Absolutely beautiful !

First Album “The Mountain Moves” available !

I’ve been writing about Elephant Micah for quite a while now and in all honesty, i should have brought this new release to your attention earlier but life being what it is, i didn’t. So, rather than review it, i’m notifying you all of it’s release.

Released on very limited edition vinyl by Bluesanct records (only 20 left as i write), it was considered lost for many years until recently, when Bluesanct found a pile of discarded cdr’s in their basement and this was in amongst them.

To quote the press release, the album is a collection of sessions recorded sometime in the late 2000′s and  reflect the more exploratory aspects of Elephant Micah.  Somewhere between sound art and song, the release documents Joe O’Connell’s work not just as a writer and singer, but also as a recordist and experimenter. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Whenever i hear of a new Elephant Micah album i get that feeling in my stomach like i used to when i was a kid, when you first buy a record and can’t wait to play it. He never disappoints.

It’s officially released today (pre-orders bought up most of the vinyl) and you can buy here. Alternatively you can pay what you want for it here. But please, give something if you can. It’s also available on itunes, Amazon etc.

For me, Elephant Micah is as good as anyone making music today and and is a cited influence on Dark Dark Dark, Hiss Golden Messenger, Strand of Oaks, and others.

Enjoy.

What else can be said ? If you missed this track or this album, it’s here !

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds got a new album ‘Push the Sky Away’ coming out this february !

Beautiful new track from one of my Aussie’s fav Phillip Bracken. A full album, coming soon ?

New album “From The Top Of Willamette Mountain” will be available this november 6th

Regular readers of this blog will know what huge fans of  The Sumner Brothers we are. Having been writing about them for what seems like years, i (Geordie) rave about them any chance i get and am often telling folks that they are my favourite Canadian band. In fact, they are one of my favourite bands, period and their soon to be released, incredible new album only confirms further what i already think.

Although i’ve only had a couple of chances to listen to it, it’s already beginning to ingrain itself into my dna. Starting off with a screaming, rollicking track called Toughest Man In Prison Camp, it takes you a little bit by surprise given the usual, more mellower previous albums but it works tremendously well and would imagine gives you an idea into what you could expect if you saw them live (something i plan on doing in 2013).

Given the title of the album (a line from a Townes van Zandt song) it should come as no surprise there is a Townes cover in there and to my great delight, they cover one of my own personal favourites of Townes’, Colorado Girl. If any of you are lucky enough to be on The Sumners Brothers’ mailing list, you will already know what great covers they have done, everyone from Townes to A.P Dugas but they don’t just cover them, they make them their own, they turn them into Sumner Brothers songs. I like that. You will too, I promise.

Also on this new album are a couple of reworkings of a couple of songs they released on their In The Garage series, namely Going out West and You Will Find Me respectively. They are beefed up a little, more punchy, more production and both work tremendously well.

But i’m thrilled to hear some new tracks, it has seemed like such a long time since i heard any (although probably not as long as i think, i’m just eager and at times, impatient) Outside looking in is a reflective track, or more of an eye opener of something he didn’t realise was happening  until something was over, hence the song title.

Both gifted with incredible voices, Brian at times has a slight shakey sound, i don’t mean that negatively, perhaps i’m looking for a more descriptive word than i can think of right now, full of emotion though and strikes right to the very heart of the song, like trying to sing while you’re weeping, perhaps?  The Lord is My Protector is a great example of this and then with Bob taking the reins on the very next track (Brian doing the screaming bits), the more old timey feeling, When You Dig My Grave, the two songs back to back leave you in no doubt that you are listening to a band who are as good as anyone around right now. That’s Alright Mama, a song mostly famously sung by Elvis is given the Sumner Brothers treatment. Coming in at a bolstering, foot stomping 1 min 59 seconds, it’s a full body shake down before the beautiful ending to the album, the instrumental I Would Love You In The Kitchen.

However, we’re honoured to be able to stream the whole album for you on this blog right now and you can make your own mind up about it. Along with Hearya, SongsIllinois, Slowacoustic, Herohill and Ninebullets, we are all streaming the album in full for a whole week. We all agree that it’s time these two brothers were given the plaudits they fully deserve and we hope by streaming the album in full, you will also spread the word about them and bring about new fans. So please, spread the links everywhere! Twitter, Facebook, Morse Code, Carrie Pigeon…..err, telephone? Anything! Just spread the word folks!  Enjoy!

You can pre-order the album here (and receive Goin’ Out West for free) Pre-order

Great news! Neil Halstead has a new album out on September 11th on Brushfire records (Island in the UK) and i’ve been lucky enough to be sent an early copy because of my association with booking his UK tour for November. See here. Brilliantly produced by Nick Holton of Holton’s Opulent Oog fame, he’s created loads of space round Neil’s great voice and with some really lush strings, guitar and delicate piano perfectly placed into that space, what we have is an album of the year contender, no doubt. Attached is an incredible track called Full Moon Rising and is a good representation of the album.

How long does someone have to be ‘UK’s best kept secret’ before they start gaining more mainstream recognition they truly deserve? It’s not like Neil is a new kid on the block. Having started bands like Slowdive, Mojave3 and now this his third solo album, he’s done his time, he’s released gem after gem of an album and surely this latest effort is going to bring him new fans in the UK as well across the globe. He fully deserves it, this album is a piece of magic!

