In The Mix-Chicago
"Rosner's clear voice and acoustic fretwork burn through with solid fire. Rosner is a poet with a need to deliver a message and the means with which to deliver it."
Recently returned from SXSW in Austin, Texas, Ellen had this to say:
"Chuck and I had the distinct pleasure of traveling with Andy Argyrakis (Chicago based freelance journalist) to SXSW and beyond. Here's what he had to say:"
http://www.concertlivewire.com/sxsw042.htm.
"Next on my list of "must hears" was Ellen Rosner from Chicago. Ellen is a powerhouse singer-songwriter and guitarist whose range from tenderly quiet to rocking out and intense makes for a very colorful study in contrasts and variety. Her deep voice covers a wide lyrical range and her inventive use of the guitar from intricate to highly percussive adds even greater depth and interest to her energetic performances."
Grand Ole Folk Alliance Conference 2003
--Jessica Papkoff
inmusicwetrust - issue 60 // May-June 2003
http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/60h13.html
Ellen Rosner
"Count to 3"
Genre: acoustic
"This is Ellen Rosner at her finest. As soon as I start listening to her latest CD, "Count to 3", I'm completely mesmerized right away by the first track "Right Now." Hailing from Chicago, Rosner proclaims to be a funky folk rock diva. If you've ever been to one of her shows, this is so true! Rosner is an exceptional songwriter, putting together a great CD full of radio friendly tunes. This is definitely one of the best CDs of 2002!"
Hit Picks: "Right Now" and "B-Grade Movie"
-- reviewed by Madalyn Sklar
Copyright © 2003 GoGirlsMusic.com
"This is Ellen Rosner's second CD, the first being The Perfect Malcontent which was released in 1999. Though that recording was sort of folky and acoustic; this one is definitely more rock complete with a full band
Ellen plays solid rockin' bluesy music. She has a very deep resonating voice that goes very well with the music"
-- Amy, producer of Collected Sounds
Read the full review
"...Rosner's versatile band has many instruments in their arsenal, from dobro to mandolin to violin. Nice drum work, too. But perhaps the biggest weapon, the instrument that has all the critics raving, is Rosner's voice. ..."
-- Columbia College's Gravity Online Magazine, Spring 2002
"... Ellen's music is mult-layered and the different instruments add precision and depth to her songs. This Chicago based musician is natural and down to earth. Her rhythms are organic and her vocals are clear and concise. Rosner has a deep powerful voice that is expressive and passionate. Ellen writes poetic lyrics with crisp arrangements. ... Ellen Rosner is a versatile vocalist who brings candor and zeal to her craft and three's a charm! "
-- Laura Turner Lynch for Kweevak.com
Read the full review
Gals With Guitars
"...Need to rock out some? Try Ellen Rosner's newest CD, Count to 3. ...Live, Ellen is a powerhouse performer, unmistakably talented and unapologetically her own woman. With her band or solo, she will capture you, rock your world and then relax you with her "we're really just sitting across the table from each other having a cup of coffee, aren't we?" stage presence."
-- Melissa Adams
BellaOnline's Emerging Music Host
Read the full Gals With Guitars
"Ellen Rosner's latest release "Count To Three" (No Genre) was worth the wait. From the first note, it's obvious that Ellen has fine tuned her already gifted musical skills, and delieved a cd that is unquie and enjoyable as Ellen herself. From the haunting "Vacancy" to the more upbeat numbers like "Promise After Promise" and "Action/Reaction", this cd has something that just about everyone can listen to. Two thumbs up!"
-- Aaron Childs
host, producer "The Sonic Chronicles" M4 Radio.com
Gay City News, 2002
Ellen Rosner: Count To Three
"... Her lyric world covers the roller coaster ride of relationships, the ecstasy, and the pitfalls of love. Unembellished, her voice is drop dead gorgeous. ... "
-- Jim Fouratt - Music Roundup, Gay City News, 2002
Read the full review
(Scroll down page)
"Ellen writes and sings with a natural passion rare to find these days. Coupled with a lack of pretense and her growing musical inventiveness, "Count To 3" (Ellen's newest release) is one of those pleasures that unveils itself slowly and steadily. Each listen brings one closer to the light that is Ellen Rosner"
-- Richard Milne, WXRT - July 2002
Chicago Arts & Entertainment, June 21-27, 2002
Ellen Rosner: living in the moment of the song
"Let's face it - heartbreak and/or the ending of a relationship inspires some of the best music. Singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Ellen Rosner's sophomore album, "Count To 3" (the follow-up to "The Perfect Malcontent," now available on No Genre Records), embodies the later example to a T. Rosner, however, says the conception of "Count to 3" was involuntary. ... Songs like "B Grade Movie" see Rosner sing with passionate intensity..."
