8 posts tagged “ben sollee”
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07/30/09
Flipnotics Coffeespace - The Song w/ Ben Mallolt and Walter Tragert and Scrappy Jud Newcom Austin, TX
See Also
08/01/09 Bills Records* Dallas, TX 08/01/09 Banter* Denton, TX 08/02/09 White Rock Coffee* Dallas, TX 08/05/09 Blue Door* Oklahoma City, OK 08/06/09 Gypsy Coffee House* Tulsa, OK 08/07/09 Broadway Oyster Bar* St.L, MO 08/09/09 Penny Lane* Evansville, IN 08/10/09 The Verve* Terre Haute, IN 08/12/09 Derby City Espresso Lsville, KY 08/16/09 Java Cabana* Memphis, TN 08/19/09 Fox 7 - (Live) Good Day Austin Music Austin, TX 08/22/09 ’Things Worth Keeping’ CD Release Party! Everywhere, TX 08/22/09 Hideout Theater Austin, TX 09/13/09 Triple Door* Seattle, WA 09/16/09 Bookwalter* Richland, WA 09/23/09 Candlelight Coffeehouse - Laura Marie’s Songwriter Series* and Laura Marie San Antonio, TX 09/30/09 Avant Garden* Houston, TX 10/01/09 Hotel Fredonia* Nacagdoches, TX 11/04/09 University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX 11/07/09 Hotel Fredonia Nacogdoches, TX *with Alyse Black |
First and foremost, I think Tadros is pretty ballsy. Her first paid concert gig required her to play for two hours. She only had three original songs written then. She does have the drive to be a singer and, of course, entertainer.
Unlike many acoustic singer/songwriter type, she does come loaded with backing musicians (when she's playing live, it looks like she has drums, upright bass, guitar, and slide guitar). The full band comes in loud and powerful, especially during the second half of her album. Check out my favorite song from the album, "Linger". It starts off very explosive, but slows down a bit when Tadros asks "how low will you go?".
As usual, strings like violins on "Serendipities" and cello - as played by Ben Sollee - on "Keep Up" always add a nice touch to any songs (usually making the song sadder). And speaking of sad, be sure to stay to the end for the hidden track. I think it's about a post-attack (rape?) crime and feeling helpless as the police officer states "you're not a victim if you manage to survive". With just the acoustic and aching Tadros' vocals made it very emotional.
Things Worth Keeping will be out soon-ish, see alytadros.com for more details - as I don't have any information on how to purchase her album.
Check out her Kate Walsh cover song, "Your Song":
07/24/2009 21:28:22 ♥ vu (
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♥ alytadros.com ♥ myspace.com/alytadros ♥twitter.com/AlyTadros
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MLK Day is a fairly recent holiday, it only came into existence in 1983 when Ronald Regan signed it into law. What you probably didn't know was that some states didn't call it Martin Luther King Day. Utah called it Human Rights Day, while Virginia combined a bunch of people into the Lee-Jackson-King Day. It was only recently in 2000 did all the 50 States decided to call it the same thing.
Either way, enjoy your Monday off work!
Also, please also check out Ben Sollee's A Change is Gonna Come and Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday (Martin Luther King Jr).