Wow, has it been a long time since I posted over here on You Crazy Dreamers.  Well do not fret, I am back and here is a selection of songs and videos for your Canadian Long Weekend!  (I am the only Canadian as part of this collective, so I gotta try and give some red, white and maple leaf love!).  So if you are not aware, Sunday, July 1st is Canada Day and we celebrate how everyone else does basically – we have B-B-Q, drinks, backyard family gatherings and all that stuff.  I will be involved in the backyard stuff tomorrow as I am spending the day with the in-laws and hopefully enjoying some great open flame meals with good drinks and conversation.  The only thing I worry about and always fear is the non-selection of good music.  If only they would enjoy a playlist like below.  If only.

~~~

Neil Halstead – Full Moon Rising by Brushfire Records

JBM – “Moonwatcher” by western.vinyl

Meursault – Flittin’ (piano version) by Song, by Toad

At least Cold Specks, JBM and Reuben and the Dark are Canadian.  The rest are just considered a bonus, so suck it up and enjoy good music. 

~Smansmith

Still awaiting for a solo album… in the meantime each new track is absolutely fascinating…

Full of pearls, Ravens + Chimes got a new album

This is not a review but really, a plea as well as a great opportunity to get your hands on an album by one of the best bands i’ve heard in a very, very long time, Red River Dialect. With the likes of Hiss Golden Messenger, Arbouretum and Six Organs Of Admittance all being big fans, the latter saying ‘“some of the greatest fist-in-the-air fisherman jams since the Waterboys. Awesome stuff.”  They have a campaign via Indiegogo to try and raise the funds for pressing costs and get the album out. Donations range from as little as $8 for a digital download to $38 for the album on vinyl, cd + worldwide shipping but loads of other stuff too.

They intend to make them extra special for the people who pre-order them, so far everyone will get sent a download code for their 2010 album ‘White Diamonds’ and a bonus cdr with some live recordings of Red River sets.

You can listen to, and download, two tracks from the album at www.redriverdialect.bandcamp.com & hear three live recordings from a duo show they played last week here: http://snd.sc/JmDzeC

The album is recorded, they just need the funds to get it pressed into physical form and by donating what you can you can be involved in this. I was fortunate enough to be sent the digital album a little while back and to say i was completely blown away is an understatement. They sound like no one i’ve ever heard before with influences from Pentangle to the above mentioned Waterboys but really, you have to listen to them as they have their own unique sound. Take a listen to see what i mean. At timer of writing they have less than two days to go to raise the remaining funds.

Please help if you can and please spread the word. Thanks.

Often, while searching around for new music to put up on this blog it’s very easy to ignore the stuff happening on your own doorstep. I guess sometimes the music happening locally can be kept secret for a while until you see how a band or singer develops. I mean, in any town in any city across the world there will be people who form bands with the best of intentions but within a year they realise how hard work it can be and give it up to go back to their day jobs. However, in the case of Brighton’s Hatful Of Rain this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although they still have day jobs, this could all soon change if the reaction to their soon to be released debut album is anything to go by.Within 48 hours of them announcing the release date of their album, Way Up On The Hill and posting a video of the title track on Youtube, they’d received over 1000 hits, Mike Harding (Radio 2 folk show) requested a copy after seeing the video which he then posted on this Facebook page. The legend that is Bob Harris re-tweeted it to his 20 thousand followers, describing the title track as “beautiful”, Bob’s Folk Show loved it and quickly slipped it into the schedule for this Thursday, Barry Marshall-Everitt made it album of the week for next week on his House of Mercy Radio show! That is high praise let me tell you.

This is not a review as i don’t have the album myself yet but check this amazing band out. Chloe Overton is the lead singer/songwriter and has a voice to match anyone. I’ve had them play a couple of Drifter shows in the past and are a great live band too.

Signed to Union Music Store Records you can pre-order the album here now. I urge you to do so.

Here is the video they posted. Please watch and then share it among anyone you think will like it. Like it? They should LOVE it!  

Matt Jones got a new album : “Half Poison / Half Pure”. Do yourself a gift, buy it from his bandcamp page, and check the launching party video

Be sure to grab their upcoming album “Waiting in the Well” !
Stream it from their bandcamp page or visit their site.

I’ve written about Serious Sam Barrett a couple of times on this blog before,  here and here and will continue to do so because for me he is the most genuine folk singer the UK has to offer and has been for quite a while now. He’s kindly sent me his new album which is going to be out in the coming weeks (exact date to be confirmed soon) and i think it’s his best work to date.

At 31 years of age, i think Sam is at those crossroads in his life many of us are aware of when we pass thirty, realising we’re not kids anymore although in our hearts we still are, our heads are telling us we need to get serious (no pun intended). We start reminiscing about our childhoods and ex relationships, wondering what happened to those you don’t see anymore but at the same time trying to work out what the future may hold for yourself, are the dreams we had when we were young still possible or have they changed with the passage of time. Sam touches on all of these things on his brilliant, self-titled new album and boy, is he on fire! Drawing influence from early twentieth century folk, fifties rock ‘n roll and the punk era (if Sam was around in the mid to late seventies, he’d be a punk) he touches on the past, relationships and his dreams and does so in rip-roaring style.

Straight from the off  he is on breathtaking form as he sings a song for his grandfather who was a union man all his life and ‘never cared much for the law’ and is a fitting tribute to him and i think the perfect opener given that the album then goes on to have songs of reminisce, hopes and dreams. His guitar playing on this first track (and throughout the album) is really quite staggering, whether it’s at lightening speed like on this first track or a slower, waltz tempo like on the song Streetlights. I don’t know if it was a conscious decision to start with a song about the past given how the album then develops, but in my mind it’s Sam reminding us he knows who is is and where he’s from and how proud he is of that but then goes onto sing ‘Hennessy Nights’, a song about never been too old to go skateboarding and drink into the early morning with your mates. If the opening track was played in a more traditional style, then Hennessy Nights is a song that i could hear Joe Strummer singing! Then there’s ‘Streetlights’ which Sam wrote in the early hours of the morning while watching the snow fall from his window, dreaming of driving through Dixie with his brother, a place he’s been to a few times playing solo as well as with The Pine Hill Haints as well as others.

The saddest song on the album is ‘Kerosene’. Spilling his guts and pleading with the person in question to ‘stay away from those that hurt you and make you feel bad ’cause i worry more than you’ll ever know.’ I imagine being a musician and away on tour a lot, relationships suffer and  have to remain strong and trustworthy but there are bound to be moments of doubt and anguish and this is Sam attempting to deal with those things although i’m unsure if in this particular song  he knows something is already over?

