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Patton on Music Returns with "One Voice" Review
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One Voice
by Tiffany Thompson
band website
iTunes, $6.93
A year ago Tiffany Thompson released We...One Voice
by Tiffany Thompson
band website
iTunes, $6.93
A year ago Tiffany Thompson released We Are the Dreamers, an EP that showed tremendous growth and maturity. It was fiery and passionate, sultry and biting. It was a beautiful new step for Thompson and her sound.
If Dreamers was a huge step forwards, One Voice is a step sideways, taking the maturity and confidence from Dreamers and personalizing it. Dreamers had an attitude to it that Thompson hadn't shown before. One Voice feels more like personal reflections. It's a new level of honesty.
"Take It and Run" is the strongest pop hook on the record. There's some almost southern gospel about the song. Not in a bad way, but like you'd expect a choir to be backing Thompson on the chorus. "Let It Break Through" and "Real Joy" (both previously released) are two great personal spiritual tracks. It's that kind of honesty and realness that separates One Voice from Dreamers.
The title track also features that deep level of realness but it's more of an anthemic song. "Sundown" feels less like it should have a gospel choir backing Thompson, but it has the same southern feel that "Take It Run" has. A nice piano driven ballad. "Bed of Decision" is a song from the Dreamer sessions and I'm glad this track finally sees the light of day. The album's closer, "In The Distance," is also the strongest track on the record! A rocking tune and with a strong chorus!
One Voice is a strong follow-up to We Are the Dreamers. It has a different feel musically, but the honesty in the lyrics is what sets this records apart and makes it stand out on it's own.
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NoVA Musician Sees the Light
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Written by Matt Basheda
Tiffany Thompson, the 25-year-old Alexandria native who recently released...Written by Matt Basheda
Tiffany Thompson, the 25-year-old Alexandria native who recently released “We Are the Dreamers,” is ready to lead the charge of music in Northern Virginia.
Thompson’s music holds the banner of a new generation, a generation that celebrates a joyous present and anticipates an enlightened future. Anger and dissatisfaction are now so commonplace that they attract little attention, and cause even less provocation—they have no place in this wise new world.
Instead, Thompson’s textured voice—part crooner, part folkstress—sings of golden dreams and sculpts broken spirits into polished songs of beauty.
“I don’t really make [music] just for myself,” she says. “I really love relationships and connecting with people.”
Her onstage performance is the true source of her musical power. Her eyes put spotlights on the audience. She chats with the crowd, and by the end of a 30-minute set, wins them over without a struggle. She sways with her guitar in a passionate waltz, her smile explodes and the truth becomes obvious—Thompson believes in what she sings. Not all musicians have such confidence in their own music. It’s what sets the great artists apart from the merely good ones. Thompson carries that unblunted honesty.
Her melodies are pop, but her words are serious, even as they are spirited. Thompson sets glorious lyrics—”We are the dreamers/waking/and shaking/the city that’s been sleeping”—amid melancholy tunes backed with simple electronic tapestries.
She plays guitar well, and adds unique tones to her songs. Thompson even uses partial capos, an advanced trick. But her voice shines above all instrumentations. She slides from breathy verses to crystalline choruses with ease.
Thompson regularly tours across the U.S. on her own, with nary a roadie or even a passenger. But her friendly personality means she has friends in most American cities who are more than happy to give her a place to crash.
When she’s home, Thompson performs frequently from Vienna to Arlington, and in D.C., as well. And she’s passionate about the potential of the homegrown music scene here.
“I’m excited for what’s happening here,” she says. “I think people want to start collaborating more. Seeing this [area] as a base for the East Coast would be really a neat thing. There’s enough venues that it would be possible to build a great local fan base here.”
“We are the Dreamers” is the perfect anthem for NoVA’s long-dormant music scene—always present, but with never enough dreamers to completely rouse the homespun artists who call this sprawl home.
When the city finally wakes up, Thompson will be on center stage.
CATCH THOMPSON: July 28, Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE, Washington, DC; ebenezerscoffeehouse.com
(July 2012)
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TV Flyer Sits Down With Singer/Songwriter Tiffany Thompson
This was a video interview.
