Wanted to let you all know about this month’s Feel Bad For You (FBFY) Mixtape is themed for the acoustic types.  So clearly I am all over this.  I have been contributing for a while now with a bunch of other bloggers, music lovers and all around alt-country types.  This month my submission is a live acoustic version of “Iso-residue” done solo by Will Johnson of Centro-matic and it is awesome.   The stream is embedded below and below even that is what was submitted and by whom.  Our good friend Rockstar Aimz over at the My Aimz is True blog is our illustrious leader and who is corralling us each month – visit her.

So then , 17 acoustic tracks for your Sunday listening, enjoy!

1. Title: Stagolee
Artist: Beck
Album (year): Avalon Blues: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt (2001)
Submitted By: noteethleroy
Comments: I wish Beck would do more simple stuff, he’s damn good at it.

2. Title: Sun Comes Up, It’s Tuesday Morning
Artist: Cowboy Junkies
Album (year): Acoustic Junk (2009)
Submitted By: erschen

3. Title: American Tune
Artist: Darrell Scott (Paul Simon)
Album (year): Modern Hymns (2008)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: One of my favorite Paul Simon songs, covered by one of my favorite singer-songwriters. A song that never fails to touch my soul.

4. Title: Black Mother Pray
Artist: Tarrus Riley
Album (year): Mecoustic (2012)
Submitted By: tincanman2010
Comments: No-end-to-his-talent young singer’s latest dares you to take a spiritual inventory. More here: http://bit.ly/HOU94Z

5. Title: The Foothills
Artist: Sara Watkins (written by Watkins and Blake Mills)
Album (year): Sun Midnight Sun (2012)
Submitted By: Mando Lines
Comments: Big acoustic instrumental tune, sounds like a movie theme. One of two instrumentals on Watkins’ great new record, which contains a duet with Fiona Apple as well as guest vocals by Jackson Browne and Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes).

6. Title: East Nashville Skyline
Artist: Todd Snider
Album (year): What The Folk – Belcourt Theater – Nashville TN (2005)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: This version of ENS is much different than the one Snider included on his Peace, Love & Anarchy release of demos and rarities or that he now performs in his shows. And frankly, I like it better. I was really fortunate to be in the audience the night of this show to hear it. Todd’s show that night capped a great triple-header. Tommy Womack opened and was then followed by Hayes Carll. Todd then took center stage as the headliner and was accompanied by Womack and Jeff Austin of the Yonder Mountain String Band.

7. Title: Stuck on the Inside
Artist: DeepSeaGreen
Album (year): Acoustic Sessions (2011)
Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: DeepSeaGreen are a garage-rock band from London formed in late 2008. The four piece is made up of brothers Jon and Daniel Jefford (on guitar and drums respectively), Trent Halliday (vocals, guitar) and Marco Menestrina (bass).

8. Title: Loveless Park
Artist: Jason and Alison
Album (year): Woodshed (1995)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: Before forming Verbow, Jason Narducy and Alison Chesley played together as an acoustic duo and put out this album. This is one of my favorite songs – simple, beautiful melody that betrays somewhat downer lyrics. Great song.

9. Title: We Can’t Make it Here
Artist: James McMurtry
Album (year): unreleased (2004)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: I yanked this acoustic version off of McMurtry’s web site a while ago. Very few bands and artists write topical or political songs, and even fewer do it well. McMurtry excels at it, and when all is said and done, this song may be the song that best represents the 2000’s.

10. Title: Iso-Residue (acoustic)
Artist: Will Johnson (Centro-matic)
Album (year): Original on Candidate Waltz (2011)
Submitted By: Slowcoustic
Comments: I always was a big fan of Will Johnson and here he shows he can also take an more upbeat Centro-matic tune and give it the solo Will Johnson acoustic touch. This guy can rarely do wrong acoustically in my books.

11. Title: Anastasia
Artist: Loomer
Album (year): BBC Live Session Track from 2005 (from the Songs of the Wild West Island album 2006)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Fell in love with this track when I first heard it and it remains a favourite, it’s a different tempo and mood (and all the better for it in IMHO) than the album version.
Not sure if the band are still together or recording a quick Google revealed little accept a parked website but you can listen to Anastasia and other tracks from the album here http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/LOOMER and download at eMusic. http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/loomer/songs-of-the-wild-west-island/11255770/

12. Title: Question
Artist: The Old 97’s
Album (year): Hit By A Train: The Best Of Old 97′s (2006)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: This one goes out to Laura. I surprised her with ‘the question’ over 22 years ago.

13. Title: Coffee Blues (Live)
Artist: Mississippi John Hurt
Album (year): Salty Dog (orig. 1963, comp. album 2009)
Submitted By: Gorrck
Comments: Acoustic, but with a microphone. Does that still count? I traded the Bluesmobile for a microphone.

14. Title: Broken Man
Artist: Lauderdale
Album (year): Moving On (B Sides/unreleased) (2011)
Submitted By: Corey Flegel – This Is American Music

15. Title: Candy Cane Crawl
Artist: Greg Dulli
Album (year): non-album, live track from 2010 acoustic tour
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: Submitting this track on Greg fucking Dulli’s 46th birthday. It’s one of my favorite songs by my favorite artist, containing nearly all the elements that make me love him – the cinematic sweep, the perfectly imperfect vocals, and the knife that cuts my soul right in two and lets all the dirt and light and blood and secret beauty pour right out. He’s accompanied by Dave Roesser on guitar and backing vocals, and Rick Nelson on cello.

16. Title: Goodbye California
Artist: Jolie Holland
Album (year): Escondida (2004)
Submitted By: Brad Kelley
Comments: Jolie Holland was in the Be Good Tanyas, but I only recently discovered her. Love her voice and inflections.

