Laura Minor

THE BEAST VIDEO

Description: Feel the warmth from the toilet seat ring light in my first video, shot late one night by Bryan Wizemann and Mark Schwartzbard (Ballast Films). Stay tuned for two new videos!

BIO

Laura Minor's Let Evening Come
"Who says you can't play torchy cabaret country songs with maracas and turntables?" Laura Minor asks. Her voice may summon Yoko Ono's primal scream, Bjork's space fairy, and the dark hymns of Fiona Apple, Lucinda Williams, and Hope Sandoval, but "Let Evening Come" isn't all about Minor's mesmerizing vocals. This solo debut, Let Evening Come (forthcoming on Stickfigure Records, Jan 2008) record combines fiery women's songwriting with laidback, drugged-out, and sexed-up psychedelia. It's an unlikely combo, but it's coming from a gal with a checkered past.
Before she ever sang a note, Laura Minor was a poetry teacher in the prison system, an office jockey, a P.A. on commercial sets, a grad student, a Kindergarten teacher, the host of an metal radio show, a server at a fine dining restaurant, a cook at a vegetarian co-op, a teacher of a course on the history of sexuality, a bartender, and a real estate stylist, dressing million-dollar Manhattan apartments. Nowadays, she adjuncts as a writing professor at various arty colleges in between finishing her first collection of poems, singing, and writing a new record. She has also volleyed between Florida, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. It's no surprise that when she found her voice, she had a lot to say.
Minor hails from the north Florida triumvirate of Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Gainesville, which carry a rich tradition in country music, and these local sounds heavily influenced her early songwriting. When she left her hometown for Atlanta, a friend found a guitar in the garbage and gave it to Minor as a going-away present. "It was a Hondo, but I called it my 'garbage guitar,'" Minor says. "It would go out of tune every 10 minutes. These songs became a record about transcending the everyday pains of life, and they were all written on something somebody threw away."
Minor’s first record, “Salesman’s Girl, garnered significant attention for its lyrical prowess and back story. Demo’d in Gainesville and sent to the Oakland record label, HighTone, they immediately flew out to meet her and she was signed within 3 months of singing her first note. "I was going to get a PhD. in English," Minor recalls, "but then I got signed to an alt-country label." Within six months, she was in the studio, recording her 2002 solo debut, Salesman's Girl, with David Lowery of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker.
But that was just the beginning. Laura Minor's latest recording, "Let Evening Come," was co-produced with hip hop artists Oktopus and dälek (better known as the group, dälek) and Minor. "When I realized dälek’s overall vision for music was atypical, revolutionary really, I wanted to work with them. And finally, years later I got to make this record with them, which has become a labor of love. Instead of slow-food, it was kind of a slow-music movement. We took our time on picking the right sounds for these songs,” Minor explained.
Metal, however, is one of the few genres that doesn't make its way into the layered and elusive sound of "Let Evening Come." The record has a bossanova fluidity and a dub-reggae vibe, and Minor's strong love of country shines through, as does her affection of heavy, shoegazery walls of sound.
Let Evening Come features guest appearances by Eric Bachmann and members of dälek, Soldiers of Fortune, Clay Cook & the Torches, Jett Brando, and the Mercury Program. "The Beast" is a melancholy duet featuring Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers, Archers of Loaf) and will most certainly crush you into tiny points of light. The consistent buzz surrounding the impending release of this record is ongoing. Remarkably, before its anticipated and pushed-back release, Let Evening Come, has been publicized online in Pitchfork, Xlr8r and Billboard. "Lonely Heart," an innovative instrumental track that is reminiscent of Jon Brion's latest cinematic scores, was licensed by the Canadian documentary on Greenpeace. Lastly, Kara Zuaro’s cookbook smash, "I Like Food, Food Tastes Good," features two drink recipes by Minor.
"Finally, I was able to make a record with all the things I love and create a unique sound that was my own." Minor says. "After the first listen to the finished record, we turned to each other at the last note and laughed. We said, 'What kind of music did we just make?'" Well, to answer that question, you'll just have to listen for yourself.
