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Today I’m considering hours of just lying around, listening to music (getting caught up!) and sipping iced tea. And I’ve got the perfect soundtrack to start me off. Will Dailey is an artist out of Boston and he’s released one of four records he’s putting out this year on June 9th. It’s got a rather confusing title of Torrent Vol. 1 & 2 but there’s nothing confusing about his talent. The first volume is the EP, Fashion of Distraction, largely influenced by The Byrds (Roger McGuinn actually guests as a guitarist/vocalist on one of the tracks, “Peace of Mind”). Volume two is the EP, By the Blue Hills which pays homage to Boston (Will’s hometown) and other Boston musicians – such as Elliott Easton from The Cars. I have to say, this collection of songs is smooth, and perfect for a summertime album.
Starting with an alt-country tune, “Peace of Mind” Dailey gives us a solidly good song. Slide guitar, an easy beat, and Will’s voice sliding around the phrases create a memorable beginning to this collection. By the time you hear “Keep You A Mystery” with its lovely high notes, you’re starting to wonder if the whole record is going to be this smooth and … well, for lack of a better phrase,… nicely twangy. The next track, “Never Be Your Baby” shoots down that theory! It’s got a nice, heavy beat on the chorus. Three more tracks of alt-country/pop, that remind me a bit of Jason Mraz, follow.. that’s a compliment, I enjoy his music quite a lot regardless of my rock-n-roll heart.
And quite suddenly you’re hit with “Love Is On The Way” and it’s peppy, upbeat, goodness. That slowly drawling voice becomes quite clipped, bouncy even. This Will Dailey isn’t a one trick pony, dear readers. Beautiful harmonies in ”Laugh It Off” ease you down again towards the end of this record with equally beautiful lyrics. Ending with “Too Long,” a simple little song with just voice and ukulele, I look back on these two EPs with a kind glance. But the song that sticks in my head is “Hands” because of it’s catchy chorus and bright feel. The handclaps are also really nice and so obviously a good selection for the lyrics, but one that I think other artists might have overlooked. Will Dailey isn’t necessarily pushing any envelops with this record, but with so many catchy, hook-laden tracks I don’t think that really what’s on his mind. Torrent vol. 1 & 2 is a really sweet, summery album. I’m putting it on M.Chutney’s iphone tomorrow, she’ll love this one! Go out and buy it here
Tour Details
Jul 23 2009, 11:00A The Ten Show – Philly, Pennsylvania
Jul 23 2009 9:00P, 8×10 -Baltimore, Maryland
Jul 24 2009 8:00P, BeachComber – Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Jul 25 2009 8:00P, World Cafe Live – Philly, Pennsylvania
Jul 28 2009 8:00P, The Mercury Lounge – New York, New York
Jul 31 2009 7:00P, Boston Harbor Blues Cruise – Boston, Massachusetts
Ok, if you have any sense of humor about either Michael Jackson’s death or about the upcoming 4th of July celebrations, you really should listen to this show… it’s wicked good!
We are pleased to announce that the U.S. Govt. has decided to coincide their 4th of July celebrations with this week’s edition of The Waiting Room.
To honour this historic agreement we are giving you this week’s playlist in advance:
Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum – The Wrong Parts (Vivian Sisters singing)
stellarstarr* – Move On
Idlewild – Readers & Writers
Winter Gloves – I Can’t Tell You
Revolver – Balulalow
The Avett Brothers – I & Love & You
Nouvelle Vague – Road To Nowhere (Talking Heads cover)
Snowglobe – Nothing I Can Do
The Working Title – Arms & Thighs
Pick A Piper – Rooms
Petracovich – Heaven
Sophie Hunger – Shape
Chris Garneau – Raw & Awake
Let’s Wrestle – I Won’t Lie To You
Those Darlins – Hung Up On Me
The Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away
Modest Mouse – Autumn Beds
Múm – Kay-Ray-Ku-Ku-Ko-Kex
Little Glitches – Cold Day
The Wind Whistles – The Sun
Palpitation – I’m Happy Now
Mannequin Men – Never Lived By Myself
Roman Candle – Eden Was A Garden
Lord Cut-Glass – Look After Your Wife
Skint & Demoralised – This Song Is Definitely About You
… and here’s a taste of Chicago’s own Mannequin Men, “Boys” from Fresh Rot from Flameshovel Records
I hope this doesn’t come as a shock to you, but I feel I really must confess my true feelings; I’m holding you responsible for a dreadful loss in my life. I’m very sure I’ve lost bits and pieces of my mental processing capacity over this EP of yours. You see, I’ve listened to I Am The President of Your Fan Club (and Last Night I Followed You Home) about 27 times now. Thanks very much for sending it to me (and for the extra copy to give some lucky reader!) But honestly, I think I’ve gone down the rabbit hole or something, because I’ve been hearing tracks off it just about everywhere.
