Down Under Home
I was headed home from the DUMBO Arts Festival last night when I bumped into my friend Philippa, who was carrying her fiddle over to 68 Jay St. Bar to play with her friend Jan Bell. "C'mon," Philippa said to me. "Just come for one set." I stayed for two. Bell, a British expat who's been living and playing in DUMBO for over ten years, sounded like a twangy Victoria Williams, her high-pitched twang tinged with mystery and a bit of sadness. And, she's starting to get notice far beyond these cobblestone streets: her album Songs for Love Drunk Singers won later year's Independent Music Award for Best Alt Country album. (If you missed her last night, she'll be around the corner at Superfine on Sunday.)