Back in December, I wrote a post called Karen Dalton, Where have you been all my life? Unfortunately, Karen is dead so we won’t be hearing any new material from her. Today, however, I was listening to XM Radio and heard Alela Diane singing the title track from her debut album, “The Pirate’s Gospel.” I honestly thought I was listening to Karen Dalton for a split second.
The Pirate’s Gospel sounds like a precious artifact from the past, which is fitting since it was recorded in her hometown of Nevada City, a town best known for it’s place in the California Gold Rush. Like Karen Dalton, Alela’s voice is haunting and every verse has been crafted with care. She’s a soulful, folk-poet that only needs the accompaniment of a guitar to captivate you. Oh, and she’s only in her early twenties.
I think that somewhere, Karen Dalton is looking down and smiling. It looks like Alela Diane is in London now, but will be back around Northern California in May. I plan to catch her at The Mission Creek Music Festival. You can find her album now in iTunes.
Alela Diane – The Pirate’s Gospel (from Undomondo)
And here’s that Karen Dalton track that I stumbled upon last winter, “Katie Cruel.”
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This song is is golden…how can anyone compete with a yo ho? Great lyrics and beautiful melody. any pirate would be pleased in a melancholy sort of way. yarrrrgh!
I though exactly the same thing, although I discovered Alea Diane about a year before I had heard of Karen Dalton. Alea is now based out of Portland OR where I’ve seen her play a few times… she’s awesome. Another thing to note is that they are both native american. Cheers, B
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