27 posts tagged “country”
Discography
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People have been asking if I've been hitting the Sauce, so I know this venue on the busy intersection of Lyndale & Lake is getting huge buzz love. I may have to postpone my attendance because I have two flat tires (those reading my twitters will already know this).
So tonight, The Mood Swings will be at the Sauce, at their CD-releasing party. As with previous Susstones showmania, they are cheap ($5, man!) and features a ton of bands (Two Harbors, First Communion Afterparty, and Blue Sky Blackout are also playing). Between bands, Marc the Guv is handling the DJ spins. Anyway, more bang for your buck seems to be Susstones' motto.
Before you go, some things you should know:
- Ashley Ackerson is the primary headperson is married to their now-new-bassist Ed Ackerson (see Polara)
- This is their third album, Recessionista, which came out last Tuesday on Susstones Records.
- The Current (a Minnesota Public Radio station) has sponsered this event
THOSE DARLINS
official ♥ myspace
Earlier this year, Those Darlins rolled through town. It was one of their favorite show, loads of people showed up. Heavy drinking were involved.
I will be covering their show next Sunday, post-Thanksgivings and post-Black Friday, it looks like it's going to be a great time. Very interested in checking out King Khan (I like their name).
The rest of their tour dates:
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FRI 11/20 PORTLAND, OR Dante's
SAT 11/21 SEATTLE, WA Chop Suey
MON 11/23 VANCOUVER, BC The Red Room
WED 11/25 CALGARY, AB Warehouse
THUR 11/26 EDMONTON, AB Pawn Shop
FRI 11/27 SASKATOON, SK Amigos
SAT 11/28 WINNIPEG, MB Royal Albert
SUN 11/29 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Triple Rock
TUE 12/1 MILWAUKE, WI Mad Planet
WED 12/2 CHICAGO, IL Logan Square
THUR 12/3 CINCINNATI, OH Northside Tavern
official ♥ myspace
Brazilian Bebel Gilberto is touring the US, starting in Washington on November 23rd. Her latest album is called All in One and I just read is mostly in Portuguese.
We've previously mentioned her with her "jazz" standard, covering Night and Day - but you may know her as the daughter of João Gilberto, who, along with then-wife Astrud Gilberto, made "The Girl From Ipanema" a world-wide hit (and ultimately made bossa nova music famous).
I am keeping my eye on December 3rd for her appearance at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis.
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BEBEL GILBERTO ON TOUR
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Nov 23 - Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
Nov 25 - New York, NY - Hiro Ballrooom
Nov 27 - Boston - Paradise Rock Club
Nov 28 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre
Nov 29 - Montreal - L'Astral
Nov 30 - Toronto - Sound Academy
Dec 2 - Chicago - Park West
Dec 3 - Minneapolis - Dakota Jazz Club
Dec 5 - Denver - Ogden Theatre
Dec 8 - Solana Beach - Belly Up Tavern
Dec 9 - Los Angeles - Henry Fonda Theatre
Dec 10 - San Francisco - Bimbo's
11/20/2009 09:31:54 ♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
Whenever I meet people and I ask what type of music they're into, I can tell you 90% of them will answer vaguely: "I am into all kind of music... well except for rap and country music." It saddens me to hear that. (Incidentally, whenever someone tells me they're into all genre of music, I think the opposite: they only like one kind of genre).
Trust me, we get "all kind of music" and shopping around for reviewers is tough because, let's face it: we like what we like. No one is going to go out of their way to devote one or two hours listening to music genres they're not familiar with.
So basically, country music is a very popular genre that no one seems to like! I grew up on country music, so I've always had a soft spot for it. What I like about country is that they often teach us a lesson, like a story within the song. And often the story is about RL (real life) and you can relate to their flawed characters.
Below are some albums we've received that's by real singers, singing about life.
