Julie Doiron has been making music for many years now, and it all started back in 1990 with Eric’s Trip.  I wish I would have know about Julie back in high school and college, when all those Eric’s Trip 7″s were sitting on the shelf at 52.5…I guess I was too punk rock or hardcore or something to explore it at that time, but I’m glad I found her now.  She has been releasing solo recordings since 1993 (first as Broken Girl, and then as Julie Doiron)

I guess what opened my eyes to Julie Doiron’s beautiful music was her collaboration with Mount Eerie and Fred Squire last year titled Lost Wisdom.  Admittedly I am a really big Phil Elverum fan, and Lost Wisdom almost brings me to tears each time I listen to it.  I have to say that there really couldn’t have been a better way for me to be introduced to Julie Doiron, and he lovely voice.

It was about a month ago that I tracked down Doiron’s newest album I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day, and I’m so very glad that I did.  I had been told that her previous albums were depressingly beautiful so I wasn’t expecting I Can Wonder… to be a wonderfully up lifting album.  While you get a couple tracks on this album that are mellow with just Julie singing and playing guitar…those tracks are interspersed with really rocking heavier numbers (almost in the vein of Scout Niblett, but less abrasive) that really show how talented and diverse Doiron can be.  I Can Wonder… is a nice counter balance to Lost Wisdom, and I have tended to listen to them back to back…going from depressed to more or less happy in under two hours (manic depressive through music I guess).  It is a wonderful thing for one artist to be able to convey such diverse strong feelings through their music, and this is what Julie Doiron does best.

Other than Mount Eerie, Doiron has collaborated with Calvin Johnson and Herman Dune and many others.

I was able to see Julie play with Mount Eerie, but now that I am familiar with her solo work I am excited about the upcoming shows this weekend here in New York:

4/24/09- New York, NY @ Cake Shop (Early Show: Julie goes on at 9pm)

4/25/09-Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall

for other tour dates check out her click here.

[mp3] Julie Doiron- “Spill Yer Lungs”

“Spill Yer Lungs” is possibly my favorite song off of her new album.  Buy I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day here! If you can make it out to either of these shows I think you will be very happy that you did.  See you at Cake Shop.