SONiA & disappear fear
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Contemporary folk, folk/rock
Status:
Most recent release, Live at Maximal (live, 2016); most recent studio release, Get Your Phil (Phil Ochs covers, 2011); most recent release of original material, Broken Film (2013)
See also:
The SONiA / disappear fear site
Comparisons:
Indigo Girls, The Story, Kristen Hall, Melissa Ferrick. (Sherlyn.Koo, paul2k@aol.com)
Covers/own material:
Most songs written by SONiA Rutstein, very occasional covers
General comments:
disappear fear started in Baltimore in the late 1980s as an acoustic duo consisting of Sonia (SONiA) Rutstein and her sister Cindy Frank. Their wonderful harmonies and Sonia's intensely powerful songs about feminism, love, politics and the politics of love soon earned them a loyal fan base (both gay and straight) in the U.S. After releasing three independent recordings (two recorded in the studio, plus the excellent Live at the Bottom Line), disappear fear were signed to Rounder/Philo and released their self-titled album in 1994, having acquired a full band along the way. In the mid-'90s Cindy retired to part-time band member status in order to devote more time to her family. The band continued touring with Sonia in the lead, and Cindy again joined her sister in the studio for the recording of 1996's Seed in the Sahara. In 1998 Sonia also released a solo album titled Almost Chocolate under the name "SONiA of disappear fear". She is now recording as SONiA & Disappear Fear. A fantastic performer definitely worth checking out.(Sherlyn.Koo)disappear fear is a band from Baltimore Maryland whose core was the sisters SONiA and Cindy Frank. They performed as a duo and had various band members come and go around them. I am fondest of them as a duo. You could compare them to the Indigo Girls and you wouldn't be too far off, but they don't sound exactly like them either. SONiA writes all the songs and does most of the lead vocals, and she looks kind of tough but has a definite sensitive side. As a duo they are a bit folky, but with the band they seem to rock more. I saw them all the time when I lived in Maryland, and they were one of my favorite bands.
I learned all these songs live before the discs came out. I think the band is more notable for its emotions, rather than the actual words, and many of the words seem much more alive when SONiA sings them.
SONiA always performs everything with passion. What has moved me and drawn me to the band has been how affecting her musings on relationships have been. "Box of Tissues" and "Postcard From Texas" strike me as the most compelling and powerful songs in their catalog. I don't think they rise to those heights too often, but I still feel that tingling at scattered moments in other songs. On the other hand, most of her purely political songs carry little weight with me. From my brief time on the disappear fear list (about 5 years ago), I was surprised to learn that "Washington Work Song" consistently was listed as people's favorite disappear fear song. It, and other songs like it, are also quite popular in concert, and though I've found them passionately performed and sometimes quite catchy and melodic, I've never found any of them moving or inspirational. (neal)I don't know how to describe them/her. It is SONiA Rutstein on vocals and guitar with her sister in the studio harmonizing and sometimes a band backing in the studio and on tour. Kinda sound like the Story and Indigo Girls. (paul2k@aol.com)
I liked them at first but their disappear fear album turned out to be a big disappointment for me. It hasn't done anything for me. My biggest problem is that Odd Girl Out and disappear fear sound too similar. However, I *really* like Odd Girl Out, but can't stomach disappear fear. Maybe because Odd Girl Out is a trio, and disappear fear was just a duo? Hard telling. (Matt.Bittner)
SONiA has always written and performed political songs since the early days...always full of both strength and passion. (melsouth@mindspring.com)
Comments about live performance:
I've never actually seen disappear fear live (unfortunately I missed them when they were touring with the Indigo Girls in 1994). However, I do have their live album and I've seen SONiA play solo and she is one of the best performers I have ever seen—she's charming and funny and obviously takes a lot of joy in the music. I would definitely recommend going to see either disappear fear or SONiA play solo if you get the chance.
