“Music with spirit. Music akin to roots, folk, blues, and country, Don Brownrigg is a musician’s musician…”

I’d like to take credit for finding this little gem but it was my lovely friend Chad from Canada that sent me this album along with a few others several weeks ago. We both have a love for music and more so a love of finding new talent that we can share with each other. I had Don’s album on my list of “albums to review” and never got around to it. I could kick myself now for not pushing play any sooner. This album is absolutely beautiful. It is a perfect melting pot of folk, blues, and country. He has a voice that stays with you long after the last tune has been sung. Needless to say he had me at the first chord. Thanks Chad and thank you Don for taking the time to do this little interview with us. I asked Don what song he would like for us to share with everyone and he said for me to choose…..ah the daunting task…they are all so good and I have my favorites but don’t just take my word for it, buy the album. (I’m having trouble uploading a song, will post it up later)

YCD: I was reading in your bio a quote that you are “inspired by people and natural things” and that you feel you are “living a generation or two too late”, is that still how you feel today?

Don: Yep, probably even more so! I’ve met a lot more people and have seen a lot more places since that first interview. I like the intimacy of simplicity.

YCD: Do you write your own music? What inspired the song “About Her”? When I first heard this song my heart skipped a beat. I wondered if anyone would ever feel this way about me. It’s truly a beautiful song.

Don: Thanks!
Yes, I write my own music. ‘About Her’ is an old song of mine. It was one of those songs that ‘wrote itself’. It just uses simple phrasing and chord progressions – but that’s all you need to get the right point across – if you are conveying the right mood and saying the right words. The song has connected with a few people on a different level and for that I’m very fortunate.

YCD: I always tell people I have an “A” job and a “Dream” life. Sometimes I feel that we are all in search of that thing that truly makes us happy and fulfilled. Would you say that music is your “dream” life? If you weren’t a song writer what would you be doing now?

Don: I am living my dream as my career. In a lot of ways, it is work and a job like any other – but there is not enough time in the day when you live your career. I’ve worked lots of jobs but that’s behind now. I’m lucky that I’ve discovered this thing that I can put all of my energy into and I can’t wait to wake up in the morning to work on it. I’d like for everyone to find that thing in their life. It’s tough. Discovery of that one thing in your life means you must take risks and just go for some things….step into the uncomfortable and un-ordinary, something you want to try, something different you need to do, etc. I hope more people do that. If I weren’t a song writer, I’d probably be something really practical, like a chiropractor or a carpenter.

YCD: What songs are you inspired by or cannot live without at the moment, yours or someone else’s?

Don: I am living in a city (Halifax) that’s known throughout the country as being a musical hotbed. I’m fortunate enough to be a part of this thriving community and I am inspired by the talent, vigor, and hard work of the musicians here. I’ve gotten to work on albums by Benn Ross, Rich Aucoin, Jesse Dangerously, Caledonia, and Tanya Davis. Each one of those acts aren’t anything like each other and aren’t similar to my music and that’s what makes this community beautiful and healthy. The support system rather than any sort of competition in independent music allows a person to be so comfortable in what they’re doing because they have such a support system in their colleagues – we know we have our friends there to help out in any way, be it professionally or personally.

YCD: Who has been the biggest influence in your musical career?

Don: Tough question. I’ve always been a very practical person so when I was getting more and more serious about music as a career, my parents could have been more weary but they weren’t at all. They urged me to follow through with this music thing – to do what I wanted – to work hard – to see how it goes, at least. In the early stages, I wasn’t really telling people who knew me that I was playing music, that it was my dream, that I needed it. Their support from the get-go meant a lot.

Also, a little dark and morbid as it may seem. I’ve had a few people in my life die well before their supposed ‘time’. Also, I’ve never thought I was to live very long and I’ve always had this dream to make music. So I guess having those people’s time end so quickly propelled me in a certain way. Make my time count for me, ‘go for it’, why not?

YCD: With all the changes and uncertainties going on in the music industry today, what inspires you to keep doing what you’re doing and why?

Don: I’m not sure. It is tough and a struggle in a lot of ways. Songwriters love and need the drama, don’t we? Like I mentioned earlier, if you’re living your dream as your career, a lot of the tough times can be absorbed easily. There are incredible highs and stifling lows. Each step is uncertain but once you’re confident the music you’re making is establishing a connection, it is worth it. The community of professional musicians I’ve surrounded myself with inspire me to continue. Fans inspire me to continue.

YCD: Wander Songs was released in 2007, is there anything new you are working on now?

Don: Yep, I’m still writing for another short while. In early 2009, I’ll start organizing for recording again. It’s a big process but I’m soon ready again. For now, I’m glad to be jumping in on other acts’ recording projects and shows when I can. I started off as a side-guy so I still have that. I also love to sing back-up and I’m doing more and more of that, on a more behind the scenes/supportive level. I need to support those people as they are supporting me.

YCD: For those readers who haven’t heard of you or your music before what would best describe your music?

Don: Organic, low-key, and created by one young unconfident fellow with a few good friends.

YCD: Thank you for your time. We are looking forward to sharing your music with everyone. I love your album it has such a timeless feel to it. I’m sure it will quickly become a favorite of our readers.

Don: Thanks a ton for having me!

Buy CD Baby
Official Website
MySpace
Sonicbids

I little while ago Olly, my fellow friend and blogging maestro sent me an email asking if i owned any Lucky Jim albums. When I replied I had pretty much everything by him he asked why I had been keeping him a secret? Well I wasn’t really but the reason I never blogged about him was because I presumed he was an extremely well known artist and probably didn’t need a little blog like ours promoting him. I don’t keep any eye on the charts but when you hear music this good it’s easy to presume that it’s already hitting a big audience. Also his song You’re lovely to me has been played on a commercial for the last couple of years now and this latest showing of it has put him back to the number one spot in the itunes folk category therefore allowing me to presume even more. However, I seem to be wrong in my presumptions, It would seem not so many people know him as I had thought. See, I live in Brighton and Lucky Jim (Gordon Grahame) was signed to Skint records (Fat boy slim ) which is a Brighton label. In fact he was the first non-dance act to be so and I guess because he was a name in Brighton I presumed he was everywhere else. I mean, don’t get me wromg, he’s not unknown but he’s not the big artist i presumed and this for me is a travesty. Sadly, and quite astonishingly, he is not signed at all right now. How can this be? Seriously, what the fuck is going on when a man this talented is not signed? One of the best songwriters I’ve ever heard in my life, certainly two of the best albums I’ve ever heard and his voice is so diverse, rather Dylanesque on the afore mentioned You’re lovely to me as well as others like Our troubles end tonight, Nick cave like on I know there’s a god from his latest album and elements of Leonard Cohen on his previous releases. There’s something about Lucky jim that you can’t quite put your finger on, like when you come across someone so talented you kind of try and work out where they get it from, do they know they are so talented? Thing is I think Lucky Jim knows he is and so he should do. I have complete faith that one day his music will break through to a much bigger audience and everyone will be able to come back and listen to his earlier work as well as whatever he will be releasing at that given time. One feeling I get when listening to this music is that he really puts his heart and soul into it, everything, especially on the albums All our troubles end tonight and All the kings horses, two albums that couldn’t be more perfect if you tried. I could randomly pick a song from either album to offer you as an mp3 and I’m sure you would love it. He has kindly sent me his new album, True North and I’m still indulging myself in it but two listens in it’s just as good as anything I’ve heard from him yet. To me it’s a real scoop to have him grant us an interview here on YCD. One day we will be able to sit back and read this when he’s playing packed out stadiums. I can’t tell you enough how much I love his music and how talented I think he is. I think a lot of people are talented, I think Lucky Jim is a genius, simple as that. Sorry it’s taken me this long to point you in his direction (I’m sure I mentioned him on the Ray board ages ago) but now I have I’m positive you will come to the same conclusions as I. Enjoy.

Lucky Jim – Oh my love

05- Lucky Jim – lesbia

11-Lucky Jim – ode to blue

YCD -  Hello Gordon, how’s it going?

LJ – Hiya,  It’s going fine , stick it in a pot , stir it around , see what happens

YCD – Ok, might as well ask you now, promoting anything right now or recently released anything?

LJ – I just put out a new album called True North , it’s the fourth Lucky Jim album and the first i done entirely by myself.

When Lucky Jim came out I released Our Troubles End Tonight which was planned and thought out then Let It Come which wasn’t then All the Kings Horses which was and now I’m being spontaneous again . Don’t let this put you off – the spontaneous ones are the most original.

I think the best songs on it are I Know There Is A God and El D’Orado – I wrote I Know… as it was recorded and didn’t give it any thought but El D’Orado was a considered effort and – I think – really gets to the heart of my deeply flawed personality

YCD – I see you made number 1 on the iTunes folk list. Must be chuffed are you?

LJ – Yeah . That is nice – it’s not the first time – because of the advert my track is on . As soon as I get heavy rotation on telly I go up the chart . Of course the down side is hardly anybody actually knows who the song is sung by and I hear David Gates is very happy.

YCD -  I also see you are currently not signed, I find this astonishing considering that I think you one of the most musicians I’ve heard, how frustrating is it for you and are you hoping this changes soon?

LJ – Tell me about it. I have had about four deals now so I wouldn’t say I’ve given up … but I do think it is a strange world we live in where instead of heaping the praise on Warhol we heap it on the soup cans .

Artists do change the world – not for the better – always for the worst.

And that is because they reveal a little more each time and the clever dicks bottle it and re-sell and re-sell and oh fuck I’ve lost my thread…

YCD – What are the biggest obstacles you feel an artist like yourself faces today?

LJ – Ego and the desire for wealth – there’s nothing funny here , it is simply true I am of course focusing on the word – Today –

Because it is a new phenomenon that , an artist , sees success as a very real possibility – and further more I mean artist in the broadest possible sense. And I also would like to add that I am talking about obstacles to the quality of the work…

YCD – What’s your guilty pleasure?

LJ – Smallville – totally addicted

YCD – What’s your best musical experience so far and why?

LJ – I played a gig with an Israeli musician called Aviv Geffen in Tel Aviv – he was very much a fan and organised a string section for me and brought me on halfway through his set to introduce me and have me play four or five of my songs

He outsells U2 in Israel.

I was interrogated for three hours by airport security when I was leaving the country – I tried not to let it spoil the experience

YCD – Who’s currently rocking your turntable?

LJ – I just bought some Nico , some Steve Earl and some Santana?! but I have been listening mostly to Songs For Silverman by Ben Folds which for me is very up – to – date .

YCD – What band/artist would you most like to play with?

LJ – Any artist with any sense would have the same answer as me – and that is The Stones or Bowie . I would love to do a rock and roll album with Angus Young on guitar . This is a serious ambition – I have the songs – I just don’t have Angus .

