This is a collection of things that I am simply posting as they are frickin’ good and I think more people need to join in on the fun. These artists aren’t related in any way (as far as I know), but I tend to put them in the same boat or for you mix-tapers, they would make good artists for the same playlist. Some of this is new, some isn’t but its some good ‘alt-country’/singer songwriter/troubadour type stuff. I said it was good right?
- Theodore has a new EP “Blood Signs” that kinda came in under the radar as I had absolutely no idea. See their artist page and purchase on Misra Records here. For a sample, visit the “I Went To A Show” blog for an interview with the band and the free track “All I Ask” from the EP – its a slow burning to full on rock ballad, and its fantastic. Listen to a stream of “Abilene” from the EP on a recent trip to KDHX in St. Louis as well below.
Theodore “Abilene” Live at KDHX 5/18/11 by KDHX - One of my favourite bands in the last few months is Kill County and their amazing 2010 album “The Year of Getting By” (see a quick post here). This album would have been on my best of list in 2010 if I had actually known about it then – yes, I’m kicking myself now. I thought you might need a quick push to listen to these guys with a couple of tracks from their previous album State Line (which is a free download on their Bandcamp page here). This is some of the best slowed down, torch song country tunes you will find.
~ “Three Bullets”
~ “Of Roads and Streets” - Will Johnson (of Centro-matic and South San Gabriel fame) has a new acoustic EP out on Undertow Records called “Little Raider” and it is a great listen. It is the kind of release that will easily be a favourite EP of 2011 and would easily fall onto a favourite album of this year list with 4-5 more songs as simply filler. Admittedly I do like the slower side of Johnson with SSG more than CM but when he does that solo thing, it is just punch yourself in the face good. You can purchase it here (only 56 more copies left as I type this sentence). I don’t know of any promo track from this EP but there is a free 24 track CM/SSG sampler on their Centro-matic website, so let’s listen to a couple of SSG songs to get you in the mood and coax you into picking up one of those 56 copies of Little Raider.
~ “Charred Resentment the Same”
~ “Alabama Crusade” - Willy Vlautin of Richmond Fontaine had a couple of videos from his recent stop at NoAlibis. The new album is called The High Country and I am looking forward to it very much. The below video is presumably from the new album (from the title alone), so it kinda kicks it up a notch in the needing-to-hear-this-new-album-now category. Thanks to ‘Tabbedout’ in the AltCountryTab forums for the heads up! Watch & listen:
That is all I have for now, but what is everybody else listening to?
~Smansmith