"... As Rosner has such immense power in her voice, it's hard not to wonder if all these emotions and happenings help bring out the intensity of it. Rosner said it just "comes from feeling passionate about the songs - what brings the passion is being in the present moment of the song." Being in the moment with her band - featuring Chuck Harling on drums, Tony Stompanato on bass and Tom Valenzano on guitar - Rosner and company have created some truly impressive and accessible folk music."
-- Max A. Herman - Chicago Arts & Entertainment, June 2002, Vol 2/Issue 26)
Ellen Rosner - Count to Three (No Genre)
"Hi Ellen, how are you doing? Thanks for making this great album, you see - I've been getting alot of singer/songwriter CD's for my various projects and it takes quite a bit for one of them to stick out in my mind. Yours has stuck. From the openers, "Right Now", and the blues inflected "1st in a Series", to the rocking "The Push (revised)", you've made an awesome sophomore disc! Feel proud. This is one of those albums that can be played both quiet and loud, to my mother and my friends, on a variety of radio formats even. And it's good, have I not mentioned that. Anyway before I flood you out with gushing, I just wanted to say thanks for making "Count to Three". When I write out a review for the album, I'm giving you four stars.
****
ciao - Persy "
-- Indiecator, INDIE MUSIC REVIEWS BY PERSYGRRRL - June 2002
http://www.sphosting.com/persygrrrl/indiecator/
The Charm of Number Three
"... Right after I reviewed Count to 3 in March, I stopped playing it because it drove me nuts. It's a reputation-making recording...a CD so pure emotionally and musically that it cleans the brain on six or seven levels simultaneously. ... It's a front-seat ride through a carnival fun house of love without the sentiment and all of the immediacy; love at its most cynical and unjaded."
"Seeing the Rosner Band doing whole chunks of "3" for the third time in two months was an education on chemistry and cohesion...."
-- Vern Hester - Bent Nights, Windy City Times
Read the entire review of the performance
THE CHARM OF NUMBER THREE
"On March 1st, Ellen Rosner released her third album Count to Three to an SRO crowd at Schuba's in Lakeview, Chicago. The crowd, faithful to language as much as song, included poets such as Thax Douglas, Jaqui Wolk, Cin Salach, and Elon Cameron. The whole show was MC'd by Greg Gillam, editor of Fengi and erstwhile impresario for such groups as Sister Spit when they hit Chicago. Gillam introduced each act leading up to Rosner's set with a poem drafted just for the occasion."
Read the entire review from Poetry Currents
Get Rosner's number on Count to Three
"Ellen Rosner, as a musician and as a songwriter, fairly embodies a musical Chicago aesthetic. She accomplishes this task by blending the beautiful with the strong - the sweet with the melancholy. She does all of this on her current release Count to Three (available now on No Genre Records)."
"With her crack background band and her versatile vocal attack, Rosner finds all that is right with popular music. Like a cold wind off of Lake Michigan, she can snap listeners to attention as easily as she can seduce them with the churnin' burnin' sounds evident on cuts like "More of the Same.""
"Credit careful and meticulous ears in the studio for creating a collection such as this one. Add the scatter-solid drums of Chuck Harling and the Tony Stompanato's inventive bass playing to the Tom Valnzano's electric guitar to realize the neatly textured background for Rosner's vocals (and acoustic guitar)."
"Rosner's voice is a mix of strength with vulnerability which keeps it honest and enjoyable. Her songwriting is reflective and intelligent without navel-gazing. She never asks to be noticed for her cleverness with a line or a couplet. She just writes really good songs."
