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Band of Joy, Robert Plant’s new album is due out September 14 and if you were lucky enough to catch him on his US tour recently you’ve heard what is being described as “a timeless plunge into authentic Americana.” UK and European friends, do go and hear him, please! Check his site for dates in August and September. I certainly love the sound of this, the beat of it, the way his voice blends into this Los Lobos cover so seamlessly and yet keeps it real. But why take my words into consideration? Hear what the man himself has to say about the song and about the album itself (pre-order it on Rounder Records.) He gives an eloquent and thoughtful ten minute interview, interspersed with music from the new album:
Sam Amidon is no stranger to these pages; I’ve written about a wedding song. I often turn to his beautiful Americana/folk music for some quieting down when I’m stuck in traffic or after a long night out. So when I heard about this new album I was like a cat on a mouse. I pounced! I See The Sign surprised me! It pounced right back. Yes, it’s classic Sam Amidon still. His fine as the finest sandpapery voice breathes right into your ear, lazily sometimes, very forcefully at other times. But there’s what sounds like electronic bee bops in this too! And really lush strings. That tickled my fancy a lot. The opening track, “How Come That Blood” features what must be painful finger plucking and interspersed, very modern sounds that offset Sam’s traditional vocals and lyrics. That song alone is reason to buy this record. The juxtaposition of styles is simply brilliant. The next time someone tells me how boring folk music is, this is the track I’ll play them.
The title track, “I See The Sign” gives Sam’s versatility yet another stretch and he’s proven capable again, of course. Smooth and off-kilter, this song slides all over the place as it tells us another horse story. The instrumentation manages to predominate by playing seemingly at random up against more solid and predictable vocals. It’s an interesting composition, full of tension, and one that I find myself listening to over and over. It’s the longest track on the album, I think because it simply needs all that time for the instrumentation to unfold.
I See The Sign is full of horses and brides and mountains and all sorts of emotional disclosures. These are songs that are obviously very meaningful and are sung that way. They’re often hushed and quiet and drift off in the middle a bit. Phrases repeat three and four times. At first glance I See the Sign is pretty dark, even depressing. Going over the record a second and third time reveals the depth of it, lyrically and in the well-placed instrumental flourishes. Thankfully, his cover of R. Kelly’s “Relief,” track 10, brings in some obvious light. It’s one of my favorite songs on the album. All Is Well was a step toward more production and generally a bigger feel. I See The Sign takes him yet another step in that direction without leaving anything that we love about Sam Amidon behind. This artist is evolving into much more than his label of “folk/Americana.” This record is the one that makes me quite certain of that. I always feel like he somehow exists in an alternate universe consecutively with this one. Somehow he has a view to a world of our past where big cities don’t exist and people cling to one another in small communities without modern conveniences. He maybe sings songs of or for those people, but really they’re for us. You just have to listen close to all the parts.
Tour Dates
May 16 – Whale Watching Tour The National Theatre (Þjóðleikhúsið), Reykjavík, Iceland
May 17 – Powiekszenie, Warsaw, Poland
May 18 – w/Coldair Kisielice, Poznań, Poland
May 19 – Re, Kraków, Poland
May 20 – plus Leif Vollebekk South Hill, Bracknell, United Kingdom
May 21 – plus Leif Vollebekk Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, United Kingdom
May 22 – plus Leif Vollebekk Queen Charlotte Rooms, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
May 23 – plus Leif Vollebekk Puzzle Hall, Halifax / Sowerby Bridge, United Kingdom
May 24 – plus Leif Vollebekk The Golden Lion, Ripon, United Kingdom
May 26 – plus Leif Vollebekk Dulcimer, Manchester, United Kingdom
Do these music melanges give you whiplash? I guess they’re a mix of everything I like and my taste runs pretty wide. Sorry if it seems all over the place!