YCD – What are your hopes and fears for you in the future, musically?

LJ – That I don’t have enough time to Record my songs – when I say Record I mean that I in fact have done a hell of a lot of writing but I reckon recording is the hardest bit – let’s face it that is how we’re judged – not on the song – but on how it sounds .

I realised this when I was sat in a trendy bar years ago getting into Lenny Kravitz Mamma Said album – It sounded great but

I’d Walk Through Fire

Stand In the Rain

Go To Hell And Back

In A Plane

Ain’t to clever

If you’re gonna go to hell and back for a woman – don’t do it in a plane – it proves nothing – do it on your knees

YCD – What did you think the last time you looked in the mirror?

LJ – “Yes It’s True – How’s Your Blue Eyed Boy Mister Death – Ah The Lines Of Age – Have You Come For Me – How’s The Enemy? – Is There Time? – ” stuff like that

YCD -  I remember a while back reading your MySpace blog when you were having difficulties with a girlfriend and you stayed in the Abbey hotel for a while. I live in Brighton and know what that hotel is like, sounds like times were pretty rough back then. Better now?

LJ – Yeah . That was a lower point . Highly recommended for those of you who think going without breakfast is a hardship . Then again those of you whom have lost limbs , family members etc may wonder the great hardship in living in a Hotel

YCD -  And finally, are you working on anything at the moment? Tours, new albums etc?

LJ – I am recording 2 albums

One is a double called The Lovers

I have been sitting on it for Ten years and it is my Magnum Opus – I am releasing it for posterity .

Also I am recording another throwaway album ie spontaneous which you can hear demos from on www.myspace.com/luckyjimmusic

Many thanks for the interview and we here at you crazy dreamers wish you all the best for the future.

I wish I was… in Carrickfergus ? No : Ann Arbor, Michigan. Without a doubt, the Great Lakes would be my musical preferred state. With Misty Lyn, Matt Jones – I’m eagerly awaiting for their debut albums – Chris Bathgate, Sam Corbin, Great Lakes Myth Society and since these last few months, Orpheum Bell … my list of michigan’s favorites is getting longer.

I’ve bought Orpheum Bell, first full length at the essential cdbaby.com a minute after streaming their first songs from their myspace page. Pretty as You, is both the album title and the intro track. It’s an irresistible banjo soft-ballad served by a great balanced vocal female/male duet.

Burned my fields and the red wind blows
Drowned my diamonds in the river below
Lit my tears and the flames burned blue …
Ain’t none of that as pretty as you

Words and Tones have been thrown… Welcome to the Orpheum Bell’s music world. Labeled as ‘Country and Eastern’, the Ann Arbor  Quintet’s compositions are giving the listener this unique ubiquity gift in both time and place spaces ! From almost traditional country-ballads to gypsy waltzes, from the raspy vocals of Aaron Klein (à la Stuart Staples), to Merrill Hodnefield sweet – sweet and so beautifully placed – voice, for sure, you’re traveling with a first-class ticket !

With a huge amount of instruments ( accordion, banjo, clarinet, fiddle, guitar, ukulele, autoharp, double bass, mandolin, pedal steel, musical saw, and the rare Tiebel Violine, that looks something like a cross between a fiddle and an Edison-era phonograph ), you’ll have to face a real full band, giving to each notes a meaningful rhythm in some delicious instrumental tracks such as ‘Motor in the Weeds’ or ‘Two Over Ten’.
Along with Aaron Klein (vocals, banjo, ukuleles, tenor & regulation guitars), Serge van der Voo (double bass and percussion) is forming  the heart of Orpheum Bell. Serge has granted us an interview. Enjoy our conversation while listening to two of our favorites tracks including the brand new duet ‘Goodbye is the Sweetest Word’  and the addictive ‘Pretty as You’.

YCD : Hello Serge, how’s it going ?
Serge van der Voo : I’m well, thank you……..just gotta say up front that I really enjoy visiting your website…….it’s the real deal and always INTERESTING to read and listen to.

YCD : Thanks ! What’s the story behind Orpheum Bell?
Serge van der Voo : Aaron Klein (songwriter, vocals/guitars) and I met about 10 years ago, we’re both from the same area in Michigan but we crossed paths in Chicago where we started writing and recording with a band called Vernal Pool.  Years later we found ourselves back in Michigan living just a couple of blocks appart.  Merrill Hodnefield (lead vocals) responded to a “seeking vocalist” add that we had pinned-up at a coffee house………needless to say when we heard her voice and influences all three of us knew we had a band right then and there.  Annie Crawford (violins) and Shaun Williams (accordion and reeds) fully round-out and complete the sounds we’re looking for.  Our debut cd ‘Pretty as You’ was released last year and now we’re about halfway into recording a new one.

YCD : I’m really curious – and ignorant –  : would you mind telling us about the band name ?
Serge van der Voo : We were trying to find the right net for our particular butterfly…

YCD : You’ve mentioned the Quintet of the Hot Club of France – with most renowned members incuded Djando Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli – as a main influence. From ‘Gipsy Jazz’  to ‘Country and Eastern’, what’s the process that creates such a singular music style ?
Serge van der Voo : Sheesh…….if that process was to be presented in some kind of diagramatic form it would probably look like a tangled-up ball of yarn!!!  Yeah, listening to any of Django’s Q.H.C.F from the ’30′s  moves me everytime……..then you add all the members influences and that’s when it starts to rattle.

YCD : Which song from Aaron Klein’s lyrics is your favorite?
Serge van der Voo :   ‘Rabbit Field’ has always been a favorite of mine.  For me, the imagery totally fits with the music.  There are some that will be on the new release which in my opinion are just as poetic……..’Pearls‘ and ‘Goodbye is the Sweetest Word‘ come to mind.

YCD : If you could share a stage with any band or artist who would you choose and why ?
Serge van der Voo : Whoa…….there’s so many bands so here it goes…..Rob Burger, Andrew Bird, Tin Hat, A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Marc Ribot, Benjamin Wetherill, and Rollie Tussing too.  They all create music with effortless flow among genres.  I like music that you can’t quite put your finger on….. it’s a good thing………that’s what makes music personal.

YCD : According to your myspace blog Orpheum Bell is working on a second album ?
Serge van der Voo : Yes, we’re working with Jim Roll and about half of the songs have been recorded already, the other half are in the process of being written/arranged.  This one will be different then “Pretty as You” given that (so far) there are several songs that were written as a group collaborative.

YCD : Any other projects for the coming months ?
Serge van der Voo : Matt Jones has a new recording coming out soon called ‘The Black Path’ and he asked me to put down double bass on several tracks.  The arrangements are lush and full with strings and horns, Jim also recorded that one and the production came out nicely.  Matt’s a prolific songwriter so when we play live he has a rock (electric) set but then also his full acoustic set with a ten-piece band.  It’s been a lot of fun so far and we’ve got some exciting shows coming up in the fall with the Great Lakes Myth Society.

Thank you so much Serge for taking time to answer !

Band : Orpheum Bell
Label : none
Where to buy : cdbaby.com
More appetizers : @sonicbids.com / @myspace.com / @youtube.com

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 !

I’m not the only one victim of this addiction for this talented Kentucky cellist ! NPR named Ben Sollee, “Top Ten Unknown Artists of the Year“, and my fellow blogger Susana has collected a great interview. Better twice than never : it will be the opportunity for me to stream another song : It’s Not Impossible (Boys Don’t Cry), an excerpt of a performance hold last year at Fourth Street Live in Louiseville. Delightful!

Thank you Ben for taking the time out of your busy tour schedule to answer a few questions for the youcrazydreamer.com readers!

YCD: You don’t see many lead singer, cello players. How old were you when you started and did you have doubts about it being a main staple in your music and live act when you started ?
Ben Sollee : I started playing cello in fourth grade in my public school, but I was never much of a singer. I did, however, have this personality that just wanted to sing all the time and I still do. It’s kind of embarrassing cause I don’t know I’m doing it sometimes. As for making it a live show, I couldn’t really help it. I love performing and I’d just find myself on stage doing it. By the end of college I was thinking about how to make a career of it.

YCD : When i was a child i wanted to be a ?
Ben Sollee : There was a time when I wanted to be a dancer, then I wanted to compete in gymnastics, then a major league baseball guy. All were big dreams, but the one that has stuck with me longest is making music for Disney movies.

YCD : What song are you inspired by or cannot live without at the moment, yours or someone else’s ?
Ben Sollee : I can’t live without Patty Griffin’s Mother of God from her Impossible Dream CD.

YCD : When meeting a fan, one of the first things they say about your music is, or that it reminds them of ?
Ben Sollee : There are so many different reactions, but mostly people feel connected and they say there’s something in the performance of the songs that take them away. People give just as much to these songs as I do, but I’m glad I can be their Dick Van Dyke and draw a little sidewalk drawing in which they can leap.

YCD : With all the changes and uncertainties going on in the music industry today, what inspires you to keep doing what you’re doing and why ?
Ben Sollee : It’s never been about the music industry in my thinking, but we musicians must make a living somehow. For a brief window of time, we have the chance to experience real democracy in music. People vote by purchasing and/or sharing your music with others, and things are relatively equal. Soon the labels and other related businesses will get it all figured out and we’ll be back in the game of hearing mainly what’s being propelled by the giants. That makes this time extremely fertile.

Artist : Ben Sollee
Label : SonaBlast Records
Where to buy : Sonablast, Emusic.com

I bought myself a beautiful 1976 Pioneer pl-510a turntable very recently and my first thoughts when i bought it was ‘That deserves summat old played on it’. Ok 1976 is not that long ago but it’s still long enough and that was the main way to play music for most people back then. Having had most of my vinyl stolen one Christmas eve about fifteen years ago i wasn’t sure what to play on it as my collection is pretty sparse now . I thought about playing some of my Neil Diamond as that would fit perfectly with the date it was made but I then had a call at the door by the postman (Have you noticed how late the postmen come these days?) and he had in his hand my Serious Sam Barrett vinyl E.P which he had kindly sent me, Sam not the postman. It seemed fitting that that would be the first record i should play on my new turntable (I have since been pre-occupied wondering what the first ever song played on it was, something i will never know of course). From the first track Tongue Tied Blues and it’s sliding folk/blues railroad riff and some lovely picking asking where his sweet heart has gone I was instantly hooked. Lately I have heard nu-folk, anti-folk, Homicidal-folk (My personal favourite), metal folk and yesterday came across something called Laptop-folk, wtf? What you get with Sam is folk, Pure and simple and all the better for it if you ask me. From Addingham in Yorkshire, his father is also a folk singer and his Mother a lover of the music of Guthrie, Leadbelly and Dylan so it’s no surprise he has crafted songs in that same style. However, he also has a love of 80′s Madonna records as well as Hip hop and Reggae as you will read in the interview below which he has kindly granted us. Also with Sams kind permission he has given me a couple of Mp3′s for your downloading pleasure but please if you like it buy his E.P (Preferably on Vinyl) form the links provided or from your nearest Independant record store who will either have it or can order it for you. A rising star on the folk scene in the UK and is about to embark on a UK tour, go see him play when he visits your area, offer him and his friends a place to stay if you can as their sleeping arrangements at the moment as far as i can gather is an old battered Ford Escort. For me personally it’s so refreshing to hear music like this still being made. Some people say it’s all been done before but who says music has to progress all the time? Perhaps the most perfect music has already been made and all we need to do is keep playing it and making it in that style? Enjoy.

