Monthly Archive for August, 2008

Olle Nyman - Behind the Clouds

Published
by
Trini
on August 27, 2008
in Folk, Indie, On Youtube, Singer Songwriter and Soul
. 7 Comments

I’m in love.

Let me introduce you to the beautiful Olle Nyman. Olly, fellow blogger not to be confused with Olle, has been on a roll lately. He introduced me to Olle Nyman recently and already I can’t stop listening to this album. I love the soul feel this album has. It seems to be the direction most singer song writers are taking as of late. Both Amos Lee and now Ray LaMontagne with the release of his new album both have a more soul sound.

I love this little excerpt from his myspace page , Olle has a “timeless” sound, one that I can certainly relate to. Love, loss, pain, grief, to simply state it … life. I really love this song “Take A Breath” - there are times I catch myself not breathing and I often have to remind myself to slow down. Great song, hope you enjoy this album as much as I do.

Nowadays words like timeless and sincere are looked upon as tired clichés and people tend to use them only in an ironic context. But you know what else is timeless? Sorrow, grief, pain, loneliness. And all their antidotes. Olle Nyman brings the antidote. He does Timeless like you and I do our daily chores, seemingly without any effort at all, when actually there is hard work behind it all. It’s the getting up, the holding back of tears, the finding of solace. Not to mention all the rest: the dishes, the cleaning and the cooking, the paying of bills and the everlasting getting-by. And here is where art and real life meets. We need help, we need company. Olle Nyman is the guy. Music becomes flesh. He provides the soul, he gets us by. It’s rare but he reminds us. We’re all in this together. It’s beautiful, it really is.

Where to buy : CD Baby
On Last FM

 
 Olle Nyman - Take A Breath [3:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Evan Goodberry - The Middle of the World : Free album

Published
by
Olivier
on August 27, 2008
in Acoustic, Alternative, Folk, Free Download and Singer Songwriter
. 1 Comment

I’m sorry for being so late posting about both this album released in 2004 and this news written on Evan’s myspace blog this last January. Better late than never ; if you’re already addicted by Mr Goodberry’s soft-folk, smooth voice, you will surely forgive me !

The Middle of the World - free download (full album)
My full-length record, The Middle of the World, is now available in ZIP format on my website. Recorded in December of 2004 with the help of Mike Odmark, Steve Mason, and Andy Hubbard.

As usual, when an album is so good from start to end, it deserves just your attentive pair of ears ! Here’s the intro song :

 
 Under the Street Lamp - Evan Goodberry [4:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Thank you so much Mr Goodberry ! I wish I had some recent information to write down… but nothing for the moment… except that you can browse his myspace page for some unreleased demo.

Artist : Evan Goodberry
Label : none
Where to Buy : cdbaby.com / emusic.com / itunes
More Appetizers : myspace.com
You should also enjoy : Andy Whittle, Dan Blakeslee, Fraser Anderson, Colby Stead

John Craigie : a storyteller and his guitar

Published
by
Olivier
on August 27, 2008
in Acoustic, Artist/Band Interview, Folk and Singer Songwriter
. 0 Comments

I wrote a  couple of  lines this last february about the unclassifiable and talented Californian singer songwriter : John Craigie. Since, I’ve received great feedback from this short review and I know that i’m sharing this addiction for John’s music with many of you !

A couple of  months ago, I met Alessandra Reale. While I was seeking for some information about Chris Bathgate ; my web browser landed me on the Italian Ondarock website where Alessandra published a common interview of Chris Bathgate and Hezekiah Jones. We’ve shared a couple of our favorite artists amongst them : John Craigie. And the magic happened : She’s (Ale) been seduced in less time that I need to send her the precious myspace link… Jealous, Me ? Yes a bit ! We’ve decided to focus our common interest on this amazing talent and John was kindly granted us an interview which is now available.

If you feel more comfortable reading the Italian version, click here or read the english version here .

Feel free to launch the audio-player before leaving our site !

 
 Portland Basement - John Craigie [6:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Benyaro

Published
by
Olivier
on August 26, 2008
in Acoustic, Folk, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter and Soul
. 1 Comment

I’ve still got those aunts in my feet that requiring me to find something else than my alt-country / chamber pop /pseudo-blues stuff. So I won’t bother you, I’ll do it short… but if you want to move with me, I’ve just find some delicate tracks that can match our nights…

Influenced by Wilson Pickett, Brooklyn-based acoustic soul/folk/rock Benyaro leads by the great voice of Ben Musser released a 9 tracks collection last year that requires my mood attention. Comparisons have been drawn with Ray LaMontagne (hehe), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (hehehe) ! And they’ve also had the opportunity to supported the legendary Malcolm Holcombe (!!!).

Here’re the occasion to feel the ryhtm of soul and enjoy at the same time the power of acoustic music.

