Found this EP just the other day due to an invite to a local house show here in Calgary.  Wow, am I glad that I got that invite.

So the artist is Paul Stewart and to be honest, I have only been listening to this EP for about 4 days now…but it has been a glorious 4 days.  The 5 songs are available as a “name your price” download over on his Bandcamp page and I immediately dropped my $5 for it after about 48 seconds of total preview split between all 5 tracks.  Why do I note this?  I am noting this as I almost can’t put forward one song as the lead track or single from it – they are all frickin’ great.  He describes his sound as “Defeatist Folk” or as many readers of this blog might call it, “Sad Bastard Folk”.  The songs might be a bit down on their luck but at the same time bring such rich beauty and comfort that I almost miss that fact.

I am selecting 2 tracks to embed below and they are the opening and closing tracks: “Glass Skull” opens the EP with gentle sepia toned echoes of lost summers…you almost picture the song playing over silent video footage of a summer camp in the 50s…it sounds like it floats due to what could be a slide guitar/pedal steel in the background, then the piano hits for the last few moments – stunning.

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Next is the closing track “Crowd Cocoon” which comes in a bit more ominous but with many of the same elements of piano, acoustics, reverb…but used in a more late night solitary drinking binge sort of way.  As many sad bastards know, this can be some of the most stunning and wrecking moments…the same can be said about the song.  It kills me each time I hear it.

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As I mentioned, all tracks are worthy, so if you like the above 2 tracks then there are 3 more just waiting for you and they are just as good.  Highly recommended.

Calgary Concert Alert: Any Calgarians can find Paul Steward at ‘The White House’ next weekend – January 21st with Alex Wesley Cardinal on their Winter Tour.  See the Facebook event for more details.

Find Paul Stewart: Bandcamp | Facebook

~Smansmith

Zachary Lucky and Carly Maicher (two of my current favourite Canadian acts) are going to be here in Calgary tomorrow.  The show is at the House of Commons which is literally 3 blocks from where I am typing this.  So I don’t really have an excuse, right?

Zachary Lucky

Lucky has just finished mixing his new album “Saskatchewan”, so we can hope to expect some new material with addition to his stellar back catalog including his amazing 2010 album “Come and Gone”.  Speaking of which, you can swing by his Bandcamp page to purchase a recent live performance that will benefit the printing/promotion of the new album by visiting that release here.

~~~

Carly Maicher

This week I also received my hand silk screened CD copy of Carly Maicher’s album “Hiding” – a nice little post holiday gift to myself!  This album is another folk, singer-songwriter gem from the prairies and was a surprise/out of nowhere late year find.  This album is absolutely stunning and comes very highly recommended.

Lucky assists on Maicher’s album and Maicher assists on the new live recording from Lucky as well.  So what could be better than both playing together here in Calgary tomorrow.  I would say just about nothing.

Facebook Event
(House of Commons – 6435-Bow Crescent NW)

Zachary Lucky: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
Carly Maicher: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter

~Smansmith

South of Lincoln was ‘discovered’ via an innocent recommendation in the forums at AltCountryTab.ca and it wasn’t even directed at me.  Yet, it ended up being meant for me…I know it.  South of Lincoln (or Maxwell Holmquist) is, you guessed it, a singer-songwriter who plays slow and acoustic music for the most part.  Yet, he does it so incredibly well by creating moods and moments that you truly fall inside of.  Small slices of life via acoustic vignette.  Some of these moments are of places you don’t wish on anyone, but in turn many of these cathartic stories set to music are needed by everyone.  It may sound overplayed about a guy with a guitar singing of love and loss – but god damn if you can’t appreciate it when it is done this good.

South of Lincoln is coming out of his shell just now and I only hope to be able to help facilitate more fans of this style of music and this artist in particular.  Do yourself a favour, read an interview below and listen along with some music samples.  Best.  New.  Artist.

~~~Interview with Maxwell Holmquist~~~

With your recording moniker ‘South of Lincoln’ and involvement with Hear Nebraska – how is the area connected to you and your music?

I’ve always been sort of obsessed with place. The name of my first album is “Homes” and I actually spent time deciding between “Home” and “Homes”. I’m interested in the concept of home and where that place is and what it means.

Everything about where I grew up has influenced my writing. I think my nostalgic obsession with the folksy, early-1900’s aesthetic comes from growing up in a tiny, dying Midwestern town (Douglas, Nebraska: Population 250). Time has sort of stopped there and the buildings are snapshots of different periods of the last 100 years. Everything just moves slower there and it’s become a peaceful refuge for me.

I have a tattoo of the outline of Nebraska on the inside of my upper arm. I love this place. It’s full of inspiration in the way of beautiful scenery, rich culture and history and honest, heart-wrenching stories.

Hear Nebraska is working to show everyone that fact: that Nebraska is full of rich culture and that art is being created by multitudes of people across the state in various forms. It’s provided a community and an environment that is ideal for creating.

It hasn’t always been that way, but in the last year I’ve thought a lot about the value of a recording. Should a recording be a representation of what a musician is doing constantly on stages across the country, or should performances be built to represent something that was built in the studio, layer upon layer? The conclusion I came to, for myself at least and for the type of stripped down music I’m playing, was that the value of what I’m doing is in the performance itself. If I can move someone to come to some sort of emotional peak with a performance and the atmosphere of that evening and everything that’s going on at that place and time, both within the listener’s mind and externally, then I’ve accomplished what I hoped to accomplish. I want my recordings to capture that atmosphere and the surroundings. Half of the tracks on my most recent album were recorded to tape in the bathroom of a recording studio, the other half were recorded in the middle of a forest in a park outside of town. I’ll always remember that experience. You can hear the birds in the background of the recording and the setting almost becomes a part of the song.

LoveDrunk Studio, the group that shoots the one-take live videos that are hosted on Hear Nebraska, got me really thinking about the single-take philosophy. I think this combination of audio, video and live performance is something that will be seen more and more.

My earlier songs were all sappy love/heartbreak songs drawn from personal experiences. I needed to get those out of my system. In the last year, I’ve made a shift to writing songs that tell fictional stories or stories that draw loosely from the experiences of people I know or stories I’ve been told by people. I much prefer telling these types of stories.

It’s a strange experience, especially when people you don’t know start recognizing you and opening up to you, telling you that they connected with something you wrote. It’s a really strange feeling when somebody asks you to sign something. I feel like saying, “I would love to sign this when more than 40 people know who I am.” It’s easy to see how musicians at higher levels gain reputations as assholes. I don’t want people to think that I think I’m above signing something. It’s the exact opposite. It feels so odd having strangers talk to you and know who you are and people wanting you to sign something, it doesn’t feel like it should be happening. I don’t feel like I deserve that kind of flattery. Then I realize that it’s not about me and if somebody wants that then I should just do it and thank them for their support.

Nothing in-particular comes to mind. I try to write stories that come to my mind or are dropped in my lap so I think my natural filter would leave out anything that I may think is off-limits for me. I try to avoid being political in my music. There are only a few musicians who I think do it well. David Bazan is one of those. It’s all semi-veiled in his music and it’s done with tact and skill. I don’t know that I can do that so I typically avoid politics and religion in my music unless I can do it without being too obvious.

With record labels going where they are and the business model shifting towards DIY I think ‘singer-songwriters’ are in a good place. Recording costs are low and it’s relatively easy and cheap to put out a fairly high-quality album, especially when it’s just one person with a guitar and a voice. It’s easier to front the money yourself and the benefits of this are that more money goes back into the pocket of the musician when albums are sold. If a solo-musician can manage it, it’s the best way to do it. It takes a lot of work off state, outside of writing and performing music, but I think there hasn’t been a better time to be performing as a solo musician.

I also think the singer-songwriter/solo musician situation lends itself well to folk music. With the folk/alt. folk movement that has been building over the past decade or so it’s the perfect climate for someone to perform as a singer-songwriter.

It definitely takes a lot of work and can seem a bit lonely, but it’s a lot easier to manage one person and make decisions when you’re making those decisions for yourself.

In high school I sang in what I would call a butt-rock band. I wasn’t always into fantastic music and definitely have some albums that are probably hiding in a box somewhere at my parents’ house. I listened to a lot of my brother’s albums growing up: R.E.M.’s “Monster”, Soundgarden’s “Superunknown”, Sublime, etc. When I was about 16 I got the Garden State soundtrack and got really into Iron & Wine. That was the beginning of my love for alt. folk. Over the next few years I was introduced to David Bazan, Damien Jurado, Will Johnson, Two Gallants, Neko Case, Andrew Bird, Mason Jennings and the sort. They became the soundtrack to every long drive through the country to the house where I grew up. Folk music became synonymous with the nostalgia that I feel for all of the great experiences I had growing up in a small, not-quite-ghost-town.

I’ve been performing in bars since I was 16 so it’s hard to imagine anything else. I have a degree in English and really enjoy writing. If I had to set down the guitar I would be content writing copy in pretty much any capacity, but I also can’t imagine having to stop playing music. I suppose my real passion is my family and my friends, but they’re already my passion side-by-side with my music.

This is really all I want to do. I don’t want to get rich. I just want to pay my college loans and feed myself. I want people to hear my music and enjoy it. I want the experience of traveling far from home and being able to sing to a crowd of strangers who appreciate what I’m doing. I want to connect with all of these people.

As far as folk/folkish music goes: Manny Coon, Smith’s Cloud, It’s True/Adam Hawkins, Betsy Wells, Daniel Dorner, Orion Walsh, Kill County, The Amalgamators, The Mezcal Brothers, Bonehart Flannigan, The Betties and probably a bunch more I’m missing.

For non-folk, other amazing bands: Conduits, Masses, Dim Light, Nick Westra, The Machete Archive, and again, probably a bunch more that I’m missing.

Lincoln and Omaha have both provided and continue to provide so many amazing musicians.