You can buy Sams E.P from these following links

www. outofstep. co. uk -
www. jumborecords. co. uk -
www. rhythmonline. co. uk -www. normansrecords. com -
www. clear-spot. nl (Netherlands)

YCD – Hello Sam, or shall I call you serious? How’s it going?

SSB – Alright man, thanks for asking.

YCD – Ok, might as well ask you now, promoting anything right now or recently released anything?

SSB – Yea my first record finally came out in May this year. It’s called the Yorkshire Rambler EP.

YCD – So where can we get a hold of this?

SSB – It’s being distributed by cargo so any independant record shop can get it for you if you ask nicely.

YCD – So you’re from Leeds right? Do you try and make music that reflects your landscape?

SSB – Well I’m from a village called Addingham originally which is a bit North of Leeds on the southern tip of the Yorkshire Dales. I’ve lived in Leeds for about 3 years now though. Yea, The older I get the more I try and put what it means to be from Yorkshire into my music, that is really important to me.

YCD – What are the biggest obstacles you feel a folk singer like yourself faces today?

SSB – An industry that favours the bland, dull, overproduced kind of folk music that you tend to hear nowadays. That’s what pisses me off anyway.

YCD – Ok, I don’t know if you are aware but they have recently found an old law that says all musicians since time began are allowed to take any song from anyone they like from any moment in time and claim it as their own, which one are you having then? Only one mind you.

SSB – Man that’s tough, as far as non-traditional songs go I wish I’d have written “Prove It All Night.” by Bruce Springsteen. That’s a beautiful song

YCD – What’s your guilty pleasure?

SSB – I’m not guilty about any of the music I listen to that a lot of people consider crap. I really like 80s Maddonna records.

YCD – What’s your best musical experience so far and why?

SSB – Going from Nashville to New Orleans with one of my best friends was amazing. We spent about 2 days pretty much in silence because it was such a moving experience finally being there.

YCD – Who’s currently rocking your turntable?

SSB – An old Scruggs style banjo compilation on the folkways label. A bunch of hicks on that record like the Stanley brothers and stuff. It’s ace.

YCD – What band/artist would you most like to play with?

SSB – I really like playing songs with my friends Mike Rossiter and David Broad. They inspire me more than anyone else who’s around nowadays to be honest. The only new music I really like is Hip Hop and Reggae. To me, that’s the only stuff that has the power and sincerity that old blues and folk records had.

YCD – What are your hopes and fears for you in the future, musically?

SSB – I hope to break even and keep travelling around playing songs to people. I only fear that one day I won’t be able to do that any more.

YCD – What did you think the last time you looked in the mirror?

SSB – I’m a greaseball.

YCD – You have a sound that is not dissimilar to the likes of Guthrie, Leadbelly and that depression era. Is this the kind of music you were brought up with?

SSB – Well yea, my Dad is a folk singer too and my Mum loves Woody and Dylan and Leadbelly. I’m a lucky man to have had such an amazing musical upbringing. My parents introduced me to loads of obscure folk music as a child.

YCD – And finally, are you working on anything at the moment? Tours, new albums etc?

SSB – Yup Myself, David Broad and Mike Rossiter are doing a UK tour in early November so check the myspace for the shows on that. I also have a new EP of Yorkshire songs coming out pretty soon. It’s going to be 3 traditional Yorkshire songs and also a song I wrote about growing up around here. I really wanted to make a record that is about where I’m from and the music from here so I’m really exited about it. It’s coming out on an awesome new label started by the guys who currently run Art Goes Pop called Yadig?. It’s sort of a DIY label with a folk/country/roots feel and I’m really happy to be a part of it because it looks really exiting.

YCD – Many thanks for the interview and we here at you crazy dreamers wish you all the best for the future.

SSB – Thank you for having me man, much appreciated.

Let me introduce you to Mr D, otherwise known as Paul Mclinden. This is his debut album and if you didn’t know he was from Glasgow like i’ve just told you, you would immediately presume he hailed from the sun drenched west coast of America. From the very first note on the opening track fools fall in love what we have here is sweet and lazy country pop at it’s finest. He’s picked a great day to grant YCD an interview as today looks like it could be the beginning of our so far awful summer. I’ve got this album blasting through my speakers, window down with the sun belting through and about to pour my first beer of the day, perfect. I would like to say there are bluejays singing their lonesome tune and lovers canoodling on the lawn outside just to put the finishing touch to this setting but the truth is there are seagulls going mental in someones left out garbage. Still, the music is loud enough to drown most of that out, hopefully more album sales will be generated from the whole of the street hearing it too.

This album has a real 70′s country sound to it with the Eagles being the first band that springs to mind especially on Island Girl, as an influence, also maybe some byrds too. If you wanted a more modern day comparison you would perhaps look towards The Thrills but where i think they maybe found country later in their lives i get the feeling Mr D has been listening to this stuff all of his. His soft gentle vocals are kept at  just the right level to compliment the lush acoustic melodies which are maintianed from start to finish and even the instrumental Ode to Geraldine keeps you interested with it’s heavier bass line, Strings and some great acoustic guitar work. The 10 songs on this album in total make up just over 31 minutes with the longest track coming in at a staggering 3.26 !! It’s actually quite refreshing to hear 3 minute pop songs again just like you did back in the times when albums that sounded like this were around. Anyway, rather than me try and describe to you the who’s, the where’s, the how’s and the when’s of this and other future albums let’s hear it from Paul himself.

YCD – Hi Mr D, How’s it going?

Mrd D – Hi it’s all going great at the moment…but for how long I wonder.

YCD – Ok, might as well ask you now, promoting anything right now or recently released anything?

Mr D – Yes I’m currently promoting my debut solo record ‘Wings & Wheels’ and am in the process of getting myself ready for the follow up.

YCD – So where can we get a hold of this?

Mrd D – It can be bought from all the usual places: iTunes; Emusic; Amazon etc. All the info is on myspace.com/misterdreadmusic or www.mrdmusic.com – to be honest though someone’s probably making it available for free somewhere else online but I’m not gonna help you find that.

YCD – You are from Scotland so what or who influenced you to make sunshine coast country music?

Mr D – Well I think it’s no coincidence that I and a lot of my fellow Scots make music that’s influenced by the country/Americana scene. I reckon country music is very closely related to Celtic folk music and both use much the same techniques so it’s always seemed very natural to me. I try not to sing in an American accent though…

YCD – What are the biggest obstacles you feel a singer/song writer like yourself faces today?

Mr D – It depends really what you mean by obstacles. It’s always been quite a hard game to make any headway in but i don’t let that get me down to be honest. I think as long as you’re getting your music released you’ve managed to hurdle all the obstacles out there. Sometimes when i look at big star’s; their success seems to have become the biggest obstacle. Hard work is the key. As a great man once said –hard work only beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

YCD – Ok, I don’t know if you are aware but they have recently found an old law that says all musicians since time began are allowed to take any song from anyone they like from any moment in time and claim it as their own, Which one are you having then? Only one mind you.

Mr D – Well this answer would change every few weeks but right now id love to have written Owed T’Alex by Captain Beefheart. What a song!

YCD – What’s your guilty pleasure?

Mr D – Listening to ‘They Don’t Know’ by Tracy Ullman on repeat all night. Winston Churchill used to play the same songs over and over all night as well so I’m in good company.

YCD – What’s your best musical experience so far and why?

Mr D – Sitting with a bottle of wine listening to ‘In the Wee Small Hours’ because it’s unadulterated Sinatra and never fails to impress me. Its one of my favourite ever albums.

YCD – Who’s currently rocking your stereo?

Mr D – Grauzone, Willie Nelson, Sluts of Trust, George Jones and many others.

YCD – What band/artist would you most like to play with?

Mr D – I was playing bass guitar for a guy who lives near me who is in my opinion a genius and I don’t use that word lightly. For various reasons he has withdrawn from making music just now. It’s very sad for me to think that the world won’t get to hear his music and if I achieve any sort of success I will be trying hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.

YCD – What are your hopes and fears for you in the future, musically?

Mr D – My hopes are to be in a position where i can keep making music and putting it out the way i want to. I also feel it’s important that I make a better record than the last one each time. My fears are that someday that won’t be possible.

YCD – What did you think the last time you looked in the mirror?

Mr D – The last time i looked in the mirror? Oh that’s a hard one. I try and avoid eye-contact as much as i can – even with myself.

YCD – And finally, are you working on anything at the moment?

Mr D – Yes i’m working on my next record and hope to go in sometime before the end of the year to begin recording it. Think Billy Rae Cyrus meets Garth Brooks and you will be on the right track.

Many thanks for the interview and we here at you crazy dreamers wish you all the best for the future.

Thomas writes honestly and you can definitely hear it in his songs. In his myspace influences section he states, “bad lyrics wreck my head, I’d rather hear a simple lyric or none at all than someone trying to be smart but sounding like a Donkey.”

Once in a while I come across a song or an artist that will grab my attention and my ears will start pulsing, so was the case when I first heard Thomas Kitt. His song ‘Die Tryin’ is an absolute beauty with its funky beat and hopeful lyrics. His heart breaker ‘Girl with a Whispered Name’ is one I’ll listen to over and over with lyrics like “you’ve only got yourself to blame she breaks your heart, the girl with the whispered name, while her heart barely makes a sound”. Since there is not much info on Thomas he kindly agreed to do an interview with me. I hope you will enjoy his music and interview as much as i did, thanks Thomas.

Check out the songs I mentioned above and a couple others on his myspace page.

YCD: Please tell us a little about yourself, how long have you been making music etc?
TK: I’ve been singing since I was very little, come from a musical family. My dad thought me guitar when I was 7. I guess I started writing my own tunes seriously in my early twenty’s after gaining a bit of life experience. I play cards to fund making albums and I’m a serious optimist.

