REVIEW: Cheyenne Mize - Among the Grey

Cheyenne Mize - Among the Grey


“Impatience asks for the impossible, wants to reach the goal without the means of getting there.”
-Hegel

The beauty of life is how it unfolds, and you could say the same of Louisville songwriter Cheyenne Mize’s sophomore album, Among the Grey. It’s not a slow, dramatic climb over 45 minutes to an grand conclusion, but rather a natural progression of highs and lows, darkness and light. It’s a soaring, expansive folk rock set dashed with Americana’s rustic heart, chamber pop’s understated elegance, and even occasional, subtle psychedelic and electronic notes. And it’s this studied fusion that lends itself to making Among the Grey both sonically and thematically compelling.

Cheyenne Marie Mize Announces New Album 'Among the Grey', Shares Title Track

"Who's Your Muse?" alum and Mixtape Muse favorite Cheyenne Marie Mize is set to release her sophomore album, Among the Grey, the follow-up to 2010's Before Lately. Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Andrew Bird) co-produced the record with Mize on the grounds of a church Mize's base of Louisville. It's the first release of new music since last year's most excellent We Don't Need EP and will be released through Yep Roc on June 25th. Paste Magazine premiered the album's title track yesterday. Hear it below.

REVIEW: Cheyenne Marie Mize - We Don't Need

Cheyenne Marie Mize - We Don't Need
MMMM

Unassuming things are always those that strike the deepest chord within us. Catching us off guard, they are the things that we receive with no pretense, or preconceived notions; they are pure and free, taken in as they come. The unassumingly charming Cheyenne Marie Mize comes across as a relatively quiet person, one who you only get to know through her music. Honesty and profundity abound on her latest release, the six-song We Don’t Need.

FINALLY...The "What's Your Muse?" 2010 Mixtape

Last year, we introduced a new feature called "What's Your Muse?" where we ask a band or artist to select a song that means a lot, or the most, to them. Then, we ask them to record a short video of themselves explaining why they chose the song. You can view all the submissions here.

It goes without saying, but this post is quite overdue. As we continue our search for our first submission of 2011, please enjoy this mixtape. I wish we could provide a download of this mix, but that would be illegal and not something we can afford to do here. If you do happen to have these songs, then enjoy them in this order! Otherwise, I hope the two formats provided below will be acceptable. Hit play and let it run while you do your homework, take a run with your laptop, prepare the big presentation for that really important four o'clock meeting, play with K'Nex, or enjoy it in any other possible scenario in which you'd like to listen to music. The tracklist is structured chronologically according to when we received/posted the submissions. Enjoy!

VIDEO: Cheyenne Marie Mize Performs "Waiting" for Into the Woods

Singer/songwriter Cheyenne Marie Mize recently performed an intimate take of her song "Waiting" for the folks at Into the Woods as a part of their "Far From Home" series, which "documents out-of-town bands passing through Portland." Mize was invited to perform at The Good Mod, a mid-century modern furniture warehouse hidden within industrial Southeast Portland. With just an electric guitar, a looping pedal, and her gorgeous, sweetly delicate vocals, this solo performance of "Waiting" is almost stunning in its hushed simplicity and intimacy. Mize performs with such personal inflection, leaving you feeling as though you're the only one in the room and the only one getting the chance to see her perform.

Of "Waiting," Mize says, "The song's about the idea that you don't know if you're going to get something that you really really want, and it's always in the back of your mind. You might try and distract yourself, but it's always kind of right there under the surface."


More/Watch @ Into the Woods here

"Waiting" is from Cheyenne Marie Mize's new album, Before Lately, out now on sonaBLAST Records. In case you missed it, check out her episode of "What's Your Muse?" here.

WHAT'S YOUR MUSE? Cheyenne Marie Mize

It's time for another edition of "What's Your Muse?"

The concept is simple: We ask a band/artist to choose a song that means a lot/the most to them. Then, they record and send us a video of themselves describing why they chose the song. Think of it like a collaborative video mixtape project.

In this edition, we hear from Cheyenne Marie Mize.

Cheyenne Marie Mize made her international debut last year with the Among the Gold 10" EP, performing a handpicked collection of late 19th century American parlor music with Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Earlier this year, she was a member of the "Dear Companion" tour, supporting Ben Sollee's and Daniel Martin Moore’s collaborative record released on Sub Pop. And while she may have debuted her talents collaborating with others, it's her brand of indie folk that's sure to make her a memorable songwriter.

Tomorrow, Mize releases her debut album, Before Lately, on sonaBLAST records. With hauntingly gorgeous melodies, thoughtful acoustic instrumentation, and warm, rich vocals, her music is easy to get lost in. It's a careful blend of folk and pop that sounds as though it has deep roots in the rich past of Americana. In her submission, Mize shares a song that stirs up quite a bit of emotion for her. It's a rather fitting choice that evokes a similar mood and strength that lay within the fabric of her music. It's a song off of a classic indie folk album that has more than won the right to be referred to as a classic. And in what I hope is a continuing trend, she goes ahead and performs her choice, delivering a chilling and moving solo performance full of raw emotion that illustrates her strong connection with the song.

SEE & HEAR: Cheyenne Marie Mize - "Friend"

A banjo-backed, sultry tune that's somewhat chilling and absolutely, mesmerizingly beautiful. The video is dark, gritty, and features some creepy puppets and their finely dressed puppeteers. It was shot in Cheyenne's home of Louisville, KY in the ornate ambiance of The Rathskeller Room in Louisville's famed Seelbach Hilton Hotel, with cameos by her friends and collaborators in local Kentucky rock band Wax Fang. The distinct puppets are courtesy of Sean Hennessey and Squallis Puppeteers.

BUY: "Friend" is from Cheyenne Marie Mize's new album, Before Lately, out October 12th through sonaBLAST! Records. Stream it here. Pre-order it here.

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