4 stars
Ellen Rosner Count to 3
No Genre Records <Ellen Rosner>
-- - Paul Barile
BENT NIGHTS
by Vern Hester
""The waiting is the hardest part..." ... T. Petty After over a year in production, both Ellen Rosner and the Atari Star have finally released their sophomore CDs. But where you'd be led to expect more of the same (primarily because both of their debuts had such distinctive sounds and textures), Rosner's Count to 3 and the Atari's and other smaller, brighter worlds are anything but. Count to 3 comes across as Rosner's update of Carole King's Tapestry...a recording specifically about love and the lack of it. But where King's standpoint could be called quaint in hindsight (if you didn't know that "I Feel the Earth Move" was about female orgasm in 1971, you certainly know it now), Rosner's take is deeper, less literal, and on whole chunks of the CD, downright confounding. On "Count to 3" Rosner makes love out to be everything it's cracked up to be; anyone who has ever been in love for better or worse can see themselves in this. More directly as a relation to each other Tapestry and Count to 3 are a reflection of their time, not only musically but spiritually as well. Where King sounded freshly liberated and looked slightly hippie-fied with a frizz in her hair, Rosner seems more cautious, less free spirited...in some cases downright haunted and scared. Welcome to love in the new century."
Ellen Rosner
"The opener, "Right Now," is so ethereal that it almost doesn't seem to have a melody. Its pleasant but not what you'd expect from Rosner, one of the hardest rocking women in Chicago. But after the fluffy start it gets ... deep. "Month of Sundays" is a purely pleasurable ode to devoting time to love and its feel is as breezy as an open-ended Sunday spent on the back porch can get. But "Vacancy" and "Judas Lips" (just to name two) are haunting flipsides to that. "Vacancy" is about being open for love, too open. Written in fragments with blunt imagery ("... empty bottles and lingerie ...") it captures a teaspoon of fulfillment for a violent teapot of desire. The want is so strong that you can feel the tension in her hands. "Judas Lips" is the gem though...a song of such muted pain and disappointment that it feels agonizingly spontaneous. Delivered deliberately and in a measured tone, Rosner's vocal is so intensely coiled that though the song moves at a nondescript mid-tempo pace it builds to a near bloodcurdling drama. When she sings "Wish I knew what this was going to turn into when we first met..." there's a tone of such bridled fury and tension that it nearly blows Count to 3's lighter moments right off the disk. At her sold-out CD release show March 1 at Schuba's, Rosner took Count to 3 a step further. Flanked by her band (one of the finest in Chicago, no question), Count to 3 only got fuller and richer. To hear Tony Stompanato's rumbling bass next to Chuck Harling's savage back beat propelled the new CD into a torrential fury. Tom Valenzano on electric guitar, particularly on his searing solo on "Empty Bottle," was both brutal and elegant. Rosner of course was up to it. Dressed like the band in formal wear and wearing a tiara, she rocked with abandon on "The Push" and "The Perfect Malcontent" but she dug into "Count to 3"'s complicated emotions on a more immediate level. If the CD is a knockout, the concert was the main course."
-- Vern Hester - Windy City Times,
March 2002
Chicago Tribune 'Musicality' of women's songs
By Kevin M. Williams
"It's a short leap from a mother reading a bedtime story to a singer cooing a melody."
"So when a group of women -- Maggie Brown, Ellen Rosner, Niki Mitchell, Jacqueline Wilson and Amina Norman-Hawkins -- gather at "Musicality of Poetry" to discuss the role of women singer-songwriters in all genres, the event will be, in part, a celebration of getting back to the base."
"I love it because it shows that a singer-songwriter isn't just a girl with a guitar," says Rosner. "We're looking at what I think a singer-songwriter is, which is you write songs, you sing, you're a singer-songwriter."
"This diverse group of musicians will also be paying homage to Women's History Month by celebrating their roles and the roles of others in making songs from words."
"Women's History Month, which is celebrated in March, has come a long way from International Women's Day, March 8. In 1978, Women's History Week was expanded to the entire month of March in 1987."
"Until such a time as it's not needed, I think it's important," says Rosner. "The Musicality of Poetry," 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. $5-$7; 773-227-6117."
