With "Ella Luna," Alyssa Stoner is Set to Take Off
January 18, 2020Don’t miss Stoner’s release party, Thursday, January 23, at the Mercury Cafe
Denver is still the diamond city of the West. This still-young city continues to provide as fertile a ground to cultivate beautiful music and art from the creatives that come here as it has since Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady roamed the streets and saddled downtown barstools half a century ago, churning out stars year after year.
And now, another young artist, Ella Luna (the moniker for local singer/songwriter Alyssa Stoner), has busted out on the internets this week, dropping her first full-length record, “Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride.” Ella Luna will host a release party next Thursday, January 23, at the Mercury Cafe ($5) – your perfect chance to be able to tell everyone you were there when….
Stoner released her first EP, “Ella Luna,” last year, but under her own name for the debut. A gem of emotionally mature tunes, the first EP definitely stands on its own, especially considering it was conceived and produced before Stoner even entered her senior year of high school at Denver School of the Arts.
“Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride” shows Stoner’s evolution into the Ella Luna persona, both musically and emotionally. The songs and stories on this latest record belie her years – in some cases by decades.
Ella Luna pairs jazz and dream pop with a sincere & smooth indie lyrical and musical style that recalls up & coming artists like Lucy Dacus or Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail) on first blush. But then Stoner seasons that mix with vocals that lilt with tired tears just underneath her tongue at times, and with the vigorous power of an Amy Winehouse or a Nora Jones at others, but she always sounds real, and herself.
“Stumble” tells a story of addiction we’re all familiar with- truthfully – from someone who’s been smashed by its wrecking ball repeatedly, not a young high school graduate. But it’s real – you can tell. “Garden” reaches from the frustration of a broken heart, still fresh, but with an aged and seasoned anger & loneliness. These are just a few of the highlights you’ll find yourself spinnng again & again on “Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride.”
Listen on any streamer you want – or jump on the Spotify link below – and show up Thursday at the Mercury to see the real thing. This young woman has a promising future, and you’ll kick yourself for missing her in such an intimate setting before you know it.