YCD: What are your top 3 song of the moment and why?
TK:emmmm
Operator by Jim Croce. Absolute classic. Been listening to his stuff on vinyl lately. It’s got the best line ever in a song, about a girl that’s left him.
“she’s living in L.A. with my best old ex-friend Ray”
I love songwriters who possess such turns of phrase.
“So sorry” from Feist, opening track on her Reminder album. Great song beautiful voice, wonderful arrangement, just can’t stop listening to it these days”.
Anything from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, absolutely love their stuff.

YCD: Who’s been the biggest influence in your musical career?
TK: Guy Clark a Texan country singer songwriter would probably be my biggest songwriting influence. I’m definitely going for the brutally honest style of songwriting, it’s all I know, and he’s the master at that. Life influences me the most though, I’m fascinated by it.

YCD: Where do you see yourself/music five years from now?
TK: It’s such an uncertain business money wise, i.e. there’s not much going around but the great thing these days is that you can make records a lot easier, so I guess if I’ve 2-3 more albums that I’m happy with, done in five years and I’m healthy and happy I’d be delighted. In reality I’ll probably have a few Grammys in the bag

YCD: Do you or your music get compared to anyone else? If so, do you see that as good or bad?
TK: You get compared to a fair few people in reviews and such. Sometimes it can be very complementary, other times not so much. It doesn’t bother me whatsoever if I’m compared to someone I don’t think is any good. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion musically.

YCD: Are you working on anything now? Touring?
TK: I’m always writing and the new album is taking shape at the minute. My debut album was released in Ireland about a month ago, so I’m doing the odd bit of gigging and promo. I don’t like force feeding people my CD, I much prefer the subtle word of mouth way of getting your music out there (probably my biggest fault).

YCD: Who would you love to sing or gig with?
TK:Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Guy Clarke. I’d love to work with T-bone Burnett

YCD: And last but not least, if you had one super power what would it be and why?
TK: That’s a tough one. The greater the power the greater the responsibility. I’ll just go for x-ray vision, top see through cards in a poker game.

all the best
t

Susana.

After months of hunting Sam down and constantly harassing him via e-mail, I now have the interview with Sam for you all to read. Sam has been making noises in the London folk scene for quite a while now but hopefully this will be the year he breaks through to a much wider audience. In one review I read he was compared to an English version of Ray LaMontagne and although I can see why that comparison was made Sam is a much more accomplished guitar player than Ray and for me he has a completely different style, more folky and less country for one. He is an astonishing guitar player as you can see from the youtube clip I recently captured when I saw him play at the tiniest venue ever in Bom Banes in Brighton (posted). In my opinion I would draw a comparison to perhaps John Martyn for his folk style and Nick Drake or Bert Jansch for his guitar playing ability. Now i know that’s high praise especially when just about every new english finger picking folk singer comes along is compared with Drake  but he really is that good, he plays the guitar like he and it are one but all done in such an effortless way, it’s a joy to watch. When you hear Sam’s voice live it takes you slightly by surprise, I feel he let’s it rip a lot more than he does on his album and I guess this may be where some reviewers get the Ray LaMontagne connection, still i would love to hear him really belt a few songs out on his album just to show his vocal range which is clear he has when you hear him play live, again it’s astonishing and a joy to listen to. He is due to release a new album Far from you in the very near future and of course I will keep you all updated on any news of that. Has a few dates coming up but one special one is the Union Chapel in London on 7Th June which if you have never experienced a concert there is a must see, breath taking acoustics which will suit Sam and his music perfectly, a ‘must go to’ gig.

In the meantime here is the interview that Sam was forced kindly agreed to do for us along with a couple of mp3′s that he has allowed for YCD to post. Please support this independent artist, he’s a superb talent who i think is on the brink of greatness. If you don’t believe me go and see him live, you will not forget it. Enjoy

YCD – So firstly, could you please tell us who you are and where you are from?

Sam - My name is Sam but my full name is Samuel James Beer, I think that sounds rather grand but everyone calls me Sam so Samuel has never really stuck, Actually people only called me Samuel when they were cross with me.

I have moved around quite a lot in my life as my dad’s work took my family to several places, my first years were spent in Spain although I was born in London. In the end I came back to London to go to Art School and I have been here ever since.

YCD – Ok, might as well ask you now, promoting anything right now or recently released anything?

SAM - I will be bringing out my first album in a couple of months called Far From You. With out sounding over confident I think it is going to be the best and most true thing I have made to date. I am in the middle of recording it and its going really well. I really respect and admire the players I am playing with on the record and I’m recording it in a great studio so its going to be something special when its finished. I’m really enjoying the process and am happy about what I’m doning…

YCD – So where can we get a hold of this?

SAM - You will be able to get the EP through my myspace page and through Itunes ect but we are in discussion with labels and distributers so it should be available all over, I can\t say any more than that at this stage.

YCD – You recently played the Union chapel in London, how did that go?

SAM - I would say it went really well! I have wanted to play there ever since I saw a gig there a few years ago. It is a wonderfully atmospheric place to play and I was lucky enough to play for a very good audience, people really got it and that made it all come alive.

YCD – What are the biggest obstacles you feel a singer/song writer faces today?

SAM - That is a tricky one for any musician and there are a lot of obstacles. It all depends on what you want and where you want to go.

You are only as good as your next song and that can be the biggest obstacle. Most of the barriers are in your own head and for one reason or another I think musicians have an internal struggle that is lifelong and that is the journey to become the best you can be.

YCD – Ok, I don’t know if you are aware but they have recently found an old law that says all musicians since time began are allowed to take any song from anyone they like from any moment in time and claim it as their own, Which one are you having then?

SAM - That answer changes on a daily basis and this one is really difficult. I feel like I am having to save one puppy from a house fire and watch the others cook, do I only have one song shit!

(TWO CUPS OF TEA LATER)

Grant Spivey (Live) by Victoria Spivey.

I heard this song on a compilation CD when I was coming back from a show in Exeter and it completely transported me. I was on a busy train and I think I was moving a bit and really getting into the song I got some odd looks from people around me as I was probably looking a bit special (if you know what I mean). That song devastates me every time I hear it. She sings about her father (Grant) and the song has so much movement and feeling. She is rough around the edges and completely natural.

I would never be able to play that song. If any of my songs come close ill sleep well at night.

There are so many other songs I could have picked for so many reasons

YCD – What’s your guilty pleasure?

SAM - Instruments! They are my heroin as it were.. I love old instruments and am lucky enough to say I own a couple of beauties. Old guitars that have been played a lot in my opinion have something very powerful within them. I could go on and on

YCD – What’s your best musical experience so far and why?

SAM - Again that’s difficult. When ever I truly connect with another musician that is something very special and moving for me. When I connect with a player it feels like we are talking and exchanging something highly personal and open. When ever that happens I am knocked over and I remember why I am doing this. I feel the same when the audience really gets it.

YCD – who’s currently rocking your stereo?

SAM -Quite a lot of story tapes

YCD – What band/artist would you most like to play with?

SAM - Neil Young, Danny Thompson (Double Bass), David Rawlings (Gillian Welsch’s guitar player), Tom Waitts, Joni Mitchell Nina Simone, I would be terrified to play with all of them and would probably make a tit of myself. But their all just people, they all have mothers.

YCD – What are your hopes and fears for you in the future, musically?

SAM - I fear my guitar will go out of tune and I won’t be able to write any more songs

I hope my guitar stays in tune and that I do too.

Many thanks for the interview and we here at you crazy dreamers wish you all the best for the future.

It’s official. Mike Mangione’s “You Don’t Wanna Leave” from his album Tenebrae has become my #1 driving song lately. This infectious and catchy tune has been on repeat in my car for a couple weeks now. Roll down the windows, crank up the sound and driiiiiiiive. Perfect. (I have my blog-buddy Olly to thank for alerting me to this fantastic musician. He has not let me down yet with his recommendations. Thanks Olly!)

While “You Don’t Wanna Leave” is my favorite on Tenebrae, the whole album is just stunning from start to finish…it is beautifully arranged and acoustic, soulful, foot-stomping at parts…poignant and heartbreaking in others. I’ve really connected with his lyrics on a number of songs. I’m even gonna go as far as say it is my favorite album I’ve heard so far this year. (Yes, a 2007 release but I’m a little bit late to the party….better late than never I say!).

Some musicians lack consistency for me sometimes….definitely NOT Mike. I fell in love with each and every song on Tenebrae. “I’m Sorry Again” was the first to tug at my heart, “First Time: Please Forgive Me” and “Now That It’s Done, Won’t You Come Back” got me thinking “Ooh damn white boy got soul!”.

I could continue gushing on and on about Mike, but I think you get the idea by now. Any fan of the singer/songwriter genre will just love this album in my opinion. You would be doing yourself a major disservice by not purchasing Tenebrae.

…and if my words are not enough to convince you, maybe these will:

-Tenebrae is named one of the best local albums of 2007 by the Illinois Entertainer – Illinois Entertainer Top Albums of 2007,

-”The Killing Floor” is named one of the best songs of 2007 by Indie-Launchpad – Indie-Launchpad

Mangione’s vocals can be heart-breakingly delicate at times, comparable to how James Blunt only wishes he could sound. – Chris Kreklin, OnMilwaukee.com

“It’ is always a good thing to hear young artists still making music that springs to mind at those key moments when the art and one’s life experiences shed deeper meaning on each other.” “Tenebrae is definitely one of those albums that will easily fall into this category and is a definite must have for any fan of folk and Indie music genres.” – L. Anne Carrington, INDIEMUSICSTOP.BLOGSPOT.COM

Tenebrae, “8 out of 10″ – Americana UK

“Tenebrae is completely against the spirit of the time, and therefore has become timeless.” – House of Rock (Germany)

Anyways, Mike was nice enough to grant You Crazy Dreamers a little interview so here it is. I hope you enjoy his music as much as I have! I’d also like to say what an incredibly nice guy Mike is. Musicians who actually take the time to reach out to their fans get major props from me. I connect more with musicians (and their music) who actually make time for their fans and make themselves accessible. I think it is wonderful. It builds a loyal fan base. Respect to you Mike.

YCD: Who or what inspired you to start making music and how long have you been at it?
Mike: My brother Tom inspired me to start making music. We liked a lot of the same artists growing up, well to be honest I liked who he liked and he had good taste. When I was ten I was listening to a lot of Dylan, u2,Peter Gabriel and Zeppelin. Those guys would be my entertainment as a child. I looked up to them and was comforted by them but it was my brother Tom who made me want to write. He wrote a couple songs in his teenage years that were very passionate tunes. When I heard those I wanted to do the same, I was inspired to write something that could move someone else the same way his music moved me.