17. Title: Elk River Blues
Artist: Ernie Carpenter
Album (year): Tales of Elk River Country (1986)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: The Elk River runs through central WV and was dammed off in 1958 to form Sutton Lake. Ernie Carpenter wrote this tune while sitting on the ridge looking down at Sutton Lake as it covered what used to be his family’s old homeplace. Such powerful emotions from just one fiddle.

~~~

You can find the series over at the website courtesy of A Truer Sound by one simply click HERE.

~Smansmith

Kill County - February 2012 (courtesy of their Facebook page)

If you are a reader of this blog you know that one of the things I really, really, really enjoy is a heartfelt “country” song that has a bit of twang and southern heartland influence.  It also helps if it is acoustic and (more or less) akin to a sad bastard song.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised (re: totally stoked) when the good folks at Hear Nebraska led me to a recent performance from one of Kill County’s driving forces, Ringo over in Michigan at WCBN 88.3.  See Hear Nebraska’s post here with a bit more info on the band’s current situation and for the full SoundCloud stream of all 5 tracks.

As HN alludes and Ringo himself indicated to me, the follow up to 2010′s fantastic “The Year of Getting By” is well on its way for this year and will be another vinyl release!  If these songs are a sign of the new album, count yours truly in for a spot at the front of that line when it comes out.  Listen to a few tracks courtesy of Hear Nebraska’s SoundCloud account below.

Seek out more on Kill County: Bandcamp | Facebook

~Smansmith

As I didn’t have a specific reason to post today, I thought I would share some tracks that have been spinning on a regular basis while at home, at work and in the car.  I make massive amounts of personal playlists as I have a fairly long commute and I cannot stand being at work with only the sound of buzzing fluorescent lights.  So what am I saying?  Feel free to send me suggestions in the comments or even tweet at me on the twitters with any suggestions.

~~

Nice split 7″ now out from Kill County (with Good Saints) and I like it soo much we will be giving away a copy of it in the next 1-2 weeks, so keep an eye out here for that give-away.  Ever since their fantastic “The Year of Getting By” these Nebraskans have been on the center of my radar – this track “Brown Lee” is another reason why.

~~

While we are putting out Tyler Butler’s Winter King re-release in a few weeks at Yer Bird Records – I don’t want ya to forget about this little gem that has seen some repeated listens in the last week.  From his ‘Feral Horse‘ release in early 2010 continues to show the stark beauty in Butler’s songs.  Don’t miss this one.

~~

Jonas David was mentioned to me from April over at Common Folk Music and I am finally getting to listen to it – very nice moments of acoustic jams along with a bit of full band mixed in for good measure.  It really excels in the quieter tracks like “Let Me Live” above so check out Jonas David as this is another German who knows his stuff.

~~

Tim Showalter is now teasing us with a track before he digs into new music for Strand of Oaks.  This time we get the Weathervane Music helmed Shaking Through session with his track ‘Spacestations’.  There is a whole feature via Shaking Through and well worth a watch and it is a free download too!

~~

That is all for now, but I will be starting this type of post more often in order to get more music recommendations out to y’all.  Enjoy!

~Smansmith

Not much to say here as I literally just started listening to Mr. Willy Tea Taylor about 5 days ago.  Thanks to the heads up from my good friends The Sumner Brothers on this true country crooner.   The voice, the look and the down home warmth you get from listening (even if they aren’t the sunniest of subject matter) is a breath of fresh air.  Despite often getting lost in gritty country tunes, sometimes you need a bit of good ol’ boy mixed in with your whisky.  Just sayin’.

Take a listen to a couple of tracks from his ’4 Strings’ album that came out last year below.  “Life is Beautiful” is what you expect and an amazing country ballad of country life & love.  Also, for a bit of context on this album I included the lead off track ‘Bones’ that gives me a strong Tallest Man on Earth vibe…and we all know we like that around here.

~

Please swing by and take a listen to the album on his Bandcamp page and for more info you can visit his website HERE.

~Smansmith

I know I have posted many times on this album and I am releasing it on my label over at Yer Bird Records, so I can’t really get into it anymore without making y’all upset.  So then, here is a track to listen to and let’s pretend that this is the first you have heard of this discovery and are ready to purchase and send me personal thanks for bringing it to your attention.

Find out more from our Label page or Bandcamp page.
Purchase: Label | iTunes | Amazon

~Smansmith

A quick update on our upcoming release over on Yer Bird Records from John Statz: its now streaming in full on our bandcamp page!  The album is due for release in two weeks (January 24th) and will have a limited CD release alongside the super futuristic digital versions that all the kids are talking about.  The album is 10 tracks and includes some of the most honest rural Americana you will find (I am biased though…apparently).  If you don’t believe me, just take a listen to tracks like the banjo laden ’1898′ and the heartfelt laments like ‘Tired of Telephones’ or ‘Baltimore’ and then dig into the beautifully stripped down cover of Frightened Rabbit’s ‘Old Old Fashioned’.  Just a suggestion but you should swing by and give ‘er a spin.

~

While this isn’t Statz’s first kick at the can at making great Americana albums (proof), we are just proud and excited to be on board with him and his latest album.  Old Fashioned was produced by legendary Bo Ramsey (who also lends some vocals/guitar) with the added bonus of Jeremiah Nelson playing almost everything (and who did the artwork) and the icing on this talented cake would be the lovely Peita Brown!  It is a collaborative effort for sure and the results ends up as quality listening for you laid back country folk types.

Visit John Statz: Website | Old Fashioned on Bandcamp | Yer Bird Records

~Smansmith

P.S. Find a great post by our friends over at Cover Lay Down on the album HERE.

The Sumner Brothers - photo by Nate Lepp

Recently I received the December newsletter from The Sumner Brothers (sign up on their website here) and for the last bit they have been coming with a new cover song each month.  Well, to be honest they have been absolutely stellar.  Some Cash, some Haggard and even some Waits.  Well this December came a great track originally from Airon Dugas (or A.P. Dugas as he records under…I believe) called “Old Skin”.  It was recorded essentially solo from Brian Sumner and it has floored me lately, it is that good.  While I have been a fan of the Sumner Brothers for years, Dugas is new to me from the last month or so.

A.P. Dugas - photo by Kristin Dione Photography

So, after telling you that the most recent cover song is that good, I am not posting it.  I’m a bastard that way.  Sign up for the newsletter and get it free – I ain’t stealing music from musicians…I’m a blogger!  ;-)  No seriously – both A.P. Dugas and The Sumners have been on serious repeat lately after hearing that cover song, so I thought I would throw a few tracks at ya to get you on board.

Tomorrow Wendy by A.P. Dugas by Pluckluck Seattle
~
Lose Your Mind by Bob Sumner by Pluckluck Seattle
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09 Ticket to Ride by thesumnerbrothers
~
A.P. Dugas – Old Skin by For The Sake Of The Song
~

Bonus is the video for Carolina from A.P. Dugas that I found about a week or so ago via The Sumner Brothers Facebook page.  Soo good.

So class, what are you listening to?  That is right – The Sumners and Airon Dugas.  Thank you.

Visit The Sumner Brothers: Website, Facebook & Twitter
Visit A.P. Dugas: MySpace (sorry, not too much on Dugas…yet)

~Smansmith

p.s.  If you haven’t heard the Sumner Brothers cover Townes Van Zandt’s “Colorado Girl” you are in for a treat.  Visit HearYa who posted it a while back right here.

This track has seriously been on repeat for about 2 weeks and qualifies for “Best New Music” already. You know him, but do you know him as a “solo artist”?  Ryan Boldt of The Deep Dark Woods looses none of the prairie roots magic with his own material in comparison to the DDWs.

The track is “Mary Hamilton’s Last Goodnight” and is a spectacularly slow and waning Canadiana track.  The signature vocals of Boldt that immediately bring you to those achingly beautiful tracks from his day job as lead of the Saskatchewan indie heroes The Deep Dark Woods.  I apologize for consistently mentioning the band as this track stands alone as proof of Boldt as a solo artist (even if he isn’t one).  Thanks again to Zachary Lucky & the Prairie Roots Revue for bringing this recording to my attention.  Everyone, enjoy your new favourite track, “Mary Hamilton’s Last Goodnight”.

Follow Ryan Boldt on Facebook and follow on Twitter already!  You can also find The Deep Dark Woods and their newest album (our #3 album of 2011) “The Place I Left Behind” HERE.

~Smansmith

The numbering (as most year end list makers will indicate) is pretty accurate but each album had definitely fluctuated over the course of the year but overall they can easily settle at a +/- 3 spots.  So let’s get started!

~Slowcoustic’s Favourite Albums of 2011~

12.  Mount Moriah – Mount Moriah

~~

11.  South of Lincoln (now The Great American Desert) – Homes

Man, Pt. I by South of Lincoln

~~

10.  Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Wolfroy Goes To Town

~~

9.  Bon Iver, Bon Iver

“Calgary”

~~

8.  William Elliott Whitmore – Field Songs

William Elliott Whitmore – Field Song by antirecords

~~

7.  Chris Bathgate – Salt Year

“Salt Year”

~~

6.  Frederick Squire – Sings Shenandoah and Other Popular Hits

“All Things Past Serve To Guide You On Your Way”

~~

5.  Tyler Butler – Winter King

“Morana”

~~

4.  Dolorean – The Unfazed

Dolorean – Country Clutter by Fargo Records

~~

3.  The Deep Dark Woods – The Place I Left Behind

West Side Street by The Deep Dark Woods

~~

2.  Jeffrey Foucault – Horse Latitudes

“Goners Most”

~~

1.  Josh T. Pearson – Last of the Country Gentlemen

Josh T. Pearson – Woman, When I’ve Raised Hell (Alternative Version) by Mute UK

~~

There you have it.  Now…discuss!

~Smansmith

Today we have the honour of premiering a track from the soundtrack of the upcoming film “Brunswick” set for limited release next week.  But before we get into the music created by Matthew Carefully for the film, you will need a bit of back story of what Brunswick is.

Synopsis:

Brunswick is a film about landscape change, told through the personal story of a farmer’s lifelong connection to his now-threatened land. The film weaves together the plight of Sanford Bonesteel, an aging farmer in his 90s, with the dynamics of small-town politics as a residential development is planned on Sanford’s former land.

The film takes place in Brunswick, New York, a small country town facing the challenge of balancing economic growth with the preservation of its rural character. It is a story both specific to Brunswick and yet recognizable to rural communities all over the United States.

So now you see the title of the track ‘Farm Prayer’ really makes sense here – both a beautiful full song in acoustics and meaning.  Before I say I have a strong connection to the American Farmer, you have to know I am Canadian, but from a small town with numerous farms and I see the nature of today’s world reflected in what today’s farmers are experiencing.  Some say that the future can’t be stopped and today’s (re: the future’s) world isn’t meant to be slow & meandering, lazy walks through wheat fields, the life that you live from and of the earth…if I was to say.  Sure there are pockets of the true rural communities around today, but I fear they are becoming a different beast now.  Sometimes progress can be needed and sometimes it is just painful in the transition.  Ahhh me, always one to be living in the city while always having a mind steeped in a rural state of mind.  But enough about it, watch the trailer below:

The Soundtrack

The soundtrack from Matthew Carefully (Bandcamp page) is as you would expect it would be.  Full of acoustic performances – 6 of which are instrumental and 4 that provide lyrics over layers of strings.  All have been written specifically for the project over the last 5 years and aren’t just sounds that looked good and happened to match with visuals.  These songs reflect the heart of a movie like Brunswick – I can only assume that the way you feel listening to the album would be the way you would experience the film.

Carefully provides a truly rural aura that flows throughout the album – it isn’t always a sombre affair with songs that truly make you think of the country lifestyle ‘Homestead Farm Bustle‘ to the heartbreaking instrumental ‘Well-Wished Waltz‘ through the banjo laden duet with Carefully and Katie Hammon on the opening track ‘Walks With Purpose‘.  I don’t know how the movie ends, but with one listen to the last track from the album in the instrumental ‘He Walks Away, Sincere’ it leaves you with a sense of hope and almost peace…probably one of the most beautiful tracks on the whole album.

The song below is my favourite on the soundtrack as I think it sums up the subject matter and the overall feel for the music on this movie.  ‘Farm Prayer’ brings the power of an instrumental but with Carefully’s pining lyrics of remembering what was is no longer.  Listen to just over 2 minutes what rural/country/farm living used to mean.

“Farm Prayer” – from the Soundtrack to Brunswick, by Matthew Carefully

For more information on the Movie from film maker Nate Simms, visit www.BrunswickFilm.com.

For more information on Matthew Carefully (and a full back catalog info) visit him on his Website and read about the experience of making the album from his blog space HERE.

~Smansmith

Lead off track from the soon to be released John Statz album has its official release today!  The track is ‘Distance’ from the album ‘Old Fashioned’ due for full release on January 24th, 2012.  If you are at all familiar with Statz, you will find the new material possibly a bit more refined and even a bit fuller than previous albums.  The album itself is gorgeous, full of lazy prairie folk with a soft edge of good ol’ Americana.  Dig into the FREE DOWNLOAD ‘Distance’ now via Bandcamp HERE.  If that is too much effort, always feel free to listen to the stream via our Yer Bird Records Soundcloud page below.

John Statz – “Distance” by Yer Bird Records

We seriously can’t wait for you to hear the whole album – expect another track to surface in December with the worldwide album release in January.  Damn that seems far away now doesn’t it?

~Smansmith

Well look at this…we just announced our next release over on Yer Bird Records and it is with all around Slowcoustic friend John Statz!  Having been listening to John’s music for years, when the opportunity presented itself we thought it would be a perfect fit.  The music of Statz comes in as an almost modern day prairie country tinged folk.  I know that encompasses a lot of genres but his music can span them and hold the ear of die hard fans of all of those styles.

For now, you can listen to his back catalog (highly recommended) over on his Bandcamp page HERE and like him on the ol’ Facebook HERE.  Also, stream one of my all time favourite tracks from Statz in his “Budapest Session” version of Everything To Me from his Ghost Towns album from 2010.

~Smansmith

Just a quick one today as I have been a bit ‘meh’ lately on getting my bloggin on.  One thing that recently got me out of my funk (or is getting me out of my funk) is the series of Sunday live performances in Vancouver arranged by Slowcoustic favourites The Sumner Brothers.  For The Sake Of The Song Sundays is my kind of gig, if you are in the area this weekend, you should go.  Stripmall Ballads will be playing for Christ’s sake (pun intended).

Listen to a free download from the new Stripmall Ballads website: “Blue Flavored Gatorade”

Also as a bonus and proof of the amazing talent hitting these shows – listen to the below and be blown away.

A.P. Dugas – Old Skin by For The Sake Of The Song
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Ben Rogers – Cowboys and Indians by For The Sake Of The Song
~

Find out more on the events by following them/liking them on Facebook here: For The Sake Of The Song.

~Smansmith

There just might be a bit of West Texas in all of us, it is just a lot more front and center with Caleb Coy.

Caleb Coy announced a new Kickstarter campaign to fund his next album just yesterday.  If you are interested in great lo-fi (or maybe not so ‘lo-fi’ for the upcoming album) folk country, then this is your chance to get in on the ground floor.  Its an ambitious endeavor to get recording time, vinyl pressings and essentially a full package album (with PR) made these days and in exchange of being part of the process, you can make it actually happen!  I guess that is the idea behind it, you are donating to get the rewards of great music…its pretty simply really.  Visit the campaign HERE.  Watch the video below.

Take a listen to one of my favourites from his Yer Bird Records released album “Wild Desert Rose”, the track “Rambler’s Lament”.

~Smansmith

Thought I would post on my top LAST.FM artists of the last 6 months for your perusal and judgment.  While not completely accurate of my listening as there is still my listening to music non-stop during my commute to work (2 hours daily) and my sad basement day job that don’t get scrobbled to Last.fm for these charts.  Overall I feel they reflect what I am listening to, but some artists may be up or down a spot or two.  Let’s get on with it!

~Slowcoustic’s Last 6 months of top artists playlist~

1.) Dolorean
Listen: Ghost of David (Damien Jurado Cover)

2.) South of Lincoln

3.) Jeffrey Foucault
Listen: Goners Most

4.) The Deep Dark Woods
Listen: West Side Street

5.) Pickering Pick
Listen: Like a River

6.) J. Tillman
Listen: Three Sisters

7.) Tyler Butler
Listen: Morana

8.) Frederick Squire
Listen: All Things Past Serve to Guide You on Your Way

9.) Bryan John Appleby

10.) William Elliott Whitmore
Listen: Old Devils

