Music
Press
Today's Country Magazine
If you are a frequent reader of our reviews here on TCM, then you know that we think that the Americana genre is one of the most exciting out there right now. There are unwritten rules amongst the country genre that artists tend to follow, but when you dive into the Americana genre those rules go out the window and artists explore many different sounds and styles adding diversity to the music. Rebecca Rippy is one of those diverse artists that showcases her unique brand of music perfectly on her sophomore Telling Stories. The album's title couldn't be more of a statement in itself as this collection of songs does in fact tell stories and very personal ones for Rippy. From start to finish you explore Rippy as she leads you down the roads of it through the good and bad. Poppy driven cuts like "Gotta Have You (Snap Song)" showcases a hip moving vibe that sees Rippy exploring a playful flirtation, while songs like "Time," sees Rippy exploring a darker topic of losing someone of great importance to your life and learning from it that you never know how your path will unfold so now is the time to start living. Throughout the album Rebecca Rippy stays a lot with the upbeat material that keeps your feet moving, but she also allows her incredible songwriting to take center stage. We said it before and we will say it again; the Americana genre as a whole is exciting. Rebecca Rippy shows why as she explores all of the emotions of life without musical boundaries and standards giving her a unique sound that is familiar enough to keep your attention, but left of the mainstream dial enough to give her an edge that music aficionados will love.
- Today's Country Magazine (Jan 18, 2010)
- - Today's Country Magazine (Jan 18, 2010)
Compass Magazine
Dave Johnson, Editor
REVIEW: Rebecca Rippy at the Sylvia Theater, December 11, 2010
It is a rare occasion when I am left speechless. Those of you that know me know I have the gift of gab and I am a master when it comes to using my gift. Well, that changed last night at the Sylvia Theater in York, SC when Rebecca Rippy stepped up to the microphone and told the story about the love her mother felt for her father, his passing eight years earlier and the song, Grandma's Song, that spawned from this crossroads in her life. The intensity of the mellifluously enchanting lyrics were only shadowed by the passion filled melodies and absolute perfect blend of musical harmonies that her band, & Company, magically, intricately and meticulously intertwined in and out of this heart and soul filled ballad about the love her parents shared. This was intensified by Scott's masterful use of a 16" hand drum and Victoria's hauntingly penetrating cello. That the two musicians are married and obviously deeply in love added a strength to the performance that transcends my ability to put into words. Add the fact that Rebecca's mother was in the audience and the moment seemed surreal.
I am struggling to adequately describe the depth of this performance. Suffice it to say, this anthem to all that is sacred about love and life-lasting relationships, touched me in a way (and continues to do so-I have listened to it nine times while writing this) I never thought possible. In a little over four minutes, this performance created crystal-clear clarity about all that I cherish in my wife and our life together. With music that isn't nearly as thought or emotion evoking getting national radio play, it makes me wonder why Rebecca Rippy & Company isn't on every iPod in America. Her music is nothing short of brilliant and I feel honored to have been in the audience.
I felt so touched by this particular song, I produced a video so that everyone could experience it in the way it was running through my head. Please watch the video and let me know what you think. Also, visit her website at www.rebeccarippy.com and buy the album...you will not be disappointed. My other goal in producing this video was to motivate others to visit the Sylvia Theater in York, SC. It is a hop, skip and a jump from South Charlotte and well worth the trip. Roger Cullis of Cullis Entertainment knows talent better than most and every one that graces the stage at the Sylvia is world class. If you are looking for some stellar entertainment for a price that won't break the bank, the Sylvia Theater is where it is at. Thanks for reading and, please, let me know what you think of the video. If you like it, please forward it to a friend using the link below. Peace.
