Hey crew, Sman here, I know I might have you confused with all these “guest bloggers” the last while but this is from yours truly here at Slowcoustic!  Just touching base with everyone and passing along some items of note for me lately.  I also want to thank everyone from my “Best of 2009″ Blogger crew thus far (still Captains Dead, You Crazy Dreamers and Slowcoustic next week!) – please head over to the side column and click on any one of the images to visit one of them (or two, or three) they are all good folks – and you just might find some great writing and listening as well!!

For me, I have been sitting back, feet up while other people put posts together for Slowcoustic.  No, seriously, it has eased my plate a bit to have everyone submit posts and at this time of year it just makes it easier to get through the holidays, ya know?  Big things planned for next year with me, so hopefully it doesn’t affect Slowcoustic too drastically – but trust me, you all will like it!

Just some items I have been listening to and enjoying this week:

• New Angus and Julia Stone video – beautiful, just like the song.  I especially love the very beginning with the Joanna Newsom inspired vocals…love it! (new EP available via iTunes)

• I posted the Luxury Wafers video for “Casualties” from J. Tillman (my favourite track from JT) over on You Crazy Dreamers a couple of days ago – god damn that song sounds good!  Visit Luxury Wafers to watch, read an interview and pick up 3 live tracks free!!  Highly recommended, a bounty of Tillman over there this week!
• I have a crazy good song of the week – Hezekiah Jones covers the Lemonheads “Drug Buddy” – it is posted on their MySpace page…soo good.  Bonus HJ track: “Nothing’s Bound”
• A lot of festive tracks flying through the inbox (and music blogs) these last few weeks.  Random track: “Merry Christmas Everyone” from unknown good samaritans.
• A nice surprise in the inbox the other day was Jason Ward’s self released album “Almighty Row”.  If you like dark acoustic atmosphere, you will love the influences of Radiohead, Ryan Adams and even Alice & Chains…Alice & Chains…not sure about that one.  Take a sample below and pick up the full album HERE.
  “Bottom” & “Hinting Towards The Door”
• Another band you will need to know about a bit more (and I will follow up with a full post shortly) is Evening Chorus who were recently featured over on The Waiting Room via WOXY Radio.  Drunk Country at TWR hit me up with the news and I have to thank him for it – take a quick sample of this young Cardiff based quartet.  They are one to watch in the next year – think the new side of UK folk like Mumford & Sons, etc.  Check out Tart’s post over on Love Shack, Baby as well by clicking here.  Take a listen:  “Decisions” from Evening Chorus.  Visit them on MySpace.

That’s all I have for now, let me know if you found anything recently that is warming this winter season…

~Smansmith

p.s.  The top photo is taken from HERE and is from a park in my old home town of Winnipeg.  Looks beautiful, feels frigid.