Lisa Hannigan

[Jeff May]

Interesting mandolin technique, but I love her voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LFJ-TJasMU&feature=related

[John Flynn]

Nice, thanks for posting. Finger-picking mandolin is not unheard of. Mickey Cochran has some online lessons on it. Although Lisa's finger-picking is not advanced, it is solid and she makes it sound good.

[Ed Goist]

Just beautiful.
Thanks for posting.

[JEStanek]

She has a distinctive voice (reminds me of Emiliana Torrini) and she used the mandolin well in that song. Nice!

Jamie

[Jeff May]

I should have said "Interesting mandolin technique AND I love her voice". I too think the mandolin fits well. There's another YouTube video of her doing "Personal Jesus" while she whacks on a dulcimer with a violin bow. Knowing nothing about dulcimer I don't have any idea if that's the normal approach to it or not, but it's pretty cool.

[John Flynn]

Yeah, I saw that video also. It is not unlike the technique of using fiddle sticks, but I've never seen it done quite that way before.

[journeybear]

Very nicely understated. Might as well embed it for all to see with ease ...



There may be a thread or two devoted to fingerpicking, as I know I posted my example for some reason.

Found it: Playing the Mandolin without a pick (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?65212-Playing-the-Mandolin-without-a-pick&highlight=fingerpicking)

[Jeff May]

Nice... Thanks, I should learn how to do the embed thing I guess.

[journeybear]

It's not that hard. First copy just the (usually) 11 characters after the = in the url of the youtube video of your choice - for instance, in this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz3qfKX6mA8 - just the string mz3qfKX6mA8 From the advanced window, click on the red Tube button, paste that string onto the pop-up window, click OK, and shazam! If you have found a clip via a search that puts something like &feature-related after that string, then just copy up to that &.



I was wondering how one would bow a dulcimer - thinking the bridge would have to be arced - then I saw this, and realized the percussive/drone effect she is going for doesn't require such modification.

[Jeff May]

Thanks again, I'll give it a try.

I REALLY like that take on "Personal Jesus".

[timv]

Thanks for posting those! I first saw Lisa when she was accompanying Damien Rice, in his "Volcano" music video. I wasn't all that knocked out by him (yet another skinny, scruffy, sensitive 20-something singer-songwriter?) but I was quite taken with Lisa. It took a while to find out who she was, and longer still before she started performing on her own, but I was happy to eventually discover some of her solo work. But I hadn't heard or seen either of these.

Her "Personal Jesus" reminds me a little of Martin Gore's acoustic demo for the song, which got some play on LA radio before the the Violator album was released. He played it in straight 4/4 time and I never could quite warm up to the severe shuffle of the full band version.

[journeybear]

Just one more - for now. ;) A little interview, no mandolin or dulcimer, just guitar ... and voice.





Doing a quick search through my archives, I have her on Leno 2/18/09, (http://www.tagtele.com/videos/voir/59216) The Colbert Report 3/9/09 (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/221066/march-09-2009/lisa-hannigan---i-don-t-know) (with interview), (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/221065/march-09-2009/lisa-hannigan)and Carson Daly 11/20/09 (this performance) and 3/10/10 ("Personal Jesus" again).

[Jeff May]

Yeah, I saw her with Damien Rice on "Live from Abbey Road" a few years ago. She stole the show in my opinion; a great voice and a talented songwriter as well. I didn't know until I found this yesterday that she had done a solo CD; ordered it right away. I think she has another in the works.