Man, Pt. I by South of Lincoln

~~~

Find more on South of Lincoln: Facebook | Bandcamp | MySpace | Hear Nebraska | Twitter
Purchase South of Lincoln: iTunes | Bandcamp (all releases are ‘pay what you want’!!)

~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

Joe D’Amico is a Philidelphia based artist that his currently in the process of releasing his album “Asleep In My Shoes”.  He is doing such by giving away a track each week on his website (so far at least)!  I started listening to Joe as he is sharing the bill on a triple album release party in Philly for his album along with Hezekiah Jones and Up The Chain.  So, can you say – you want to be there?

Joe’s album is 11 tracks that range from sparse folk to a bit of indie rock(ish) to full band crooner and its definitely a great listen.  The feature track here right now is “White Horse” and it’s complete rock lament vibe.  Truly a sad sack track if I heard one…with D’Amico’s vocals over a guitar fronted ballad – just killer.  With flecks of banjo, piano and waning pedal steel (I think) this is a great song to listen to late at night all alone or even to bring the house down at a live event.   Highly recommended.

“White Horse” – Joe D’Amico, from 2011′s Asleep in My Shoes

Don’t Miss the CD Release show at World Cafe Live on Feb. 17th!

Visit Joe D’Amico: Website, MySpace, Facebook & Bandcamp
Purchase his previous work at iTunes, Amazon

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/01/29/song-of-the-day-white-horse-from-joe-damico/feed/ 3 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/12/28/getting-lost-in-brad-sennes-walker-fields/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/12/28/getting-lost-in-brad-sennes-walker-fields/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:29:21 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5541

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

I was going to try and lie to you and say this is an actual Xmas themed post, but simply due to the title of the song “Merrily, Merrily” I thought I could squeak it through as “festive”…

Lisa Will Insult You, Darling has been on Slowcoustic prior (see here) and Sebastian Jegorow is back with another 9-track album he is offering for free on his Bandcamp page.  The music created by Jegorow is lo-fi and it is perfect for really listening to (like with headphones) as it seems that much more raw and, for me, makes it that much easier to connect with an artist or their work.  The album is definitely for the sad bastard crowd and it is full of gems like this particular song below as well as “Among the Communists”, “I Will Die (again)”, “On Request”, “Kill Your Love” and a nice Little Wings cover of “Light Green Leaves” for good measure.  So if you like your Xmas with a little bit of down trodden whiskey drinkin’ acoustic – then you are in luck, this album is for you and you won’t be disappointed.

“Merrily, Merrily” – from Lisa Will Insult You, Darling, taken from 2010′s “Jingle Man”

~Smansmith

Today sees the release of Carl Hauck’s new 9 track album “Windjammer”.  The album is a study in delicate finger picked singer songwriter selections that carry some of the best melodies of 2010.

Hauck is no stranger to the pages of Slowcoustic (see here, here & here) so I might be a bit biased on this Illinois’ talent.  The bias is earned, so I do not stray from that fact that I enjoy a Hauck tune.  Something about being able to bring a pitch perfect selection of lyrics to stunning acoustic arrangements…you know, that’s all.

The title track is a perfect example, it is beat steady, has a build that joins in additional layers (fantastic violin & strings in this one) and it defines what a Carl Hauck track might be.  This is the stuff that made Sufjan Stevens everyone’s favourite indie talent, listen to the song and find elements of Stevens’ work intertwined with Hauck – there’s beauty in ‘dem songs.  Listen:

Probably my favourite track on the album is the song “Martial Reisling”.  It starts with just Hauck singing over acoustics and does the build to a melodic chorus with the best of them.  Other than just being catchy, the lyrics alone show the strength in this album, example:

“My fingertips are tapping on a hefty stack of papers sitting
Stamped and sorted carefully, all ready to be sent
Sonnets, prose, and charming odes to ennui-laden scribbles so
Affected by the rain or lack thereof that fell today”

…

“Blank checks made out to certainty, the memos bursting at the seams
With issues better left unspoken of and never seen”

Quite an ominous few lines, but they fit and show the beauty of an album worth of stories/situations/laments/memories all set to music.  [Side Note: the lyrics for the album can be found on his Bandcamp page and I suggest a little "light" reading while listening.] Overall in this particular song, I think the chorus is what gets me – some may say it’s hokey, but when you earnestly sing the naked-as-I-am line “But I have dreams too” – it just hits the spot for me.   Listen:

Bonus out-take from the album (from carlhauck.com): “Sinking Ships”

So if you pick up one “folk” album today, make it Carl Hauck’s Windjammer.  If you are in Chicago, you can hit the CD Release show at Martyr’s (Facebook event info)

Visit Carl Hauck:  Website, Bandcamp, Facebook, MySpace
Purchase Carl Hauck:  Bandcamp, iTunes, eMusic

~Smansmith

Was reminded about Oliver Thiessen (who has graced these pages more than once) via my Facebook feed (thanks Luka)…yes, it’s true Facebook can be used for good…and thought I would share.  And to make sure I was not dissing the rest of the great Albertan talent, I find Oliver one of the uber under appreciated Slowcoustic types of the talent pool here in AB, that’s all…

Oliver Thiessen provides his collection of individual tracks combined to form a “Collage” of 25 tracks available for purchase on his Bandcamp page for a measly $19.00 CDN.  Listen to two of my favourites so far.  Especially love the chorus for “Country Air” as I had not previously heard it…soo good.

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If you are ready for uber moody acoustic goodness, Oliver is the Albertan singer songwriter for you. Swing on by his Bandcamp page for more listening.

~Smansmith

*Above shot is from the upcoming video/short film from Brock Mitchell for (or based on the song) “Devil’s Time”

Reuben Bullock is one, if not best, of Calgary’s best unknown “known” talent.  While having a robust and dedicated following in the local scene here in Calgary, Bullock is definitely slated for bigger things.

After sitting down with Reuben over a coffee you realize he is someone dedicated to his art.  He is staunchly Canadian in spirit and is a patient and well thought out young musician.  He is protective of the local art scene and supports local endeavors like the “Market Collective” that strive to bring the local scene out to both socialize and gain strength and support from each other.  Truly an admirable trait these days that he isn’t in it to be a star – too bad someone didn’t tell that to his passion for crafting quality songs.

Overall, the album was loosely released in a few months back (mid 2010), it is one of the best finds I have had recently and not so recently.  Unfortunately the album looks to only be available locally in a short run pressing but hopefully things are in the works to bring his music to more Canadians and hell, even the world.  His never wavering voice and amazing acoustic sessions do translate to the recording of Pulling Up Arrows, but some that are familiar to Bullock might think the album is “louder” or “fuller” than some of his stripped down, gut wrenching performances.  I am caught somewhere in the middle as I am always one for the lone troubadour but can appreciate the work put into creating a full album with some range.  You might find this fuller sound in songs like “Devils Time” and “Pendulum Sun”, but where it really gets great for me are the tracks like “The Rain”, “Haunted”, “Eli” and even “Brother” (of which he has 2 that also enjoy talent in the music making arena).

After the above songs noted that find Bullock solo with a guitar, you have to get on board with him…especially if you find yourself reading this particular blog.  The tracks are catchy, but not in a cliche way, they are well thought out, performed with conviction and can be repeat listens without feeling like they get “worn out’.  Overall, the album has such high points that the parts that I find “only pretty damn good” qualify this for what could be a best of the year in Canadian Music.  I know local bloggers tend to lean towards their local talent for such claims, but this time I just might be right.

Listen to a favourite track for some convincing:

“The Rain” – Reuben Bullock, from 2010′s “Pulling Up Arrows”.

If you can, message him on MySpace and see about getting a CD, it will be worth it.  If you are local, you might find a copy at either Hot Wax in Kensington or Weeds Cafe in the NW.

~Bonus-

Via the folks at Calgary is Awesome & Shot At The Dark (highly recommended and where I originally “discovered” Reuben – see my blogroll and visit them) find a couple of videos:

~
“Haunted” from Pulling Up Arrows

SHOT AT THE DARK presents Reuben Bullock – Chapter Two from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

~

There just might be more than one Bullock in this one…

SHOT AT THE DARK presents Reuben Bullock – Chapter Three from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

~Smansmith

So this post was supposed to be yesterday before I forgot to bring the album with me to work (where I do most of my posts early in the morning).  I kinda have to be listening to an album when I try to post on it so it’s all happening today!  Anthony D’Amato’s “Down Wires” released…er…yesterday!

Anthony D’Amato is what you would think of when you think of a “singer songwriter”.  Despite whatever comes to mind when you use that term generically, it still has meaning to musicians who actually qualify for it.  I think the term is used too much (similar to “folk”) when you have an acoustic guitar and a solo singer, regardless if they are a good singer or actually wrote the song.  Well, I promise you D’Amato is both a great singer and writes/records/mixes it all with a sense of ease and ridiculous harmony.  When I say “ridiculous” it is not in a bad way, it just seems like he has a knack for creating songs that can catch you immediately – there is no need to listen a few times to see if it grows on you.  While being almost exclusively acoustic, you also don’t get the same-same feeling when going from track to track (listen to the energy of “Never Grow Old”, then the fantastic lament “My Fathers House” and finish with the country rock of “California Girls” to hear for yourself).   I have to say if you have a moment, please swing by to visit Anthony, catch a show (his MySpace has a couple of dates) or pick up a copy of “Down Wires” (or his previous album “Shades of the Prison House” that comes recommended as well).

Listen:

“Let Me Tell You Something” – from 2010′s “Down Wires”

Visit: MySpace, Facebook
Purchase: iTunes, eMusic

~Smansmith

A little all over the map today on stuff, but its all good at the same time, so I think it works out for the better, no?

I have had a couple of really good submissions lately and despite already being aware of both of them, sometimes I need a push…sometimes.  Those two bands are Uncles and Joseph & David.  I know of Uncles due to their recent release “Replacing Words With Other Words” that I saw on the great site Ampeater and Joseph & David due to the Green Man Festival readers poll on a band “opening the festival”.

Let’s start with Uncles.  Uncles provide a 10 track down tempo indie album that is free on their website – something I think is great option for newer bands to get noticed (it worked here at least).  I also feel bad as the album sounds like a real work – like it took something to get it out there.  Not in a physical sense like recording, mixing (but who knows) – but in a sense that it isn’t an album with throw away songs and fluff to get a “full length” album out into the music scene.  There is some really good tracks on this album, including the two below – but I suggest picking up the entire album to get a cohesive listen – get it on their site HERE.  Listen to the below tracks and tell me you aren’t picking it up?

“Settlers Song”
“Sleep Alone”

Check Uncles Session on The Ampeater Review, MySpace & their Website.

~~~

I also have Joseph & David from over yonder in the UK.  I first saw them over on the Green Man site when I was voting for Evening Chorus for the very same contest that these two are in – to play the opening of the Green Man Festival.  Well they both need to be in the top 5 to move on and they both currently are, so all is still rosy.

Well these two polite gentleman craft that soft acoustic folk-pop with (at time) soaring vocals.  Despite the songs having a slightly “tragic” sound, it builds character in a song (I think).  Not unlike Uncles above, the songs seem to have depth which can be hard at times for bands that play songs that can have a label such as “pop” attached to them.  The EP “So Short of Time” contains 6 tracks of piano infused beauty that sounds much beyond their young(er) years.  Once again, I am stunned by artists that at a such young age (or early in their musical career) can bring forth a collection of songs that are well done, sound good, have something that makes you want to sing along to and all around seem like good guys.  You can visit them on their Bandcamp page HERE or on MySpace HERE.

