Patrick Bloom

Melancholic Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:58:00 +0000

I'm rocking a pot of macaroni and cheese, because that's what suburban dads do. My brain is full. Not enough time with friends, not enough music, mythic death, incredibly stressful work days. Balanced with very good friends, an amazing giggling daughter and flirty wife, creative pals doing things like writing beautiful books, a cat that never fails to make me laugh, more space, leaves changing colors and swan diving off of trees. Plenty of good. But the quiet moments are both fewer and more necessary than ever. There's autumn.

I had the honor of seeing my good friend BeJae Fleming perform at a house concert in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday. It was really a yard concert. Lyle Kevin Hogue from Brother Trucker joined her on bass, and they sounded very, very good. Kids were running around, and there were a lot of cute babies. Why the hell can't all concerts be like that? Ok, I wouldn't want that really... it would be odd at a Kelly Joe Phelps or Split Lip Rayfield show. But I did revel in it. Iowa, she is my love.

Meanwhile, I have a show on Saturday. Free, early, kid friendly, unless I curse a lot, which I tend to do in my songs. I'll be doing many of the songs from the last two albums, but I'm also reinvestigating some of my older material that I haven't recorded on any of my solo albums. Ghost songs and lost town songs and songs about people slowly going crazy and songs about people slowly growing old. Such joy. Consider it a dry run through my next album. I'd love to see you there if you're here. If you aren't here, then I hope to see you elsewhere.

Thanks, as always, for the support,
-Patrick

Oh July, how you mock us... (A title that has nothing to do with the content)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Hiya friends,

Greetings from Iowa  City, the muggiest little  town you'll ever love.  Nancy, Tula, and I just moved into a larger  house (the  old one was tiny), and I'll finally have a music space again.  Yep,  I've been  living for the last 5 years sans-creative space.  That'll happen in a  600+  square foot house, especially when there's a daughter in the mix.  This  means  that there will be new music being made again, as well as a space in  which I'll  be able to actually record.

Additionally,   the band rehearsed last night for the first time since... well, since  last October.   Far, far too long.  Billy and Megan now have an infant, so their space  is out,  and now Nancy and I have a 6 year old (almost 6 anyway).  So we have  more space  and an older kid who danced about with two stuffed snakes as  accessories.   Megan was not with us, but things were pretty good, even with the  missing person. 

Said rehearsal event  occurred because A) we needed  it for our souls, and B) because we have an actual gig on Friday  night.  If  you'll be in the Iowa City area, please join us at the Blue  Moose Taphouse for a  night of  roots music.  New Mud Dauber Records artist Sad Iron  Music will open,  we'll play the  mid section, and The Mayflies will close the night out.  And there may  be pirates.  which is only one letter away from pilates.

Thanks as always for the  kind support!

-Patrick Bloom

Patrick Bloom updates... Springtime. 'Nuff said.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:59:00 +0000

So back in October I mentioned that I'd be taking a hiatus. Here it is almost 6 months later and I haven't booked a single dang show. One hell of a hiatus, I know. But there is still plenty to catch up on.

There were a couple of reasons for the break. Firstly, and most importantly, Billy and Megan Valencia from Ghosts of Radio (they play bass and organ, respectively) had an amazing little baby girl named Nola Rose. Holy crap, she's cute. It's obviously a very big deal, and there has been talk of some music practicing, but babies have a way of making one lose time. Anyway, we'll be gearing up here in the near future.

But the other thing that was going on was a full-on radio campaign with my disc and two others from Mud Dauber Records. Any of my pals from Twitter or Facebook will be terribly familiar with this, as I was posting station play as it came in, and it became a bit overwhelming. But here's how the new disc has done so far...

In that time the album also received various accolades in the end of 2009 , including the following:

10 Best Albums of the Moment- Cntrl.Alt.Country
Top 50 for 2009- Ron's Alt. Country 
"The Unheralded Best of 2009"- CBS channel 4 in Miami 
#5 Best Album of 2009- Twisted Roots Radio 
Best of 2009- Blurt Online 
The Best Under-the-Radar Rock of 2009- Broward Palm Beach New Times 
Top 30 CDs of 2009 - Taproot Radio 
Best Songs of 2009- Sycamore Tree- RootsHighway

We also just shipped another 120 discs overseas for promo in Scandinavia, UK, BeNeLux (that's Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg), France, Italy, and Germany. So all's well in the album front.

