CD Release Show: The Ballad of Paper Ships by Odessa Chen

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CD Release Show : The Ballad of Paper Ships

Odessa Chen's first, self-released album, One Room Palace, is a meteorological phenomenon. It is a spooky, stormy, sonically impressive debut from a singer-songwriter with something seriously heavy weighing on her chest. This is the type of gloom that's been missing from the pop music landscape for some time now, the kind Mazzy Star gave us...captivating, tender, beautiful.
-Venus Magazine

Saturday, September 8th 2007
at the First Unitarian Universalist Church
in the Chapel (signs will direct people from front door)
1187 Franklin Street at Geary
SF, CA 94109
415.776.4580

$6, 7:30-9:30 pm
STARTS PROMPTLY SINCE WE ONLY HAVE THE SPACE FOR 2 HOURS

Danny Grody of Tarentel and the Drift (both on the Temporary Residence label) performing solo guitar as "Furniture", opens the show with a short set followed by about an hour long set by Odessa with Rich Douthit (the Drift, Boxcar Saints) on drums and Devin Hoff (Nels Cline Singers, Good for Cows) on stand-up bass.

Alcohol is permitted, but it's bring your own. There is no smoking. Small snacks will be provided.
~

This CD release celebrates Odessa Chen's first record in 4 years, The Ballad of Paper Ships, with an evening of intimate music in an unusual and beautiful space. The sky-high ceilings, stained glass windows, and natural reverb of the First Unitarian Universalist church's Chapel mirror the ethereal, intimate nature of her music.

Performing in this type of space feels natural to Odessa, who's father is an organist and choir director in Baltimore, Maryland. Growing up, she sang in the church choir and classical choral influences can still be heard in her music. Unitarians are known as free thinkers and dissenters, believing in freedom, tolerance, rationalism, and humanism and the event welcomes all people, whether they are religious or not.

The Ballad of Paper Ships by Odessa Chen, is in keeping with her debut One Room Palace, but here the darkness is broken by moments of light.

Using the paper ship as a metaphor for the fragile, handmade nature of love, the songs navigate around dark memories and places of tenderness and joy.

Guest musicians include the incredibly gifted guitarists Nels Cline of Wilco and Nels Cline Singers, Danny Grody from Tarentel, and Craig Adams of Winfred E. Eye, as well as classically trained cellist Sam Bass of Deadweight.

This is the first time drummer Rich Douthit (the Drift) appears, and although Devin Hoff (Good for Cows) was a guest on the first record, he plays bass throughout here.

Produced by Odessa the record was engineered primarily by Jay Pelicci (Erase Erata, Deerhoof) and David Kesler (Thee More Shallows) with additional recording by Scott Solter, OdessaChen and Jason Swartz. It was mixed by Jay Pelicci (and mastered by Tom Carr.

Overall, this record shows growth and the development of an artist who is gaining confidence in her voice as well as recording approaches, songwriting and arrangements. The songs feel sparser and more focused, yet retain the textural qualities and sonic depth of her earlier work.

For further information, contact Odessa at 415-531-8044

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Odessa's Bio:

Odessa Chen's The Ballad of Paper Ships, featuring Nels Cline of Wilco on guitar, is in keeping with her acclaimed debut One Room Palace. Described as wintry, intelligent, and haunting, Odessa's music has drawn comparisons to Jeff Buckley, Cat Power, and Sigur Ros.

Since her debut in 2003, Odessa has been interviewed on NPR and MTV, appeared as a guest vocalist on recordings by Thee More Shallows (Anticon Records) and shared stages with accomplished artists including Mark Eitzel, Mia Doi Todd, Vienna Teng, and Jolie Holland. She has toured internationally, playing everywhere from a boat in Paris (Le Batofar), to the Great American Music Hall.

She has studied classical voice and cello and sung in various early classical music choirs, but is a self-taught guitarist.

For live shows she is joined by Rich Douthit (of The Drift, Winfred E. Eye) on drums and Devin Hoff (of Nels Cline Singers and Good for Cows) on double bass.