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GLEN CAMPBELL
glencampbellshow.com ♥ myspace.com The Rhinestone Cowboy is back with a Greatest Hits album, released earlier in February. While he is known for writing original songs (his legacy expands over 50 years in the music industry!), his 2008 album, Meet Glen Campbell, is an all-covers album. What's surprisingly is his choice in covers are strangely modern contemporary, including U2 ("All I Want Is You"), Foo Fighters ("Times Like These"), Green Day ("Good Riddance") and best of all Travis ("Sing"). Just as his title suggest: meet Glen Campbell for the first time, forget his roots in country pop music. Some of the best cover, at least to me, is his version of "Sing" (you can hear it on myspace) and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". While Green Day's version is all-acoustic and somber, Campbell brought a bit of a jingle, jangle and banjo to the song. It's like a going away party, and you wouldn't think this was a Green Day song. As a cover-lover, I wholly recommend these "re-imagined" songs to fans of the bands he covers. Find out more details over at meetglencampbell.com for the cover album (available on CD, Limited Edition Vinyl, and of course digitally). Bonus: "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a favorite among such acts as Radiohead and Belle & Sebastian. |
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NATASHA JAMES
natashajames.com ♥ myspace.com Natasha James is a country singer from Sonoma, California, which is close to both Sacramento and San Francisco. I get the impression that James knows and loves her liquor. Take a look at the evidence: tequila in "Tequila Time", beer on "Modern Life", and whiskey on "Boy Do We Drink". The later song is all about drinking and fighting, but I don't take it too seriously as the tone seems pretty tongue-in-cheek. My favorite song is "Modern Life". It does a great job in painting you the picture of: lonliness, our busyness, divorces, cellphones, internet games, etc. The song is bundled in what sounds like a steel guitar and violins. While the song has a sad tone to it, it's not as sad as the weepy "The Wind". She's also doing a few dates throughout California: 08/08/09 Sonoma County Fair Santa Rosa, California 08/21/09 Iron Door Saloon Groveland, California 08/22/09 Iron Door Saloon Groveland, California Bonus: As I have previously mentioned, we don't get too many DVD submissions, so here is the video for "Tequila Time". |
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RUSTED ROOTS
rustedroot.com ♥ myspace.com Rusted Root is a toe-tapping, bluegrass/jam fusion band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have been around since the late 80s, and have survived to this day with their recent release of Stereo Rodeo (released May 5, 2009 on Touchy Pegg/Adrenaline/DKE). I lassoed the band on this article because I thought they look country, I mean look at this pyschedelic cover artwork: a cowboy ropping a japanese geisha over flames and skulls. The album cover is basically an interpretation of the song "Stereo Rodeo", a slower song that tells the story of a man going to Japan to find a girl. One thing is certain, I feel the shock of the insane cover artwork never quite live up in the song, because the song sounds a bit... normal. As far as the rest of their songs, they're full of funk and percussions and background vocals, I get the sense that the band wants the audience to be involved with them. Their songs were designed to get you to dance with the band, perhaps contributing to hand claps or singalong. Like most jam bands, they're meant to be seen live. I felt "Driving One" would best sum up the band: check out that funky percussion beat! It sounds like something out of Africa, yet feels like it belong in this American bluegrass band. Stereo Rodeo is available now, at amazon ($8!) or eMusic. |
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AMY LENNARD
amylennard.com ♥ myspace.com I actually really love Amy Lennard's I Need To Love the first time I heard it last year, I think mostly because her voice reminds me of Bonnie Raitt. Music's always been part of Lennard's life, playing guitar since nine, then moving on to composing original songs. She moved from New York to live out in California for a while, playing festivals and jamming campfire songs with friends. Ten years later, she moved back to New York, and started working on I Need To Love. Half of the album was, from what I've gathered, written and recorded in 2006 with the help of Ben Wisch. The other half is with engineerer Jon Gordon (who's previously worked with Suzanne Vega). You might think that two different producers working on the album might result in an uneven sounding album, it's actually not. Most of the songs feels like pop radio, with strong modern country music influences. There is one very pop-sounding song, it's a love song called "Forever Tonight". It's my favorite song and the easy-to-follow lyrics will cause you to sing along. You can find I Need to Love from amazon, CD Baby, and, of course, iTunes. |
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MIKE KOTULKA
mikekotulka.com ♥ myspace.com/nycmk Mike Kotulka is another Philadelphian, if that's a word, his sophomore album Hi-Lows will be available July 7th. Everything tells me he's a cowboy, from hat to the harmonica that starts off his intro song, "Born To Try". While not entirely country, Koulka is more like from the Bob Dylan school, which is not a bad association. The title of the album comes from the same titled song, "Hi-Lows". The song is about standing tall, standing for what you believe in, despite the "shit" trying to keep you down. It's a bit inspirational, especially in this economic time. The songs that I did enjoy are the louder ones, "Dumb" and "Gimme Love". "Dumb", with its hand-claps, and "Gimme Love" with its catchy "gimme love gimme love" chorus, will both make excellent live songs. However, as of this writing, there are no tour dates. The nine-track album, feels really short. I decided to track down more music from Kotulka, and the good news is his album The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was available for free via the official website or empty-k.com. Hi-Lows will be available in early July at amazon. |
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SWAY
swaymusic.com ♥ myspace.com Perry Martin and Gina Quartaro are basically the country band Sway, based out of California. The two musician met at a doctor's office, and I suppose while waiting in the waiting room (as one do), the two started talking about music. As the turned out, both Quartaro and Martin have a lifetime of music in them. Quartaro's written and co-produced over 200 songs to day and was even called the "Female Elton John" by Russ Regan (record executive of UNI records, 20th Century Records, and Motown Records). And Martin's biography lists him as band member on "The Donny James Show". They took the show to South Vietnam from 1968-69, and did a show for radio & television called "Nashville Vietnam". I'm not going to list the other two band members' (Laurens Vernot, Trevor Hands) biography, but let's just say that each member bring a rich history of music with them. Sway's music, with its honky-talk and lyrics tells me "good times are all we need" (from "Cowgirl Scene"). Like "baseball and Chevrolet", these songs are pretty standard country love song ("When Love Finds Its Way", "I'm Over You"). Where love is the power that transcend reality. Sure, "the banks are callin' and bills are late", but we've got love, from "In The Hands Of Love". Gina Quartaro sings on all the songs on the album, minus two songs sung by Martin. Quartaro is currently doing some dates:
07/16/09 OC Fair (Mainstage) Costa Mesa, CA 07/25/09 Art A Fair Laguna Beach, CA |
06/21/2009 13:42:10 ♥ vu (
)
♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
I recall seeing them in Sydney almost exactly one year ago (see the proof), and even then I was significantly more impressed than I thought i would be. Now, a lot has gone down in the past year. You may know their first single, Polka, which features so predominantly in that advertisement where people are throwing things out of their house into a car.... silly ad, but catchy catchy tune. They've also recently seen jaunts to the US and the UK (you may have seen them in your travels, yes?)