Bombadil is a favorite band of mine, their album Tarpits and Canyonlands was on my list of best ofs for 2009 and I still listen to it often. Here’s a brand new video of Scott Avett of the Avett Bros doing a song from that album, “Marriage.” …. buy Bombadil’s album here
The Mary Onettes have missed their stop here in Chicago, sadly, due to that damn volcano! But, I didn’t want you to miss out on their music. This single is a Record Store Day exclusive and will be released on May 5. You can catch it here, early! As it’s described by their manager, “a bit like a descendant of The Go Betweens and The Stone Roses high on Swedish mountains mixed with A-ha in a gothic church.” Got your interest? Good!
The Pallers produce this dark, self-proclaimed lazy electronica that I find completely refreshing. They’re from Sweden, of course, and they made this record in Spain. The opposing forces thrill me, ok?
The Kiss mp3 The Pallers, …. from their upcoming release due May 26. Their first EP, Humdrum can be purchased here
Lloyd’s Garage gives us Oh Lovely mp3, a tragic tale, a rockin tune. Buy their debut EP, From The Comfort of Your Home directly from the artist here.
Tour Dates
May 4 2010 5:30P Private Party: Gundlach Bundschu Winery Sonoma
May 29 2010 8:00P The Shop with Body or Brain Sonoma, California
Jun 12 2010 3:00P Harmony Festival Santa Rosa, California
Jun 25 2010 8:00P The Gypsy Lounge with Echo Echo Lake Forest, California
Jun 30 2010 8:00P The Mint Los Angeles, California
Aug 13 2010 5:30P Point Richmond Summer Concert Point Richmond, California
And for you folk lovers, Adelaide’s Cape, a.k.a. Sam Taylor is touring and has a lovely single he’s giving away. If I was anywhere nearby I’d go hear him, this is just beautiful, nu-folk music. The echo in it is really charming and more than a little haunting too. What could be a really simple little song is made so much more by such a simple effect, I love that.
Belle mp3 it’s not on his debut Ep, Last Sleep in Albion …. but buy it anyway
Tour Dates
May 3 2010 12:00P Do You DIY? @ The Old Queen’s Head London
May 16 2010 8:00P A Folking Good Night @ The Enterprise London
May 25 2010 8:00P Cabaret Voltaire with Le Salon du Jazz Refusé Edinburgh
Jun 6 2010 8:00P The Haymakers with The Miserable Rich Cambridge
Jun 7 2010 8:00P Puppet Theatre with The Miserable Rich Norwich
Jun 9 2010 8:00P The Library with The Miserable Rich Leeds
Jun 10 2010 8:00P Glee Club with The Miserable Rich Birmingham
Jun 11 2010 8:00P Buffalo Bar with The Miserable Rich Cardiff
Jun 21 2010 8:00P 10 Feet Tall Cardiff
Jun 24 2010 8:00P Astor Theatre Deal
Jun 26 2010 8:00P The Hope Brighton
Jun 27 2010 8:00P Hamptons Southampton
Jun 29 2010 8:00P The Flowerpot London
Jun 30 2010 8:00P Barhouse Chelmsford
Jul 1 2010 6:00P BBC Radio Session Cambridge
Jul 1 2010 8:00P The Haymakers Cambridge
Jul 2 2010 8:00P The Labour Club Northampton
Jul 3 2010 8:00P Treehouse Festival Norwich
Jul 4 2010 2:00P St Gregory’s Centre for the Arts Norwich
Jul 5 2010 8:00P Hare & Hounds with Polly & The Billets Doux Birmingham
Jul 10 2010 8:00P The Cellar with Polly & The Billets Doux Oxford
Jul 11 2010 8:00P The Railway with Polly & The Billets Doux Winchester
Jul 14 2010 8:00P Bloomsbury Lanes with Polly & The Billets Doux London
Jul 24 2010 8:00P Secret Garden Party Festival Huntington
Jul 31 2010 8:00P The Cumberland Arms with Polly & The Billets Doux Newcastle
Sep 4 2010 8:00P Puppet Theatre – Takeda EP Launch Norwich
Sep 25 2010 8:00P Burston Open Air Music Festival Burston
Oct 9 2010 8:00P Norwich Arts Centre Norwich
Jarrod Gorbel was a true delight to hear last night. I could tell you all about the many songs he sang, how his voice was amazing, and heartfelt, and full of the kind of poignancy that made you forget you were standing in a crowd, watching him and made you probably make that face you make when you listen to something beautiful at home all alone. I could go on about how charming he was, the funny things he said, the way he interacted with the crowd, the stories he told while he tuned his guitar. I could even tell you how my girl was so enthralled by him that she threatenedpromised to leave me for him the next time he came to Chicago. But what I think you need to know about Jarrod Gorbel is that for about an hour last night he made a roomful of people sing and sway and crowd up front, next to the stage, and wait in line to meet him after the show. Because what Jarrod Gorbel does is create a sense of commonality between all of us. His songs sum up what we all experience in relationships. His on-stage banter reveals how his life is filled with the inconveniences and disappointments we all share, as well as our common prospects for what great thing might soon happen next. Nothing seems too lofty nor too low for Jarrod Gorbel. And with the obvious talent he holds, pulling that trick out of his hat is magic, indeed.
