Archive for the 'Singer Songwriter' Category

Amber Rubarth - New Green Lines

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

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

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

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

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


Amber Rubarth: Sun Studio Sessions “Another Perfect Sunset”

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

William Fitzsimmons - The Sparrow and the Crow

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

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

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

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

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

Jeffrey Luck Lucas - Lion’s Jaw

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kreg Viesselman - The Well

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

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

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

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

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

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tony Penn - The Quicken

Published
by
Olivier
on September 9, 2008
in Acoustic, Americana, Country, Folk, Rock and Singer Songwriter
. 1 Comment

It’s about 10 days, I’ve bought this album ; addicted. Acoustic guitars, violins and pianos melting together, delivering one of the most beautiful romantic love songs for me this year : “Enough” ! I wish I had a longer way to introduce you, New-York songwriter Tony Penn (aka Anthony Pennimpede ) but there’s so few information about him. I’m afraid my froggy English dissuaded him to take part in an interview ; So I’ve got to play with a  single digital purchase from cdbaby … and that’s enough !

With a shy but deep voice, Mr Penn fly over his 12 songs collection entitled the Quicken anchored in the Folk/Rock Americana genre, giving the best balance for such classical and so personal themes : love, loss and sin. Fly Over, in the naturally meaning of the term… nothing forces… right with the wind.. deeply natural…
I could spend the full night self-masturbating about this album…’She Comes to Me’ (it’s the song’s title!), ‘Can’t Stop the Tears’, ‘Rough Hands’… all five rated in my library. The Quicken is an absolute gift. Thank you so much Mr Penn : I hope the coming years will bring you more much stories to tell. If not, the Quicken is a masterpiece. And I’m sure, that many new songwriters will be soon referring.

 
 Enough - Tony Penn [4:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Stop reading this blog ! Merge couple bucks together and run / click the closest link below : gift you ‘the Quicken’. And to be honest but not modest, Sure you’ll thank me (;)) !

Artist : Tony Penn
Label : Big Cow Records
Where to Buy : cdbaby.com / emusic.com
Who else should you enjoy : Jon Jackson

If You Haven’t Heard - Small Sur - We Live In Houses Made of Wood (2008)

Published
by
smansmith
on September 8, 2008
in Acoustic, Folk, Indie, New Album Alert and Singer Songwriter
. 0 Comments

Third installment of “If You Haven’t Heard” and once again I bring you gold here people! Along with the two previous Monday posts, you must hear this if you haven’t already - I really mean it…see below.

Small Sur seems to be a bit of a play on a slice of California life, doesn’t it?  Well maybe if you grew up in North Central United States and followed that up with a few years on the California Coast, you might be a “Small Sur” as well.

Well maybe small in name but not in stature or talent, Bob Keal is the heart of this Small Sur.  Keal brings a honest, hushed folk sound to the table, a table that should be located at an old family cabin, deep in a haunted wood.  His music also feels like it lends to a slower time with down home roots and lazy afternoons.  I know I feel at home with this album, but I often get lost in a lone singer and an acoustic guitar.  Although at times you might feel like all items are merely accents to what Keal and his guitar are bringing to that table, there is more than just one lone troubadour on this album.  There is great harmonies from Julianne Nelson, bass and percussion from Scott Dennison and Austin Stahl respectively, with a personal favourite (the banjo) being supplied by Andy Abelow.

Small Sur finds itself on the Tender Loving Empire label who have just released this great album on August 19th of this year.  They have been touring this summer and have shared the stage with other great artists from Jana Hunter and Johanna Kunin to Wooden Wand.  For those keeping score, the likes of Jason Molina and Will Oldham are listed in the “if you like, then you should like…” notes from the label - not bad company if I do say so myself.

Small Sur can also be found on their MySpace page here.  I just might say, I am not shy in admitting that I have an early entry into my “best of 2008″ post this December…(it is like I keep saying that phrase a lot lately).

You can check out the mirrored post on my own blog - Slowcoustic here.  Included is another two tracks not included here, so go git ‘em!

~Smansmith

 
 Small Sur - "Ohhhhh pt.1" [4:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 Small Sur - "Big Sur" from 2006's self titled EP [2:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download