Anyway, the boys debut album Ragged & Ecstatic, captures the youthful vibe that is present at their live shows. It's the feeling of being young and free, having fun, exploring life, it's ups and downs and doing just whatever you bloody well want to. Reminds me specifically of the days, first time out of home, beer money was more important than rent money and work... pfft (not that they were paying me anyway). As an example, the recently released single, Getting Wise, gives out the exact vibe that I have just attempted to describe.
"We're getting wise trying to find our feet"
With respect to the tunes themselves, it's quite impossible to simply slot these boys into a single genre, which is by no means, a bad thing. I can hear many similarities with various styles both old and new, rock, ska, indie, country-style slide guitars... but I hesitate to label them. So I wont.
But does Ragged & Ecstatic meet the expectations of someone who can't go past seeing Yves Klein Blue live? Simply... no. There is a certain energy that is lacking when comparing the album to a live show. There's no intense stares from frontman, Michael Tomlinson, less of a feeling of need to bounce around in a crowd full of people, and no giant glasses of wine (hang on a minute!), but I guess that's the same for many bands have such an excellent stage presence.
However, Ragged & Ecstatic has it's own unique charm. Less of an opportunity to relive live shows, more of an opportunity to sit down an get inside the heads of four young boys (does that sound seedy?), an opportunity to listen to the lyrics and transport back (depending on how old you are) to times when things felt complicated, but you'd not give it up in a million years. And it must be mentioned that there's definitely several opportunities for a little bit of loungeroom dancing.
With that.... if you happen to be anywhere in Australia, you're in luck. There's a plethora of tour dates on the horizon and most importantly, June 26th you can own your very own copy of Ragged & Ecstatic.
JUNE
THU 25TH Bon Amici, Toowoomba
FRI 26TH Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane
(ALL AGES SHOW)
SAT 27TH Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
SUN 28TH Woombye Pub, Sunshine Coast
JULY
WED 1ST ANU Bar, Canberra
THU 2ND The Harp Hotel, Wollongong
FRI 3RD Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
SAT 4TH Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (all ages)
SAT 4TH Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (18+)
WED 8TH Karova Lounge, Ballarat
THU 9TH National Hotel, Geelong
FRI 10TH Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
SAT 11TH Jive Bar, Adelaide
FRI 17TH Norfolk Basement, Fremantle
SAT 18TH Amplifier Bar, Perth
Links
Official website: http://www.yveskleinblue.com/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/yveskleinbluemusic
Record label: http://www.dew-process.com/
Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com
As Nickel Creek is currently on hiatus, Sara Watkins decided to branch off in her first solo effort, available now on Nonesuch Records (incidentally, the record label was responsible for more modern alt-country sound, such as the wildly popular The Black Keys and Wilco album).
So what do I think of her album? Well, let's just say there are some fiddles on it. Like, a lot of fiddles. Luckily, having been listening to too many indie-bands (guitars/bass/drums combo), I do welcome such a characteristic weepy grassy sound.
Half of the album are covers, more like unusual standards, while the other half are original Watkins song. The Watkins songs are usually slow brew songs, a little quieter. Her songs feels like they are mostly about friends ("My Friend") & family & religion ("Give Me Jesus").
All these songs features the fiddle in at least some capacity, but the ultimate fiddle vs mandolin song is "Freiderick". Although there are no vocals on the song, the fiddle seems to be is the voice on the song.