MANZE DAYILA & THE NAGO NATION
manzedayila.com ♥ myspace.com
According to Dayila's biography, she was a refugee from Haiti (she was 19 when she rafted into Miami Beach!). The Haiti would explain why some of their songs have a Carribean, with just a dash of Reggae, in them. Half of the album are also traditional Haitian Folk song ("Kwi", "Miseye Rigaud", "Kafe", "Papa Loko", etc). The stand-out track for me is one of the few English songs on Solé called "That Feeling". The song also features an additional singer/rapper called Bennchoumy Elian, who also sung on the other English song "I Want to Be Free". Other stand-out track is the song "Solé", which although I do not understand the lyrics - I feel it is a sad song, as if a mother is weeping for her child. With the absent of music on this song, it made for an even more powerful emotional connection. Since most of the album is not in English it gives it a Worldly touch. If you enjoy World music, especially Afro-Pop or Afro-Hip-Hop, this album is worth checking out. You can purchase Solé via cd baby ($14) or download via itunes ($10) or amazon ($8). |
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THE BRILLIANT MISTAKES
thebrilliantmistakes.com ♥ myspace.com Between the two singers, keyboardist Alan Walker and bassist Erik Philbrook, I would have to say that I like the Walker songs - they sound vaguely like Ben Folds. The Philbrook vocals sounds more alt-country. I'm more drawn to their upbeat songs like "The Circle's Not Broken" and "The Day I Found My Hands". Even though I didn't know the words to their songs, I feel like I could probably make up words to rhyme with their lyrics. Their "change" ("Good Year For A Change") has nothing to do with politics, but you can read what you want in it.... 2009 will be a great year for a change, right? Anyway, the song sounds a little subdue, but it shows off the Folds-vocals as I mentioned earlier. I think the song may be about changing your life, a fresh start, and finding someone new. Possibly not looking back.... but the song seems to reflect on the past. You can find out details on how you can purchase their album on their website. The page also lets you download "The Circle’s Not Broken" - the upbeat song that I liked, so check it out. |
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DESCRIBE AND Y-LOVE
myspace.com/describeylove ♥ ylovemusic.com Much like the "Change" song by Manze Dayila, this "Change" song is the excitement of a new political change in the White House. The song has some auto-tuning vocals, with that distinctive Yiddish sounds of the H sound like in "hhhheh". The lyrics comes in fast and furious and Describe's lower vocals slows down the song when it needs to be. As described by the press material, The Change EP consists of four songs. But instead of releasing the EP in one release date, they are dropping each song per month, starting tomorrow (January 20th). The other scheduled release are February 24th for "Make It", March 31st, and April 28th. All details will be updated over at shemspeed.com/change, which contain links of how you can buy the song(s). |
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MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD
michaelfranti.com ♥ myspace.com
CORY CHISEL
corychisel.com ♥ myspace.com |
01/19/2009 07:18:34 ♥ vu ()
♥weheartmusic.com♥podcast.weheartmusic.com♥news.weheartmusic.com
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 Ben Sollee at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (11/18/08) ♥ photo by Brody Tour Dates
12/11/08 The Dame (w/ Daniel Martin Moore) Lexington, Kentucky
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12/13/08The Square Room (w/ Daniel Martin Moore) Knoxville, Tennessee |
Ben Sollee sings like an angel. A small, winsome angel in a JCrew pullover. It’s not easy keeping pure of thought, considering this angel plays the cello with the gusto of a wayward prep school dropout on the cusp of a musical revelation (classically trained but has a secret naughty stash of Muddy Waters albums). Part blue-eyed soul, part nu-folk, with a little easy-on-the-ears Americana thrown in, Sollee has tapped into the same ripe patch that birthed brother angels Andrew Bird and M. Ward. While he may not have quite the bearded following as Bird, it seems that Sollee has found a comfortable niche half-way between ‘quirky elegance’ and ‘coffee shop troubadour.’ His debut album, Learning to Bend, is very nice, but it feels pointless to praise a musician for his studio work when it’s obvious he’s meant to be heard in real life, in a real dirty club, really intimate and really real, flaws and all.
Ben and his cello played a real, flaw-filled, beautiful show at the 400 Bar last Tuesday. The crowd was respectful and hushed, which made the few minutes between songs almost unbearably polite (even the cranks that linger close to the bar were strangely mute). Perhaps everyone was thinking the same thing: who is this tiny person? I know what I was thinking: who’d a thought the cello could be sexy? (I won’t even bring up the implications of straddling a large, wooden apparatus.) I’m sure most of us attribute the cello to plain Asian girls in loose-fitting chinos and bobby socks. Besides Yo-Yo Ma, I can’t even name a professional cellist (and let’s be honest, while ridiculously talented, Yo-Yo Ma doesn’t exactly inspire tingling loins). But watching Sollee bow and strum and pluck at his instrument was…inspiring, to say the least. I could easily come up with at least a dozen more sly synonyms for ‘instrument’ (‘sleek music-maker,’ ‘big, strong love tool’) but I won’t. I already feel slightly creepy for talking so frank about an NPR-revered musician (“Top 10 Great Unknown Artists of 2007”). Nonetheless, these things must be said and the show must go on.