 
 Bullet-Like Belief - Benyaro [3:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 Humble Child - Benyaro [3:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Artists : Benyaro
Label : Mohinga Music
Where to buy : cdbaby.com / itunes
More Appetizers : myspace.com or check their EPK @ sonicbids

If you haven’t heard – Blackbird Harmony

Published
by
smansmith
on August 25, 2008
in Acoustic, Americana, Country, Folk, Singer Songwriter and Southern
. 7 Comments

I would like to take this opportunity, dear blog reader, to introduce/remind/revisit a bit of Americana called Blackbird Harmony.  While some of you may know Mr. Evan Birdsong (pictured above) and his band - you may need a fresh listen.   A fresh listen (if it be for the first time, even better) to something you will revisit again and again in the future.

While us bloggers like to “promote” or as we call it “listening to us congratulate ourselves on providing great music to the masses”, I truly want to promote this one (I have a sister post over on Slowcoustic as well to get the word out).  While Blackbird Harmony (to be known as BbH for the remainder of this post) has been around for a while, they are fairly new to me.  Their label - Yer Bird - and myself are well acquainted and I tend to get updates and provided with music I was previously oblivious to – a win/win situation if ever there was one.  One such update was BbH and I am glad to have been introduced via the 2008 album “Hardwood Exits” – I mean I actually purchased a CD (who actually does this anymore…).

I bring this to your attention today as I have had BbH’s “Hardwood Exits” for a few months now and think it is a great album that will most likely end up on a top 2008 list of mine at year’s end.  I have recently got my pasty hands on the demos from the album that include some intimate solo recordings from 2007 that were previously unreleased.  WOW, I love the demos.  I am a sucker for acoustic sets of favourite artists, and when you can get them I always recommend them, as they tend to be the blood and guts of an album.  This is true on this the “Hardwood Exits” album especially.  While I am not recommending the demos instead of the official release, it is an accompanying necessity.  When listening to the studio album you realize that it is great classic songwriter Americana, and with the demos you see the stripped down roots of the recordings, the one on one beginning of the final product.  So to get your copy, visit the Yer Bird label and sign up for the Aviary (access to many other artists in the label’s catalogue included!) at a very reasonable fee.

To give you that nudge in the right direction to BbH, here is one of the stand out tracks from both the studio and demo release.  Tell me this is not something you needed to hear.  Go ahead, try to tell me…

~ Smansmith

 
 Blackbird Harmony - Samaritans (Album Release) [3:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 Blackbird Harmony - Samaritans (Demo - Previously Unreleased) [4:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wills and the Willings - Lipstick featuring Tom McRae !

Published
by
Olivier
on August 25, 2008
in News, On iTunes, Pop, Rock and electro
. 0 Comments

No ! I won’t promote a full rap-like album or I will ban myself from this blog forever ! But please, allow me to post a single song : rejuvenation is on my side and I can’t resist sharing it with you !
Taken from Wills and the Willings forthcoming album, Heroes & Villains, Lipstick is a thought-provoking track inspired by the London bombings of 2005. Main vocals are coming out from Tom McRae’s soprano voice.
By spending a mere buck you can help the victims/families of the London bombings of 7/7.

Lipstick - Wills and the Willings [4:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Where to buy Lipstick Single ? Itunes (do it once !)

Trappers Cabin - Trappers Mind

Published
by
Olivier
on August 25, 2008
in Acoustic, Country, Experimental / Psychedelic, Folk, Indie and Singer Songwriter
. 2 Comments

While copypasting Susana’s interview with Ben Sollee, I was checking that NPR List of Best Unknown 2007 Artists. One of them retained all my attention : Trappers Cabin. Best Unknown Artists : Isn’t it crazy to deserve such a prize for a guy who had released 7 full lengths ! Two solutions :

  • Joel Nettesheim (the famous unknown Trappers Cabin) is making noise for his own pleasure… and his streaming his own songs on his myspace for his self-masturbation…
  • NPR staff are smoking mushrooms….

Well, according to his myspace page views, I guess that this guy is doing music for more than a couple fans!

He’s the crazy old man in the mountains. I’ve heard the stories - he’s alive up there still. One man alone in the mountains of North Georgia, his multiple personalities and voices take over to create beautiful rivers of sound which flow through one ear and proceed to the deep deep valleys of your mind - continuing out your other ear and on to the next lucky contestant!

Influences : The woods - the bear - the trees - the smells - the stars - stuff that matters.

This description is quoted from his myspace page. If anyone could give me more information about Trappers Cabin, it will be more than welcome ! Joel described his music as Psychedelic / Experimental / Regional Mexican…
Well, I’m not sure about the Regional Mexican, but anyway… the first adjective is perfectly matching the NPR staff judgment (be sure they have their daily dose..). Experimental is also meeting my own opinion… and my single wish is that Trappers Cabin will keep experimenting his art, voice and all these arrangements that create such an beautiful and unique ambiance for the 7 forthcoming albums.

 
 New Pair of Shoes - Trappers Cabin [2:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 The Wandering Horse Mirabel - Trappers Cabin [3:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Trappers MindArtist : Trappers Cabin
Label : none
Where to buy : CdBaby.com
More Appetizers : @myspace - Download a whole truck full of Trappers Cabin songs for free - offered by the man himself.
Who else could you enjoy : Me ?