SONiA is an excellent performer—she's got great stage presence, is an excellent guitarist, can be very funny at times and is also very charming. I dragged a group of about ten people to see her recently and everybody loved her. Her shows are a mix of material from her solo albums and disappear fear songs (not surprising since Sonia writes all the material for Disappear Fear as well). I can still hear Cindy's harmonies on my head, but there is certainly nothing lacking from Sonia's solo performance. Go see her if you can! (Sherlyn.Koo)I saw disappear fear shortly after Cindy left the band. disappear fear was characterized as having incredible harmonies and impassioned vocals. The latter is still true, but the incredible harmonies were sorely missed. I think anyone unfamiliar with the band wouldn't have any complaints about their current show (which I still recommend), but if you then saw them with Cindy, you would marvel at how much well-placed backing vocals can do to a performance. SONiA said she was not retiring from music, which I hope means that she will still record with the band, just not tour. Despite my complaints, the show at the Birchmere was a pretty typical night for disappear fear. Some very touching love (or love gone awry) songs, a bunch of earnest political songs, and a fair amount of gay politics. Since the last time I saw them they were an acoustic duo, this show seemed most notable for how hard it rocked. I still think the band is pretty pedestrian, but SONiA reaches deep inside herself to bring a lot of emotion and feeling to her songs, and that goes a very long way. I would recommend them to anyone here. They put on an energetic and entertaining show. They still occasionally pop up as a duo though—those shows are definitely the more satisfying ones.
I did manage to catch her record release show at 8 X 10. Sonia's show was good, though I caught only the last hour and a half of it. I found it a little sad that the 8 X 10 was pretty empty, when it used to be packed for Disappear Fear cd release parties. And while Sonia was still a dramatic presence, I found myself really missing the band. I never got over Cindy's departure, but the band she eventually put together kept getting better and better, so I could almost forget her harmonies. Solo, I found that I had returned to running Cindy's parts through my head to flesh out the music. The appearance of Howard on guitar, who was briefly in the final incarnation of the band and, before that, brilliantly added what I never knew was missing from the duo, was a nice surprise, and lifted the energy of the show to another level. For the time I was there, I only heard 2 new songs, both of which seemed solidly in the disappear fear mold. (c. 1998)
unlike last time, when she played solo, this time she had a band with her, many of them familiar faces, notably the bassist who had been playing in Lisa Cerbone's band since Disappear Fear disbanded.
I'm sure Sherlyn will be suitably jealous when I say that the crowd and I were thrilled to see that Cindy was with her for about half of the evening! So we were treated to some of the old favorites: "Box of Tissues", "Deep Soul Diver", and "Postcard from Texas" with the original Disappear Fear harmonies. I haven't had a chance to hear that for many years, so it was a pretty big deal. Hopefully Sonia will be able to lure Cindy out more for local shows. The only song missing from those days that I'd have loved to have heard again was "For Hollywood (I Will)", though it was a shame that Cindy left before they sang "Sexual Telepathy" and "Sink the Censorship".
Also notable was a brief appearance by former Disappear Fear guitarist Howard Markhman and accordionist Brian Simms. While they are the two best players from past versions of Disappear Fear, it wasn't so easy to enjoy their strengths when the band swelled to 7 people. It was still good to see them on stage though.
Some of the new songs seemed pretty strong and somewhat surprising. My favorite was "Me, Too", the title track of the album. It provides an interesting counterpoint to longtime concert highlight "Is There Anybody Here?" (written by Phil Ochs). That song always strikes me as strident and somewhat unfair, though, as usual, it was one of the best moments of the show. Sonia and Cindy mesh so beautifully on it, and it's so damn catchy. "Me, Too" balances the military damning with an understanding of some of the values that veterans might represent, then tying it nicely into gay politics and the standard Disappear Fear plea for understanding. (Well, that's what I got based on one live listen, at least.)
