Alela Diane: While U Wait for Joanna Newsom's Next Release

I heard about Alela Diane last summer but I suppose her music is better fit for winter. Regardless, I never really peered into her work. Now she has a second album out (on Rough Trade; her first was self-released). I found a rather good article on her on eMusic (a good article on a retail site? Yes, it's true!) that explains the connection between herself and Joanna Newsom (neighbors in Nevada City, Calif., old schoolmates, both into nature and yodel-tinged vocals. I just editorialized). Alela's second album is "To Be Still" and it is a "huge artistic leap," says eMusic. Mark Richardson of P4k said in a post announcing the arrival of the video for "White As Diamonds" (first single from "To Be Still," posted below) that the song "has the creak of an ancient American folk song brought over from somewhere in the Scottish Highlands." Indeedy. Diane employs her brother and father in the band, which she says felt totally natural (that's what Caleb Followill says, and that genetic connectedness surely helps). Her high school violin teacher is also in the band. "To Be Still" came out last week and is available all over the place. Buy it!