PRE-RELEASE PRESS FOR "LET EVENING COME"
"Laura Minor is the future. The Florida native's Let Evening Come is like My Bloody Valentine meets Lucinda Williams; a pretty blend of shoegazer country. Produced by hip-hop crew dälek, whose dark beats augment Minor's pristine voice, the excellent album is both soulful and haunting." – xlr8r
CMJ Day 2: The Heartbreak Billboard.com Sure, you got to see the Knife. And Steve Earle and Cold War Kids. But we got to see Laura Minor. The pleasure was all ours at Mo Pitkin's to catch this Georgia-native singer/songwriter. With elements of country, electronica, blues, soul and kick-ass, Minor's buttery voice, packed with range and character, stole the show. Fans of Neko Case, Shivaree and Uncle Tupelo would find much satisfaction in keeping an eye on this talented lady, who has lyrics to break hearts.
"I’ve discussed the music of Laura Minor here before: one part heartfelt country, one part boundary-shredding expansionism...and I continue to be amazed with her voice. Having now heard these songs, er, twice, I’m starting to find them stuck in my head, which is a fine thing." -Tobias Carroll, The Scowl
"... Laura Minor, a Brooklyn based singer-songwriter whose music combines a bit of Delta blues, swampy ghouls, reverb and twang and some alt-retro-country elements into a satisfying whole. As her web sites reads, it's indeed kinda like "...a match struck in a darkened room ..." She has an expressive voice, with twists and turns along the vocal path, and the tasty instrumentation of her live band came courtesy of guitarists Clifton Hyde and James Apollo. Their sweet licks and commended restraint added touches of class to the evening's set."--Dfactor, Wavedrumor.com
"Minor's lyrical gifts are couched in plush musical settings, compliments of co-producers dälek and Oktopus. At first glance, it seems mixing Minor and the experimental hip-hop brainiacs makes for mighty strange bedfellows. But it works wonderfully well. Minor's lovely, shimmering voice wanders through ambient soundscapes that imbue her trademark twang with throbbing reverb and edgy, unexpected electronic fillips. And though critics have gushed about Minor being the next Lucinda Williams, there are moments on this album when she sounds uncannily like more ethereal singers such as Kate Bush and Jane Siberry." - Kati Schardi, Tallahassee Democrat
" Every once in a while this happens – an original voice – a stick of dynamite exploding into blossoms … and inside the blossoms, birds, and the worms the birds longed for – and what the worms might have been dreaming of. The world needs Laura Minor's voice – canny, desperate, educated, and streetwise, devoted, determined to take a sledgehammer to despair." – Marie Howe, poet and author
"Laura's voice was crystalline and soulful with an unmatched level of technical proficiency. Furthermore, the level of creativity and originality of the music was striking. Remarkably, she was backed by all three of the previous acts. The size of the band coupled with the unique instrumentation further drew me into the performance. With two laptops, three guitars, trumpet, bass, and turntables, the group offered a visual sideshow to the musical performance." – GainsevilleBands.com
"If Laura Minor's favorite cocktail, the Dark 'n' Stormy, were put to music, it might sound something like this – haunting and dangerous and delicious." – Kara Zuaro, author of I Like Food, Food Tastes Good, on LargeheartedBoy.com link: http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2007/06/book_not es_kara.html
Press Quotes from 2002 Hightone Release "Salesman's Girl"
“Laura has the gift of a youthful voice that gives way to a bluesy rasp in the blink of an eye. She’s also a natural storyteller whose songwriting talent puts her in the esteemed company of Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, and Norah Jones." -- Rhino Records
“Unlike the songs of alt-country colleague Neko Case, Minor's stuff is more about having fun than achieving moody atmospherics or pulling off vocal gymnastics " --San Francisco Weekly
“...someone with Shania Twain's bright and charismatic voice and twice her lyrical smarts.” San Francisco Weekly
“Anyone who is a fan of Kasey Chambers’ best work ought to check this one out, and for the rest, I’d advise you to at least keep an eye on Minor. As she matures in her songwriting, she’ll become something special." --The Music Box
“Primarily culled from Minor's poetry, the songs are smart, but not aloof, and her voice has a bluesy, backwoods rasp that speaks of vulnerability yet reveals uncompromising honesty." --Country Standard Time
