The Moldy Peaches (3)

The Moldy Peaches:
Adam Green and Kimya Dawson
11" x 14"
oil on canvas, 2013

One year ago, almost to the date I was browsing through a box of CDs at a friend's house. Out of curiosity I pulled out the CD The Moldy Peaches (Rough Trade, 2001). I borrowed the CD and several tracks ended up in the Top 100 2012. The Moldy Peaches were a band formed in 1999 around friends Adam Green and Kimya Dawson. They formed in New York, moved to Washington (state) and back again. A host of musicians, friends were part of the band, but they quit in 2004. They had made a name for themselves in the anti-folk scene that was happening in New York but their breakthrough came from the inclusion of the song Nobody Else But You in the soundtrack for the film Juno. This was in 2007, and the song hit the charts in 2008, seven years after it was recorded and four after they broke up (but still four years before I first heard of it).

The 100 Greatest Recordings Ever: #98, The Moldy Peaches

The Moldy Peaches (1)

Kimya Dawson
24" x 12"
oil on board, 2011

Browsing through a friend's CD cabinet my eyes fell on a disc titled The Moldy Peaches. Curiosity made me put it in the CD player, and I was hooked. I heard very happy upbeat lo-fi pop songs even though the lyrics are far from that, but the one-take performances radiated lots of joy. I borrowed the CD and my friend added a Kimya Dawson solo CD called My Cute Friend Sweet Princess to it. Kimya Dawson is one half of the band The Moldy Peaches, Adam Green is the other. I'll make a painting of him soon too. The Moldy Peaches released by Rough Trade Records in 2001 is the first official disc on Which Kimya Dawson can be heard, My Cute Friend Sweet Princess is from 2004. Kimya Malaika Dawson was born in Bedford, NY 1972. Kimya Malaika is Swahili meaning silent angel but she doesn't have any Swahili ancesters. Her brother's name is Akida (chief) Junglefoot Dawson. Kimya Dawson and the Moldy Peaches are best known for their work on the Juno soundtrack. Their music was given the label "Anti-Folk". Last thing I should mention here is that the image I modeled the painting after is from the blog Celebrity Babies, hosted by People.com. Her baby Panda is up next!