Robin O'Brien
“Roothead” by Robin O’Brien is a classic of small studio production and artistry. One song after another of unbelievable grace, unforgettable hooks and emotional intensity recorded in central New Jersey by Greg Frey (now of Ween fame)
The cover for “Apple” by Robin O’Brien. This was the first solo tape I had heard by her. I had already been familiar with her amazing vocal improvs on her duet tapes with David Mitros but her solo tape floored me with folk and pop power unlike few I’ve ever heard before or since.
The first of the the three tapes she did with David Mitros
Chanteuse supreme, Robin O’Brien, 2009.
i was surprised to find myself in the middle of trading tapes. i don’t like a lot of contact, and i’m not a great big fan of music, actually. but i love artists. i love the creative process. there was a brilliant home-taper named kevyn dymond who i liked immediately, whose music ruled my car. and we wrote to each other. i cared about the personal angle. john bartles: what an amazing poet. and FUNNY! our communication brought me a deep joy. and don campau. it was like he took up an excess of intelligence and sexual vitality and whipped it against the wall—and that was his art, that was the song. i’m fascinated with the way personality relates to art.
who was i to them? to myself i wasn’t even a person yet. my only value would be that i was a pretty girl. i resented that. i wish i had cultivated relationships with women home-tapers. i think it would have helped me to understand myself as a musician.
