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About Rose:
Rose Polenzani's newest record "August" has been inspiring the poetic sensibilities of the world's critics. "Evocative stories that one wants to curl up with, like a cherished book," says Time Out New York. "Like armchair travel through a newly-carved glacial valley," says UK critic Alan Pedder. A review of her November, 2005 residency at Lizard Lounge read: "You don't just listen to Rose, she happens to you." If all the hype is true, it's not as if she hasn't earned it. Rose made her debut at the 1998 Newport and Lilith Fair Festivals, and has been writing and touring ever since. She has released five albums to date; two on indie label Daemon Records, two on her own, and one on Rykodisk, as a member of Voices on the Verge, alongside Jess Klein, Erin McKeown, and Beth Amsel. Originally from Chicago, she currently lives in Somerville, MA.
About "August" (2004):
In August of 2003, Rose Polenzani was halfway to being finished with her next studio album, but found she had something else to get off her chest. Returning home one night, she holed herself up in her room to begin recording an especially personal crop of songs--songs that wouldn't get played on radio, or songs she was afraid to play in public. For one month, she left every party early, and she slept very little. When she was done, she had a short-length project she called "August." She made a few copies of it at home and gave it to a few friends and supporters in the business. One of these was a radio DJ, who played one of the recordings straightaway, and Rose heard it, to her chagrin. She thought it flawed, and vowed to fix it--next August. In 2004, she holed up again, but this time she brought an armful of friends with her, people with whom she'd shared much more than just her music. And this is how she finished the record (for that's what it is now).
"August" is as misfit a collection of songs as you're likely to hear this year. Both intensely provocative and personal, at times, it evokes early Liz Phair or Edie Brickell. It would be the hidden track of her discography if the response hadn't been so positive. As it stands, "August" is Rose's fourth solo record (release date: 10/6/2004) and second private release.
A review of 'August' from NYLON magazine (March 2006):
Sometimes the very best records pass you by. And often, they pass major labels by, too. Despite having released three albums on indie imprint Daemon, Rose Polenzani chose to release her best album to date, August, all on her own at the end of 2004, and it remains unsigned, which is, quite frankly, a travesty. A lilting, charming treasure of a record, August entirely validates the comparisons that have been made between Polenzani and Nick Drake- every utterance and pluck of her guitar string is heavy with such uninhibited emotion that at times the fragile song structures hardly seem able to support their weight. Recorded entirely in her bedroom and living room, August is suffused with an organic innocence- an acoustic sparseness that accentuates the poetry of Polenzani's lyrics. Although she looks set to receive more notice as the "freak folk" movement continues to garner attention, Polenzani has the maturity and gift to remain important long after this particular craze has lost its luster. Track yourself down a copy of August now.
-Reviewed by Luke Crisell
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