Dave Johnson, editor of Compass Magazine - Compass Magazine (Dec 15, 2010) - Dave Johnson, editor of Compass Magazine - Compass Magazine (Dec 15, 2010)
Interview with North Carolina Singer/Songwriter Rebecca Rippy
January 19, 2010
Interview by Scott Preston
Rebecca started out singing gospel music in the mountains of East Tennessee. Then, barely out of high school, Rebecca Rippy took off for a three month tour of Europe. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers – that helped shape her multi-faceted musical tastes and style of songwriting. With a beautiful flair for harmony, Rebecca has become many artists favorite singing partner. Whether singing heartfelt, folk-influenced ballads or gritty rockers, Rippy sings with sincerity and an emotional intensity that sets her apart from the crowd, and the sheer quality of her songs herald her arrival as a significant songwriting talent.
Cincy Groove: Your latest cd "Telling Stories" just came out a few months ago?
Rebecca Rippy: Yes, I had the cd in hand in late October 09. It's not so new to me but new to everyone else.
Cincy Groove: How would you compare the whole process of "Telling Stories" compared to your last studio effort in 2007?
Rebecca Rippy: I did the 07 record with Jamie Hoover, I basically walked in and said here these are my songs have your way with them. I have a country accent, so it kind of put me in that alt-country area. To me anyway it's a lot more country sounding album than I feel I am as an artist. That album kind of put me together with the band I am working with now. When we went to record "Telling Stories" it was a much smoother process. I work with a bunch of stellar musicians who all also happen to be songwriters. When I come in the studio with my songs they all can bring their own individual creativity to each song. What I did was I gave each of them copies of my songs with me just playing guitar and singing. Then each of them would add their parts to the each one. I feel a whole lot better handing someone this cd because I feel it really represents me as an artist a lot more then the first one.
rebecca rippy
Cincy Groove: How did you end up meeting your current band members?
Rebecca Rippy: Well, like I said I worked with Jamie Hoover, he is really a great supporter of my music and just a nice guy. When this artist Douglas Barnhill was recording with Jamie, he needed a backup vocalist for his record. Jamie put me in touch with him and Douglas just loved what I was doing. Douglas also invited me to sing with him at The Bluebird Cafe. From there we got this gig opening for Don Dixon and Jump Rabbits here in Charlotte. We ended up putting this band together for the show because we wanted it have a fuller sound. We all ended up just sticking together after that show.
Cincy Groove: How did you end up meeting Jamie Hoover?
Rebecca Rippy: When my husband and I first moved to Charlotte one of our new neighbors told me about Jamie. I called him out of the blue and said I have this project I want to record. I went in and recorded and our working relationship developed from there.
Cincy Groove: Who do you consider some of your influences?
Rebecca Rippy: About the time I started playing and singing, Lilith Fair was really big. All those female singer/songwriters had a big impact on me. I really like all kinds of music. I also like Sting, Shawn Mullins, Jewel, Alanis Morrisette.
rebecca rippy, telling storiesCincy Groove: Tell me about the video shoot for "It's October".
Rebecca Rippy: We did it in three different locations. Part of it was filmed in my basement, part of it in the Sylvia Theater, and part of it in the woods. I had never done something like that before, so it was a lot of fun. The nice thing was that a friend of one of my band members happens to be in video production, so it wasn't as stressful. We filmed it in just 2 days. I would like to do it more, but everyone in the band is working professionals outside of music so its hard sometimes to get everyone together. Somehow we did it though and I hope we will do another video again soon.
Cincy Groove: When was the first time you played out?
Rebecca Rippy: I think I was probably 19, which was about 13 years ago. It was at The Down Home in Tennessee.
Cincy Groove: If you could record a duet album with anyone, who would it be?
Rebecca Rippy: I would have to say Shawn Mullins or Rob Thomas. What would be really nice is to have a whole album of different artists singing duets with me.
Cincy Groove: Do you have any upcoming shows you are excited about?
Rebecca Rippy: I get really excited over the small shows. I am doing this Songwriter in the Round gig with Don Dixon, Bill Mallonee, Danielle Howe, Mitch Easter and myself. That's the one I am most excited about.
