Songs You May Have Missed #777

26 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

Shivaree: “I Close My Eyes” (2005)

Listening to Shivaree is like looking through a prism of musical facets and moods. The torch song sensibilities are overlaid with Cowboy Junkies alt country leanings. It’s dark. It’s creepy. It’s coffeehouse vibe. It’s smokey late-night last call. It’s jagged with reverb and Tom Waits cacophonous clash. It’s smooth with a sultry R&B feel. Wait, was that a banjo?

Pulling it all together into an appealing blend is the voice of Ambrosia Parsley, she of the Wednesday Addams besuited cover photo, whose interesting past is explored in the post linked below.

Shivaree disbanded in 2007 after four full-length albums, 2 EPs and various singles.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/04/19/songs-you-may-have-missed-393-2/

Songs You May Have Missed #393

19 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

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Shivaree: “Goodnight Moon” (1999)

 

Ambrosia Parsley has the perfect name and bio for a fictitious singer–but only in one of those fanciful, Benny & Joon-type Hollywood films. The details seem too strange for real life.

According to Allmusic Guide:

Parsley’s first gig was singing with a 99-piece senior citizen banjo band at a local pizza place. At the age of 13, she left home, traveling the country and pursuing her love of music.

And from her Wiki bio:

In April 2004, Ambrosia Parsley embarked on a project for the liberal radio station Air America called Ambrosia Sings the News — a short song (always the same melody), usually under a minute or so long that attempted to encapsulate the contents of the previous week’s headlines. Approximately 47-50 installments of “Ambrosia Sings the News” were aired with some being live performances. The show was successful enough that a single titled “2004 (The Year In Review…For Anyone Who Can Bear the Mere Thought)” that summarized exactly what the title suggests was sold exclusively via iTunes.

The band name “Shivaree” is a Cajun term describing a drunken serenade to newlyweds (think Bert and Ernie in It’s a Wonderful Life). “Goodnight Moon” is probably their best-known song, having appeared on Dawson’s Creek and in the films Silver Linings Playbook and Kill Bill: Volume 2, where it played over the closing credits.

ambrosia parsley

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2025/04/26/songs-you-may-have-missed-777/