“Here’s to my Old Friends”

~~~

Next we have a “review” of last weekend’s The Tallest Man On Earth w/Nurses show here in Calgary.  While I don’t pretend to be a great reviewer of live shows – mostly due to my lack of extensive show attendance, I do think it was pretty darn good.  The crowd was pretty good – appreciative at the right times, sang along (wow, Calgary sings along to Tallest Man??  Nice) and while they crowded the stage, they weren’t difficult to get around to take a photo or a great view of the bands.   The venue, Local 522,  is a mish mash of good and bad:  great service for drinks, parking – had decent sound (which means something as TTMOE is entirely acoustic and Nurses have percussion, keyboards, etc.) – but lighting was a bit suspect.  I know it sounds trivial about lighting, but there was a constant “orange hue” to everyone in the crowd and the acts performing, so much so that I have had to move the photos to black and white to even make them decent.  The photos were taken from a local photog (David Kenny) who was gracious enough to send over a couple – they are downsized for the blog and again, moved to B&W for this blog only.

Aaron Chapman of Nurses (with shorter beard than normal)

The main man Kristian Matsson!

Okay the show – again, sound was pretty good overall and I was assured of this when “opening” band Nurses started playing – sound was full and fully recognizable as their music.  Sounds weird to say that, but sometimes the album clarity gets a bit forgotten in some venues and you end up getting what sounds like a grade 8 tribute band playing in place of the actual artists.  They did play the expected tunes like Technicolor which translated extremely well and a song that I am a big fan of.  There was a little banter, but not much and it was pretty much 6 songs and gone.  The 3-part team did a great job and I would see them again definitely – James from the band even worked the merch table and was very gracious in autographs and helping out all around to the fans.

Next Kristian came on after about a 15-20 minute break and did not disappoint.  Opening with the title track to the new album “The Wild Hunt” and everyone immediately got into it.  I have to say that he plays live extremely well and his voice is incredible – it holds up under everything he belts out.  With a tour like he is currently in where he is performing constantly, you might expect a touch of vocal fatigue but alas not here folks.  His delivery was phenomenal – front to back of the club – was spot on.  I mean, you know it’s live, but the power he delivers with lends to what could only be a great show.  The entire sound was full – guitar and vocal levels (not one over the other kind of scenario) was where it needed to be.  Some may ask how hard it is to have a guitar and sing – you can’t get the sound wrong??!!  Do not let these skeptics tell you this – in order to create great pitch and sound loud enough to get to the back of a sold out show (I would say 3-4 hundred where there) with no crackle, hiss, feedback or overfed channels – it takes a talented vocalist and good sound.  Kudos to the venue and who would I assume be the “roadies”!

A highlight was his cover of “Graceland” which I ever so helpfully yelled out during one of the breaks to ensure he did have the official “Slowcoustic recommendation”.  Fantastic.  He played almost the entire new album with a couple of previous cuts and ended the main set with King of Spain.  There was an encore attached which was just perfect – Kristian did talk with the audience during the show, but his speaking voice was much quieter than when he was performing, so honestly I could not make it out (what was I saying about the sound again??).  Recommended as a must see if he is in your neck of the woods.

After the show, both Nurses and TTMOE stuck around for autographs and to say hi – yours truly now owns both “Apples Acre” and “The Wild Hunt” on signed vinyl – how good is that?

That is all.

“Technicolor” – Nurses
“King of Spain” – The Tallest Man On Earth

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/05/22/saturday-round-up-uncles-album-joseph-davids-ep-and-tallest-man-on-earthnurses-live-review/feed/ 4 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/05/12/puzzle-muteson-may-have-new-songs-on-the-horizon-life-just-got-more-palatable/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/05/12/puzzle-muteson-may-have-new-songs-on-the-horizon-life-just-got-more-palatable/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 13:58:15 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=4510

It’s been a long time since I have listened to Puzzle Muteson, and after the below…

WHAT WAS I THINKING!

That was stellar!  He is getting some new tracks together from what I can find out and I for one am going to try be first in line!

If you have not ever found or listened to his 2006 album “Meadow Brown”, you should find it and listen to it – highly recommended.

“Alphabet Eyes” – Puzzle Muteson, from 2006′s “Meadow Brown”

Visit Puzzle Muteson:

~Smansmith

Red Clay River are the type of band that I am getting to really like.  They have the slow burners that I frickin really like, but they still have jump with a bit of rockin’ out.  I don’t always “rock out” as I put it, but sometimes it is good to know that you can – or at least your bands can!

RCR sent over some demos and videos of said demos to listen/see and it just happened at the right time.  I was hankering for something a bit gritty and had a bit more bite than my standard singer songwriters or down tempo indie pop that I can get lost in.  This is the band that helped me go for a stroll down Alt-Country-fringe-folk lane once again.  And I enjoyed my stay.  I just really liked the way they provide the hard drinkin’ devil may care music that has brought comparisons to Tom Waits, Against Me, O’Death, Micah P. Hinson, Gogol Bordello, Mark Lanegan.  This my friends is your Alt Country Friday.

“Build A Fire” (mp3)

~~

“Fall Like The Devil” (mp3)

Bonus tracks:

Slower: “Letters to the Sky”
Gritty: “Ain’t No Blues”

Click Below to Visit Red Clay River:
New release “Cover Our Faces With Soot and Dreams” available by clicking below as well

~Smansmith

Well it’s Record Store Day today and I am just putting a quick post to let you know what I’m listening to right now as I prepare to head out.  Ghosts I’ve Met.

While I have posted about Ghosts I’ve Met prior, I am really getting back into Sam Watts & Co. once again.  This is the softer acoustic ballads that float beautifully through headphones, soundtrack important moments and simply give you a good feeling.  There is also a bit of Americana vs. Slowed Down Folk vs. Orchestra with a splash of “melodramatic pop song” (as Myspace would say) throughout the band – the track below “Reno” “Payphone Patience” (revised with official promo track) is a fantastic number.  Its quite stunning, I hope you feel the same.

Maybe we will see more of Sam Watts, Brittain Ashford and Jenna Conrad around with a new album…you never know.  You can hear a few songs from the new (unreleased) album on the MySpace page linked below.

“Payphone Patience” – Ghosts I’ve Met, from 2009′s “Payphone Patience” EP

Visit Ghosts I’ve Met:

~Smansmith

Evening Chorus are a young 4 piece from Cardiff, UK.  They are young in the basic sense of the word meaning they are younger than myself in age – but they are young in the sense of a fully formed band as well.  This is always what gets us “older” folks…when someone does something that you think is beyond their short time.  For a band that is less than a year old to be releasing music on a regular basis already of above average quality – it just gets in the knickers of us crotchety old bastards.  Wow, really, I am not that old….just trying to make a point.

I have always thought Evening Chorus have some real talent and if you are into a band where you can get in on the ground floor and “know them when”, well EC is one for you.  I also still stand by my claim that they sound both traditional and contemporary in their approach to folk music.  They are using all the right ingredients including numerous stringed instruments and an understanding how to get what they need out of them.  The sound could be from 30 years ago, but you know it isn’t – its still new for our generation and this is a good thing.

Now I don’t want to compare for the sake of comparing so I won’t, but I think that Evening Chorus might be new to a lot of you, so if you like your folk of the UK variety tempo, we’re good.  If you like the type of folk music that has both the songs that you can slow down to (like these two tracks below) or you can still kick up your heels in the pub to others (see their Bandcamp page for more offerings, like “Look Forward To The Day”).   I also want to stress that while I feel that this release is almost the band’s “Slowcoustic” coming out party, they still usually have full band churning out an acoustic performance with a driving beat…that is all I am going to say.  Oh, and any band that can wield a banjo on a regular basis is good in my books!

“Blistered Magnolia” – b-side to 2010′s No Wreath, No Crown
(you will notice that this is the 1/4 speed reworked version – it’s fantastic!)

Visit Evening Chorus:

~Smansmith

p.s.  Also see my girl Tart’s post on the release HERE.

photo by Serena Matthews

Its Thursday and I think I have a great Slowcoustic Thursday track.  Well it is a great track on it’s own, but it also happens to have Thursday in it’s title.  And it’s by Serena Matthews.

I have been a fan of Serena Matthews for a couple of years now and I run across her now and then online, hell we even chat now and then on twitter.  But sometimes I need to step back and remember that she does make some of the most fragile and aching songs.  All with a pixie voice that belies the depth that is Serena Matthews.  I am not going to make comparisons and say “RIYL” and such – just listen and enjoy her for the amazing talent that she is.  I was recently reminded when I listened to her latest release “Staircase” after work one day to unwind.  Those songs can wash away almost anything and come recommended.

“Thursday Dawn” – Serena Matthews, from 2009′s “Staircase”

Swing by her MySpace page by clicking below and pick up some hand scribed CDs from her!

~Smansmith

The first track and recommendation is for Cavalier Rose.  This newly minted band out of Brooklyn has something that you don’t get much from me – a bit of energy.  Okay…its kind of a dirty, downtown basement club energy.  This is not an insult in any way – this is the stuff you dig your teeth into.  I mean I admit I like the toned down side of CR (so from what I hear, I cannot see them live as the show is supposed to be pretty loud!!) but there is still something about Heather Christian’s vocals taunting you to lean in only to get your ass firmly handed back to you.  You might want to check out “Sparrow”, my favourite track from their Daytrotter session to get an idea, as well as their website for a listen (streaming and download) for a bounty of demos.

“Lamplight” – Cavalier Rose

~~~

The next song and recommendation is from a similar styled band in the aspect that comes with a bit of energy, but knows how to slow it down just right.  This Boston foursome known as The Longwalls have one of the sweetest Alt Country ballads I’ve heard in a while in the title track from their upcoming EP “Dark Academy”.   I first heard of The Longwalls from fellow blogger Matt over at DysonSound due to a previous EP “Field Guide for the Zombie Survivalist” which didn’t catch me off the bat.  I admit I walked into Dark Academy not expecting what I heard – great classic Alt-Country/ Indie that allows you to enjoy both the energy of your evening plus the mellowing out on the way home at 2:00am.  I think of a similar style “local” band from Edmonton Alberta, The Wheat Pool when I hear them – and that ain’t too shabby at all.  If you have a chance you can stream the whole EP on SoundCloud HERE (you might want to check out the track “Ghosts” as well).  You can also check them on MySpace or watch quite an entertaining video for Zombies from their former album over on YouTube.

Dark Academy by StaticMotor

I hope you can get a chance to dig into both of the above!

~Smansmith

Who is this unassuming sandal wearing young gentleman?  He is “Little Yosemite” and he brings some of the best down tempo folk laments around.  Yes, it’s true.

Brought to my attention from a “guy you don’t want to mess with”…Drunk Country over at WOXY’s “The Waiting Room” radio show (and part of my twitter posse – follow him at @DrunkCountry) and he has made me a believer again.  Little Yosemite definitely has a laid back approach to creating music, so much so that his “…Through the Winter” EP is possibly the most aptly named release I have heard in a while.  If we all assume winter is a time of hibernation and the slowing down of all things then we are on the right page with this EP.  Despite this being the Winter Olympics and all, essentially the season is a time where one rests and aims to be even be introverted (if ever a season was to have a personality).  The EP follows its seasonal lead and finds itself drifting, floating and even dragging you into the experience of its dark, ebb and flow of acoustic soundscapes.

Definitely not something to put on at a party to “get it started”, but something you put on to sit back and immerse yourself into – it has steady percussion, pin-points of banjo and echoing voice of James McGaha.  Some tracks are more ambient than others (The Falls) and some are true journeys that must be experienced (The Stump, The Branch).  The track featured below is “Dig a Ditch” and is a meandering path with a sparse electric guitar and slight finger picking banjo as your guides.  It is almost a lullaby for his current home in Minnesota.  He better get his fill as he will be moving cross country to Portland (Oregon) this year, which just might show up in his upcoming full length album that will hopefully find its way to us later this year (fall, maybe?).

“Dig a Ditch” – Little Yosemite
from 2009′s “…Through the Winter” EP

Find and purchase Little Yosemite below

~Smansmith

It’s Friday and the start of the Olympics and what better way to show my love for the “the true north strong and free” than a post on an upcoming Canadian artist?  Friends, I will cheer my heart out for my Canadian athletes and Isenor’s album “Frost” just might be the perfect album to soundtrack the entire event for me.

The album “Frost” is pretty much the album that could.  What I mean is that originally it was only 7 tracks and was going to be an EP of sorts, but that just wouldn’t do.  Isenor found additional time with fellow East Coaster Shotgun Jimmie and low and behold another 4 tracks materialized out of their sessions at the Marshwinds Farm.  What has surfaced is an indie folk-pop album that literally came out of nowhere for me.  This album is one that truly wants you sit there and actually try to sing along to the songs as they are so well done (I try this often and realize I am a music blogger and not an artist in any way whatsoever).  Right off the bat the title track “Frost” has such a harmony, builds perfectly through a few bridges and meets the chorus that evokes the singing by yours truly.  When the banjo kicks in during the chorus, it absolutely turns this folk track into something more than its five and a half minutes can convey.  It is possibly my “it song” for the year so far.

There is more than the title track to this album with additional favourites like the focused mid tempo “Release Your Crown” or the lush “Riverwoman” this album just has hooks that relentlessly draw you in.  It is a more down tempo album at it’s core, but not in the “sad bastard” way you might be used to hearing around this blog.  As a whole, the full album enjoys songs that bring hushed moments, well thought out song building and a maturity beyond this young Sackville, New Brunswick via Nova Scotia singer songwriter.  Maybe this is what keeps catching me, until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know there was a Corey Isenor and now I can’t believe I missed him (even with a mention over on Herohill for his previous EP).

He is also not a one trick pony, no sir.  I think he has the flexibility to go beyond my own personal musical niche and move into what I mentioned earlier as folk pop.  With songs like “Force of Nature” and “Meteor Shower” you hear more indie influences with visions of spring creeping into your world, things seem brighter when those songs come on – definitely leading to a summer mix-tape option for many I think.  I can also see a song like “Baby Don’t Go” being quite a great pub sing along that really gets the crowd into a frenzy – like those East Coast pubs are known for….I think…

Well that is what I got, a great album from a Canadian that I think is a winner.  Take a listen to two tracks and tell me you don’t feel the same way.  At this time I don’t have an actual link to get you to purchase the album – but please message him on MySpace and get him to sell you an album already!

“Frost”
“As A Ghost”
from 2010′s “Frost”

Please visit all things Corey Isenor

~Smansmith

TGIS!**

I love Saturdays! (**please note that this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but you know how it goes…Sunday Morning Fever??) It very well could be the best day of the week (most definitely) and that is that, there is no back talk from any of you.  Ya here me…the best day.  I find Saturday great as you get to sleep in and stay up late in the same day with little repercussions due to standard work schedules.  I do apologize to those of you who may in fact work at the “proper” job on weekends, but I am much too set in my ways and much to old to give up my weekends to anything other than being lazy, watching a movie, maybe a beer or two and listening to music.  Seriously what else would a music blogger do…go out to a live concert??  “Now that is crazy!”[...he says as Dan Mangan and Aidan Knight perform at one of our "Technical Institutes/Colleges" this very night...] {EDIT – remember, this was last night due to not posting this yesterday!!}

Well I have a couple of videos that I think you should see.  The first one is from Shelley Miller and is possibly a Sunday Morning live performance of “Walk Away” and it is quite lovely.  I find the track a bluesy, roots tinged folk track that finds itself delicate and gritty at the same time.  Don’t think the flower dress and mostly hushed acoustic guitar is not balanced by the powerful voice and, um…skull planter on the window sill.  I think that just says it all for this Chicago talent.  Find her on MySpace and her Website.

