Mike Tod & Cabin Songs are releasing the new album The California Recordings this coming Saturday at a release show at The Lantern here in Calgary!
Mike is such a good guy and has a love for music that, being a music nerd myself, even I admire. He has recently made a trip down South and came back with a selection of stripped down acoustic tracks to show for it. I had the opportunity to hear a lot of these new songs from The California Recordings live already at a small intimate show and they hit home. You know the music comes from within him and while many in the music industry may tell you that they feel this way, with Mike Tod I believe it. I also find that he might belie his young age with both his knowledge of traditional folk music along with being able to perform it authentically.
Stand out songs like The Ballad of the Miner, I’m Coming Back and The Crow are stunningly (and achingly) good and ease up next to you without you noticing. This type of intimate recording puts you next to it and it plays to you and not at you. Some of the songs might be a bit raw for those looking for shiny and polished studio recordings but that wouldn’t be Mike Tod or even these songs. The songs are “A collection of folk songs sung, written or heard while travellin’ through the woods of Northern California…” as he puts it. Listen and watch You’ll Have To Excuse Me below to get an idea.
You’ll Have To Excuse Me from Dylan Rhys Howard on Vimeo.
The few more details of the album release show can be found at the Facebook event (here) or his brand new website at MikeTod.com and you can still pre-order it via Bandcamp and even swing by the Cabin Songs label. If in the Calgary area, don’t miss the opportunity to see a bit of the below type of show:
Full details for the show:
The California Recordings | Mike Tod Album Release Show
The Lantern Community Church
1401 10th Avenue SE
Calgary, AB
8:00pm – All Ages
With very special guests
The Bitterweed Draw (acoustic set)
Tyler Butler
& Robbie Bankes
~Sandy (Smansmith)