The album then goes onto have tracks titled ’16 again’ and ‘Holding Out’. The former, a song about heartbreak and booze and the latter, his quest after a few failed relationships to find his true love who he’s going to make ‘feel like his queen’

Finishing off the album are probably my two favourite tracks on the album. The incredible Dreams and Long Gone. Dreams because it’s a song that is simply telling us he would love nothing better than playing and singing in a different bar every night of the week because ‘the road is long and he’s too far gone to live any other way’ and ‘dreams don’t chase themselves’. Long Gone, because it’s somewhere we’ve all been when we’re no longer with someone we once loved, trying to drink the pain away and find the answers in the bottom of the empty glass.

Having listened to the album a few times now, what comes across more than anything to me (and always has done really) is not very deep down, what a hopeless romantic Sam is. I don’t say that in a negative way, i think it’s a brilliant thing that he can expose his heart like he does when singing about a girl he misses or loves, or the joys of skateboarding with his mates, but also i hear what a dreamer he is and what he hopes to be doing for a long time to come. We all have dreams, right? Also, although some of the songs touch on subjects like failed relationships and heartbreak, they don’t have a negative slant, if anything Sam shows what a perfect gentleman he is by either wishing them them well or trying to find reason why they ended.He also sings about a lot of places in America, Tennessee, Alabama, all places he’s been on tour a few times now and clearly loves but he still often reminds us, he will always belong to his beloved Leeds.

People are always talking about the ‘real deal’ these days, in America right now, two folk singers you can definitely call that are, Malcolm Holcombe and Charlie Parr (who Sam supported last year and Charlie informed me he’s almost worn out the vinyl of Sam’s record, HIGH PRAISE INDEED!) In the UK the real deal is Serious Sam Barrett, they don’t come any more authentic.

No mp3 at this moment but hopefully be able to offer you one when the album is officially released. In the meantime, you can listen to a track here and also watch the  video below of ‘Henessesy Nights’. Follow Sam on his Facebook and website to be kept up to date with the album release date and gigs etc. Enjoy.

Serious Sam Barrett: Hennessy Nights from everslick on Vimeo.

Not a review (as i don’t have the album, yet) but more of a heads up that Elephant Micah (who i last wrote about here) has a new album out on 31st January. It’s available on vinyl too and you can order if from his webpage here as well as grab a free track called ‘If I was a Surfer’. If this song is representative of the album then we’re in for a real treat. Amazing song from one of America’s most gifted talents. He never releases anything less than brilliant as far as i’m concerned.

Sarabeth Tucek – Get Well Soon

An album that gripped me on the very first listen. Sarabeth’s voice is crystal clear and each word clearly defined, it reminds me of Karen Carpenter’s in many ways, perhaps some Aimee Mann too. Having spent a few years drinking too much, getting arrested. spending time in jail and then the the death of her father, all that sadness, grief and regret all seems to spill out into this album. There’s heartbreaking ballads like the title track through to Crazy Horse influenced songs like Wooden and Exit Ghost. If i was really pushed into saying what my album of the year is, i think i would say this one. It’s certainly the album i’ve listened to the most, that’s for sure. ‘I knew I was sad /I recognised it was bad/but now looking back/I see my mind, it was cracked’ are the lyrics to the beginning of the title track and they get me every time. Put simply, a stunning album.

The Milk Carton Kids – Prologue

With Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan having both released solo albums as well as an album  together under their real names they seem to have now settled on The Milk Carton Kids which  incidentally is a name of one of their songs. Kenneth’s facebook status at time of writing reads  Home = 98 Away = 247 #NightsInMyOwnBed2011 which goes to show how hard these two work  and they’ve already got a headline tour booked for January! It would seem all that hard work is paying off having just finished a tour supporting Over The Rhine and i’m hoping they get some European dates in 2012 too. Quite simply one of the best albums i’ve heard in a very long time and i think 2012 is going to be a very big year for these. Check them out.

Good Luck Mountain – Good Luck Mountain

You have to have a pretty cold heart not to be moved by this incredible album. Mike Ferrio’s  previous band, Tandy came to an end after his great friend and band member Drew Glackin  tragically passed away aged just 44. Good Luck Mountain is an attempt to deal with this tragic event and to say it succeeds majestically would be an understatement. As Mike said himself “When Drew died it really took the paint off me. I couldn’t seem to do anything but think about it and grieve. I missed singing and laughing with Drew. It was a big silence.  After a while I began to be able to hear his voice and his laughter again and after a while the songs started coming” Do yourself a favour and buy this album immediately, your life will be so much better for it.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West – The Holy Coming Of The Storm

Taking bluegrass to a whole, new level. While we all love to hear the old classics you can start  to hear them being played by a million different bluegrass bands too often so it’s brilliantly  refreshing to hear a band write and play their own songs in this style and ones that can sit  proudly alongside the old ones. This is their debut album and you’d think they’d been at it for years. Talent.

The Brook Lee Catastrophe – Motel Americana

A late contender for album of the year in my opinion. Represents everything that’s great about Americana, brilliantly written songs about girls, love, heartache and everyday, small town life played with heart and soul. As well as the usual cd/mp3 option there is also vinyl which is limited to just 200  copies which i highly recommend. This band are going places and are worth keeping your eye  on.

Jjango Cleefworth Morriconez – The Poquito Pioneer

‘The meandering green 74’ Oldsmobile resident travels through the deserts of the waning west  and teetering bordertowns. He finds refuge among the roadside vendors and immigrant        folktales on his way to the home of his youth in the Salton Sea‘

Certainly the most atmospheric pieces of music i heard this year are these two gems. Essentially  the same person (J.W.S) but two different concept albums which were created somewhere out in  the desert of New Mexico. Having been delivered to me wrapped in a map of that area and a note written in  orange crayon, nothing could have prepared for what i was about to hear. I’m not anywhere near a descriptive enough writer to express how good these two albums are. I say albums, i suppose they could be the A and B sides of one album but the mixture of sounds, anything from field recordings to synths, all with a slight cosmic, tripped out country tinge to it all, they mess with your head somewhat, they scare me a little bit if i’m honest but if you follow the concept then that’s not surprising. If you want to listen to something a little bit different, totally unique, a little bit creepy but but also incredibly beautiful then i HIGHLY recommend these two albums. Just stunning! (Word reaches The Lonesome Drifter that these are both available for free for a very limited time only over at the website. However, i still say pay the few $’ he’s asking and receive the real thing)

Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens – Highway Driveway

‘ A townman’s roadtrip from driveway highway to highway driveway. Sun rising and sun setting  euphoria as he wanders across the lost western expanse of the Sonoran desert on Dwight D.  Eisenhower’s gas strewn trails‘

Keren Ann – 101

An absolutely classic that never received the plaudits it really deserves. A variety of styles  throughout the album which i think works tremendously well but given that she grew up in  Israel,  Holland, Paris and now resides in New York it’s no surprise there’s elements of  Jewish  folk and  something rather ‘French’ sounding throughout it all, whatever that means. However,  it’s her  dreamy voice which stands out and no matter what kind of day you have had, this  album and her voice always makes it much better.

Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell – Kite

Given that i played their debut EP  ’The North Farm Sessions’ to death i thought i was perhaps  expecting too much of their debut album, Kite, but if anything i wasn’t expecting enough!  Produced by Adrian McNally (The Unthanks) it’s a fine, fine debut with a perfect mixture of  their own songs and a couple of covers with Lucy leaning towards the more traditional  sounding songs and Jonny a little more contemporary but together they have released one of  the years best albums in any genre. 2012 is going to be their year. Watch this space.

Nathan Bell – Black Crow Blue

An album i first came across over at Songsillinois.net and he sums it up nicely saying there is a  certain James McMurtry similarity going on here but i think also some Springsteen too. Really  deep, powerful songs that i think John Conquest of Third Coast Music summed up perfectly,  writing “Bell’s mature talent makes a good case for the argument that people shouldn’t start  writing songs until they’ve been around long enough to know what the fuck they’re talking  about.”  Can’t argue with that really.

Eilen Jewell – Queen Of The Minor Key

An album that get’s better with every listen. Eilen has come a long, long way since here  excellent debut, Boundary County but i think this latest album really highlights her diversity.  Backed magnificently by one of the best bands you will ever hear there is everything from surf  to rockabilly but of course inside it all is still the country girl shimmering away as good as  anyone. Queen of any key if you ask me. A must have album.

The Shivers – More

I could try and come across as all cool and hip and say i’ve been into The Shivers since blah  blah blah but i won’t, because i haven’t. In fact i only knew of them a couple of months ago  when instead of agreeing to pay £28 to go see Gillian Welch i paid £5 to go see these and i came  away with the vinyl, a new favourite band and a night that will live long in the memory.  Everyone should dig The Shivers because they are as honest as they come and they hit that  spot not only once or twice but in pretty much every song they create. Dig, dig, DIG!

Jeffrey Foucault – Horse Latitudes

Lush, country/folk ballads as good as anything i’ve heard this year.  It also features the immense  talents of Eric Heywood (Ray Lamontagne,Son Volt) on pedal steel, it’s delicately played alongside Jeffrey’s guitar and  soothing, husky voice making for an exceptional album that i think many readers of this blog  will love. Go get it now!

The Lucky Strikes – Gabriel Forgive My 22 Sins

A concept album about a boxer who is living with the guilt of once throwing a fight, based on a  true meeting with the boxer in question by all accounts. All that aside, it really is a  masterpiece of an album and one i’ve gone back to time and time again since it’s release earlier  in the year. With Matthew Boulter’s incredible voice leading the way this band can do no  wrong for me. When i had the pleasure of booking them to play my hometown, they played like  they were in an arena of 50,000 people instead of the 45 or so who were in attendance so for  that alone they are in my list but that’s not the main reason they are. This great album has everything. Soaring vocals, full on rock at times, beautiful, well crafted ballads but most of all every time i play it i smile from ear to ear, it’s just one of those albums that does that.

Israel Nash Gripka – Barn Doors and Concrete Floors

Israel is someone who i think is going to break through into the mainstream very, very soon.  This Steve Shelley produced album kind of follows on from his debut, New York Town with it’s  Country/Rock swagger. Songs of temptation and redemption counteract one another perfectly  with many foot stompers and big choruses to sing along to. Much of the music press compared  him to The Rolling Stones in country mode mixed with some Ryan Adams. I’d say that pretty  much sums it up. Great album and a must see live band. Take your ear plugs!

Case Hardin – Every Dirty Mirror

When it comes to UK Americana, ukericana? they don’t come much better than Case Hardin.  Reviewers across the music press said things like ‘Self-confident and unafraid to  experiment, Every Dirty Mirror touches base with a range of sounds found in the post-Uncle  Tupelo soundscape’ and ‘echoes Dylans Desire period in both scope and atmosphere and marks  out Gow as one of our finest storytelling songwriters.’ Not a bad track on the the album. Highly  recommended.

Hiss Golden Messenger – Poor Moon

Featuring contributions from Terry Lonergan, Nathan Bowles (Black Twig Pickers; Pelt), Hans Chew (D. Charles Speer & the Helix), Matt Cunitz (Brightblack Morning Light), Tom Heyman (The Court & Spark), and others, Poor Moon represents both an elaboration and inversion of previous Hiss Golden Messenger efforts, proposing an America at perpetual sundown, wracked by devotion, wrecked by celebration. Named in homage to the Canned Heat track penned by the immortal Blind Owl, Poor Moon conjures the unsteady experience of soul at home in the wild, and it stands as a captivating document of Southern songcraft. Paradise of Bachelors

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine

Both share a taste for a rather languid tempo, that of small-town life and the more tender,  bittersweet emotions; and theirs is a pairing that’s complementary, Hopkins colouring in the  spaces around Anderson’s wearied voice, guitar and woozy accordion. BBC

30 Pounds Of Bone – Method

An album that seeks to explore the folksinger’s contradictory status as an outsider, often  recording and touring alone, a situation seemingly at odds with folk’s suggestion of  community. The result is a record fraught with geographic dissatisfaction, heartbreak, ghosts,  isolation and drunkenness. Sitting uncomfortably somewhere between auto-biography and  allegory the songs take in real life events and fantastical narrative concerning relationships,  the dangers of being eaten by the dead and the difficulties of communicating when at sea. Armellodie Records

Danny Schmidt – Man Of Many Moons

Having now released numerous albums and all of them received really well across the music press, it’s still surprising that Danny Schmidt is not a household name. Talent oozes from every single part of this man. Writes a song as good as anyone around, plays the guitar like he was  born with it in his arms and sings beautifully with his slightly whispered tone. If you don’t yet  know Danny Schmidt,please correct that wrong asap because your world will be all the better  for it.

