The Fog Show

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Alsion Faith Levy is a San Francisco based songwriter who has worked in the Bay Area for the last several years. She has been seen touring nationally and in Britain playing with Scott Miller's Loud Family and has released a solo single (The Scientist) and ep (Grumbelina) in the last few years.

Band members:
Alison Faith Levy
Chris Xefos
David Immerglck
John Moremen
Shiela Schat
Doug Hilsinger

Album Description
Loud Family keboradist Alison Fiath Levy's first solo full-length release. A collection of melancholy ballads presented as duets between her stunning piano and vocals with one other instument. Beautiful, powerful and unique, it's like a combination of Dustry Springfield and Mark Eitzel.

Tracks:

Intro
Waterdog
China Plates
Slow Fade
Antigone
Landing Field
Have a Little Dream
The Yellow Ticket
Garden Gate
Sunday Night Lonesome
Outro

Album Description

Loud Family keboradist Alison Fiath Levy's first solo full-length release. A collection of melancholy ballads presented as duets between her stunning piano and vocals with one other instument. Beautiful, powerful and unique, it's like a combination of Dustry Springfield and Mark Eitzel.

Customer Reviews:

Solo singer-songwriter's full-length debut.......2007-01-20

For many years I had been looking for a copy. I am a long-time fan from the beginning of Game Theory and The Loud Family, and I admire Alison Faith Levy's vocal and keyboard contributions to LF's final two albums, "Days for Days" and "Attractive Nuisance." Her two songs on AN led me to expect an earthier, more soulful singing style than Miller's "usual obnoxious whine," as he once credited himself on an album. Even though her kind of solitary, melancholy, and nakedly emotional music is not otherwise found among my thousands of records, I was impressed by her skills on the two LF records, so I wanted to find out more about her own solo efforts. I finally hunted down a copy, being lately on a steady diet of Miller's music thanks to new headphones-- the way to hear GT and LF.

While this handsome disc, with clever cover art and a cast of fellow San Francisco & Bay Area alt-rock cognoscenti as support musicians, did not veer drastically in other directions, "The Fog Show" definitely is a one-woman singer-songwriter album. Levy's piano is accompanied by a single and a different instrument, from a different musician per track. Some tracks feature no vocals. Yet, these were my favorites-- especially the simple, dignified classical piece with woodwinds.

I like this sort of discipline. It worked well for "Days for Days," perhaps not coincidentally Levy's début with LF and a significant upgrade in that band's performing craft and arranging prowess. "The Fog Show" also adds variety (if not enough for my eclectic ears) where it's needed. The challenge with this type of genre, at least for me-- I tend never to listen to this kind of record!-- is to keep the piano-voice pairing from becoming monotonous. Levy's voice conveys emotion in a nearly conversational tone, and she tends not to draw attention to her vocals except when drawing out a word into a ooh-wah-ooh type of flourish that needs to be used very sparingly for effect. You do feel the intimacy of her delivery, and this works to her advantage thanks to her honesty.

The lyrics, which on the first few songs wandered around such topics as the dermatological effects of prolonged bathing, Icarus' fate, and the x-ray superpower capabilities as compared with those of a former and closely scrutinizing lover, strive to offer fresh images. They keep Levy focused on her own personality. She tries to get herself across rather than imitating another singer's attitude or another musician's style. I admire this confidence.

So, while this music does veer towards the dreadful sin of similarity from track to track, Levy-- aware of this danger-- takes pains to distance herself from her own piano-voice pairing by matching the songs with other instruments and other talents. A smart move. The Waterdog song and a couple of torchier ballads tend to go on past their welcome and then come back and repeat the whole set of verses and accompaniments again. I grew tired of this unpredictability. I like to be thrown off guard if there's a payoff, but the ambling nature of a few songs here did not take me down rewarding byways. These seemed more to go in a circle. While intellectually I recognize Levy's determination to present her emotional trauma through the thoughtful narratives she creates, the songs themselves became more than once too languid and repetitive. However, I admit that my tastes turn towards music with different conventions and less forthright emotion, so take my criticism accordingly and adjust it for your own preferences.