I have had a guitar in my hand writing songs since I was thirteen, so 15 years

YCD: If there was one song you wish you would have written what would it be, and why?

Mike: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, I can’t explain it

YCD: If you weren’t a musician what would you be doing now?

Mike: I am not sure but I would have a paycheck and some kids…

YCD: Is there anything new you are working on now?

Mike: My hairline, my weight, and my style. As far as music goes yes, a lot. After Tenebrae was written I told myself not to write anything for a year. Anytime an artist finishes an album they start writing for their next and think their last one was shit….even if it has been done for 3 months. Unless you are Ryan Adams you should give yourself time to work the album and promote it…so that’s what I tried to do. It lasted 8 months and I started writing and have continued doing so.

YCD: What was the first record/album you ever bought?

Mike: I think the cassette of Zeppelin III, my brother didn’t have it.

YCD: What are you currently listening to?

Mike: Hear Is What Is by Daniel Lanois and Mule Variations by Dr. Tom Waits

YCD: What is your favorite song to play live?

The one where everyone gets quiet and listens… It changes based on the audiences involvement.

YCD: Can you tell me a little bit about your band members? Who plays what, etc…

Tom Mangione, my brother, is co writer with me, plays the electric “tone” guitar and is our road manager. He has no idea how good he is and is probably the most talented and consistent of the bunch.

Patrick Hoctor is the cello player, he is the innocent Reason in the group. A quit spiritual man, he provides focus for the group when it is needed. He also looks like Tom Brady, a little.

Kristina Priceman is our Violin player and token female. She grew up with a lot of guys and is more of a dude than I…..one of the funniest girls I have met rapped up in a little cute package making her a joy to be with.

John Collins plays upright bass. He is the eldest of the group. Always wears orange and can miss a show by getting caught up in a discussion on either philosophy, food or Queen songs.

Our drummers change with the tide

YCD: How has your music evolved from when you first started playing?

I am more focused on the idea in the song now. When I started I would just try to write something that sounded neat. Now I am really trying to get something across. When I started I didn’t have one idea I cared enough about to be honest with in a song. A lot of things can persuade you when you write and when I started it happened too easily. Now, I feel too strongly about the Idea of the song to sacrifice it. For me it is all about the sacred, anything else I am not interested in. That’s not how it used to be when I started. I was too focused on the distractions of growing up. Also I use more than two chords now….sometimes

YCD: Which musician or band would you love to work with?

I want to work with Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris and Dylan. I also want to work with Duane Lundy, who produced Tenebrae again. I would love to do another album with him; he is a mind reader….and that saves money.

Thanks for the interview Mike!

Purchase Tenebrae: CdFreedom

Official Website: http://www.mikemangione.com/

Myspace: click me

Tour Dates: click me

“i write songs for those who see the face of god in dirt and rust and broken things. for those who love desolation and who make of it ceremony and song. for those who bear memory’s weight and who count the days of their youth in the blinking lights of distant radio towers and deserted intersections. who read in the crumbling names of towns on water towers the dispatches of passing seasons and forgotten heartbeats. for those who in dreams find great and unknowable mystery. who love words that sound upon their lips like secrets and sighs.”

The above is taken from Jeff Zentner myspace profile. I found those words so beautiful that I read them again and again….The imagery is what got to me….which is what good writing, song writing, and music in general is supposed to accomplish, right? It makes you feel, it transports you to somewhere else….a memory, or a place in time perhaps.

Jeff’s solo work definately reminds me of something from the past…On his album “Hymns to the Darkness”, he combines guitar, slide guitar, dobro, banjo, pedal steel, lap steel, mandolin, cello, piano, and organ to form some truly wonderful songs that have a twing of Appalachia about them. His southern roots definately come through in his music.

This talented Ashville, NC based musician is also part of the band Creech Holler. Jeff is on vocals, Clawhammer and the Bottleneck Guitar. Definately check these guys out if you like your bluesy southern rock.

“…a Tennessee-based trio who do this crazed amalgamation of old-time ballads set to loud, grungy blues rock. It’s very dark and eerie and completely satisfying.”
–MOUNTAIN XPRESS, Asheville NC

Check out their myspace here.

Jeff was kind enough to grant YCD a little interview….so I present to you 7 questions with YCD:

1. What was the first record/album you ever bought?

Out of Time, R.E.M. Not too embarrassing.

2. What are you currently listening to?

I’ve been listening to The Black Angels a good deal lately. I’ve been listening to Queen Adreena and a Norwegian band called Madrugada a lot as well. And then there is always a heaping dose of random odds and ends. It’s been medieval Spanish music for that.

3. Who or what inspired you to start making music?

I heard John Lee Hooker for the first time when I was 14, on a scratchy radio station. It was truly an awakening. I started out playing blues similar to what I heard that night, and my style has gradually shifted over the years.

4. If there was one song you wish you would have written what would it be, and why?

“Rake” by Townes Van Zandt. Because of the line

“I buried my face but it spoke once again
the night to the day we’re a bindin’
and now the dark air is like fire on my skin
and even the moonlight is blinding”

But more than any song that has ever been written, I wish that I wrote the book “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy. And I wish that I wrote every single poem that Joe Bolton wrote.

5. If you weren’t a musician what would you be doing now?
Being miserable and angry that I wasn’t a musician.

I’d probably be a photographer. Or maybe a writer. But it’s difficult to say, because I really only started writing in the context of music.

6. Is there anything new you are working on now?
I’m completing my second solo album. I’ve been releasing snippets and rough cuts on my myspace page. I’m also completing a second album with my band, Creech Holler.

7. For those readers who haven’t heard of you or your music before what would best describe you and your music?

I try to make my music poetry about beauty in desolate places. About love and dying. I suppose that tells you also what I think about most of the time.

buy Hymns to the Darkness:

CD Baby

iTunes

FAQ : How is Tadhg pronounced?
Answer : It’s pronounced like “tiger” without the “er” sound”…..

Tadhg is currently working on a new album and will not be on the road until it’s completion. A shame for everyone on this side of the pond, but you can catch him gigging (is gigging even a word?) around in Dublin. He will be playing at the infamous Ruby Sessions on April 1st, you can check his official website for any live updates. If you’re not fortunate enough to be in Dublin, you can always catch some live performances on YouTube. Oh – and of course demand him in a town near you.

I’ve known of Tadhg through some mutual friends and recently had the pleasure of doing a little interview. In the spirit of all things Irish this month here is one Irishman you’ll want to get to know.

YCD: What was the first record/album you ever bought?

Tadhg: Metallica – Metallica. I was railroaded into buying it. I actually really liked 4 of the songs on the album. That’s about as far as my love affair with metal went though. (The rest of my childhood was spent listening to The Kinks, The Monkees, James Taylor, Neil Sedaka, Joni Mitchell & David McWilliams… )

YCD: What are you currently listening to?

Tadhg: Sharon Jones and the Dap Tones. A good friend of mine played me some of their stuff the other day. The songs sound so authentic and old. I love it. I’m not even sure what album I’m listening to, but I like it very much. Apparently they record using all the old STAX studio equipment.

YCD: Who or what inspired you to start making music?

Tadhg: I don’t remember ever being inspired by one particular person or event. Long before I was even conscious of wanting to make music, I was moving in that direction. There are photos of me as a child with an acoustic guitar lying on my lap, with me just listening to the sounds of the open strings as I hit them. I was also told that I would never watch the children’s programs… I used to listen and join in for the theme tunes, and then lose interest as soon as the song ended. That was probably a sign!

YCD: If there was one song you wish you would have written what would it be, and why?

Tadhg: Oh, there are so many! McCartney’s “For no one” from Revolver is a real gem. It’s so short and perfect… I love simplicity in writing. Strangely, it’s very hard to achieve that appearance of effortlessness. That’s why so many songs appear clumsy. People give up the fight so easily. Lyrics should flow and be natural, like poetry… That’s why when I hear a song like “for no one”, I have to bow and show my respect to what must be one of the finest songs ever written. I absolutely adore the mournful horn solo… it reminds me of all the gritty old English dramas set around the coal mines in the north of England. For McCartney to even use that “old” instrument in a pop song was fairly experimental.

YCD: If you weren’t a musician what would you be doing now?
Tadhg: I have a degree in computational linguistics… so I’d probably be either working as a translator, or working as a programmer in MT (machine translation). I am a little bit of a nerd in that respect! I do love writing though. If I wasn’t a songwriter I think I would be a very prolific blogger (not necessarily a good one though!). I’ve always looked after my own websites, so I have a bit of an outlet there. I like writing to people. I like correspondence of all kinds. I think my dream job would be to have my own column in a newspaper supplement – where I’m allowed to write about whatever strikes me that day. It’s probably not all that glamorous a job in reality…but then it’s a DREAM job, so who says I have to face reality?

YCD: Is there anything new you are working on now?

Tadhg: I’m currently recording my new album (provisionally entitled “the thick of things”). I made my first album in Germany, so it’s great to be making this one in Dublin and to have the luxury of calling in friends to work on the songs. We started rehearsals with Paul from BellX1 on drums and Dave Redmond from David Geraghty’s band on bass, but Paul’s off recording and touring with BellX1 now, so we have the wonderful Sean Carpio stepping into Paul’s shoes. They’re all such wonderful players. It’s great to have the opportunity to play with these people, never mind record with them!

I’m also doing some shows with David Geraghty’s band over the next few months. Dave has taught me a lot over the years, and recorded (and played drums and bass on…) the original EP version of Sparks. Playing as a sideman, rather than the front man, has forced me to acquire new skills. Which is always a good thing. The day you stop learning in this business is the day you should really quit. Every day’s a school day.

YCD: For those readers who haven’t heard of you or your music before what
would best describe what you and your music?

Tadhg: I was told by a guy from New York that I was in the “dark folk” genre. I had never heard the term before, but I really like it.

Thank you Tadhg for taking the time to talk to us and for providing everyone with a free MP3 of Sparks off your original EP.

-If you like what you here please support the artist by purchasing the album. You can buy at CD Baby.

Finally my dear friend Olivier (which you can count me in on one of those fingers) has decided to write about this extraordinary singer. It’s been months now since I was introduced to Colby and I’ve often asked Olly why he hasn’t written about him or introduced him to the rest of the readers. I too understand his reasoning, we often come across people who we become friends with and the music then transcends into something different. It’s because we’ve gotten to know them on a personal/intimate level that the soul of that person comes before the music. It is like that for me with The Guggenheim Grotto and so it is for Olly with Colby. I love his music and have been listening to his tunes for a while now. So without much further ado I hope you will take the time to read this interview and get to know Colby as a person, artist, and friend.