On Sunday when I tuned into The Waiting Room’s show on WOXY.com your song was the third one out. Back on June 5th I heard it on the Hype Machine’s page, …well me and about 40 other people “hearted” it – I hope that doesn’t get you on the dreaded list of “chart manipulators”! June 15th I swear I heard you on “BBC radio 6 Introducing with Tom Robinson”! Later on, I clicked on my usual morning blog read at Song, By Toad and there you were again. Well, you were trying to be there at least. We got you sorted in the end. And that very day, (what did you boys do, buy the whole freakin day in the UK? Is that even possible? How much?), I heard you on Steve Lamacq’s BBC Radio 1 In Music We Trust show. Fuckin – A! I got your CD in my post box in early June and it’s currently stuck in my car’s player so when I get sick and tired of “This American Life” on NPR it’s you who get me back on track. Oh that’s not all… I’m begining to think you all are stalking me because it started way back in April when Jim Gellatly had you on his podcast at Radio Magnetic and Brave New Frontiers featured you on their podcast as well. You didn’t know I was a huge Progressive Country fan, did ya? (oh, right, as you were stalking me, I guess you did know.)
Your record is the direct cause of my mental instability and you’ll have to pay somehow for it. Whether you’re in cahoots with my wifey or with the entire music playing populace of the UK, you’ve just about done me in. It would have all gone so much easier if I Am The President of Your Fan Club (and Last Night I Followed You Home) hadn’t turned out so well. That title track, … Matthew, couldn’t you have just croaked a little instead of singing? And those synths… gawd are they good on that! As far as indie-pop goes, well, the stops and starts in that song just kill me! Yeah, you pretend to be all innocent and unassuming, but I’m onto you. You know what you’re doing when you write a good pop song. “Late in the City” is another tricksy one, isn’t it? It pretends to be just this simple little ditty but each time I listen to it I hear some part that I didn’t pay attention to much before. Vocally smooth, with a keyboard riff that offsets a really good, moving bass beat, “Late in the City” might just be my favorite track. Yep, it’s very danceable. Then the whole thing turns a dark corner on ”Let’s Go Expo”. It’s got a slow, confessional tone for most of the song and then just runs right off the track at the end. Building to a climax, there’s a nice soaring guitar bit and then a smooth let down with a gorgeous last note fade-out. Whew, do that to me again, ok?!?
So, CTA, just make me one promise? Give me fair warning before your next record comes out. I’m gonna need to take a long holiday to rest up for it and I’d like plan ahead.
mad as a hatter, but all yours,
xoxo
Tart
Cancel the Astronauts are (according to their MySpace page):
Matthew Riley – Vocals, Guitar, Songs and Tracksuit Trousers
Kieran McCaffrey – Guitar, Guitar and Guitar
Michael Craig – Synth, Worrying, looking awkward and Worst Hair
Neil Davidson – Bass and Height
Chris Kay – Drums and Vests
Oh, I’ve been looking forward to this record ever since I laid my ears on Radiolarians II! Medeski, Martin, and Wood recorded the newest installment of their Radiolarians project back in December ’08 and it’s ready for release in August 4. If you happened to miss the previous two records don’t fret. Radiolarians III promises to be the “strongest and most cohesive” of the series. I’ve never before really immersed myself in Jazz, always thinking I had to really invest time and energy to “get it.” And when this group came across my radar screen with a request for review I tentatively said yes. What followed was really a labor of love. The first two albums, with their brilliant blending of jazz and rock, completely won me over. I can’t wait to hear the final part of their creation, I’ll let you know as soon as I get it. In the meantime, Undone gives us a nice teaser, eh?
Tour Dates
07.03.09 - Liburnia Jazz Festival – OPATIJE
07.04.09 – Cankarjev Dom, Cultural & Congress Center – LJUBLJANA
07.05.09 – Treibhaus – Innsbruck
07.07.09 – Kulturetage GmbHg – Oldenburg
07.08.09 – Barbican Hall – London
07.09.09 – Teatro de Galapagar – Galapagar
07.10.09 – Parque de Valdevira – Jaen
07.12.09 – Teatro Romano di Fiesole – Fiesole
07.13.09 – Old Town Square – Prague
09.11.09 – The Mann Center – Philadelphia, PA
09.12.09 – Boykin Ball – Acme, PA
09.13.09 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
09.15.09 – The Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN
09.16.09 – Bijou Theatre – Knoxville, TN
09.17.09 – Workplay Theater – Birmingham, AL
09.18.09 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
09.19.09 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC
09.20.09 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
10.02.09 – Austin City Limits – Austin, TX
The Builders & The Butchers were played this weekend on The Waiting Room radio show over at WOXY.com and ”Short Way Home” was one of my favorites for this week. I must confess that I’ve not hopped on the B&B bandwagon until this point. I seem to have a natural aversion for bands that my friends hype and well, most everyone I know is completely head over heels for this group. It wasn’t until I heard that song that I began to realize what a mistake I’d made by not immersing myself in their first album. But darlings! it’s not too late!