Bonus rip of this great track – “Walk Away” from Shelley Miller

~~
Another video is one of the videos discovered by Craig over at Songs:Illinois this past week and it truly was  a nice find!  There is a whole lot of Sufjan styled acoustics and vocal delivery and now that Sufjan himself is dangling from the ledge of his signature sound as it is, well we have someone to take the torch on that one.  The video’s are a bit DIY and fit the sound in spectacular fashion – you can find a download of the song “Sarah Minor” over on Songs:Illinois – so go get it!

‘Sarah Minor’ from Keaton Henson on Vimeo.

~~

So something I thought was funny, I received the PR email about Midlake like many bloggers did – but I noticed it was all just “look at Midlake, they are good…honest, you have to believe us!”.  I presume it came out due to the negative review on Pitchfork, which I think is a bit weak – the album is pretty good, so it should not have to have any knee jerk due to a jerk at PF (see what I did there?).  I think the album is quite nice and as a laid back fan – I like it but I am not going to die on that hill if you know what I mean.  Just thought it was funny, never mind the backlash on various social media sites due to this “mis-step” by Pitchfork.  I think the review was gone about the wrong way but isn’t completely off the mark – they just came up with a verdict that you are not allowed to have your own sound…is it soo wrong to sound like yourself?  Anyway.

Another thing that both made me happy and made me a bit proud (by proxy) is getting a PR email about The Deep Dark Woods releasing their track “Charlie’s (Coming Down)” on 7″ vinyl.  What you say?  Yes, the track that (as far as I know) was only available via the HearYa music blog…until now!  The song was an entry for CBC’s Great Canadian Song Quest and was the Saskatchewan contender about the Good Time Charlie’s bar in Regina.  Well, it won (of course) and they are releasing it officially with two shows in their home province (March 5th – Saskatoon, SK @ Louis Pub & March 6th – Regina, SK @ The Exchange – both with The Sumner Brothers joining in!!).  Highly recommended if you are available to get there.  This all made me happy for the great track and proud as a blogger showing that they can influence the greater good – way to go HearYa in assisting in getting the song released!  Watch and listen to the great HY session HERE and find that winning track HERE.

Bonus DDW:  “The Gallows (CBC Radio 2)”
“Winter Hours (CBC Radio 2)”

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/02/07/a-couple-of-videos-couple-of-mp3s-and-a-couple-of-thoughts-for-this-saturday-er-sunday/feed/ 0 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/28/who-needs-a-new-album-bill-patton-frickin-does/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/28/who-needs-a-new-album-bill-patton-frickin-does/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:31:22 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=3994

Just saying, that’s all.

This guy just seems to keep coming up on my daily listening adventures due to his great “Gets It On” album from a few years back.  It used to be available for free download from his website, that I just noticed is no longer up!!  This better not be a sign.

I recently thought about Patton again while talking to a good friend and he mentioned that an album that kinda went under the radar was from this “Bill Patton guy”, and I totally jumped up and said “yes, somebody gets it”.  It was a bit of a moment for me.  From what I can tell he is somewhat of a touring and studio musician for certain artists with most recently being a key  member of the J. Tillman 7″ single for “Wild Honey Never Stolen” from Western Vinyl (which is absolutely phenomenal and comes highly recommended).

You should swing by CD Baby and get yourself a copy of the album and at the very least head over to RCRD LBL for 3 more tracks from this lo-fi, singer songwriter gem from 2004, or 2006 according to CD Baby…I don’t have my CD here to look on the liner notes.  Regardless it is too long since that album, way too long.

Listen to a couple of quick covers (especially that Prince one – too short!) that I have already featured here on Slowcoustic and for frick sakes, please don’t tell the original artists so he doesn’t get sued!  Buy the album to find out why I say that.

“Kiss (Prince Cover)”
“Fairies Wear Boots (Black Sabbath Cover)”

Visit and Purchase:

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/28/who-needs-a-new-album-bill-patton-frickin-does/feed/ 3 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/15/video-friday-with-i-am-oak/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/15/video-friday-with-i-am-oak/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:28:13 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=3928 Today I bring you 2 of the 3 videos from I Am Oak with his Naked Fish Session.  I know there are a lot of these video makers doing the “intimate, acoustic versions” of artists in varying locations across the globe but I love it!  There used to be only a few websites that did video sessions and now they seem to be all over the place!  This is another set of sessions with a great selection of folk inspired performances.  When you take a look, don’t forget to check out a set of videos for Oldseed as well.  Visit them on Vimeo HERE.

Okay back to the music…I Am Oak is my kind of music, so if you are reading this, it just may be yours as well (let’s hope shall we).   I Am Oak (or Thijs Kuijken) was recommended from a good source also in the Netherlands and I can’t thank him enough.  He has great banjo chops and especially in that “An Oxen” video I can’t stop thinking of The Tallest Man On Earth album cover!  Vocals soo smooth that it feels tracked/produced/mastered all while being one take in an abandoned school!

Look for a full feature on I Am Oak in the next couple weeks for the Old Songd album here on Slowcoustic as well.  If you wanted to look into IAO a bit more, please visit his MySpace page.
~~~

I am oak – on oxen from What about Fish on Vimeo.

~~~

I am oak – on trees and birds and fire from What about Fish on Vimeo.

~~~

~Smansmith

Another song of the day for you folks!  Today we have Montreal’s Armen Bazarian or as his recording moniker “Armen at the Bazaar” (see what he did there?).  Bazarian comes with a free self titled EP that is currently available from the man himself via his MySpace page.

The EP is a little more ‘pop” than “folk” but is really well done from this unsigned Canadian.  Definitely strong on melody and can be incredibly catchy at times with songs like “Complications” and “Expected to be Telepathic” – you will find yourself uncontrollably tapping your toes if you are into this style of music.  I personally would like him to test out the “darker” waters as I think his sound is only steps away from being full on pop music but it is a good listen regardless.  He definitely has a bit of experimentation with his “Tribal Interlude” and there are aspects of something deeper than just catchy tunes (even if they are catchy as well).  I just might have to continue to listen while walking down the beach this week.  I had to bring this post around to me at some point, you knew that!

Seriously though, swing on by his MySpace page and click for a free 6 track EP being offered up, test out a nice track I’ve selected to push you in that direction.

“Heart & Thoughts” – Armen at the Bazaar, from the self titled EP

Visit AATB:

~Smansmith

Oliver Thiessen made his debut on Slowcoustic in October 2008. We knew back then that Oliver was talent and we couldn’t wait for his first full-length album. Here is a little he said / she said from Slowcoustic HQ (meaning, the wife is a huge fan and wanted to be part of “Three Hills” part II).

She said….

I was really excited to hear Oliver Thiessen was finally going to give me more than four songs to pour over (to be fair he does provide a few extras on his myspace page but I was holding out for the full album). Volcanoes And Factories, released in 2009 did not disappoint.  Thiessen considers himself a searcher and someone who is always learning. When I listen to the album I see him as an observer.  There is a maturity to his new music that makes me think he has seen sorrow and felt heartbreak.

Thiessen uses his voice as much as his guitar and his lyrics together do more than create a song. My favourite song on the album is Chimney Company because it highlights his voice and the thoughtfulness of his lyrics. The indie artist is alive and well.

“Chimney Company” – Oliver Thiessen

~Judes

He said….

Well, so we know the wifey likes Mr. Thiessen (but she is known for having a crush on Canadian indie talent…I’m looking at you Wheat Pool).

I was also looking forward to Thiessen’s album as I did see here and there clues towards it’s imminent release via Myspace, etc but didn’t actually know until he emailed me to let me know it was finished.  I still don’t really know if it is “officially” released, but if not it will be shortly.  The album is for the most part a cohesive project with his patent delicate vocals over a steady strumming of an acoustic guitar.  He has brought in a few more elements to beef up parts of the album as being a solo performer it can get too sparse at times and this definitely brings an enhanced experience to the album.

Being a sad bastard at heart, I enjoy a truly down trodden acoustic track and I believe this is where Thiessen excels.  Songs like “Barcelona”, “Unions”, “Warrior” (tragically beautiful), “Bad State of Mind” (that last full minute is stellar with almost Jim James of My Morning Jacket falsetto finishing the track!) and even a touch of melancholic angst in “Smoke in the House”.  I have said it before and will say it again, the songs of loss, separation and the stresses of life changing decisions make for such good subject matter on Slowcoustic…

It isn’t all slow as molasses, crying in your drink music here – you can take refuse in the title track “Volcanoes and Factories”, “James Dean” and even “Norwegian Girl” which might not all be lighter context for meaning but he provides a lighter “plate” to serve his brand of lamentable folk music.

My chosen track is “Barcelona” which is a drifting story that floats you from start to finish.  There is a back vocal track of who I assume to be Thiessen humming along to the medley – it might sound like it is an odd choice, but it really works.  The track was originally featured on an international “Chill Out Acoustic” compilation from Quickstar and released last December (see it on iTunes).  It is also another good example of a great track from some of our “local talent” around Alberta!

“Barcelona” – Oliver Thiessen

Visit Oliver Thiessen:

~Smansmith

p.s.  If you are local and have the opportunity, please consider stopping by The Ship & Anchor on January 2nd to see Oliver!  Might be perfect to get you over the cold January in Calgary!

p.p.s. His Myspace has a bunch of festive tracks to stream.

p.p.p.s.  Bonus video of a great track from Oliver:

So I don’t know how I got a hold of these songs, but I recently found them again.  They are not even on an album as far as I know and I can’t find too much on this Vancouver artists.  I think I might have discovered Ehroehed a few years back due to a 3hive post on him – at least they got as far as his name being Lonny Potter!  So that is about it, his website doesn’t work, the “label” he references leads to a dead link for his stuff…so you know how it goes.  I have a couple more, but they were starting to get away from themselves, so I kept it at the 4 below.

I think (at least by looking at his MySpace page) he is kind of between genres and is still finding his true sound.  He has a singer songwriter base with a tendency for folk and then has a bit of post punk mixed in.  Just thought I would share.

“Goodwill Come” (Traditional Singer Songwriter)
“Party” (a bit of post punk mixed in)
“Eyes” (more country influenced)
“Two Mile Final” (baseline laden acid-pop folk)

~Smansmith

p.s.  stream a couple of more tracks on CBC Radio 3 HERE.

You know you are here as you enjoy the hushed delivery and molasses cadence of some great music.  So when you receive notice on an album called “Lights Off, Headphones On”, either it is deep trance or some aptly named Slowcoustic jams and you know you should look into it.

Well folks, this is not your deep trance, although you may find yourself transfixed for at least part of your listen.  Jack James released this album of 10 songs that enjoy a pace I have become familiar with and a sound that finds a home around these parts.  The album is essentially an Americana tinged singer songwriter experience set to 3/4 speed.  Jack names influences like Neil Young, Nick Drake, Damien Jurado, Bob Dylan and the Great Lake Swimmers – good folks all around regardless of these being able to be quoted by numerous singer songwriters around today.  I personally think he did a pretty good job of mixing old and new sounds (including the influences listed) in the creation of his.

James hails from Glasgow and he does a good job of not sounding too European (you will notice his heritage spilling over in a couple of tracks including “Decisions” below) and for the most part could mix him in with a mid western folkster of sorts.   There might be a slight warble at points, but I think it might be him fighting his accent – what’s wrong with a UK Cowboy?  Well, the album is definitely going in the right direction and is currently available as a free download over at his Bandcamp page (see below).  So why don’t you just slow it down a notch, turn off the lights and get those favourite headphones and put them to good use.

“Decisions”
“West End Blues Waltz”
“I Am Ready Now” (James really shines in this one)

Visit and Pick up the album:

~Smansmith

Binoculers – “Beat” from musikmob on Vimeo.

Check out binoculers:

~Smansmith

I thought I would feature 3 artists that all cover different sounds but all are finding a home around here.  We have a traditional folk artists Thomas Western, a dark moody experience called “The Steals” and to leave you on at least a bit of a summer note, the indie stylings of Trevor Giuliani.  Let’s get started.

~~~

Thomas Western

Thomas Western is a sound from the past, a sound that his young years couldn’t possibly know, or could he?  The folk music created from TW is definitely on the “traditional” side, and distinctly UK.  I don’t know why, but this is music for rolling farm lands (not the prairies of Americana-ville) and dreary afternoon picnics.  It achingly beautiful.  The track I’ve included is “Your Front Door” and is from his debut EP called Quite Early One Morning – which incidentally could not be more aptly named.  This is music of quite dewy fields and a lone man singing through the crisp air to the hills near Manchester.

