The House that Jesca Built

If you have had a chance to check out singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop’s oddly beautiful 2010 release, Hunting My Dress, then you know what a unique talent she is. Hoop’s penchant for creating a wide variety of moods, sounds and storylines while keeping the music cohesive is an unusual feat of songwriting. And her 2012 release, The House that Jack Built, further demonstrates her significant skill in these areas as she culls together 10 songs that vary wildly in their sound yet remain distinctly Hoop tracks.

Hoop is as comfortable making energetic indie rock (“Born To”) as she is crafting down-tempo, acoustic numbers (“Pack Animal”), and she can throw in some lively garage rock as well (“When I’m Asleep”). And when it comes to her tales, anything goes. She can be sober one moment as on the reflective “D.N.R.,” or nostalgic for a time gone by on the emotionally-charged “Angel Mom.” But then she gets downright kooky on a track like “Whispering Light,” which features haunting vocals and sporadic, off-kilter yodeling and an overall feel that smacks of Oompa Loompas singing during a bad trip, which makes sense since, according to Hoop, the song was inspired by her getting baked with her ultra-religious Mormon mother.

Hoop could easily rub shoulders with other indie songstresses like Regina Spektor, Aimee Mann and Laura Marling, so catch her in an intimate setting while you can.

Jesca Hoop plays with Paul Quillen 8:30 pm Saturday, Aug. 10, at Axe and Fiddle; $8. — Brian Palmer

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!