~~~

There you have it, what I have been listening to the most in the last 6 months.  What about you?

~Smansmith

Just pre-ordered my vinyl & T-Shirt combo for the new album via their Bandcamp – go here and get it too!

~~

This Owen track is EXACTLY how I hear his music.  This is like a greatest hits for Owen turned into a one-track anthem.

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Triggertown’s “TT” album is a FREE download via their Bandcamp page (here) and it includes some great tracks – I specifically love the waning violin matched to the pedal steel  in this track.  Soo good.

~~

You’re Almost There by Lanterns on the Lake

Lanterns on the Lake are about to release their new album on Sept. 19th and I have always kind of been partial to the spacey mellowed out beauty in their sound.  The new album is no different and provides it in spades.  MP3 download: “You’re Almost There”

~~

So enjoy your Saturday with a cross section of some music that could quite neatly fit into one corner of the box that is Slowcoustic.

~Smansmith

The song, ‘Red Rocking Chair’, is going to be part of an upcoming album of both Woody Guthrie and Traditional songs entitled “The Songs of Woody and Cisco” which in itself is connected to the current off Broadway production that Caleb is part of!  The production is appropriately called ‘Woody Guthrie Dreams’ and takes place in the last challenging moments of Guthrie’s life.  You can find more information on it here and check a promo shot below.

And now, how about that song?

Please enjoy the track, its a good one.  For other great tracks from Caleb – take a look at two previous posts here and here.

Visit Caleb Stine:  Website | Facebook

~Smansmith

(photo by Nick Wilkes)

Many do it.  Many will continue to do it.  Many don’t do it this well.  Covering Neil Young is almost a staple of any Country/Folk/Americana artist, but it isn’t something to take lightly.  It is all too easy to jam a cover and release it to the masses – we all know we are a blogger-coversong-world these days.  It just usually isn’t done where you feel like an artist borrows from another and if you didn’t know that little fact, that the song could be their own.

