News, is this all about ?
If I had to mention and select a single album from the past years.. many chances my ears will request again and again the sound of Drawn to Dust from Camphor. Max Avery Lichtenstein has released in this thirteen songs collection a musical Everest. If you missed this album : you’re just 12 months late ; but no worries this is the kind of music which do not suffer the print of time. Before switching to the band website and learning the backstory of this special track, be sure to have you daybreak experience listening to Max most recent philosophical exploration : ‘Enjoy the Struggle‘.
NB : Due to express mention, YCD won’t stream this song right from this page – even if temptation to host such a perfect track was evily burning my fingers.
Music your friends will be jealous that you found first
Lasagna”
And it’s exactly on this point that we totally agree: lasagna’s, ofcourse! In view of the recurrent parallels I draw between music and gastronomy, you will have guessed… I couldn’t escape from it.
Listening to this first album, The Cedar proved their ability to succeed in mixing together all ingredients to treat us to a delightful dish! After the promising EP “Grannies’ Knitting Café”, recorded in 2006, this collection has impeccable orchestration, garnished as much as your Arcade Fire or your Raven & Chimes but with such a difference: a faultless punctuation! And it’s fully enjoyable.
Leading by the lightening voice of Neil Gay – that could remind a Tom McRae timbre, backened by the cottony vocals of Eleanor Murphy, this new opus of the Bristol band is one of the essential albums of the year.
Enjoy the listening experience of these two following tracks : for sure you could be jealous !
Impossible to remember the reason why my browser landed on the the home page of Matt Kanelos. Actually, it doesn’t matter. I know now why I keep on returning to it: the piano, a strong sense of melody, an undescribable atmosphere which titillates the imagination, opening the door to fabulous mind blowers.
‘When You Walk It Makes No Sound‘, was the first track I had the opportunity to listen. A delicious suspension, scrolling a full year in a short 5 minutes composition : absolutely gorgeous. It was enough for me already to get addicted. It reminds me of one of those sweet Paolo Conte favourites of mine, floating between folk & jazz. A captivating melody that could simply convert a raging bull into a sweet ballerina…
Then was the time for a second track from this unreleased opus : ‘Peacock Dance‘. It starts like what could have been a Bach Piano partition - or a Chopin Etude – , but then Matt’s sweet voice comes to the front: “We’ll stop in Babylon…” : Absolutely stunning ! And so it goes on for the next song ‘Dying Star’
It took only a couple of minutes to download his first EP ‘Children Love to Dance’ at cdbaby.com, which was already released in 2005, but the time it will take to be sated by this very short collection seems infinite. Time appears to be standing still in the musical universe created by Matt Kanelos. So, if we need to wait untill next February for his new opus to be released… there’s no hurry really.
Scarlatti Tilt is a four-year-old band from Bristol – UK. The band’s name is taken from a very short story by Richard Brautigan (see post footnotes below). The Trio is composed of Daisy Champan (Vox, Piano), Greg Simmons (Bass), Tim Smith (Drums). Last year they released their first full length album, ‘Gathering of the Haunted’. I’m a bit late pointing you on their music but I’m quite sure you’re not addicted to our blog for updates but for unique listening experience. And be sure, this collection is absolutely brilliant.
Imagine a sleazy night out with PJ Harvey and Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds in a dank, underground club where the air hangs heavy with smoke. This is the soundtrack to that night…and its inevitable comedown.
It’s simply impossible to mention this trio without introducing the solo efforts of Scarlatti Tilt’s voice : Daisy Chapman, et quelle voix !
“Stripped down to just piano and voice, Daisy’s songs weigh heavy with a haunting beauty and romantic intensity. “
The latest collection of Miss Chapman ‘And There Shall be None” is as irresistible as her performance with Scarlatti Tilt. Judge for yourself with the following samples.
Artist : Daisy Chapman Band : Scarlatti Tilt Label : Dandyland / Simmo Publications Ltd / Oh The Woe Where to buy : cdbaby.com / emusic.com More appetizers : on band website, theirspaces here and here Who else to enjoy ? Hum…. That’s a question that requires your participation. I expect your suggestions in the comments . Post Footnotes : Richard Brautigan, “The Scarlatti Tilt” (the complete short, very short story…)
“It’s very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who’s learning to play the violin.” That’s what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.