While Sonia was as lively as ever, once Cindy left, I found the current band to be somewhat lackluster. And I think that was mostly the guitarist/keyboardist, as the rhythm section was quite solid. One guy had the role that has previously been filled by some pretty amazing people (the guests above), and while he seemed fine, I didn't find him particularly transforming.
Not that it matters much in this town. The band just has to approximate any of the songs to get the mostly adoring (and surprisingly young) crowd singing along.
They are touring around the country (no Cindy though, I'm sure), and put on a lively rousing show if you like something that sounds a bit like a mix between Indigo Girls-style folk/pop and Bruce Springsteen's anthemic singalongs. (9/99)
I thought her set was particularly good. I think she was egged on by playing after Albert & Gage's strong set, as she was particularly worked up. And she opened with a new song I hadn't heard before. (3/02, neal)Friday night the New Haven Folk Alliance hosted a Phil Ochs Song Night. By far the highlight was SONiA, who garnered the only standing ovation of the evening and sold by far the most CDs. I swear, she was channeling Phil Ochs as she sang his songs. She sounded exactly like him, and sang with the intensity and enthusiasm conveyed by the man himself in the video that closed out the night, a televised performance of "I Ain't Marching Anymore" from the early 1970s. She won a few new fans, for sure. We're already trying to figure out how we can bring her back here to do her own show before the end of the year. (4/01, meth@smoe.org)
Recommended first album:
Live at the Bottom Line or disappear fear or Seed in the Sahara. (Sherlyn.Koo)If I were recommending a disappear fear disc to people I'd say get Live at the Bottom Line Deep Soul Diver is my next fave. I wouldn't recommend anybody getting the self-titled disc before the others, just for fear of them never returning and finding the music I like better. (neal)
Recordings include:
- As Disappear Fear:
- Echo My Call (c. 1987)
- Deep Soul Diver (1989)
- Live at the Bottom Line (1992)
- disappear fear (1994)
- Seed in the Sahara (1996)
- DF05 LiVE (live, 2005)
- Get Your Phil (Phil Ochs covers, 2011)
- Broken Film (2013)
- As SONiA:
- Almost Chocolate (1998)
- Me, Too (1999)
- Live at the Down Home (2001)
- No Bomb is Smart (2004)
- As SONiA & Disappear Fear:
- No Bomb Is Smart Dance Mix Singles (c. 2005)
- Tango (2007)
- Splash (compilation, 2009)
- Blood, Bones & Baltimore (2010)
- Live at Maximal (2016)
Deep Soul Diver
Release info:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Availability:
Available in the U.S., may also be available in other countries where Rounder products are distributed
Ecto priority:
Recommended for disappear fear fans
Group members:
Sonia Rutstein—vocals, guitar
Cindy Frank—vocals, tambourine
Guest artists:
Shirley Purvis—drums
Steve Raskin—drums
Dominic Viglietti—bass
Produced by:
John Grant with Sonia Rutstein
Comments:
Deep Soul Diver isn't my favourite disappear fear album however it does contain some excellent songs, including a studio version of the live favourite "Sexual Telepathy" and the beautiful title track. If you liked any of the other disappear fear studio albums (especially Seed in the Sahara) you will probably like this album. (Sherlyn.Koo)ok, I admit it, this is way better than their eponymous release. I will need to listen some more. (mjmjminla@yahoo.com)
Live at the Bottom Line
Release info:
1992—disappear records—DR1005CD
Re-release 1995—Rounder/Philo—PHILO CD 1172
Availability:
Available in the U.S., may also be available in other countries where Rounder products are distributed
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for folk fans
Group members:
Sonia Rutstein—vocals, guitar, harmonica
Cindy Frank—vocals
Guest artists:
Jeff Thall—guitar
additional unlisted musicians on the studio tracks
Produced by:
Tom Durack, John Grant/disappear fear, Steve Tveit
Comments:
Live at the Bottom Line is an excellent introduction to the world of disappear fear. Eight powerful live acoustic songs plus an additional five studio tracks showcase both sides of the band. The live tracks especially do a great job of capturing the spirit and talent of sisters Sonia and Cindy. The songs here focus more on the personal than on the political aspects of Sonia's songwriting, with the exception of "Sink the Censorship (Letter to Jesse Helms)", which bears the message that people are people no matter who they are. Other standout tracks include the upbeat "Sexual Telepathy", the poignant "Box of Tissues" and the groovy "Love Insurance". Highly recommended to anyone who has even the faintest interest in folk music. (Sherlyn.Koo)Now this is an album I have to listen to again. This one didn't really grab me yet. (JoAnn Whetsell)
