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Silk&Olive

About Me

"Musique noir, ok I think I need a drink... It's not jazz, but I like this record. Haunting, confessional poetry alongside waltzy twang." (D. Kahre, The Green Mill, Chicago)............................................................ ....................."You've got a unique sound happening here, what comes to mind are the Cowboy Junkies and early Velvet Underground. I especially like album tracks 1, 2 and 4." (Laney Goodman, host, Women On Air) ............................................................ .................. "Silk & Olive is the musical project of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Andy Fish from Portland, OR. Although her new record continues in a melancholic tone similiar to the previous release “Small Dark Light”, “Trouble in The Tea Leaves” sounds more refined, each track flowing into the next like a moody film score. Fish’s vocal timbre situates somewhere between Cat Power and Tanita Tikaram, blending luster with a quiet intimacy. The opening track, “Softly” begins as a classical composition and evolves into a piece not unlike something Hooverphonic might release. The picturesque meandering of Michael Grossman’s violin colours the landscape nicely alongside guitar and occasional moog and mellotron. In “Wapsiana”, Scott Weddle’s lap steel, with violin, creates a splendid, nostalgic backdrop to a sad tale about small town life. The next song brings a Tom Waits-esque shift, as “Bad Baby Pie” swaggers with distorted vocals and Jolie Clausen's quirky, trashy percussion. The glory years of ELO come alive in “DC Comic” and the record ends with a decidedly Suzanne Vega-like track, “Pieces”. Fish has put forward a dark, sensitive and intense album which has earned repeated listenings in my stereo. I recommend cozying up in a warm seat to explore the sweet, subtle resonance of Silk & Olive." (Blowfish, Rootstime Magazine, www.rootstime.be) ............................................................ ........................... "I recognize that there is a certain level of sadness associated with the human condition" muses Andy, "writing music is one of the most beautifully narcissistic ways of addressing those minute little scenarios of our existence. And it's cheaper than therapy." Haunting and nostalgic, S & O's melodic narrative tends to be stylistically sad or seductive, lyrically dwelling in the shadowy spaces of discordance, truth and eros.<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ;<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ;<<"TROUBLE IN THE TEA LEAVES" was released on September 20, 2008, to a packed house at Mississippi Pizza in Portland, Oregon. It is available on CD and limited press transparent red vinyl. The LP version includes a live track from a sold-out, Valentine's Day 2008 Mississippi Studios show. Get the CD here:The vinyl version can be found in Portland at: Mississippi Records, Q is for Choir, Green Noise, Music Millenium, Everyday Music, itunes and CD Baby:2005's "SMALL DARK LIGHT", featuring "Clementina", "Sea Heart" & "Silence", is available on itunes and CD Baby:

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/5/2005
Band Members:Silk & Olive is Andy Fish on vocals, guitar, piano, sequences & samples. Guests and collaborators have included:
Michael Grossman - violin
Dave Fulton - keyboards
Marilee Horde - violin
Jill Adams - vox
Jolie Clausen - drums
Theresa Fish - trombone
Joanna Neal - drums
Mike Midlo - guitar, vox
Alan Kanning - bass
Dan Johnson - slide guitar
Adam Hoornstra - electric viola
Shelly Strunk - piano
Teri Untalan - viola, vox

Influences:PJ Harvey, Mazzy Star, Iron & Wine, Low Anthem, Sparklehorse, Betty Davis, Sandy Denny, Solex, Elysian Fields, Amon Tobin, Blonde Redhead, Kate Bush, Throwing Muses, Boards of Canada, Fourtet, Portishead, Pixies, Radiohead, Black Heart Procession, Ratatat, Bill Withers, T Rex, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Tori Amos, Dirty Three, Helmet, Erik Satie, Bartok, Shostakovich... Jane Smiley, Elizabeth Bishop, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Robert Sapolsky, The Red Balloon, 1,000 Acres, Death & the Penquin, 100 Years of Solitude, Moon Dust, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Byambasuren Davaa, Alejandro Jodorowsky, After Hours, King of Comedy, Blood Simple, Grey Gardens, Ladies and Gentlemen: the Fabulous Stains, Korean horror, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Diane Lane, Patricia Clarkson...people who create more than they consume, vinyl LPs, vipassyna, iyengar, iowa, beater trucks, indicator species like fireflies and turtles, my lab/doberman, chivalrous acts towards strangers, creative home recording, produce shopping by color, the profound simplicity of celery, l'heure verte, smooth tequila, basketball, metal design, historic barns, my lover as muse, porn star and friend.
Sounds Like:Mazzy Star, PJ Harvey, Cat Power, Suzanne Vega, Patti Smith, Jonette Napolitano
Record Label: Spotted Frog Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Church of Girl 2008 Mix

Silk & Olive (alongside a few national and international bands, and a few of my favorite Portland acts - Morgan Grace, Sugar Short Wave and Mirah) are featured on the DJ BigTrak 2008 retrospective...
Posted by on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:41:00 GMT

TROUBLE IN THE TEA LEAVES out now! September 2008

"Lonely and remote, 'Trouble in the Tea Leaves' is somber yet comforting in its sensuous tension, reverb-heavy harmonies and achingly honest delivery." - J. Moon, 9/21/08NEW MUSIC, NEW EXCITEMENT.The ...
Posted by on Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:46:00 GMT

CD release party, Sat Sept 20

Hi everyone, So I've got a new record coming out which, as of this weekend, is done. It took 7 months to complete and includes songs written within the last 3 years. Scott Weddle of the band Amel...
Posted by on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:06:00 GMT

vocals on new track by Sallo

Just posted a new song... I contributed lyrics & vocals to a track called "Red & Rust" for Sallo's new record. Sallo is the project of pianist Shelly Strunk, see my top friends for more music ...
Posted by on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:13:00 GMT

warm your cold heart, feed your irrepressible desires

This Valentine's Day, Thursday, Feb. 14th, at Mississippi Studios: join Silk & Olive along with headliners Amelia to signify the approaching end to a long, cold winter. Kiss your sweetie on the cheek,...
Posted by on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:13:00 GMT

Life and after that

After a recent experience of watching someone pass away, I now understand why Tibetan culture does not consider birth and death as separate. If you really look at both, they are strikingly similar. O...
Posted by on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:58:00 GMT

luna

for those who haven't seen it yet, check out the Hi-Def video footage Japan has taken of the moon and earth, from the moon. also for anyone into this sort of thing, i highly recommend the book "Moond...
Posted by on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:47:00 GMT

Tour blog oct 21

The best and worst part about being on the road is the unpredictability of it all.. Where will we stay? Where will we find good food? Will the sound guy/gal show? Will an audience show? Then there are...
Posted by on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:53:00 GMT

belly of the beast

the last time i visited, i bought the local crazy man with a half-scarred face a shot of cuervo. to which he replied "grow where your roots are my friend". i got silly drunk and nostalgically comforta...
Posted by on Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:18:00 GMT

urban commuter super stars

ok so over the course of the last week, i've heard way too many strangers' private, revealing conversations. maybe its because i'm a pretty private person (and dont own a cell phone) that i...
Posted by on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:38:00 GMT