Little
Village, Iowa
City's News
& Culture
Magazine (October
2004)
Dubuque's Jen
Gloeckner has
just released
her debut CD
and people are
already talking
about her like
she's the next
big something.
the buzz
so far comes
mostly from
obscure publications
and music websites,
but now
your reading
it hear so Rolling
Stone could
be next.
Titled Miles
Away, the disc
itself is alternately
slight and brilliant,
dark
and light. Songs
like "Nothing
Personal"
and "Only
1" are
otherworldly
near-incantations
that announce
a new, major
and unique talent.
For shorthand,
think Ani DiFranco
meets PJ Harvey.
If your wondering,
how could Iowa
produce such
a thing?, then
hear what the
UK website Pindrop
Club had to
say:
"The songs
are quite dark
and there's
the hint of
a storm brewing
somewhere,
which is both
unsettling and
attractive.
Like an evening
with a big sky,
horizon to horizon,
warm air, nice
to be out in,
but you might
get caught
in a downpour.
Hell, maybe
even a Tornado.
Dark, warm and
dangerous."
Iowa all the
way.
There is a hot
little Iowa
Gypsy girl from
Dubuque with
a debut CD that
is receiving
lots of attention.
Vocally she’s
somewhere between
Stevie Nicks
and Nora Jones
and she’s
quite the guitarist-composer.
The music is
very open and
relaxing. Her
almost frail
voice commands
your attention
immediately..
She holds her
pitch so perfectly
that it sets
your ears on
alert. And although
I don’t
hear the big
song, it doesn’t
matter. She’s
hard not to
like and you
can tell she’s
just getting
warmed up.
Song
9 (Glue)
“I miss
you but I knew
I would, and
I’d kiss
you if I thought
I could”
This is my favorite,
with it’s
mostly single
acoustic rhythm
guitar and almost
reminiscent
of the Beatles
“Eleanor
Rigby”
feel. This one
seemed to reel
me right in,
even though
there’s
really nothing
to it, I would
tend to say
that her writing
is not direct
enough or that
the hooks are
not strong enough
but she seems
to be on a little
higher plain
of thought then
most so I better
keep my mouth
shut. She’s
got an artistic
class that doesn’t
need to be criticized,
just admired.
The thought
of one acoustic
guitar and one
vocal for large
amounts of time
seems a little
risky unless
you’re
that good. Guess
what! She’s
that good.
Her arrangements
have a touch
of George Martin
and a sprinkling
of Henry Mancini.
Pretty good
for a little
hippie girl.
It must be the
corn. I would
get into all
of her inner
planetary lyrics
and explain
how they mesh
with earth’s
time vortex
but the staff
took the cover
and lyrics so
I’ll leave
that to you.
However, this
girl could end
up as a class
one major super
star so you
best check her
out at www.jengloeckner.com.
She’s
amazing.
There are 15
songs of scant
production.
The first 2
songs are mostly
one guitar and
one vocal.
Song
3 (Hazy Sky)
brings in
the band and
seems like
a more logical
first song
on a CD song.
It’s
very Stevie
Nicks with
guitar, drums,
bass, cello
and harmonies.
It’s
great.
Song
4 (Seven Maids)
“Seven
maids in waiting”
“Color
me in black”
You get the
idea, very
dark and mystic.
Song
5 (Nothing
Personal)
plays off
of Alice in
Wonderland
“Alice
followed the
rabbit, nothing
personal”
Song
6 (Only 1)
sounds like
the Beatles
(Sun King)
with the nice
long vocal
notes with
harmonies.
And folks
this is just
a small sample
of the amazing
magical healing
powers you’ll
receive when
you go to
Jen Gloeckner’s
web site and
buy her amazing
CD (Miles
Away), It’s
a real fruit
basket of
melodies.
CEDAR FALLS
--- It isn't
often the
state of Iowa
causes shock.
But, in the
case of musician
Jen Gloeckner,
a bewildered
look is usually
what follows
her admission
of Iowa roots.
"It's
kind of funny,"
says Gloeckner.
"They'll
say, 'Where
does she come
up with this
music when
she's from
a corn-picking,
cow-milking
town?' It's
like we have
no creativity,
and you have
to be inspired
by being in
a big city.
I just say
you can be
creative wherever
you're at."
Gloeckner
is so good
at being creative,
she does it
in her sleep.
"I get
inspired by
dreams a lot
of the time.
It sounds
a little bizarre,
but I hear
melodies and
I remember
things. I
get words
while I'm
dreaming and
wake up and
write them
down,"
she says.
"A lot
of 'Miles
Away' was
inspired by
dreams."
Her first
album, "Miles
Away"
had the chance
to see a label
release, but
Gloeckner
decided to
go a different
direction
and keep things
at home in
Dubuque. She's
currently
branching
out her live
appearances,
traveling
around Iowa,
and to Madison,
Wisc. and
Chicago. Her
husband, John,
has taken
on the role
of promoter,
booking gigs
and sending
the album
to radio stations.
Because of
the couple's
effort, Gloeckner's
album has
received favorable
reviews both
nationally
and internationally.
Gloeckner's
sound is rather
undefinable,
which has
led reviewers
to compare
her to everyone
from Stevie
Nicks to Joni
Mitchell to
Natalie Merchant.
It seems Gloeckner
has established
something
unique.
"In a
way it's kind
of nice for
someone to
be able to
recognize
something
in your song
they know
and like.
Then when
they hear
your songs
they're more
comfortable
to listen
to,"
says Gloeckner.
"You
do want your
own sound
and uniqueness,
and I think
I've established
that. I've
gotten that
in pretty
much every
review, and
that's what
I strive for."
Gloeckner's
success is
somewhat unexpected,
if only because
of the accidental
nature of
the album.
"When
I recorded
it I really
wasn't going
to take it
any farther
than maybe
just a demo,"
she says.
"At the
moment I recorded
it, everything
just poured
out of me.
When I went
back and listened
to it when
it was all
done, it was
like, 'Wow.
This is something
everyone else
should hear.'"
When Gloeckner
plays Cup
of Joe Saturday,
she'll enjoy
the small
stage just
as she would
an amphitheater.
Her surroundings
aren't important.
"Coffee
shop or no
coffee shop,
outside or
in someone's
house, as
long as people
are listening,
it's wonderful
to me,"
she says.