Last week The Builders & The Butchers released their second record, Salvation is a Deep Dark Well, and after hearing it these two days, I’m happy to report that it’s as great or better than anything I’ve heard from them before. Often described as wild, DIY, raucous Americana, this band truly shines on their latest release. You know I just saw a great show by O’death, and now I can’t help but consider the similarities between these two great bands. Certainly they both are influenced by folk music in the Southern tradition. There are vocal affinities between the two lead singers, both bands use a variety of instruments and found objects to produce their “noise” and, lyrically they both take us to the sorrowful, grim bits of life. From their album, I’d say The Builders & The Butchers are a tad bit more melodic, much less gypsy …. a smidgen more folk. But I think the Builders is a band that I just have to see to really describe all on its own.
But the songs on this record are exactly what everyone I know has raved about hearing live. Opening with “Golden and Green,” the tone is set: death, destruction, all returns to the Earth in the end. There’s nothing jaunty or jovial about the Builders, but that’s not to say that they play slow, plodding tunes. I can’t decide whether it’s angry defiance or a twisted joy at the stark realization that the world is full of hardship. By the end of the album I’m pretty sure it’s both. And it’s that idea that reminds me of O’death’s “There Is A Light That Does Not Dim.” No, I’m afraid the Butchers can’t avoid the label of “Southern Gothic” music.
“Barcelona” is just a gorgeous, dramatic folk song with a great hook. It’s the kind of thing you want to sing loudly at the pub with your friends on a Saturday night. Can I honestly tell you that I’m smitten with Ryan Sollee’s voice? No, not really, however, that’s only one component of what makes Salvation Is A Deep Well a memorably great album. Offset by banjo, ukelele, and some amazing percussion, it’s a voice that grows on you. The occasional off notes are all part of what makes this band so very approachable and lovely. And songs like “Down In This Hole” and the slow, beautiful, “The Wind Has Come” are thouroughly structured, crafted to deliver the impact that the lyrics deserve. And with Kaysandra Irving on “The World Is A Top,” the Builders & The Butchers just knock that one out of the park! Do give this record a good listen and add it to your collection of folk/rock. Oh, and they’re on tour this summer too! xoxo
Tour Dates
07/15/09 in San Fransisco, CA; Bottom of the Hill; 8:00pm. Admission: 10.00.
07/16/09 in Visalia, CA; Cellar Door; 8:00pm.
07/17/09 in Los Angeles, CA; Spaceland; 8:00pm. Admission: 8.00.
07/18/09 in San Diego, CA; Casbah; 8:00pm. Admission: 8.00.
07/20/09 in Salt Lake City, UT; Urban Lounge; 8:00pm. Admission: $7.00.
07/21/09 in Denver, CO; Larimer Lounge; 8:00pm.
07/22/09 in Wichita, KS; Fisch Haus; 8:00pm.
07/23/09 in Lawrence, KS; Replay (outside) 8:00pm.
07/25/09 in Cincinatti, OH; Mad Hatter 8:00pm.
07/27/09 in Cleveland, OH; Beachland 8:00pm. Admission: $8.00. All Ages.
07/28/09 in Washington DC; DC 9 8:00pm. Admission: 10.00.
07/29/09 in Philadelphia, PA; Johnny Brendas Time: 8:00pm. Admission: 10.00.
07/30/09 in Brooklyn, NY; Bell House 8:00pm. Admission: 10.00.
07/31/09 in New York, NY; Pianos Time: 8:45pm. Admission: 10.00.
08/01/09 in Boston, MA; TT the Bears 8:00pm. Admission: 8.00.
08/03/09 in Detroit, MI; Pike Room Time: 8:00pm.
08/04/09 in Pittsburgh, PA; Brillobox Time: 9:00pm. Admission: 8.00.
08/05/09 in Columbus, OH; Skully’s Time: 8:00pm.
08/06/09 in Indianapolis, IN; Vollrath Time: 8:00pm.
08/07/09 in Chicago, IL; Lollapalooza Time: 1:45pm. All Ages
08/09/09 in Madison, WI; Cafe Montmartre Time: 8:00pm. Admission: 8.00.
08/10/09 in Minneapolis, MN; 400 Bar Time: 8:00pm.
08/12/09 in Missoula, MT; Palace Time: 8:00pm.
Today I’m considering hours of just lying around, listening to music (getting caught up!) and sipping iced tea. And I’ve got the perfect soundtrack to start me off. Will Dailey is an artist out of Boston and he’s released one of four records he’s putting out this year on June 9th. It’s got a rather confusing title of Torrent Vol. 1 & 2 but there’s nothing confusing about his talent. The first volume is the EP, Fashion of Distraction, largely influenced by The Byrds (Roger McGuinn actually guests as a guitarist/vocalist on one of the tracks, “Peace of Mind”). Volume two is the EP, By the Blue Hills which pays homage to Boston (Will’s hometown) and other Boston musicians – such as Elliott Easton from The Cars. I have to say, this collection of songs is smooth, and perfect for a summertime album.
June 15th I swear I heard you on “
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