“Your Front Door” – Thomas Western – from 2008′s “Quite Early One Morning” EP
[Purchase @ eMusic & iTunes]

~~~

The Steals

The Steals are another band out of the UK that happen to have a new album of ambient post folk (like post rock, but folk…).  The band is a four piece led by Jayn Hanna whos haunting vocals float over a surprisingly full down tempo sound.  I would almost go as far as describe it as part Gothic, part psych-folk, and part drifting lullabye.  Headphones and this will either blow your mind or put you to sleep (in a good way), you decide.  They have a new album “Static Kingdom” released this past June from Faun Records – visit, listen and tune out.

“Stay In Silence” – The Steals – from 2009′s “Static Kingdom”
[Purchase @ Faun Records Store]

~~~

Trevor Giuliani

So I will end off with some great summer tracks, well actually a nice combination of spring through fall actually.  While Trevor Giuliani’s new album “Subcontrario (In Stereo)” is a more indie-pop singer songwriter in the vain of Andrew Bird, Jens Lekman, et all: he puts together a nice solid album that he makes his own.  This thing that strikes you once listening is Giuliani’s honest lyrics and delivery.  While the world spins with flashy remix albums, viral videos and ridiculous teen movies, Trevor Giuliani brings you a reason to slow down and listen.

“Wasting Your Town” – Trevor Giuliani – from 2009′s “Subcontrario (In Stereo)”
[Purchase @ InSound]

~~~

~Smansmith

So I have been online acquaintances with Jan Felipe for over a year now as we have connected a few times on Last.fm.  He will let me know on happenings here and there and if he has a new track for download.

Low and behold he does have something new for perusal and he let me know – and now I am letting you know.  Jan Felipe is a mostly slow acoustic/slightly jazzy artist in a nouveau José González way.  He sings in multiple languages including mostly Brazilian Portuguese with some French and now English!  With whatever language he selects, it simply flows through him as if it was perfectly natural, and more importantly in sync to his music as well.   The new track Jan wanted to let me know of is entitled “Quiet People” and is possibly his first real English vocal song and is definitely showing the maturing of his sound.  When first hearing, as a Canadian the music hits you as Portugeuse in its very essence.  The new track still holds onto this but it floats over the track and isn’t the focus, there is more band sound and atmosphere with percussion and piano.  I like where he is going with this and look forward to what he provides next.

I am also including two additional tracks that caught me when I first listened (I think maybe 2 years ago???) in the Portuguese tracks “Abril” (April) and “Sobre Todos Nós” (About Us All) and they are both stunningly beautiful and come highly recommended.  Jan, when you read this – this was a long time coming and I apologize for waiting soo damn long to put some tracks on the blog!!

Check him out on his Last.fm page or his Bandcamp page for more complimentary downloads.  You may even swing by his MySpace page and friend him up!

“Quiet People” (new)
“Abril”
“Sobre Todos Nós”

~Smansmith

Back again with the new EP from Basket of Figs.  This Toronto phenom is known for her EP releasing (maybe an album upcoming….maybe…) and they all are self released and incredibly dark, stunning lo-fi experiences.  I have said it before and I will say it again, you feel drawn into her voice, it is like it is from another time, it is Janis Joplin meets Billie Halliday, stunning.

BoF is basically unknown for the most part (see here) and that works for me, it makes the music that much more special, unique and intimate.  She has even gone as far as removing her first official EP release “666″ from being distributed, so if you have it, consider yourself lucky.  I even joked on that previous post about checking out her Tumblr page before it is deleted….guess what, yes, it now without any content at all!

The thought was that she was going to be releasing a full length album this year, but now we have another EP release…hmmm.  The EP has 6 tracks, with one track “Steady” being from that “666″ EP.  Dead Language comes in at just over 15 minutes worth of escape from your surroundings.

Please take a listen, visit the YerBird Aviary ($25 for a year membership) and get this EP, her former 2009 EP “Oh Eye, Oh Night”.

~Smansmith

p.s.  wear headphones.

Well folks it is more than “possible”, it is in fact a post and interview with John Goraj.  Some may not know of this northern prairie boy, but you just might need to.

I first heard John Goraj when fellow blogger Olivier over on You Crazy Dreamers put a post on him, and I took a listen and liked it.  Then I kind of forgot due to my own blog and the numerous bands/artists that you find in your inbox, the day job, the wife and kids (two dogs) and I “re-found” Goraj a couple of weeks back.  I am glad I did, the album is a great indie folk/singer songwriter release.  Whether it is his soft but spirited delivery (wavering just at the right time), the numerous appearances of banjo (my favourite) or the honest stories throughout the album – it is plain and simple good.   If you were not mistaken, you might find a bit of southern influence but I can’t place it – it isn’t “gothic” but more bluegrass-ish, all while he almost chants above the music.  It can feel quite powerful at times, especially in headphones!

His album “Possible” came out last year and is available on iTunes and CD Baby.  It is great collection of 10 tracks of melancholy gospel for me.  Stand out tracks include “Kahlil Gibran from Lebanon”, “Burn” and “Baby Blue Cords”.  But overall the album is very cohesive, so I think they may feel like feature tracks because of the backing of the album, who knows – I do tend to ramble!  There is another full length album on the way in 2010 and hopefully we will be seeing an EP release this fall that will find it a digital only release on iTunes, etc.

Let’s not kid ourselves, folk music or singer songwriter can be fairly straight forward to those who don’t immerse themselves in it, so dive into an interview and a couple of tracks!

1. First off, introduce yourself and tell us “Who is John Goraj”?

My name is John Goraj. I’m from South Dakota. I’m a songwriter. I live in Los Angeles. I’m skinny. I’m obsessed with melodies. I love mango juice and American Spirit cigarettes. I could listen to Bon Iver’s album, “For Emma, Forever Ago” all day long. Sometimes I text myself things i need to remember. I worked on a monastery in rural Oregon picking fruit right after I graduated high school. My mom taught me how to sing. I think the cello is the most gorgeous sounding instrument created.

2. The big move, why move from the heartland to the big city?

I’m not sure exactly why I moved to LA, I just knew that I couldn’t be in Sioux Falls anymore. Not because I don’t like it there, because I love South Dakota and miss it a lot. There are many talented musicians and songwriters there and I’m blessed to call them friends. It was just time for me to leave. I had done everything I needed to do there and I felt strongly that I needed to go somewhere else and share my music with new people and that place just happened to be California.

3. What were your influences for “Possible”, and how did they manifest themselves on the album?

“Possible” was recorded in Sioux Falls over a pretty long amount of time, almost two years. Mostly, because the studio we recorded in was in my friend’s dad office building so we couldn’t get much done during business hours because people were working. The songs equally span a long period of time, some of them were several years old by the time they were released. Some of them were written when I was going to college in Bozeman, Montana. Some of them were written in my house in Sioux Falls and others like “Kahlil Gibran” was written and added in right of the end of the recording sessions

Since the songs cover so many years of my life, it was hard to figure out what the fuck these songs were even about? So I had to dig a little, to find out what I should call it I ended up calling it, “Possible” because of the song “Possible,” which is mostly about my relationship to God or a higher essence that I was feeling very profoundly at the time. Its hard to explain, but the general theme of the song and the album, are the feelings of shame, pain and sorrow being totally transcended by grace. But those feelings never disappear. Also, the song expresses the possibility of good when everything seems destitute and pointless. More simply, the “possible” idea meant for me that it was actually possible that I could actually be a full-time musician someday and make albums for the rest of my life-a dream I’m still navigating.

As far as influences on “Possible,” I’m really bad at this question, because my answer probably won’t make much sense. But vocally, I’m very influenced by the voices of Shannon Hoon, Jeremy Enigk and Van Morrison. I love going all over the place with scales when I’m singing and I love crazy long notes. I won’t exhaust you with an inexhaustible list of songwriters I love, but right now, I can’t stop listening to the newest Weepies album, Hideaway- pure dream pop goodness with vulnerable and intelligent lyrics. The melodies fucking kill me! So good!

4. What is upcoming, new music, tours, etc?

Right now I’m just writing new music and reminding myself how to play all the new stuff I wrote on piano last winter and booking shows in LA. I probably wont be on tour until I have some money to go because I’m totally poor right now!

5. What do you find is the hardest thing about “the music business” – inspiration, recording, promotion, traveling?

The shittiest thing about the music business is that there’s a lot of selfish, egotistical people in the music business, that don’t really know what it’s like to need music so much that you can hardly stand it! There’s a lot of people in the industry that don’t give a shot about music, but care a lot about making money. But, I believe there are also a lot of people who work very hard to make sure that beautiful, passionate music that we all need to hear is heard.

Thanks again to John for agreeing to become part of the Slowcoustic family!

Don’t forget to visit John on MySpace and then head to iTunes or CD Baby to pick up a copy of “Possible”!

~Smansmith

Don’t forget about the past and things you once loved or enjoyed immensely.  In this fast paced world, we can move past things too quickly and honestly not always give everyone/everything all the time it deserves.  I have decided to start a post series that I will go back and do a “where are they now?” or “Whats new with that guy/girl/group?” sort of post.  I will tag it as “Artists Revisited” if you are interested.

I think as a music blogger, I tend to cover soo much music that I end up liking too much stuff and then simply end up finding the next artist too quickly.  I also sort my iTunes library by “date added” so the newer I find you, the closer you are to the top.  So by this method of sorting my music alone, every time somebody else makes it to my ears, the previous album gets pushed down that same list.  Let’s also get serious, I can’t possibly listen to as much music as I have available to me.  This alone makes me think of previous posts and I often revisit and spin the album a few more times or look for something new by that person or group because I just might not have spent enough time on them.  Below is what I figured out the other day.

1. I posted on Del Barber from Winnipeg (I just say “from Winnipeg” as I lived there for 10 years) had his album “Where The City Ends” released this past April!  When I posted there was nothing really for “sale” – so awesome.  Pick it up on iTunes HERE.  Visit him on MySpace for more info.
2. I posted on Nathan Xander who had a new album out as I was typing the review of his previous album for that very blog post!  So I was a little behind.  The new album is called “The Fear” and you can pick it up on iTunes HERE or get an actual CD via Paypal HERE.  Visit his website for more info.
3. I posted on His Name Shall Breathe who has a few more tracks available on his Virb Page that I either missed or is new.  Tim is still unsigned – People get on this!!

Now go and take a look at the archives of this blog, go and “shuffle” your music library; there is a lot of good stuff in there that just may need another listen.

~Smansmith

Remember the name because she is great.  Remember the name because there is a new album on the way.  Remember the name because you are listening to the next “Cat Power meets PJ Harvey”, and that is saying something.

I have been listening to this Ivana’s music for a couple of years from first discovering her from some blogs that I visit on a regular basis – I think it was “You Ain’t No Picasso” who I believe is a huge supporter.  Fans, including myself, of Ivana XL find her catchy but not trendy /dark but not brooding / Lo-Fi but enveloping – as you can see, I really like her.  If you are a reader of this blog, you will know I fall in love with artists that bring lo-fi starkness to beautiful harmonies and Ivana does just that.  I just picture her in a make shift recording studio in her bedroom, guitar in hand, singing within herself – she doesn’t have to rely on mixing and more mixing to get it just right, it sound perfect the way it is.  Don’t get me wrong, with the right crew – this post punk singer songwriter may be the next indie darling – this just might be on the way with her next project.

Below is a short interview with Ivana that not only gives you the information but a glimpse into her personality – possibly this guitar wielding pixie is the girl next door, the one you always think back upon and say “I should have got to know her better” – now is your chance.

5 Questions with Ivana XL

• So the name…what is “Ivana XL”?

It’s just my name with an XL at the end haha. I wish I could make that
more interesting. Actually it was my friend TK who gave me the name a
few years ago. We were at a party and he started saying like “Ivana
Tinkle, Ivana Humpalot…Ivana XL” I was like OH YEA? I LIKE IVANA XL!
It stays!

• How/Where did you get the urge to become a musician?

I’ve just always played music since I can remember. I think a lot of
musicians are like that. It’s a lot like breathing. It’s not really
something I chose to do, because if I had my choice I’d totally be
passionate about the law, or medicine.. you know $$. My first song
was “Stuck on you (Like glue)” which I wrote when I was 5 haha. I
moved around a whole lot when I was a kid, almost ever year, so it was