Artist : Colby Stead
Where to buy : Artist’s website / cdbaby.com
Label : Thoughtfull

Ante ‘Trans’ Scriptum : What should have been said about Me (Olivier).
Most of the time I’m using the internet to expand my horizons, not only on a professional level, since my profession is website designer/programming but on a personal level to keep my eyes wide open, open on the political forecast, weather forecast, on fashion, and of course on music but also on me. If couple years back someone would have told me that I would be calling someone I met on the internet a friend : I surely would have laughed. First, because I’m not friendly at all and because I’ve got so few friends as I’ve got fingers on my two hands. I mean friends I can trust as I trust my own hands ! Speaking about music – I’m not qualifying friends the people you’re counting by thousands on a Myspace page.

Thus said, you also should know about me that I’m posting regurlaly on this blog about the music I love. And to be honest with you, I have to confess that I choose to be part of the YCD website to write a review about an amazing artist – and now a friend of mine : Colby Stead.

It’s been about 6 months that we’ve started blogging about music we love, and I didn’t find the right words to express the emotions I felt about his music. Thinking about the reasons, I’ve postponed this review multiple times, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that it’s because I’ve never met a human begin such as Colby. Sure, I was first seduced by his music, then by his words, eyes and thoughts then by his unique way to progress in his own life, not only as a songwriter but as a single unique human being.

Choosing to write songs as a medium to express his feelings it gives everyone who wants to listen the opportunity to discover an artist, part of his personality. So, if Trini could write a couple of lines above given the chance as such, then I wish to take mine and try to share with you a simple conversation with Colby. It was supposed to be a regular interview, but as I’m not a journalist, and Colby is neither a common singer, the following transcript translates what could be called without any pretension : A conversation.

Olivier : I would like to know about your process, the advance of being a singer songwriter ?
Colby : I started as a drummer. My friends started doing drugs and I started playing the drums. Drumming was/is a very physical instrument. Perhaps I liked the physicality of the drums because athletics–and the movement of my body–were very important to me at the time? I spent many weekend nights alone drumming; establishing a relationship with rhythm, timing, phrasing and most importantly MYSELF. Inevitably, I played in a few bands, but soon realized that the dependancy of other musicians wasn’t easy for me. I found myself struggling to connect – rhythmically & emotionally – with the music I was playing. Even still, I had no aspirations of becoming a songwriter. That wasn’t until I was given an acoustic guitar as a gift…”
Olivier : For the musical part, but as a human being ?
Colby : Expressing myself has always been very crucial to my existence. Be it through conversation, relationships, nature, drumming, cooking, etc… For as long as I can remember I longed for a way to connect with others. Little did I know, I was really needing to connect with myself. It wasn’t until I wrote my first song, that I felt as if I truly did that. I had no ambition(s) of becoming a songwriter. I had never dreamt of standing on a stage…but it just so happens, that songwriting gave me a way of TRULY connecting with myself & others. Simultaneously.

Olivier : With 2 albums behind / around you, and many songs already written – more than 100 according to my sources – inspirations seems to be permanently around you.. Could you please tell us about this process… Common people are eating / sleeping / loving and you ‘ve got an extra primary needs : expressing ?
Colby : You’re right, inspiration is all around us (children growing, trees falling, the sun shining), but the inspiration is also WITHIN us… When I sat down to “write” my first song there was no paper on wood. There was no pen in hand. There was only me, a guitar and the endless emotions, ideas, thoughts & experiences running through me. No, they weren’t running, I was running!
I don’t know how other songwriters search their souls & spirits to find the songs they create… When I am creating a song, I don’t feel like I am searching for anything. Rather, I feel the songs are searching for me. When the subject is painful the song stalks me slowly; attacking me when I least expect it! I try to run towards a safer place, but it’s no use. The memory or feeling finds me and I am forced to look deeply into the eyes of reality… Other times when the song is brighter and more “positive”, it politely taps me on the shoulder and lovingly takes my hand. Together we walk whispering words of hope and promise.

Olivier : Do you qualify your songwriting as a kind of cure ?
Colby : I can only hope that others might empathize with the songs. “Me too” or “I understand what that is like.” I believe only an individual can heal oneself, but I DO feel there are many motions in the healing process. Perhaps my music is one of the many steps towards their personal healing. …I hope so.
Often, I’ve been told… “Colby, you’re songs are so sad.” I can’t help but ask, are the songs sad? Or are YOU sad?

Olivier : The song ‘No’ titling and closing your second album as ‘Don’t Folllow me’ on your first record are two beautiful dark pieces that are both full of doubts ? Is it part of your creativity process : Is doubting a kind of rebirth ?
Colby : “Don’t Follow Me” is meant to be an honest admittance. Often we look up to artists and musicians in vain. I felt it important to admit that I am nothing special…and if admitting that MAKES mne special, then so be it. Overall, I think the song is very hopeful. Forcing one to accept the responsibility of their choices. As for “No”. I often feel stranded in my own mind, body & spirit. To me, “No” is an S.O.S. (Save Our Spirits) to any one else stuck on the island of themselves…
It was written sitting beside a candle in a large bathroom on the wooden side of a copper bathtub. A dimly lit room for a dimly lit song. Hope, like the flame of the candle, flickers…

Olivier : This going to be a really personal… So, i’m not sure this will be published… Are you optimist about the world we live in ?
Colby : So much of my music is personal. It’s taken me a long time to be comfortable with that. But meeting people such as yourself helps. Publish ANY DAMN thing you want. That is one of the many beautiful things about music. It leaves so much space for interpretation…
Someone that has been sexually abused that hears a song written about that subject, is bound to find peace in the brutal subject matter. Releived that someone is sheding musical light on such a dark issue… However, someone that HASN’T been abused, will just say the song is sad. So much of our existence on this planet depends on our circumstance(s).
Colby :…optimistic?
Olivier : Yes I suppose or you would have choose another way…
Colby : If we can begin to understand and accept others then I beleive things WILL eventually (and slowly) get better… But if we continue to NOT understand and accept others I don’t think there is much hope.

Olivier : Sorry I have been writing 40 times the same question… Is facing your new songs to an audience helping you saving your soul ?
Colby : Most of my self discovery comes while creating the song…not performing it. When sharing such a personal side of myself, I learn a lot about those listening… However, sharing DOES create a relationship of sorts…and in a way that soothes my soul. I’ve been approached many times after performances…and the reaction depends on the individual. I feel the songs I share give the individual a chance to fully accept and embrace where they are in their life… Some approach me crying and we instantly embrace. Others ask me a technical question about my guitar cable. Either way, it is personal and I value those interactions sincerely.

Olivier : You’ve been touring this summer accompanied with an accordionist… you’re playing many instruments… Is your music going to evolve from this great acoustic trio we used to (vocal, guitar cello) to something different ?
Colby : Not any time soon. Anyone that has played any instrument with another person knows; it is a relationship. Investments of trust, time, energy and emotion take a lot of effort from all those involoved. I feel very fortunate to be so close to my cousin (who plays the cello), my sister (who sings harmony) and my friend Amy (who plays the accordion and also sings.) Friendship and understanding comes before the music. I can’t imagine trying to have one without the other… I hope to one day record and release a bigger production, but not until I can afford to do so…
But to answer your question, I DO hope my music continues to evolve… I beleive it will IF I–as a person–continue to evolve. Change isn’t a comfortable process and I realize that I may never have the strength to do it. Or the talent!

Olivier : From ‘No’ to ‘So Normal It’s different’, 3 years passed, do we need to await such a long time to listen your next release ?
Colby : I hope not! I would like to release an album (or more) a year… but I have to make sure there is an audience for those recordings.

Olivier : What could help you the most ?
Colby : I am a controlling person, so I haven’t ever asked for much assistance. Now I am to the point with my music that I could truly benefit from some help. Don’t get me wrong… I’ve always had endless amounts of support.
But I’ve never had a manager, or a booking agent. I am grateful of the path I have choosen. I wouldn’t trade the lessons I’ve learned, or the songs I’ve created for anything… But I want to keep growing…both as a musician and a person.

Olivier : What are the biggest obstacles you feel a singer/song writer faces today?
Colby : Intention(s). Not just with singer songwriters, but with artists (and people) in general. Why do I want to make a living playing music? Why do I want to raise a family? Why do I want to go to church? There are so many different reasons to do what we do. I feel it is very important (and difficult) to ask ourselves why… Realizing what we truly want in life isn’t an easy process. Constantly it changes and can often become distorted. When we start creating art, children and or religions for others instead of ourselves…
I beleive it makes for a giant disconnect.
Olivier : But the path you’ve choosen to follow is a true communication process…
Colby : You’re absolutely right. Maybe that’s why my process is slower than majority of artists. In my experience communication takes time and trust.
Sometimes years and hours of conversation to begin communicating about things that REALLY matter.

Olivier : What’s your project for the coming year, Colby ?
Colby : …You’ll be impressed. I finally have a marketing plan!! My marketing plan is to market.
Olivier : ?
Colby : That’s right. I don’t feel that I have ever fully marketed my music on any serious level. We once had over 200 people come to a concert and we didn’t even hang up fliers. 2008 is going to be different. I feel it is time to take a step outside of my safety zone!
Olivier : Do you really mean that your previous attitute was a kind of self-protection ? Against who ? you ?
Colby : I think subconsciously it was. Perhaps against myself…perhaps against the scary, cynical world!
Olivier : Critics ?
Colby : Not just that… I don’t know if enough will ever be enough, but it comes down to one thing.
Colby : Do I want to share my music?
It’s taken me a long time to answer that question.
Olivier : What do you mean with ‘I don’t know if enough will ever be enough…’
Colby : My voice, the songs, my guitar…
Colby : Just good old self doubt.
Olivier : So you don’t listen carefully your friends ? or don’t trust them ?
Colby : I think it is more about trusting myself. I’m beginning to do that more and it has helped my friendships greatly.
Olivier : It’s not an easy path I agree…
Colby : Like attracts like. When I feel better about myself…I find others that feel better about themselves too.
Olivier : But you’re not choosing facility…
Colby : No Way! It’s just like hiking a mountain… There is no easy way to the top, but once you are there… All the pain and challenge(s) were well worth it.
Olivier : if a top ? a never ending quest.
Colby : EXACTLY! I am enjoying my slow journey to the top of my musical mountain…
Olivier : carpe diem ! sorry stupid….
Colby : No. The day is the moment and if we can seize either one of those, that is saying a lot! I’m sorry to answer with so many words. It might be difficult to make any sense of it all

Olivier : What’s on your stereo at the moment ?
Colby : I’m listening to Virgínia Rodrigues … have you heard of her?
Olivier : Never…
Colby : She’s Brazilian . I don’t understand a word, but the music touches me very deeply. For the past week she has taken me to a place that I needed to go.
Note : Colby sent me a sample – a song called “Salvador Não Inerte”
Olivier : The song is simply delicious !
Colby : ..with no words and or meaning. just melody, grace & wonder.
Olivier : Grace exactly ! Music is a great medium to travel !
Colby : I agree my friend. I agree.
Olivier : Through moods, lives, countries, experiences, feelings…
Colby : Perfectly said.
Olivier : Sometimes it’s dangerous… so easy to listen.. that you can forget to live your own trip!
Colby : Very true. That’s part of why I started writing my own “songs” …to further complete my journey
Olivier : That’s a good reason.. I wish i find time to write mine too…
Colby : Not all of our songs are sung the same way…the important thing is that they are sung at all…this is something I am trying to learn.