The Daily Herald Mark Guarino - 3/1/02
Ellen Rosner, Count To Three (No Genre Records)
"Ellen Rosner has a voice that'll blow the corner coffeehouse stage to smithereens. So consider it a good thing the Chicago singer-songwriter is more in her element on her second album. Count To Three sends her folk leanings to pasture with full band arrangements that force Rosner to fit further into her natural element: as a sassy rock mama."
"Featuring Jonathan Rundman, members of Poi Dog Pondering, Dolly Varden and other Chicago mu-sic notables, the 12-song set barrels to life from the start, capturing the tension and momentum of a live show. Rosner gets more from her gritty voice (think Melissa Etheridge or Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes) on the rawer rock songs, the mandolin-laced "B-Grade Movie" and the countrified slop rock "The Push," which she jettisons with maximum lung power."
"There are a few pretty pauses - "Promise After Promise" slips into a cool island beat and "Right Now" is dreamy folk pop. The other slower songs sag; they're more about texture and atmosphere than melody. And if there's anything Rosner proves here, it's that she can sell a song and if you know better, you'll listen."
"Ellen Rosner and band head-line a CD release party tonight at Schubas in Chicago.. See The List for details."
-- Mark Guarino - The Daily Herald,
March 1, 2002
Chicago Sun-Times: Hometown Sounds - February 1, 2002
Ellen Rosner, "Count to 3"
(No Genre Records) ***
"A hardworking mainstay of the local singer-songwriter scene, Ellen Rosner's most endearing strength is an overwhelming passion for music-making in general and her own tales of romance and heartbreak in particular. At times, her material suffers from being overly obvious (the lyrics to "B-Grade Movie" read like the script to one), while her voice can go over the top with the occasional histrionic display. But elsewhere, she hits the perfect balance of poetic vignette and heartfelt emotion, as on "Vacancy," when she enigmatically evokes "Stolen glances/Whispered secrets ... Empty bottles and lingerie." And she gets first-rate backing from some great Chicago players, including Eric Remschneider and Paul Mertens on strings. Rosner will celebrate the album's release at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, on March 1. See Ellen Rosner for more info."
-- Jim DeRogatis, Pop Music Critic - Chicago Sun-Times,
February 1, 2002 "Hometown Sounds"
Ellen Rosner, "Count to 3" (No Genre/www.nogenre.com):
"With a big voice, a bigger heart and a taste for experimental textures that embroider and occasionally rough up her singer-songwriter confessionals, Rosner at her best comes across as Chicago's answer to Amy Ray, the feistier half of the Indigo Girls. At worst she sounds like she's auditioning for one of those Starbucks compilations, sacrificing moxie for folk-pop pleasantness. When Rosner lets it roar, though, she can be formidable, as on "Action/Reaction" and "Outside the Box."
Rosner headlines Jan. 25 at the Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace St., 773-478-4408.
-- Greg Kot - Chicago Tribune, January 18, 2002
Chicago Reader: January 25-31, 2002 - Spot Check
Ellen Rosner
1/25, Abbey Pub
"Local singer-songwriter Ellen Rosner has a big voice--and on her first album, The Perfect Malcontent, she sounded like she was trying to bind its feet to fit into her brittle and introspective femme-folk tunes. But if she could really let it rip in front of a great band, she could be a sort of contemporary out-of-the-closet Janis Joplin. She'll release a new album, Count to 3, in March, and while it's not quite there yet, it's much closer: playing in front of what sounds like a bunch of tough Chicago guys trying to get in touch with their sensitive side, Rosner still sounds a little misplaced on the lighter pop songs, but she shines on throaty ballads like "Vacancy."
-- Monica Kendrick - Chicago Reader, 01/25-31/2002
Ellen Rosner - "Count To 3"
Chicagomusic.net - January 27, 2002
"Ellen Rosner's "Count to 3" is a collection of songs that come in many different flavors including rock, country, blues and a bit of funk. The Chicago singer/songwriter has crafted some good songs and surrounded herself with talented musicians.