For me, one of the highlights of Sollee’s show was his interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” This song has been stuck in my head for, literally, the last year, ever since it became the unofficial mantra for GObama 08. It was ballsy of Sollee to take such a classic political anthem and change the lyrics, but his voice suits the style, and so I feel OK about his creative bastardization (normally I would hate him for it, on principle). Other performance highlights: a short cover of “Crazy” (Gnarls Barkley); Sollee’s preface to “Bury Me with My Car,” in which he confused us simpletons with his book smarts; A solo rendition of “Only a Song” (originally recorded with Jim James of My Morning Jacket); and the encore fake-out “fake out” (you know, when a musician/band starts to leave the stage and then makes a comment like, “I never understood the point of leaving the stage”)—Sollee said something similar but I didn’t roll my eyes like I usually do when a musician tries to be “witty,” therefore, it must be love.
Ben Sollee and his big, strong love tool are currently on tour. For more information, visit his official website at www.bensollee.com or his Myspace at www.myspace.com/bensollee.
As a side note, I’d briefly like to mention Kentucky artist, Phillip March Jones, whose work is being featured during Sollee’s tour (t-shirts, stage set). Jones is the first artist that Sollee’s collaborated with, but hopefully not the last (Sollee talked a bit about his desire to continue building partnerships with new visual artists). The stage backdrop will be auctioned off for charity at the end of the tour. Please check out: www.phillipmarchjones.com.
Birds, what is up with that? It seems lately that we're getting album artwork that features birds on the cover artwork (especially owls). Can someone explain this to me? Seriously.
Below are a ton of bird-album artwork.
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AVIARY GHOST
aviaryghost.com ♥ myspace.com
Fom Illinois is Aviary Ghost, a band that seems to be headed by Charlie Crimando and Stephen Kemsley. Reading their biography, it would seem that they spent a lot of time recording music in a one-room apartment in Michigan. One of my favorite song on their album, Memory Is A Hallway (featuring cut-out birds over a scenic location), is the most fast-moving song is "Windowlight", which seems to be about the light through the window - sung in an old-fashion cabaret-style song, which I will say works very well for the song. I thought "Somewhere Else" was also pretty good. The song is described as "catchy Swedish pop", which I'll have to agree with. The lyrics are pretty detailed too, I especially liked the chorus: "we're laughing, 'cause laughing is much better than a scream". You can get their album, Memory Is A Hallway (recently released July 15th), on iTunes or CD Baby.
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MORE TEETH
more-teeth.com ♥ myspace.com
I think someone in the W♥M group have this album, One Bird a Day, for review, so I won't go into too much details about it. Surfice to say that it's a compilation of three or four bands in the electro-genre. Based on what I've heard, I really dig Sparkydog (sounds like new wave) and More Teeth (which sounds like very experimental noise art). I've decided to go with More Teeth because of their snazzy drums and electroclashesque vocals of Mindy Abovitz. JESSICA LEA MAYFIELDjessicaleamayfield.com ♥ myspace.com
We're not really promoting Jessica Lea Mayfield (I don't think her PR company knows my address, which I will confess is fine as I have too much music to handle), but I couldn't resist the owl-art on her soon-to-be release album With Blasphemy, So Heartfelt out on September 16th on Polymer Sounds on her press release. What's there to say based on this one song, "Kiss Me Again"? She has a very nice voice, and sounds like Thao Nguyen. |
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PUTOIS
citizensofcontraryknowledge.com ♥ myspace.com
Yet another Chicago, Illinois band - man, they really love their animals! I believe "putois" is actually a ferret or something. Anyway, on their second album, Problem Is Not a Problem Anymore, we see a crane with some ducks (while their debut album, The Thinking Fireplace features a cartoon bird dressed as a gentleman). It would seem that these introspective songs are written and sung by its creator, one Bob Mason since 1995. Most of this album is acoustic, mostly folky and the song "No More Dancing" would best represent what currently Putois sounds like. There are a few highlights on the record. For instance, I liked what he was trying to do with "Cta". This had a weird bass and quirky noises and beeps. Even his singing style is different here (although I think this might be a guest-vocalist? It just sounds very different). The other song that isn't so acoustic is "The Lonely Traveler" with its arrangement of piano and harmonica. If you like bands like Minnesota's Low, Putois might be right up your alley. Problem Is Not a Problem Anymore is out now, you can get it from CD Baby. |