Olivier : You’ve recently updated your website, with some new videos : a serie called ‘The documentaries’ composed of 8 videos / interviews. What’s your idea behind ?
Colby :…I never put too much forethought into making these movies. A friend lent me a video camera, so I thought I would spend some quality time with it. I can’t truly express how special these interactions were for me. I learned so much about them, and more importantly, myself…
I strongly believe that we are ALL very unique. Who would have thought that a man irrigating his lawn would be interesting? It goes to show, that if you ask someone sincere questions and listen with an open heart and mind, then beautiful things will come from it. That is what I did with all of these individuals; It just so happens, I was holding a camera at the time.
For each video I wrote a song. All of the songs were written while I watched the video footage being imported onto the computer. The words, the meaning and the melody were written much like a musical score.
Olivier : What’s about the editing process ?
Colby :I did that much like cooking a meal. Following my senses. Trying to simplify the ingredients/footage, so to create something beautiful (and meaningful.)
Olivier : The Artist documentary contains one of my favorite audio track in the series ? Could you please tell us about this song ?
Colby :”Ashamed” is a song about the inevitable fear of exposing your expression (musically and or visually)…
It’s easy to walk by a painting criticizing it’s color and its life. We have a tendency to discount what the artist has gone through to create that painting.
The same can be said about music : songwriting is the canvas for my emotional paint. It gives me a specific amount of space in which to create & express myself.
Olivier : Than you for the song. Thank you so much for this conversation.

Ashamed – Colby Stead [3:43m]: Play Now | Download

Given the amount of competition out there these days, you have to respect any musician who is yet to have a myspace/facebook/virb page showcasing their talents. Elephant Micah is one of these people and it would seem he prefers the old fashioned ‘word of mouth’ method of getting his music heard. He has been going at it now for about 8 years but after I heard the album Alsation Sunlight I still can’t believe that he is not better known and so I am trying my best to get his music heard, by word of mouth of course.

At times he reminds me of some early Experimental Low, early Lo-Fi Smog and the sparseness of J Tillman and perhaps some Elliott Smith too, with the way he layers some tracks so all of those put together has to create something special surely !! Well it does believe you me, this is some of the best music I have heard in my life. If still available I want to get a hold of the album ‘and the loud guitars’ as there is a song on there called ‘Nobody Knows Rosie’ which I just love, got a Bonnie Prince Billy thing going on in that one.

But it’s quite difficult to explain what kind of music Elephant Micah makes because there is so much in there, Country,folk,rock,lo-fi,experimental. These days it would probably get classified as Americana but it doesn’t really matter because what you get at the end of the day is an extremely gifted songwriter who deserves to heard by a much bigger audience.

Elephant Micah has Granted YCD an exclusive interview and also has kindly supplied a couple of tracks for your listening/download pleasure which I am sure you will enjoy.

Please, out of all the artists I’ve written about so far, I would urge you to support this real independant musician who pretty much does everything himself and if you really want to support Elephant Micah then please buy his records and go and see him live. All links to his music are provided in the interview below.

This man just simply has to be heard, please do so.

YCD – So firstly, could you please tell us who you are and where you are from?

EM – My name is Joe, and I’m from southern Indiana, near Louisville, Kentucky.

YCD – Ok, might as well ask you now, promoting anything right now or recently released anything?

EM – The only promotion happening around Elephant Micah is by word-of-mouth. For the time being, I hope the music will speak for itself, and that listeners will let each other know about it through outlets like this blog.

In terms of what I’ve released recently, there are a couple of new discs. The first is a full-length CD called Hindu Windmills, and the second is a small edition hand-packaged mini CDR titled Alsatian Sunlight. Both are kind of sparse, “singer-songwriter” affairs.

YCD – So where can we get a hold of this?

EM – I have a sub-website called the Luddite Rural Recording Cooperative. I sell my music there as well as a lot of other people’s self-releases. Here’s the link: www.lrrc.elephantmicah.com. I try to make this stuff available through other mailorders as well. (Time-Lag, Boa Melody Bar, Norman Records, and Fusetron each carry some Elephant Micah titles.)

YCD – I think some of your music reminds me of the likes of Low and even some early Smog. Do you think this is a fair comment?

EM – ’m not an expert on either of those bands. It’s probably a comparison worth thinking about though. Maybe you’re responding to the subdued singing style. I can identify with their vocal sounds. They seem quiet but not breathy… not restrained sounding. So I wouldn’t mind being in that school of singers, as opposed to the whisperers or the belters.

YCD – After speaking with you before you mentioned you had played in my hometown of Brighton in the U.K, Firstly what do you remember of Brighton and Secondly, are you planning on touring again soon anywhere in the world?

EM – The show promoter took me on the Crazy Mouse rollercoaster. It was excellent.

A few years later, I was surprised to see an identical Crazy Mouse at the Kentucky State Fair. Anyway, it’s not the same without the sense that you might be plunged into the ocean.

I’ve done lots of tours over the years, almost completely on a do-it-yourself basis. I’m less tolerant of it now—I prefer either to have an audience or to be paid. At least one or the other. These things are hard to come by on self-booked tours. So, it’s hard to find the right opportunities to “gig,” as you say in England. I’m always on the lookout, though.

YCD – If there is one song you could steal and claim it as your own for ever which one would you choose and why?

EM – Well, not literally.

I keep thinking about Jackson Browne’s “Before the Deluge,” though. It never ceases to speak to this post-back-to-the-land existence.

Plus, it rocks.

YCD – With so many new genres cropping up all the time now how would you best describe your music?

Are new genres cropping up, or is it just new genre names? I honestly don’t know. But I’d say that the way we are subdividing and sub-subdividing music has a lot more to do with extra-musical social signals than actual sound values. Basically, we “package” music to create the experience of distinctiveness whether or not the music is substantially distinctive.

Hopefully what makes my music distinctive is not its genre or style but its content and meaning.

Maybe if I had to invent a classification for Elephant Micah I’d do so by grafting “recordist” onto the old singer-songwriter designation. The self-recording process is a major part of what’s made Elephant Micah what it is, so maybe I can call it recordist-singer-songwriter music.

YCD – What are your hopes and fears for you in the future, musically?

EM – I’d like to make Elephant Micah a viable listener supported entity. I’m thrilled by the enthusiastic response to my music over the past eight years, but it remains a struggle to record, release, and distribute the recordings effectively. Things are moving at a snail’s pace, but I hope that the merits of the music will continue to attract people in spite of its low media visibility. I also have to hope that new listeners will recognize Elephant Micah as dependent on grassroots support, and will take an active personal interest in contributing through buying recordings or donating for downloaded music, as well as through spreading the word about my music to other music fans.

YCD – Finally, I notice you don’t have a myspace page yet you have released quite a lot of stuff. Is this because like me, you find it’s no longer a platform for new music and has been hijacked by the big music companies and their artists or is it just because you can’t be bothered?

EM – I just really can’t stand the word “myspace.”

Where do I begin to describe Sunshone Still. The beginning, a very dear friend of mine first introduced me to Chris Smith (Sunsone Still) about a year ago. He had just released his first album Dead Letters. At first he had somewhat of a reminiscent sound to the likes of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith, both of which I love, but the more I listened the more I fell in love with his voice. Dead Letters spent the summer with me in the car, I was particularly drawn to a song called “Damn You California”. I’ve often been asked if that song was written about me, it was not, but that could be our secret Chris.

Today seems to be the day of interviews so please forgive me if the post is long I have an independent review on this album and and interview with Chris Smith himself. Thank you Chris for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish you the best of luck.

YCD: What is the major difference between TCAN and your previous album Dead Letters?
CS: The cinematic nature of TCAN as a whole. Dead Letters will always be really special to me because it feels very authentic and honest to me – as evident in the lo-fi quality of the recording. Since TCAN is a concept album covering a complex history, it needed varying sounds to represent the varying themes. For example, “Blood and Thunder” is a song about self-hate, so it needed an angry, cathartic build and release to it. On the other hand, “Blue Bead” is the start of the peaceful denouement to the story and needed to be quiet and thoughtful.

YCD:Why did you decide to do a concept album? In particular this story.
CS: In the past few years, I’ve really come to admire well-done concept albums such as Willie Nelson’s Red-Headed Stranger and Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois. I guess the concept album approach had been fermenting in my mind. Last fall/winter, I started writing a “new” album, but it was going nowhere and I felt like I was re-hashing a lot of the same personal themes from Dead Letters. I wasn’t doing anything new. I guess I had writer’s block. Around the same time, I had just heard an interview on NPR with Hampton Sides’, author of Blood and Thunder. From that interview, I knew I wanted to write a song about Kit Carson and his first Indian wife, Singing Grass. After reading some of Sides’ book though, I just knew that this was the story I had to tell. Sounds too simple and cheesy of an explanation, but I just had this feeling that this part of the Native American story was my challenge.

YCD: What is your hope for this album?
CS: That’s hard to answer because I hope to see many outcomes. I’ll give a couple though. First, in this small way, I’d like to remind people, particularly US leaders, that genocide happened under the direction of our OWN government. The greed and arrogance that caused the destruction of the Native American still persists today as seen in our current foreign policy and energy policy (i.e., Iraq, Global Warming, etc). Another hope would be simply to sells some records, so I can pay off the awesome debt I accrued in just making the CD. I don’t ask for much.

YCD o you write your own lyrics and music? How important was the addition of instruments to this album? (I love the composition of this album, horns, strings, it’s just beautiful!)
CS: Yes, I write the lyrics and music. I’m kind of selfish in this regard, but it’s truly because I want an uncompromised artistic outlet for myself. Certainly, I worked with and relied on the other players to come up with their own parts for their instruments, but the basic chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics were my job – for better or worse. I asked a long-time friend, David Chenu, to take my “Ten Cent Theme” and compose a string arrangement for “Ten Cent Theme Outro”. He also wrote the horn arrangements on the album. He’s a musical genius. And I’m not just saying that.