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Four Play: Artists That Should Be On Your Radar
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TIFFANY THOMPSON
Web: www.tiffanythompsonmusic.com
ALBUM: We are the Dreamers
Show: Sunday, Decem...TIFFANY THOMPSON
Web: www.tiffanythompsonmusic.com
ALBUM: We are the Dreamers
Show: Sunday, December 18 at IOTA (CD Release)
Tiffany Thompson’s impressive new EP, “We Are The Dreamers,” is a call to arms with soaring melodies and instrumentation that has elements of folk, rock, electronica and pop swirling around within. It might remind you of songs you have heard before, but that doesn’t mean it’s an imitation. The fact that it can easily blend in with more well-known national artists like Keane, Ellie Goulding and Laura Veirs just means that Thompson is in good company. “We are the dreamers,” she sings on the title track, “waking and shaking the city that’s been sleeping.” “Home” ponders the possibility of salvation through love, and appears twice on the EP, once in an acoustic version that highlights Thompson’s powerful vocals. “We Are The Dreamers” is fun but intense, catchy and sexy, and maybe just the right soundtrack for a New Year full of resolutions and hope. -JK
IOTA: 2832 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; 703-522-8340; www.iotaclubandcafe.com
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Interviews: Choice Cuts In Depth: Tiffany Thompson
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The Washington D.C. / northern Virginia area is known for its fast-paced, transient lifestyle and ca...The Washington D.C. / northern Virginia area is known for its fast-paced, transient lifestyle and cacophonous atmosphere, but singer-songwriter Tiffany Thompson is imparting something quieter, more personal, and lasting to its character. While she fits right into eastern-seaboard society by virtue of being well-traveled and savvy, her essential groundedness comes through in her uplifting music and keenly insightful lyrics.
By Barney Quick
That core humanity in her work has its basis in the support she enjoys from her family and her faith community. The Thompsons' passion for music extends back at least two generations, and creative collaboration between them is apparent in such recent projects of Tiffany's as her new video and EP.
She arrived in the Washington area last August and has put considerable focus into her day job, but her musical networking is paying off now. Her show calendar is filling up, with May dates at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse, a Capitol Hill venue, and Fireflies, a restaurant and bar in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. June will see her open for Mark Austin at the Athenaeum. "The booking manager there wants to start booking me for showcases as well," she says.
Prior to becoming a Washington-area resident, Thompson called a lot of places home. The daughter of a minister, she was born in Dubuque, Iowa, but lived in Moscow, Russia from age six to eleven. She spent her adolescence in Austin, Texas, graduating from high school there. Then she and her brother Derek went back to Russia, where they performed in churches, orphan camps, the occasional club, and even Metro stops in Moscow. Her brother's band, Strive, also played shows. Then it was off to Wheaton College in Illinois to major in political science and theology.
Strive, which was signed to GoDigital Records, had worked with Phoenix, Arizona-based producer Brian Whitman at his studio, Rising Sound Recording. When Tiffany had amassed a collection of songs she was ready to record, she approached Whitman as well. While she wrote all the material, Whitman played all the instruments on her EP. "I went out there for four days in December of last year to lay down my vocal tracks," she says. "Brian really made everything happen efficiently."
Derek flew to Washington to shoot her video for the song "Please." "I bought a permit for filming on the National Mall," she explains. "We shot some scenes in downtown D.C. as well."
She says an idea is usually the beginning of a writing inspiration for her. "I'll think about some aspect of the way people relate to each other and what I have to say about it," she says. "Then I go to the guitar or piano and find the chord changes that express that. Lyrics usually come after that in the process."
She characterizes her songs as often having "little journeys" in them. The mood may be one of anxiety or loneliness at the outset of the first verse, but will find its way to hope or affirmation by the conclusion.
The inspiration for "Ask Me Again" came from something her father had said to her when she was quite young. "He'd always ask me if I were going to be there for him when he was old and gray," she recalls. "Some time in my teens, I got that typical attitude teens can get and requested him to stop asking me." Later, she thought the better of that, which resulted in the song.
