''Ballads of Living and Dying'' is

Marissa Nadler Marissa Nadler (born April 5, 1981) is an American musician and fine artist. Active since 2000, she is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records and Bella Union, and released her ninth full-length studio album, ''The Path of the Clouds'', in Oc ...

's first studio album, released in 2004 on

Eclipse Records Eclipse Records is an American independent record label based in Butler, New Jersey.Morley, Hugh R. (December 2, 2007). "Digital Blues: Small Labels Struggle to Survive", '' The Record'', p. B1. The label is best known for bringing the Cleveland b ...

Background

Nadler first began recording her songs onto cassette at an early age. When she turned 16, her parents gifted her a couple hours in a recording studio. When she entered art school in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, she would perform at

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...

events. This eventually led to her recording her first album: "I had a boyfriend at the time and he recorded that record for me over the course of many months and we fell in love during the recording, and he ended up being the subject matter for several albums after!"

Track listing

All songs written by Marissa Nadler, except where noted. # "Fifty Five Falls" – 5:01 # "Hay Tantos Muertos" – 2:51 (Nadler, Pablo Neruda) # "Stallions" – 3:11 # "Undertaker" – 2:17 # "Box of Cedar" – 4:39 # "Bird Song" – 3:07 # "Mayflower May" – 3:21 # "Days of Rum" – 4:20 # "Virginia" – 2:39 # "Annabelle Lee" – 5:15 (Nadler,

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

) # "Door Slam" (vinyl-only bonus track)

Personnel

Musicians

* Marissa Nadler - Vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards * Myles Baer - Accordion, backing vocals,

EBow The EBow, short for electronic bow or energy bow, is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It is manufactured by Heet Sound Products, of Los Angeles, California. It was invented by Greg Heet i ...

, electric guitar * Kendra Flowers - Harmony vocals ("Box of Cedar")

Production

Recorded, mixed and produced by Myles Baer at Black Hole Sound Studios, 2003-2004.

References

External links

Official Site
2004 debut albums Marissa Nadler albums {{2000s-folk-album-stub