something that kept me calm and I guess sane. I was also very very shy
so it was something I could do to come out of my shell, even if it was
only me in my bedroom recording on a 4-track. I started out playing
the violin because my dad is an orchestra conductor.. and then I heard
Nirvana and went with an electric guitar.

• What are some artists you enjoy or have found yourself contributing to your music?

Like I said Nirvana was so so huge for me. Pavement, Guided By Voices,
Billie Holiday still makes me weepy. I think those were the big
obsessions. There’s so much amazing stuff out now. We are in a
beautiful time for music. Even the stuff on the radio, the pop songs,
Britney. I love Britney. I love Amy. I’m not really that picky.

• Where are you located, performing – where can the people see/listen/experience Ivana XL?

I live in Brooklyn. I love it here! Some shows coming up are:

May 26, 2009, UNION HALL
June 11th UNION POOL (Showcase for Northside Festival)
June 18th MATCHLESS
June 23rd PETE’S CANDY STORE

• New album coming up? What is happening!

It might be a full album? It might just be an EP? We are 5 songs in.
I’m working with a producer for the first time named Dan Chen. He’s
wonderful. These songs are definitely different from what I’ve done in
the past. There’s other STUFF on the recordings. Little tinkly bells.
Piano. They sound happier, poppier.. you know, just a different side.
I’ve never worked with anyone on songs before. I always just wrote a
song and immediately recorded it without much thought about a bridge
or structure, which I think was good because it just came out
honestly, like throwing up… but then there’s another way to kind of
guide a listener through a song. There’s a climax. There’s this little
sound you were not expecting. There are formulas. Definitely
experimenting and having a lot of fun with it. Besides that I’m going
to release a full album worth of super old stuff, very soon, on the
internets.

There you have it, thank you to Ivana for becoming the newest member of the Slowcoustic family!  The songs included are “2043″ from her “EP”, “Sundowner” from her “Ivana XL” EP and a bonus cover of Carly Simon’s “Nobody Loves You Better”!

Check her out on MySpace HERE, follow her on Twitter – @IVANAXL.
Head to iTunes to purchase her Self Titled EP HERE and her EP HERE.

~Smansmith

I have held off on this post for a few weeks due to giving the album a few listens prior to sending on the recommendation.  Jeff is a great guy with some solid singer-songwriter chops, but you always have to make sure, sometimes new albums take a new path, some divert down side roads in which should never be traveled.

I put that introduction in as I do believe Zentner has taken an alternate route to his destination of small town America.  I think it is a good one, so don’t get too worried!  I first wrote of Jeff Zentner here prior to this album being released and now that it has arrived, I have been digging into it regularly.  More on the arrival of the CD later, but let’s keep on with the music.

The new album is a deeper journey into the music than his previous work on “Hymns to the Darkness”.  There is more experimenting with duets, more ambient texture mixed in with his acoustic leanings.  Take one listen to “Where We Fall We’ll Lie” and you will know of what I speak.  Zentner is bringing in a new facet of his performance – almost a fringe folk edge.  Another aspect of note is production – there definitely seems to be more emphasis on making the album a beautifully dark and raw recording.  When I say “raw” I mean something that just might take something out of you, this isn’t simply a sit down and sing your songs while we record them experience.  I especially enjoy the inclusion of the mandolin, echoing banjo and increased overall atmosphere oozing from this recording .  It is an album that needs all it’s parts though, every limb and piece of Zentner together in order to be appreciated.  Sure there are stand alone tracks that are great (the title track for one), but each one lends to the entire package.

There is much more inclusion of the fairer sex this time around as well, including Katiejane Garside (from the above mentioned “Where We Fall We’ll Lie” of which she co-wrote) and the great Josie Little who performs on at least 4 other tracks.  You even get Matt Bauer and Jay Foote on the lamenting “Night Jasmine” – one of my favourites.  Overall, maybe it is the collaborative effort of this album that gives it a larger scope, or maybe I just really like dark Americana artists.

Well I mentioned above on the CD arrival for a reason and that reason is that I have a signed copy of the new album to provide to you good folks.  In order to make it fairly easy, but take more than this post to figure out – the third person to email me (admin@slowcoustic.com) with the name of Jeff’s band that he plays in will get the personalized CD sent to you for your listening pleasure.

Enjoy a couple of tracks from the new album below – I also looking forward to hearing from you.  I will post in the comments once the contest has been completed and the winner informed.

Visit Jeff Zentner on MySpace.  Also check out a couple of posts from fellow blogger Laura on You Crazy Dreamers here & here.
Pick up a copy of “Hymns to the Darkness” or “The Dying Days of Summer” on CD Baby.

~Smansmith

Thought I would do a overview of some recent submissions to the blog.  I do get a fair amount, not as much as others (how many sad bastards can there be, really?) and they deserve some play.  Below are a few selections of bands, artists that have contacted me directly and the odd PR suggestion (hey, love ‘em or hate ‘em, PR emails bring some gems at times).  So let’s dig into the mailbag!

~~

“Another” – Jason Eddens

Jason Eddens has a few projects on the go, one I found that perked my fondness for the lo-fi singer songwriter was his “Ghosts Project“.  While he doesn’t record under this moniker, he uses it to keep this persona alone and backed in to a corner, away from everyone else.  It is quiet, sombre, delicate and very easy on the ears.  Highly recommended.

“51st State” – Stuart Newman

Stuart Newman could be described as another lo-fi bedroom folk artist.  I say “bedroom” folk as you feel as if he was holed up in a room, with only guitar, microphone and his own solitude and came out with an “acoustic and lyrical musing” as he indicates.  I think it is a bit more than a musing with his well thought out subjects and lyrical content.  It just so happens to find itself whispering its way into a powerful performance.

“Late Night Rockits” – Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great are not a typical band for Slowcoustic, but they just may surprise you.  Crossroads of America is a great label and they provide solid artists (Husbands and Wives for one) and now Alexander the Great.  ATG are a bit more dark indie rock than Slowcoustic, but they mix it well in bringing the rock while still being able to kick out a great mandolin…weren’t expecting that now were you?  Expect much from ATG.

“One Long Country Song” – Deleted Scenes

Deleted Scenes are another band that spans multi genres or I might say merges them into one.  They can have solo acoustic tracks like the one included here, but also launch into a song like “Ithaca” which brings a modern Talking Heads vibe and makes it their own.  Sometimes more pop, sometimes more indie rock – this will be a great summer soundtrack for many.  Check out a bevy of videos and more tracks on their MySpace page.

“We Are America” – Caledonia

Canada has a penchant for creating bands that are what you may call a “troupe of musicians creating malable independent music”.   I think there is just soo much talent across this expansive country that you get the chance to see sparse wilderness, vast oceans while at the same time still having very urban centres.  What I am getting at is new music in Canada can often take the shape of almost anything, Caledonia is a band that shows this – there is 70s era synth, mellow singer songwriter, indie rock, while all keeping it cohesive (even with a piano laden ‘norleans instrumental included).  In true Canadian form, you hopefully didn’t miss the title track of the new album set to be released on June 2nd, 2009.  Check them on Killbeat Records and thier Website to listen to more.

~Smansmith

The grey of dripping dusk sounds forth an invitation to innocence. It extends its grey hand with a slight tremble and a quiet recognition of the disparity between its own chill and the warmth of the impending guest. Innocence reciprocates like a slow glance around the doorway that leads to a dim room, holding promises not only of marvelous wonder, but also of looming danger. And the allure of wonder prevails.

The above quote is from the MySpace page of The Woodlands and cannot better convey the atmosphere that oozes from the duo’s debut album that has just been released.  The album is absolutely an ethereal trip through some of the best indie folk pop you will find (or I have ever found).  I admit I have been waiting for this album for months and have been back and forth with both Hannah and Samuel about the project.  The couple (both in music and in life) are like proud parents with their self titled album – I have badgered them about tracks to post previously as I have had some demos for a few months, but they know the importance of the debut and I held off.  Now I know why.

The album consists of 10 songs of which each have their own personality, but clearly walk along the same path.  This album feels very personal and almost like it was a long time coming, even for the band themselves.  They have taken a keen and specific ear to the album and have waited until fully complete to unleash it to the world.  Many artists can release a debut too early in order to get their music out there and to start to build their future as musicians.  This is not the case with this album, it is a magnificent collection of ambient folk lullabies complete with Samuel’s acoustic guitar song crafting and Hannah’s angelic voice.  I have to say the signature sound would be considered Hannah’s breathy vocals, while not for everyone, they can compel you down the paths of this album.  The songs are created from a mostly acoustic affair, with many accents of violin (performed live by Josh Pew), piano and an ever present and surprisingly organic keyboard wallpaper.  The songs feel of another world, with plucked strings, hand claps and warmth meant for something between the lands of some fabled far off land and your woodsy campfire on a starry night.   This is feel good music – take a listen below to a stream of two songs and the download for “Summerland”.

*You will want to visit You Crazy Dreamers today as well for Olivier’s post on the very same album (we are basically having “dueling posts”) as it is a new favourite around both our homes.  I for one am looking forward to seeing this Portland duo when they swing through the Calgary/Canmore area this summer!

Pick up a physical or digital copy on CD Baby…now!
Visit them on MySpace.

~Smansmith

~

Michigan keeps providing you with incredible music.  Ahhh…you feel better about this whole MIchigan situation.

This Is Deer Country.  A duo from, you guessed it, Michigan.  This is Daniel Haefs and Kate Pote and they make some great dreamy acoustic folk.  The kind of music you drift along to and almost feel intoxicated by.  Don’t get me wrong though, you still have to pay attention or you might miss some of the best indie folk coming out of “the mitten”.

This Is Deer Country is a sound which is fronted by Kate’s harnessed voice and Dan’s harmonies and backing strings.  For a young(er) couple of musicians, they sound very much put together and the EP is well recorded/mastered for an “unsigned” talent.  Kate’s voice seems like knock out/drag out/powerhouse that is evenly reigned in, but you know there is something more there – almost bluesy with southern gospel mixed in.  I notice this in much of the EP and especially the smokey cabaret influenced “She is (Predatory Woman)”.  The sounds come from very minimal instrumentation, but doesn’t feel lacking and even sounds fuller than you would expect.  They have much to give and you know that an EP is not enough, it needs a full length: even if the EP is 7 tracks…

“Daylily King” is from just over a year ago (released February 2008) and although I only got wind of it late 2008, it would have made a top 5 EP for the year for me had I heard it sooner.  There is no follow up at the moment, but I can always hope.  With the network of talent and collaborative atmosphere in their neck of the woods, I would have to assume we will be seeing something more from them soon.  We can always hope Future Sailor Records pushes for the next release soon – maybe you all should contact them and let them know that we need more of This Is Deer Country…

Click on the EP cover to visit TIDC on MySpace.
Check with them, there just might be more copies of the EP around.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/04/20/this-is-deer-country-daylily-king-ep/feed/ 2 3:10 So yes, you think "Michigan once again".  You think "maybe I started to post too much about Michigan".  Then you notice Michigan starts hanging around ... So yes, you think "Michigan once again".  You think "maybe I started to post too much about Michigan".  Then you notice Michigan starts hanging around more than it used to.  Then Michigan asks to borrow money and accepts deliveries on your behalf.  Then it happens...Michigan asks you to help it move and wants to store their old university textbooks in your unfinished basement.  You find yourself surrounded by Michigan and you don't know how you got there.  Then it hits you, like that moment just after you awake from a bender the night prior...you remember why and it all makes sense. Michigan keeps providing you with incredible music.  Ahhh...you feel better about this whole MIchigan situation. This Is Deer Country.  A duo from, you guessed it, Michigan.  This is Daniel Haefs and Kate Pote and they make some great dreamy acoustic folk.  The kind of music you drift along to and almost feel intoxicated by.  Don't get me wrong though, you still have to pay attention or you might miss some of the best indie folk coming out of "the mitten". This Is Deer Country is a sound which is fronted by Kate's harnessed voice and Dan's harmonies and backing strings.  For a young(er) couple of musicians, they sound very much put together and the EP is well recorded/mastered for an "unsigned" talent.  Kate's voice seems like knock out/drag out/powerhouse that is evenly reigned in, but you know there is something more there - almost bluesy with southern gospel mixed in.  I notice this in much of the EP and especially the smokey cabaret influenced "She is (Predatory Woman)".  The sounds come from very minimal instrumentation, but doesn't feel lacking and even sounds fuller than you would expect.  They have much to give and you know that an EP is not enough, it needs a full length: even if the EP is 7 tracks... "Daylily King" is from just over a year ago (released February 2008) and although I only got wind of it late 2008, it would have made a top 5 EP for the year for me had I heard it sooner.  There is no follow up at the moment, but I can always hope.  With the network of talent and collaborative atmosphere in their neck of the woods, I would have to assume we will be seeing something more from them soon.  We can always hope Future Sailor Records pushes for the next release soon - maybe you all should contact them and let them know that we need more of This Is Deer Country... Click on the EP cover to visit TIDC on MySpace. Check with them, there just might be more copies of the EP around. ~Smansmith Down-Tempo, Folk, indie, MySpace, Unsigned no no http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/15/ladies-night-volume-two/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/15/ladies-night-volume-two/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:23:12 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=1421