This is a modestly produced (and "sequenced" by Jonathan Segal of Camper Van Beethoven, Monks of Doom and other NoCal projects-- she and he partnered also in Dent), yet assertive, display of her abilities. An out-of-print record (which goes for a high price) seems to have partnered her with a rootsier singer, Dale Griffin, from what the song list appears to be American bluesier songs from way back. She has followed "The Fog Show" with her song collection "My World View," (which I bought today!) and preceded this with the wonderfully titled e.p. "Grumbelina." She also contributed to the Scott Miller-Anton Barbeau "What If It Works?" album in 2006 half-credited to LF (members come and go on some tracks)-- but this record unfortunately features Levy far too infrequently.

How come she's not a superstar?.......1999-04-10

The best thing since Plush--gorgeously intelligent and moving music from the hidden songwriting powerhouse in the Loud Family. A perfect piano-based singer-songwriter album for those who find most piano-based singer-songwriters a bit mortifying. Throw away your Tori Amos albums and save this one for all your rainy afternoons.

I found that the album really stirred something in me..........1999-03-31

The lyrics and melodies are engaging. I was really moved by this album

I would love it even if one of the songs wasn't about me.......1999-03-26

This is a very sad, very beautiful, very brilliant record. A must for all the sadcore fans on your shopping list.

Average customer rating:

Appealing vocalists & exhilarating instrumentalists who push the envelope a bit into more contemporary & eclectic directions

Not Far from the Tree

Manufacturer: Lost in the Fog
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000BZ4X0W
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Product Description

1. Home In My Heart 2. Carry Me Home 3. Favorite Son 4. Mother Gold 5. Juniper Berry 6. I Haven't Started Missing You Yet 7. I Feel Lucky Today 8. Rude Dude In A Bad Mood 9. Quarters And Pennies 10. Home To Virginia 11. Timber Town

Customer Reviews:

Appealing vocalists & exhilarating instrumentalists who push the envelope a bit into more contemporary & eclectic directions.......2005-11-25

Playing Time - 41:04 -- Lost in the Fog is a northwest band whose sophomore release, "Not Far From The Tree" shows an affinity for original music that is built on a foundation of bluegrass, blues, folk and gospel. Besides having a number of songwriters in the group, Lost in the Fog's strengths also revolve around some appealing vocalists and exhilarating instrumentalists. They are among today's groups with bluegrass instrumentation who also push the envelope a bit into more contemporary and eclectic directions. Yet, their repertoire still indicates that they've connected the dots to the past and understand what's gone before. I wonder if their versatility may be somewhat related to the members' varied upbringings in the states of Iowa, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Washington. Personal experiences and environment play a large part in one's attitudes about music and life in general. An album like this also shows that they are a cohesive unit that enjoys each other's company and makes the most of their strengths.

Lost in the Fog is Michael Moore (banjo), Jake Weber (guitar), Mark Snyder (bass), Jason Parker (mandolin), and Brad Hull (fiddle). All the members sing. Some of their songs were written by one band-member, while others are collaborative efforts. After her mother-in-law passed away, Jake Weber found the lyrics to "Mother Gold" in her papers. Jake put them to music because she found them so compelling. Michael Moore played a substantial part in writing seven of the songs on this album. They clearly have fun writing and playing in various styles. Brad Hull's instrumental "Juniper Berry" has an old-timey flavor. Moore's "I Haven't Started Missing You Yet" has a country lilt and includes the guest fiddling of Paul Elliott. Another Moore original, "Timber Town," has the accordion of the project's engineer, David Lange.

Another special guest on "Not Far From the Tree" is producer Orville Johnson who appears on all tracks playing dobro, Weissenborn guitar, guitar and/or percussion. Lost in the Fog hopes to get their music further afield despite the fact that some band-members work in day jobs such as architect or social services agency director. Stylistically, "Not Far From the Tree" is a very good reflection of this band which describes their sound as "some swingy, some country, some funky, and all basically bluegrass." (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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