Cynthia Dall (born Cynthia Meggin Loya) (March 12, 1971 – April 5, 2012), sometimes known as "Cindy Dall", was an American
lo-fi
Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
musician and photographer. Dall also gained notoriety in the fanzine world of the 1990s for her frequent
transgressive-styled cover shots and appearances in
Lisa Carver's ''
Rollerderby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...
'' magazine.
Dall was born in
Roseville, California
Roseville is the most populous city in Placer County, California, located within the Sacramento metropolitan area. As of 2019, the US Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 141,500. Interstate 80 runs through Roseville and State Rout ...
. She started recording and performing with then-boyfriend,
Bill Callahan under his former moniker, Smog. She first appeared on the Smog song "Wine Stained Lips", which was a B-side to the 1994 "A Hit" 7" single. Dall went on to contribute vocals and guitar on the ''Burning Kingdom'' EP, ''
Wild Love'', and ''
The Doctor Came at Dawn
''The Doctor Came at Dawn'' is the fifth album by Bill Callahan (under his "Smog" moniker), released in 1996 on Drag City. It was re-released in Europe in 2001 by Domino. Callahan's occasional creative partner, Cynthia Dall, appears on the albu ...
'', and she toured with Smog in the US and Europe in 1995.
In 1996, Dall released her first solo album, ''Untitled''. The original pressing of the LP had no artist name on the sleeve at the time, but Dall's name was later added for re-pressings.
[Notes for ''Untitled'' on Discogs.com]
Retrieved March 27, 2018. The album features engineering work by
Jim O'Rourke James O'Rourke may refer to:
Sports
* Jim O'Rourke (baseball) (1850–1919), American baseball player and Hall of Fame inductee
* Jimmy O'Rourke (baseball) (1883–1955), American baseball player, son of the Hall of Fame inductee
* James O'Rourk ...
, and guitar and vocals by Callahan.
In 1998, she did the vocals for a remix of "Torture Day" by
The Notwist
The Notwist are a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989, the band moved through several musical incarnations, despite maintaining a relatively stable line-up. While their early records moved through heavy metal into dark indie rock, their re ...
.
In 2002, Dall released her second album, ''Sound Restores Young Men'', which was recorded by O'Rourke and Tim Green of
The Fucking Champs
The Fucking Champs are a three-piece rock band from San Francisco, California. They are known for their heavy metal sound, based largely around shifting time signatures, guitar harmonies, and plentiful rhythm. Most songs are instrumental. They ...
.
Dall had epilepsy. She also engaged in political activism around Sacramento, helping citizens register to vote.
Dall died in her home in Sacramento on April 5, 2012. According to her record label, she was in the process of working on demos for a new album of material.
Discography
*''Untitled'',
Drag City #73 (1996)
*''Sound Restores Young Men'',
Drag City #132 (2002)
Footnotes
External links
Cynthia Dall's page at Drag City Records*
Cynthia Dall Bio on AllMusic.combr>
A Fan-Based Profile on MySpaceGoodbye, Cynthia Dall
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dall, Cynthia
American indie rock musicians
1971 births
2012 deaths
Musicians from Sacramento, California
American women rock singers
Drag City (record label) artists
Singers from California
People with epilepsy
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singers