Welcome to the sequel for Ladies Night, and I have to say it is quite cleverly called “Ladies Night – Volume Two”.  I was thinking of maybe calling the sequel something such as “Felines take Manhattan” or something, but I just felt it didn’t quite fit or relate my message…ya know?

Above is another great photo to keep the sarcasm flowing alongside the great music – I mean, “Barbie”…what else is the ultimate definition of what women are (to little girls at least).  The rub is that in the end you have to realize that Barbie is just something made by a toy company and really has nothing to do with women…it’s just a doll.  Right?

Well social commentary and gender discussion aside, here are some more great women displaying true beauty.

Pretty Dress from Rosie Thomas – {Visit her}
Blue from Emily Jane White – {Visit her}
Stolen Moments from Fancie – {Visit her}
Now, Now from St. Vincent – {Visit her}
Glory to The World from El Perro Del Mar – {Visit her}
Fresh Prince of Bel Air from Kay Pettigrew – {Visit her}
The Coo Coo Bird from Shelley Short – {Visit her}
The Greatest from Cat Power – {Visit her}

Enjoy your Sunday.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/15/ladies-night-volume-two/feed/ 2 http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/13/why-isnt-this-guy-famous-pt-iii-gregory-alan-isakov/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/13/why-isnt-this-guy-famous-pt-iii-gregory-alan-isakov/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:10:02 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=1395

Another installment of “Why Isn’t This Guy Famous” – and seriously, why isn’t he?

Gregory Alan Isakov has been a favourite for years now, he has great albums.  When I say great albums, I mean he has multiple albums that are consistently great – not just the 3-4 good songs with some ‘throw aways” to fill it out.  All great albums.  So far 4 albums in total (don’t get me wrong, I only have 3 as one entitled “Songs From A Cold Room” has eluded me).   When I say 4 albums, there is only a mention on his press kit of his 2001 album “Songs From A Cold Room”, but his most recent albums (see below) are probably what he is known for.

From his Website:

In 1999 he sought out his solo acoustic roots and moved to Colorado where he now resides. He has been taking on the folk music scene with his 2003 release “Rust Colored Stones” LP. and his 2005 release “Songs For October”. Gregory Alan Isakov’s song-craft lends to the deepest lyrical masterpieces, and his live performance has been known to quiet and shake the biggest rooms….Gregory has toured solo and with his band “The Freight”, and has currently released a new album “That Sea, The Gambler” (2007)

So yes, there is a couple of years since his last album, and I am sure an unsigned artist might not have all the resources, so again…why isn’t this guy famous – I need more of this singer-songwriters sombre masterpieces.  He has currently just started out on a tour that will include multiple shows with Brandi Carlile in March and April before he heads over to the Netherlands for some performances.

Okay, listen to some tracks from his previous albums and tell me you don’t find yourself humming along, tapping a foot (or two) and quickly right clicking to “save as” to your desktop…

“Only Ghosts”

“Garden”

“Black & Blue”
“All There Is”
“The Stable Song”

As you now have heard, he incorporates his soft vocals alongside acoustic guitar, banjo, pedal steel for twang, snare drum for structure and great songwriting.  You can also click each album cover above to visit CD Baby and pick up any or all of the albums.

You can visit him on his Website and MySpace page – both have the upcoming tour dates and a bit more information on the man himself (but not as much as he deserves to be said about him…)

~Smansmith

The things you find when looking.  Some say the sincerest form of flattery is in fact imitation.  If this is the fact, Jeff Mangum will not have to come out of hiding to accost this young Knoxvillian (I don’t know if that is what residents of Knoxville are called, but it sounds good though doesn’t it?).

This young Tennessee ukulele prodigy is Madeline Ava and she has quite a bit of material over on CLLCT, but this one sticks out (obviously).  While it is considered flattery to pay tribute, some also consider it bastardization of an original “masterpiece”.  I do myself consider the album by Neutral Milk Hotel a classic (Vinyl Record sitting by my side – check.) and I don’t mind it when artists cover something that is considered crucial to music in the last 20 years.  So I say “kudos” to Ms. Ava, you rock that ukulele girl!

Visit her on MySpace and her CLLCT page for more of the album and others.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/08/neutral-milk-hotel-tributevia-ukulele/feed/ 3 1:04 The things you find when looking.  Some say the sincerest form of flattery is in fact imitation.  If this is the fact, Jeff Mangum will ... The things you find when looking.  Some say the sincerest form of flattery is in fact imitation.  If this is the fact, Jeff Mangum will not have to come out of hiding to accost this young Knoxvillian (I don't know if that is what residents of Knoxville are called, but it sounds good though doesn't it?). This young Tennessee ukulele prodigy is Madeline Ava and she has quite a bit of material over on CLLCT, but this one sticks out (obviously).  While it is considered flattery to pay tribute, some also consider it bastardization of an original "masterpiece".  I do myself consider the album by Neutral Milk Hotel a classic (Vinyl Record sitting by my side - check.) and I don't mind it when artists cover something that is considered crucial to music in the last 20 years.  So I say "kudos" to Ms. Ava, you rock that ukulele girl! Visit her on MySpace and her CLLCT page for more of the album and others. ~Smansmith Indie-pop??, lo-fi, MySpace, Unsigned no no http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/04/valentiger-power-lines-to-electric-times-2009/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/04/valentiger-power-lines-to-electric-times-2009/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:01:44 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=1256

More Michigan* Talent Alert!

If you have 20 bones and some free time on this very Saturday and happen to be the Grand Rapids (yes, Michigan again) area – you now have plans.  For you my friend will get a great little CD release of the new Valentiger (nee Happy Hour) alongside of some quality suds at the Sazerec Lounge.

Despite being only 1440 miles away ‘as the crow flies’ from this good ol’ time, I will just have to make due listening from afar.  What I will be missing is the CD Release party for “Valentiger” – kind of a Alt-Country/Americana band with some folk leanings.  So basically right up my alley, and I am glad I had a chance to take a listen to a few tracks from the new CD and now am able to recommend picking up a copy of the new album “Power Lines To Electric Times”.

Press wise – Valentiger is described as a sound created from “Midwestern landscapes of Michigan, and the vinyl collection of parents’ basements” and I have to say that they just might be spot on.  The music has warmth, but has energy, it is nostalgic, yet contemporary.  While that description sounds a bit contradicting, it still encompasses what you might find during a night of kicking back and listening to this trio.  What I mean is that you will get more than the same track reworked and renamed – there is some range from this trio.  This “trio” consists of Brent Shirey (Guitar/harmonica), Scott Rider (Percussion) and Eric Kehoe (Bass/Keyboards) and they will be kicking off a promo tour this weekend to promote the new album.

I have included two tracks from the new album (their 3rd official release) that might be on the slower side (you know where you are right now, right?), and both are great tracks – especially “Daybed” with it’s mostly lone guitar and vocals with just the perfect amount of harmonica, love it.  You can make sure to swing by their website for a listen to a couple more tracks that show a more up tempo/indie side of the band.

Visit Valentiger – Website and MySpace.

~Smansmith

*I hereby have right to replace alerts with Wisconsin/Illinois/Minnesota and most other North Eastern states.

Welcome the slow portion of the day….funny guy, I know.  Well regardless, its true, this is some great shoegaze/ambient-esque music to ease you into the rest of your day.  Sometimes you need to take a breathe, and really breather – let Suturee’s self titled album be your muse.

Suturee [soo-cher-ee] = someone who has been sutured.  I am not sure if there is a story behind the name, but I am sure there is.  I not sure if they have had the time to experience a story worthy of the band name as the band’s history seems short and fairly straight forward:

Suturee formed in August, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The band members are Julian Brau (Guasp, The Deep Sea Ensemble, Thee Locked Room) and Rebecca Adorno (Lalia, Parasolar). Julian and Rebecca met randomly through mutual friends and began writing and recording together right away. The 9 track self-titled album was completed in March, 2008. In August 2008 Julian and Rebecca relocated to New York City…

I think the future is something that might hold a lot for this duo…a move to a new country (and New York none the less) can only mean a progression in what Suturee might become, I for one am looking forward to it.

Enjoy a couple of my favourites from the album – “To Depart” and “The Presence” – you can also check out an acoustic performance of both here (just make sure you brush up on your Spanish).

~Smansmith

Brand new and available on all sides of “The Pond” is a unique compilation that has just been unveiled to the world via the Last.fm music community.  It is not only a great idea, distribution method and free (currently), it is simply an amazing collection of songs, period.

Description from creators & promoters:

Crumby Lovers: A New Weird UK Sampler is an online compilation offering up a peculiarly British response to the new weird america phenomenon. It also represents an exciting new chapter in the ‘social music revolution’ kick-started here at last.fm. All the tracks on the album are, for a limited time only, free to download exclusively here at last.fm.

While I am familiar with the “New Weird” concept, it is more and more becoming the norm in many music circles.  What was once “avant garde” or even “ahead of it’s time” in relation to independent music is simply becoming independent music (and in turn, just music).  I like this trend, as I tend to like the slightly off the beaten track genre.  While it can be described as lo-fi, indie, singer-songwriter and even Anglo-Americana, you can trust it is a warm yet sober journey through the current(s) of today’s congested musical seas.  It could possibly be considered the music of today with tomorrow’s thinking when it comes to promotion and distribution.  I guess it may still be ahead of it’s time…

More from the release notes:

Characterized by honest, stripped-down song writing the album includes ten quirkily accessible compositions from:
Thom Piddock from York, Nottingham’s The Heaving Seas, London based Sarah Lain and Klak Tik, Edinburgh’s Eagleowl and Mount Analogue from Glasgow, Birmingham’s Tom Peel, Norfolk based Jack Mountain, Ellie Walker from Cambridge and the reclusive Anton Rothschild from somewhere on in the South West peninsula…

I have been listening for a few days now and I am very impressed with the quality of music that is included in the compilation.  While all artists and tracks being unique, they are threaded together with not only how they were compiled, but how they flow between each other.  They say the art of the “mixtape” is at an end, but I beg to disagree.

While I have heard and listened to a few of these great artists previously (Eagleowl, Mount Analogue and Tom Peel), I have included three tracks that I had not heard prior and really are perfect examples of what this sound is about:

• Anton Rothschild’s “I Give In” – This Dainty Records artist brings a track that at it’s heart, an acoustic track with piano accents, peppered with Anton’s fragile voice.  You feel like the song is tragic, but is doing it’s best to keep it’s head up (and possibly above water).
• The Heaving Seas’ “Portland Street” – This is a lo-fi gem.  The classic strumming, gritty and intimate vocal recording quenches your “bedroom folk” thirst.  It is as if its a literal reflection of a rainy day Portland as seen by anyone, anywhere.
• Sarah Lain’s “Floating” – This song is ethereal and stunning.  Sometimes you just know that the voice is meant for literally floating over melancholy.  This one is a highlight of the album for me and IFF Transponder has a real talent on their hands.