“Albuquerque (Neil Young Cover)” – Jeffrey Foucault – Signature Sounds Studio June 2011

Visit Jeffrey Foucault on his Website.
Purchase his stellar new album “Horse Latitudes” here.

~Smansmith

The other day I picked up (after waiting much too long) the Mostly Midwest Sampler Mixtape #1 (find it here with a ‘pay what you want option’).  They were doing a push to raise funds for all things Midwest and it simply prompted me to get off my ass and actually “donate” with a purchase.  I had been aware of it for a while and also aware of Jeremiah Nelson as well, but I found another little gem of a track from the mixtape in a 2008 recording from Nelson, “Favorite Chair”.  The song originally was part of his album ‘Take Me Down the Interstate’.

The song is fantastic.  It’s a slow summer morning, with sunlight picking out the dust lazily floating in the air…caught in each of the light’s streams through the window.  It is a piano meshed acoustic ballad and begs for simpler times when you can just sit down and listen – plain and simple, its great and you should listen to.

~~

Find more from Jeremiah on his website and Bandcamp page.

Check out the great duet with the amazing Heidi Spencer off his new album that was previously on Slowcoustic (via 5 Score Pachyderm) HERE.

~Smansmith

“In late August, I’ll be heading to Iowa City to work with legendary producer Bo Ramsey (http://www.boramsey.com/), who has worked with folks like Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown, Jeffrey Foucault, Calexico, Pieta Brown, and The Pines. Not only will he be producing the record, but he will also be playing guitar throughout. Bo Ramsey is a badass. I am pumped.”

I believe in the talent in this snowboarding, guitar lesson giving troubadour and so should you.  His most recent album “Ghost Towns” and follow up “Budapest Sessions” EP are both excellent additions to any fan of the singer songwriter genre.  For an example of the music and specifically during the Kickstarter campaign, John is offering up some free live tracks along the way, 1 each week on a rotating basis I think.  The first is up and it is the track ‘Baltimore’ recorded just this past May at a show in Denver.  Listen below:

~
Bonus: a track from each of the previously mentioned releases that are available (among all his albums) on his Bandcamp page.

~

Please be generous or just spread the word – much ‘preciated.

Find more on John Statz:
- Facebook
- Last.FM
- ReverbNation
- Twitter

~Smansmith

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

Jeffrey Foucault released his most recent album on May 3rd and it is very quickly becoming one of the strongest Americana albums I have heard in a long time.

Horse Latitudes should satiate the fans looking for original content and even make them wonder why he hasn’t done it sooner.  Known recently for collaborations and cover albums (albeit pretty darn good ones), it is nice to see some absolutely excellent music from Foucault again.  This album is 10 tracks of beautifully spun stories over waning guitar, gently strummed acoustics and Foucault’s gruff and well focused vocals.

When I first heard the title track a while back, I wasn’t sure what to think.  Still a good track but I think it is his burning country ballads that really make this album for me.  Songs like “Goners Most”, “Passerines” and “Heart to the Husk” are some of the best songs around in this genre.  Throw in “Last Night I Dreamed of Television”, “Idaho” and “Tea and Tobacco” and you have filled out an album of songs that all rate at least 8.5/10 in my books.  This album is a must if you are a fan and if you enjoy my analogy of warming whiskey on a back porch scenario – you must get this album as soon as you can.  Listen to one of my most played songs this spring below:

“Goners Most” – Jeffrey Foucault, from 2011′s “Horse Latitudes”

~
And this video for ‘Last Night I Dreamed of Television’:

Find more on Jeffrey Foucault on his Website & Facebook.

Purchase his albums via The Mighty Albert here (Get Miles From Lightning and Ghost Repeater as well) or iTunes here.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/05/13/jeffrey-foucault-provides-americana-beauty-on-horse-latitudes/feed/ 0 http://slowcoustic.com/2011/05/06/last-of-the-country-gentlemen-josh-t-pearson/ http://slowcoustic.com/2011/05/06/last-of-the-country-gentlemen-josh-t-pearson/#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 13:55:06 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5866

What can be said about this album that hasn’t been said and you have already heard?  If you are at least remotely interested in country, Americana, folk music in 2011, you have most likely already read and heard of Josh T. Pearson and his album “Last of the Country Gentlemen”.  A simple yet soo complex you can’t even delve into it album from a man creating a masterpiece.  Dramatic?  Yes.  That is what this album is essentially.  Its soo tortured, slow, hushed, hurt and haunting that you are left in turn feeling like it is dramatically beautiful and immense.  Last of the Country Gentlemen, best album of the year?  Yes.

03 Woman When I’ve Raised Hell by joshtpearson

Okay, getting worked up about an album released in March as the album of the year before hearing even half of what is released in 2011 is kinda my style…  To be fair, I will wait to officially make my decision in about 6 months but one needs to think that this album has the legs that very few other albums have had lately.  Don’t believe me?  Listen:

02 Country Dumb (Piano Version) by joshtpearson

So while I am not going to ‘review’ the album as you already know I love it, thus I am not an objective observer on the weight this album holds but I thought I might quote from a friend of mine.  The friend is Morgan King who I have known for a while now (and he is the original owner of Yer Bird Records that I now run – so you know we are on the same page) and he writes things as they should be.  While I strain to provide this album with proper prose, I am going to quote from Morgan on a review he did on his ‘Rate Your Music’ account.

“A massive, intimate triumph of an album. Certainly not for those with a short attention span, and in many ways not even for old fans of Lift to Experience, as this trades in the bombast of that record for something stripped bare of arena rock trappings, focusing on the core of self-doubt and the sheer hell of living with yourself that has permeated Pearson’s limited recorded output. Pearson’s sprawling free-folk narratives are laced with heady imagery and wry humor – with the backing of Warren Ellis’s always-gorgeous strings – create a broad tapestry of tragedy, remorse and recurring meditations on the sheer terror that comes with responsibility.”

Yes, I agree with this overview – it can be an album that is lost on some while those that actually ‘find’ it, discover it.  Morgan is writing the words that fail to fall from my fingertips when listening to this album.  But it doesn’t stop there.

“This is an extremely masculine, barely repentant, full-on Id album – limp-wristed scarf-wearing indie-pop fans need not apply, at least not until they’ve lived long enough to have experienced being bitterly divorced, being a righteous bastard, or had to shake off the morning DTs with a shot of bourbon while you’re still sitting on the toilet. Or, put another way, imagine if Leonard Cohen was a shit-kicking Texas drunk instead of an effete NYC martini-sipper and you’re getting pretty close. It’s highly unlikely 2011 will produce a more unique or compelling record.”

I personally think one thing that really hits home about the above quote is that this album IS extremely masculine – and outside of “boys don’t cry” mentality, this is another facet of the album’s raw appeal.  While Leonard Cohen fans may not like the comparison, I don’t think it is unwarranted – in relation to this album at least.   At this point, after all the many reviews on the album (mostly very positive except for the one glaringly obvious one at a certain music website) I have nothing other to say than this album is one that I will hold onto for a while and for good reason.  Give it a chance, you might see the light via his darkness.

Sweetheart I Ain’t Your Christ (piano version with Dustin O’Halloran) by joshtpearson

Find JTP:

~Smansmith

P.S. remember to get the vinyl version of the album as it includes the non CD track “Last of the Country Gentlemen”.
P.P.S. You might also know Morgan King as the one responsible for the original story in the Strand of Oaks Vinyl album.  The story that ties all songs from the album into one surreal tale…check it out if you can!

Video of the day from country crooners Kill County.  I totally slept on the album ‘The Year of Getting By” from late last year and I am just now starting to get into it – expect a more detailed post in the coming weeks.  The album is full of slowed down drinkin’ country, but does kick it up for those post-punk/honky-tonk fans out there (for good measure).  But for now, watch a one-take video for the track “The Train, The Drinks, and The Dawn” from Love Drunk over on Vimeo!

Kill County: The Trains, The Drinks, and The Dawn from Love Drunk on Vimeo.

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Visit the boys on their Bandcamp Page HERE and pick up their album for a lousy $5.00 (or more)!

~Smansmith

Still getting immersed in Tim Easton and I thank the good folks at AltCountryTab.ca for the discussion on his new albums that sparked my interest in this Californian singer-songwriter-outlaw-type.  After hearing about the two new albums (one more rock n’ country and one acoustic – guess which one I like more??) I started searching him out and found some great videos.  Take a few minutes to watch/listen to the two promo videos for both Tim and his microphone (??)…never the less, it is quality watching and listening.

Visit his website and get both new albums (signed versions as well) for $25.00! – click here.  Currently I have been enjoying the “Since 1966″ side of things (acoustic), but the “Beat the Band” album’s title track is pure Alt-Country ballad perfection.  So essentially you can’t lose.

Well enough rambling, lets get to two videos that I have been enjoying this weekend.

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~

I really like both these videos and Highway 62 Love Song was directed by Doug Beale who also provided the main image above which is the “Since 1966″ album cover.  Love that shit.

Well, that is all – go enjoy some Tim Easton this Sunday already.

~Smansmith

Visit Caleb Stine: Website & Facebook.
Pick up his recent (amazing) album “I Wasn’t Built For a Life Like This” at his store.

~Smansmith

Just wanted to update that one of my favourite laid back son of a bitches Jeffrey Foucault has a new album out the beginning of May called “Horse Latitudes”.

While Foucault’s original material has always had a positive response, the last few releases have been a mixture of covers, collaborations and live efforts.  All still pretty darn solid in my opinion, but I am looking forward to another album of originals.  The album is supposed to fill the dance card with uptempo jams and ‘whispering solo pieces’, so it looks to have a bit of everything.  Take a listen to the title track below;

“Horse Latitudes” – Jeffrey Foucault
from 2011′s “Horse Latitudes” (Pre-Order)

You can find more downloads on his website and a few mentions of JF right here on Slowcoustic (here, here & here).

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/22/new-album-alert-jeffrey-foucaults-horse-latitudes-out-may-3rd-2011/feed/ 1 http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/16/official-slowcoustic-sxsw-picks-friday-march-18th-2011-josh-t-pearson-strand-of-oaks-caleb-coy/ http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/16/official-slowcoustic-sxsw-picks-friday-march-18th-2011-josh-t-pearson-strand-of-oaks-caleb-coy/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:09:09 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5820

Okay, I admit I have not scoured the schedules at all or even really looked into it.  I am one of those bloggers that did not make the trip and I try to “forget” about SXSW partially due to jealousy and sheer rage.  Just kidding on the rage, I’m Canadian – let’s get real.

I just wanted to officially give my support on the artist(s) I would absolutely not miss at this year’s SXSW (music side of things) festival.  What?  No Kanye?  No Strokes?  No, this is Austin – you have to see some cowboys and try to keep it a bit “indie”.  Okay, the top pick for 2011 is Josh T. Pearson as he has made a masterpiece in his first solo album “Last of the Country Gentlemen” that was just released in the UK this week (US/CAN at the end of March).  Listen:

“Woman When I Raise Hell (Alternative Version)” – Josh T. Pearson

I also recommend seeing him on Friday, March 18th at the Muzzle of Bees BBQ as you will get to see another Slowcoustic favourite in Strand of Oaks!  Tim Showalter (Strand of Oaks) had my favourite album of 2010, so why the hell would anyone consider missing this guy?  He has more shows, but he happens to be sharing the bill with Josh T. Pearson – two birds, folks.

~~~

Also, I think a great cowboy to go see is our boy Caleb Coy who has a show on Friday night (after you see JTP & SoO) around 10:30pm at Stephen F’s Bar (info).  If you are looking for more along the lines of Josh in the cowboy variety, Caleb is your guy.  Listen:

“Suited Me (Richard Dobson Cover)” – Caleb Coy

So that is all I really have – 3 artist recommendations for those current and temporary Austinites.  Hope you all enjoy it, one day you will have to buy my a beer while we are all enjoying the warmth in some future March.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/16/official-slowcoustic-sxsw-picks-friday-march-18th-2011-josh-t-pearson-strand-of-oaks-caleb-coy/feed/ 0 http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/09/chris-kiehne-releases-pray-for-daylight-gives-it-away-for-free/ http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/09/chris-kiehne-releases-pray-for-daylight-gives-it-away-for-free/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:12:26 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5798

Just wanted to let y’all know about an album that came out of nowhere (for me, not for him) and you all need a listen or two…  Chris Kiehne just “released” the album Pray For Daylight and is giving it away absolutely free because he simply wants it to be heard.  Well, I’m liking what I’m hearing.

Chris Kiehne was part of the band The National Lights that released one of my favourite albums of 2007, “The Dead Will Walk, Dear” and when I heard from Chris, I was excited for new material.  If you are a fan of The National Lights, you get a glimpse into what might have been next for the band with this new set of songs.  This new album from Kiehne was started a while back but due to technical difficulties (hard drive crash), half of it was lost.  Well, with the help of Jeff Alford (pianist and general music-partner) and Sonya Cotton (also of The National Lights) they re-recorded the last half of the album and now it is out there!  It combines soft acoustics, a bit of twang, piano and gorgeous melodies that make it a perfect Slowcoustic listen.

Try a sample below in the title track & a link for the entire album:

“Pray For Daylight” – Chris Kiehne, from 2011′s “Pray For Daylight”
FULL Album Download

BONUS: I thought you need to hear a track from the amazing album The Dead Will Walk, Dear

“O, Ohio” – The National Lights
Purchase on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/09/chris-kiehne-releases-pray-for-daylight-gives-it-away-for-free/feed/ 6 http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/02/new-release-of-note-andy-berkhouts-love-without-fear/ http://slowcoustic.com/2011/03/02/new-release-of-note-andy-berkhouts-love-without-fear/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:27:59 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5768

I missed the official release of the album yesterday, but I actually didn’t post anything yesterday, so that makes it better?  Okay, okay, I really wanted to post and tell you about one of my favourite new albums of the Slowcoustic variety in Andy Berkhout’s “Love Without Fear”.  Andy is no stranger to Slowcoustic with his spot on acoustic takes on life, relationships and makes almost any subject matter sound good.

The new album is 10 tracks that don’t fall far from what we hold dear – acoustic, melody, harmonica and a bit of drawl.  While I don’t classify Andy as an Americana artist, there seems to be a bit of it hiding underneath his singer songwriter exterior.  You might hear a bit in songs like “So Patiently” and “It Takes Two” – just something there.  Then he will turn about and knock you over with stunning beauty in the delicate “Empty Room, Heavy Heart” and combine both Americana and the delicate in “Love’s Deep Embrace” (two of my current favourite tracks).

A little about the album from Andy’s Website:

“The album was recorded at R&R Music Labs, a young studio in St. Louis’ Dogtown neighborhood.  Engineers Ryan Albritton and Ryan Lewis (The Northwoods, Messy Jiverson) experimented with a variety of different room arrangements to capture the acoustic subtleties of the songs.  Much of the album was recorded live with no overdubs.  “I really wanted to make a record that would represent my natural sound, and knew this was the right way to do it,” says Berkhout.”

Andy cut his music making chops with a recent foray into releasing a song every week for a year.  Sounds daunting to say the least and if you followed it on his website you were privy to the growing talent of Andy as a songwriter and performer.  The series included better songs than most albums these days and it was a treat to get soo much music and so often – (see a post on one of those stellar songs here).  So essentially I am saying that you know this album wasn’t just thrown together, it grew out of crafting numerous tracks over time and it shows in the pretty darn solid collection of finger-picking, folk tinged beauties.  Definitely a recommended release.  Stream a few tracks below:

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Find more on Andy at his Website, Facebook and Bandcamp and follow him on Twitter!
Purchase on Bandcamp (and get a real copy of the new CD here), iTunes, eMusic.

~Smansmith

Don’t even ask how I found out about this album.  I admit I wasn’t up to speed in knowing about it in the first place (and by the sounds of it, I should have been) and it has been quite a great find I have to say!

Without looking into the album too much, I started listening because I found a Soundcloud stream somewhere that was off of a forum thread, etc, etc, etc.  So let’s start there – this is the song that first caught me.

Balthazar’s Song – Hiss Golden Messenger by blackmaps

So it’s essentially a fully acoustic lament on life.  The lyrics are honest, the sound of guitar strumming is familiar, frontman Michael C. Taylor (or Jai ‘Slim’ Diamond as he often is known) sings with a voice that is restrained and just cracks a little under the melody.  Then I listened to the next track from the Black Maps release.

No Lord Is Free – Hiss Golden Messenger by blackmaps

At this point, I was pretty much sold on this lo-fi album and there was no turning back, so I picked it up on eMusic.  I mean songs that sound to be single track and come off this easy to listen to is something that just doesn’t happen that often.  In fact I do tend to obsess over an album I like and over listen immediately  (which is currently happening at this point) but it is holding strong.  The sounds are essentially folky-bluesy-lofi and of the sad bastard variety, so what’s not to like?  Some might be put off by the un-production (or production to sound like the album is not overly produced), but that is what makes it work – it’s scratchy, unpolished and sounds like real life.  You know Taylor created these songs, plays these songs and possibly even lives them.  I am in debt to “Bad Debt” you could say.

RIYL: Early Phosphorescent & Elephant Micah

Find more on Hiss Golden Messenger on Blackmaps, Facebook and website.
Purchase Bad Debt on iTunes, eMusic, Amazon & Picadilly Records.

~Smansmith

“Overwrought”, “Self Indulgent”, “Painfully Slow” & “Rambling through the dark without care or focus”.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the new Josh T. Pearson album due out mid March (UK) and end of March (US/Can) – “Last of the Country Gentlemen”.  AND IT IS ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS I HAVE HEARD IN YEARS.

In regards to the opening quotes, I just thought I would get it out of the way what people will say when they ‘don’t get’ this album.  Admittedly, a guy who runs a music blog called Slowcoustic is going to find god in an album like Pearson’s latest.  And I just might have – it has been on constant repeat since I, ahem, obtained it.  Don’t freak out, I ordered the double CD from Rough Trade last week, so it all comes out in the wash…said the defendant…

So we have established that the Josh T. Pearson album “The Last of the Country Gentlemen” is still blowing my mind and I need you to hear another track from the album.  Okay, this version is not on the album, but it is similar to it and it is just as beautifully painful and comes in at just over 7 minutes [it might be one of the shorter songs from an album with 4 of the 7 tracks being over 10 minutes!]   Again, you have to get it to get it, and when you do get it, this album pays in spades.

Listen:

~~

Please consider picking up this album when it comes out – I am totally going to be that person who buys the CD and Vinyl after having the digital…its that good.

Find Josh T. Pearson:

~Smansmith

So I was going to do a “Calgary Concert Alert” as I saw Del Barber was going to be at the Ironwood here in Calgary this weekend…but apparently he isn’t.  Thank you very much Pollstar concert listings!  But then as I was gearing up to put a quick something together on the show, I realized I didn’t actually do a post on Del Barber’s most recent album “Love Songs for the last 20″.  Bad, bad Canadian (also from Winnipeg) music blogger.

I am no stranger to Del’s music (see previous mentions here and here) and I knew he had a new album, but with how things go, I simply missed out on at least a mention.  Well, better late than never I guess.  So Del Barber has a new album!

The album was released last June and continues on Del’s penchant for rootsy on the road Canadiana.  Yes Canadiana…its like Americana but comes with Canadian subject matter, locations, descriptions and it simply sounds like a great description for it.  Admittedly I haven’t given this album to truly enough listening to truly review or comment intelligently on it but it does stand up to the listening so far and I am punching myself now for not listening earlier.  Of the album so far, I prefer the pining tracks which he performs beautifully with such songs like “Katy Sparrow”, “62 Richmond”, “Miles and Years” and the duet “Love Song For the Last 20″.  He even has a prairie drawl if you listen, really great open range tunes.  But Del isn’t afraid to kick it up a notch and put some songs that I am sure to provide the extra something for his live shows.  Which is something I am not seeing this weekend.  Thanks again Pollstar.

Regardless, for a listen of the song Chicago, simply click below (courtesy of Craig over at Songs:Illinois – another Canadian album he posted on before me…).

“Chicago” – Del Barber, from 2010′s “Love Songs For the Last Twenty”

Bonus tracks previously posted:

“Harvest”
“Where the City Ends”
from the FANTASTIC 2009 album “Where The City Ends”

Find more Del Barber on his Facebook, MySpace and Twitter
Purchase Del Barber on CD Baby, eMusic, iTunes

~Smansmith

p.s.  Hey you Winnipeg peeps, don’t think “62 Richmond” is lost on me!  Lyric: “At a bus stop, confusion’s got him cornered…” nice, very nice.

p.p.s. Also, I am not having a stroke, I know I go back and forth with “20″ and “twenty” – Album art is “20″ vs song names are tagged “twenty”, so there.  ;-)

Mp3: “Woman, When I’ve Raised Hell (FD Acoustic Session)” – Josh T. Pearson

Josh T. Pearson’s upcoming album “Last of the Country Gentlemen” is a gut wrenching experience of an album.  It is hard to describe, but this is “essentially” a country album that sways into deep dark corners, digs out remnants of things not to be spoken of and delicately splays everything in front of you.  The album is stellar…dark…slow…straining…rambling and it’s going to be a contender for album of the year.

The song of the day today is “Woman, When I’ve Raised Hell” and I cannot stop listening to it.  The video and above mp3 is the FD Acoustic Session (audio is simply just a rip of the video, sorry for quality) and it is a great representation of the album as a whole.  Please join me in waiting in line to purchase this album this spring (March 14th in the UK at least).

You can sign up on his website mailing list right now (here) and receive the piano version of the first single “Country Dumb” that will be released Sunday Feb. 20th.

Find more about Josh and the upcoming album via Mute Records UK:

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~Smansmith

Caleb sent over another one of his covers this past weekend – this time he covers the buzz band everyone is looking forward to at SXSW this year – The Marshall Tucker Band.  Remember, you heard it here second.

“Fly Eagle Fly (Marshall Tucker Band Cover)” – Caleb Coy, unreleased

Bonus, find some more Caleb Coy from his debut album from us over on Yer Bird Records.
Caleb Coy
“I’ll Be Damned” (mp3)
from “Wild Desert Rose”
(Yer Bird Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

~Smansmith

Kyle Swartzwelder is one of those guys you always feel is flying under the radar with consistently great music.  While “country folk” isn’t the genre of music you really go into to become famous, it just seems like some people deserve a bit more.  Kyle is one of these people.

Kyle has quietly set forth his 3rd release in a 4 track EP of Neil Young trubutes and while it isn’t always “Slow and ‘coustic” as he noted to me, it still has phenomenal moments.  The EP has probably one of my current favourite songs in the epic seven and a half minute “Cortez the Killer” – just great.  It is a modern laid back country-fied version and just hits the spot.  I instantly felt the track and I knew this as there isn’t even vocals until over 2 minutes into the song and it isn’t out of place – the song is just a great listen.

Some people are wary of Neil Young “covers” as they have been done numerous times all over the world due to Young’s influence in this style of music – sometimes they work, sometimes you are just people singing other people’s music.  In this instance it really works and you must listen to Cortez the Killer right now, see below!

“Cortez the Killer” – Kyle Swartzwelder, from 2011′s “The Songs of Neil Young” EP

Please swing by and visit Kyle on his Website HERE, and purchase it HERE.
Visit Kyle on his Facebook, MySpace and Reverbnation pages.

~Smansmith

p.s.  If you enjoy covers, please check out his previous EP that has a vicious Springsteen cover of Thunder Road.  Also…tell me you have heard his Kathleen Edward’s “Away” cover too?

Greater Pacific are a “side project” of the band Travel By Sea – or rather include some members of TBS – and have released a 6 track digital EP on Yer Bird Records as of today!

The band is led by Kyle Kersten and John Phinney with the help of drummer Mike Cusick – all three also record as part of Travel By Sea.  With stunning flecks of Angela Correa mixed in for (very) good measure, this EP is a stunning if not somber affair.  Just the way we like it around here.

Rainfall is reminiscent of the work Travel By Sea do, but possibly with a much more slowed down country folk vibe.  For some listeners, they won’t be able to tell that distinction, but it is definitely there.  These 6 tracks are not hard drinkin’ country tracks, but more like snippets of relationship as told by troubadours of years that slip further away each year.  While the EP is all new material – it is old to the ears, slow paced, stories of life with pedal steel dripping from almost every moment.   While all the songs might not be slow burning heart breakers, the sounds accompanying Kersten’s well known timbre of vocals will tug at something inside of you, if only lightly easing you forward…with the help of your past.

The lead off track is “Distance” and you can listen below and watch the video:

Greater Pacific, Distance (2011) from Henkydory on Vimeo.

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Tracklisting

Your History
Sun Will Still Burn
Rainfall
Distance (mp3)
Deep As the Ocean Blue
With Leaving

Purchase “Rainfall”: Yer Bird Records, iTunes, Amazon
Visit Greater Pacific: Yer Bird Records, Facebook, MySpace

~Smansmith

Caleb Stine is the perfect musician to provide a Friday Feature track.  Caleb provides music that fits like 2 year old work gloves, it is not only familiar but feels like you have always had (and needed) these songs.  To listen to Stine and not mention that echoes of Townes Van Zandt are heard in his music would be complete misdirection in the style of music here.  While there are many artists that would provide a cover of a Townes track to show you the influence on them, Stine provides his own songs to place beside some of the greats of Townes – this is honest and damn good Americana.

While this post is featuring the promotional track of “My Service Isn’t Needed Anymore”, there are numerous tracks that stand out like “The Last Curtain Call”, “When She Comes” and “Ain’t Nobody” that will soon to be counted on as Stine classics (this being his 5th full length album).  Essentially I really like this album and it actually caught me a little off-guard and out of nowhere…but I am glad I found it because it has quickly become an old friend.  Listen below;

“My Service Isn’t Needed Anymore” – Caleb Stine

Find out more on Caleb: Website, Facebook
Purchase I Wasn’t Built For A Life Like This: iTunes, eMusic, Amazon

~Smansmith

p.s.  Don’t think the “Small Sur” t-shirt wasn’t lost on me either…this guy does little wrong!

Walker Fields is described as a “musical project by singer/songwriter Brad Senne of Minneapolis, Mn. Playing with a revolving cast of musicians.  Walker Fields explores the realm of folk, Americana, and blues tunes.”  The “new” album is called Sky Falls In, and as I am already a fan of Brad Senne, I had to check it out.

The album is mostly singer songwriter of the dust bowl style of folk-Americana, so we already know I’ll like it.  It has its fair share of the lone acoustic laments that I absolutely love from Brad Senne (if you haven’t picked up his “Aerial Views” album yet, you are missing out – so click here).  Songs like “Dead & Diseased, “Stormy Weather”, “Hold Me Still” and the below “It’s Not Me” are stand outs for me personally.  Even the opening track “Old Machine” is one that you could see a Mathew Ryan singing…and this bodes well for this new project of Senne’s.  Also, there is more than the slow burners performed on the album as Walker Fields does kick it up a notch on a few tracks, so all you “rockin” types can enjoy a couple of tracks from “Sky Falls In” as well.

Listen: “It’s Not Me”

You can ignore the above as needed and simply read what Senne has to say about Walker Fields.

Bonus: Watch a live performance of “It’s Not Me” below.

Find Walker Fields on MySpace, Reverbnation, Facebook
Purchase Walker Fields on eMusic, iTunes & CD Baby

~Smansmith

This isn’t a review per se, but after starting to listen to this album (and a quick post yesterday that included the track “Geese Fly By” from this album), I thought I should at least make a mention.

So I am a fan of Foucault and I will obviously like the songs crafted herein, but more so I have been missing a bit more “Americana Country” in my life lately and this album is helping me out in that situation.  God damn, the slow burning balladeer tracks are great and they are plentiful on this album.  Admittedly I didn’t download the entire album and selected the tracks that immediately jumped out to this sad bastard.  Tracks like the aforementioned Geese Fly By, the below track Deserter’s Information Center are a good start and are lead off promotional tracks.  But don’t stop there and think you have the album figured out.

The album has some great tracks in songs like In Our Own Country, Standing Ovation and Late Season that show waning guitar and Foucault’s pitch perfect voice.  You also get a more mexi-cali influenced song in “There I Go” and the roaming troubadour track of “Twice I Left Her”.  Overall I have to recommend the album as the tried and true delivery by Foucault is not lost here and is hitting the spot for me.  Listen in:

“Deserter’s Information Center” – Jeffrey Foucault

Swing on by his website here to purchase or you can always use the juggernaut iTunes here and even the new eMusic here.

~Smansmith

Caity Fisher was recommended to me recently so I thought I would pass it along to you all.  Also, since I had some Edmonton love yesterday with F&M, I might as well keep it with even more Edmonton talent with Ms. Fisher.

Caity’s music can almost be classified as Gothic Americana with a folk vibe to it.  So it essentially hits the mark all over the place for this blog.  It is a bit downtempo, a bit dark and that’s how I like things for the most part.  Just a really good listen from some more Canadian talent!  The album this track is from called “Only The Wind” was released at the end of August of this year from Old Ugly Recording Co.

Enjoy the track via her Bandcamp page along with the video!

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Swing by and visit Caity on her Bandcamp page (pick up two other free tracks from the new album) or see her on MySpace.

~Smansmith

The new 5 track EP from The White Buffalo is great.  Hell, it pretty darn fantastic actually.  My race (and it is a race) for best EP of 2010 is heating up now…

If you are familiar with “BlancoBuffalo” you know that he creates some sad-ass singer songwriter Americana.  His tracks for “Love Song #1″ and the new “Love Song #2″ alone gets him on some sort of all star list for Slowcoustic lovers.  The new EP was just released this past week on November 2nd and has been on repeat on my iTunes at home and streaming via Rdio at work.

There is something about an artist who seems like a big burly man singing his heart out.  A broken man telling it like it is with stories of the road and the train-wrecks of relationships that just hit home for me.  I mean, I have never lived the life nor do I feel I could handle it as a person, but it makes for some of the best damn hard luck songs you will ever hear.  Not saying that I know what these songs are “really about” per se, but they aren’t necessarily about puppies and picnics on summer afternoons.  The songs are real, visceral at times and something you can dig your teeth into; even if it is at half speed.