Sat 2/27/10 Elwoods Music Hall Charlotte NC - opening for Don Dixon & The Jump Rabbits
Sun 2/28/10 The Hummingbird Cafe @ Elwoods Music Hall Charlotte NC - with Rebecca Rippy, Don Dixon, Bill Mallonee, Danielle Howe, Mitch Easter
Fri 3/12/10 Gaston County Museum Dallas NC - Solo show
Fri 3/19/10 Americana Women Festival Tallahassee FL
Sat 3/27/10 The White Horse - Black Mountain, NC opening for Bob Lind
Fri 4/23/10 Earth Night Concert Gastonia NC
http://rebeccarippy.com - Scott Preston - Cincy Magazine
Unique, individual music style with a fresh clear voice; able to attain pristine tones and then use melodic vocal turns to take you on a journey you will want to take again and again. You won't know if she belongs in folk, country, or soft rock because your ears desire to bend toward what you enjoy most. There will be no confusion about the lyrics as a song ends and you find yourself saying, "hey, I've felt that way" or "hey, I get it!" As if this isn't enough, her smile and positive attitude are contagious to those who cross her path. Provide financial security for your future, get this gal's autograph now.
Lynn Ramirez
Congressional Award holder
Board of WFFCC
Sched. Adm. for Performing Arts Theater
Chicago, IL
Lynn Ramirez - Lynn Ramirez
- Performing Arts Theater
When Jamie Hoover (The Spongetones) gets excited about something musically, we should all listen. He has only been in the music business for more than 27 years. In that time, his musical duties include songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, producer, recording engineer, arranger, bassist, sometimes drummer, and other various musical noises.
So after working with musical newcomer (and Belmont resident) Rebecca Rippy on her debut record, he just couldn't contain himself.
"I have had the privilege to work with a lot of great artists over the years, " said Hoover. "But I have to admit, I haven't been this excited about a project in a long while".
Rebecca Rippy may be new to the music world, but she is no stranger to music. She finds time to play guitar and write songs, in between her full-time job and her family.
Making music has always come natural to her. From an early age, she has always found a way to channel her creative energy. In 2003, she began to play at a few open mic gigs around town. It wasn't long after that she decided it was time to record a few of her songs. However, after learning she was pregnant, she decided to put her musical ambitions on hold.
Two kids and four years later, she decided it was time to play again. She picked up the phone and called Jamie Hoover...
..."Rebecca has a lot of things going for her," Hoover said. "Her songwriting is without flaw, and she has a fabulous voice. From the moment she stepped into the recording studio, she knew what was going on.
"Without a doubt, Secrets is in my top three projects I have ever been a part of."
Now that's high praise from a guy who has done just about everything in the music business...
...So I guess it's safe to say the 'secret' is out. Rebecca Rippy , the singer-songwriter, has emerged from her living room to a venue near you. Experience this artist now before the rest of the crowd figures it out.
Ben Dungan - Gaston Alive! (Apr 14, 2008)
- Gaston Gazette Alive
Discography
DISCOGRAPHY
Secrets(2008) - Dae Van Music
Telling Stories (2009) - Dae Van Music
Rebecca’s stellar songwriting shines as never before against an eclectic Americana Folk Rock backdrop of acoustic guitars, cello, hand and kit drum percussion, bass, high lonesome guitars, and mandotars. Her latest album project titled “Telling Stories” set for November 2009 release was produced by Rebecca Rippy and engineered by longtime friend and musician Jamie Hoover (Spongetones, Don Dixon). It is her most personal recording to date, with a stunning range of material, from stories about family, those that have gone before and follow after, of lives lived and roads traveled. A compelling collection of songs which resonate with everyday life and the trials of walking the sod of this earth, all the while inhaling the joys, sorrows, disappointments and gentle graces that shape our paths…
Photos
Bio
BIOGRAPHY
In her song “Trying to Make a Living,” Rebecca Rippy coyly sings, “Is this specific enough?” The line addresses songwriting in general, but for Rebecca and her fans, the question is an inside joke. Anyone listening to Rebecca knows she writes very specifically—and provocatively— about her experiences, her relationships, and what matters most in her life.