PLUSHGUN
plushgun.com ♥ myspace.com
I love Tommy Boy Records. One of my first CD was a Tommy Boy and I just remember how big they were in the early 90s, especially with the b-boys and girls. Well, I guess the record label is still around and I have one of their latest release by one-man-band, Plushgun. Daniel Ingala's vocals sounds like he has a British accent, reminiscent of early 80s new wave pop bands. His latest self-titled EP has a cute drawing of a bird with an old SNES controller in a cassette-tape-style mess in the sky. All the songs were available for download on August 19th (iTunes). The four songs on the EP is a very easy listen. I love all the songs actually, with the exception of the semi-sappy "14 Candles". Although it was nice to hear a woman singing backup on this song, but I didn't think this song belong on the EP. Maybe I just don't like love songs. His other songs are more upbeat and sounds more like obsessive/stalker feel to them. There are some great lyrics on "Just Impolite" ("I walk the line, like Johnny Cash" and "I'm not upset, just impolite"). A physical copy of Plushgun will be available on September 9th via Amazon and other retailers for $9.99, but if you can't wait the download is sold now for 60% cheaper ($3.98) |
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BRICE WOODALL AND THE POSITRONS
bricewoodall.com ♥ myspace.com
Check out Brice Woodall and the Positrons with their album, Sine Wave Sea. The artwork on the cover is a flying bird block with a hole in its stomach. I know it's a bird because if you visit the artist's website (trevorbittinger.com), his all-flash website features these same block birds flying around. Brice Woodall is currently based out of Chicago, Illinois, according to his myspace. Woodall's vocals has a woman quality to them, but not in a falsetto way (and not as a put down). His voice is very interesting, it definitely pulls you in. I think my favorite songs off this album is easily "This, There, Where", a pop song with some interesting mix. I also dug the experiment on "Winter/Break/Down/Away". Well, it looks like they are currently on tour, be sure to check them out.
09/12/08 Double Door- Kittypalooza Chicago, IL 09/24/08 Rapture Charlottesville, Virginia 09/25/08 Lucky Buddha Richmond, Virginia 09/26/08 Trash Bar Brooklyn, New York 09/27/08 Murky (upstairs) Arlington/DC area, VA 11/08/08 Art*Bar Riverwest Milwaukee, Wisconsin 11/19/08 Madison, Wisconsin 11/20/08 Chicago, Illinois 11/21/08 Detroit, Michigan 11/22/08 Indianapolis, Indiana You can pick up Sine Wave Sea from InSound. |
CITIZENS OF CONTRARY KNOWLEDGE
citizensofcontraryknowledge.com ♥ myspace.com
Featuring a drawing of a chicken on the cover of Citizens of Contrary Knowledge's You're What You Wish You Are. Upon closer inspection, is that a cock? They do sound a bit southern cock rock... Reading their biography, it would seem most of the band members are residing in Harlem, New York. Their singer/frontsman, Chris Barczynski, sounds like he doesn't take his biography too seriously (he writes that he was in the Witness Protection Program, etc). This is also a problem when he lists that he's appeared on stage with Green Day, Sugar Ray and Hootie - should you believe him? I'm leaning to 'no'. I was drawn to the faster/rock song and my favorite is "Complicated" and "Lonely Hearts Society", which is driven by a muscular guitar playing (with some neat tricks). Despite as I have said about their music being rock, they do lean to the sensitive/slow side with "House of Cards", "Unless You Do", "Real Love", and "Wrong Side of the World". I think listening to them that they might fare better as a live act, perhaps jamming their songs at a longer length at a dive bar. You're What You Wish You Are is out now, available on CD Baby. They just finished playing Arlene's Grocery, which is apparently a bar? |
Here is the bonus segment, some bird-bands we've previously covered: Tinkture, Birdflu, Story of the Year, The Alarmists, The Notwist, Loquat, El Perro Del Mar, Ben Sollee, Peter Bradley Adams (Owl), Death Valley Sleepers, Death Cab For Cutie, Patrick Wolf, Deadbird, Jeff Hanson (Owl), They Might be Giants (Owl), Eels, Biography Of Ferns, Computer Vs. Banjo (Owl), Ash, Susan Krebs
Bands we haven't covered, but I'm sure we'll get around to them. These features birds on the cover: The Great Northwest (Experimental Folk), Nebraska (Folk), Foals (British Rock), The Black Keys (Southern Rock), KYTE (Ambient Pop), and the talented Graeme K (Experimental/Old-time/Dance). Honorable worth mention is Abigail Washburn with her tiny birds on the cover.
