Freak Show

The American freakfolk/neo-folk scene has birthed some of music’s more creative and eccentric artists including Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Vetiver and Noah Georgeson. Danielle Stech-Homsy has only one recording and far fewer fans than the more recognizable “”freaks”” above, but just as much talent and potential. Stech-Homsy, who goes by Rio en Medio after a city in her native New Mexico, has made a strange, genre-bending record in The Bride of Dynamite. She crosses the delicate ambiance of Matteah Baim’s Death of The Sun and Beach House’s self-titled 2006 debut with the vocals of Vashti Bunyan, then throws in a few digital crashes, crunches, and squeals for good measure.

ame Stech-Homsy’s palette is stunning. Her voice is only accompanied by indiscernible instruments on “”Heaven is High;”” “”I See The Star”” is mainly composed of her Spanish vocals and classical guitar; “”Joe Was on The Plane”” uses a chorus of clapping singers, insane atonal guitar, and synthesizers. She uses a recording of what sounds like an African tribal gathering on “”Liberte,”” and even DJ Shadow would envy her break-heavy electronics on “”The Baghdad Merchant’s Son.””

ame Danielle Stech-Homsy writes inspiring and intoxicating songs and The Bride of Dynamite is a strong debut. However, by creating a “”weird”” record that mixes Eastern folk with new age electronica she sets herself up for comparison to the rest of the artists who do similar work. Hopefully she will branch out even further into the realm of creative eccentricity on future Rio en Medio records.