All Things Kimya Dawnson (Official Thread)

[Cosmic Harmony]

Kimya Dawson Official Site
Kimya Dawson - Wikipedia

Solo Releases

* My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess (2004)
* Hidden Vagenda (2004)
* Remember That I Love You (2006)
* Alphabutt – (2008)
* Thunder Thighs (2011)

As A Part Of Various Groups

* The Moldy Peaches (2001)- As a part of the Moldy Peaches
* Moldy Peaches 2000: Unreleased Cutz and Live Jamz 1994-2002 (2003)- As a part of the Moldy Peaches
* Antsy Pants (2006)- As a part of Antsy Pants
* The Bundles (2009)- As a part of The Bundles





Kimya Dawn is a beam of light for do-it-yourself, coffee shop musicians everywhere. She is best known for the song "Anyone Else But You" (a favorite of mine and one of the sweetest darn songs you'll ever hear) from the movie Juno as well as several other songs of hers used in the film. On the strength of "Anyone Else But You" as well as other tracks like "Loose Lips" and "Tree Hugger" the Juno soundtrack has become one of my favorite soundtracks ever.

Musically Kimya's songs are characterized by several very distinctive qualities. First off there is her singing voice. It's quite childlike and small in an unmistakable way. This works well with her style of songwriting and lyrical subject matter, which often harks back to childhood memories, feelings, and 80's cultural references with the occasional clever bit of toilet humor. Her songs are also very stripped down in the way of recording and production. A lot of her songs are recorded with one microphone in her basement and it's not uncommon for there to be imperfections on the final recordings such as phones ringing or her friends laugh in the background. It's a very do-it-yourself kind of thing. What she does with almost exclusively acoustic instruments and her words is beyond remarkable to me. Kimya Dawson's music brings me such a great deal of joy. Even when it's a sad song her whit and feeling still makes me smile.


Anybody Else But You

(So cute and pretty)

Nothing Came Out

(This song breaks my heart so much. From the guitar solo to the vocal cracks. It's simply beautiful and still kind of funny and quirky like everything Kimya does, especially the closing line.)

My Rollercoaster

(If there was one thing I would change about the Juno soundtrack I would include this version of "My Rollercoaster" (the original one) instead of the heavily heavily trimmed 50 second version that appears on it)

Walk Like Thunder

(I'd describe this song as Kimya's "American Pie". It's long and the lyrics are extremely personal and make the song far more than the actual instruments could.)




Hope you all enjoy.



​

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

You were looking down at them, they were looking down at you.
You were starched and press, they were all disheveled.
They were holding hands, they were ragamuffins and
They said "I know we're not fancy, but we're on the same level.
We've got plans, big plans we're gonna change the world.
All you care about is dollars, that doesn't make sense.
All you do is hit snooze, watch the news, buy shoes, drink booze, make
Money, feel spent.
Day after day after day, it's the same shit.
Day after day after day after day after day."

Then you looked at them without batting an eye and said
"Hey little hippie, let your freak flag fly.
Why don't you go smoke a bowl in your best tie dye,
Get a tattoo of a dancing bear holding a peace sign.
You can talk the talk but when it comes to real change,
Aren't you and all your little friends exactly the same?
You sit around at potlucks pointing fingers, placing blame,
Drinking kombucha, and eating tempeh.
Day after day after day, it's the same shit.
Day after day after day after day after day."

If you are judging them while they are judging you,
And you think that makes them assholes, maybe you're an asshole too.
Do we argue with each other 'til we both turn blue,
Or find similarities in what we like and what we do?
Yeah, just because someone does not look like me
Doesn't mean that they are a clone or a sheep.
Maybe they like their job and they're living their dream,
And they love their friends and their family. Yeah
Some people thrive between nine and five,
And feel like they're choking if their neck's not tied.
And some people feel as if they're gonna die
If their seams aren't straight and their shoes aren't tied.
Some people like business, some people like numbers,
Some people grow organic heirloom cucumbers,
And only feel free with their hands in the dirt
In a pair of old jeans and their favorite t-shirt
Some people feel enslaved when they have a boss,
Some people without one feel totally lost.
To make this world work it takes all different kinds.
We have all different tastes, different strengths, different minds,
So it doesn't make sense to generalize
And it doesn't make sense to judge with our eyes.
We need more compassion, we need to be kind
If you open your heart you might like what you find.
'Cause there are some nice bus drivers, but there's some mean bus drivers
And there are some nice cops in Madison, Wisconsin.
And there's some nice teachers, and there's some mean teachers,
Just because you have a mean teacher doesn't mean all teachers suck.
And no one is nice all the time, no one is mean all the time
Think about what someone's going through that's making them be mean to you
Maybe their pet gerbil died and they are really sad inside,
Or maybe they got in a fight with someone that they really like,
Maybe they are really shy and don't know to socialize
They just want to run and hide, not saying that it's justified
But if we learn to empathize the resentments will vaporize
Situations metamorphasize before out very eyes.
Then the need to stereotype will become outdated when we realize everyone
Is really complicated.
We are all so complicated.
I am also complicated.

I'm a black mama activist, a home-owning punk.
It's been over a decade since the last time I got drunk.
I drive a minivan, I've got junk in the trunk.
I think Danny Devito is a total hunk.
I like revisiting the shit my therapist helps me remember.
Being friends with someone for a long time, still not knowing their gender.
I fight for equal rights and I fight for inner peace.
I pray to the dead for the gratitude I need.
I've got chickens in my backyard and a little garden plot,
I really hate commercials but I got a slap-chop.
I'm a sucker for a remix, let me tell you what,
By the time that I am finished, you're gonna love these nuts.
I'm a little bit pop culture, a lot bit D.I.Y.,
I don't know the definition of T.M.I.
I write poems about my period, post pictures of my log,
If you don't like body functions then you shouldn't read my blog.
My husband's a musician from the mountains in France,
He wrote me a song, we did interpretive dance,
Then he knocked me up, now we have the coolest kid,
Yeah, hooking up with him's the smartest thing I ever did.
And I feel like I can fly when I'm on roller skates,
I feel a little high when I eat dried dates,
I feel like I'm unloading when I'm loading up the car
I feel like I'm exploding when I'm holding my guitar
I don't understand what numbers have to do with success
Or what sales have to do with happiness,
Unless they're the kind of sails that will carry me to sea,
Where my grandma and grandpa are waiting for me.
I never thought I'd make it to 25, now I'm 37 and I'm glad that I'm alive.
If I ever need a tour bus I'm still gonna drive,
Cause I looking out the windshield as the world goes by,
Looking out the windshield as the world goes by.
Now I'm 37 and I'm glad that I'm alive
And I like looking out the windshield as the world goes by.

 

[METALPRIEST]

I'll check out a few of these tunes tonight

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

I'm sure you'll enjoy them, MP.