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Thanks to Bookishly Fabulous for pointing out that Ben Sollee was recently on NPR's "All Things Considered" (July 5, 2008).
It would be seem that Sollee is looking for a fight with Kanye West, who recently disappointed fans at Bonnaroo for being two hours late (performed at 4:30 am). He made national/internet news by blogging about the venue's inability to setup the lighting and Pearl Jam was already an hour late.
This "open letter" song to Kanye West basically tells off West that "you don't need a light show, just good flow".
You can read more about Ben Sollee on our previous W♥M articles.
Other interesting music news: Facebook's a hotbed of celebrity gossips. Lilly Allen and The Chemical Brothers' Ed Simon are back together. Apparently they both changed their facebook status to "in a relationship" and immediately thousand of fans wrote to congratulate them.
Björk seems to be canceling a few concerts, citing throat ailment. I'm not sure why that's so closely followed by the media, but Ex-Whitesnake guitarist is dead. Does anyone even know his name?
The outrageous headline of "Kylie Minogue Saves Fan from Suicide" makes it sound as if Minogue was there on the rooftop talking that person down. The truth is, the fan was listening to his iPod and her song came on and he suddenly didn't want to stab himself. (Lame, right?)
Also, some idiot stole the headstone to Joy Division's Ian Curtis' grave. I hope his ghost haunts him.
The sad news of the collector's mentality of the CD box sets are on its death bed (hint: maybe it's because it's too expensive). The Yahoo story (written by Ed Christman) paints a picture that "Boxed-set sales have fallen off the cliff; they went from something to nothing".
Even at price slashed to about $29.99 (from the regular $49.98), sales continues to decline. At the end of the article, they mentioned that the limited-edition box for Nine Inch Nails' "Ghosts I-IV," ($300) sold really well.
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Links:
weheartmusic.com
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Get ready for another collection of Americana/Folk music. Where we last left off, I was talking about "The Boss".
With this entry, I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite American folk/protest singer: Harry Chapin. I discovered him in the 7th grade, while driving in the passenger seat with Mr Schemling to Yosemite National Park.
We were listening to Mister Mister and Harry Chapin. I loved the songs I heard so much that he made cassette tapes of some of his more famous songs like "Taxi" and "Cats in the Cradle".
There were other songs that I loved, of course. The epic "The Mayor of Candor Lied", original appeared on On the Road to Kingdom Come (1976). I have never seen that CD, but I eventually got the song from a 3-disc box set called Story of a Life.
It may have impacted me different when I was younger, but I have always imagined it to make a great movie: two love-torn lovers, a blackmail, and "a deal made in hell". There is a twist in the song, so you must listen to this all the way to the end when you find out why Coleen never returned from holiday.
Martyn Joseph later covered this song on his 1999 album, Far From Silent, which I didn't like it too much. He made a clumsy attempt at changing the lyrics at the end...
Incidentally, I was listening to some of his songs, you know, for old time's sake. In my modest collection of 70 Chapin songs, I have noticed that I often liked his live versions much better than the studio version. They are usually full of interaction and often the lyrics were changed. Check out the opening track "Dreams Goes By" from his Greatest Stories Live, it would've been amazing to see him live.
