Sarah Borges
Encyclopedia
Sarah Borges is a rock and roll
musician from Taunton
, Massachusetts
, signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music is described as "walking that fine line between punk
and country
".
Borges grew up in Taunton, a city south of Boston
in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth, and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College
.
On the strength of a performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Borges earned a record deal with Houston's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's Silver City earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country". Allmusic compared Borges to Maria McKee
of Lone Justice
, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang".
After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as Dave Alvin
, Borges, and her band, The Broken Singles, were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release Diamonds in the Dark is a line from the song Come Back to Me, by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and Tom Waits
and Greg Cartwright
covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking".
Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from Dolly Parton
, Mahalia Jackson
, X, Sid Vicious
, Merle Haggard
, to bubblegum pop
.
Sarah Borges is a rock and roll
musician from Taunton
, Massachusetts
, signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music is described as "walking that fine line between punk
and country
".
Borges grew up in Taunton, a city south of Boston
in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth, and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College
.
On the strength of a performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Borges earned a record deal with Houston's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's Silver City earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country". Allmusic compared Borges to Maria McKee
of Lone Justice
, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang".
After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as Dave Alvin
, Borges, and her band, The Broken Singles, were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release Diamonds in the Dark is a line from the song Come Back to Me, by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and Tom Waits
and Greg Cartwright
covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking".
Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from Dolly Parton
, Mahalia Jackson
, X, Sid Vicious
, Merle Haggard
, to bubblegum pop
.
Sarah Borges is a rock and roll
musician from Taunton
, Massachusetts
, signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music is described as "walking that fine line between punk
and country
".
Borges grew up in Taunton, a city south of Boston
in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth, and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College
.
On the strength of a performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Borges earned a record deal with Houston's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's Silver City earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country". Allmusic compared Borges to Maria McKee
of Lone Justice
, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang".
After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as Dave Alvin
, Borges, and her band, The Broken Singles, were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release Diamonds in the Dark is a line from the song Come Back to Me, by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and Tom Waits
and Greg Cartwright
covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking".
Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from Dolly Parton
, Mahalia Jackson
, X, Sid Vicious
, Merle Haggard
, to bubblegum pop
.
A third album, The Stars Are Out was released in March 2009. Borges commented that the album features more of a straightforward rock n roll sound
than her earlier work. The album features five covers of artists ranging from Smokey Robinson
to The Lemonheads
. Allmusic describes the album as "material grounded in Americana even as it morphs from folk to rock and even soul" and calls it a "short but sweet collection".
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musician from Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music is described as "walking that fine line between punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
".
Borges grew up in Taunton, a city south of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth, and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
.
On the strength of a performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Borges earned a record deal with Houston's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's Silver City earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country". Allmusic compared Borges to Maria McKee
Maria McKee
Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice and her 1990 UK solo chart-topping hit, "Show Me Heaven".-Music:...
of Lone Justice
Lone Justice
Lone Justice was an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee.-Early era:They began their career as part of the L.A. cowpunk scene of the 1980s. Lone Justice was inspired by Hedgecock and McKee's mutual affection for rockabilly and country music...
, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang".
After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
, Borges, and her band, The Broken Singles, were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release Diamonds in the Dark is a line from the song Come Back to Me, by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. He currently fronts Reigning Sound and lives in Asheville, North Carolina...
covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking".
Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
, X, Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, to bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
.
Sarah Borges is a rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musician from Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music is described as "walking that fine line between punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
".
Borges grew up in Taunton, a city south of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth, and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
.
On the strength of a performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Borges earned a record deal with Houston's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's Silver City earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country". Allmusic compared Borges to Maria McKee
Maria McKee
Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice and her 1990 UK solo chart-topping hit, "Show Me Heaven".-Music:...
of Lone Justice
Lone Justice
Lone Justice was an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee.-Early era:They began their career as part of the L.A. cowpunk scene of the 1980s. Lone Justice was inspired by Hedgecock and McKee's mutual affection for rockabilly and country music...
, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang".
After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
, Borges, and her band, The Broken Singles, were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release Diamonds in the Dark is a line from the song Come Back to Me, by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. He currently fronts Reigning Sound and lives in Asheville, North Carolina...
covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking".
Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
, X, Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, to bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
.
Sarah Borges is a rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musician from Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music is described as "walking that fine line between punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
".
Borges grew up in Taunton, a city south of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth, and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
.
On the strength of a performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Borges earned a record deal with Houston's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's Silver City earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country". Allmusic compared Borges to Maria McKee
Maria McKee
Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice and her 1990 UK solo chart-topping hit, "Show Me Heaven".-Music:...
of Lone Justice
Lone Justice
Lone Justice was an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee.-Early era:They began their career as part of the L.A. cowpunk scene of the 1980s. Lone Justice was inspired by Hedgecock and McKee's mutual affection for rockabilly and country music...
, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang".
After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
, Borges, and her band, The Broken Singles, were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release Diamonds in the Dark is a line from the song Come Back to Me, by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. He currently fronts Reigning Sound and lives in Asheville, North Carolina...
covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking".
Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
, X, Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, to bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
.
A third album, The Stars Are Out was released in March 2009. Borges commented that the album features more of a straightforward rock n roll sound
than her earlier work. The album features five covers of artists ranging from Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
to The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....
. Allmusic describes the album as "material grounded in Americana even as it morphs from folk to rock and even soul" and calls it a "short but sweet collection".
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Silver City | Blue Corn Music |
| 2007 | Diamonds in the Dark | Sugar Hill Records |
| 2009 | The Stars Are Out | Sugar Hill Records |
| 2010 | Live Singles | self-released |
External links
- Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles – Official Site
- Sarah Borges collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive