Let’s not beat around the proverbial bush here, we love Lotte Kestner (Anna-Lynne Williams) around here.  A lot.

Yesterday, Lotte Kestner released a selection of stripped down ‘solo’ Trespassers William songs on her Bandcamp page.  There are 10 tracks that span more than a few years/albums and each one is focused directly at the stunningly ethereal vocals of this west coast siren.  But instead of the mythological siren, she will not devour you whole but instead provide you a rare opportunity to listen to her songs laid bare in their stark beauty.  This is truly a ‘quiet moment’ album consisting almost exclusively of her vocals over acoustic guitar…with a few overlays of vocals & background sounds mixed in for good measure.

If you are here today for slow and acoustic music (and I hope you are), well then you have come on the prefect day with this album being featured.  I especially enjoy one of my favourite covers that she graciously included in this collection – ‘To Be the One’ originally from the band Idaho.  The song is featured on the Trespassers William EP “Noble House” (iTunes) and it is a must.  Molasses slow with only the strum of a guitar breaking up lyrics in perfect cadence.  Listen below:

So everyone, just slip on over to the Lotte Kestner Bandcamp page (HERE) and plunk down your $8.00 (or more) for this wonderful collection of songs.

Find & Follow Lotte Kestner: Facebook | Twitter | Website
Find Trespassers William: Website

~Smansmith

Thanks to my co-horts over at Knox Road, I have had the pleasure of listening to the new 3 track EP “The Bastards: Volume One” from Radical Face! (see their post here)

The new (Free) digital EP is almost a teaser to the full length being released on October 4th and if this is an actual hint at what is upcoming, this should be a fantastic album.  Radical Face has been around for a while consistently putting out music, but keeping a bit of a low profile…or maybe people don’t appreciate a good thing…either/or.   Anyway, the three tracker is a very easy listen which might be half the battle to get Radical Face (or Ben Cooper as he might be known to family and friends) in the ears of more listeners.  I seem like I am harping on this, but someone like RF deserves a larger audience and I think these new tracks are going to work in his favour.  The songs are moody, piano laden and instantly catchy…in a good way.  A perfect example of this is the use of hand-claps that tend to follow many Radical Face albums…it can be something I absolutely hate when bands inject this clapping to music in order to try to show energy in songs.  But when Cooper does it in ‘We’re on Our Way’, it fits and works and you feel like joining in (which is the point I presume).   This EP is reminiscent of his ‘Ghost’ album from a few years back – an example is a song like one of my favourites “Winter is Coming” (a must listen for those of you who have read this far) – so if this EP gives you the yearning for more, definitely check out the album.

Overall, ‘The Bastards: Volume One’ does the two things it is supposed to:

1) provide good music
2) leave you wanting Volume Two.

Find out more on Radical Face: Website | Facebook | Soundcloud

~Smansmith

*photo by Chris Robleski

New release over on Conrad Plymouth’s Bandcamp page provides some solo Christopher Porterfield tracks.  Almost a stop-gap EP on the road to the upcoming full length album from the full band.  The 7 songs are new, old and even finish out with a Mickey Newbury cover!  The album also has one of best album covers this year (art by CJ Foeckler) and is appropriately titled “Comrade Plymouth” – well played.

Hearing these tracks makes me feel the Will Oldham vibe more and more (albeit a more energized Oldham at times) – I find this especially in the opening track “I Am Not Waiting Anymore” and even “Evergreen”.  I always felt it was in there, but it comes through in these solo recordings.  I had previously heard the tracks “Incommunicado” and “Keep Everything Quiet and Clean” so these recordings come in as a bonus version of each.

Where this EP (I’m calling it an EP) excels is with my current favourite song “Circle Drive” – just a great sparse track that I feel embodies the sound of Porterfield – I love the way he spells out the obvious, mundane, personal & honest truths so easily.  The track comes off as a blue collar lament from the old friend, the former lover and grieving husband.  Truly one of the best songs I have heard this year.

So swing by the Bandcamp page HERE and pick up a copy.  Don’t forget about the frickin’ great 4 track clear 10″ vinyl release over on Ten Atoms HERE.

Friend, Follow & Visit Conrad Plymouth: Facebook | Twitter | Website

~Smansmith

I think the title of the post precludes what is happening on this post.  So let’s get on with it.

Brand new video for Dolorean’s “Black Hills Gold” premiered yesterday on IFC.  There is a whole backstory with the video in a way mirroring the life of Dennis Wilson (of the Beach Boys).  Check it out below.

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Next we have William Elliott Whitmore’s homage to the American Farm worker and title track to his latest album ‘Field Songs’.  I actually didn’t know this official video even existed until I saw it over on Common Folk Music yesterday (see here).  It even put me over the edge and I finally ordered the vinyl (and t-shirt) from the WEW online store.  Well worth it.  Watch the video below and don’t miss the money shot for the last 12 seconds.

There you have your video Thursday.  Both songs above are included in my ‘Favourite Albums of 2011′ at this point…and the year is running out of time for anyone to have the chance to push ‘em out.

Visit Dolorean on their website.
Visit William Elliott Whitmore on his website.

~Smansmith

Ryan Tanner’s “Peaceful Mind” is today’s song of the day.  It’s poignant, beautiful to listen to and just the right distance between sorrow and contentment.  I think his Canadian musical doppelganger might be Frederick Squire…listen to the lyrics and you will see where I am coming from.

You might remember Ryan Tanner from the post on his fantastic cover of Steve Earle’s “Goodbye” (see here) and while I have a smattering of tracks from Ryan, what I really want is an album.  I know, just another blogger wanting even more music…but when it sounds as heartbreakingly good as this, how can you not?

Keep an eye out on Ryan Tanner’s Website, Blog, Twitter and Bandcamp page…you never know what you might find!

~Smansmith

*picture of artwork from here.

This Sunday I thought we should have some ‘beauties’ in the form of 3 ladies who emanate music soo soothing, stunning and Sunday morning French press worthy that is almost ridiculous.

As far as I know they are not connected in any way, Tiny Ruins and Haruko have been on Slowcoustic previously but I think this is Honey Watts first appearance.  Haruko starts your journey at your grass roots traditional folk vibe and then you move to Tiny Ruins’ more modern singer songwriter aspects and she is, in turn, your gateway artist to the ethereal Honey Watts.  Some might think that journey can be taken forwards or backwards…but as long as you take it, it will be worth the trip.

So let’s listen to some of the best female voices in folk this year:

The Haruko track above was originally on her “Wild Geese” album and the Tiny Ruins song is actually called ‘Old as the Hills’.  All albums came out this year and they are something I gotta give more attention to…

Visit their Bandcamp Pages:  Haruko | Tiny Ruins | Honey Watts

~Smansmith

I thought today I would do a bit of a blogger round up of for ‘items of note’ that I have noticed, and you should as well.  Well, enough about me…let’s send you other places than Slowcoustic!

• Did y’all see the Wilderness of Manitoba did a HearYa Session?  Well they did, and its available for your waiting ears right here.  Sample:
  
  The Wilderness of Manitoba – Hermit from HearYa.com on Vimeo.
• My good friends over at Mostly Midwest did me another solid and put up even more videos of Chris Bathgate.  Damn, there are lots of vids to choose from from MM, so dig into the most recent pair of acoustic performances from Bathgate right here.  Sample # 1:
  
  Chris Bathgate : Farm Block Session Pt. 2 from Mostly Midwest on Vimeo.
• Martin (or Geordie as he blogs as) at You Crazy Dreamers put up a nice post on Red Heart the Ticker’s new album along with a mp3 from it!  Check out the post on some great old school folk right here.
• The East representing the West over on Herohill as they cover Calgary sweetheart and soon to be music staple Samantha Savage Smith’s new album.  Swing by and check out a track and their take on ‘what’s next’ in Canadian music right here.  Sample a track below:
  Samantha Savage Smith – “You Always Come to Mind” (mp3)

Enjoy your Friday with good music and the great bloggers above!

~Smansmith

This November 7th sees the full length album “Repentance” from British Columbian (and for a short while, Calgarian) Jordan Klassen. One of my favourite artists from the 2010 Calgary Folk Fest is bringing his infectious indie folk to life once again.

Klassen’s music can be akin to a Canadian Sufjan Stevens (without all the crazy art folk mixed in) and possibly more accurately to someone along the lines of Dan Mangan. After sitting down with Jordan during the 2010 Calgary Folk Fest, I know Mangan is considered a personal favourite for him, so I think that is for an obvious reason. The two can make tracks that instantly cause toe tapping and humming along – melodies that can sound almost familiar at first hearing them. They both also mix in a great selection of upbeat indie pop with some slowed down folk ballads with great ease. Definitely a pretty polished sound for this up and coming Canadian talent.

So let’s listen to “Go To Me”, which is the first (and currently free) single from his Bandcamp Page (here).

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Klassen released his debut album in 2009 and followed it up with the St. Brigid EP late last year, both are streaming as well as available for purchase at his Bandcamp page. Since hearing of the new album, I have been revisiting his debut, Tempest and Winter, and have really enjoyed getting back into it. If you like the above track, definitely check out the songs ‘Anatomical Literacy’, ‘Song of Deborah’ and especially ‘Sing Your Song to Ares’ from his first full length.

Find out more and keep in touch with Jordan Klassen via: Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter & his Website.

~Smansmith

If you are Alberta based and you fancy yourself musically inclined, you have a goal.  That goal is to join the ranks of the musicians included in the TransCanada Alberta Music Series for 2012.  The deadline to submit your talent is upcoming (Sept. 30th), so don’t sleep on this, just do it – we want to see & hear you!

The event is a 4 day series of shows at the lovely Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts and features local talent showcasing what Alberta has to offer.  You can schmooze with industry folks, fans and other musicians – what could be better?  Each night almost has a ‘theme’ of sorts and is both interesting and entertaining at the same time.  So check your memory banks and if you have not already been in the series and your ID indicates you are from Alberta, then get to the submitting already!

I already have my recommendation and I look forward to seeing Tyler Butler from Edmonton featured predominantly in the showcase (are you listening Epcor crew???).  Just kidding, I don’t want to influence anybody at the acceptance committee…but seriously, don’t make me have to make a few visits….again, just kidding…

Listen to a track from Tyler from his wonderful “Winter King” album from earlier this year:

The details are below, so if you have any questions you can download the pdf info sheet at the below address.  Hell, email me and let me look into it for you!

Event Description:  15th Annual Festival of Alberta Music
Opening of Call: June 1, 2011
Closing Deadline: September 30, 2011
Festival Dates:  March 28-31, 2012
Website: www.epcorcentre.org/CareersAndOpportunities/ArtistOpportunities.aspx

~Smansmith

This is a re-posting because it is such a great album that I simply have to.  A side note to the original post is that I did in fact go to the show I mention below and it was fantastic and had Brian sign my vinyl copy of the album!  Please enjoy the experience of this album at some point in your life, it is a Slowcoustic all time best album.  Original post from October 2008 and the album ended up being my #1 pick for best/favourite album of 2008…obviously.

So I don’t know why I have been waiting on this release for this long. I have been telling everyone I can about how much I love the new album from Brian Borcherdt. I tell you people, this album is probably my #1 album this year (go ahead start judging me!) – but I don’t care – I said it. Best of 2008??

So Coyotes…released October 7th, and has been almost overplayed around the Slowcoustic Headquarters. This album is bleak, intimate, stark. Yes all those classic blogger descriptions of the “unhurried” sound – but it is true. I don’t think that I have all the correct words as sometimes you have a hard time describing music that you just immediately love. Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of music (hey, I am a music blogger), but you know some music that you love immediately will soon be the next week’s forgotten songs. This is not the case with “Coyotes” – it is quiet and oddly charismatic with Borcherdt’s whispering and at times cracking vocals making this a soon to be classic in my books.

Some of you may be familiar with Borcherdt’s work with his day job with Holy Fuck (let us not get the two confused though) – which is astonishing to me. While I can enjoy a HF track, Borcherdt’s performance is light (or dark in this case) years away from his group efforts. The story behind this album is while on a break from Holy Fuck – Brian recorded these songs in a friend’s living room and basically left them as is – just Brian and a guitar (maybe a bit of echo and background harmony added afterwords). While this style of indie/lo-fi recording is becoming increasingly popular, it doesn’t always work as well as it does here. While keeping it “real” with the recording of this album, it is still crisp, professionally packaged and even sounds like you were sitting right there in the two seater love-seat during the process. This is why this approach works with “Coyotes” – just the right amount of lo-fi, but still remarkably well finished with what little they had to do in the studio. I have yet to see Brian Borcherdt live – but plan on seeing him here in Calgary on Nov. 30th as he swings through on tour with Martha Wainwright.

So, class, what album do I currently recommend purchasing? Buuuuut, seriously, listen to the two tracks below and pick up a copy either at Brian Borcherdt’s MySpace Page or get the full track-list and a link to purchase on iTunes – More On This Album.

Brian Borcherdt
“While I Was Asleep” (mp3)
“The Drugs” (mp3)
from “Coyotes”
(Hand Drawn Dracula)

Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~Smansmith

Chris Kiehne has just released his newest album ‘A Widower’s Kind’ via his Bandcamp page and as eluded to in the title of this post he is using material from the great Hank Williams.  By his own admission he describes the project below:

“A Widower’s Kind” is a collection of significantly-to-slightly modified Hank Williams songs. Some of my favorite Hank songs, and some of his most morbid. Mark de Wilde (http://markdewilde.tumblr.com/) created the beautiful cover art. Hank supplied everything else. God rest his soul.

If you are familiar with the originals you do know that these are more of a modern day stark singer songwriter version of the country tunes, but they do work for the most part.  I have selected a couple of tracks that stuck out as some good listenin’.

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Enjoy your Friday.  Oh, did I mention this album is available for free?  You can download it via his Bandcamp Page HERE and find a link to a Mediafire upload link to grab a copy or simply chip in $1.00 or more for the Bandcamp copy (more format options than the mediafire copy).

You can also check out a previous post with Chris Kiehne here and also find him with his fantastic previous band The National Lights on iTunes here.

~Smansmith

Today’s song & video of the day came out of nowhere, but from a familiar place – always nice when that happens.  Creeping on music forums is one of the best ways to find music – you tend to get a lot of suggestions and the people tend to know what they are talking about.  Then, I look into it and I find a video via the good folks at Love Drunk Studios (where I first ‘saw’ the band Kill County – another winner in this category).  The song is “Man Pt. 1″ from the one man band ‘South of Lincoln’.

On a side note, I actually drove through Lincoln on my honeymoon road trip and both me and my wife felt that it was the type of place we would love to live in.  Albeit from the 20 minutes in downtown getting coffee to the small divey motel on the outskirts of the town – we had it all figured out & decided!  I guess we now have more reason to revisit that plan of moving a bit further south…

Aaaaaaannnnyyyywaaaayy, this song of the day gets double treatment with audio and video – this is a good thing as well because you get the more produced version in the Soundcloud stream below and then you get a great fully acoustic version via the video.  This one man band is made up of the talented Max Holmquist who brings an ease of creating music that instantly creates a connection – you have to immediately enjoy the stark honesty and harmony that is provided in spades.  The sound can be described as a modern day storytelling folk country troubadour (I tried to fit in more words but it just got out of hand) and by his own admission gives influences of Neko Case, Damien Jurado & M. Ward – pretty good models to hone your craft if I had to say.  As I have literally just started listening to the album I can’t really make full observation on the early 2011 release, but from what I have heard – it is sounding frickin’ good.

South of Lincoln has a new EP that was just released called “The Monsters/Bathroom Sessions” but I can’t really find anything on it…so if anyone wants to point me in the direction to a purchase, I would be much appreciated!!

Please take a moment, listen, fall in love with it and then swing by the good folks at Hear Nebraska for more information and ‘Like’ him on his Facebook page to show your support for great music.  You can pick up the ‘Homes’ album via iTunes by clicking HERE.

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Man, Pt. I by South of Lincoln
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South of Lincoln: Man Pt. 1 from Love Drunk on Vimeo.

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EDIT: The Monsters/Bathrooom Sessions on iTunes!!

~Smansmith

Today is a guest post from Tyler Butler, creator of one of my favourite albums of 2011 thus far, Winter King (see here).  Crawl inside his head and read into how Butler comes to terms with one of the very things it is to be Canadian.  Enjoy the below feature and swing by and visit him on Old Ugly Recording Co or his Bandcamp page.

Friends,

The dark cold of Edmonton’s winter is an isolating force. I know this is an inappropriate time to speak of such a thing — I spent the duration of last weekend wearing a tank top and shorts, dancing in the sun at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival — but the looming threat of snow is never far from the Albertan psyche.

How best to combat the need to stay inside our shelters? Groups of us huddle around fires, wrapped in blankets, holding cups of wine and telling stories. When I wrote Winter King, I focused on these stories. The album is a collection of winter mythologies that I compiled and reconstructed. What I ignored was the great influence of my fire-side friends.

I have compiled a list of songs that provides you with samples from a few of these friends — artists who guided me through the deep cold, held me until the thaw.

1. Caity Fisher – Only the Wind

After listening to my brand new Dolorean vinyl for his newest album “The Unfazed”, I was kinda worked up and wanted more.  Well, I started going over the fact that I had to post again on the nom de plume that is the Al James fronted band out of Portland.

Admittedly a bit late to the party on Dolorean as I have only been listening for a couple of years, but there are some crazy good slow burners (including the one in this post) from James & Co. that just stop me in my tracks.  The new album that is currently creeping up my best of 2011 list is laid back country at its best.  From songs like duet beauty of ‘Country Clutter’ (with Bosque Brown I believe) to the stunning ‘Fools Gold Ring’ and up to 70′s rock influenced ‘Black Hills Gold’ – it is a must own album.

But enough of the new album, the song of the day is from a split 7″ Dolorean did with Holy Sons a few years back and there is a bit of a story of first jobs, misread words, Springsteen albums that lead to this song.  Read the story from the Dolorean site here.  Such a great track – this is minimal & stark singer songwriter at its best.  This song is a piano lament of love lost – tragic in its crushing beauty to say the least.  A must hear.

Please visit and support Dolorean: Website, Twitter and Facebook.
Purchase on Partisan Records (North America) and Fargo Records (EUR).
Purchase the 7″ split with Dolorean & Holy Sons on the Pamlico Sound site.

~Smansmith

Small Houses swung by the good folks over at Halfway House and recorded a session at the Stone House Studios.  Sorry, had to type it out again.  But seriously, Jeremy Quentin (Small Houses) has been ’round these parts previously (see here, here & here) with his acoustic folk stylings and once again he shows why I enjoy listening soo much.  His Halfway House Session includes 3 tracks including a Tom Waits cover.  The two original tracks chosen, Late July and In the Lawn are two of his best – these 2 tracks show his guitar work, vocals/lyrics and are a great barometer for his sound.  You won’t be disappointed.  Watch a video for Late July below and head over to watch the other two and download all 3 tracks completely gratis.

Small Houses – Late July – Halfway House Sessions from Halfway House on Vimeo.

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Swing by Halfway House to see more (and additional sessions by White Pines, Frontier Ruckus, Hezekiah Jones & Chris Bathgate in their archive!).
Visit Small Houses via his Website, Twitter and Bandcamp pages.

~Smansmith

A little self promotion is never bad.  Right?  RIGHT?

So my little label over at Yer Bird Records is starting a trend in having at least one long weekend 2 for 1 special each year on all our wares and it is happening right now.  Purchase the new Hezekiah Jones LP?  Why not have the new Ghosts I’ve Met LP thrown in for good measure?  Yeah, its great stuff.  LPs, CDs and digital downloads – its the wild west over there this weekend.  See our home page on the label site HERE for more information!

How about a new video performance of a track from the new Pickering Pick album to sway you?  Pickering Pick’s new album “Tiger Balm” is one of the most gorgeous albums you will hear and he is very quickly becoming the master of the lamented ballad.  Something I don’t take lightly.  Sam Pickering Pick was just abroad visiting family and his uber talented sister thought to video a performance of “I Didn’t Know Your Rivers Flowed”.   We will soon be having an extremely limited promotional CD give away for the Tiger Balm album – so if you like what you see/hear below, you will want to swing back very soon.  See the new video below:

I Didn’t Know Your Rivers Flowed from Sera Pickering Pick on Vimeo.

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How about a Yer Bird Records Soundcloud set for you to sway you into releasing all your funds to my pocket…and I guess the artists too…. ;-)

Pickering Pick – “Like A River” by Yer Bird Records
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Ghosts I’ve Met – “Blackwoods” by Yer Bird Records
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Hezekiah Jones – “The Last Parade on Ann St. (Chris Bathgate Cover)” by Yer Bird Records
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Greater Pacific – “Distance” by Yer Bird Records
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White Pines: “Woods” by Yer Bird Records
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The Black Atlantic: “Ella (Live)” by Yer Bird Records
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Sharon Van Etten: “Say So What” by Yer Bird Records
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~Smansmith

Bryan John Appleby’s new album “Fire on the Vine” was released today via his Bandcamp page and I have just started listening and it is fantastic.  While I just heard this song performed live from over on the Sound on the Sound blog – the studio/album version of “Noah’s Nameless Wife” is just stunning.  It is your song of the day.

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The song is a classic pining singer songwriter lament with acoustic guitar over waning strings and Appleby’s steadfast vocals.  This is some great Slowcoustic-ness here folks.  Take a listen and swing by his Bandcamp page HERE to pick up a copy of ‘Fire on the Vine’.

Those of you in or around the Seattle area can head out tomorrow for the album release show at Columbia City Theater – info: Facebook | Tickets

~Smansmith

Thought I would point you all in the direction of fellow Calgarians ‘Welcome to the West‘ today.  I am doing this today of all days due to two fantastic videos they have had on their site recently.  In all honestly I was just going to post the ‘pool party post folk fest’ video, but then saw a nice new Sumner Brothers video and I can’t ignore that!

Welcome to the West focuses on just that, the West of Canada’s music scene – not necessarily Canadian content exclusively, but they do show off that talent often as well.  The video below for The Head and the Heart was filmed after the Calgary Folk Fest just this last weekend in the stairwell of the Westin Calgary and it turned out fantastic – the acoustics of the acoustics came out quite well…you could say.  Watch it now:

the Head and the Heart – Winter Song from Welcome To The West on Vimeo.

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Now this morning I went to grab the above video and noticed a new video from Vancouver’s The Sumner Brothers…can’t resist! The ever touring brothers are on the road promoting their upcoming album “I Love You, Smile” which I am eagerly anticipating. Check out the crazy Kimball Organ in the video as well…

The Sumner Brothers – Lose Your Mind from Welcome To The West on Vimeo.

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So there you have it, visit Welcome to the West on their website here.  Check out their archives here.
Visit The Head and the Heart here.
Visit The Sumner Brothers here.

~Smansmith

p.s.  check out the logo design for WttW from Charles Roberts here.

(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

Discovered this little gem of an EP from the good folks over at Natural Beardy (thx NB!  See their post here) and thought I would share it with you as well.   So after listening over with the bearded ones, I immediately picked up the 2009 6-track EP ‘Shoes for Men and Beasts’ via their Bandcamp page and it has been playing all weekend at Slowcoustic HQ.  There also looks to be a new album that should be surfacing very soon (complete with sample track for streaming/purchase) via a recent successful Kickstarter campaign.

The song Cliffs Along the Sea track is a beautiful acoustic track that actually makes for a great live take…in a boat…or something…

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If you like the above track, you would definitely enjoy the tracks “Pride of Man”, “The Silent Shepherd” and “The Rider, the Horse, the Land” from the EP as well.  So what are you waiting for?

~Smansmith

This second and final grouping of albums are not necessarily greater than yesterday’s grouping, but for lack of scientific research these could be considered my #5 through #1 favourite releases of 2011 thus far.

Once again: do you agree, have suggestions, have ridicule?

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The Deep Dark Woods – The Place I Left Behind

Okay, I need a bit of flexibility from you folks as this album isn’t even released yet (but it is on Aug. 2nd, 2011 on Six Shooter Records here in Canada) but there is nothing stopping this from being on a top 10 list from yours truly.  Despite possibly not listening to it as much as others on the list due to it being new, it is chock full of slow burners with that great DDW sound.  The album comes in at 13 tracks with a couple circulating for a while (thanks to a HearYa session that includes 2 tracks from this album) with at least 7-8 of them having serious Slowcoustic styled country.

“West Side Street” – The Deep Dark Woods

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Jeffrey Foucault – Horse Latitudes

Foucault has the perfect voice for the slowed down country folk jam – and it really shows on this album.  First full new original material from Foucault in a few years and he has hit it out of the park in my opinion.  Similar to The Deep Dark Woods above, its the molasses slow ballad type songs that really do it for me and with tracks like Goners Most, Heart to the Husk and Passerines – you cannot lose with this album.

‘Goners Most’ – Jeffrey Foucault

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Will Johnson – Little Raider EP

So now you know why I have been saying ‘Releases’ and not ‘Albums’.  This EP from Centro-matic/South San Gabriel front man is frickin’ amazing.  Coming in at 6 tracks and all of them are at least a 8/10 in my books.  This one is a stripped down acoustic session recorded in 2 days this past February in a living room.  And it sounds amazing.  If you are a fan of the slower Centro-matic and find South San Gabriel more up your alley, then this is the side project from Will Johnson you are all about.  A must have – and there are only 29 copies left as you read this.

Will Johnson (of Centro-matic) “Little Raider” Live at KDHX 7/5/11 by KDHX
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Frederick Squire – Frederick Squire Sings Shenandoah and Other Popular Hits

East Coast of Canada represent!!  That is 3 albums on this top list that are Canadian and that is quite surprising – but well worth it.  This album is similar to Will Johnson’s EP in the fact that it was ‘quickly’ recorded with only what was needed and it turned out fantastically.  Squire’s honest lyrics and pitch perfect delivery makes this album feel like a classic from the first listen.  Quoted from Pigeon Row: “Shenandoah” is a traditional folk ballad of obscure origins. Echoing this classic narrative form, Squire leads the listener through forgotten moral territory with a set of exceptionally written songs primarily about forgiveness”.  Well, Squire is not known for penning the most upbeat/feel good songs, but it is the honest beauty in almost anything he creates that brings him essentially to the top of this list.  Also note that his previous album “March 12″ seemed to make it pretty darn high on last year’s ‘best of’ album list as well….go figure.

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

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Josh T. Pearson – Last of the Country Gentlemen (LP version)

Well, if any of you read Slowcoustic on a regular basis, this will most likely not be too much of a surprise.  One note as well is that my vote is based on the full LP version that includes the non-CD title track.  This album is an open display of humility and ugly truths that just might be in all of us…just recorded at half speed on a rambling country album.  And it is an incredible experience.  Sure it has long songs, but that adds to the ‘epic’ sounding and soon-to-be legend of this album.  Essentially 10 years in the making, the album makes every listener a sad bastard who hasn’t had the best in life and sits with warming whiskey while staring off to somewhere else…with that somewhere else being our own past.

03 Woman When I’ve Raised Hell by joshtpearson
02 Country Dumb (Piano Version) by joshtpearson
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There you have it.  Hope you enjoy the songs and possibly find something that you now love….or at least enjoy…

~Smansmith

*please disregard the fact that I only have 4 of the 5 listed below – $15.00 shipping from the USA to Canada isn’t right.

Sure a favourite releases list of 2011 thus far – I can do that.  Also, as it is the weekend I am going to post 5 today and 5 tomorrow because honestly it gets me a post material for tomorrow automatically!!  This first grouping is not necessarily lesser than tomorrow’s grouping, but for lack of scientific research these could be considered #10 through #6 favourite releases of 2011 thus far.

Do you agree, have suggestions, have ridicule?

Hezekiah Jones – Have You Seen Our New Fort?

While the troupe Jones tend to swing the gambit of ‘folk’ music at times, when it is slowed down and becomes introspective, Hezekiah Jones makes some of the best ballad-style tracks around.  Leader Raphael Cutrufello brings crushing sentiments with such ease it is scary and there a couple of doozies on this album.  In full transparency, my own label released the album so there may be a touch of nepotism mixed in for good measure.
Hezekiah Jones – “The Last Parade on Ann St. (Chris Bathgate Cover)” by Yer Bird Records
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William Elliott Whitmore – Field Songs

This album is just plain good and complete – that has been kind of the consensus on this release.  Some previous releases might have had one or two stand out tracks, but on Field Songs we find WEW making a solid album in complete form.  I can’t say I have always been a fan for years due to a bit too much of the almost ‘punk county’ sound, but it is toned down on this album and it makes all the difference.  Really good.

William Elliott Whitmore – Everything Gets Gone by antirecords
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Chris Bathgate – Salt Year

Bathgate has always been on my radar and his (essentially) folky Michigan persona has really become a favourite for me overall.  This album is about a trying year of Chris Bathgate’s life (his Salt Year) and as challenges often do, it brings an incredible amount of life into this output of music.  The music of Salt Year is one man’s journey and brings along chapters in the range of styles and feel of the full album – I dare say it is almost a concept album…but in a good way.  ;-)

‘No Silver’ – Chris Bathgate

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Tyler Butler – Winter King

This Edmonton newcomer brings a sleeping, haunting album oozing with imagery of a dark cold home…or Edmonton in winter.  All kidding aside, the album is a must hear for slowcore-folk fans and is some of the best down tempo styled music coming out of Alberta today.

“Morana” – Tyler Butler

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Small Sur – Tones

More of the slowcore folk stuff coming from frontman Bob Keal and cohorts Andy Abelow & Austin Stahl in the form of ‘Small Sur’.  This ambient, mood inducing album is absolutely gorgeous (as is most Small Sur material) and brings electric guitar, acoustics and fantastic instrumentation together to create an organic masterpiece.

‘The Woods’ – Small Sur

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Make sure to be back ’round these parts for tomorrow for the ‘top’ 5 releases that have been kicking my ass in 2011 thus far!

~Smansmith

Happy go lucky dog enthusiasts The Black Atlantic have essentially premiered two new songs from an upcoming release via the Kapelsessies.nl video series.  Gone is the tip toeing through the fields here folks, we get a possible movement in what could have been the slower folkier sound of previous TBA – noticed especially in Lead Geert van der Velde’s vocals at least – there is new energy in these songs!  I am very excited to see what comes of the new material – it seems like the sound is growing, but not too fast as to leave any current fans behind.

Enjoy the tracks “Darkling, I Listen” and “The Flooded Road” followed up with a return to their Reverence For Fallen Trees album with the track “Heirloom“.

Kapelsessies: The Black Atlantic from Kapelsessies Gelderland on Vimeo.

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Just in case you don’t make it the entire way to the end of the video, find the track Heirloom (mp3) for your listening pleasure!

Find The Black Atlantic: Website, Facebook, MySpace and follow them on Twitter.

~Smansmith

Matt Kinder and his recording persona ‘The Parade Schedule’ recently started a Bandcamp page with a release of some extra tracks, demos, compilation tracks called Struggles in Dinosaur, Wyoming (rarities and what not).  I have been a fan of TPS since the fantastic album Seeds to be Planted, Trees to be Cut (see a feature we did here) so this was a great surprise to find this ‘new’ material over the weekend.

When previously featured, TPS was based out of Louisville and there has been a relocation to Seattle for Kinder.  I am not sure if this was for personal or professional reasons, but we are waiting to see what sort of masterpiece the coastal city brings out in him.  This stop gap release of 15 tracks will hold me over for now as I look forward to his next official release.

The ‘Struggles in Dinosaur, Wyoming…’ release finds Kinder’s almost baritone delivery and quiet acoustics being the feature – the songs are a bit rough at times, but always show stunning beauty waiting within (well, the ones that aren’t out right stunning in the first place).  I can go on about how I find myself wanting to sing along (good songs always make me want to join in like I know what I’m doing…).  Let’s listen to a couple of the tracks that really stand out:

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Find and stream the rest of the tracks on the brand new Bandcamp page for The Parade Schedule HERE.  Friend him up on Facebook Here and if any of you Seattle types have the chance, check him out and say hi from me.

~Smansmith

So I finally received my Bon Iver vinyl package from Jagjaguwar yesterday after an almost painful 5 week wait.  You see, we had a postal issue in Canada for a month or so and my 4 pack of LPs essentially sat around waiting to be delivered in some warehouse – but alas, it is safe and sound in my home (proof)!

I wanted to have a huge post this morning, almost a stream of consciousness type post as I tend to not plan out too many posts and just write ‘in the moment’.  But alas (again) I don’t know if my thoughts will make it to keyboard quite as eloquently as I might hoped when I planned it last night after a few beers and a new vinyl glow.  You see, what happened is I listened to two tracks from the “For Emma…” album and I was practically taken aback.  What?  The songs, Flume and Re:Stacks felt almost new to me and the songs hit me all over again.  Maybe I hadn’t listened to the album in a while, maybe I had been listening to covers and live versions too many times and the original fell off the radar.  I have to attribute it to that, right?  I mean I didn’t have a life experience during the discovery of the album, so it isn’t tied to a personal experience – but it felt like it did…it was both odd and exciting.

So, you can go back!  You can re-discover an album.

The album “For Emma, Forever Ago” is a modern day classic in my opinion and it was a game changer for the indie scene.  The album itself hit me pretty hard and I was very enamored with it when it first came out (I remember when nobody really knew this guy with his self released album…then Jagjaguwar released it and the legend began).  It took me a few listens to really grasp onto the album with this new guy singing in some other worldly voice…but when it did take hold, it pretty much didn’t let go for at least a year.  But that year slipped into the past and like everything it wasn’t at the forefront of my music listening…I had moved on.  I had even discussed the album without re-listening to it (always a bad decision) and indicated that maybe it wasn’t as good as I remember or that it hadn’t aged that well (as it should have).  Again, it may have been the 4 Indian Pale Ales listening and having the epiphany on my behalf, but even the Mrs. said that she really liked it – and she was 50/50 at best on Mr. Vernon.  I guess this means you can go back.  Really it does.

So what I am rambling on about is the fact that your original gut instinct can be right and the album is (not was) really that good.  You just might need to embrace it and hear it all over again…with a few beers.  For me last night it was the Bon Iver debut, for you it might be something else – but do yourself a favour and grab an original recording of an album you loved at one time or another.  You don’t even have to bring beer…I guess.

As I wanted to play one of the two tracks I listened to last night that inspired me to post a rambling praise piece for Bon Iver, they are not officially approved for posting and only the track “Skinny Love” is – not my favourite on the album if I was to be honest.  So, I thought I would post the new track ‘Calgary’ because was enjoying the 12″ LP last night as well (in fact my copy of the vinyl has both labels saying “Side A”, so I don’t know which is actually side A when I go to listen to it!).  So listen:

“Calgary” – Bon Iver, from 2011′s album “Bon Iver”

Think about Bon Iver all over again, not as the hype magnet he is at the moment – just as a musician, you won’t be disappointed.  Find more from Jagjaguwar here.

~Smansmith

p.s.  I think I might have also been remembering watching a video of Justin Vernon talking about his house on I Guess I’m Floating the other day – Vernon just seemed so personable and normal.  Like a guy you would want to actually hang out with.  I think I am staring head on to a man crush…

New albums are on their way from a couple of bands that might do something for you Slowcoustic readers.  The albums are from the Canadian sister duo Tasseomancy (nee Ghost Bees) and the Rhode Island duo Brown Bird: while they are both albums to look forward to, they just might be nothing alike!

First off, Tasseomancy are moving in the direction of atmospheric folk and ambient indie – a bit different from the more traditional folkier moments of their former persona ‘Ghost Bees’.  This obviously was a changing in Romi and Sari Lightman’s musical being and hence changed their sound (or refined, maybe?), took on some influences from the boys of Timber Timbre and presto – new album on its way for August 30th.  The album is called ‘Ulalume’ and is definitely on my radar.  Listen to two tracks from a previous 7″ single they put out:
Tasseomancy – The Darkest Of Things by killbeat music
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Tasseomancy – Healthy Hands by killbeat music
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Next we have a Slowcoustic staple in Brown Bird – no stranger to the pages of this website and I was more than pleasantly surprised to hear of a new album from David Lamb and Morganeve Swain!  The new album is called ‘Salt for Salt’ and the lead off track is a great sampler of what is to come…at least I can hope it is because it is sounding great.  A more acoustic banjo laden track as compared to Tasseomancy above, but that is also a very good thing.  The artwork for the album (see below) is a piece of art from Will Schaff (of Okkervil River fame – as you can tell with its similarity to the OR cover art for ‘Black Sheep Boy’).  Listen to the track ‘Fingers to the Bone’ below.

‘Fingers to the Bone’ – Brown Bird, from 2011′s ‘Salt for Salt’ due Oct. 18th, 2011.

~Smansmith

• Today is the release of William Elliott Whitmore’s “Field Songs” over on Anti Records.  If you enjoy your music on the rootsy side, banjo side and the folk country side – then this album is a no brainer.  The songs of Whitmore can be at times a tad too ‘raucous crooner’ but it is almost like he is taking a moment to breathe and the music is both powerful, a bit gritty and a worthy listen.  The vocals of Whitmore are perfect for this mid tempo folk country and they just hit the spot soo much on this album – his patented twang and warble just damn work on Field Songs!!
  William Elliott Whitmore – Everything Gets Gone by antirecords
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• Brett Detar recently released a video of himself attempting a cover song.  And by ‘attempting’, he did a fantastic job.  Watch him covering a classic in the form of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Waiting Around to Die’ below:
  
  
• And for one of the best deals in town right now, you gotta swing by Ondarock to pick up the latest compilation, One Way Ticket to Nowhere.  This one is based on their ‘Outlaw’ series where artists cover an outlaw country/folk artist.  It is 2CDs worth of tracks from folks like Great Lake Swimmers, Chris Kasper, Caleb Coy and The Sumner Brothers (among many, many others).  Oh, did I mention it was completely FREE?  Yeah, so what are you waiting for?
• Keep your eye on that Adult Swim “2011 Singles Club” thingy as I believe that track from The Tallest Man on Earth is being released as a free download today sometime as well.  The page for the current and upcoming tracks is right here.  For now, stream ‘Weather of a Killing Kind’ below:
  

That is all I have for now, hope you enjoy it all!

~Smansmith

above photo art from here
banner ‘www’ taken from cover of La Revolucion de los Blogs

Today is a round up of things from fellow bloggers that I have been enjoying.  Since the Calgary Stampede starts today, what better time to have a ’round up’?  Damn, I am soo current.  Let’s get started shall we;

• I hope you all found the newest single from Canadian Singer Songwriter Fisticuffs via April over at Common Folk Music.  No?  Well, find it HERE.
• HearYa always getting the good stuff, featured a recent session with Trampled by Turtles (see here).  Currently loving the live version of “Widower’s Heart” – see the video below:

Trampled By Turtles – Widower’s Heart from HearYa.com on Vimeo.

• Captain Obvious had another installment of his staple Mixtape posts with the June edition.  Beirut, Mount Moriah, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Will Johnson among others!  Definitely a must check out.
• Speaking of Captains and Will Johnson….Greg over at Captains Dead was enjoying some vacation time in Chicago and caught the Centro-matic show with an added bonus of going backstage with Will Johnson and recording an acoustic video of Devil on the Interstate Line.  See it below:
  
• Last but not least 1000x/minute featured the new (free) EP from Jesse Rifkin & Will Stratton.  This 4-tracker was released as a free download on Independence Day, July 4th.  See the post here along with a stream of the track ‘You Are The Blades’.

There you have it, go visit some good folks across the www.  Tell ‘em I say ‘hi’.

~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.

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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

Mount Moriah – Old Gowns from Hueism Pictures on Vimeo.

Finally getting a listen to the self titled release from Mount Moriah from earlier this year.  The video for ‘Old Gowns’ was released about 6 months prior to the actual album but the track is still definitely the stand out and the video is stunning.  Lots of slow spanning, shadow play, out of focus & crystal clear shots all leading up to the ‘money shot’ at about 4:20.  I’m a sucker for beautifully shot videos that ebb and flow before the crux of a song…  Drink it in folks.

Find out more on Mount Moriah on their website or facebook.

Purchase at their label: Holidays For Quince.

~Smansmith

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NEW stuff from The Deep Dark Woods’ upcoming album The Place I Left Behind:
(album due August 2nd on Six Shooter Records)

“Westside Street”
(see more info on the new album and tour dates via Exclaim.ca)

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Herohill vs. Gordon Lightfoot: Turning Back The Pages Of My Sweet Shattered Dreams

In an homage to the great Canadian Singer Songwriters Herohill is feeling like Gordon Lightfoot can be taken, well, lightly.  Not true says the crew on the hill (among almost all of Canada) and they show you 36 reasons why Mr. Lightfoot is a legend in the great white north.  Visit the epic post on Herohill HERE.  Also, we have a song from this massive compilation (that is a fully free download folks) that hits home with local Cam Penner!

“Alberta Bound (Gordon Lightfoot Cover)” – Cam Penner (with Jon Wood)

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Also, as I really had nothing to do with or coverage of NXNE this year, I really needed to show some love to one of Canada’s largest musical events.  Yesterday I noticed one of my Saskatchewan favs Zachary Lucky linked to an ‘in the park’ performance he had while in T.O. for the event.  The video is below along with new favourite Bellewoods that I found from the same afternoon performance (see them all at The Humble Empire YouTube Channel)!

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There you have some Canucks for your Canada Day. Please enjoy!

~Smansmith

Huge fan of the Baltimore based band Small Sur at Slowcoustic HQ, and hearing a couple of months back about the new album, Tones, I was very excited.  After listening for a little bit now and it finding a release on this very Tuesday, I have to say that this is one of the best albums of the year my friends.

Tones, a title taken from the song from the previous full length album We Live In Houses Made of Wood, is a perfect title for a Small Sur album and this one in particular.  The music created by Bob Keal with the help of Austin Stahl and Andy Abelow is layered, melodic and constantly unfolding.  You will hear new sounds melding into each other almost each time you hear it – headphones really bring this album alive.   While the album is definitely a slower affair, it is almost thick…what I mean is you simply dip a toe in and it encompasses any part of you and you want to just be inside it.  Outside of bizarre images you may be dreaming up in your head, know that the album is one that you truly fall into – it might be the incredible amount of instrumentation used on Tones that really kicks it up a notch.  The album is at its heart an acoustic project, but it is also soo much more – there are layers of strings, wind instruments and Keal’s ever present warming vocals to hold it all together.

Songs like ‘The Woods’ are absolutely stunning – backing “woos” and the molasses slow tempo almost makes you start swaying immediately.  Whether you think the woods are actual woods or your one true love – the song fits the sentiment and starts to fuse with you from the first lamented lyric.  Truly one of the better stand alone songs of 2011 in my opinion.

Another song I wanted to feature is the track written for Bob Keal’s home state of South Dakota – an homage to the rural life and the past that is in all of us.  What I think is an Oboe fits the bill so perfectly – not an instrument that one automatically thinks of, but the waning, aching tones creates the longing we might feel for ‘home’.

I can’t recommend this album enough.  Hell, I can’t recommend the previous EP “Bare Black” and the amazing “We Live In Houses Made of Wood” which holds one of my all time favourite songs, The Kelp.   Whether you are feeling blue and needed an album to be there with you or whether you simply feel like listening to an album that you can really connect to, this one is it.  Please swing by the Small Sur Bandcamp page HERE to pick up a copy of the album today!

You can follow Small Sur on Facebook and Twitter if you wish as well.  When you get a chance, visit their Tumblr page for all things Small Sur like videos, info and updates.

Also, don’t miss the upcoming shows as the crew are currently on tour in the NE of the US!  Dates are all HERE.  Shows include Slowcoustic friends, Conrad Plymouth, The Singleman Affair, Annie Palmer and Micah Blue Smaldone.  Damn, these guys know who to play with – always a great collection of folks at the shows.

There you have it, best new music – Small Sur, “Tones“.

~Smansmith

Song of the day.  Joshua James covering Sufjan’s classic ‘To Be Alone With You’ for the charity album featuring the Seven Swans album ‘reimagined’ by a different artist for each song.  Great idea, not all tracks really worked, but overall it is a pretty solid listen.  So, then, song of the day:

Find more information on the On Joyful Wings Bandcamp page HERE.

~Smansmith

(Full Size Cover)

I have a real treat for you all today in the form of a fairly rare tour EP from a young Joshua Tillman that now seems well out of print and hard to find by those outside of inner circles of the Seattle folk scene.  While this isn’t the first time I have heard these particular songs, they now find themselves in a ‘more official’ recording than previous versions* – there is even cover art!  As well, let’s be honest, I obsess over all things J. Tillman, so another version of these songs is more than welcome in my life.

The songs & this EP harken back to the early days of J. Tillman and I believe they come in around the 2002/2003 period from the disc that was sold at some local shows (so I have called it a “Tour” EP, but it might simply be a self-titled EP).  The gentleman, that shall remain nameless, who provided the EP for posting has had it for around 8 years and was more than happy to see it get a bit of love.  And love is all I have for it.

If you have been following Tillman’s recordings, you know that his first recorded albums “I Will Return” & “Long May You Run, J. Tillman” are some of the most stark singer songwriter recordings around and these 4 tracks are right at home alongside them.  With Tillman’s well known penchant of quick recordings and a more lo-fi one-take feel, this should surprise no one that these songs are not a standard studio quality recording (you can notice an audible hum that runs through the entire set, more so in headphones).  These songs are the hushed moments, the stark & beautiful songs that truly feature Tillman’s pitch perfect breathy vocals and the just right acoustic strumming of a lone guitar.  This is the stuff that created “Slowcoustic”.  This is the stuff that gets in my bones and never sounds tired.  Ever.

“Let Me Put You Under Both My Wings”
“The Heart is a Valve”
“Every Word Was Split in Two”
“The Queen of Swing”

One of the great things about a recording like this surfacing is it allows rare recordings to be heard by many (often for the first time) but I also recognize that this is also what makes a recording like this even better.  It’s rarity.   So, unlike my normal standard of leaving all mp3s up at all times, this recording will be taken down in the near future.  Please grab it now as I won’t send out requested copies after the links are removed…they may get a re-post in the future though, you never know…

~Smansmith

* this recording is not to be confused with the same songs from “Untitled No. 1″ or “Demo Cassette” versions.

New track from Newcastle dream-pop band Lanterns On The Lake found its way to my inbox this morning, so I thought I would pass it on!  This is a great slowed down and haunting track, kinda what they are known for – it is actually quite beautiful.  Strings, piano and their patented ‘cinematic scope’ of music – it always feels so full and encompassing.
What am I talking about?  Just listen below and you will understand.

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The new album (their debut full length) will be released on Bella Union in the UK and will see that on September 19th, 2011.

For more info on LOTL – visit them on their Facebook page and website.  You can also purchase their previous self released material on their Bandcamp page here.

~Smansmith

p.s.  Bonus track: “Forever Young (Bob Dylan Cover)” – Lanterns on the Lake

The thing is, it was posted on June 10th, 2011.  My birthday.  So, once again, thank you very much.

J. Tillman | Firstborn | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Just Sayin.

~Smansmith

Artwork by Meghan Spurlock (Visit Her)

We are very pleased to announce the official release of our newest collection at Yer Bird Records!  Today sees the release of ‘Tiger Balm’ from Pickering Pick!

So while I obviously am partial to the album, we do wholly endorse listening to it.  You get something more acoustic (obviously) with flecks of piano and Sam Pickering Pick’s floating vocals.  While you might not hear his UK leanings in his vocals (or you just might), there is something in his music that might draw from his homeland.  There are feelings of slower times or even youthful times, all the while you are growing & becoming part of your own life.  As usual with most things Slowcoustic & Yer Bird, there are some stunning ballads on this collection of 10 songs, you just can’t help but get sucked into it all.

With this album you feel like there is almost a thread being pulled through it, end to end – it flows through all the tracks…maybe it is the connection that you feel with music that seems to be created with you as a listener in mind.  You end up part of the experience.  This is an album that you might listen to by yourself until it opens up and you end up bringing others into this world of laments and journeys through distant lands via it’s ‘flowing rivers’.  From our label page:

“Pickering Pick delivers a striking study into the intense sentiment of love in his recent release, Tiger Balm. Recorded in California, Pickering Pick used his surroundings as his inspiration.  Demons, wolves, rivers and oceans provided the background for his emotional journey to find harmony in chaos.  Acceptance of loss, fear of wasted opportunities and the eventual hope that shines on despite our disappointments and setbacks.”

Listen (& download) the first feature track from Tiger Balm below:

Pickering Pick – “Like A River” by Yer Bird Records

Track list

1. Your Sleeping Dog
2. Like a River
3. Girl form Bilbao
4. Tiger On Your Arm
5. Ballad for Leaving
6. On a Limb
7. I Didn’t Know Your Rivers Flowed
8. She’s Been Trying to Hide Away
9. Another Golden Day
10. In the End*

*this track is possibly the best ballad I have heard in a long time.  If you haven’t been through ‘the end’ of a relationship, just listen and you just might feel like you have.  It is beautifully tragic and just a stunning song.

You can find the album on our label store HERE.  You can also find it via iTunes by clicking here, Amazon MP3 here and if you have credits on eMusic – see here!

Find out more information about Pickering Pick on his Bandcamp Page (LOTS of previous works to peruse), his Facebook Page, his Yer Bird Records page and you can follow him on Twitter!

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/06/21/pickering-picks-tiger-balm-released-today-on-yer-bird-records/feed/ 1 http://slowcoustic.com/2011/06/20/monday-listening-fisticuffs/ http://slowcoustic.com/2011/06/20/monday-listening-fisticuffs/#comments Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:58:58 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=6087

Fisticuffs (or Jordan Kurtz) of Saskatoon is new but not ‘new’ to me.  You see, I am a fan of fellow prairie folkster Zachary Lucky and these two seem to be thick as thieves.  So I keep seeing Lucky’s twitter feed calling out this “@heyfisticuffs” and then after getting back into a favourite Shot At The Dark video session with Calgary artist Benjamin Bullock, who was the very next video?  Well, it was Mr. Fisticuffs himself – I watched and listened and then slapped myself full across the face for not listening sooner.  That story is completely true…except for the violence.

So this brings me to the Fisticuffs – I picked up his 2010 EP ‘The Wheat Weather’ over the weekend and started listening – right up my alley I have to say.  A bit of lo-fi indie dream folk (because I can’t fit anymore genres in one sentence…I’m terrible at that stuff) and essentially a more acoustic release.  The EP is 6 tracks total with my current favourite being the ‘recorded in the distance’ track Bellows – solo acoustic, echoing vocals, haunting piano strikes and overall just great stuff.  Turns out my boy Zach Lucky even played some guitar and banjo on the release.  I guess it makes sense that the two of them are touring together with some dates still coming up (see Lucky’s MySpace page for dates).

So let’s take a look at that video from Shot At The Dark (love those guys) that started it all along with a couple of embeds from the EP, The Wheat Weather:

SHOT AT THE DARK – Fisticuffs from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

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There you have it, my new find, is your new find for this Music Monday.  Please swing by and visit Fisticuffs on his Facebook Page, Bandcamp Page ( <— purchase and sample 3 free downloads) and even his MySpace Page.

~Smansmith

When you lay out the music that swings through the numerous channels here at Slowcoustic it can be overwhelming.  But you splay it all out and you pick a few things that catch your ear for one of many reasons.  So, this is simply a post to provide a few things that I thought you all might enjoy as my Slowcousticals.  Enjoy some Canadiana.

Canada has been impressing me lately, what with the Polaris Prize nominations and such.  And to show some love back to the fact that Frederick Squire made the long list (here we come short list!!) I have to pass on some of his newer magic.  Also, as not all things Slowcoustic and Canadian get to be soo lucky, I think they also need some singling out as sometimes it isn’t all about awards but just about good music as well.  So it is time to pass on some love for Canada (please, no Vancouver riot jokes, please..).

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While this is the brand new FS (not the currently nominated Polaris Prize Long Lister – see some love for it here) it is once again proving that he is going to be one of my all time favourites very soon.  Like by this afternoon.  Whatever.  The new album was recorded a little while ago with a sparse arrangements of instruments and recording equipment…just the way I like it.  The result is a stunningly beautiful collection of forgiveness laments.  Not always warm and fuzzy when it comes to songwriting with Squire – but he always seems to find the beauty in the ugly moments and possibly assists in having them more acceptable and then to the listeners, empathy.  Highly recommended.  Recommended highly.  See a bit more information here.

UPDATE: Purchase the album at Zunior HERE.

“All Things Past Serve To Guide You On Your Way” – Frederick Squire
from Frederick Squire Sings Shenandoah and Other Popular Hits (2011, Blue Fog Recordings)

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The Bravest Ghost is more of the younger singer songwriter crowd emerging from Canada and I like what I am hearing.  Sean Craib-Petkau brings finger picking acoustics, atmospheric backgrounds and a voice beyond his days.  There is a new album on the way entitled Nicotine Hymns, but for now, please swing by and pick up the excellent Nicotine Hymns Demos on his Bandcamp page.  For now, watch and listen to a track from his ‘I Left Home’ album that is you all can grab for FREE RIGHT HERE.

The Bravest Ghost – Northline from Emily Kohlert on Vimeo.

Mp3: “North Line” – The Bravest Ghost, from 2010′s “I Life Home” (Self-Released)

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Another regular around these parts who also finds himself in the up and comer category of Canadian singer-songwriter folk types is The Mountains & The Trees.  TM&TT is the moniker of Jon Janes who hails from a much more Easterly location in this fair county than I.  Regardless of the distance, he creates true indie folk tunes that you can’t deny.  Sometimes a bit quirky, sometimes a bit heartbreaking and all around a great listen.  I have included a track that is currently unreleased but will most likely find a home on a new release by the end of the year.  Need to know more?  Please sign up for his mailing list here (to get treats like the below track) and find him via his website.

“Carry On” – The Mountains & The Trees

Swing by iTunes for more TM&TT here.

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/06/18/saturday-grab-bag-with-frederick-squire-the-bravest-ghost-and-the-mountains-the-trees/feed/ 4 http://slowcoustic.com/2011/06/16/song-of-the-day-black-gold-from-one-hundred-dollars/ http://slowcoustic.com/2011/06/16/song-of-the-day-black-gold-from-one-hundred-dollars/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:29:19 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=6072

Just thinking about this album today as they are announcing the long list for the Polaris Prize today (keep an eye out here).  If you are unaware, the 2011 Polaris Prize is the ‘best’ Canadian album to be released between June 2010 and May 2011 as chosen by music editors, sites, critics in Canada.  Slowcoustic is considered one of those Canadian music types and I voted for my favourite albums and this band may have been among the list….I ain’t gonna tell.

One Hundred Dollars new album “Songs of Man” is a strong contender for reaching at least the long list of the Polaris, but unfortunately I don’t see a more country/roots type band winning for some reason.  All I can say is that I hope that the whole process isn’t just an exercise in voting Arcade Fire for the top spot (despite it being a good album as well).  Lets all hope we see $100 represented today on the announcement for the competition to Canada’s ‘best’ album of the 2010/2011 season.  That is all I am going to say on this subject (at this time).  ;-)

One Hundred Dollars’ ‘Songs of Man’: While you can expect a bit of a country experience from One Hundred Dollars, you also get a bit of retro rock, folky moments all mixed together into a rambling rootsy album.  This may sound wishy washy and almost a bit thrown together, but it isn’t – it feels quite well assembled in all reality.  If a slightly tamer Janis Joplin decided to become an outlaw country act, then One Hundred Dollars should be on your listening “long list”.

Enjoy Black Gold as your song of the day:

“Black Gold” from One Hundred Dollars album “Songs Of Man”

Find more/purchase: Website, Outside Music, Facebook and Zunior (purchase).

~Smansmith

After a conversation about ‘Cold Specks’ this morning with Drunk Country (from The Waiting Room Radio Show), I actually listened to this artist.  As I was not immediately sure who Cold Specks was but quickly became aware thanks to a conversation DC was having with Tim of The Blue Walrus (see their post on Cold Specks here).  We were essentially discussing the resurfacing of the artist in general and that she still has the chops to make you stop in your tracks and simply stand with mouth agape at the stunning sounds created (both sonically and vocally).  Cold Specks (& the name of Al Spx she now uses) are the newest monikers of this artist from Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada and she seems to be born anew with this project after taking the previous more lo-fi ‘Basket of Figs’ persona to its completion.

The song of the day is “Holland” and it is actually a reworking of the track from her ‘Oh Eye, Oh Night’ EP from a couple of years back.  While the original is still amazing in its own right, this Cold Specks final version is almost a phoenix from the flames – it grows in scape and is awash in the folk noir that it clearly basks in.  This version has the song doubling in length from the original and even finds the song to almost be a new beast all together.  Either way, its stunning.

Holland by Cold Specks

Find out more when information comes available on the new Cold Specks website, Facebook and MySpace pages.
Download the song via Mediafire HERE.

Expect a full length album very soon.