There are many more great albums i heard this year but these are the ones that really stood out for me.I will also be playing a track from each one of these album on my radio show THIS Saturday from 10am (UK Time) on Radio23.org and a podcast will be available to download afterwards from my blog. Hope you enjoy and hopefully you may have found something you’ve never heard before and you then also spread the word.

My tip for next year is concept albums, they’re going to be everywhere. Happy 2012!

How Lucky Jim is not a household name by now is beyond me. I can’t fathom it all. Having wrote about him here 3 years ago and interviewing him for his outstanding album True North, i was convinced that his time had finally arrived. In fairness it should have been with his previous releases when he was signed to Skint records that he became a household name but for whatever reasons it just didn’t happen regardless of those albums receiving great reviews across the music press. He has now bettered all those albums in my opinion with his latest effort For The Love Of Emily. Now with a great, new band behind him this album hits you deep in your soul from the very first track, Belfast (which funnily enough i believe is about Edinburgh) through to the perfect ending track Good Ship Emily, but at this moment i cannot pick out anything even resembling a bad track, they’re all top drawer. Gordon Grahame, the main man behind Lucky Jim is a really great songwriter, sometimes a little abstract which can you leave you guessing at what the song is really about but i always like that in a songwriter as it leaves the songs open to many interpretations.

Given the rather romantic nature of the album the use of strings are balanced perfectly alongside the great musicianship at work here. To me the album sounds as if it’s full of fresh optimism which i guess you would fully expect when you have put a new band together. It gets better with every listen and has been on a daily spin for the last couple of weeks.

So this is not so much of a review but more of a heads up that Lucky Jim have done it again and released ANOTHER album of supreme quality and surely this can’t be ignored for too much longer by the masses can it? Please help spread the word, tweet, re-blog, facebook it, run down the street stark bollock naked if you must and help get this album the recognition it truly deserves. Here is a little taster. Enjoy. Buy from itunes, amazon etc

One of the best discoveries for me over the last couple of years is Mark Wynn. Apparently he’s from York but looking at his tour schedule i’m not sure how much time he spends there, he is constantly on the road playing shows the length and breadth of the UK and often travelling pretty big distances between one show and the other and then back again. His latest, self released offering is Stories, Rags & Stomps, a 9 track country/blues album that is as good as anything i’ve heard all year. His previous album Lovers, Losers & Wasters is an album i have played hundreds of times and this carries on in very much the same vein.

Resembling a young, skinny Keith Richards, Mark writes songs with titles like Friday Night (fallin’ down), Wreckheads and World Can wait which come across like a direct response to his life on the road and the people he meets rather than a sad attempt to appear cool and showing how ‘rock n roll’ he is. A quite brilliant songwriter with a sharp eye for the easily overlooked he reminds me of a young Townes van Zandt, a certain vulnerability belies his incredible talent but he can you stop you dead in your tracks with many of his songs, I Don’t Mind,  Factory Girls and the rather reflective Sad Stoned (fallin in the street) are all worthy of your full attention. With the amount of gigs and the variety of venues he plays you just know that many of the characters and the stories he sings about are true. Too many late nights and not enough early mornings i suppose are the key ingredients to writing songs as good as this. Not in it for the fame but like most musicians wouldn’t mind making an ok living from it, songwriters like Mark Wynn deserve to be heard now and not in twenty years time like the aforementioned Mr van Zandt and many others like him. Discover him today and be thankful that you did, there’s not many like him around.

You can buy his album(s) either as a digital download or as a cd for no more than the change in your pocket here and i urge you to do so. In the meantime here’s a little taster.

Over the last week or so, having been inspired by one of my favourite t.v shows, Who Do You Think You Are?, I have been trying to compile my family tree. Not only is it highly addictive but also a stark reminder of how fragile our existence really is, what seem like very small, almost forgotten moments in someone’s life at the time of occurrence, in the end are just as important as any other, everything has an effect on the future of not only them but also, ultimately, us which leads me nicely to the new album by Red Heart The Ticker.

A husband and wife team of Robin MacArthur and Tyler Gibbons from Vermont, their last album Oh My! Mountains Below received high praise from the likes of Paste magazine, Pitchfork as well as many blogs like Songs Illinois and was one of my favourite albums of that year (2008). That album was made shortly after Robin’s grandmother had passed away and as Songs Illinois mentioned, it’s at times sombre but does have moments of happiness. Robin’s grandmother was folk singer Margaret MacArthur and it’s this new album, Your Name In Secret I Would Write which is dedicated to her (and their daughter, Avah) as it’s an album of traditional folk songs that she (and others) used to sing.

Margaret MacArthur moved, in the 1940′s to an 1803 abandoned farmhouse in southern Vermont and it was there that she started singing the old folk songs from that area. Initially she recorded fifteen songs in her kitchen and sent them to Moses Asch of Folkway Records after he requested them after seeing Margaret perform somewhere. These recordings became the first of nine albums Margaret recorded.

Fast forward seventy or so years later and in the very study where Margaret passed away, Robin and Tyler are sat with microphones at the ready along with these folk songs, a 1961 Martin guitar played by Margaret on some of her recordings, a fretless banjo built by Robin’s grandfather, a viola belonging to Tyler’s father as well as an electric fender belonging to Robin’s father which given the nature of the album all seems rather appropriate, the songs  given new life but commemorating the old. This is not an album made by a band looking to jump on the latest folk trend but by a family member paying homage to her grandmother as well as keeping the songs alive.

Songs that really leap out on first listen are Lakes of Champlain and the heart wrenching Stratton Mountain Tragedy, the latter a song about a dying mother who wraps her child in her clothing during a winter storm hoping her child somehow survives. It ends well, she does. But the entire album plays out like a lament to those who have passed away, a deep respect to family and friends, alive or dead, a thank you to the landscape and the mountains that surround them for influencing such passion in these people but also to the future generations who may one day, maybe  in a small, almost forgotten moment hear these old songs and then choose to give them new life again just like Robin and Tyler have done and therefore keeping the musical family tree alive whilst also been reminded of the importance of their ancestry.

I think Grandma would be proud and if you listen very carefully i think you can hear her singing along.

The album is due for release on September 20th on Auger Down records on both cd and vinyl but i have kindly been allowed to choose one myself to offer you now as a taster before you buy. Enjoy.

