Stella Donnelly, Fauvely, Girl Valley

    She just won over Empty Bottle.  One of her most powerful songs was Boys Will Be Boys, and I don't know if the audience went silent over it, I was just too concentrated on it. I'd like to say that they did. Stella Donnelly warned, this song dealt with sexual assault.  And I'm thinking now, was this not one of the building blocks of blues. Ya'll can relax, I didn't call her a blues artist. Meaning that, out of this suffering comes out this cathartic music, that resonates. Boys is based on something that really happened to someone close to her. One degree away from her. She is from Perth, Australia.
   I was glad Fauvely played that night with her. Fauvely deals with things you think about, what I call the interior castle. Self-doubt, being over critical of one self. Fauvely writes and sings about what goes on inside ones own mind, the struggle within it. Stella Donnelly sings about exterior forces, specifically male that act towards women, attack women actually. Boys is that kind of song. Not all of them are that dark. There's one about how her boss owes her money.....quick update. The boss paid her in full eventually. She just writes really fast. Her voice is clear....she sounds to me like Paige Brubeck from Sleepy Kitty. And its just her and a guitar, so there is no mistaking, no escaping what she says. The slow moving blade is what penetrates the shield. Her clear, and minimal form of expression cuts straight into you.
So when she says "boys will be boys" with the sweetest voice, there is no escaping the bitter taste that comes with that cliche'. What do you mean who is  Paige Brubeck? Fucking hell, have y'all forgotten already? I don't have time, let me get back to Stella Donnelly, her songs are lessons on how not to act. There is almost no need to say, her songs are about this or that, because her words are clear and understandable. She is a natural in disarming her audience with her genuine, vulnerable charm. She swears in her songs. She swears in between songs. Not a problem girl. You is cool like Samuel L Jackson sayin' "motherfucker" all the time. I like how she seems to include asides within her songs. One song I think is called Swipe Left ....no it was it called I Should Have Stayed At Home...well it is about a tinder date that was ehhh....The reason I mention it, is that it has these aside moments, that for me is part of her signature. These asides almost make the music take these improv breathes of air, and they brake the ice with the crowd. By now Youtube is full of her videos and its great to see these moments documented an hopefully preserved there. I got into all her songs that she played, I walked out of Empty Bottle a fan of Stella Donnelly. And she was way, way cool after the show.
  This was on my radar since missing Fauvely on that Oak Park show. And I knew very little about Stella until the day off the concert. So I went on time and saw all three bands including Girl Valley, she was great. I will want to see her again, she opened the show. This was my first time seeing her. Fauvely played new songs that I really got into. Ohh, and something else first! Danielle from Impulsive Hearts played in Sophie's band! I thought that was so cool!  Another cool noteworthy thing. This was one of those shows in which I see my three friends Adele from Axons, Elaine from Spaces of Disappearance, and Danielle from Impulsive Hearts. I have been to so many shows where all three are there and at least one of them plays on stage. They all have their own bands that play regularly in Chicago. And I am into all of them. Ohhh, and also I saw Scott Cortez,  a pillar of the local shoegaze culture..... Scott Cortez, from Astrobrite? Star? Is my fucking bubble really that impenetrable? I mean there are only so many Cubs games y'all can go to....never fucking mind. I will say this and leave it alone. I saw friends that are in bands that went to see Stella Donnelly, Fauvely, and Girl Valley.  

This new music Sophie plays is about her home town of Savannah, Ga. In the last few shows of hers that I have seen, she says this, so its important. Home towns....and Savannah is fucking old historic, have that gravitational pull. I think the age of a place, gives strength to that gravity. I have never been to Savannah. My only tether to that place is her, and her word is strength enough. Her picture of it, is fascination enough. And it will get more clear as I get to know the music more. Now that I think about it, this is a departure from what she has previously written about. Watch Me Overcomplicate This looks inward with this self-critical eye. I think writing about where you came from is a natural departure from that point....anyway, that's just me and I'm happy to anticipate what she has coming. And...Chicago of course is not as old as Savannah, but hearing these artists that I like so much that (I can't believe) live here, makes me appreciate living here with them. This is my place.
Zig