Go see him perform if you can. His new LP, Devil’s Made A New Friend, is due out in September. He told me it is truly finished and just awaiting album art and distribution. I’ll let you know when I get to hear it. I anticipate it being wonderfully like what we know of him thus far. The songs he played last night from it were sharp, and bright, and fresh. I look forward to them, I know you will too. In the meantime, this little EP, Ten Years Older, is really sweet. With four tracks, it contains some beautifully crafted songs with nice, mellow instrumentation to back his vocals. Click the EP cover art above to purchase directly from him. xoxo.
You know it’s often worth showing up early to hear the supporting band, right? It just kills me when there’s 20 people in the room and the first act goes on. Often that’s the band I come to hear. I know, I’m weird like that! It’s not that I don’t want to hear Final Fantasy and Sharon Van Etten. Far from that! But I am curious about this Peter Wolf Crier duo (yes, there’s two of them: Peter Pisano and Brian Moen) And when the bill is comprised of all out of towners, well…. that means you’d best get there in time for all of them.
Peter Wolf Crier has a sound like what I want so many other indie bands to have. The chords dissolve just right. The piano/organ melds with simple harmonies in small melodies and finish with a clash of cymbals into songs that evoke memories of moments never forgotten. There’s drama here but it’s not hitting you over the head. The music flows as it should. Peter’s voice is beautifully soothing and with just the right touch of Americana and straight up indie stylings, he delivers. Yes, Peter Wolf Crier delivers. Full Stop. I’m very pleased to recommend this album and to eagerly anticipate this show. So, darlings, show up early. Don’t miss this. xoxo
Saintseneca popped into my mailbox awhile ago. Their 7″ was released Sept. 1 and I do really wish I had posted on them before that in order to help build some hype for it. But, better late than never, and I’m hoping there’s some left of their limited to 300, color vinyl. Of course you can get it in digital format, if you really insist.
I think you’ll find their version of Americana folk to be very much in the vein of what you’ve heard on these pages from Scotland and other parts of the UK. It’s banjo/guitar heavy, fast paced and simply gorgeous, as in “God Bones” It’s got a bit of the wildness of The Builders & The Butchers to it, straying off line when it wants and reeling back in again, but with a little less emphasis on percussion. The vocals are lovely. And really it’s the spirit of the thing that is just so appealing. You can purchase their product here, from Paper Brigade. And look beneath the video for their tour dates, you lucky Ohioans! xoxo
Tour Dates
Oct 2 2009 6:00P 7″ Release show at Used Kids! w/ Couch Forts and Letters to the Moon!!!!! Coulmbus, Ohio
Oct 16 2009 8:00P Carabar w/ Little Teeth and Super Desserts and State School Columbus, Ohio
Oct 25 2009 6:00P Browntown w/Batrider Athens, Ohio
Nov 5 2009 10:00P live performance on WRUW’s Live From Cleveland radio show Cleveland, Ohio
Nov 8 2009 8:00P w/state school, brook pridemore, and rattle trap Dayton, Ohio
I’ve featured Joe Pug here on these pages before. He’s a local Chicagoan and sings these Americana-folk songs that have probably some of the best, modern lyrics I know of. I’ve been hiding from this here blog for a couple of days, not sure exactly why. It seems to be full of things I feel I have to talk about, in terms of reviews promised and artists wanting mentioned. I hate when it gets that way instead of being a place where I’m excited to sit down and spout off about what’s turning me on. I think I need a good dose of live music – something to lose myself in and really feel, ya know? There’s some great shows coming up; I’m certain I’ll get that blogging mojo back soon.