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MATT KEATING
mattkeating.com ♥ myspace.com
When I first saw that this was a two-disc release (23 tracks) for Quixotic, I must confess, I was a little overwelm. After I gave the first disc a listen, it went down really easy. Many of the songs are standard length (3 or 4 minutes), and they seem to be to be heartland rock. Although his biography would also lists him as "urban, indie rock". However, this quote from producer Gary Maurer really sums it up:
Reading on why Quixotic was split into two discs, Keating wanted to bring back the album concept. Think of "Disc 1" as "Side A" and you get the idea. Each side/CD is about fifty minutes of music (the album in its entirety is about an hour) and each side is design to play like a musical journey - with its mix of songs to keep you interested, to the slow and quiet song to end one side and ease you to the flipside. Many of the songs on his Quixotic seems to be about travelling and locations ("St. Cloud", "Louisiana", "Runaway Clown", "Now We're Home", "Road to Ruin", "Romeoville", "Valhalla Waltz", etc), you get the impression that Keating's been around. I believe he's refering to St Cloud, Minnesota, you can grab the free MP3 song from his website. I thought "Louisiana" was the best song on Side A, I especially love hearing this rocking music with its heartbreaking lyrics and its catchy chorus: "here in looooo-wee-zee-anna". Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Side B is about relationship ("Do You Want (To Not Be Lonely with Me)", "Before My Wife Gets Home", "Love Ain't"). Great songs, check out "As Much as You Can Bear" and "Love Ain't", these two songs really stood out for me. Before you know, the short violin/piano piece of "Valhalla Waltz" indicates the journey is about to end and the slow-paced, acoustic "Book of Changes" closes the album. Quixotic will be officially released July 7th, you can buy it directly from indiekazoo.com or the usual places (amazon, iTunes). It looks like he'll be doing a tour to support the album, so see him if you can:
07/10/08 The Living Room New York
07/12/08 Coffee East Easton, Maryland 07/13/08 The Tin Angel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 07/14/08 The Galaxy Hut Arlington, Virginia 07/17/08 The Pour House Raleigh, North Carolina 07/19/08 The Bluebird Cafe Nashville, Tennessee 07/25/08 Horseshoe Chicago 07/26/08 Magdlaenas Tea House East Lansing, Michigan 08/12/08 The Cinema Bar Los Angeles, California 08/21/08 Comet Tavern Seattle, Washington 09/05/08 Village Tavern Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin 09/13/08 Common Grounds Lexington, Kentucky 09/14/08 The Milestone Charlotte, North Carolina 09/15/08 The Cave Chapel Hill, North Carolina 09/19/08 Housing Works New York 09/24/08 Frequency Madison, Wisconsin 09/28/08 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
ABIGAIL WASHBURN
abigailwashburn.com ♥ myspace.com
Abigail Washburn wants you to know that she's a "banjo pickin' girl" on "Banjo Pickin' Girl", what sounds like a different take on a traditional song. There's plenty of banjo picking on this album, but this time she has an orchestra, The Sparrow Quartet (Bela Fleck, Ben Sollee, Casey Driessen), to back her up. To be honest, I first heard of her writing about her celloist, Ben Sollee, but looking at her discography, she was already well-established as a bluegrass/folk banjo musician. I've been bicycling to work and I put on her latest album, Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet (just released in May) to listen to, and this Chinese song came up that made me stop on the trail. I had to open up my iPod to look at the song title: "Sugar & Pie". At first I was confused, then I thought maybe it's gaelic or something, it possibly couldn't be Chinese? I later found out that she actually began her music career playing throughout China, doing a ten plus dates with a group of friends. She recalls:
In addition to "Sugar & Pie", I was pleasantly surprise that she has other Chinese songs on the album, "Taiyang Chulai" and "Journey Home". If you're wondering, she does sing in English, be sure to check out "It Ain't Easy", "Strange Things", and "Kangding Qingge/Old-Timey Dance Party" (it looks like the song is based on a traditional Chinese song, but the lyrics are old-fashion English). It looks like she is doing a ton of dates, be sure to check out her live to see the marriage of Traditional American music and Chinese folk songs. If she's also playing with The Sparrow Quartet, you should keep an eye out for Ben Sollee, his music have had very positive reponses from W♥M readers.
