Nancy Rost: Press

"If you missed the February Album Writing Month showcase at the High Noon Saloon Sunday night, you missed a truly unique Madisonian music moment. Keyboardist Nancy Rost enlisted punk rocker Tim Budziszewski (of B.O.R.D. and Introversion) to help her out on a song she wrote about Marco Pogo. Anyone who has been to multiple shows in Madison has most likely witnessed Marco Pogo in action, bouncing at the front of the stage, not caring if everyone else is choosing to do the standing still. There is more passion for the music in his bounces then in both hips of any scenester.

The song was written incorporating three challenges of FAWM – must have a key change, must only use 30 words and must be about a superhero. Marco was the superhero of choice. As Rost and Tim blasted away at the song, one thing was missing – Marco Pogo. Then something magical happened – Art Paul Schlosser took it upon himself to fill the role. Imagine our State Street icon, famous for songs like “I Love My Mother,” “Pink Pants” and “Another Star Trek Sequel Blues,” pogoing to a song about Marco Pogo. It was a moment that could never be planned in advance. All the planets aligned just right.

Like a living room concert!

The rich, raspy resonance like that of Janis Joplin accompanies the wit of Nancy Rost as patrons sip wine at the ZuZu Cafe Saturday evening.

"Shamu, I do feel like a fish out of water. Shamu, I feel for you, but what can we do," sings Rost as she performs her song sympathizing with the unnatural pressures on captive killer whales, getting the idea from airplanes painted like them.

"Communication should happen in murmurs, not all this high-pitched chatter. There are too many words, and not enough that matters. But you were in the biz so long, you know the damn show must go on."

The song was written as Rost participated in February Album Writing Month, FAWM, in which musicians write 14 songs in 28 days. Described as the love child of Tom Lehrer and Tom Waits (says KnowYourMusic.com), Rost has been thriving in the Madison music scene since getting connected with songwriters at near east side open mics.

Below, Rost preforms her song, "Exile on State Street" at her ZuZu gig Saturday.

Among other crisp experiments in imagination, the piano, and perception are "I fell into a giant brain" and "Beethoven's Howlingly Melodious New Bass Guitar 'n' Strangle Disco (III)." The former was partially inspired by her cat pressing the jazz key on her synthesizer, the latter is an example of new musical genre "strangle disco."

While Rost plays, the audience snickers with her as she laughs her way through (un)reality. But given the sick nature of reality, Rost provides the best medicine.

Rost's refreshing brand of irony and satire can stretch to the serious as well. Her song "Welcome to Boscobel" touches on the promises and plans gone wrong at the Supermax Correctional Facility built there.

"...the possible rattle of chains and the rumble of hundreds of hearts that pound, you can hear if you keep your ear to the ground," she sings in the song, which was included in an anthology of the Madison Songwriter's Guild.

Also on tap was Chicago-based songwriter Kitty Mortland, whose throaty serenade carries the influence of Liz Phair and Janis Joplin. Doing an inspired cover of "Bobby McGee," Mortland held the audience captive.

"Honey, you know that I love you... But you know that I can't be a single mom that's still in high school," sings Mortland in her song "Astoria Park," about the pressures of high school girls from boys, parents, peers and the insanity around her. The angst inherent in the song seems much like the punk-infused vocals of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Both ladies give terrific performances that give the audience a look at the world, then subsequently help them laugh at it.

Challenging musicians to write 14 songs in 28 days, the Madison edition of this year's February Album Writing Month yielded a pleasant nine-track compilation (and presumably much more worth hearing). Participants, including FAWM founder Burr Settles, will reconvene here to play their own and each other's songs informally on guitar and piano. Plenty of the songs, especially Settles' "Answers Come" and Nancy Rost's "Golden Gate," create enough elegant drama to stand alone, but the real draw here is the chance to look at the processes of songwriting and collaboration.

I came here to review a song not knowing what to expect -
then i too would have my turn at being a success -
I listened to you playing a fast and frantic polka beat -
I said damn I really like this song it's really pretty sweet -
you know i could go forever singing praises for your song -
but then i'd have to write a book a tome that's way too long -
so i'll just tell ya point of fact it really can't be beat -
and if someone knocks your production, you can tell them what to eat.
GREAT AND LOTS OF FUN
Reviewed by: jimsmith007 from New Orleans, Louisiana

Smart lyric, smart melody, smart chords, smart arrangement. This is a special jazzy little number with a good sense of balance and a focus like a lazy susan, turning, always turning what's toward you and what's coming. The singer --and I mean this in the most complimentary way-- has an ordinary voice made keen. Her pipes are not your envy, but her skill and dexterity --that way she wields a note-- demands your respect. Like Billie in that .... A beautiful, stirring poem of despair amidst the everyday routines of a city rife with handily-borrowed imagery. S-M-A-R-T. Five letters, five stars.

