs are here.