Rio en Medio

Danielle Stech-Homsy records under the alias Rio en Medio. For the 2007 release The Bride of Dynamite on Devendra Banhart’s Gnomonsong label, she supplied vocals and ukulele while collaborating with other musicians to generate atmospheric “soundscapes.” The album fused spectral indie folk-rock singer/songwriter textures with atypical instrumentation and sonic elements foreign to the style. Portions of the lyrics originated in literary works by various poets and authors, and her accompanists contributed an eclectic range of sounds that included electronic percussion, cello, jew’s harp, and saw. Born in New Mexico, she was living in New York when the record appeared. She had initially captured her songs in private, yet Banhart first heard the material while visiting the apartment of Sierra Casady from CocoRosie, where Casady was already playing it. He then urged Rio en Medio to issue material through Gnomonsong, even though most of The Bride of Dynamite had been tracked alone and without plans for commercial distribution.