I've recently posted a couple of small interviews. The first was by Calvin Powers of Taproot Radio, and the podcast can be heard here. There are two other artists on the show, and your truly is the last one, so you can scroll forward if you're an impatient bastard.

The second interview was done by Jennifer Fawcett and Martin Andrews of Artists in Action Radio on KRUI in Iowa City. It missed being played live due to some unfortunate events, but the archive can be found here. The volume leans in and out, but I play a new song on the show, which starts at around 22:40.

While my blogging has reduced dramatically, my micro-blogging (as all of the hip kids say) has been on the uptick. Please do join me on Facebook or Twitter if'n you use that shit. Below, I'll leave you with the stunning empress of songwriting and her evil twin, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. So good.

Thanks as always for the kind support,
-Patrick

October events, and a hiatus!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:45:00 +0000

Hiya friends,

Iowa has, yet again, become chilly. I'm not sure I understand why this keeps happening. it goes on for months at a time, and then stops. Just when I think things are back to normal, 8 or 9 months later, it gets cold again. Maybe our state is broken. I recently caught swine flu, by the way. Very proud to be a statistic.

So here's what's up. Just a couple of shows this month, both in Ioway, and then I'll be taking a small hiatus. Why, you ask, am I taking a hiatus? I don't really seem to do much anyway, I suppose, but the down time is legitimate.

Firstly, the band is taking a little break because our most wonderful of Hammond B3 organ players, Megan Valencia, is due to have a baby at the end of the month, which she created with Billy Valencia, our handsome and charming bass thumper. That's half of the backing band gone, so it's kind of a no-brainer that we won't be playing for a while.

Additionally, I'll be using this time to work radio for my new album, as well as the new albums from The Mayflies and Matthew Grimm & The Red Smear (Mud Dauber Records bands, all). So I'll be working. Plus, I've been lame and need to deliver albums to some more of the amazing musician types who helped to make the new album happen.

So final show with the band in Dubuque at the Silver Dollar Cantina next week, then a solo acoustic show in Iowa City at Uptown Bill's the following week, then I'll be missing for a while. I will, however, be Tweeting and Facebookin', so feel free to check in.

Finally, here's LL Cool J like you haven't seen him, because I love you:

Stay warm,
-Patrick

New Patrick Bloom album, Ghosts of Radio, now available!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:56:00 +0000

The release and radio shows have died down, my daughter has successfully started kindergarten, and the weather has turned cooler in Iowa. So here's that update I promised earlier...

The new album is now available online.

Yes, I wrote it. It's true. There were some issues, mind you. CD Baby, the retailer whom I use for sales, came under new ownership, redesigned their website, and everything went *kablooey*. They were finally able to get things operational though, so all is peachy. Ghosts of Radio' is now available for 11.99 on CD, or 5.99 via digital download. Here's what folk are saying:

Diana Nollen of The Gazette:

On his blog, the Iowa City singer/songwriter/ guitar player describes his latest work as "an album about paranoia, sex, disillusion, loss, death, scandal, whimsy and reckoning. No normal dang love songs for me, no sir. Iowa has a way of twisting a soul in the wind. Must be the tornadoes." That's just a tiny window into the talent Bloom puts into the nine songs shimmering on "Ghosts." The dark themes are there -- they're just tucked so neatly into rootsy rhythms and melodies that flow so sweetly into your ears.
(read entire review here)

Jim Musser of the Iowa City Press-Citizen:

Taking its name from Bloom's flexible, elegant backing band, "Ghosts of Radio" picks up where his excellent "Moses" left off, further exploring wistful, deliciously melancholic memory with a cinematic eye for detail and a poet's touch... Front to back, it's a richly appointed, masterful record.
(read entire review here)

So dem's the word thus far. If you're so inclined, you can also find the album in the 'Store' tab on my Facebook page. Radio promotion starts in the next month. Leaves will drop and Iowa will become the most beautiful place on earth. And I will watch Flight of the Conchords and snicker knowingly.

Ghosts of Radio reviewed by The Gazette

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:11:00 +0000

Another kind review has landed. The wonderful Diana Nollen of The Gazette penned the following:

Aug. 14--IOWA CITY
Patrick Bloom has created more poetry in motion with "Ghosts of Radio."
CD REVIEW

On his blog, the Iowa City singer/songwriter/ guitar player describes his latest work as "an album about paranoia, sex, disillusion, loss, death, scandal, whimsy and reckoning. No normal dang love songs for me, no sir. Iowa has a way of twisting a soul in the wind. Must be the tornadoes." That's just a tiny window into the talent Bloom puts into the nine songs shimmering on "Ghosts." The dark themes are there -- they're just tucked so neatly into rootsy rhythms and melodies that flow so sweetly into your ears.

The first cut, "Minnesota," displays his crystal-clear vocal -- and storytelling style, set to an easy, loping beat that mirrors the journey he's describing.

A little farther down the road is "Rosalie," with lyrics that spit fire, wrapped in a light dance that evokes memories of couples moving like tops around a wooden plank dance floor that doubles as a roller rink by day.

Wonderful analogies weave through "Red Dodge Dart," fueled with saxophone, trombone and trumpet. It's a funny, funky breakup song using the same hooks to bemoan the loss of a favorite girl and a favorite car.

"Sycamore Tree" is the one that catches you off guard. While the quiet beat and sparse instrumentals swing lightly with the lyrics, what swings from that tree is the album's darkest theme. "Oh My Soul" captures Bloom's flair for sprinkling his music with regional references. Anyone who's been awakened too early by a rooster will applaud this bluesy song with a knowing nod.

Thanks Diana!

Review of 'Ghosts of Radio' in Iowa City Press Citizen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:53:00 +0000

Here's the first of the reviews for the new album from Jim Musser of the Iowa City Press-Citizen, and it's not a bad start:

A pop classicist of the first order, singer/songwriter Patrick Bloom readily evokes mid-period Paul Simon with his sweet, liquid tenor and seemingly effortless lilting tunefulness; that cozy sonic neighborhood remains home base for much of his third solo disc, but he is not chained to it.
Taking its name from Bloom's flexible, elegant backing band, "Ghosts of Radio" picks up where his excellent "Moses" left off, further exploring wistful, deliciously melancholic memory with a cinematic eye for detail and a poet's touch.

Bracingly punctuated with deft guitar figures by Eric Straumanis (whose playing delights throughout), the opening "Minnesota" is a loping, easy-rolling folk-rock gem, while "Union Suit" approximates Simon massaging a Neil Young country-rocker.

The war-torn, elegiac "Prophetstown" yields to a bemused, bittersweet "Rosalie," whose hints of The Band's music hall sensibilities escalate into full "Basement Tapes"-era junk-trap glory on the hilarious "Red Dodge Dart."

"Idle Signs of Summer," with its colorful, daft'n'randy small-town vignettes and infectious chorus, is a minor masterpiece, the feisty, slightly nutty "Oh My Soul" conjures a Terry Adams (NRBQ) fever dream, and the closing "Baltimore" celebrates a peculiar spin on Death's release.

Front to back, it's a richly appointed, masterful record.

Folk Yeah! covers 'Martha Falling Down' by Patrick Bloom

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:10:00 +0000

A pal informed me that one of my older songs has been picked up by a local band called Folk Yeah! where he lives in Colorado. The songs is 'Martha Falling Down', and it shows up on my album (Songs From) The Pink Sofa, which I previously released as Patrick Brickel. Below is the video for your viewing pleasure...

Martha Falling Down by Patrick Bloom

Lots of August activity

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:16:00 +0000

Hiya Earthlings,

It's been a while, eh? Indeed. There's been a lot of work going on, but nothing really to announce. Until now. Now there's a lot to announce. Here goes...

-New album

Indeed, after a long wait it's finally here. The new album is titled 'Ghosts of Radio', after the wonderful group that backs me up in full band shows and times of crisis. (Everyone should have a back-up band, whether or not they play music. As a matter of fact, we should all have a soundtrack as well). This new album is looser than the previous ones, and it even has a horn section. I'm describing it as an album about paranoia, sex, disillusion, loss, death, scandal, whimsy, and reckoning. No normal dang love songs for me, no sir. Iowa has a way of twisting a soul in the wind. Must be the tornadoes.

But I digress... you can hear the new songs in their entirety on my Facebook page . The physical album is not available for sale online as of yet, but it's in process and I'll send out a little note when it's official. Should be soon. In the meanwhile, it is available for full download at Digstation. Please note that anyone on this mailing list can download the new album 'Ghosts of Radio' or the previous release 'Moses' from Digstation for just $5... send a note my way and I'll send back a super-snazzy code that bypasses the official Digstation retail price. Shazam.

-CD Release show!

Saturday, 8/15 at The Mill in Iowa City. The magnificent band The Mayflies open the evening at 9:00 pm (more about them below). Please attend if you're in the area and you can score a new 'Patrick Bloom & Ghosts of Radio' t-shirt. They're great for cleaning up beer from your carpets. Also later this month will be two live radio shows, both of which can be heard on line if you like.

-New website (soon).

I've been working on a total site redesign for the website, and I'll also send word when this is done. Included in the redesign will be an oft-requested 'lyrics' page, and detailed info on each album, including full streaming audio for the new album. Did I mention that you can hear it on my Facebook page? Just hit the Music tab, and the first 9 songs on that list are the new album.

-Facebook

Of course. How could I not? If y'all would like to be my pal on Facebook, I'd be honored. The link, in case you didn't catch it earlier is here. I should note that this link is specifically for my active music page... there is another Patrick Bloom page that will be taken off line after the 15th, so please be sure to jump on the new one if you're currently in my Facebook family.

-Twitter

Geek out, yo: http://twitter.com/patrickbloom

-MySpace

Ok, I've had this for a while, but I figured that I should mention it in the company of Twitter and Facebook, because that's what nerds do: http://www.myspace.com/patrickbloom

-The Mayflies record several Bloom tunes!

The aforementioned band The Mayflies used to be home for me. I left in 2004, but they've continued growing and have become outrageously good (probably due, in part, to my departure). They recently released their new album entitled 'A Thousand Small Things', after a line from one of their songs that happens to be written by me. In all, 5 of the 10 tunes on the album were penned by yours truly, and I'm a proud daddy. You can listen, download, or buy their album here.

That may be everything for now. I haven't been so great about blogging in a responsible fashion, but I'm attempting to do consistent updates on both Twitter and Facebook. Feel free to drop word my way though either of those forums, or just send a regular email. Or get totally whack and say hello in person.

April shiz.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:28:00 +0000

It's been a week. Ol' Mother Nature has been messing with us Iowans, throwing Spring in our faces and then tragically ripping it away just as we're getting excited. (Is she mean, or does she just have a very dry sense of humor?) A good pal of mine, one of my favorite people in the world, is not as well as could be, and that's placed quite a damper upon things. I thought that my 15 year old cat was dying, etc.

But then, I'm also living in one of the prettiest places around. Said pal will avoid long-term un-wellness and I hope that we shall celebrate with key lime pie and friends endlessly. And my cat did not die. So see? Not so pessimistic after all, eh?

Musically, I've mostly been recording. In this last week both Randall Davis has been in to record some electric guitar and David Zollo has done his piano magic on the album, and the whole thing is starting to take shape. Plans are, right now anyway, for a late Spring release. Then my life disappears into the endless void of radio promotion. The album will be looser and more playful than Moses was, yet it will still maintain that ironic hopelessness that you love so much. I kid... it really won't be so ironic.

A recent feature in the quarterly magazine Off Deadline focused on Mud Dauber Records, the label that I and several other musicians call home, and how it carries over into my day to day life with family and all. Unfortunately the magazine left out the photo series of me riding my rare collection of racing goats, so that'll probably kill my indie cred. You can read the story here.

Prophetstown

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:38:00 +0000

Work continues on the new album. There has been loads of frustration and I'm behind schedule, but things are starting to sound worthy of being heard by other folks. Megan Valencia threw down organ for a couple of days. And by "threw down", I mean she beat the living hell out of the thing and sent it limping from the studio. Here is her smiling face:

That was during our session at Minstrel Studios in Iowa City. Then I jumped over the Flat Black Studios to start some editing and acoustic guitar work. Luke Tweedy is the man behind Flat Black, and he's a gem. Fast, professional, great ears, great microphones. Here's a picture of Prophetstown in action ("oooooh"):

I head back in this week to pile on vocals and additional guitars. My pals Randall Davis and David Zollo will be in soon to add yet more guitar and keys to the thing, Katharine Ruestow of The Diplomats will wail some harmonies, and then we shall see what we have.

On a different note, there's a website called OurStage... it's a bit of a social networking site, but for music. Artists can enter songs into various contests every month, vote for songs, network, etc. I tend not to use this site very much, but Heaven On The Radio has seemingly randomly shown up at #2 for the month on their Americana/Alt.Country chart. I suppose that I wouldn't mind hitting #1, so if y'all would be inclined to get involved and vote, you can do so here.

Now that I've effectively pimped myself out, here are the lyrics for the previously mentioned Prophetstown, named after the fine locale in Illinois. I've been getting lyric requests, but just send a note my way if it becomes overbearing.

PROPHETSTOWN

a river runs hard with rain a broken vein beneath the sky
a cannon stands dead and proud beside the bell of Prophetstown

the Indian Wars of ’32 brought Lincoln through swimming in blood
he took a torch and left the night baptized in light and ash and mud

everybody burn another one
our heroes turn once again once again
we’ll watch the starry sky fall down in Prophetstown

the Civil War betrayed her men housed them like wrens inside her breast
they shuffled off their beds turned down leaving their hearts in Prophetstown

everybody burn another one
our heroes turn once again once again
we’ll watch the starry sky fall down in Prophetstown

now all the boys with bloodshot eyes and muscle cars hypothesize
how it might feel to kiss a girl and leave their world drunk and alive

everybody burn another one
our heroes turn once again once again
we’ll watch the starry sky fall down on Prophetstown
on Prophetstown

Socially speaking...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Wow. It's March already? March. How did that happen?

Firstly, a heads-up for the kind folks on my email list. I'm moving the email service from Google over the ReverbNation. Google has been fine, but it's higher-maintenance than I'd like, and the sign-up process is a bit bulky. ReverbNation won't really do much different for you as an end-reader, but it will look prettier, and it'll make MY life easier. It is, after all, all about me.

So things have been quiet with me. Mostly I've been doing life. Life has been cold, but good. My daughter is sprouting, my wife has been sick, my cats have been loud. And I'll be taking a break from all of this to head back into the studio this month and finish another CD.

Interesting thing about that... the CD is dying. I use iTunes almost exclusively to listen to music, but I still purchase CDs as the source of that music. In general, folks have started using downloads as the main way to source music, legally or otherwise, even from us indie artists. Yet we still manufacture thousands of these things because... well, because we have to. Radio stations, except for a very small (and, I suppose, growing) number, all require CDs for radio play, as do most press outlets. So we print 'em and send 'em and sell 'em, (that last part in shrinking amounts). Eventually, I imagine everything will remain primarily on-line, and even more cool little record stores will close.

I suppose that the bright spot in this scenario is that music has become more democratized than ever, and discovery points for great music has become plentiful, even if it's buried in other less-interesting stuff. No moral to be taken from this for me, but it's definitely interesting. (Oh, and you can purchase amazing vinyl for 5¢ at garage sales).

And speaking of discovery points, all of us musical types are jumping on the social network bandwagon. Me too, though quite reluctantly. Even ReverbNation is a bit of social network, but it's more a tool. Like me. Anyways, here's where y'all can find me:

Main sites...
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter (yup, Twitter)

Secondary sites (mostly musical, and completely self-indulgant):
Last FM
iLike

Deep, collective sigh. That feels better.

Charting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Well, looks like Moses has charted again. This time the album reached #6 on the Freeform American Roots chart for the month of August. The FAR chart is compiled for 3rd Coast Music Magazine out of Texas, and 3rd Coast describes the chart as "real music played for real people by real DJs". I'm flattered.

The folks who report to the chart are running radio programs nationally and internationally, and they're definitely a independent bunch. Responses definitely varied. Some folks passed on the album. One DJ played the album despite being "irked" by me voice. A few featured the album as a current fave and some even became MySpace pals with me. Strange world. I'm sure I've also inadvertently contributed heavily to the world's supply of coasters (everybody loves a cold beverage).

Thanks for the fine feathered support.

The Boudin Barndance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:51:00 +0000

This one dates back a short while, but I'm trying to better about posting this stuff. Dan Ferguson, host of The Boudin Barndance on WRIU (Rhode Island), gave Moses a lovely review on his website...

Renowned singer/songwriter Greg Brown describes Moses from fellow Iowan Patrick Bloom as “..the music that scarecrows dance to when everyone else is asleep.” How to truly interpret that only Brown knows, but I’ve got to think said scarecrows are digging this album. A rootsy affair, at its foundation is a collection of alluring melodies saddled with Bloom’s literate, lyrical touch. With the tuneful Moses, the Iowa-by-way-of-Long Island Bloom demonstrates a keen eye for detail and a narrative style that neatly mixes emotion with smarts.

Ah, Muppets.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:21:00 +0000

Hmmm... tricky. This may be the most pleasant Iowa summer that I can remember. Well... let me back up. I know that I always discuss Iowa weather, and it isn't really because of a lack of other worthy things to think about. It's more because Iowa weather patterns are extremely violent. I love my home, but it wants to kill me. It's sorta like living in Australia, except with tornadoes, blizzards, and sweltering heat instead of jellyfish, scorpions, and snakes. And out toilets swirl clockwise, like they're supposed to.

So back to the not-too-terrible Iowa summer. It's like we bought a used car from a very slick dealer. We get the sweet Cadillac (moderate heat, humidity that's not out of control), but he doesn't tell us about the oil leaks or gas gauge that doesn't work (floods, insanely aggressive gnats). We have, however, recovered from the flooding, depending on how you define "recovered". Lots of damage and folks without homes, but at least the water has receded.

Oh, but our tomato plants have gone nuts. Mmm hmm. Two more weeks and my daughter and I will be easily found, every day at 6:00, as the sun has finally started to go down, planted on our butts in the middle of the garden, covered in tomato seeds. We will not speak for extended periods of time, and we'll just be chewing our ways to the next nap.

And now with a spectacular and inappropriate segway, I leave you with what may possibly be the finest music video ever made...

Underwater

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:49:00 +0000

Iowa City seems to be slowly sinking. The river has gone far over its banks in places, and things look to be getting worse. The issue is that the river itself is at full capacity, from a combination of a very icy winter with lots of precipitation and runoff, with more rain than it can handle. Actually, the river can handle it, the town cannot. The University Of Iowa paper, The Daily Iowan, has some pretty good photos here.

Now the full river seems to be standing still, and all of the various other waterways cannot empty, which is slowly making the creeks rise deeper and deeper into the city. I've heard rumor of a crest by Monday, and then we'll see what we have. Mason City, IA has already been submerged:

Time to stock up on batteries, water, food, and cheap beer...

Moses review from Gazette

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:10:00 +0000

The Iowa paper, The Gazette, has run a very gracious review of Moses, written by Eric Clark in the 5/22 edition. It's impossible to directly hot link to the review, so below is the review as an image. Lesee if this works (click the image to make it massively huge)...

Hmmm... is posting this actually legal?

May flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:38:00 +0000

Garden worms are a thing of beauty. Just ask my 3 year old. I've been digging in the garden, pulling up the long grass and the creeping charlie that has taken over the space. So far we have tomatoes ready to go in, sweet peas and cucumbers sprouting away, and I'm ready to get everything in the dirt. It's Iowa dirt, so things can't help but grow. Anyway, my daughter is now old enough to help, as it were. And she really tries. But her favorite part is finding earthworms, and I'll tell you, I never realized that a pile of slimy, wriggling worms in a tiny hand could be so beautiful.

I know, fatherhood is slowly turning me into a sap. You'll get to witness the process as I send more and more updates, each getting sappier and sappier (is that even a word?) until one day your internet service will stop working because my updates will have completely gummed up your computer.

I'm slowly amassing a pile of useless reviews. That is to say, they're in different languages and I can't translate them. Google and Babel Fish process them in such a way that I feel like I'm reading a transcript of somebody speaking in tongues. Anyone know Dutch?

You may know that I don't get to listen to all that much new music these days, but for the last week I've been carrying Sera Cahoone around in my headphones. Not literally mind you... she wouldn't fit and she'd probably get kinda mad otherwise. The album is called Only As The Day Is Long. It's a folk / roots album with some country tinge, and Sera sings in a sweet, unadorned alto. The arrangements are lovely, and the songs are great. There's grand music blog called Aquarium Drunkard where you can read more about Sera and download a couple of her excellent tunes... here's the the link. Man oh man do I recommend it.

I hope that you're having a fine May. Word.
-Patrick

Moses, taxes, and a CD release show...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:31:00 +0000

Ah, tax time. Such a sweet time of year. Today is, in fact, Tax Day, that lovely day when the sound of millions of heads banging against millions of desks can be heard throughout this fine country. My head is hollow, so it makes a particularly interesting noise.

Updates and a show to report. Since the last time I've been in touch, Moses has reached #10 on the Roots Music Report chart and #14 on the Euro Americana chart. Plus it's been chosen as an editor's pick at CD Baby and a top album at multiple radio stations across the US and Europe. Thanks so much to everyone who has purchased a copy or made a request at their local radio station, or who has sent a small yacht with my name embossed across the side in gilded letters. Anyway, in addition to being available online, the album is also now available via iTunes.

And despite the fact that you were the first to know about the album, we're finally doing the long awaited CD Release bash in Iowa City. Want the details? Sure you do...

This Sunday, April 20th, I (Patrick Bloom) along with the band (Ghosts Of Radio) will be performing at The Yacht Club in Iowa City. This will be special for a few reasons. It is, of course, a time of celebration, complete with pixies, unicorns, and rainbows. But even better, we'll be joined by the mighty Eric Straumanis on guitar. Eric is no longer a Midwesterner, so we're feeling especially fortunate to have his company. Additionally, this will be an early show, starting at 7:00 pm (!) and running until 9:00 pm. And extra super-additionally, this will also be a non smoking show.

So to review... CD Release, early show, non-smoking, pig-wrangling. All true, except for the pig-wrangling, but this is Iowa, so anything is possible. And my apologies for those folks not close enough to be at the launch, but plans are also brewing for visits throughout the US and across the beautiful deep sea. And maybe for a nap.

Thanks, as always, for the kind support, and feel free to drop a note any ol' time you please.
-Patrick

March changes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:41:00 +0000

So this Saturday, March 22nd will indeed *not* be the CD Release show for Moses. This is due to a human scheduling error, and my apologies for the multiple shouts on this. Still, I and a partial semblance of the band will be performing a rather acoustic-ish show that night, and we will be joined by an acoustic semblance of The Mayflies, as well as the wonderful S. Eric Ketzer.

Moses has remained in top 20 on the Roots Music Report Folk chart for the last three weeks. It's the #3 add at WUMB in Boston and the 2nd most played album on KAXE in Grand Rapids, MN, and critical response has been pretty dern good. I'll try to get a current radio list up soon, which will allow folks to know where they can tune in or request.

In the meanwhile, I'll send word when we have the real CD release scheduled, as well as any other upcoming festivities. Thanks, as always, for the wonderful support.

-Patrick

Patrick Bloom & Ghosts Of RAdio

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:18:00 +0000

We're packed in. Iowa has been pounded repeatedly for the last few months with lots and lots of ice. Even when the weather was polite enough to send us plain, powdery snow, it would be followed up immediately with some sort of rainfall that would quickly freeze. Now March is rearing her head in hopes of tricking us into a pleasant disposition before she smacks us with another ice storm. She can't fool me... I'm far too cynical for that mess.

So what's up? I and the band will be doing a live radio show this Monday (stream-able via your computer, if you care to hear the full band), as well as a CD launch in Iowa City on the 22nd, so please see the calendar page of the website for more info. The band is finally steaming ahead and I appreciate y'all's (how's that for a word?) patience while we were getting ready to not suck. And we gots pics from our recent show... if you'd like to take a gander, you can go here (please note that it's a MySpace album, so it won't work for you MySpace haters).

Meanwhile, The new CD 'Moses' is officially available. It debuted at the #19 spot last week on the Roots Music Report Folk chart, and has maintained that position this week, right next to Iowa's very own Greg Brown. If you'd like to hear the thing, you can head on over to CD Baby and give it a spin (just hit those little arrows next to the song titles to stream the music).

And finally, you can head over to the website music page for lyrics and more info.

There it is. The album is being received well, with your kind support, and is being played across the US and Europe.

Thanks as always,
-Patrick

The new album arrives.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:07:00 +0000

A very chilly greeting to everyone, as it's only 1 degree here in Iowa. Anyway, I've been under the radar trying derned hard to get a new album out. That said, I'm happy to announce that the new album, entitled Moses, is now complete and in my hands. Preparations are being made to get the album on line and operational for sale, both as a physical CD and for digital distribution, and in the meanwhile, a few tracks from the new release can be heard on the ol' MySpace page. What? Don't like MySpace in all of its frustrating glory? No problem... here's a link to just the music player.

The album is set for an official street release in February, which seems to be approaching quickly. But that's not the whole kielbasa, as we folks of Eastern European descent like to say. The new album is being released on Mud Dauber Records, a collective cooperative Americana & roots record label out of Iowa. Mud Dauber is currently home to just a few of us questionable types, but I'd recommend taking a look around the website, as the other bands involved are quite wonderful and you might enjoy 'em.

I'll bug you again in the near future once the album is housed in both my website and the Mud Dauber Records website. In in the meanwhile, everyone who pre-ordered the album at a snazzy discount will receive their copy in the next week. Thanks, as always, for the support, and stay bundled.

Neil.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:32:00 +0000

Because I love you...

Moses, the saga continues...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:15:00 +0000

Getting there. At this point I just need to work my way through the mixes and we'll have it ready for mastering and printing. Not bad... it's taken a bit longer than I would have liked to finish the tracking, but that's mainly due to schedules and illnesses. The beginning of autumn tends to knock folks on their asses around here.

Here are studio pictures of Amy Finders, post singing, and Tara Dutcher recording her lovely fiddle. Again, both pictures were taken with my mighty (or shall I say "mighty cheap") Motorola E815 cell phone. Amy refused to have a straight face for the quick shot, so she gets to live with the digital photo of her cheesy mug living eternally in the ether.

I'm having a hard time getting in touch with Justin right now to arrange the rest of our mixing dates, mostly because his voicemail is full. I don't remember this sort of thing happening before we were overrun with the technological means to contact each other 24/7. Am I nuts? If you happen to be in Iowa City and you see a studio engineer wandering aimlessly with a bleary-eyed look about him, tackle him and contact me immediately.

A Million Minutes Away

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 05:09:00 +0000

So it's done. The tracking on Million Miles Away, that is. Amy Finders came in today and nailed her harmony, which had the effect of adding another dimension to the entire track. I am an idiot and did not take a photo, but she should be coming back in to do one more harmony on Mississippi River Lullaby, and I will make it my personal quest to add her adorable mug to this here blog. Below, so you can see where the song has ended up on it's journey thus far, is a very rough mix of the tune:

Meanwhile, I need to sell off the rest of my first CD, (Songs From) The Pink Sofa, so I can get another batch made up with the correct name on 'em. For those folks who don't know, I recorded that first CD as Patrick Brickel, and there's the rub. But the album has received plenty of critical praise, was featured on iTunes as a staff fave, and comes with a deeeluxe 12 page insert complete with art by my lovely wife Nancy, who is an oil painter. Does it sound like I'm shilling my wares? Well, I am. You can pick up the CD here for less than ten smackers, and if you buy three then the price drops to $5 each. Yep. $5. You'd be a nutter not to jump on a deal like that, eh? Don't be a nutter... buy a few and spread the love.