Jean Smith - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Jean Smith -- self-portrait 1973 age 13
Jean Smith -- self portrait November 4, 2006
The songs in the player are:
Jean Smith solo CD -- Live at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle on tour with godspeed you black emperor --2000
Jean Smith solo CD -- Kill Rock Stars, 2000
2 Foot Flame-- Jean Smith voice and guitar and Peter Jefferies piano and drums
Peacock Coal -- live on WFMU -- New York -- 1997
Gone Gone Gone and This Begins in the Dark -- recorded in New Zealand 1998 -- unreleased
JEAN SMITH SOLO CD -- guitars, percussion, vocals, synth, keys, sax. The CD was written, performed, recorded and mixed over three days at Yo Yo Studios in the Capitol Theater in Olympia, Washington. Jean mixed some of the songs, Pat mixed others.
Engineer: Pat Maley
Buy Jean Smith
CD and Books
Jean Smith is the singer in the underground rock duo Mecca Normal. New songs from The Observer CD are up at: http://www.myspace.com/meccanormal
Artist: Jean Smith
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Hearing Jean Smith do an album without David Lester anywhere on it is a bit strange in ways, but this is a solo effort straight up and then some -- all instruments are played by her, from saxophone to guitars to cymbals, and then there's her instantly recognizable voice, though often used in much different ways here. From the start, with the instrumental "Ghost of Understanding" -- one of several songs where Smith doesn't sing a word -- the tone of the album is much more Xpressway than K Records. Rather than simply trying to do Mecca Normal without Lester, Smith takes the opportunity to create a series of mysterious, ambient/lo-fi experiments, calling to mind similarities with the work of 2 Foot Flame bandmate Peter Jefferies. There's the same sense of shadowy but compelling playing, and the use of prominent piano on "Root Smooth Sapling Whips," at nearly ten minutes the longest song presented, and the Laurie Anderson-reminiscent "A Little Black Dress" further suggests the comparison while not specifically cloning his style. "Root Smooth," for instance, is more hushed and steady than frenetic or sweeping, the interplay of Smith's piano and sax often just plain heartbreaking. What's also remarkable about the album is its sense of careful beauty -- consider the way that acoustic guitar is gently played almost like an autoharp amid the queasy electric sound on "Siamese Hips," or the spindly electric guitar on "The Story of History." When Smith's voice comes to the fore on songs like "Snippet From Hell" or the concluding "Halfway," the more common pointed tone of her Mecca Normal work is set aside for more contemplative singing, though the lyrical bite remains strong. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
"I first heard your music in about 1990, and found your work on the Web again last year. I pick up the same sense of immense awareness in your lyrics and in your writing--a well-grounded self-awareness, & a crystal-clear, moment-to-moment awareness of the people you describe interacting with. Plus authenticity, a kind of unbreakable anchor line of personal character as you navigate through those encounters, and an openness to creating and participating in fun, when it can happen." -- CD
New songs, tour dates, sexy video!
Buy Mecca Normal's CD
The Observer
Check out Mecca Normal
CDs, Books, T-shirts, Art
* Artist Talk:
"How Art & Music Can Change the World"
-- available as a Jean Smith event or Mecca Normal co-presentation
"Referring to her extraordinary 20 year history in music Jean Smith talks about the reality of being a cultural activist and the singer in the underground rock duo Mecca Normal. Jean reveals the work methods and philosophies behind her activities -- touring, writing and publishing, making art and music."
Artist talk, art and performance event for art galleries, high schools, youth centres, music venues and university classrooms -- intending to inspire audiences toward creative self-expression, I talk about political content and artistic longevity. Very flexible time and tech requirements.
[email protected]
Jean has played guitar with the following people and bands.
Mecca Normal (live and recorded)
Rick Brown & Sue Garner
Tae Won Yu
Marnie Stern
Derek Champion
Victoria Singh
Wendy Atkinson
Book of Common Gestures (live and recorded) w/ David First
2 Foot Flame (live and recorded)
Jean and Duane (live and recorded)
Dave Doughman -- of Swearing at Motorists (recorded as Transmarquee)
Bob Massey -- of The Gena Rowlands Band (live and recorded)
Shannon Morrow -- of Scissor Girls
Michael Morley -- of Gate, Dead C (live and recorded)
Bruce Russell -- of Dead C (live)
Peter Jefferies (live and recorded)
Justin Trosper & Brandt Sandeno -- of Unwound (recorded)
Celebrity Cigarette Butts - Dan Bunny, Bunnybrains
Zip On Teddy Heads -- Keith Jafrate
Amy and Emily -- of Indigo Girls (live)
Jane Siberry (live)
Lourdes Perez & Javier Chaparro (live)
Thalia Zedek -- of Come (live)
Josephine Wiggs -- of The Breeders (live)
Kate Schellenbach -- of Beastie Boys (live)
Bill Horist (live)
Wax Mannequin (recorded)
Superconductor (live)
Ronnie Pontiac, Tamra Spivey, LaFrae Olivia Sci - Lucid Nation/Mecca Normal = Mung Jung Bushi (recorded)
Eric Damianos - Reptiles (recorded)
Distorted Pony/Mecca Normal - (recorded)
Mecca Normal NEWSLETTER
Main Mecca Normal website http://mecca_normal.tripod.com
New Mecca Normal Lyrics
Artist Talk & Classroom Presentation: "How Art & Music Can Change the World"
Jean Smith's Paintings
Excerpts from Jean Smith's next novel