Please consider visiting and joining the new Last.fm group “New Weird UK“, joining and picking up the rest of the tracks for the release.  While there, do not forget to check each artist for more music – listen to it, share it and plain and simply enjoy the great sounds of New Weird UK.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/02/crumby-lovers-a-new-weird-uk-sampler/feed/ 3 5:54 Brand new and available on all sides of "The Pond" is a unique compilation that has just been unveiled to the world via the Last.fm ... Brand new and available on all sides of "The Pond" is a unique compilation that has just been unveiled to the world via the Last.fm music community.  It is not only a great idea, distribution method and free (currently), it is simply an amazing collection of songs, period. Description from creators & promoters: Crumby Lovers: A New Weird UK Sampler is an online compilation offering up a peculiarly British response to the new weird america phenomenon. It also represents an exciting new chapter in the ‘social music revolution’ kick-started here at last.fm. All the tracks on the album are, for a limited time only, free to download exclusively here at last.fm. While I am familiar with the "New Weird" concept, it is more and more becoming the norm in many music circles.  What was once "avant garde" or even "ahead of it's time" in relation to independent music is simply becoming independent music (and in turn, just music).  I like this trend, as I tend to like the slightly off the beaten track genre.  While it can be described as lo-fi, indie, singer-songwriter and even Anglo-Americana, you can trust it is a warm yet sober journey through the current(s) of today's congested musical seas.  It could possibly be considered the music of today with tomorrow's thinking when it comes to promotion and distribution.  I guess it may still be ahead of it's time... More from the release notes: Characterized by honest, stripped-down song writing the album includes ten quirkily accessible compositions from: Thom Piddock from York, Nottingham’s The Heaving Seas, London based Sarah Lain and Klak Tik, Edinburgh’s Eagleowl and Mount Analogue from Glasgow, Birmingham’s Tom Peel, Norfolk based Jack Mountain, Ellie Walker from Cambridge and the reclusive Anton Rothschild from somewhere on in the South West peninsula… I have been listening for a few days now and I am very impressed with the quality of music that is included in the compilation.  While all artists and tracks being unique, they are threaded together with not only how they were compiled, but how they flow between each other.  They say the art of the "mixtape" is at an end, but I beg to disagree. While I have heard and listened to a few of these great artists previously (Eagleowl, Mount Analogue and Tom Peel), I have included three tracks that I had not heard prior and really are perfect examples of what this sound is about: Anton Rothschild's "I Give In" - This Dainty Records artist brings a track that at it's heart, an acoustic track with piano accents, peppered with Anton's fragile voice.  You feel like the song is tragic, but is doing it's best to keep it's head up (and possibly above water). The Heaving Seas' "Portland Street" - This is a lo-fi gem.  The classic strumming, gritty and intimate vocal recording quenches your "bedroom folk" thirst.  It is as if its a literal reflection of a rainy day Portland as seen by anyone, anywhere. Sarah Lain's "Floating" - This song is ethereal and stunning.  Sometimes you just know that the voice is meant for literally floating over melancholy.  This one is a highlight of the album for me and IFF Transponder has a real talent on their hands. Please consider visiting and joining the new Last.fm group "New Weird UK", joining and picking up the rest of the tracks for the release.  While there, do not forget to check each artist for more music - listen to it, share it and plain and simply enjoy the great sounds of New Weird UK. ~Smansmith Americana, Best New Music, Down-Tempo, Folk, Freak Folk, indie, lo-fi, New Album, Singer Songwriter, Unsigned no no http://slowcoustic.com/2009/01/31/new-on-the-nets-this-week-10/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/01/31/new-on-the-nets-this-week-10/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:21:17 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=1217

Kinda skipped a week for this whole ’round the nets post, so I have most likely missed a fair bit.  From what I can find, some highlights for me are listed below.

~~

• Untitled Records lets you know that they have love for Bon Iver, but not 100% love…see here.
• Captain Obvious dropped a January Mixtape that is practically busting at the seams with music that matters.
• Speaking of mixes (sort of), Motel de Moka always posts collections of music on each post…check out “Welcome to Alflolol” that also is spilling over with good tunes – even a nice little gem from “Dark Was The Night”.
• We All Want Someone To Shout For put up their praise of The Rural Alberta Advantage (plus tonnes of “new” posts – almost every post has something new or upcoming!!).  The RAA are a band I have never posted on (despite being great), even with me living IN Alberta….
• Herohill are covering the “In The Dead of Winter” festival and already have Day 1 and a preview of tonight covered…can’t wait for last night’s coverage due to a seriously great line up of Canadian East Coast talent!

I can’t even figure out the rest of the stuff I missed already…too much out there, and I shall endeavor to find it all and report back next week.  I leave you with some lo-fi goodness that I recently discovered – Caleb Hutton.  While Caleb might not be a household name, possibly for us indie folky types he just might become one.  While he has many original tunes available, I provide a psuedo theme by including 3 covers he has recorded – great versions of each if I have to say.  You can check him out (and find links to a crap load of more tracks) on his MySpace page.

~Smansmith

This “Various Artist” band sure records a lot.  I mean, how many albums can these guys put out…and on a regular basis!  Okay, lame opening, but wouldn’t it be a great name for a band – “Various Artists”.  Everyone would be know you, although there are a few inherent pitfalls I see in that name…

So I have been crawling the net looking to put together a bit a part 1 and 2 today of a playlist.  Not necessarily connected in any way other than they are all available online through various sites, promotions, etc.  While each artist has their own style, the playlist does work together as they do drift, but never too far from home base.  While you may know some (most), there is always someone you may find and then need to know and listen to a bit more.

And what is better than free music conveniently located in one spot for you all to test out?

Various Artists playlist part 1:

“Lucky” by Runners (uber lo-fi)
“Blue Skies” by Jaymay (classic acoustic girly)
“Home Sweet Home” by Janie B. Mitchell (earthy folk stylings)
“Roman Candle” by Bedhead (I think “bedhead” describes it best)
“Sea Shells” by Half Asleep (gorgeous ethereal)
“Trouble” by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan (Americana strikes a chord)
“Your Fonder Heart” by Anais Mitchell (pixie folk princess)
“Casimir Pulaski Day” by Sufjan Stevens (classic from a few years back)
“I Sing I Swim” by Seabear (indie folk jam)
“Oh My Stars” by A Weather (folk, ambient beauty)

Stay tuned for Vol. 2 on tap shortly.

~Smansmith

The photo above features Matt Jones.  Matt Jones is more or less new to me.  The fact that the trailer in the photo above is made by John Deere is not lost on me.  Michigan isn’t just the city of Detroit.  Michigan is as vast as it’s songwriter talent pool is deep.  This fact says something and it is not lost on me…I just may be packing my bags as I type this.

I have to admit that I wasn’t totally aware of Matt Jones work prior to a month or so ago.  Led to him from suggestions from you.  Yes, you the readers of this blog.  I had a post on Chris Bathgate in which a comment was made by “Brandon” to check out some more of the great artists and bands from “The Mitten” (look it up).  I have to say thank you to Brandon.

Matt Jones was top of the recommended listening list from Brandon and for good reason.  Matt Jones is one of those great singer songwriters that have chops.  He has a unique vocal delivery that would make you think of a toned down Tom Brosseau.  I am sure he gets this comparison often, but I believe this is an “at a glance” observation, as his voice is his own and in combination of great lyrics and atmospheric folk – he definitely is his own persona.  He also comes off as unpretentious but still protective of his craft – this I like.  I mean in this new era of seeing a guy with a guitar on every blog, you have to wade through to find the talent.  Wade no further.

New Album Alert: You will find aching ballads, almost folk-pop and straight down the pipe singer-songwriter tracks from Jones in his digitally released/upcoming CD Release “The Black Path”.  The new album is 11 tracks and is a gorgeous display of his talent.  Stand outs include “Missing Vein” (included below), “One Cotton Shot Short” and “Jugulars Bones and Blisters”.  You can always pick up a copy of the new album on iTunes and on eMusic, but let’s not forget the actual CD RELEASE SHOW in Ypsilanti on February 7th.  Check below for a couple of warm ups to the big day listed from his MySpace page;

There you have it, you readers recommend to me, I in turn take the recommendation and give it right back to you!  Now go and enjoy some Matt Jones and be sure to make it to “The Mitten” (there it is again…look it up) to catch the release show in a few weeks – it should be a good one!

Visit Matt Jones (you won’t regret it) on:  MySpace and my other blogging home – You Crazy Dreamers for an interview and more music!

~Smansmith

I don’t know what it is about Beastheart, but they make me want to have worn out jeans that my “Pa” passed down to me (along with my Smith & Wesson M&P) and have lazy rides through the hills of Southern Texas.  I mean musically speaking at least.  Think of a gritty, kick-your-ass Calexico – then slap yourself for comparing it to an “indie” band.  Now we are getting somewhere.

I can’t even say I found Beastheart all by myself, a little birdie in the Blackbird Harmony camp directed me in the direction.  You would think a guy from Calgary, AB, Canada is in tune with his Southern Mexi-rock roots.  Apparently not.  Well I have to say thanks to Ms. Blackbird Harmony for the tip, as this droned out psychedelic-Americana is hitting the spot this cold and dark Canadian winter.  Kind of a “High Plains Drifter” of the 2000′s style soundtrack.

For a little background on the band, I have stolen this little excerpt from a bio on a recent performance (ahhh…last night actually!!  MonkeyTown in Williamsburg was lucky enough to have them) – so read a bit below:

Texans Michael Powers and Kyle Patterson initially formed Beastheart in early 2007 in Brooklyn as a forum for cooking BBQ and trying out their new songs on one another. It wasn’t long, though, before the duo began playing out and in early 2008 fellow Texan Octavius Neveaux (bass/vox) and native-Brooklynite Mike ‘Hooch’ Vourlias (drums) came on board, helping fill out a brooding and haunted “lost on the plains” sound they’ve since been developing.

There is a full length coming out, but I am unclear on the actual date (hey guys, post in the comments when you read this!) of which I can highly recommend from the tracks I have heard already.  I have included 3 of those tracks that in my opinion show the sound and talent of Beastheart – you heard it here first and you will hear it again, trust me.

Visit Beastheart on: MySpace

~Smansmith

This is why I love music and love Last.fm.  Lanterns on the Lake (discovered via Agnes over on It All Started with Carbon Monoxide) is a lush and soothing soundscape via rainy day England.  Now with the help of Last.fm, you too can stare longingly at the ground while possibly swaying back and forth getting lost in ethereal/ambient indie pop!  While I am not always into dreamy indie pop, I really have taken to LotL since first hearing them a few weeks back and I highly recommend them.  Why they are unsigned is still baffling me.

Back story: I have decided to put a post together as while scrobbling (yes it is a real word) some Lanterns songs over on Last.fm, I realized that you can pick up a entire album of 2007 demos on their Last.fm profile page.  You can easily look below for a taste of these tracks, but you can visit their Last.fm page here as well.  The included songs on this post below are mostly from a “Recordings 2007″ album that is completely free for download!  I must say that this is a great way for bands to get out there and Last.fm is really the place to do this, with it’s many music “taste makers” being longtime members of the community.   So I say kudos to the Lanterns for putting the music up.

As mentioned above, the selection of songs are what could be a collection of demos with the stand out tracks being “I Will Lay You Down”, “Caught on the Way” and the demo for the title track to their new EP “In Starlight”.  So enjoy some Lanterns on the Lake and visit their MySpace page to say hi and pick up a copy of the “the Starlight EP” for like 3.5 pounds (which is like $43.00 Canadian, but whatever).

~Smansmith

p.s.  I am not sure, but did I actually include the word “taste makers” on this post??

Basket of Figs is a seriously entrancing singer songwriter from Toronto, Canada.  There…you have as much information about her as I do.  Well, almost.

Did you ever listen to music that simply amazes you?  Everyone needs to, and I recently experienced it with the EP entitled “666″ from Basket of Figs obtained through the Yer Bird Aviary.  Of course she even admits to the title of the EP being “ridiculous”, but it only lends to the enigma that is this artist.  So far, I have never seen a photo of this young Torontonian (yes, that is what they are called in the Canadian capital), and I think this is how she likes it.  Again, this lends to the mystery.  She creates a delicate lo-fi folk noir.  I find myself lost inside of it, it is truly amazing.  If Janis Joplin merged with Billie Holiday and then melded to modern day folk – this would be the incredibly powerful yet beautiful result.

Of what I know, she formerly was known as “The Hotel Ghost” and has a track on the Yer Bird Compilation “Folk Music for the End of the World” called “Lay Me Down” which has been re-recorded for inclusion on the “666″ EP as “Basket of Figs”.  My good friends over at Herohill have a great post (and mp3s) on the EP and are equally enamored, as well as elude to an upcoming full length release – I, for one am going to be sitting by the glow of my computer waiting for the chance to capture the next release of this stranger that is “Basket of Figs”.

Visit her on Tumblr or her MySpace page here before it disappears.  I am not joking one little bit.

~Smansmith