Can't hold Thao down: Va. native returns to play D.C.'s Black Cat
By: Jonny Bonner
Special to the Examiner
November 4, 2009
 |
| Courtesy Photo |
Thao Nguyen is no stranger to the pitfalls of love; the sultry-voiced songstress proudly wears them on her sleeve.
Accompanied by backing band the Get Down Stay Down, Nguyen is set to release her third album, "Know Better Learn Faster," Oct. 13, and the indie-pop, folk princess pulls few punches when describing her latest material.
"A few of [the songs] are just straightforwardly sad," she said. "Sometimes there's not much room to mince words and music when you feel like s---."
Although she may sing of despair, Nguyen does so with a smile on her face. Upbeat, infectious melodies are characteristic of the Falls Church native, once an aspiring songwriter practicing in her mother's Laundromat
If you goThao with the Get Down Stay Down (with the Portland Cello Project, David Shultz)
Where: Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW
When: 9 p.m., Friday Nov. 6
Info: $15; 202-667-4490; blackcatdc.com
Nguyen and her band mates met while studying at the College of William and Mary and over a chance encounter at Richmond's Harrison Street Coffee Shop. Willis and Adam Thompson -- on drum and bass, respectively, and bearing no relation -- became known as the "The Get Down." The group tours and records under the retooled moniker Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.
Their second official EP, a follow-up to 2008's "We Brave Bee Stings and All," is abound with flirtatious and lovelorn lyrics. Nguyen acknowledges the product of one or more roller coaster romances aided in the creative process.
"We are thankful for the opportunity to have explored and then purged all crippling tensions and anxiety inherent in such dramas," she said, waxing eloquent on the breakup(s).
The tempo throughout the release is anything but somber, much like the trio's shows, which have become synonymous with raucous fun punctuated by healthy doses of dancing. Elle described the group's energy and sound "like tea and honey spiked with a healthy shot of whiskey."
Hailed producer Tucker Martine (the Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Spoon) helmed the boards for "Know Better," which features appearances from Andrew Bird, Laura Veirs, and members of Blitzen Trapper, Horse Feathers and Los Lobos. Bird's whistles and violin are displayed in the album's title track.
Nguyen has long played unplugged, as 2005's solo release "Like the Linen" shows, but she showcases her electric licks on the release. "When I was writing for this record, there were many songs that I wanted that sort of energy and fury that you can't really achieve with acoustic guitar tones," she said. "As the guitar player in the band, I was drawn to having more of a presence with my playing."