Let’s listen to one of the more “up-beat” sounding songs for tempo, but still emanates what this aptly named EP is all about.

“Oh Darlin’ What Have I Done” – The White Buffalo, from the EP “Prepare for Black & Blue”

Bonus video for “Into The Sun” also from the new EP:

The White Buffalo – Into the Sun

The White Buffalo | Myspace Music Videos

You can find “Prepare for Black & Blue” on iTunes.
You can find The White Buffalo on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and his Website.

~Smansmith

I have been following the Travel By Sea “musical project” for a few years now and they have just released their new album “Two States and the Blindness That Follows” yesterday.  When I say project, it is due to the bands original premise/situation of the two founding members, Kyle Kersten and Brian Kraft, creating great music while being located in two very separate areas of the United States.  This is how they recorded the earlier music…completely separate and sending clips, samples, backgrounds back and forth for the other to hear as they couldn’t actually play the music together in the same room.  A very interesting start that worked like gangbusters with two previous releases that are must haves.  They now have transitioned to what has become a full fledged band with the addition of Dan Moore (bass), John Phinney (pedal steel, banjo), Mike Cusick (drums), and Andrew Morrison (guitar) and it is definitely shining through on this next chapter in Travel By Sea.

The new album shows the band is growing, as previously mentioned in members and in what is their folk influenced sound.  Maybe this is due to the additional players, but it definitely is enjoying a bit more of a “full band” (no pun intended) sound.  The album uses this opportunity to flex some more uptempo songs (or ‘rocking out tunes’ as Kyle joked with me) to grow from a more down tempo folk songs to a folk-rock backbone for this album.  There are still the slow burners for current fans, but maybe there is room for more of the alt-country fans to join in (lots of great pedal steel here folks).  Overall a solid album with standout tracks like “Eventually”, “Triumph and Loss”, “The Road” and the great title track.  If you are so inclined, you should swing by their Bandcamp page (digital only) or CD Baby (digital and CD) to pick up a copy.

Listen:

“Eventually” – Travel By Sea, from 2010′s “Two States and the Blindness That Follows”

Also, hear this up-tempo TBS has taken to below:

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Find and purchase Travel By Sea:

~Smansmith

This album is due to a great recommended from fellow blogger Giuseppe over at Takes the Songs and Run, and if you are looking for a combination of Alt-Country, Americana, Indie Rock all with a sombre overtone, then the aptly named Lonesome Southern Comfort Company is also for you.

The new album “Charles The Bold” has a hymnal meets whiskey soaked bar feel…and that is exactly how I think it is supposed to sound and feel.  This is something you can drink in, swish it around, and wait while what might seem like a bite slowly mellows and soothes you into the their sound.  Take a perfect example of the song “Death at Nancy”: you feel like you are taking a death march in the blazing hot desert of the South…but you are with the only people you would ever want to be around…so you need, nay, want to be on that death march as it slowly builds to its country rock end.  The album is refreshingly epic while still be laid back…it truly is a feat.

Listen:  “Horrible Town” – from 2010′s “Charles The Bold”

The album just came out at the beginning of September and you can stream it all on Bandcamp HERE.  Visit on MySpace HERE and be their friend/like them on Facebook HERE.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/09/11/post-americana-from-the-lonesome-southern-comfort-company/feed/ 5 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/09/07/caleb-coy-releases-wild-desert-rose-today-its-now-country-tuesday/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/09/07/caleb-coy-releases-wild-desert-rose-today-its-now-country-tuesday/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:43:26 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5048

So let’s get one thing straight.  Growing up, I would have laughed at myself telling younger me that I would be listening to Country music.  And if I said, I was listening and loving Country music, I might have done more than laughing.  But, here I am…

As part of our label life over at Yer Bird Records, we are so excited to provide some old time country music in the form of the 10 track Wild Desert Rose album from Caleb “Bobby” Coy.  He is truly Southern and it shows, these songs are what you think of when you think of country music, not a CMT television “spectacular”.  The whole album is a demo inspired collection of honest songs that span love lost, drinkin’ and living in the South.  You can listen below for yourself.  Highly recommended (but I would say that…).  ;-)

Caleb Coy
“I’ll Be Damned” (mp3)
from “Wild Desert Rose”
(Yer Bird Records)

Buy at Amazon MP3
Buy at iTunes
Buy at eMusic
More On This Album

You can also visit Caleb over on his artist page at Yer Bird Records, his new Tumblr page and even Facebook!

Bonus:  How about a cover track from Caleb’s Tumblr page?  Listen: “Suited Me (Richard Dobson Cover)”

~Smansmith

above via toothpastefordinner.com

What is it that I am aware of and enjoying the world of music and music blogs?  Glad you asked.

• Did you download the Sam Quinn session at Daytrotter (HERE)?  If so, congrats you are accepted into the inner circle.  If not, get thee into the circle by downloading!  Current favourite track is the “just a bit too late for the new album” Oceans, so let’s listen: “Oceans”
• Did you see that compilation to benefit the Wisconsin Humane Society?  You know, the one that took 15 Wisconsin artists and had them record a song each to complete a tribute to Wilco’s “Summerteeth” album?  ummm, you need to check it out (HERE) and consider a donation (HERE).  Thanks to Muzzle of Bees for making it happen!  Current favourite is the Conrad Plymouth track, listen: “Nothing’severgonnastandinmywayagain” (but head over to MoB for the full 320kbps version).
• Captain Obvious blog is always able to come out of nowhere to give us one of his mixtapes and he does not disappoint.  See the August installment (regardless of posting it on Sept. 1st….hey, it was worth getting every last day out of August for the mix!).  Download it HERE.  Current favourite is the Dylan LeBlanc track.
• This one isn’t about music, but I think you should follow Drew who creates Toothpaste For Dinner on Twitter (FOLLOW).  He be funny.
• Did you know that Song, by Toad Records has a great release that combines favourites Animal Magic Tricks, Meursault and King Creosote into one nice little package (currently on VINYL & CD).  Well it exists and they call themselves Cold Seeds!  Listen to a sample: “The Perfume of Mexican Birds”.  Current favourite track is the sleeper “Soil” that has been sending chills since I first heard it.
• Wentworth Kersey has released their 3rd installment of the “O” series, ((O)).  It is once again more shoegaze Americana (and some of the best you will find).  Listen to a current favourite “Sun And Moon”.  Find out, listen, purchase more at their SITE and (damn slick) LABEL page.  Watch a video of another track below:

Well, that is all I have at the moment.  Hope it gives you all something to fill the long weekend!

~Smansmith

Caleb will have his first official release digitally over on Yer Bird Records come September 7th.  It is a mix of dirty, sad, hard drinkin’ unmixed demos called “Wild Desert Rose” and is spectacular in its earnest country feel.  Visit on Yer Bird Records.

How about a bit of a teaser to that album with a rip of the above YouTube performance – I believe it is a Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings song, but you know….I think it’s Willie’s originally.

Bobby “Caleb” Coy – “Write Your Own Songs (Willie Nelson Cover)” – YouTube Rip

~Smansmith

I think the post title says it all.  This Saskatchewan troubadour is quickly making me more than a casual fan – this guy is definitely some of the best new (to me) Canadian talent!

While this is his 3rd official release, it is coming on strong with great mellow acoustics, serious Americana hooks and a voice that lands exactly where it should be (a touch rough but with a harmony that is rock steady).  Favourite tracks are the title track, “O’ Ontario”, “Don’t Ask Me to Sing”, hell…they are all recommended.  The only fault I have is that excluding the first track as an “introduction” it is only 8 songs…

Come & Gone Tracklisting

1. Introduction
2. Coming back home
3. Small town streets
4. Sins of my father, sins of mine
5. Lake of the woods
6. O’ Ontario
7. Don’t ask me to sing
8. Town to town
9. Hard to love

Lucky is also still on his massive tour, so visit his MySpace page for a list of dates across Canada (here).

Watch some early workings of one of the tracks “Don’t ask me to sing” from ZL’s Vimeo page:

Don’t ask me to sing from zachary lucky on Vimeo.

Find Zachary on Bandcamp ($10 gets you the digital, $12 gets the actual CD!), Facebook and Twitter as well.  You can also purchase at iTunes by clicking here.

~Smansmith

Today we have a Song of the Day from Andy Berkhout’s “Song Per Week Project” and this one is pretty damn good.  Andy has been on the blog prior (see here) and I am more than happy to have him back.  The song is “Endless Rhyme” and it is more of a harmonica laced “Americana” track.  I am a sucker for two things in my folk and folk inspired music and they are banjo and harmonica.  The song also has a touch of twang, if only in the tone of Berkhout’s voice.  It is a totally solo affair and it lends me to believe that if this is just a “week’s worth” of creation, this guy is going somewhere!

“Endless Rhyme” – Andy Berkhout, from week 29 of the “Song Per Week Project”

Find more Andy Berkhout on his Website, MySpace and see below for a couple of upcoming shows:

Bonus video of the track:

~Smansmith

I will be on holidays next week and will be starting a string of “Song of the Day” posts – they are quick and are a great way to bring a track (or artist) along for a quick smack in the face post! Today will start off with Zachary Lucky.  The below is from a previous album (as he has a new album “Come & Gone” out August 5th) that shows off this Saskatoon singer songwriter’s talent.  He is starting a tour to coincide with the album release and low and behold, I will actually be around when he will be in Calgary on August 19th!  See you there (if I can find this ‘House of Commons’ place)…

Take a listen (stream some more on his Bandcamp page):

See some dates below and check him out when he comes through your neck of the woods.

*the above are only the August dates!!!

See his MySpace for more tour dates plus 2 songs from the new album – I think he is adding more as the release date comes closer, so check back often.

~Smansmith