In the meantime, Joe Pug is speaking to me. He sings these slow, sweet, simple guitar/vocal melodies that aren’t sappy and aren’t sad. Yet they do make ya think. The words are often just fucking smart. He’s smart. He makes you feel smart. This is folk music made art. If you like the old kind of music that Dylan used to do before he went electric, you’ll dig this. If you like the bits of Billy Bragg that delve back into Arlo Guthrie, you’ll find a soft place here. Even if you don’t really like folk music I think you’ll like Joe Pug’s words, and that harmonica…. ”Speak Plainly, Diana”… wow, I’m increasingly becoming quite a sucker for a good harmonica, xoxo
Go download Joe’s entire EP In The Meantime by just joining his email list. I usually don’t post these gadgets that make you give out your email addy. But this is worth it, and Joe’s a good guy. He has been invited to join Steve Earle’s European tour, and in between will be cramming in as many headlining US dates as he can in anticipation of the release of his debut LP Messenger in early 2010. There’s also a widget to order his album Nation of Heat. I’ve got that playing now, and it’s really something else. Buy it. End of story. xoxo
Tour Dates
9/3 Yosemite, CA–Strawberry Music Festival
9/9 Basingstoke, UK–The Anvil +
9/10 Manchester, UK–Bridgewater Hall +
9/12 Derby, UK–Assembly Hall +
9/14 St. Albans, UK–St. Albans Arena +
9/17 Champaign, IL–Pygmalion Music Festival
9/18 Nashville, TN–AMA Music Festival
9/19 Madison, WI–Forward Music Festival
10/1 St. Louis, MO–The Billiken Club
10/2 Rock Island, IL–Rock Island Brewing Co.
10/3 Chicago, IL–Americana Staqe @ Chicago Country Music Festival
10/15 Boulder, CO– The B-Side Lounge
10/16 Denver, CO–Daniels Hall @ Swallow Hill
10/27 Seattle, WA–Tractor Tavern
10/28 Portland, OR–The Doug Fir
11/6 Ann Arbor, MI–The Ark
11/13 Ennis, Ireland–Glor +
11/14 Castlebar, Ireland–TF Royal +
11/15 Derry, Ireland–Derry Millennium Forum +
11/17 Dublin, Ireland–Dublin Olympia +
11/19 Eindoven, Netherlands–Effenaar +
11/23 Groningen, Netherlands–Groningen Oosterport +
11/25 Stuttgart, Germany–LKA Stuttgart +
11/26 Berlin, Germany–Columbia Club +
11/27 Nurenberg, Germany–Hirsch +
11/29 Kaiserslautern, Germany–Kammgarn +
12/1 Milan, Italy–La Salumeria Della Musica +
12/2 Rome, Italy–Roma Circolo Degli Artisti +
12/3 Faenza, Italy–Strade Blu Festival at Teatro Masini +
12/6 Glasgow, Scotland–Glasgow Royal Concert Hall +
12/7 Perth, Scotland–Perth Concert Hall +
12/8 Aberdeen, SC–Aberdeen Music Hall +
12/10 Inverness, SC–Inverness Ironworks +
Well, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic ZerosUp From Below has passed my desk back in June, and let me tell you, it’s only gathering more and more force as it rolls along! I received three tracks back then and as much as they intrigued me the rest of the album has proved to be chock full of talent with a range of sound that can only be described as impressive. Hearkening back to grand, popular-music theatrical productions of the sixties and seventies, Up From Below, brings us a large cast of ten musicians with quite a dramatic feel to it and a message-laden story of dreams and journeys and self-realizations. Produced with layers of echo and well insulated percussion, this record is tinged with a bit of Jesus Christ Superstar, (or my memory of it, at least), not on any particular track, but perhaps on the way it’s put together and on the whole of it.
