Just a quick heads up to all of you who are going to this year’s SXSW. Sam has been invited over to play his ‘yorkshirecana’ folk music at this years festival and he’d really love your support. He is playing a couple of other dates too, here’s the lowdown.
16th March Session for Smooth and Demented Radio Austin TX
17th March The Velveeta Room sxsw showcase Austin TX
24th March JJs Bohemia, Chattanooga TN
25th March The Five Spot Nashville TN
Seriously talented folk musician as well as skateboarder from Yorkshire who is a must see as far as I’m concerned. If you mention you came to see him as a result of reading this blog he will give you a free signed album. Actually that last bit might not be true but go see him anyway as you will be blown away by his talent and will most likely buy his album anyway. Enjoy.
In the last few months here in the UK I have noticed a big increase in the amount of shoegaze bands playing and many of them seem to be from foreign shores. Chimes & bells hail from Denmark and are signed to tigerspring records. I will be honest and tell you that I had never heard of them until I saw them playing a couple of days ago here in Brighton and I was totally blown away by them. A 5 piece, they blend folk harmonies with a shoegaze sound but it is swamped in atmosphere and a slightly other worldly feel. Lead singer’s Cecilie Trier’s incredible,deep vocal style sits perfectly alongside the organ and cello she plays and all of this is backed up with at times two screaming guitars, drums, bass and sometimes all five of them harmonising perfectly together. This four track EP doesn’t have a track that comes in less than five minutes giving each one time to build and develop into something really exquisite. After the last couple of years folk revival where so many people seemed to be getting comparisons made with either Nick Drake or Bob Dylan, it’s refreshing to hear a new band that seems to effortlessly blend elements of folk, pop, and rock and therefore doesn’t define a genre, somehow it creates it’s own.
As of yet no news on a full release but as soon as I know I will be sure to let you’s know. Enjoy.
I know I know, it came out in September and yes I am aware other blogs may have written about it, am I bothered? Not in the least, this blog has never been about being the first to post about someone although many times we have been but in the case of Mr Bondy I feel his new album, When the devil’s loose, deserves to be blogged about by as many people as possible as it’s an amazing piece of work. Recorded mostly in Mississippi by Bruce Watson of Fat possum records who has produced for the likes of Andrew Bird and the Black Keys as well as others and partly in New York by Jeremy ’searcher’ Backofen (The Felice Brothers). In fact the brilliant Felice Brothers make an appearance on two tracks, namely When the devil’s loose and the final track of the album The coal hits the fire and you could argue they are the two stand out tracks on the album but that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of it as it’s full of acoustic gems. From the gentle opening track The mightiest of guns where his slightly croaked voice telling you to see the stars falling down like burning rain that were fired by the mightiest of guns, to the above mentioned final track bringing this fine album to a brilliant end. Of course with the Felice brothers connection there is some of their trademark sound to be heard here but I also hear in his voice similarities to Justin Rutledge and also just hear a later Josh Ritter singing I can see the pines are dancing. This is a must have album in my opinion by a singer/songwriter on the up who I think can only get better and better.
I saw Mr Bondy support the Felice brothers recently here in the UK and I urge you to go and see him on his current U.S tour as he’s a must see live act that will leave you astounded. Also, his new album is available on vinyl and it comes with a free mp3 download so please, without going into how right now, you are supporting these smaller artists by buying their vinyl so do it.
He has also done another session for hearya which is going to be up soon but you can still grab his previous one here. Enjoy.
Not a new album or anything but Sam has a nice video just posted on youtube I thought i’d share with you’s.
Sam’s brilliant album Close to home, can still be picked up either online at Jumbo records or Rough Trade now have them too, good work. Remember the cd comes with the vinyl so a bargain to be had considering there is a limit of 500. Pick up a rare treat while at the same time grabbing the best british roots album this year.
sb_url_to_rate = 'http://youcrazydreamers.com/2009/10/27/serious-sam-barrett-rock-n-roll-heart/';
sb_rated_title = 'Serious Sam Barrett – Rock N’ Roll Heart';
sb_when_to_load = 'immediate';
try { sb_rated_creation = new Date(Date.parse('Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:50:42 -0700')); } catch (e) {};
sb_categories = "";
I first came across Hush Arbors around a year ago when Uncut magazine put one of their tracks on a compilation cd they give away each month. Signed to the brilliant ecstatic peace label I was immediately struck by the sadness in Keith Woods voice, it reminded me a lot of the late Saint Thomas who I am a massive fan of and the second track (Lisbon) on the new album which just came out this week in the U.K yankee reality is uncannily similar. This is completely accidental as when I saw Keith play a solo set recently in London he said he’d never heard if him when I asked him.