disappear fear
Release info:
1994—Rounder/Philo—PH CD 1171
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for folk/rock fans
Group members:
Sonia Rutstein—vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
Cindy Frank—vocals
Kenny Greenberg—electric guitar, acoustic guitar, dobro
Don Kerce—electric bass, acoustic bass
Craig Krampf—drums, percussion
Pete Wasner—piano, organ
Guest artists:
Mike Alexander—bass
Jon Carroll—synthesizers
Bill Cuomo—synthesizers
Janis Ian—vocals, acoustic guitar
Marc Lawrence—drums
Howard Markman—electric guitar
Amy Ray (Indigo Girls)—vocals
Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls)—vocals
Brian Michael Simms—keyboard, accordion
Produced by:
Craig Krampf
Comments:
This self-titled album is disappear fear's first recording as a full band. The songs (as usual) are a blend of political commentary and love songs, with a couple of groove tunes thrown in for good measure. Sonia Rutstein's songwriting continues to reach new heights—the first two tracks on this album in particular ("Washington Work Song" and "Who's So Scared", which is based on a verse by Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen) are in my opinion two of the most powerful and moving songs ever written. Other standout tracks include a cover of Phil Ochs' song "Is There Anybody Here" and the poignant "The Missing Song". (Sherlyn.Koo)It sounds to me like disappear fear were taking themselves *much* too seriously on this album. In my opinion, their more "playful" songs are their best. There's a vitality on Deep Soul Diver or Live at the Bottom Line that's missing on this. (ishara@blarg.net)
As a long-time disappear fear fan, I agree that the self-titled album is also in my opinion their worst. Mostly it's just erratic. Half the tracks I really like, while the remaining half are either mediocre of just plain annoying. I recently bought a cd player that will remember how you program a disc, and now I can turn this into something worth listening to. I was surprised at how good it sounds once you throw away the 4 or 5 crummy songs. The impression you get is totally different. So, I'd recommend this as half an album that is definitely worth having. (neal)
I really like this album. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Seed in the Sahara
Release info:
1996—Rounder/Philo—PHILO CD 1180
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for folk/rock fans
Group members:
Sonia Rutstein—vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica
Marc Lawrence—drums, percussion
Chris Sellman—bass
Brian Michael Simms—keyboards, accordion, harmonica, vocals
Guest artists:
Roy Bittan—piano
Cindy Frank—vocals
Doug Pettibone—guitar
Klaudia Promessi—saxophone
Produced by:
Roy Bittan
Comments:
With E. Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan at the helm, disappear fear have produced their most polished album to date. The musical arrangements on Seed in the Sahara are far more complex and subtle than on previous albums, employing a far greater variety of instruments including accordion and saxophone. The track which benefits the most from this treatment is the eminently groovable "Millions of Rope", which is probably the closest thing to a dance tune df have ever done. As with previous albums, the songs are a mixture of personal and political material, with political commentary on subjects such as drugs, religion and homophobia. The album is littered with excellent tracks, with some of the best including the title track, "Laura", "Laws of Nature" and the above-mentioned "Millions of Rope". Highly recommended. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Almost Chocolate
Release info:
1998—Rounder/Philo—PHILO CD 1207
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Recommended for folk fans
Group members:
SONiA—vocals, guitars, keyboards
Guest artists:
Cindy Frank—vocals
Danny Bernini—percussion, electric guitar
Produced by:
SONiA and Danny Bernini
Comments:
With Almost Chocolate, you get the feeling that Sonia is letting her hair down a bit while away from Disappear Fear—and enjoying it. Apart from harmonies by her sister Cindy Frank on a few songs and percussion and electric guitar by Danny Bernini on the opening track, most of this album is simply Sonia and her guitar. At times it feels almost as though you're eavesdropping on her own private jam session. Although the songs on Almost Chocolate are generally less structured and are musically more relaxed than those written for Disappear Fear, they do still bear the same powerful messages of love and politics, though focusing a little more on the love than on the politics this time around. The album also contains a couple of departures from Sonia's "usual" style, with the rambling opening track "Two Eggs Over Easy", and the mostly-wordless "On Your Side". Some of the other best songs on this album include the bleak "November or Nothing"; "13", a song about coming of age both personally and professionally; and the catchy, almost Spanish-styled "Fallin". Highly recommended. (Sherlyn.Koo)I want to like this album, I really do, since I like Sonia's work with disappear fear, but I don't like this album. I've tried to come back to it, hoping it would grow on me with time, but it hasn't. I think the songwriting's weak, and the singing is mediocre, and it's just boring. "Two Eggs Over Easy" is cute, but it's not enough to save the album. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Me, Too
Release info:
1999—disappear records—CD 1007
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
SONiA—vocals, guitars, harmonica
Guest artists:
Troy Engle—pedal steel guitar
Cindy Frank—vocals
John Grant—various instruments
Jane Miller—guitar
Michael Munford—banjo
Brian Simms—accordion
Dylan V.—vocals, harmonica
Produced by:
SONiA and John Grant
Comments:
Me, Too contains eleven new songs plus one re-recording of a Disappear Fear classic. I'll say it up front—I love this album, and it's probably going to be on any desert island I ever happen to find myself on. SONiA brings to the table some of her finest songs yet, and she and co-producer John Grant have also done a great job with the arrangements and production. The songs are in a range of different styles, including the pure folk of the title track, the delicious grooviness of "Opinion #33", and songs such as "Good Morning (This Is God)" which evoke the smooth folk/pop sound of Seed in the Sahara-era Disappear Fear. Social and political commentary, love songs and feel-good tunes—SONiA might be on her own now, but it's obvious that she's lost none of the talents which made the music of disappear fear so special.
There are many great songs on this album. The re-recording of "Postcard from Texas", one of my favourite early Disappear Fear songs, was a welcome surprise. The band setting gives the song a mellow new atmosphere. Another of my favourites is "Turtle Flowers", co-written by SONiA's young nephew Dylan, who also sings lead and plays harmonica. It's very well done—rather than sounding cutesy, it instead sounds to me like a passing of a musical torch. Given Dylan's musical pedigree (he's Cindy's son) it's hardly surprising that he seems to be pretty talented. Other standout tracks include the opening song "Opinion #33", "Good Morning (This Is God)" and the catchy "Shake It". But the most memorable song on this album is the title track, a heartwrenching ballad about patriotism, family love, and how the two are connected. This is one of the most affecting songs SONiA's ever written (one of the most affecting songs anybody's ever written) and has the capacity of reducing me to tears every time I hear it (and I'm not even American). This song alone is worth the price of admission. But since there's so much other great music here, it works out to be a bargain. Do yourself a favour and go buy Me, Too. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Live at the Down Home
Release info:
2001—Winthrop Records—WIN-2201-2
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
SONiA—vocals, guitars, harmonica
Guest artists:
Michelle Treece—African Drum
Produced by:
SONiA
Comments:
Live at the Down Home is high-energy live album, recorded at one of Sonia's favorite venues, the Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee. A great selection of songs, mostly taken from Sonia's Disappear Fear days, with a few newer songs thrown in. The sound is warm and immediate, giving the feeling of sitting mere feet from the stage. From start to finish, it's obvious that everyone in the room—performer included—is having the time of their lives. A highly enjoyable album that does a great job of capturing the mood of a SONiA show. (Sherlyn.Koo)