It’s the seventies and it’s summer and it’s minidresses and long hair and it’s a tour bus and accordions and a banjo and guitars all over again. And yes, you can pin that sort of “nostalgia” label on all this if you wish. But I prefer to just listen to the music and see how I feel about it without all the gloss, and image, and, dare I say, hype of this amazing tour that takes them from my little neighborhood (where I missed them last week, having not bought a ticket in time!) all the way to Europe and back again in the next month or so. Because darlings, after all this touring and playing in amazing festivals and concert halls is over, you will be left with their record. Do you like it?
I assure you that seeing them live will be fantabulous and you should go see them. Their live shows look to be so full of energy and fun, this is no sit-down-and-enjoy kind of band! But back to this record, Up From Below, there a tracks that yes, I will be playing again and again. ”40 Day Dream” is one that is bound to fill my mind full of good memories of the summer of 2009. I hope it does the same for you! xoxo
Tour Dates
Aug 14 2009 8:00P Haldern Pop Festival Rees, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Aug 16 2009 8:00P Ruby Lounge Manchester
Aug 17 2009 8:00P King Tuts Glasgow, Scotland
Aug 18 2009 8:00P Hare and Hounds Birmingham
Aug 20 2009 8:00P The Lexington London, London and South East
Aug 21 2009 10:00P KOKO London, London and South East
Aug 22 2009 8:00P Pukkelpop Festival Hasselt
Aug 23 2009 8:00P Lowlands Festival Biddinghuizen
Aug 25 2009 8:00P Bang Bang Club Postfach, Berlin
Aug 26 2009 8:00P Atomic Cafe Munich
Aug 27 2009 8:00P Nouveau Casino Paris
Aug 30 2009 8:00P Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York
Sep 2 2009 9:30P Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio
Sep 5 2009 7:00P Club Garibaldi Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sep 6 2009 7:00P The Maintenance Shop Ames, Iowa
Sep 8 2009 10:00P Jackpot Music Hall Lawrence, Kansas
Sep 11 2009 8:00P Wildflower Pavilion @ Planet Lyons, Colorado
Sep 12 2009 2:00P MONOLITH FESTIVAL @ RED ROCKS!! Denver, Colorado
Sep 15 2009 8:00P The Independent- EAS San Francisco, California
Sep 17 2009 10:00P Holocene Portland, Oregon
Sep 22 2009 8:00P The El Rey Los Angeles, California
Oct 3 2009 8:00P PAPPY AND HARRIETS 2nd Annual MANIMAL festival! PIONEERTOWN, California
Oct 18 2009 5:00P The Treasure Island Festival San Francisco, California
The Dimes, based in Portland, Oregon, have a new EP out and are releasing a full length record September 9. This effort, titled New England, tells stories based on real events of the locale for which it’s named. And while it does feature a cover of a John Lennon tune, which I would usually snap right up and send your way, I just can’t bring myself to do it today. I think you’ll find “Clara” really much more pleasing. The Dimes seem to be in their element when trying to recreate folk harmonies and evoke historical tales of important events. And, there’s always a time and place for a little slide guitar on a Sunday afternoon. If not, you’re just doing it wrong.
Go out and buy the Dimes’ New England. With only four songs, it’s a nice little introduction to the group in case you missed their debut album, The Silent Generation. This is a sound that is very “with it” right now, in case you’ve not caught on to that yet. A little alt-country, a lot of banjo/mandolin and indie earnestness goes a long way in this new hipster regime that summer festivals have seemed to spawn. Long live the plaid shirt!
Catch them in Portland, OR
Jul 25 2009 6:30P SakeOne Summer Music Concert Series Forest Grove, Oregon
Aug 7 2009 8:00P Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
Sep 12 2009 8:00P Widmer Oktoberfest Portland, Oregon
Sep 17 2009 8:00P MusicFest NW @ Ash Street Portland, Oregon
Sep 25 2009 8:00P Doug Fir Portland, Oregon
Southern Rock, where have you been? It was just last night that I was discussing with a friend some of the classic rock songs of my youth. He’d been looking for stuff that sounded like Humble Pie, Credence Clearwater Revival and the like. I racked my brain to come up with any current day bands that were doing that sound and came up short. Of course tonight I remembered The Lonely H! With songs like “Diggin’ A Hole,” this young band (most under 21!) recalls the classic rock tunes that still capture our attention. Slide guitars, sparse but well timed bass notes, and the fantastic wailing voice of Mark Fredson (less bluesy than Chris Robinson and cleaner and younger than John Fogerty).
Opening with “Right Down to Me,” this band immediately tells you what it’s about. There’s no mistaking the fact that they wear their influences on their sleeve. And frankly, I’m in the school of thought that says “Classic Rock don’t need improving!” It’s bluesy, it’s guitar heavy, it’s completely overwhelmed by passionate vocals. I’m telling you right now; I’m going to see them in action in two weeks when they get to Chicago. And I don’t care that the lead singer is young enough to be my son, I’m dying to see how he pulls this off, (and by “pulls this off” I mean how sexy his stage presence is because this music screams out for SEXY!) So, Mark, sweetie, forgive me in advance, ok? I’ll not get too close, I promise
“Out West” reeks of smoky bars, writhing fans and long-haired men in tall hats. I’m glad I saw the Allman Brothers play once, but I’m equally glad I’m gonna get a chance to see the Lonely H do their thing. This is the song that’s gonna make the crowd crazy, I’m telling you already. “The Singer” just makes me crave The Eagles, that opening line is maybe a bit too close for comfort. And “Phoenix” doesn’t thrill me vocally although those guitar riffs are really good. Regardless, it needs to be said that the one thing the Lonely H gets right is in how they vary their sound without straying too far afield. “Girl From Jersey” lightens the tone quite a bit at this point in the record, but it’s not really a light hearted song. It’s just a sweet and sweetly sung tune. And as with most Americana/Southern Rock albums, there’s got to be a song about a river; aptly named, “The River,” it features some great harmonies with minimal guitar backing. And finally, rounding out Concrete Class, “Strike A Chord” brings the whole thing up to speed, very contemporary sounding.
They’ve been on the road for most of 2008 and show no signs of stopping yet. If you’re a fan of good, old fashioned, Southern classic rock, you really do need to go hear them and buy Concrete Class Tour Dates
07.14.09 – The Cave w/ Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets – Chapel Hill, NC
07.15.09 – The Garage w/ Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets – Winston Salem, NC
07.17.09 – V-Club – Huntington, WV
07.18.09 – Dantes – Frostburg, MD
07.19.09 – Fennario’s w/ Riverwinds – West Chester, PA
07.22.09 – The Dover Brick House w/Riverwinds – Dover, NH
07.24.09 – Pianos – New York, NY
07.27.09 – The Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
07.28.09 – The Strutt – Kalamazoo, MI
07.30.09 – Martyr’s w/ Steepwater – Chicago, IL
07.31.09 – Up and Under w/ Steepwater – Milwaukee, WI
08.01.09 – Ballyhoos w/ Steepwater – Merrill, WI
08.05.09 – Cicero’s – University City, MO
08.07.09 – The Basement – Nashville, TN
08.12.09 – Stafford Main Street – Bryan, TX
08.13.09 – Trophy’s – Austin, TX
08.14.09 – Rudyards – Houston, TX
08.15.09 – Bill’s Records (Instore) – Dallas, TX
08.15.09 – The Chat Room – Fort Worth, TX
08.18.09 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
08.19.09 – The Hemlock w/ Stone Foxes – San Francisco, CA
08.20.09 – Old Ironsides – Sacramento, CA
08.21.09 – Cattleman’s – Rogue River, OR
08.27.09 – Concert on the Dock – Port Townsend, WA
09.04.09 – The Tractor – Seattle, WA
09.18.09 – Ash Street Saloon (MusicFEST NW) – Portland, OR
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