Most faithful readers of LocalCut know the name Alicia J. Rose. For nearly the past five years, Rose has been booking shows at the Doug Fir and snapping photos of many of our favorite local bands, including Loch Lomond and Matt Sheehy. Two weeks ago, she announced plans to leave the Doug Fir to become business partners with Jim Brunberg at the new Mississippi Studios in 2009. But did you know that she also sings and plays accordion as Miss Murgatroid? Seeing as that’s now just a few days away from the New Year, I figure it’s an apt time to highlight Rose’s musical side.

On “Fade Away,” the swirling and lavish highlight of Miss Murgatroid & Petra Haden’s Hearts And Daggers, the entire song is broken down into three parts: Haden’s violin, Rose’s accordion, and duo’s harmonies and closely chosen words. While both the violin and accordion have became staples in the orchestral folk movement, rarely are they the featured instruments on any one track. Both Rose and Haden (the L.A. based songwriter and former member of the Rentals and the Decemberists who’s also played with Beck, Foo Fighters, Weezer and a gazillion other bands) have lovely voices, but here they rarely sing, instead placing most of the emphasis on vocal harmonies and symphonic crescendos that dive and spiral around the melody like a kick returner avoiding USC’s defense. “Every time, you appear, you’re not here, so you fade away,” Rose sings before Haden responds amidst the baroque arrangement.

It’s hard to identify a theme for music in ‘08, but the comeback of CSNY-style group harmonies is a big story. With this song getting love from us and also NPR—where it was featured as as the “song of the day”—maybe that meme will push even more to the forefront. And that’s just fine with me.

Download audio file (Fadeaway.mp3)

Links:
Miss Murgatroid & Petra HadenSpace

Photo by (who else?) Alicia J. Rose