Out of all those singer-songwriters of ‘90s NYC, I’m so glad that one has stayed true to her craft and continues to produce great albums. Minnesota transplant Julia Douglass has a supremely engaging storyteller’s gift–and a far better sense of humor than Bob Dylan and far less anger than Alanis Morissette. She also has this artful way of surprising you with non-melodic moments that demand attention and reward you with insight. Very glad that her peregrinations have brought her back to NYC–where she clearly belongs–a second time and that she’s releasing her album this month. Minnesota: NYers win!
Want to witness Julia Douglass’s awesomeness live? She will be performing with cellist Jacqueline Ultan, Sunday, November 15, 2015 at The Living Room in Brooklyn, NY.
~Victoria C. Rowan, Ideasmyth Creatrix-in-Chief
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I originally wrote “My Boyfriend Is A Genius” because a charming, brilliant cad I briefly dated at music school had implied that I was not smart enough for him, which was extremely irritating. And I got my revenge with this tune. Musically it’s pretty neoclassical as well. But it really sounds like a rocker. Since I was at a conservatory at the time I had been playing around with a Vivaldi bass line from the “Gloria” cantata. I always loved the groove on that piece and was convinced it was a total rocker tune. It always has grieved me that classical music is not explored by rock and pop musicians and their audiences, and that it is so marginalized. To me, music is music, it’s all the same thing, and classical music is the mother ship. If we get rid of that we’re doomed. So I thought well, I know they would really dig this groove, and never in a million years will they go hear Vivaldi. So I’ll bring Vivaldi to them. And that’s what I did. And they loved this tune. So it was a thrill for me that it worked in all of the bars I’ve played in. It’s just a bad ass rocker break up song. Although the bass line had originally been used as a Glory To God Allelujah choral mass by Antonio Vivaldi in the 1700s.
Julia Douglass, lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Andy Thompson, bass, guitar, piano, drums, backing vocals
Luke Anderson, drums
Dan Lawonn, cello, backing vocals
Jeremy Messersmith, backing vocals
Ben Cook-Feltz, piano
Mother Banjo, backing vocals on “My Boyfriend Is A Genius”
Steve Addabbo, “My Boyfriend Is A Genius” electric guitar, as well produced and engineered lead vocals.
All songs written by Julia Douglass (SESAC) except “No Questions Asked” written by Julia Douglass and Andy Thompson (ASCAP)
Video directed by Kathleen Douglass
~~~Originally a classical musician, Julia Douglass won a scholarship to the Yale School of Music in the French Horn. Upon graduation she immediately quit the French Horn and embarked on her singer songwriter career in New York City. Her music has been described by Billboard Magazine as “a sterling collection of memorable melodies with lyrics that depict thoughtful, touching, amusing and above all, uncannily true pictures of contemporary American life.”
She has been described as having a similar sensibilities of 60s folkie Melanie, Randy Newman and Loudon Wainwright. She lives in the New York area and performs frequently.
