Thao Nguyen

Artist: Thao Nguyen (Thao with the Get Down Stay Down)
Albums: We Brave Bee Stings And All (2008), Like The Linen (2005)
Source: Gym class, freshman year of high school. No, seriously; she was on my basketball team.
Home Sweet Home: Falls Church, VA and, more recently, San Francisco, CA
Sounds Like: Feist mixed with Bjork, but "more young and hip" (according to Sibo)
Choose Your Own Adventure: official site, myspace, amazon, iTunes

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down at Bottom of the Hill in SF

Before the write-up, a story (and some background) . . .

Thao is better known to the authors of this blog as Teresa Nguyen. The three of us (Saldivar, J. Scott, and myself) went to high school with her in the lower suburbs of Washington, DC around the turn of the century. My musical exposure to Teresa began during the summer after freshman year, when most of our class enrolled in summer school for computer science. Teresa and a handful of other kids would sometimes come over to my basement and jam, covering songs like Cake's "Let Me Go," Clapton's "Cocaine," and Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." I am proud to say that I was indeed Thao (Teresa) Nguyen's first drummer (yeah, that was the sound of me high fiving myself). Although Thao and her Fender Telecaster didn't frequent my basement too much after that summer, she and another classmate (Brenna Clerkin, who has an amazing and powerful voice) started performing in an acoustic duet known either as Brenna & Teresa or Other Girls. They recorded two albums together (Three Words and Open Mic Night) and had a great following . . . within our school, at least. Oh, and she also recorded an album called The Toledo Sessions with another aspiring high school musician, Andrew McAlpine (of Andrew M. and the Coalition of the Willing) our senior year. I was fortunate enough to drum for Brenna & Teresa at a few shows, including a gig at at Jammin' Java in Vienna, VA, and a talent show at our school, which we won.

Thao not holding back at the Gelateria Naia on the campus of UC berkeley

Thao went on to William & Mary for college while Brenna went to the University of Virginia. That was about where my knowledge of their musical careers ended until just a few months ago. This past January, while browsing the free concerts coming through UC Berkeley, I noticed this "Thao Nguyen" character who would be performing at an upcoming show. I thought nothing of it until I saw where she was from . . . and then here college . . . and then her picture. Hot damn, my friend is a rock star! So I did some research into what she'd been doing the past few years and was absolutely blown away by her music, accomplishments, and the press that surrounded her recent release. I showed up at the Berkeley performance a little early and surprised her. It was a bit surreal, seeing all these fans who not only enjoyed the music, but already knew all the words and lined up to get merchandise and autographs. Great stuff. I've since seen her another two times, opening for Xiu Xiu at the Echo in Los Angeles and at Bottom of the Hill in SF.

Past & Present: Me [left], Get Down Stay Down drummer Will Thompson [right], Will's friend (?) [center]

OK, now for the real review: Thao Nguyen is a singer/songwriter with some sweet yet quirky vocals and a penchant for framing mature concepts and emotions in what sometimes sound like children's stories. Although her solo acoustic work has an intimate, haunting appeal, her voice and guitar work really shine through when accompanied by her friends (the aforementioned Get Down Stay Down). The live performances are full of energy, with the whole band clapping, stomping, and bouncing around the stage. We Brave Bee Stings And All was released by Kill Rock Stars earlier this year, and was produced by Tucker Martine (Laura Veirs' drummer and producer of The Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens). Some of my favorites off the new album include "Swimming Pools," "Beat (Health, Life And Fire)," and "Bag Of Hammers." Listen carefully and you'll even hear some banjo picking in that first one!

If you're looking for some free cuts, check out the sessions she did with NPR and Daytrotter. She's cool enough to post her entire album on imeem (below), but always remember to support my local artists! Currently, they are finishing up a US tour with some final dates in the North West. Next, it's across the pond to headline some shows in Europe, followed by a tour on the East Coast opening for Rilo Kiley.

A little fun fact for those interested . . . the track "Tallymarks" off her album Like the Linen features a line (the one that starts with "Don't explain love to me") that is a near exact rip from a previous recording ("Family Man," off of Open Mic Night). Of course, on "Family Man," Brenna is actually singing the line. Caught you borrowing from yourself, Teresa :-)