1. Joanna will be playing a free show at UW’s Great Hall on December 9th as part of the Madison Pop Fest. Show starts at 9:30 with Bill Callahan (smog) opening.

2. To us this album is a complete turnaround from Milk-Eyed Mender, which we found to be nearly unlistenable. Here you find lush and warm vocals that don’t resemble a screechy seven year old singing into a well.

3. For those of you keeping track of gorgeous cover art, I think Ys (see above) should definitely get a few of your votes. Trust me it looks even better on vinyl and in your hands.

4. Each of the twenty nine pages that make up the CD booklet has very nice golden edges that add to the overall beautification of the entire album package.

5. Pitchfork leaked this baby by hosting on an unprotected server. However, they sure did a nice interview with Joanna and gave Ys a 9.4.

6. Steve Albini recorded, Jim O’Rourke mixed, and Van Dyke Parks did the string arrangements. Seriously, that is an amazing assembly of talent with their hands and ears on this project.

7. There are five tracks on this album that take up more than 55 minutes, this album is meant to be taken as a whole. It’s written is such a storybook way, one that we’re sure you’ll tend to revisit many times over.

8. This is the type of album that can cross age barriers. I could completely see this record getting thumbs up from my friends, parents, and even grandparents. That’s a true definition of goodness right there.

9. She plays the Harp. Count the number of records you own where the main musician is busting out beauty on a harp. Now that you’ve done that wouldn’t you say it’s time to grow that number?

Buy: Insound