b. Louisville, Kentucky, USA. This indie folk singer-songwriter learned to play the piano as a youngster but also showed an early interest in compiling "found sounds". Landes attended New York University in the late 90s and quickly became affiliated with the city's long-established "fast folk" scene, where her creative urge found her experimenting with a range of instruments on stage. She also began working part-time as a sound engineer on albums by artists such as Ryan Adams, Joseph Arthur, and Hem, also taking to the road to tour with the latter band. It was during this period that Landes recorded the material that would comprise her 2002 debut. Dawn Landes offered a telling glimpse of the artist's eclectic musical talent with its blend of acoustic and electric styles and the employment of a diverse range of instruments, including accordion, guitar, glockenspiel and piano.
Increasingly dividing her time between New York and Paris, France, Landes then completed the UK-released mini-album Two Three Four before her burgeoning reputation helped secure a contract with the Fargo label. Recorded with help from members of Hem, and released at the start of 2007, the artful blend of folk ballads, country rock and electronic loops helped make Fire Proof one of the year's most delightful independent releases.
DISCOGRAPHY: Dawn Landes (Ocean Music 2002)***, Two Three Four mini-album (Boy Scout 2006)***, Fire Proof (Fargo 2007)****.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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