(from Revenge of the Lawn: Stories 1962-1970)
PS : You might have noticed a slight improvement on syntax and spelling of this post. I admit, I didn’t sign up for an English course… let’s just say I got a little help from a friend, for the benefit of your reading experience.
“…It’s supposed to snow tonight,
I hope the forecast is right,
cos in the morning i sleep in till i like,
and if it snowed outside it would feel so nice in here.”
Yes, onceagain on youcrazydreamers, Chris Garneau ! I’ve received couple days ago, one of his rare newsletters announcing some European dates (Uk, Belgium Denmark, Spain and… France). I’m still awaiting for the Nantes SOY festival to confirm his venue on the 1st of November ! I should be around at that time for a full week of a delicate mix of holidays/business in my old South Britany : I won’t miss this opportunity !
Chris Garneau “In the Afternoon” @ Théâtre Bastille (Paris)
Time for psychedelic music. After the superb Trappers Cabin, another amazing psychedelic band, I’ve just discovered is TheVenus Illuminato. Nothing much to say about those Californian Rob Franco and Brandon Kennedy (I even won’t be able to tell you which one of these is singing…) as these guys are not really prolix on their myspace page. So find below a copy paste their cdbaby information…
Picture yourself being knifed by a gypsy on board a high-jacked merchant ship off the coast of Morocco while an 1860’s civil war band drops some acid and does their best interpretation of 70’s English psychedelia.
Helpful ? Indeed, truly. Once again, music speaks for itself better than any other words…
I’ve been more than seduced by this superb ballad on the Mount Olympus, and from what I’ve listened so far the others tracks are also really gorgeous ! With violins, tubas, glockenspiels and cellos, it’s quite impossible to find a genre to label this rich music ; according to Rob Franco, it could be described as psychedelic gypsy wizard chamber folk. And that’s for sure chamber-folk really match my feelings !
Band : The Venus Illuminato Label : None Where to buy : cdbaby.com If you love : Devandra Banhart, Mike Scott and/or The Waterboys, Nick Cave, Calexico, those illuminates from Los Angeles will soon become a favorite !
You should also enjoy : Trappers Cabin, Elvis Perkins, Orpheum Bell (an interview will be shortly posted here…) More Appetizers : @myspace
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Here’s the time for another exceptional cellist : Lindsay Mac. It Should be another summer effect, but I’m irremediably attracted by strings. I hope your screen his wide enough for displaying her picture, because I do not find a way to crop it !
With an amazing repertoire : from Rock to Jazz, from Jazz to Pop, and Pop to something dealing with modern country, and then through folk via electro-folk.. – let’s call it Alternative, Lindsay is a non-stop amazing artist. I’ve been listening all day long, before writing this post, to her first full length ‘Small Revolution‘, I was surprised each time the loop repeats !
No one makes me ‘fly’ with Peter Pan but Miss Lindsay Mac : an exceptional plucked insurgent cello player (she declined the classic way) ; gifted with a supreme (delicious, amazing and sometimes surprising) voice. Well, a complete performer who can count on a wide songwriting talent… add to these previous a (need to enlarge my dictionary) great ability for composing and dressing beautiful songs… (that’s enough !)
Well, you might have guess, Lindsay Mac is releasing her second solo album this coming september : Stop thinking, and except couple tracks I have no other information to share. So here are first song called Faith from this new opus and an ‘old’ favorite Lucy. Enjoy !
Low audio quality, but what an awesome track : Barbies & Broncos !
Artist : Lindsay Mac Label : Taiga Records / Golden Rod Distribution Where to buy : CdBaby.com, Golden Rod Distribution, Itunes More Appetizers : sonicbids.com, myspace.com If you love Suzanne Vega, Tory Amos (listening to Lindsay reminds me to Tory last hit of mine : Parasol), Sinead O’Connor ( for the electro-acoustic wise-range), Elvis Costello (for many songs but especially the parallels between Veronica and Lucy… ) (hum), Joe Jackson (undoubtly)…, Lindsay Mac should be your next favorite. You should also enjoy : Mieka Pauley, Amber Rubarth (reminds me to bog about her), Me
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