No Bomb is Smart
Release info:
2004—disappear records—CD1009
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
SONiA—vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, piano on 1 track
Guest artists:
Cindy—vocals
Craig Krampf—drums, percussion
Glenn Worf—electric gass, acoustic bass
Pat McGarth—acoustic guitar
Ed Snodderly—dobro, manello, acoustic guitar
Hamnk Singer—fiddle, violin
Bill Cuomo—keyboards, strings, string arrangements
Jerry Flowers—bass
Kenny Greenberg—electric guitar, acoustic guitar
John Deaderick—keyboards
Produced by:
Craig Krampf
Comments:
No Bomb Is Smart opens gently, with a sombre keyboard introduction swelling into the only cover song on the album, a haunting version of Phil Ochs's "No More Songs". SONiA has often described Ochs as one of her heroes, and it shows in the the reverence with which this song is delivered. Like SONiA herself, Ochs was well known for his political songwriting and though No More Songs is more lament than missive, there is plenty of other political material here. For example, the title track is a protest song of the first order ("Can't you see America's on fire/Fuelled by the high octane Bush bang-bang empire?"), while "I Am the Enemy" details a pacifist's struggle to see colours other than just red, white and blue, in the aftermath of September 11 2001. As is usual for a SONiA album, there are also a fair few love songs, from the playful "Ride This Ride" to "Obviously", a snapshot of a relationship undergoing a rocky period. But for me the most affecting song here is a love song of a different kind: "Don't Let Go", a song for Sonia's father during a period of ill health.
No Bomb Is Smart is Sonia's first studio album in five years and finds her again working with Craig Krampf, who produced Disappear Fear's self-titled album in 1994. Disappear Fear fans should also find this album particularly appealing, as Cindy adds harmonies on almost every track. Stylistically, this album is less eclectic than Me Too—fairly acoustic and with slide guitar on several songs, it falls pretty much in the folk/Americana category. One of my favourite releases of 2004, this is a fine album from a singer/songwriter going from strength to strength. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Tango
Release info:
2007
Availability:
See The SONiA/disappear fear site
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
SONiA—vocals, guitar, piano
Laura Cerulli—percussion, drums, background vocals
John Grant—electric guitar, 2nd acoustic guitar, bass, programming
Christopher Sellman—bass guitar
Guest artists:
Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton—vocals
Helen Hausmann—violin
Jared Denhard—tin whistle, flute
Brian Simms—piano
Produced by:
John Grant & SONiA
Comments:
It's an interesting project, more world-musicy than anything she's ever done before. The songs are in a mix of English, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew. Four of the songs are translated versions of older songs ("Fallin'", "Be the One", "Sexual Telepathy" & "Because We're Here"). The rest of the songs are all new.
Anybody who knows me knows how much I love this woman's music so it should come as no surprise that I think that this album is great. I've only listened through a couple of times but so far "La Tormenta Santa" and "Mica Moca" are early standouts for me. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Get Your Phil
Release info:
2011—Disappear Records—6 8355 31015 2 5
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
I was excited and hopeful about Disappear Fear's reunion even though I really only enjoy their self-titled album and am not a fan of their other work. Get Your Phil does not disappoint. It's a wonderful, folky tribute with the great harmonies and blend of political and love songs that make disappear fear so wonderful. I did find the album a bit uneven on the first few listens, but I'm not sure why as I no longer have that reaction. Easy ways to get into it are "Draft Dodger Rag" which features updated lyrics and the new recording of "Is There Anybody Here." The marriage of "I've Had Her" and Patti Smith's "Because the Night" is a bit curious but mostly works. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
DVD Happy Birthday Sonia, released 2005.
Thanks to Sherlyn Koo and JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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