Author Archive for Olivier

Sam Corbin - Goodnight Candlelight

Published
by
Olivier
on September 15, 2008
in Acoustic, Americana, Folk, News, Singer Songwriter and blues
. 2 Comments


Sam Corbin with Jen Sygit at Scene Metrospace - East Lansing, MI

It’s been a long time that I didn’t introduce any artist from Michigan : Sam Corbin is the one we’re going to listen tonight. Do you remember The Stranglers ? Hum… I’m a fan. From the unforgettable 96 tears with the ‘Too many tear drops for one heart to be crying… ‘ to ‘La Folie’ through beautiful melodies suchs as Northwind blowing, the unsane ‘Let Me introduce you to my Family’, the famous ‘Always the sun’ - well I’m not here, at least not today, to drive you back in the 80s Stranglers glorious… - and also my favorite ‘Golden Brown’.

And here’s the point. While I was crawling deeply the web, I took a long deep and peaceful pause as soon as I’ve been caught by this song’s title  ‘Golden Brown‘ : It was a month ago, on Sam Corbin’s myspace playlist the last track.  How to resist giving a try : who dare covering such a gem ? Sam’s version is far from the Barrel Organ sounds of the Stranglers… but with an amazing finger-picking style he released a prowess delivering a sweet acoustic version of this untouchable song !

I was a click-away from a superb album : Goodnight Candlelight. The opening banjo-driven ‘Twenty three’, the  ‘Masterpiece’ - which needs no other adjective - , ‘Dictator’ … Theses 3 intro songs are absolutely fantastic and so many albums will never reach this density…  Including the ‘Golden Brown’ cover, the 6 other tracks, of this 10 (hum everything is fine Mr Alzheimer ! count on the hidden track  ) songs collection are all deserving at least my 4 stars rating and an absolute 5 stars for the instrumental ‘Nothing to say’ !

Sam released his first full-length album “Goodnight Candlelight” in 2006, choosing a minimalist approach of mostly acoustic guitar and vocals. He recorded the album in his basement near Lansing, MI, with help from singer/songwriter Jen Sygit adding hints of Banjo, Uke, and vocal harmonies. In the fall of 2008 Sam will release his second full-length album, bringing to the lineup some of Michigan’s finest musicians! …
… In 2008 Sam teamed up with percussionist Billy Harrington. Playing on a single snare drum, Billy brought a whole new sound to the equation. Together, their songs travel from a soft whisper, to the rumbling drive of a freight train.

I didn’t get time to contact Sam in time (!!!), so I can’t confirm that the  track ‘Kalamazoo‘ will appear on his sophomore -haha  learning slowly… - album but if it’s a cover (shame on me for this lack of information) or a song of his own : it’s a ‘cracker’ !!! But no matter, Goodnight Candlelight could loop for a full year and more !

 
 Twenty Three - Sam Corbin [3:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Artist : Sam Corbin
Label : none as usual
Where to buy : cdbaby.com as usual
More appetizers : @myspace …

Mark Berube - What the Boat Gave the River

Published
by
Olivier
on September 14, 2008
in Acoustic, Alternative, Folk, Pop, Rock and Singer Songwriter
. 0 Comments

Some of you already know my addiction for Vancouver Mark Berube’s rich universe. With The Patriotic Few his regular band or with the awesome Fugitives - I can’t imagine loving such a music -, Mark Berube is a captivating composer and songwriter. His talent is growing release after release. At least, I should say his capacity to deliver each time a unique melody (blend of folk-chamber-soul-pop ) which is a perfect illustration of the stories told, is getting closer and closer to the masterpiece…  Well, dealing with art and passion,  I should simply say that my appreciation of his music is growing songs after songs… But I’m just here writing about artist I love with no other claim than sharing passion & emotions…

Anyway. So, You won’t be surprise reading that I’ve almost got his full discography… and when I’ve learnt from his website, last year,  that his 2007 release ‘What the River gave the Boat’ will have a sister album either in shape, form, content or mood !  I already know that my patience will be suffering for a long year…. And here it is : ‘What the Boat give the River’ has been finally reaching my ears… Excitation then … contemplation and excitation !  Find below tracks 8th from both album !

 
 War Without an End - Mark Berube [3:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 Flowers on the Stones - Mark Berube [3:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What else needed to be written ? Listen and do yourself a favor : Take the time to buy those two beautiful albums. This 90 minutes trip in Mr Berube’s world is an awesome ticket to free your mind !  I’m just eagerly awaiting for a live performance in France…

Artist : Mark Berube
Label : Redux/KBM ?
Where to buy : What the Boat gave the River is available @ cdbaby.com / You’ll have to wait for the 26th of september for the brand new companion album.
More appetizers : Stream the new album right from Mark Berube’s website / : @myspace.com
For the ones around Montreal :  CD RELEASE Party for What the Boat Gave the River on September 25th, 2008 at Cabaret Juste Pour Rire, 2111 Boul. St Laurent…

Amber Rubarth - New Green Lines

Published
by
Olivier
on September 13, 2008
in Acoustic, Folk, Free Download, Pop, Singer Songwriter, Soul, Unsigned and When artist blog
. 1 Comment

Procrastination is a word of mine when dealing to write couple lines about an artist i’m really fond of. This default proves to be a guarantee : i’m only writing about artists I love - I mean not only a single song ! And this is the case with Amber Rubarth. So, I won’t postpone for a new year this short introduction. So using the copy/paste function is an helpful easy way ! Here we go :

After 3 years of sculpting wood as an apprentice at a little shop in Carson City, Amber Rubarth had a late-night conversation with her mentor who told her the most important thing he had learned in life was for a person to follow their number one passion.  Amber said something along the lines of “Thank you, I am quitting and doing music then,” and off she went, trading her chainsaw for a guitar and teaching herself to write songs.

And what a gift to the music ! I’ve bought earlier this year - better later than never -, her first full length Something New (2005) and I’m now enjoying for couple weeks her new songs joined under the name of ‘New Green Lines‘. Amber is playing a delicious mix of folk, soul and pop and the more I’m listening to her music, the better this special blending invaded me. If you’re looking for a surprising, astonishing, fresh new and brilliant music… experience her last album. I bet you’ll be quickly addicted ! As, the release of her new album has been an epic adventure  ( read the full story )… please once again, click the where to buy links  !

 
 Show Your Weakness - Amber Rubarth [4:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download


Amber Rubarth: Sun Studio Sessions “Another Perfect Sunset”

Artist : Amber Rubarth
Label : None
Where to Buy : cdbaby.com / emusic.com
More Appetizers : @myspace / @lastfm

William Fitzsimmons - The Sparrow and the Crow

Published
by
Olivier
on September 13, 2008
in Acoustic, Folk, Pop, Singer Songwriter and Unsigned
. 2 Comments

After his first collection ‘Until when we are ghosts’ (2005), and his beautiful sophomore  Goodnight (2006) it’s time for  the prolific Illinois songwriter, William Fitzsimmons to distillate a new beautiful slowcoustic collection : The Sparrow and the Crow which will be available by the end of september (30).

 
 You Still Hurt Me - William Fitzsimmons [3:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For the absolute fans, an ‘early birds’ pre-order form is available from his myspace page.

Artist : William Fitzsimmons (check his myspace below)
Label :  None / unsigned
Where to buy : Campus Customs /  itunes
More appetizers : @myspace

Jeffrey Luck Lucas - Lion’s Jaw

Published
by
Olivier
on September 12, 2008
in Acoustic, Alternative, Folk and Singer Songwriter
. 0 Comments

I’ve been addicted to the music of Mr Luck Lucas since the release of his previous album ‘What We Whisper’. And from the date, we’ve started this blog, I’ve watched for any little update on his website / myspace page to track every little change. And here it is : two new tracks from this forthcoming autumn release : Lion’s Jaw.

Lyrics for these 11 new songs are available for couple weeks on the San Francisco songwriter’s site. Having the opportunity to peruse them before the music is a strange experience. When the poem finally find the author’s rythm : the words are reaching a new dimension  Space, breathe, elevation…

 
 The Lion's Jaw - Jeffrey Luck Lucas [3:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’ll update this post as soon as any release date will be known - or any pre-order form. In the meantime, check his myspace page for listening to ‘Sadists’ song.

Artist : Jeffrey Luck Lucas
Label : Magnatune / Antebellum / Evangeline
Where to Buy : from one of these labels / cdbaby.com /  itunes
Who else should you enjoy  ? for the music high-quality : Daniel Lanois / Max Avery Lichtenstein - for the dark side : Nick Cave - Neil McSweeney
More appetizers : @myspace /  @magnatune

Kreg Viesselman - The Well

Published
by
Olivier
on September 11, 2008
in Acoustic, Americana, Folk, News, On iTunes, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Soul and blues
. 2 Comments

Since the release of Ray LaMontagne first single ‘You’re the best thing‘  from his forthcoming album ‘Gossip in the Grain’,  and some early reviews ; discussions on the ‘Acre of Land‘ message board about his new style are impassioned. Maybe due to close voices, I’ve always drawn a parallel between RayLaMontagne and Kreg Viesselman ; at least in their early releases. If the first seems to enlarge his musical horizon, the second seems to keep digging the same furrow, and time is almost there for an upcoming collect of demos for his new album : as usual with this American songwriter, absolutely gorgeous !

 
 The Well (demo) - Kreg Viesselman [3:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’ve discovered Minnesota native Kreg Viesselman, and now Oslo resident, with the release of his 2 years-old last album : ‘The Pull’. It’s a wonderful collection of Americana tunes, balancing from blues to gospel. It’s a must have while awaiting for Kreg’s forthcoming album.

Artist : Kreg Viesselman
Label : Red Kite Records
Where to buy : Red Kite Records / cdbaby.com / itunes
More Appetizers : @myspace.com

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

Published
by
Olivier
on September 10, 2008
in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Alternative, Americana, Folk, Indie and Singer Songwriter
. 1 Comment

This album had already been reviewed on many sites but I can’t resist ; nothing really original to comment, always a matter of sharing. On September 2th, The Low Anthem released their third full lengths “Oh My God, Charlie Darwin“.

Set the sails I feel the winds a’stirring
Toward the bright horizon set the way
Cast your wreckless dreaming on our Mayflower
Haven from the world and her decay
And who could heed the words of Charlie Darwin
Fighting for a system built to fail
Spooning water from their broken vessels
As far as I can see there is no land
Oh my god, the water’s all around us
Oh my god, it’s all around…

These are the first verses opening the new collection with the Charlie Darwin song. In a recent interview granted to The Providence Journal, Low Anthem, Ben Know Miller says “I think we pushed the hard things a little harder and made the soft things a little softer. The poles and the swings are a little wider”. After a first loop, I do agree. The two slowcoustic intro tracks are followed by two devilish folk tunes (almost traditional country) including a Tom Waits/Kerouac cover “Home I’ll Never Be”. Then another low rebound with the sublime ‘Ticket Taker’. And so the album is flowing with these unique textures (almost 30 instruments without counting voices have been used) already evoked in their sophomore brilliant opus ‘What the Crow Brings‘. This album is like the wind offering sweet breezes to stormy gusts ; a delicious balance between white, colours and black.
Low Anthems co-founders and multi-instrumentalists Ben Miller and Jeff Prystowsky have been joined by  Jocie Adams and Cyrus Scofield. The Band is on tour all this september month check the schedule.

 
 Charlie Darwin - The Low Anthem [4:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 To Ohio - The Low Anthem [3:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Please, as usual, support the band on tour, at your local retailers or your online store.

Band : Low Anthem
Label : none
Where to buy : lowanthem.com / cdbaby.com
You should also enjoy : Camphor, Chris Bathgate
More Appetizers : @lowanthem.com - @myspace.com