Nancy Rost and Becca have collaborated on a song that made the hair on my arms stand up. When you need that extra little push over the cliff, this one goes to eleven. I cannot give it higher praise.

I swear I've listened to Nancy Rost's "The Butler Did It" at least 100 times in the last several hours. It's funny as hell, light-hearted but not lightweight. I just love the Thelonious-Monk-as-organ-grinder piano, the lyrics are full of original images, and I swear that I smile every single time the Leonard Cohen couplet comes around!

Rost, for example, will sometimes improvise songs by playing Mad Libs with the audience, asking for a noun, verb, adjectives and a premise. After collecting responses, she'll sing a melody about a "magnanimous plum tree," for instance, while hammering out blues riffs on her keyboard. The laughter in the crowd is contagious, as everyone's thoughts are mixed in a tart, though refreshing, concoction of high witticisms and ardent applause.

The piano-playing has a retro pop/blues feel which is ripe for revival! It's downright healthful to hear expertly-fingered acoustic piano in this age of electronic key enhancements which don't add much to the overall tune.

Sounds like a distaff version of Randy Newman. The song has a conversational quality to it that is very appealing .... The piano is lovely: There's a ragtimey swing to the playing that isn't heard much in pop compositions anymore, but is enormously evocative.

The love child of Tom Lehrer and Tom Waits.

Great performance and witty funny lyrics. Different, original, very entertaining!

I have listened to many fine efforts made in this year's FAWM, but the best music I've encountered in FAWM is by Nancy Rost. Her playful songs are cute, but my votes go to Golden Gate and especially (echoing Phil Norman), to Where Love Has Led. Nancy seems to know instinctively when to adhere to meter and when to bring it up short. She has a comprehension of vocabulary and a range of references that are extremely wide, subtle and deep. This is masterful wordsmithing made with genuine heart. I wish I could write like her.

"The Butler" - Broadjam Top Ten for Wisconsin.

The Abridged New Glarus Telephone Book Polka

Track of the Day in Comedy, 12Sep2007
Best Female Vocals in Comedy, week of 10Sep2007
Best Keyboards in Comedy, week of 10Sep2007
Best Lyrics in Comedy, week of 10Sep2007
Best Beat in Comedy, week of 10Sep2007
Best Mood in Comedy, week of 10Sep2007
Best Female Vocals in Comedy, week of 1Oct2007
Best Keyboards in Comedy, week of 1Oct2007

Golden Gate - finalist, Jazz Song
The Path - finalist, Pop/Rock Song

Golden Gate:
Best Female Vocals in Acoustic, week of 3Sep2007
Best Female Vocals in Acoustic, week of 10Sep2007
Best Keyboards overall, week of 3Sep2007
Best Keyboards in Acoustic, week of 3Sep2007
Best Keyboards in Acoustic, week of 10Sep2007
Best Lyrics in Acoustic, week of 3Sep2007
Best Melody in Acoustic, week of 3Sep2007
Best Melody in Acoustic, week of 10Sep2007
Best Mood in Acoustic, week of 3Sep2007
Best Mood in Acoustic, week of 10Sep2007
Best Mood in Acoustic, week of 17Sep2007
Chill-Out Track overall, week of 3Sep2007
Chill-Out Track overall, week of 10Sep2007
Chill-Out Track in Acoustic, week of 3Sep2007
Chill-Out Track in Acoustic, week of 10Sep2007

Love with an Asterisk:
Track of the Day on 17Dec2006 in Blues
Best Female Vocals in Blues, week of 18Dec2006
Best Female Vocals in Blues, week of 25Dec2006
Best Keyboards overall, week of 18Dec2006
Best Keyboards overall, week of 25Dec2006
Best Keyboards in Blues, week of 18Dec2006
Best Keyboards in Blues, week of 25Dec2006
Best Lyrics in Blues, week of 18Dec2006
Best Lyrics in Blues, week of 25Dec2006
Best Melody in Blues, week of 18Dec2006
Best Mood in Blues, week of 18Dec2006
Most Original in Blues, week of 18Dec2006

Welcome to Boscobel:
Best Keyboards in Folk, week of 29Jan2007
Best Keyboards in Folk, week of 19Feb2007
Best Keyboards in Folk, week of 26Feb2007
Most Original in Folk, week of 12Feb2007