Hush arbors earlier albums blends fuzzy lo-fi psych-folk with country but on the new one, which is produced by Dinosaur jr’s J Mascis there’s an added rockier edge to it, namely on fast asleep and the blistering final track Devil made you high but it still manages to maintain the default sound on so they say and one way ticket. If I had to pick out my favourite track from this album which quite frankly doesn’t have a bad one on it, i’d probably go for take it easy only because it’s completely different to any other they’ve done, more country sounding in the style of say The Byrds but you could ask me again tomorrow and I could plump for coming home with it’s chugging along riff and mellotron (played by J Mascis) with the first line ” I was thinking about the country, walking down these city roads, thinking about the space between, the silent and my soul” I love shit like this, it resonates with me.
When I was in London and I saw Keith play rue hollow I remember sitting completely transfixed by him and coming to the realisation that I was in the presence of a genius. He’s got that certain thing no one can name or put a finger on, the same as Elliott Smith had or Nick Drake, just that something. His songs seem to come from somewhere deep within him very few of us ever reach, the bit where the real honesty lays and he’s bearing his very soul. Very few songwriters do this in my opinion, it takes guts to lay it all out on the line for everyone to hear and that leaves a certain vulnerability, it’s risky because it seems so fragile and any criticism could easily break it, or at least try to. Criticism must be hard to take when you’ve just bared your soul.
Now based in London there’s a couple of dates in Italy and then London at the end of October. Info here
Kindly I have been allowed to put up a couple of mp3’s for you to download but please please please, if you like it go and buy it here, you will not be disappointed I promise you. Enjoy.
I think sometimes you have to challenge yourself as a listener to explore other genres or sounds and give them enough time to grow, not be put off by first listens or bad reviews. Not that has happened to Nurses as far as I can gather but it is certainly an album that requires more than one listen, in fact takes quite a few if only to ‘hear’ it properly as there’s so much going on. What strikes you first is the swirling vocal harmonies which are prominent throughout the album but after more listens you start concentrating more on the electronics or the piano which I read somewhere give the impression that the band are evolving as you listen and this is true, it’s ever changing but not too much so you lose interest, in fact the more listens you give it the more brilliance you find in it, I think they’ve created a masterpiece. It’s impossible to put this kind of music under any genre as it covers many, folk, Psychedelia, alt-country and pop, in fact it’s the pop side of it that I find works brilliantly, take a listen and see what you think. Signed to the brilliant dead oceans label they are often compared to the likes of animal collective, yeasayer and Sunset Rubdown but I hear a little bit of The Low Anthem in there too. They’re currently on a huge U.S tour, go see them. Available as a download, cd and vinyl either from Dead Oceans or your local independant record store. The mp3 available here you can also grab along with another one on the dead oceans website. Enjoy.
You may remember back in May I wrote about Sam here and that I would update you’s with any further news? Well consider this an update. Sam has now officially released his album, close to home on Yadig records and is available here now via Leeds’ Jumbo records who also ship to anywhere in the world for ridiculously cheap prices. Released on vinyl format WITH the cd too, you’d be a fool to miss it. He has had successful launch nights already in London and his hometown of Leeds (Even got a mention in the Guardian don’t you know?) and even Jumbo records say it’s one of the most eagerly awaited albums they’ve had in yonks. I won’t give a huge write up now as you can read what I think by reading what I wrote back in May but I will say that this album is a majestic piece of work and everyone should own a copy. Forget your fake folksters jumping on the folk ’scene’ who are just in it for the money and the fame. I’d bet anyone any amount of money they like that come forty years time, regardless of any fame or fortune that may come Sam’s way, you will still find him playing and singing his heart out to anyone who will listen and it’s for this reason you should go buy his record, he’s as genuine as they come. Sam has also very kindly offered an mp3 for download you won’t find anywhere else but here (except on his album of course). Enjoy it and for god’s sake go and buy his record will you?
sb_url_to_rate = 'http://youcrazydreamers.com/2009/08/20/serious-sam-barret-close-to-home-album-out-now/';
sb_rated_title = 'Serious Sam Barrett – Close To Home Album Out Now !';
sb_when_to_load = 'immediate';
try { sb_rated_creation = new Date(Date.parse('Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:51:46 -0700')); } catch (e) {};
sb_categories = "";
All audio posted on this site is meant for sampling purposes only. If you really like what you hear, show it and support the artist - buy an album, buy some merch, got to a show. If you represent or own any media on this site and would like something taken down please email us, and we will take the necessary action of removing the file(s). Please contact us at 5crazydreamers@gmail.com with any comments, concerns or feedback and suggestions.