On Telling Stories, her second album, Rebecca opens her heart in the most intimate ways, spinning tales built around those who mean the most to her. The emotional connection to her songs are obvious, but just as importantly is how she uses personal revelations to explore universal truths. Writing acoustic music that elevates souls with uplifting rhythms or hushes a crowd with quiet power, Rebecca proves just how entertaining and inspiring music can be in the hands of a talented singer-songwriter who has lived every word she sings.
“I wrote these songs initially for my family members, and when my co-producer/engineer, Jamie Hoover, heard them, he strongly encouraged me to record them. I was hesitant at first, because they reveal so much of me. But now that they’re out there, I’m finding that people are relating to them more than anything I have written to date. In our live performances, the audience seems to respond in a very deep, emotional way. I think these songs hit home with some of their own family life experiences and people really connect with them because of that.”
The inspiration originated with “It’s October,” the first song written for the album, and its opening cut. As the lyrics make obvious, it’s an open-hearted tribute to her father, who died too young at age 49. The CD booklet includes a note that looks pinned to it that reads “Thanks Dad, for everything…,” indicating how important a role Rippy’s father played in her life. Amid photos of her as a young girl, and with her father as a young man, she writes, “He was, to me, an overpowering influence. I’ve spent the last eight years running, hiding, fighting, drinking, working and anything else just to avoid accepting the reality of his absence in my life.”
From that point, instead of avoidance, Rippy’s songs deal directly with trying to accept and embrace what others mean to her: She writes of her husband, her children, her mother, her grandmother, and what is likely one of the most loving and heart-felt songs (“O Brother”) written about her sister and two brothers.
Through it all, Rebecca presents these sentiments with an in-your-face candidness that is reflected in the energetic arrangements of the songs. More acoustic than her first album, Telling Stories nonetheless abounds in movement and rhythm. Rippy attributes that energy to the joy of playing with her outstanding band, a collection of well-regarded musical veterans who have been drawn to Rippy for her fresh perspective and undeniable talent.
At the helm is co-producer Jamie Hoover, who also plays bass and offers background vocals. A legendary figure among power-pop fans for his work in the acclaimed band, the Spongetones, Hoover brings studio smarts and arrangement skills to Rippy’s work. He also introduced her to other high-profile friends, including producer-artist Don Dixon, who sings a duet with Rebecca on Telling Stories. Don has produced such icons as REM, Hootie and the Blowfish, The Smithereens, Marshall Crenshaw and a host of other major label talent.
Joining them is the band Rebecca Rippy & Co., her touring ensemble. It features guitarist Douglas Barnhill, leader of the North Carolina-based band Barnhill and the 12 Tribes, and whose harmonies work so well with Rippy that he invited her to join him when he performed at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café. On drums and percussion, Scott McLaughlin’s work provides the music’s propulsive vigor, his experience as one of North Carolina’s most respected musicians evident in the grooves. Victoria McLaughlin, a classically trained cellist from Colombia, provides the rich bottom and unusual flavor running under Rippy’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics, showing the same sensitivity and luxurious tone she’s displayed with the Charlotte Philarmonic Orchestra and the Vivace Quartet. On stage they’re joined by bassist Brian Doell and acoustic guitarist Terry Wheeler, multi-instrumentalists, band leaders and recording artists in their own rights. Terry Wheeler, also adds background vocals.
“I feel incredibly lucky to be playing with such talented musicians so early in my career,” Rippy said. “They’ve added so much to my music. It’s a true collaboration, and we’ve come up with our own sound because of what each member brings to it. It inspires me every time I play with them.”
It’s easy to understand why these valued musicians devote themselves to Rippy’s music: As a vocalist, she has a vulnerable yet strong presence that can race with jazzy glee, whisper with quiet revelation, or soar with stunning spirit and beauty. Her voice brings each tune alive, as if wel
Links
