If the Forest Could Speak
- Laura Ward
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
Dust Bowl Faeries are the voice of the fairy tale forest: the good, the bad, and the ironic. Animal advocates all, they connect with creatures by speaking their imaginary language. "Lovers of the Woods" lyrics ring charmful symmetries between the vegan bunny, who is prey to the wolf:
Dear bunny - there is nothing you can say, to make me play your little games
you are fluffy it is true, but I am done beholding you
do not strike another pose, I will not, pluck you a rose
there’s a blemish on your nose, you have torn your panty hose
Lyrics come to life with the theatrical nature of the bands' harmonies which ensue and enchant. Jon B. Woodin's vocal range dips to baritone in sultry contrast to Ryder Cooley's warm, velvet, deceptive meow. Woodin has been a musician and stage performer since childhood, commencing with appearances in a long list of musical productions at the MacHaydn Theater in Chatham, New York. He is multi-instrumentalist: guitar, bass, and cello. Woodlin performed regularly with the Hearts Content Ensemble together with his parents, and flautist, Margo Byron. He is a virtuoso guitarist and singer/songwriter with hauntingly beautiful original ballads.
A perfect fit for the cultural center Infloressense, main singer Ryder Cooley is also an artist, who in 1993 received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Sculpture, migrated to San Francisco, joining the art and music scenes, completed an MA in Combined Media at SUNY Albany and an MFA in Integrated Electronic Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2008. Cooley has participated in a wide variety of exhibitions, performances, collaborations, public works and educational projects including: White Box and Exit Art galleries in NYC, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Theater Artaud in San Francisco, Robert Wilson Watermill Center on Long Island in NY, Pan American Art Projects in Miami FL, Dorsky Museum in New Paltz, NY, Proctors Mainstage Theater in Schenectady, NY, and public art projects in Indonesia, El Salvador, France and the Czech Republic.
As an artist, Cooley "invents haunted dream worlds that echo political and cultural phenomena of past and present" and as a musician, she is "a spinner of sad songs and lyrical fairytales." Cooley's primary instruments are ukulele, accordion and singing saw and has played in a variety of bands and musical projects including soundtracks for film, dance and theater. She has recorded albums with the groups Fall Harbor, Down River, Corner Tour and The Darklings, many of which can be discovered via Out of Round Records.
To aptly capture the essense of Cooley's presence, combine the Wood Thrush and Black Panther; the beauty and grace of song, juxtaposed the ghostly effervesce of feminine strength. This irony is impermanence-captured, time and again in lyrics such as "Naughty Pixies:"
If you listen closely with your big bat ears
You will hear a flock of butterflies, circling the moon
Hither thither and beyond, their tiny hearts
Beating to and fro soft chests
Like lemmings leaping to their death
If you search with your faerie mind you will find
Cheetah laughs, wolf howls owl cries stained eyes
If you ask the pixies did they lie lie lie
They will sigh and shake their heads
No no it isn’t so
We are very naughty but we try try try
I met the band serendipitously at an Alchemy Fair at local Vasa Park in Hopatcong, on assignment, writing an article for the Ridge View Echo. Since then, DBF performed at Infloressense, last October for a Halloween costume party. And now they are back this summer for a duet performance, which is not to be missed!
20% of proceeds will go to the 11th Hour Rescue in honor of DBF advocation for animals, as well as art gallery mascot Rocky Tildon, who was saved by the organization: a 10-yr old re-home rescue whom patrons have also loved dearly for over a year, making him 11 now!
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