~Smansmith

One of my recent finds was St. Louis radio station KDHX and their great list of in studio performances on their Soundcloud page.  Seriously folks, there is a massive amount of talent that comes through their doors.  While not all is up my alley, there is definitely enough to have something for pretty much any reader of this blog.  They are not for profit and are community focused, could use your support….and just happen to record kick ass sessions.  For good measure, their mission statement:

“The mission of KDHX is to build community through media, with diverse and independent voices that enrich the perspectives of our audiences.  We promote civic and cultural participation by providing the tools, technology, and training vital to informed, creative expression.”

Sounds like a good crew, right?  Okay, I know you are looking for an example of these sessions, so look and listen no further – a selection is below as our Monday playlist.

David Bazan “Virginia” Live at KDHX 6/10/11 by KDHX
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Frontier Ruckus “Junk Drawer Sorrow” Live at KDHX 6/10/11 by KDHX
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Jill Andrews “A Little Less” Live at KDHX 6/9/11 by KDHX
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The Antlers “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out” Live at KDHX 6/11/11 by KDHX
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This is just a sampling as they have also posted great sets from Jonsi, Strand of Oaks, William Fitzsimmons, The Low Anthem and Hayes Carll.  You can check out their live performance page HERE or simply click over to their Soundcloud page for all things worth listening to HERE.

Enjoy your Monday.

~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:

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

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

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

~Smansmith

I’ve been a long time fan of Anna-Lynne Williams and all things Lotte Kestner (ok, fine, and Trespassers William) and now we have a full on covers project from her!  This is a great solo acoustic covers album from one of the best voices in folk today.  There is something soo soothing about her voice and the way it floats over acoustics…delicate and almost haunting vocals spill all over anything she does.

So, for a covers album, name someone who you would like to have covered…they will be here.  I always think that half the battle for a collection is selecting the ‘right’ artists to cover to make an album really work – I mean, you just can’t throw it together, you have to put thought into it.  Many decisions must have been made on this album as it is deliciously eclectic and full of “yeah, you gotta have that one” and “oh, I would not have thought of that but damn…” moments.  Think of having songs from The National, The Cure, Bon Iver, New Order and even Vic Chesnutt with Williams’ buttery vocals all over them.

The album was released just this past June 1st and is on her label, Saint Loop Records here.  If you click that link you will notice that you also can have a bonus EP of covers…yeah, they keep coming!  The bonus EP is available via Saint Loop and her Bandcamp Page (here) and includes some great tracks.  I have included two tracks from this bonus EP for streaming below – Billy Idol AND David Bazan?  Nice.

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Do yourself a favour and swing by and pick up this covers tribute to some great artists.  Current favourite is her cover of ‘True Faith’ from New Order…soo good!

Find Lotte Kestner on her Record Label, Facebook and Bandcamp.
Purchase on Saint Loop Records, iTunes and CD Baby.

~Smansmith

REPOST:  I thought I would ease my way back into posting after vacation by doing a re-post of an artist that I found myself ‘re-discovering’ while on said vacation.  Sarah Winchester’s EP, Northeast Kingdom Demos is a beautiful selection of songs from the A. Weather front woman and is highly recommended for fans of stark acoustic folk artists like J. Tillman, Lotte Kestner, et al.  FYI, I think you have to sign up for the Team Love Library to get to this EP, it is was a free membership and download if I remember correctly.

Enjoy.

A Nice surprise was discovering Sarah Winchester’s 5 track demo release over on the Team-Love website. You might know Winchester as the same ethereal voice that keep the band “A Weather” on the Slowcoustic radar (also highly recommended). Her recent EP is so incredibly delicate and gorgeous that it is heartbreaking and warming at the same time. Even with 30 minute length for an EP, I still want more of this music.

The EP is indicated as “demos” but I am not sure if the sound and feel could not have that used as a descriptor. She recorded solo in her bedroom over this past winter – and that my friend is another reason why I like the music – it is just so personal. I also just had a short “demo vs. final version” twitter conversation with a few people yesterday and put up the question on why I can often enjoy a “demo version” much more than a fully finalized copy of that very same song. There is something about the way I listen to music that I enjoy a more raw, lo-fi experience. I don’t know if I feel it more authentic or simply more acoustic (usually)…who knows.

Well to get back to the EP, a quick clip from the label page:

“…the 5 song collection derives it’s name from the northeastern corner of Sarah’s home state – Vermont. Now living in Portland Oregon, Sarah’s songs are bound by this divergent geography, as well as by themes of family, death and wilderness.”

So take a journey to Sarah’s “kingdom” where things tend to be just a little bit slower and give you the chance to breathe in it’s beauty.

“Raft” – Sarah Winchester

~Smansmith

The above will unfortunately/fortunately not be me over the next week.

I am on a much needed vacation.

I have sun on my face and cerveza in my hand.

In my absence, please consider visiting any of my fantastic blogroll friends on you lower right hand side of this page.

Be back in and around June 6th, till then slow down and listen a little…

Division
“Mexico” (mp3)
from “Mexico”
(Aardvark Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

(I thought I would throw you all a curve ball with this tune!)

~Smansmith

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“En Garde” is the new album from Puzzle Muteson via Bedroom Community.  I purchased yesterday (pre-order gets you the download immediately) already knowing this album would be good and so far it is not disappointing.   The songs are lullabyes, floating in and out with fragile and almost tentative vocals.  It would be redundant to say it is beautiful music – but know it is pensive and expansive beauty as opposed to strikingly stark beauty.  This album is has warmth in its songs and thoughtful arrangements.  Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurðsson joined in for the creation of the album alongside the music/lyrics of Terry Magson and they have created one stunning collection of songs.  I think the title track of “En Garde” could be one of my favourite songs for the year…

Listen to a couple of the Bandcamp streams below:

Find more, pre-order and visit Puzzle Muteson via the Bandcamp page and Bedroom Community.

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Next we have an EP from good friend Joseph Scott aka White Pines.  In all transparency, our record label Yer Bird Records put out his debut full length album ‘The Falls’ late last year but this is his EP prior.  The EP is “A Face Made of Wood” and before I really knew Scott and worked with him, I had this album in my top 3 EPs for the year in 2009 (see here) and it still stands up.

Actually I can credit Mostly Midwest (follow them) for reminding me via one of their tweets about this EP the other day.  What is also great is that this fantastic acoustic, roots infused folk EP is available for FREE!  Yes, one of the best EPs in the last few years is a free download and I can’t recommend it enough.  Listen to a couple of tracks and then head over and download the 5 track EP immediately!

Find out more, visit and follow White Pines on the Bandcamp Page, Yer Bird Records Page and Twitter.

There you have it, two fantastic albums via Bandcamp – one more dreamy folk and one more guitar/roots folk – what else do you need?

~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

Today gets a great track I listened to a few months back and never got around to posting on it.  Sooo much music I guess.  Not really an excuse, I know – especially for a great track like this one.

Daniel Huscroft is a Canadian singer songwriter that is a little hard to classify into a specific genre – I want to say folkish, indie singer songwriter-ish, or along those lines.  Listen to the song below and you will understand where I am coming from.  Clearly a powerful vocalist and I think the polish on the great HD video my belie any gruff exterior he might show.  I am sure that was the point of the video having Huscroft in the middle of classical musicians with strategic blur and the like – nice little video for the song I think.

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GONE by Daniel Huscroft
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“Gone” is from his 2010 album “Here Is Just For Now” and you can find it on iTunes here or CD Baby here.  Lots of strings, acoustic guitar and strong vocals – what’s wrong with that for a Friday?  Nothing, now go into your weekend as this week is….gone.  [weak, I know]

Find out more on Daniel Huscroft on his new Facebook page or even his MySpace page.

~Smansmith

Andy Berkhout has a new project that is available for a test drive, it is the album “Morning” from a new side of Berkhout, Trotting Bear.

If you are familiar with Andy’s music you know that you can expect lush acoustic elements on ‘Morning’ to awaken to (see what I did there?).  Andy in general allows the listener in and it always seems like a house concert with his recordings.  What I mean is they are never ‘over produced’ and is a style of music that you can instantly find harmony and a closeness with.  Listen to a few tracks below:

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The album is akin to a collection of lullabyes or early morning/late night mood music, which lends to the accessibility of the songs.  Maybe you should swing by the brand new bandcamp page for some more of ‘Morning’…this morning.

You can also find more Andy Berkhout on his website.
You can follow both Andy Berkhout and Trotting bear on Twitter.

~Smansmith