“Acclaimed singer-songwriter Laura Minor's Salesman's Girl is gathering her comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Ryan Adams...Laura Minor was a sensation." --The Reader
“...in line to be the next Lucinda Williams " --The Weekly Planet
“She is no Lucinda Williams or a Norah Jones, despite claims to the contrary, but she doesn’t need to be- being Laura Minor at this point in time should be a happy thing indeed...Her voice is like a mix of Molly Conley (from Porter Hall, TN), Kim Richey and Caitlin Cary- full of expression…she covers the ranges and does it with style and volume- always delivering the emotional core of the story " --Americana UK
“The songwriting has all of the storytelling style and skill of the classics like Buck, Merle, Lynn et all but with a definite modern twist and outlook. The songs on this CD are not about how sad this girl is when she loses her man. These are songs of love, passion, overcoming heartbreak and resilient defiance, sung by a woman who's smart, strong and confident with what she has to offer.” --Freight Train Boogie Reviews
“Caution: Laura Minor may have you dancing in your underwear, singing into a hairbrush. A little bit country, and a little bit rock & roll, the Florida native unleashes youthful energy with her...songs about -- what else? -- love and loss. Lyrically, it might seem as if Minor's on a one-way road to Melancholyville, but no matter how her heart aches, her optimism transcends. Deep down, she still believes in all the good stuff...Minor displays the torch and twang of a young Patty Griffin -- less developed, but equally promising -- with a Sheryl Crow backbone.” --Lessons Magazine
“Laura is a talented poet and songwriter - a natural storyteller with a merciless pitch, imagination, and vulnerability uncommon in most lyricists. The music is a mix of rock, soul, country, and blues. Many of her songs are about growing up in Florida: the Spanish moss, the Bible Belt, the water. Work, grief, and faded love are also dominant elements in her work." –CoolForever
“Minor has the same earnest, childlike tone that Miller and Victoria Williams are known for, although Minor is more restrained, subdued and accessible than either of them." --Plan 9
“She has the voice of a seasoned pro, and the storytelling and song writing ability of an old soul. These songs sound like the deep personal telling of her innermost thoughts...Although the songs sometimes carry heartache and sadness - her hopeful voice creates unique blending of emotions." --girlpossee.com
“Her imagery... is perfect for her quavering, heartfelt Julie Miller-like voice. Her best is yet to come.” --Sacramento News & Review
“Adrift in this sea of off-tune, often clichéd mediocrity, a siren like Laura Minor can give one new hope. She reminds one a lot of two fellow southern girls; Shannon Wright and Shelby Lynne. She has poetic lyrics that rival Shannon Wright and a pop sensibility with a country flavored voice that echoes Lynne. From her sweet, soulful voice, to her serious yet witty lyrics and a style as endearing as her smile, Laura Minor can't miss." --Ink 19
“Sheryl Crow without the commercials...Minor can crank up the rockabilly sass of Wanda Jackson...or settle into a bluesy power ballad, edging towards Janis Joplin, while retaining the fragility of Kelly Willis " --Amazon.com UK
“Her voice is very nice and I hear Sheryl Crow meets Ricky Lee Jones. I think Laura is one of those who find her way to the top...I think she is staying with us for the rest of our lives if you like it or not. I have to say that I have no problems with that." --Jan the LazyMan
"Minor’s characters are largely down on their luck and down on love, yet the dark lyrical overtones are offset by the optimism of the arrangements; if you love the downbeat slow-country of Cowboy Junkies but hide a secret appreciation for The Mavericks, this one’s for you." --Logo Magazine.com
"Laura Minor's musical career is the stuff of rock-and-roll fable. ..Minor sings her accessible poetry, set to briskly paced roots-rock rhythms, with a voice that carries to the rafters and yet is soft around the edges. Comparisons can be made to Lucinda Williams on caffeine." --Washington Post.com
"Laura Minor makes comfort food for the soul." --High Bias
"You'll spin into a romantic swoon." --Santa Monica Mirror
"Minor is a Florida native with a big voice and a notable songwriting gift...occasionally reminiscent of the ragged vulnerability we hear from Casey Chambers." --Metromagazine
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