Ida Maria | Philip Lynch Music

Wow I went to a great show last night! Ida Maria played the Mercury Lounge on the lower east side. A small venue for such a big star. I know, I know many of you may not have heard of Ida Maria but believe me she’s a big star. Her songs are emotionally honest and sometimes raw to the point of breaking. No matter how far you push an idea or a story, if your songs are coming from a genuine place they fly! Her set was magnificently paced. Her tophat had a giant beautiful red feather. The band was tight. Ida on guitar, a lead guitarist, bassist, drummer, and a backup singer. The first song I ever heard of hers was the hit, “Oh my god”. I ran out and got her album, “Fortress Around My Heart”, tout de suite (Lynch highly recommends heh) I’ve been a fan since. This was my first time seeing her live. Support live music people!!

Ida kicked off the set with “Queen of The World”

I had a couple of drinks down the way at Parkside Lounge, great venue/bar, before the show. Aretha Franklin was on the jukebox and it made me think how tough it is for women in male dominated fields. I was also a little apprehensive….what if Ida’s not good live? Those worries were laid to rest with the first song. She has great stage presence and a beautiful voice which she’s unafraid to push into some rougher, darker territory. Apropos of nothing, she apparently has synesthesia. In her case she envisions colors when she hears music and would make songs with color palettes, how cool is that?
I spoke with her cousin (who sang back up) a little bit after the show and they’re playing tonight at Rough Trade in Brooklyn @ 8PM you’d be wise to catch them! You will not be disappointed.

I leave you with this one – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy_dMzFr7t8

Oh P.S. I’m playing Sunday December 8th (so is the excellent Rob McMahon) at An Beal Bocht 445 West 238th Street (at Greystone Avenue) 7:30PM Ben Kraus on bass again so c’mon out, it’s a real treat!!

I’m not sure how the subconscious works but I’m pretty sure it’s up to something up there in my cranium. Recently, well let’s be honest, always, women have been under the gun. The horrible and terrifying rapes in India, in the US Military and the kidnapped tortured women in Ohio are enough to make me want to forget having anything to do with anyone ever again. Rape is a violent crime but on top of that it seems to me such a betrayal, an act usually associated with love, pleasure, procreation, something positive is completely destroyed. There are power dynamics in our society which dictate who we are and how we should behave as such. The stereotypical portrayal of men as sexually aggressive beasts and women as alluring sirens persists. A lot of these signifiers are in marketing, on television shows, in magazines and stray far afield from understanding the opposite sex let alone ourselves. In fact, if anything, the advertisements we are constantly bombarded with are meant to be the ‘norm’ so that they can keep selling whatever it is they’re pedaling. I had a conversation once with my friend (great actor) Johnny Kitt about his experience being black, African American and we agreed that being born black in America meant you were immediately thrust into a political situation more so than whites. I remember seeing an example of this on some t.v. show….the woman, an author, I forget her name, used the example of what nude pantyhose looks like and I don’t know whether things have changed since I saw that show but ‘nude’ pantyhose were for white skin. I think women are also born into a political situation, lower pay, warped assessments of their looks, strength, ability, and intellectual prowess. I’m reminded of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono song, “Woman Is the Nigger of The World”. I’m uncomfortable with the n-word still (call me old-fashioned) despite it’s use as means to reclaim it’s power. There has always been rape as there has always been war. That doesn’t mean we should accept what we know to be wrong as natural.
Sometimes I’ll direct my listening towards a particular sound or genre either based on a recommendation or a mood or a curiosity…that was not the case these past couple of weeks. I think my subconscious has done something with these news stories and I’ve been listening to women who rock, maybe as a coping mechanism? Not specifically Riot Grrrl bands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Grrrl) but rocking tunes. Real horror is hard to process, music helps.

Be good to each other. Have good listens! Til next time. -p

P.S. I post these things every Monday!

Philip Lynch Music

'At The Start / At Long Last' debut LP is now available at workbenchrecordings.com. Digitally available on iTunes, amazon.com, Spotify. Performance news.

Tag Archives: Ida Maria

IDA MARIA!!

Women Rock!!!