The addition of other instruments, like strings and horns, was necessary to properly tell the story. For example, the second track, “Manifest Destiny”, is a song about our so-called Divine Right to spread the ‘great experiment’ of the US from sea to sea. That song had to be huge and bombastic. It had to slap you in the face and say, “Here’s a great idea – Let’s conquer the rest of this land at all costs.” Adding horns and strings to this song created that sense of urgency.

YCD: What are the biggest obstacles you feel a singer/song writer faces today?
CS: Getting heard. Yes, the Internets (Stephen Colbert reference, anyone?) has made it easier to get your music out to people at a relatively low cost, but there are so many other independent singer/songwriters (some good, some bad) and bands out there competing for your ears. Anyone can make a record now, so they all naturally want you to listen to their creation. So it’s hard getting a potential listener to filter through all those other options and find me. Not to mention all the other forms of media that sit in your palm. It is so easy to get distracted these days.

YCD: When are you coming to Los Angeles?
CS: I don’t know. My hope is to do a West Coast tour sometime in 2008. Can I crash at your place? YCD: Mi casa, tu casa!

YCD: Will you be touring soon? If so when?
CS: At present, I’m playing shows close to home, Columbia, SC. Can I be completely honest and put down the ‘Hey, I’m a highly sought after singer/songwriter’ wall? OK. First, I still have a serious day job, so it’s hard to travel outside of the Southeast for any great length of time. Second, I’m still relatively unknown in the Southeast, so it’s hard booking gigs at the better venues. Did I mention I still book my own shows, am not good at it, and hate it? So yeah, I still have some obstacles in my way. We’ll get there though.

YCD: Anything you would like to tell new listeners about your music, you etc.?
CS: Buy the damn album and you will have good luck and sex for seven years. Plus, it may help me play in a lovely city near you soon. Burning it from a friend or enemy is OK too – just spread some love about the record. But don’t blame me if you have bad sex for seven years.

Independent Review by Chad:

I’m a big fan of concept albums and will usually give the creator of them the benefit for even attempting to pull one off. The more apparent the concept, the better, and the more difficult. It’s gonna be easier to write 10 songs about love than it is to write 10 songs about loving the cute redhead in the flowery skirt who broke your heart at the Stevie Nicks concert. But to even add to the difficulty, think if that redhead was a cult leader who was bent on massacring anyone who had lawn seats before her. And make her a sympathetic character. It ain’t easy.

Taking a historically controversial character and writing a concept album is not something a novice should do, certainly not what one would expect for a sophomore album. But just add that to the joyfully unexpected things to come out of TEN CENT AMERICAN NOVELS. Coming off of Dead Letters, you’d expect his follow up album to be another batch of moody, heartbreaking, sad songs (that’s not a bad thing). TCAN is dense in lyric content, instrumentation, and emotion. It’s as if Sam Beam had a kid with Sufjan Stevens and they let Steve Earle raise him (not sure which is worse, the musical comparison or the sexual allusion).

It’s easy to think that you can make a good album by adding more ‘stuff’, bet it more lyrics, more songs, or more instruments.Well, it’s not. And it’s also not easy to add more stuff and make them cohesively speak to the same idea. The horns on TCAN speak to the passion with which Kit Carson lived, the violins let you know that he experienced the breadth of emotions that a man can feel, and the electric guitars never let you forget that Kit Carson was a man’s man.

The density of the concept is impressive not only in the lyrical content, but in the liner notes, the song titles and layout, and even the only Sunshone Still photo. You won’t wrong yourself if you pick and choose songs from this album to listen to exclusively. Each stand on their own as well crafted, interesting, and inspiring. But taken as a conceptual whole, TEN CENT AMERICAN NOVELS is as impressive an album as I’ve heard, regardless of the creator’s notoriety.

Official Release date October 30th! Go buy the album. I have several favorite songs, one which I’ve posted for download, but you can listen to a few off his Myspace Page.

Buy

While browsing the web searching for information about Chris Bathgate in order to write a decent introduction, I’ve been teasing by the frequency of the name : Matt Jones. Curiosity once again won ! After crawling under many pages about a homonym sportsman, i’ve finally loaded Matt Jones’s myspace page, labeled as indie, acoustic, folk…

Some rare singers have the gift to captivate at first notes, this is Matt Jone’s case. But this initial attraction is progressively converted into a complete addiction as Matt is offering more than just a great songwriting ability. His unique voice – which could sometimes could be compared to Tom Brosseau – is a perfect match on his rich acoustic concept.

Thanks Matt for taking time to answers these questions:

YCD : Singer, drummer, guitarist, pianist… Could you please tell us your story with the music ?
Matt : I started piano training at age 8, and continued for the next 12 years. I hated classical music, and the day I was planning on telling my piano teacher that I was quitting, she gave me a book of Scott Joplin’s piano rags. I fell in love and began playing, and listening to all the ragtime I could get my hands on. From there, I started playing the euphonium in school (my mother’s side of the family consists of many circus musicians, most of whom played the euphonium under the big top), switched to tuba, then switched to skateboarding, and guitar. I don’t know where the drums came in. I was a lefty drummer for a while just because I didnt know how to set up the kit. I’m really not very good on drums- I just bang shit really hard and try to catch vibes. every act that requests my drumming, I feel sorry for. But I also feel like I must really be a great actor. I played electric guitar for a while in my jam-band phase (I’m pretty sure everyone has one), and pared it down to acoustic when I realized I couldn’t control everyone in a band. playing by myself was easier on my control issues.

YCD : What did you grow up listening to ?
Matt : I was a pretty serious nerd growing up, without any real exposure to pop music till high school. I skimmed over a lot of jazz, but always had a ragtime cassette somewhere nearby.

YCD : Is there a song that you’re proud to have written?
Matt : I have probably been proud of all of them at one point or another. ‘Vampires’ is a favorite of mine, as is ‘Right To Arms’. the song i’ll probably never take out of the rotation though is ‘Earthbound’ (the secret song on the ep). The words were written by the poet Suzanne Hancock, a friend of mine. While some might flunk me for effort, I would state hands down that writing music for someone else’s words in infinitely harder than for your own.

YCD : Is there a song you wish you had written ?
Matt : “Rita Mae” by Misty Lyn. Elliott Smith’s “Coast to Coast”. Great Lakes Myth Society’s “Big Jim Hawkins”. Richard Buckner’s “Oscar Hummel” anything by Tom Turpin.

YCD : What’s your favourite thing about performing live?
Matt : it’s definitely not getting paid. I think its walking in to the club early, even before the sound person shows up. taking stock of the place you are going to be for the next 5 hours. If you play a lot of these shows, you realize that those smoked-out, loud, stinky rooms are the places you choose to pour yourself out to other people. To people you dont even know! Sometimes its ironic to the point of paralysis. So I like to get there early, just to walk around by myself, and get a look at the character of the place before I have to be nervous, and small-talkey with the people who are going to fill it up. I also like playing live because I’m huge and for at least a few minutes, any audience will pay attention to the huge guy on stage, dwarfing his guitar till it looks like a ukelele.

YCD : Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
Matt : I don’t even want to speculate.

YCD : What’s on your stereo at the moment ?
Matt : Great Lakes Myth Society s/t; Magnolia Electric Company boxed set; Pet Shop Boys; Nina Nastasia’s the blackened air.

YCD : Is there any way to buy your first EP : ‘Right to Arms’ ?
Matt : Local record shops have it. You can get it at live shows, and rumor has it that you can actually buy it at www.cassanovatemptations.com

YCD : Susan from Fox on the Hill, told me that your first full length is plan to be released by the end of the year ?
Matt : Truth. Many tracks need only mixing. Others need much more. Its my first experience in a real recording studio (Jim Roll‘s Backseat Productions) and it has been wonderful, frustrating, and terrifying. im shooting for some pretty big arrangements, so it has taken a little longer than anyone expected.

It’s time to give him voice with the first following track entitled ‘Right to Arms‘ – from his debut EP released in 2005. The second one called ‘Nothing Joyful‘ is a live performance recorded this last winter at Keweenawesomefest – Houghton, Michigan. This complete set is available on the WTMU website and it’s a higly recommendation.

This second post about Michigan scene won’t be the last. The Ann Harbour folk scene is abounding in talents and my curiosity has been rewarded more than once ! Misty Lyn will be our next stop.

Artist : Matt Jones
Label : unknown.
If you like : Iron & Wine, Ray LaMontagne, Matt Jones will become a favorite !
You should also enjoyed : Joshua James, Mattias Hellberg, Lou Barlow

From Josh’s myspace:

Josh is on Today’s “Weekend Edition” on NPR Radio!

Airing today (Sunday, October 14th) is an interview and peformances by Josh on NPR’s nationwide program “Weekend Edition Sunday.” You can hear it on your local NPR radio station!

Find your station/air times here.

You can also watch an amazing live performance from the Paradiso, amsterdam here http://www.fabchannel.com/ from Sept 2007.

To be honest, i’m not able to find my way back to cleartigers.com while browsing the web couple days ago, but I’m sure my email address has already been subscribed to their mailing list.  I am eagerly awaiting for their debut full length album.
I’ve found some new information about this band and my curiosity guided me to their contact form asking them a couple of questions.

Here’s the transcript.

YCD : Could you please introduce Clear Tigers ?
Nathan Akin : Clear Tigers is my recording project. My name is Nathan Akin. I live in Brooklyn, New York. I compose music and write songs. I wrote some
songs and recorded them myself at a friend’s studio here in Brooklyn.
Then I recruited some other friends to help me perform the music in
order to promote it. When playing shows, I’m joined by Tim Traynor,
Jeremy Schoenherr-Lachance, David Sanderson, Catherine Herrick, and Lisa Baker.

YCD : Influences ?
Nathan Akin : My influences are Terry Riley, Lightning Bolt, Joni Mitchell, Elliott Smith, Neu, Aphex Twin, techno on the Force Inc label, Spacemen 3, and many others. I also love french composers Faure and of course Debussy.

YCD : What’s on your stereo at the moment ?
Nathan Akin : Right now my stereo’s broken, but I’m listening to Ariel Pink, and I also like Feist.

YCD : Projects ?
Nathan Akin : As for projects, Clear Tigers is definitely planning to release the full length, “Brutal”, later this month.

I’d like to thank Nathan for taking time to answer these questions and allow us to post the two following songs from their first hand-screened eponymous E.P.

Sorry to inform you that the Clear Tigers EP that launched this September on Catbird Records is no longer available : so all you have to do is send your email/subscribe to their mailing list and wait for their imminent release !

Artist : Clear Tigers
Label : Catbird Records
You should also enjoy : Sea Wolf, Rock Plaza Central, Arcade Fire…