Filling inbetween the original songs are covers. I especially enjoyed her version of "Too Much", turning the more rough bluesy rock Davíd Garza song into a more country-pop love song (Garza's original version can be found on Overdub from 2001). Her version is both refreshing and upbeat, plus the electric guitar on the song is a nice touch.
The other contemporary is "Pony" by Tom Waits, from his 2004 album, Mule Variations. While one expects to hear his scratchy old-man's vocals on this minimalist song, Watkins actually made the song more... I don't know, beautiful? This is because her voice is too sweet and smooth (like Scarlett Johansson's Waits cover album), but it's unfair to compare anyone to the truly unique Tom Waits.
Although the covers range from contemporary to old-fashion country tunes (Jimmie Rodgers' "Any Old Time") feels uneven, especially from pop-style songs to rootsy songs, I think bluegrass fans will find something to like about this album. It's also especially a must-buy if you're already a Nickel Creek fan. You can currently catch her touring under her artist name or as fiddler in her various "families" like Watkins Family Hour, Fiction Family (Switchfoot!), and Works Progress Administration.
05/29/2009 00:57:38 ♥ vu (
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♥ sarawatkins.com ♥ myspace.com/sarawatkinssolo ♥ nickelcreek.com
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So, anyway, there are very few albums that I have requested for review. There are some that came in that I'm very excited about and won't mind not sleeping in the next few days to write about them - so keep your eyes glued here.
Here's an album that I won't be reviewing (because I don't think the UK record label likes us): Cinnabar City by Charlotte Hatherley (official/myspace). Her previous albums (Grey Will Fade and The Deep Blue) was never officially released in the US, so her fans, actually paid good money for imports. Her third album, Cinnabar City, will be released in the US via Minty Fresh, which a reader have reported to me that they mostly sell MP3s only... so CD fans might still have to shell out big bucks for an import.
Oh, in case you were wondering who Hatherley is, I first heard of her as the "girl guitarist" in the band Ash - a band that I have been a fan of since the early 90s when I was getting into all these Britpop-type bands. She naturally started doing her own solo material and left the band a few years ago. The last I heard of her was she was in the band new waver Client with Kate Holmes (not to be confused with the wife of Tom Cruise) and Sarah Blackwood.
Currently, according to the press release I received, Hatherley will now be part of Bat For Lashes (for touring?). Who knows how long that will last?
Look for Cinnabar City sometime in the Summer. The cover artwork will be done by Lewes Herriot, so expect a thick pen with solid colors artwork. In the meantime, her preview song is "White", which I will have to confess didn't really talk to me on the first three or four listens. I suppose it sounds too internety-serious for me, not as fun as her 2004 stuff like "Bastardo" or the head-bopping as "Kim Wilde".
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Tour Dates
04/15/09
The Parlour at Southgate House Cincinnati/Newport, Ohio
04/16/09 The Vogue w/ The Avett Brothers Indianapolis, Indiana 04/17/09 High Dive Champaign, IL 04/18/09 The Hi-Tone Memphis, TN 04/24/09 White Water Tavern LRock, AR 04/25/09 Smoke & Barrel Fayetteville, AR 05/09/09 1000 Faces Festival Rhappahanock, Virginia 05/11/09 Milestone w/ The Features, The Dexateens Charlotte, North Carolina 05/12/09 Rock & Roll Hotel w/ The Features, The Dexateens DC, Washington DC 05/13/09 iS Venue w/ The Features, The Dexateens Charlottesville, Virginia 05/19/09 Grog Shop w/ The Features, The Dexateens Cleveland, Ohio 05/20/09 Schubas w/ The Features, The Dexateens Chicago, Illinois 05/21/09 The PArlour at Southgate w/ The Features, The Dexateens Newport, Kentucky 05/22/09 The Dame w/The Features & The Dexateens Lexington, Kentucky 05/23/09 Barley’s w/ The Features, The Dexateens Knoxville, Tennessee 06/19/09 Border Bash: Downtown Bristol, in the middle of State Street. Bristol, Tennessee |
"Disclaimer: Don't blame me. The Darlins' manager JT is crazy. He's the one who wanted to use this picture and the phrase "Drop More Dates..." He's currently boot-scootin' around our office and snickering, as I write these very words. We run a super, super-duper tight ship over here at Oh Wow Dang/Thirty Tigers."
I actually thought the picture is really cute that I made this quick sketch, obviously, looking at it side-by-side, it doesn't look that great compared to how I envisioned it. I think I made the head too big anyway :/
Their self-titled debut album will be out July 7th on OH WOW DANG Records, but in the meantime they have this single out called "Wild One", which sounds a bit country, don't you agree?
