Zola Jesus

I normally don't post about music - I stick with sartorial musings, generally - but I've stumbled across a musician that is so spectacular that I must share her with you all. Her name is Zola Jesus, and she sounds like a cross between Diamanda Galas, Elizabeth Fraser, and Karin Dreijer - if their collective music was trudged through a pile of molasses.

Zola Jesus is the work of Nika Danilova. What's amazing is that she's only 19 and she's already come into her own. From what little I've been able to gather about her over the internet, I've learned that she's a classically trained musician and comes from Madison, Wisconsin. It's true... the cold, gray flatness of the Midwest brings out the spookiness in all of us. Her music is terrifying, arresting, lush, and beautiful all at the same time. She screams and wails and sings with passion and pain, really lovely stuff. I highly encourage you all to check out her 2009 LP The Spoils, released on Sacred Bones Records. Certainly one of my favorite albums that came out in 2009. I haven't seen in records stores, but I was able to purchase from the iTunes music store.

Zola Jesus will be performing at the Empty Bottle on February 13th, 2009, and will be an in-store at Permamant Records that same day. She will also be performing at Beat Kitchen on March 13th, 2009. Her myspace is here, where you can hear a few of her songs. "Sink the Dynasty" is my personal favorite.