Her grandfather, Carl Henderson, is considered the musical patriarch of the family. A bassist in swing orchestras as a young man, he founded an instrument store in the Cincinnati area which is now run by subsequent generations. "He helped me select my Martin, which is still my main guitar," says Thompson.
"My worldview is discernible in my songs, but I write observations of life," she says. "My material isn't particularly in the praise category." She sees herself as giving voice to the way people grow through their interactions with each other. As she puts it, "I use the word 'honest' a lot."
Indie-Music Profile - Play "Love's Set Aside"
Artist Website: http://www.tiffanythompsonmusic.com/
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A word from your sponsor
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Before I post about the two great weddings I photographed recently, shot during the height of cherry...Before I post about the two great weddings I photographed recently, shot during the height of cherry blossom season, I thought I'd take a quick second for a shameless plug.
A certain bride named Rebecca might think that I'm stalling for time and she's probably right. But given that this particular bride's brand spanking new husband happens to work at the Recording Industry Association of America, maybe some good can come out of making her wait.
(They're coming, Rebecca, I promise!)
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting a young woman named Tiffany Thompson. An accomplished singer-songwriter, Tiffany needed some photos for a demo CD she was putting together.
I've done a few of these projects in my day. Some are polished, some, well, not so polished. Thankfully, Tiffany falls into the former and not latter category.
What immediately set Tiffany apart from the others was how focused and professional she is. With only the help of her brother, Tiffany wrote the songs, recorded the tracks, created a cool album design and website, and even shot a music video down on the Mall. I wish I was that focused when I was her age.
And, most importantly, it all sounds great, even to an old fogey like me. While American Idol is serving up the same lame-o karakoke each week ("It's Neil Sedaka night, where we'll force all our young performers to sing songs their moms and dads will love!"), there are still scores of talented musicians trying to make a name for themselves the old-fashioned way.
Anyway, you can hear more of Tiffany's music at www.tiffanythompsonmusic.com. As a firm believer in supporting young artists, I say let's tune out of Idol mode for a sec (my sister Jennifer just gasped) and help spread the word about a deserving new artist.
Matt
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Introducing Tiffany Thompson
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Though it's only four songs, Tiffany Thompson offers much to music lovers on her self-titled release...Though it's only four songs, Tiffany Thompson offers much to music lovers on her self-titled release. Each track has an airy, yet jazzy feel while her lyrics tug on listeners' heartstrings. Extremely introspective, Thompson sings of loneliness, love and life.
Thompson explains it best on her Web site: "In my songs, I seek to engage life on a very personal level and sing stories about longing after lost love, comforting hurting friends, and being there when it matters most. Call it, my other self-education. My songs articulate the everyday struggles of loneliness, loss and love, but all the while looking with a hopeful eye toward the future."
I couldn't agree more.
"Till That Day Comes" is a beautiful ballad that showcases Thompson's emotive vocals. Reminiscent to that of Colbie Caillat and Priscilla Ahn, her voice is comforting as she tells a tale of a hopeless romantic. "So I close my eyes and pray one more time/That the day would come when I'd find someone/Who will hold me close oh and love me more than I've known before."
Of the song, Thomspon writes, "No matter how content I am with being single; there are still moments—however rare—when I long to be in a relationship. And, I’d love for that man to be sitting in the chair next to me. However, as I wrote this song and entered into the emotions of longing, dreaming, and a bit of loneliness, I kept remembering the truths that root and guide me."
She continued. "I am a dearly loved daughter and friend. I do not long for just anyone to fill the chair next to me or hold the light near my front door. I may be single, but I am not alone. I am a child of God—a follower of Christ—, and I trust in the plans He has for me. It is these truths I tried to reflect in the songs bridge and chorus: Its not about being alone; I can make it through life on my own. But I know that I would be a wife who loves for life."
"Please" is more of an upbeat track that begs a former love to let her go. A conflicted song, Thompson sings in the midst of horn features, "Please let me go/Please come and hold me/Please can I go."
To learn more about Tiffany Thompson, visit her Web site and watch her music video for "Please" below. She's currently featured on Reverb Nation where you can download her song for free. Click here to register and download her single, "Till That Day Comes" on the current contenders tab.
supersonic