A while back our very own Sandy wrote about Wentworth Kersey in his ‘Song o’ Day’ series. Since then i’ve tried to keep half an eye out on their endeavours but it’s harder than it appears when each release comes under a new pseudonym. For example, the album before this new one, came out under the name George & Caplin and if i remember correctly it was sent to me with what looked like an old newspaper from some old, forgotten town and inside the cd case was a library card saying there was no return due date. All very baffling. In all honesty I should have blogged about it because it’s an amazing piece of work but for whatever reasons I didn’t but it’s never too late to pick up a copy?

Then a few weeks ago i received through my door a package which contained a cd wrapped in a map of New Mexico and a tape, yes a tape in it’s original case and a note written in orange crayon asking me to listen and hopefully enjoy. Again, all very baffling but very amusing nevertheless.

But then i played it (the cd, i don’t have a tape player otherwise i would have played that instead) and what followed was a jaw dropping experience of an album that completely knocked me out. All the rather baffling cd cases, notes and maps all made complete sense, well it didn’t but here i was trying to work it all out but i feel i’m not meant to. Like Sandy said ‘while the sound is basically “folk” it is soo much more – it has so many textures, auras of rolling Appalachian valleys and a modern day Mexi-Cali conquistadors – all with a slight bit of ambient flowing through it all.‘  I can’t really say it any better than that.

Jjango (i never know what to call these cats anymore) wrote about this album”It’s a concept album about the meandering green 74’ Oldsmobile resident travels through the deserts of the waning west and teetering border towns.  He finds refuge among the roadside vendors and immigrant folktales on his way to the home of his youth in the Salton Sea.”

This music could easily be a lost soundtrack to movie made years and years ago or it could  be what music is going to be sounding like hundreds of years in the future, it’s timeless basically. While listening to it today on the beach full blast in my headphones i imagined myself travelling across the deserts of New Mexico (must have been the map) sometime in the future finding old bits of machinery or radios that only half worked, strange characters talking to me with suspicion while things crackled and hissed all round, maybe post apocalypse? The psychedelic nature of the album has your imagination running wild because the album slowly feeds you nuggets of sound, a distant voice or an echo but for me it’s the overwhelming beauty that makes this album so great, so, so beautiful. Sometimes just the horns is enough to be completely overwhelmed but when you add snippets of crackle and hypnotic sounds  to such devastating effect it takes you places that most music doesn’t.  So, i’m not going to try and work it out anymore, not sure i want to, i like the slightly confused feeling i get when i listen to it but I love the places it takes me more. Thing is, you can’t help but be baffled by all of this because to add to the confusion there is very little Youtube clips, hardly any internet coverage at all in fact. I’m not sure with all the name changes if Jeffrey (i can’t even be certain he’s really called Jeffrey) is deliberately trying to be elusive so as to give all this music even more of a slightly ‘out there’ feel or if it’s just me making more of it than it is. Either way, it all adds to the confusion for me but really, you need to listen and then make your own mind up but if i had to choose my album of the year now, it would be this one because it brings me joy on so many levels. Musically it’s outstanding, it is drenched in atmosphere and each listen brings me new pleasures and it continually keeps me guessing and taking me to new places.  It’s such a forward thinking album with so many levels it’s very easy to go overboard and just make what is essentially noise but they, (he?) seems to know when enough is enough and has created something so astonishing it’s actually impossible to describe it in words, it needs to be heard for it to make any sense. It’s something rather beautiful and close to perfection.

I can’t think of any band or person making the music that Jeffrey, Jjango or whatever his name is these days, is. I know for a while this album was available for free here as well as Highway Driveway (double release alongside Jjango, just to add a little more bafflement) but not sure if they still are. It’s very difficult to put up just one track because these are albums that need to be listened to in their entirety but this one i guess gives you an idea of what to expect. If you like them, even they are free just buy them for the few dollars they’re asking as they are completely D.I.Y and would really appreciate your help. Enjoy.

One of the most anticipated albums for me this year is The Deep Dark Woods. Their 2009 album Winter Hours was in my top albums of that year and their new one, The Place I Left Behind is now becoming a firm favourite of 2011. There are many things to love about TDDW. Their consistency for one. In all their four releases so far they have yet to make a bad one, in fact it’s very difficult to put them in order of preference because they are all outstanding. Like some of the old songs they have covered in the past they make music that i think will stand the test of time, albums that you will return to time and time again. In fact, their albums are very much like that, they don’t always grab you on your first lesson but  over a period of a few, but each one brings something new, a favourite new track or a missed lyric that makes you go back and listen again until you realise that you are listening to one of the best bands around. However, it’s impossible to miss, be it on first or last listen the sad, wistful voice of lead singer and main songwriter Ryan Boldt. Does anyone sing a murder ballad better? Also, everyone in the band can really play as the video below clearly shows (also on the new album). Not many bands are making music as good as TDDW as far as i’m concerned.

Now signed to the brilliant Six Shooter Records the new records is out on 2nd August (Canada) and Sugarhill records are releasing it worldwide on 18th October. Their next shows are Edmonton F0lk Festival and then various dates across Canada and beyond. Go see em.

If you really can’t wait for the album to be released you can stream it here.

Regular readers of this blog will know what a massive fan of Serious Sam Barrett i am having wrote about him way back here and here.  With a new album due out hopefully later in the year, for now he’s got together with his good friends and fanatastic rock ‘n’ roll band from Alabama, The Pine Hill Haints and are about to release a joint 10″ record on Yadig Records.

Comprising of two tracks each, Sam’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart is a song about the break down of a various relationships in which he finds solace by listening to his old 50′s rock ‘n’ roll records, music that holds a  place deep in Sam’s heart and so therefore something he can always rely on to get him through the hard times.  His second, Truckstop Sunrise, played majestically on the banjo speaks of  his love of the road, in this case he’s some 300 miles from Austin and he ‘wishes he could ride these roads forever as he’s never felt so easy or so free’  while ‘I love my home but this place has got me going’  still reminds us he hasn’t forgotten home, a place he loves and often sings passionately about, Leeds.