04/04/2009 10:42:50 ♥ vu (
)
♥weheartmusic.com♥podcast.weheartmusic.com♥news.weheartmusic.com
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Tour Dates
03/25/09
Edgehill Studios Cafe Nashville, TN
Discography
04/02/09 the Living Room NY 04/03/09 Tin Angel Philadelphia, PA 04/04/09 the Evening Muse Charlotte, NC 04/17/09 the Soiled Dove Denver, CO 04/18/09 Front Porch House Concerts Boulder, CO 04/25/09 Eddies Attic Decatur, GA 06/12/09 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI 06/13/09 Schubas Chicago, IL 04/19/09 Watchung Arts Center Watchung, NJ 09/12/09 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, PA 09/26/09 Festival Theater St Croix Falls, WI 10/23/09 Foundry Hall South Haven, MI 10/24/09 Center Stage Theater at the West Shore Community College Scottville, MI
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I previously briefly mentioned Peacock last year, and there was an overwhelming response to her song "I'll Start With Me". What is people were saying was that the song had great angelic vocals and melodies - and all that and more is on her latest album, Love Remains.
What I think you'll notice that the power of Peacock's songs are her voice and her crafty lyrics. Her lyrics, like most singer/songwriter, gives us a glimpse into her life. Songs like my second favorite song on the album, "Fairborn", and "City of Angels" reveals her traveling life (going to Boston, Minneapolis, Chicago, etc). I suspect this is more to do with her touring lifestyle, she seems to always be on the road. Plus, I think it helps that she was originally from White Bear Lake in Minnesota, but currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.
You will also notice that her songs are borderline country and acoustic pop. Although songs like the title-track "Love Remains" is quite simple in its lyrics, you'll find that it's incredibly catchy as you sing along to the chorus "only love remains".
While "Love Remains" is simple, she can also be complicated as well - in many of her songs, such as "Wrong Time". A song that I would hazard a guess that would best fit Peacock's personality... this is unlike her "All About Me" which I don't think is her at all. That song opens up with "I'd like to get stoned", followed by "do whatever feels good, with whomever I pleased", which is quite a shock as I get the impression that Alice Peacock is a good old fashion kind of girl. I mean she's probably a devoted Christian, based on songs such as "If I Could Talk to God" and the piano lullaby song "Angel".
My favorite song on the album is called "Forgiveness". I think mostly for the electric guitar and Peacock asking us: "Can music change the world?"
Does it come from the heart? Then, I think it can...
You can buy Love Remains directly from her, complete with autograph at buyswag.com for $13.98.
03/25/2009 23:04:10 ♥ vu (
)
♥ alicepeacock.com ♥ myspace.com/alicepeacock
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Tour Dates
03/14/09
New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge / Joe Hurley’s All-Star Irish Rock Revue (special guest) New York, New York
Discography
03/19/09 Austin, TX @ Antone’s/SXSW Americana Music Association Showcase (private) Austin, Texas 03/22/09 Austin, TX @ The Continental Club (band) - opening for Alejandro Escovedo (private) Austin, Texas 03/25/09 West Barnstable, MA @ The Grossman Commons Bldg./Cape Code Community College (duo) West Barnstable, Massachusetts 03/26/09 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground (duo) w/Erin McEeown Burlington, Vermont 03/27/09 Albany, NY @ The Egg (duo) w/Erin McKeown Albany, New York 03/28/09 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s (duo) w/Erin McKeown Hoboken, New Jersey 03/29/09 Dave Marsh Show on Sirius/XM Radio (11 am) New York, New York 03/29/09 Fairfield, CT @ Stage One/Fairfield Theatre (duo) w/Erin McKeown Fairfield, Connecticut 04/02/09 Conroe, TX @ Heritage Place Ampitheater/First Thursday Concert Series (band) Conroe, Texas 04/03/09 Austin, TX @ The Cactus Cafe (duo) Austin, Texas 04/04/09 San Antonio, TX @ Casbeers At The Church (duo) San Antonio, Texas 04/06/09 Des Moines, IA @ Flying Mango (duo) Des Moines, Iowa 04/08/09 Showcase Minnesota, KARE TV - Channel 11 (w/Romantica) - 10:30 am Minneapolis, Minnesota 04/08/09 KTCZ interview/performance in Minneapolis, MN - listen @ www.cities97.com - 12:30 pm Minneapolis, Minnesota 04/08/09 Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theatre (w/Romantica) Minneapolis, Minnesota 04/09/09 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall (duo) - opening for Alejandro Escovedo Milwaukee, Wisconsin 04/10/09 Danville, IN @ Royal Theater (duo) opening for Alejandro Escovedo Danville, Indiana 04/11/09 Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music (duo) - opening for Alejandro Escovedo SOLD OUT Chicago, Illinois 04/14/09 New York, NY @ The Living Room (trio) - WVUV "On Your Radar" Event New York, New York 04/18/09 Stone Ridge, NY @ Center for Creative Education (duo) Stone Ridge, New York 04/22/09 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head (duo) - opening for Willy Porter Annapolis, Maryland 04/25/09 WFDU "Crash On The Levee" interview/performance (duo) - 10:30 am - listen @ www.wfdu.fm Teaneck, New Jersey 04/26/09 Freehold, NJ @ Concerts in the Studio (trio) Freehold, New Jersey 05/08/09 San Pedro, CA @ Grand Annex (trio) San Pedro, California 05/09/09 San Diego, CA @ Anthology (trio) San Diego, California 05/10/09 Santa Monica, CA @ McCabes Guitar Shop (trio) Santa Monica, California 05/11/09 Tucson, AZ @ Plush (trio) Tucson, Arizona 05/14/09 Santa Rosa, CA @ Last Day Saloon (trio) Santa Rosa, California 05/16/09 Fallon, NV @ Barkley Theatre (trio) Fallon, Nevada 05/17/09 Chico, CA @ The Big Room/Sierra Navada Brewing (trio) w/The Greencards Chico, Nevada 05/21/09 Denver, CO @ The Soiled Dove (trio) Denver, Colorado 05/22/09 Taos, NM @ KTAO Solar Center (band) Taos, New Mexico 05/23/09 Albuquerque, NM @ Q-Jam @ Harry E. Kinney Civic Plaza (band) - opening for The Gin Blossums Albuquerque, New Mexico 05/25/09 She Ain’t Me RELEASE DATE in Europe Wageningen, Overijssel 06/01/09 (t)London radio & media day London, London and South East 06/02/09 Bob Harris Radio Show (BBC2) taping London, London and South East 06/06/09 Bob Harris Show (BBC2) airs London, London and South East 06/12/09 Fish Creek, WI @ Door Community Auditorium (band) Fish Creek, Wisconsin 06/13/09 Green Lake, WI @ Thrasher Opera House (band) Green Lake, Wisconsin 07/11/09 Austin City Limits (PBS) segment re-airs (internationally)! Austin, Texas 07/12/09 (t)Stanley, ID @ Redfish Lake Lodge (duo) Stanley, Idaho 07/14/09 (t)Halley, ID Halley, Idaho 07/15/09 Boise, ID @ Alive After Five Concert Series (band) Boise, Idaho 07/16/09 Moscow, ID @ Rendezvous in Moscow (band) Moscow, Idaho 07/17/09 Ephrata, WA @ Basin Summer Sounds (band) Ephtara, Washington 07/18/09 (t)Sandpoint, ID Sandpoint, Idaho 07/19/09 (t)Missoula, MT Missoula, Montana 07/20/09 (t)KRVO 103.1 FM Riverside Lounge interview/performance - TBD Kalispell, Montana 07/20/09 (t)Whitefish, MT @ Great Northern Bar & Grill (band) - KRVO show Whitefish, Montana 07/22/09 Crested Butte, CO @ Live! from Mt. Crested Butte Crested Butte, Colorado 07/23/09 Ridgway, CO @ Summer Concert Series - KVNF broadcast Ridgway, Colorado 07/24/09 Cedar City, UT @ The Grind Coffeehouse Cedar City, Utah 08/06/09 Bethlehem, PA @ Musik Fest (band) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 09/26/09 (t)WTMT 105.9 FM interview/performance in Asheville, NC - TBD Asheville, North Carolina 09/26/09 Flat Rock, NC @ Flat Rock Music Festival (duo or trio) Flat Rock, North Carolina
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Anyway, she first came on the music scene via 2001's SXSW*, where Chip Taylor met Carrie Rodriguez and was impressed with her that he asked her to tour with him in Europe. Since then, together, they released three albums and one EP.
By 2006, Rodriguez went solo and released Seven Angels on a Bicycle, with the help of Taylor (who co-wrote and had a major influence on the first album). With She Ain't Me, released late last year on the Manhattan Records (who I also just recently found out makes most of their music available on the BMG Music Club), Taylor is absent, but replacing him are quite a few different co-writers: ex-Jayhawks Gary Louris, folk singer Mary Gauthier, Leslie Nail, Jim Boquist, producer Malcolm Burn (who won a Juno award for producer of the year for Emmylou Harris' "Here I Am"), among others.
Listening to She Ain't Me, I was immediately taken to the title track ("She Ain't Me"). I marked it as a five-star track on iTunes and it became an instant repeat track for me. I feel that the song has a country folk influence, but the melodies sounds more like a great radio pop song. The singer warns the listener that this new woman might be perfect, but she simply cannot replace the singer (because she simply isn't her.)
The most surprisingly thing I found about the song, having looked up the song credit as co-written by "D.Wilson", which I have concluded it is non other than Dan Wilson - who you may all remember as being the lead singer from Minneapolis' Semisonic.**
I also enjoyed "El Salvador", which is a long-distance (love?) song. If it's not love, it's definitely about missing someone... apparently that person is in El Salvador. The song is surprisingly optimistic in tone as well, despite all the waiting and wishing she could swim across the ocean.
Rodriguez's fiddles, which is what she is known for, only appeared on a few of the songs (the rest, she settled on playing tenor guitar). The most noticeable fiddle song is "Absence", which sounds like a southern bluegrass song and reminds me a lot of Bobbie Gentry. Compared to her first solo album, the majority of banjo & fiddles gave Seven Angels on a Bicycle more of a bluegrass feel to it.
If you love folk, pop, and a little bluegrass, you should want to check out Carrie Rodriguez. Judging from her major promotional tour, I think you will be hearing from her soon - if not already.
* I am happy to report that Rodriguez is returning back to SXSW in a few short weeks.
** From a Minneapolis point of view, she'll be appearing on KARE TV and on Cities97, as well as playing at the Varsity, the same night (April 8th). I would not be surprise if Wilson shows up at the Varsity show - so be on the lookout.
03/08/2009 23:29:36 ♥ vu (
)
♥ carrierodriguez.com ♥ myspace.com/carrielrodriguez
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myspace.com/williebreedingmusic Willie Breeding is a folk/country singer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. He just released his debut LP, Cheap Vodka Rain last said Tuesday, his only previous recording was for the EP called Grey Skies last December 2006. Cheap Vodka Rain has a very Western/Country sound to it. Perhaps it's Breeding's songwriting style (they all tell some sort of story) or the steel-sounding guitar, but the album should belong to Country pop radio. If you don't like any Country, you may want to avoid this one, but I suspect there's enough good songwriting on the album that people with open minds wouldn't mind checking out. Anyway, the story behind the debut album was that it was recorded live over a two-day session (Oct 24-25, 2007) at the Excello Recordings, with backup band of friends and two members from Marah (whom he toured with for the promotion of his EP), which may have influenced his sound a little. And although I mentioned it only took two days, the recording did not sound rushed or rough at all. The final mix sounds like Breeding took his time to plan and let his band time to learn to play his songs. Some of the highlights from the album includes:
02/02/09 Iota Club & Cafe Arlington, Virginia 02/03/09 The M Room Philadelphia, PA 02/04/09 Nightlight Chapel Hill 02/05/09 Soapbox Lounge Wilmington, NC 02/06/09 Wherehouse Winston-Salem, NC 02/11/09 Exit In Nashville, Tennessee 02/13/09 Derby City Espresso Louisville, KY 02/22/09 The Living Room Manhattan, NY |
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modernskirts.com ♥ myspace.com Since Modern Skirts' debut album, Catalogue of Generous Men in 2005, the band's won numerous praises (Athens Music Awards, Paste Magazine, National Public Radio, etc) - so ultimately the difficult sophomore album had to happen..... So it's been three years, but the official release date for All Of Us In Our Night was last Tuesday (Jan 20th). The band's been kept busy the last year, especially because of their R.E.M. connection (the band went on a two weeks European tour, supporting Athen's most famous band. While most of the album is pretty standard indie pop/rock, there are a good mix of moments of Beach Boys-esque backup singing ("Yugo") and pianos & some faint brass instruments ("Radio Breaks"). I think most people will be drawn to the Mike Mills (of R.E.M.) song, "Motorcade". The song starts off acoustically, before the percussions and backup singing (also by Mills and music producer Geoff Melkonian). The song sounds like it could have been an REM song by the way of Pavement. Although it's an excellent song, that's actually not my song pick - they have an even better one called "Soft Pedals". Maybe it's the loungey background music or the lyrics "give me a knife and a merry-go-round", but there's something really nice about this song that made me replay it again and again. They are currently on tour! 01/29/09 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 01/30/09 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia 01/31/09 40 Watt Club Athens, Georgia 02/06/09 Georgia Music Hall of Fame presents Modern Skirts at the Cox Capitol Theatre Macon, Georgia 02/17/09 Circle Bar New Orleans, Louisiana 03/05/09 Odgen Museum New Orleans, LA 03/18/09 SXSW Austin, Texas 03/19/09 SXSW Austin, Texas 03/20/09 SXSW Austin, Texas 03/21/09 SXSW Austin, Texas 05/16/09 WMNF’s Festival Tampa, Florida |
01/25/2009 23:15:02 ♥ vu (
)
♥weheartmusic.com♥podcast.weheartmusic.com♥news.weheartmusic.com
x
“This is really me getting
back to my natural self.”
There are three things I like about Linda Eder: (a) She’s from Minnesota, (b) Her dad is a pastry chef and (c) Her first paying job was singing at a Holiday Inn lounge.
Growing up in Brainerd, Minnesota, which is as far as you can be from both New York and Los Angeles, Eder did not let the geographic distance stop her showing the world her extraordinary voice. Right out of high school she worked the cocktail and supper club circuit until landing a big break in 1987 on Star Search (the original American Idol), winning the competition an incredible twelve weeks in a row. This amazing feat caught the attention of composer Frank Wilder who fashioned and fine-tuned a role for her on Broadway as Lucy Harris in Jekyll and Hyde. From there she developed into a versatile musician who regularly performs in Vegas on Broadway and even teams up with Symphonies all over the United States. She also travels with Michael Feinstein in recreating duo shows of the past like Steve and Edie, Frank and Judy and a little Sonny and Cher. She is a musician on many fronts and has released nine albums along her journey.
When the Big Chief, Vu, handed me her tenth release, “The Other Side of Me,” he remarked that Eder is in the vein of Barbara Streisand. I was pretty confused when I listened to the first song, “Pieces.” It sounds more Main Street than Broadway. Then I read the above quote and it made sense. If you ever been to Brainerd it’s more Country than Rock ‘n Roll and that feel never left Eder: “I’m basically a blue-collar farm girl at heart. This (album) is the kind of music that moved me as a kid.”
“Pieces” is a catchy tune. I’ve caught myself humming it the other day. It’s more polished than gritty. Eder maybe Country at deep down but her Broadway voice sails even while singing of a broken heart.
The
album releases today and showcases October 22nd at the Blender
Theater in Manhattan. Wear your Cowboy hat.
Dave
Anyway... arriving back from a tough 6 weeks in Europe and catching up on a few reviews they were backed up and I've noticed this somewhat startling fact.
So here we go. Two Australian bands/artists. Both very folky. Both producing some of the best music to vacuum / go on a car trip to Dubbo with.
Sal Kimber is very much a soloist with a backing band. There's something about her that you can instantly tell that she's obviously:
1. grown up in the country (the Australian country - you can't get away from that unmistakable Aussie twang)
2. been playing music for quite a while
The debut album, Sounds Like Thunder, The songs are both beautiful and catchy. The overall sound is warm and rich in texture. Her band, the Good Ole Boys, defiiinitely compliment her voice perfectly.
Plus, i dont think you can go wrong with a banjo and a piano accordian (unless you leave me alone in a room with them, of course).
Standout track for me is MET Police. Asside for being completely true lyrically, it's probablyu the most catchy and and as i sit here listening to it now I feel a great urge to do a small jig.
You can look and listen to Sal Kimber at some of these places:
http://www.salkimber.com.au
http://www.myspace.com/salkimber
Lamplight on the other hand are a definte 5-piece. When i mentioned Sal Kimber and her Good Ole Men produce a texture rich sound.... that's nothing compared to Lamplight.
Lamplight, is their (self-titled) second LP release...two songs recorded in Old Castlemaine Gaol (Swallowing the Key and Image House)... quite fitting when you listen to the lyrics... but the acousitcs in that place must have been amazing.
Only 8 songs in total... but each feels more epic than the next.
A thick rich sound, a vast array of instruments, the sounds of which intricatly weaved together. Strings, woodwind, piano, vocals, drums, melodies, harmonies, girls, boys.... ooh!
Gotta love the clarinet... of course, i am biased.
Now, I can hear you saying "where can i see these guys?"... well all hope is not lost. Lamplight are venturing Northward to play the Popkomm festival in Berlin in October and then venturing around some of the rest of Europe. So keep your ears to the ground... the internet knows all!
Look at them and Lamplight related stuff here: http://www.lamplight.com.au/ (and spot the spelling mistake)
And look! It seems that Lamplight have just relased their debut album The Fish Will Walk... Brilliant!
One more little thing.... just a small mention. I was recently trudging around a field in wellies at Summer Sundae in Leicester. I was delighted to stumble across a band that I had not heard of (but feel free to abuse me if you have).... Reverend and the Makers. Check it for youself. Just three more words... dirty dirty accents.
That's it!
Sally| Vu wrote: Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 10:08 PM |
Sally, I wanted to add that Reverend and the Makers are one of the earliest band that we covered. To bring you up to date: in March 2007, Mads wrote about them, stating
Reverend And The Makers is one of those UK bands that has been getting lots of attention through Internet music forums and extensive gigging
In January 2008, guess what's playing on my iPod non-stop?
I love this song, and lately it's been playing nonstop on my iPod since Reverend and the Makers' debut album The State of Things, released September 2007.
It would seem that they've made their round to you.