The instrumentation on "Count to 3" is not merely the standard guitar, bass and drums. Also present are the cello, violin, mandolin, accordion, and dobro (to name a few). The music is played tastefully and falls within the context of each song. This multi-instrumental layering works and makes each song a story in itself. Rosner's vocals are expressive and as deep as her lyrics. Her sense of humor sneaks up on you. My favorite line is in "Action/Reaction" when she tells someone: "You're sinking in a pile of your own big muddy." I've never heard that one before, but you can bet I'll repeat it sometime soon. On "First in a Series" Rosner tells us: "Although it's much more than a flesh wound, it's not enough to kill." There may be a couple of moments where the vocals are a bit too expressive - but she's got a flesh wound for Pete's sake!
The strengths of this release are the middle tracks, including: "B-Grade Movie", "Month of Sundays" and "Promise After Promise". Any of these songs would fit nicely on WXRT. Tom Valenzano's guitar work on this CD is outstanding, everyone should have a guitarist like him.
Ellen Rosner writes songs that provide atmosphere. If you would like to be a part of the atmosphere, catch Ellen and her band at the Abbey pub on January 25th, or at her CD release party on March 1st at Schuba's. Ellen will also
be live on radio station WLUW on January 25th at 2:30 pm.
-- Reviewed by Brian Williamson for Chicagomusic.net 1/23/02
"Ellen Rosner comes on like a war...startling voice, punchy band, strong
direction."
"Ellen Rosner's band has a certain refreshing openness...like a blast of frigid air in the middle of August.....Take charge, upfront, refreshing, enrapturing...everything a live set could be. I think I'm in love."
-- Vern Hester - Windy City Times, July 4, 2001
Ellen Rosner - The Perfect Malcontent (Emphasis)
"This is definitely one of those albums that has grown on me over time. And since I've been listening to nothing else for three days, this is becoming a real favorite.
Ellen's music is a rocky folky pop, the sort of music made by a singer/songwriter that really doesn't fit into a neatly labeled bin. The first track, 'Perfect Malcontent', is my pick from the album as far as airplay, though 'Crash Bang Boom!' and 'Good Girl Bad Girl' are real winners too. Besides those rockers, there are some wonderful quiet moments on the album as well, such as the second track, 'Homefires' and 'Jericho'. One of my personal favorites about the album as a whole are the lyrics. Ellen's carefully chosen words are smart, and very expressive.
This is an album I dare you to listen to and not be moved. ****"
Star System
***** mindblowing, you won't even lend this out
**** good enough to tell all your friends to go get it and to give you your copy back
*** good enough to let all your friends borrow and wait patiently til they give it back
** about the point where if you get it back, that's fine, if not, oh well
* you hope your friends like it and decide to keep it
-- INDIEcator: June 2001
"...Ellen Rosner is also a Chicago-based performer. Her
exceptional full-length debut disc The Perfect Malcontent ... was well
worth the wait. At times, Rosner's husky and heartfelt vocals are reminiscent
of Joan Armatrading, especially on tracks such as the title song, "Crash,
Bang,
Boom," "Good Girl/Bad Girl," and "Tell Me Something," to name a few. Other
standout tracks include "Homefires," "(Everything is) Rosie," "Bigger,"
"Monkey" and "The Push," on this disc that has a healthy mix of ballads and
upbeat tunes. "
-- Gregg Shapiro
Making Musical His & Herstory
Outlines, The Voice of Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Community, October 13, 1999
"If you were impressed by the multi-octave voice of Horse,
or are a devotee of Joan Armatrading, welcome to an interesting merger.
Potent personal lyrics are brought to life by a deep voice, with full band on a couple of cuts, and various combinations of the artist with one or two guitarists, vocalists, and/or other instrumentalists. A great 1991 debut release from this Chicago-based musician, rock-ish at times, but mellow overall -- you won't be disappointed."
-- Ladyslipper All Music Guide Review
"Ellen Rosner's musical forays into rough romanticism (at points, almost
violent) is at the same time tenderly engaging as well as dangerously
rock-you-like-a-hurricane. Her music reminds me of a Cobra, if you've
never seen one you can't help but stare at its unusual beauty, but don't
forget that it will bite and it just might kill you. Put on your seat belt
honey, I think I just heard Ellen Rosner."
-- Thomas Dunning
Brown Star Records
Interested?? For information on Ellen, see her official website at ellenrosner.com
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