07/10/08 Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua Bayfield
07/11/08 Winnipeg Folk Festival Winnipeg, Manitoba 07/13/08 Vancouver Island Musicfest Vancouver, British Columbia 07/14/08 Benaroya Hall Seattle, Washington 07/15/08 Aladdin Theatre Portland, Oregon 07/17/08 Boarding House Park Lowell, Massachusetts 07/18/08 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival with the Sparrow Quartet Ancramdale, New York 07/19/08 Vancouver Folk Festival Vancouver, British Columbia 07/20/08 Vancouver Folk Festival Vancouver, British Columbia 07/26/08 RockyGrass Festival with the Sparrow Quartet Lyons, Colorado 07/27/08 Calgary Folk Music Festival with the Sparrow Quartet Calgary, Alberta 07/28/08 The Myrna Loy Center Helena, Montana 07/29/08 Wilma Theatre Missoula, Montana 07/30/08 Sacajawea Center Salmon, Idaho 08/01/08 Kaslo Bay Park Music Festival Kaslo, British Columbia 08/03/08 Dunegrass and Blues Festival Empire, Michigan 08/08/08 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Fest w/Sparrow Quartet Alta, Wyoming 08/09/08 Edmonton Folk Music Festival with the Sparrow Quartet Edmonton, Alberta 08/10/08 Regina Folk Festival with the Sparrow Quartet Regina, Saskatchewan 08/23/08 San Francisco Music and Arts Festival San Francisco, California 08/29/08 Moe Down Turin, New York 08/31/08 Hookaville Thornville, Ohio 09/11/08 Memorial Hall Chapel Hill, North Carolina 09/13/08 Dominican University PAC River Forest, Illinois 09/14/08 Turner Hall Milwaukee, Wisconsin 09/15/08 Guthrie Theater Proscenium Minneapolis, Minnesota 09/16/08 Barrymore Theatre Madison, Wisconsin 09/17/08 The Music Mill Indianapolis, Indiana 09/19/08 The Ark Ann Arbor, Michigan 09/20/08 Parrish Auditorium Hamilton, Ohio 09/27/08 Dosey Doe The Woodlands, Texas 09/28/08 Austin City Limits Music Festival Austin, Texas 10/01/08 Fisher Center w/Sparrow Quartet Woodstock, New York 10/02/08 Town Crier Cafe Pawling, New York 10/03/08 First Parish Church Cambridge, Massachusetts 10/04/08 Flynn Theatre Burlington, Vermont 10/05/08 The Community Theater Morristown, New Jersey 10/10/08 Portland Art Museum Portland, Oregon 10/17/08 Ferst Center for the Arts Atlanta, Georgia 10/19/08 Lake Eden Arts Festival Black Mountain, North Carolina |
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STEVEN ALVARADO
stevenalvarado.com ♥ myspace.com
One look at Steven Alvarado's cover artwork for Let It Go, an album that was released in April 2008 from Mott Street Records, I thought it was a tribute to Bob Dylan's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, but completely opposite: without a girl, presumably sadder, a little more modern, and his back to you. One listen to the album, it definitely feels like good-time American folk rock. I love the interaction of electric blues guitar fighting against the acoustic guitar on the brilliant opening track, "Get This Far". Even the lyrics seems to be duking it out and full of contradictions: "I'm outta gas, I got no car, I never thought I'd get this far" Many of these songs are short, but catchy, pop-rock-oriented songs, perfect for the radio. The few exception does stick out, for instance "Nobody Knows", a slow burning depressing song. What Alvarado does best here is give such a descriptive setting:
Somebody throw him a lifeline, it sounds to me as if he's committing suicide here! Fortunately, there's more happier songs makes up for that depressing one. Check out "New York", a song dedicated to Alvarado's friend and poet Aaron Smith. The song lyrics also lends itself to the title, "Let it Go". Let It Go is out now, you can pick it up directly from CD Baby. He's planning on doing a European tour in and around September 2008, I'll be sure to mention it if I hear anything. |
JJ APPLETON
jjappleton.com ♥ myspace.com
I'll tell you right off the bat: I love green packaging. JJ Appleton's Black & White Matinee
comes in a recycled cardboard, down to the soy ink that was used to
print the cover. This short six-track EP was recorded in Finsbury Park, London last year, 2007. Now, I'm under the impression that Finsbury Park is festival (live music), but listening to all the songs, the sound quality is too good to be live. Maybe he's just that good? I especially enjoyed the pianos on "Coming Back Alone". The lyrics on "You're Sweet On Him" does get a little repetitive... yeah we get it, "you're sweet on him." I think the song that you guys will really enjoy is "Today Today Today", it's very easy to get into and it reminds me of The Beatles. Kudos to the songwriters: JJ Appleton & Stephen Lironi You can catch those two, as well as Ged Lynch on a few selected dates for the month of July:
07/10/08 Puck Doylestown, Pennsylvania 07/30/08 McCarren Park Summerstarz Event - Greenpoint/Williamsburg New York I believe you can download all the songs on his website, but I recommend the Earth-friendly packaging for Black & White Matinee. So pick up a physical copy from your favorite CD Baby and, of course, if you wanted higher quality downloads, there's always iTunes. |
These articles takes me very long to produce because they are essentially five articles in one, so expect a final Americana article one this week.
Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
♥ "It's Not Impossible" / "How to See the Sun Rise" / "Bend" / "Prettiest Tree On the Mountain"
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05/22/08 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA*
Discography
05/23/08 Deerfields Amp Horseshoe, NC* 05/24/08 Deerfields Amp Horseshoe, NC* 05/25/08 DFest-Grandstand Cumberland,MD* 05/27/08 Sellersville Theatre Sellersville, PA* 05/29/08 Battery Park New York* 05/30/08 Empire Ctr @ Egg Albany, NY* 05/31/08 Iron Horse Northampton, MA* 06/03/08 Red Light Atlanta, GA 06/04/08 The Basement Nashville, TN 06/05/08 Uncommon Grounds Chicago, IL 06/07/08 Old Town School of Chicago, IL* 06/08/08 The Bluebird Bloomington, IN 06/11/08 Headliners Louisville, KY 06/12/08 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN 06/13/08 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN 06/14/08 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN 06/15/08 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN 06/16/08 Grimey’s Nashville, TN 06/16/08 The Basement Nashville, TN 06/25/08 Wolf Trap Farm Park Vienna, WV* 06/27/08 Paramount Charlottesville, VA* 06/28/08 Troubadour West Hollywood, CA* 06/29/08 SoHo Music Club SBarbara, CA* 06/30/08 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA* 07/03/08 High Sierra Music Fest Quincy, CA* 07/10/08 L Sup Chautauqua Bayfield, WI* 07/11/08 Winnipeg Folk Fest Winnipeg, MB* 07/13/08 Vancouver Is Vancouver, BC* 07/14/08 Benaroya Hall Seattle, WA* 07/17/08 Boarding House Park Lowell, MA* 07/18/08 Grey Fox Ancramdale, NY* 07/19/08 Vancouver Folk Vancouver, BC* 07/20/08 Vancouver Folk Vancouver, BC* 07/26/08 RockyGrass Festival Lyons, CO* 07/27/08 Calgary Folk Music Calgary, AB* 08/01/08 Kaslo Bay Park-Music Kaslo, BC* 08/03/08 Dunegrass Empire, MI* 08/08/08 Grand Targhee Alta, WY* 08/09/08 Edmonton Folk Edmonton, AB* 08/10/08 Regina Folk Festival Regina, SK* 08/13/08 US Embassy Chaoyang, Beijing* 08/21/08 US Embassy Chaoyang, Beijing* 08/27/08 Waterfront Park Louisville, KY 08/29/08 Moe Down Turin, NY* 09/11/08 Memorial Hall Chapel Hill, NC* 09/13/08 Dominican UniPAC River Forest, IL* 09/20/08 Miami of Ohio Hamilton, OH* 10/01/08 Fisher Center Woodstock, NY 10/02/08 Town Crier Cafe Pawling, NY* 10/04/08 Flynn Theatre Burlington, VT* 10/17/08 Ferst Center for the Arts Atlanta,GA* 10/19/08 Lake Eden Arts Black Mountain,NC* *with the Sparrow Quartet
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When not playing in Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet, you can find cellist Ben Sollee releasing solo material and it looks like he's permanently on tour. Abigail Washburn's album was just released last Tuesday, May 20th, which I actually don't have a review copy, but they look like an Americana / bluegrassy-type of band (especially with that banjo).
You can buy Ben Sollee's If You're Going To Lead My Country 2-track EP for 10 Pepsi Points (which I bought this morning using said points). The two tracks are "A Change is Gonna Come" and "A Few Honest Words". Both songs will appear on his debut album, Learning To Bend to be released on June 10th, which we are going to review here on W♥M.
Sollee talks about the political EP title and about his Sam Cooke's cover:
It's time...time for new leadership in this country. In my travels I've had conversations with all the demographics and they too, regardless of political affiliation, believe it's time for a change. My mind is consumed with the potential that is ahead of us all and this new EP, if you're gonna lead my country..., is not meant to criticize, but rather inspire. One of my musical and personal heroes, Sam Cooke envisioned change for his race, and in my adaptation of his song 'A Change is Gonna Come' I envision it for our country and global community.
If You're Going To Lead My Country was just released on May 12th, look for Learning To Bend sometime in early June.
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