Diane Cluck
I've been listening to so much new music lately that I'm having a hard time keeping track. But even as new albums pile up un-listened to, I find that I've been playing this song at least a few times a day. I've been feeling an urgent need to share it, so here it is.
Diane Cluck - Easy to Be Around
I was lucky to have stumbled upon this song a while ago after randomly following one of the links on Largehearted Boy's daily list of downloads. I'd never heard of Diane Cluck, and wasn't able to find much useful information on her or her music after a cursory google search. Judging by this song, though, I assume that she sings with her eyes closed, swaying her body back and forth slowly. I also assume that soft drugs are involved. Regardless, she also knows how to write some fantastic vocal arrangements. Despite the simplicity of the guitar strumming and the lyrics, the harmonies seem to build up in complexity after each verse. By the end of the song the voices become a kind of wall of sound behind Cluck's own vocals, making the phrase 'easy to be around' sound a little bit different every time it gets repeated.
[Find Unhelpful Info on Diane Cluck Here]
Diane Cluck - Easy to Be Around
I was lucky to have stumbled upon this song a while ago after randomly following one of the links on Largehearted Boy's daily list of downloads. I'd never heard of Diane Cluck, and wasn't able to find much useful information on her or her music after a cursory google search. Judging by this song, though, I assume that she sings with her eyes closed, swaying her body back and forth slowly. I also assume that soft drugs are involved. Regardless, she also knows how to write some fantastic vocal arrangements. Despite the simplicity of the guitar strumming and the lyrics, the harmonies seem to build up in complexity after each verse. By the end of the song the voices become a kind of wall of sound behind Cluck's own vocals, making the phrase 'easy to be around' sound a little bit different every time it gets repeated.
[Find Unhelpful Info on Diane Cluck Here]
posted by ian at 8:04 PM
13 Comments:
Way to beat me to the punch AGAIN! :) (Of course, I have her hand-made albumto choose a song from so nyah.) She's great, isn't she?
I don't usually go for this kind of thing but I listened to it repeatedly while doing some other work and, I have to admit, it was easy to be around.
hello!
last afternoon i saw diane cluck perform in saratoga springs, new york. i had listened to her cd and was excited to see her live. she's extremely beautiful, not tall, not short, she wore these neat sandals like someone might have worn in israel on a kibbutz. and then she sang and it sounded so special that i kept thinking she was taking us all to heaven. she was very striking and kind. she said it was the first time she had played without a microphone and that it was strange. it did not sound strange at all.
the show is listed at www.thefarmtomarket.com.
i really like your website.
ian, thank you for sharing. i couldn't stop listening to this song after your post. it's beautifully haunting & perfectly conveys the feeling i want to tell a friend, via mixtape - of course.
keep up the good work.
I've loved this song since Cokemachineglow reviewed/interviewed her. Fantastic stuff.
I have her new album, Oh Vanille, and this song is at least as good as anything on there. I reviewed that album along with Nick Castro's new one a few weeks ago for Terminal City.
(http://www.terminalcity.ca/content/view/960/139/)
i would NOT say that there is anything remotely simple concerning the lyrics here... as i see it, these are some of the more sophisticated lyrics i've encountered concerning a meta-love type topic...explored with nary a hint of female sob-story diary pap...but rather, cool, calm-collected, wise, resigned with purpose and without careless sentimental trappings that lead to 17-year old quim-shivers. i'd recommend the first 2 loudon wainwright lps if you like this. no holds barred, ruthless, careening badass folk emoting.
I heard this song a few months ago on KTRU (Rice University) and had to find it, which I did, but I couldn't find anything else. My web searches for even song clips were not helpful.
This is a great song, tho. I really wonder what it would be like to hear her sing it solo, without all of those interesting harmonies.
p.s. I'd call it progressive folk, instead of freak folk, but that's just me.
Wow It's awesome to see so many people turned onto Diane and her music. I'm fortunate to live in the East Village and to have seen her when she pops her head out every then and now.
I agree with the majority of the posters who say that if you like Easy to Be Around than you'll seriously enjoy the whole album from which it comes, oh Vanille. If any one has problens locating the album, it can be purchased directly from her or importantrecords.com or if you find me on soulseek look up cfool and grab any of her albums from me
there.
ps she has a new album, Countless Times, coming out on ErosVoodoo records on Nov 8th and lastly if any one wants to stream a truely amazing show of her's click here:
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/spinning/episodes/12032004
peace
-chad
http://www.nightjarreview.com/
Please check out some of Diane's poetry in the Nightjar Review!
Wears the Trousers, a new online mag on female musical artists, has an interview with her in their first issue (which should be available in pdf to download).
They're how I found out about her, and boy was I blown away, so I thought I'd share the link with you!
~Kim
I found a track she recorded with Jeff Lewis called Travel Light and her voice is so interesting. Weird and distinctive melodies - like Joni Mitchell with her songwriting. Managed to find some mp3s to download. The first song I fell in love with was "Easy to be Around" hear it at this URL: http://www.myspace.com/dianecluck2006
Special line: " The door remains the same when you're so easy to be around". She used parallel fifths in her harmonies which give them a open plagal quality.
Now I have just FALLEN INSATIABLY IN LOVE with this track called "Bones and Born Again" : http://www.myspace.com/dianecluckmusic . Just listen to it.... it will take a couple of listens before it grips you by the solar plexus.... but it will. Where does she get these melodies from?? "You fade from me like you know I'm dying, You fade from me like I'm already bones and born again" It makes me feel I'm in the 70s walking through a field of swaying grasses and it makes me feel 20 years younger, and it makes me feel left lonely... it's..... so... beautiful.
I Diane live in Syracuse,NY. It was my first time hearing her, she is amazing.. I am hooked.
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