Pine Hill Haints Alabama ghost music (their words, not mine) is a mix of rockabilly, bluegrass and country and some of their youtube footage is incredible. Full on, more punk than country at times and are a band really worth checking out. On this split 10″ they sing 16 coal black horses with it’s chugalong bassline giving it more a honky tonk feel than the country/punkish sounding  The Nail That Rises Up Will Be Hammered Down. Some of their music i’ve seen and heard reminds me a litte of the Clash but that could just be me.

Obviously i won’t be offering you an mp3 from this split release seeing as it’s only two tracks each but i am offering you a live version of Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart that Sam played when he supported the incredible Charlie Parr at The Basement, Brighton back in February.

Sam is totally D.I.Y so please buy his records, go see him play if he comes through a town near you, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

It’s almost four years since I posted on here about New York band Tandy.  Some of you may know that not long afterwards on the 3 January 2008  band member Drew Glackin (also Silos) died suddenly from cardiac arrest so effectively bringing an end to Tandy. Below is a copy and paste from the Good Luck Mountain website. No mp3′s to offer as only available in 12″ vinyl format, (although i see a link for itunes) this is more of a heads up to let you know that Mike Ferrio is back with his new band and has made one of the years best albums. Buy it.

Good Luck Mountain is a new beginning.

The debut record is an ensemble recording. It’s an art project for a friend, designed to work best in the 12″ vinyl LP format. The music is surprising. Things pop out. It’s a beautiful odd-duck of a record. The theme seems to be that we begin to see how precious Life is when we give Death it’s due.

The band is a collective made up of seasoned players from other bands including…

Konrad Meissner (The Silos, Matt Nathanson),
Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Ani DiFranco, Ana Egge),
Sibel Firat (Pavement,Giant Sand, Fab Faux),
Matt Mays (The Guthries, Matt Mays and El Torpedo),
David Chernis (Star City, The Damnwells),
Ana Egge (Ana Egge!).

Also an important part of the Good Luck Mountain sound is the extraordinary violinist Eleanor Whitmore and Viola and Trombone by Lucy Hollier.

The upcoming album from Hezekiah Jones is entitled “Have You Seen Our New Fort?” and will be released on March 29th, 2011.  One of the songs that has hit me the hardest is the stunningly gorgeous track Lift the Shadow From This Heart.  The song (accompanied by the video created by Morgan King below) is almost hauntingly recorded with a background of what has to be an old news program…almost as if the song is holding you fixated and you don’t knowing what is happening all around you.  With the violin (from Kiley Ryan) soaring in and out of the delicate acoustics and vocals from Raphael Cutrufello, it creates the perfect sombre backing to the struggle outlined in the song.  If I didn’t ‘have to’ recommend it, I would anyway.  Enjoy.

“Lift the Shadow From This Heart” – Hezekiah Jones from Yer Bird Records on Vimeo.

Find out more on the album over at Yer Bird Records HERE.

~Smansmith

I recently wrote about Jessica here after seeing her play and wowing the crowd at the end of the road festival. I was a little slow on the uptake about that particularly album but not so slow on her new one, tell me which is just out Nonesuch records. Picking up from where her last album left off Jessica writes songs that belies her 21 years on this planet. Produced by the black keys Dan Auerbach, she sings songs of failed romances and hopeful futures, vulnerability and lost causes, she’s an extremely honest and confident songwriter who rather than mourn about a relationship break up would rather say your loss, I aint got time to be messing around. Ballsy without being arrogant I love her attitude in her songwriting which reminds me of female country singers like  Tammy Wynette or more notebly Lucinda Williams albeit a little less twangy. I think this girl is going to be massive and urge you to take a listen. She’s about to embark on an American tour before hitting Europe for a few dates before going  back to the states and I urge you to go and catch her play live as she’s pretty special.

By far my favourite band at the moment is Southend’s (An area slowly becoming known as The Thames Delta) The Lucky Strikes. Having just realeased their third album, Gabriel, Forgive My 22 Sins to critical acclaim I’m hoping to see them rise to the stardom their talent surely deserves. A concept album about a boxer who slowly descends into madness because of the guilt he suffers from having thrown a fight. Apparently based on the true story of a boxer the band once met. The first thing that hits you is lead singer Matthew Boulter’s soaring, passionate vocals as the album starts with him screaming ‘The King Is Dead!’  before hitting you with some pounding bass and drums, a pretty heavy rock sounding start which jumps in and out throughout the album, but a geat start to what is so far my album of  incredible year for music. The album continues with it’s blues/rock edge adding keys, drums and some extraordinary fiddle playing from ‘Big’ Jim Wilson. I had the pleasure of them playing for Drifter Promotions just recently and someone mentioned it was like hearing a mixture of Thin Lizzy and The Felice Brothers which i thought summed them up rather perfectly, even more so when they covered Whisky In The Jar as their encore! Although this may be a concept album each song holds up as a single track but I would urge you to buy this album and follow the story through. Stand out tracks for me are Snake In The Grass, The Fight and album closer We Are Waves which you can grab here. This is not so much a review but more of a head’s up to watch out for this band. Check them out, they’re incredible!

This time of year we here at YCD would normally tell you our favourite albums of the year but with time being precious and just simply not enough time to present one I am just going to give you a quick top of my head years favourites.

I can say however undoubtedly that my favourite album of the year is Travel By Sea’s Two States And The Blindness That Follows. An absolute gem of an album with not a bad track on it. I wrote about that here and I urge everyone to buy it.

So, off the top of my head I can recommend the stones inspired The Lucky Strikes, Nathaniel Rateliff is a definite top ten, Although her album did not come out this year, she was new to me this year and I have huge hopes for her future and she is Jessica Lea Mayfield. Phosphorescents Here’s To Taking It Easy would be in my top five of the year, just a brilliant slice of country music that would change the opinion of anyone who say’s country music is dead. Staying with country but not as punchy as Phosphorescent Ben Weaver’s Mirepoix and Smoke is another year’s favourite.

With a good slice of indie pop Spoon released one of the year’s best with their album Transference and the track Mystery Zone getting plenty of airplay not only on my show but across the net. Finally, I highly recommend Adam Haworth Stephens‘  We Live On Cliffs. Demo songs that had been around for a while were finally released as a solo album by the Two Gallants singer and has received high praise across the blogosphere.

So, although not a definite top 10, just an off the top of my head list of what I enjoyed this year. i could add loads more but would be here all day.

So, here’s to another great year of music and wish you all the very best.

This album may have escaped the radar somewhat given that both  Charlie and The black Twig Pickers had their own releases out just recently in support of their recent tours but they recorded this back in May and I only came across it because word got to me it was being sold when they toured the UK together for a few shows recently. Thankfully it’s not a ‘only available at live shows’ album and is online both at cd baby and Klang. There is also a limited edition 7″ vinyl you can pick up here too.