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/17/2005
Band Website: mecca_normal.tripod.com
Record Label: Kill Rock Stars
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

mailbox

From: "Tomasz SBawnikowski" Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:33 AM Subject: concert in poland Hello, I'm running little music club in Szczecin, Poland and we really would like ...
Posted by Jean Smith on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:14:00 PST

And, its fiction.

I have been working a lot on editing my novel which is basically about human interaction -- mainly focusing on the male-female dynamic in a way that intends to illuminate how we bring our own q...
Posted by Jean Smith on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:02:00 PST

Lenny Kaye review

Jean Smith -- Solo CD (KIll Rock Stars, 2000) "I have not been able to get beyond your solo album, play it over and again...truly mesmerizing, full of undulation and atmosphere. No idea t...
Posted by Jean Smith on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:49:00 PST

Cottonwood Fluffios

...
Posted by Jean Smith on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:02:00 PST

sex scenery

I'm editing my book -- the manuscript -- from 135,000 to an ideal 120,000 and I'm adding new segments and references -- fine-tuning. I am deliberating about whether or not to add sex scenes. Here...
Posted by Jean Smith on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:25:00 PST

smile received

...from the creator of this online dating website profile (photo shows a guy in his sixties who claims to be 47): LOOKING FOR NEW PLAYMATES PLEASE DO NOT IM OR MAIL ME IF I HAVE ALREADY HAD YOU. ...
Posted by Jean Smith on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:10:00 PST

mailbox

from: Peter JacobsonWrecks Viva RadioWednesdays @ 11 AMSundays @ 10 AM Hi there! I just wanted to get in touch because I was talking about Mecca Normal recently in a little interview on the ...
Posted by Jean Smith on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:29:00 PST

Wednesday

Last night I made a video -- electric guitar with glass slide and e-bow on a rickety laundry rack, acoustic guitar and voice -- one track with one mic. Rumble Strip -- just saying. Never d...
Posted by Jean Smith on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:53:00 PST

Dear Readers -- HELP

As I go along editing this book, I could surely use some input from you. Here, fairly near the beginning of the dating episodes, we see the main character CELIA on a date with a guy and he reject...
Posted by Jean Smith on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:55:00 PST

The Van

"Are we at a stop sign here?" Andrew asks Celia. "Ah, nope. You're just sort of stopped in the middle of the road for no reason." Andrew speeds up in a school zone and hammers the brakes three feet f...
Posted by Jean Smith on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:33:00 PST