An album of  rare old gospel covers (apart from Charlie’s Where You Gonna Be (When the Good Lord Calls You Home)? it’s a masterpiece in what’s all good about country/gospel/blues. Charlie has been making waves in the UK for a few years now, he plays end of the road festival every year and is name on most people’s lips come the end, those who knew him before and those that didn’t. This is a perfect match with TBTP being the ideal band for Charlie to play alongside , mixed with a few haunting instrumentals I think the album really comes to life when Charlie’s vocal scream to the heavens especially on There aint no grave gonna hold my body down for when the band kicks in is just spine tingling gospel joy. Buy it.

I haven’t been around these parts in a while, so while I had some extra time this Sunday, I thought I would put up some tracks found via artist Bandcamp pages that I have been enjoying.  I hope you do to, they all deserve an extra couple of plays!
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Well that is about it, please swing by and take a listen to all the above as most have much more to listen to on their respective pages.

Till next time,

~Smansmith

Yeah ok so i may be two or three years late with this one but who gives a shit really? Well, i say two or three years late but who’s to tell these days when something is self-released, then perhaps released on a small label in their own country and then re-re-released when it’s picked up in the UK and europe? There is no official release date as such and as I say, does it really matter? As long as you are hearing about it is what’s important right?

At the moment there seems to be a few young, ballsy female singer/songwriters making their mark, there’s Caitlin Rose whose really taken off in the UK since wowing audiences everywhere she went during the summer (actually becoming the headline act at end of the road festival when the original one pulled out), a sharp tongued country girl who seems to live and play hard but also writes great country songs that belies her age.

Then there’s Audra Mae from Oklahoma who has a voice as good as anyone i’ve heard in country music in years. Her album The Happiest Lamb had critics lost for words and is someone on the rise. Her potential is staggering, check her out if you have not heard of her.

Then there’s Jessica Lea Layfield. Although she sings country songs they are mostly dark, broodingcountry/folk ballads which normally draw on personal experiences, break ups etc but she certainly has a punk edge to her that spills out every now and then, especially live.  This is not a review of her album but more of a heads up on three amazingly talented young singer/songwriters who I would not like to get on the wrong side of.  Jessica is about to be the opening act for Jay Farrar (Son Volt/Uncle Tupelo) on a few of his November shows. So if you are going to see Jay, get their early and see a star in the making. Enjoy.

As promised, I wrote about Travel By Sea here just a couple of weeks back and said i’d inform you all of the official release date. Well today is that date and you can now buy either at Bandcamp or cdbaby so pop yourself over and get yourself what is surely one of the best releases this year. A stunning album form start to finish, simply delicious.

Absolutely stunning… thoughtful, light, fresh, bright. For a first ep, this young california band is pushing the limits far above the top of the tops. Be sure to buy this ep, and eagerly await for an upcoming release. As usual when it’s so good, here is the intro track :

Band : Branches
Where to Buy : cdbaby.com

I’m awaiting for the  new EP ‘Transition to Colour’ from Melbourne folk Singer Matt Corby which is supposed to be released on October 9th. Not sure his live London performance with full band on October 6th will be a release gig but with support from our favorite Sam Beer (Great Bar Colony should be released in 2011) and Monument Valley ; a must see show !
En attendant….

I first wrote about Travel By Sea back in June 2008.  Since then I’ve been keeping a watchful eye on their progress and it’s with great pleasure that I can announce they have a brand, spanking new album to self release on 19th October called Two States And The Blindness That Follows via Cdbaby, itunes etc.

Having given the album literally dozens of listens, I come away each time with a feeling of complete satisfaction, from the very first punchy guitar riff on the simply incredible, dreamy opening track eventually, you are full of promise and hope, pleading that the rest of the album is just as good and not that old, cheap trick of putting the best track on first for immediate impact which keeps you interested for a few listens before you realise that the rest of the album is inferior.Well, do not worry, this band is not full of cheap tricks.

In fact if anything this album improves as it goes along on it’s dreamy, country road and if you are not convinced by track four’s Light In The Darkness and it’s final four minute hypnotic, quite breathtaking ending then I’m not sure what will, a great live track I imagine with John Phinney playing a blinder on pedal steel (as he does throughout) However, if for some reason reason you are still looking to be convinced by this albums brilliance, by the time you hear The Road, a track inspired by the Californian fires, should be enough to do so which on the surface seems quite a simple laid back track but when you sit back and listen to the lyrics it leaves you with a feeling of complete loss and utter hopelessness not only because it makes you think about how awful it must have been for those affected by the fires but because like all great songwriters, Kyle Kersten manages to write in a way in which his words can  relate to many situations and with lyrics like “Can anybody tell me what’s right, up or down cause it all seems the same to me?” often the situations you think of happen to be sad ones.

A lot less Sparse than their previous album there are still elements of it here noteably on the tracks I Feel The Same and arguably on the opening track too but in all it’s a much punchier, rockier affair no doubt because of the addition of long time Southern California players Dan Moore (bass), John Phinney (pedal steel, banjo), Mike Cusick (drums), and Andrew Morrison (guitar) with influences from Gram Parsons, The Byrds, Crazy Horse or to make a more modern day comparison you could include the Likes of Richmond Fontaine or Dolorean. I also come away with a feeling that the the last two years playing live has really helped them hone their craft and kept them from rushing into making an average album. Some real thought has  gone into the making of this and you can tell, the production is superb, the songwriting is excellent and it’s all played to a massively high degree, winner all round if you ask me.

In fact, take a listen and come back and tell me of a better Alt-country release this year, I’ll be waiting.

I’ve also kindly been allowed to share with you the opening track but please, when this album is released, buy it. Not only will you be helping them fund this self-release but at the same time be buying one of this years best albums. Enjoy.

Travel by Sea – Eventually

And so I am. Don’t hesitate to jump to this page for some more tunes especially Silver Locket… You can also check his myspace page, but be sure to visit us on a regular basis as Trini will keep us inform about any released in rails.

Reels & Wires is the ending track, from Telegraph Canyon beautiful second full length, “The Tide and The Current” released in 2009 : another must have for all the alt-am, alt-country, alt-bearded lovers !