On Tour Together ! Yes. Have you really, really, really read the title of this post ? So what else to expect from me ?
First, some excuses : I’m really late posting about two of the most talented songwriters (yes I really measure these words) who are touring for some months now ! Then, few more buckets of apologies - last time - for being so short writing about this performance : only couple dates left in december. Check the schedule below, and jump to the artists sites for further details.
12/7 Sun Philadelphia, PA House Concert
12/11 Thur Charlottesville, VA Gravity Lounge
12/12 Fri Harrisonburg, VA Little Grill
12/19 Fri Winston-Salem, NC Fiddle & Bow
Well, admitting you don’t know Carrie Elkin… Joker ? Here’s your chance…
I won’t blame you because it was my case couple weeks ago. I don’t clearly remember the circumstance but good chance I was looking to satisfy my appetite for the Austin based songwriter… a click pointed me on Danny Schmidt’s Live Music Archive page. I’ve downloaded one of his show performed this last december at the Cactus Cafe … After couple intro solo songs, Danny invited Carrie Elkin to sing with him the superb ‘Drawing Board’ song. A good addition, Carrie’s light voice is bringing a new ‘relief’ to the solo performer… 2 songs later, the duet played ‘Serpentine Cycle Of Money’ : a terrific (unreleased ?) song… and what a revelation for me ! From the sweet backing vocals of the firsts songs, Mrs Elkin delivered on this one an amazing power ! I still can’t believe my ears seduced by both the song’s quality - even if it’s not really a surprise when it came out of Danny Schmidt - and by the deep raucous voice reached by such a slender looking of this Texan vocalist ( do never trust appearance). A single loop on her myspace’s playlist easily convinced me to add to my cdbaby cart (give me coupons) her last two albums : ‘The Waltz’ and ‘The Circumstance of Jeopardy’. An absolutely gorgeous package : musically, lyrically, vocally and… beautifully.
And if - I can’t imagine - if you don’t know Danny Schmidt… then consider buying his complete discography right now : Few can equals his songwriting density.
For both artists, find below the intro songs of their last albums, ‘Little Grey Sheep’ for Danny and ‘The Circumstance of Jeopardy’ for Carrie.
“…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)
Outside temperature are painfully reaching the 10° (celsius) in the afternoon, starting from a low 4° in the morning : an overlook on a yearly calendar.. here we are : winter knocking at the door ! So it’s been a busy time… many stuff to deal with, preparing everybody before the first snow falls…
Excuses. These are only excuses for posting a so short article about an artist who had released about 7 albums ! But excuses as a transition : before hibernation, I need WARM music to enjoy along a peaceful sitting by the wood-stoven light ! And Forest Sun is the one that match my quest.
Teased by Sean Hayes appearance on the song ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’, I’ve bought ‘Harlequin Goodnight’ on cdbaby.com earlier this summer and the full album is still shining. And I bet the Californian songwriter will be a long-term company during these coming months as his previous releases are on my never-ending-wish-list…
This one is going to be a keeper folks, the fourth installment of If You Haven’t Heard - “Donovan Woods”. Oh, did I mention we also have an unreleased new song as well?? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I have been listening to Donovan Woods for a little while, and in that short while I have found out that I tend to listen to him more than most artists (thank you Last.fm stats). There is a reason for this, plain and simple, his music is something that you can listen to, be amazed by, and not get tired of. Since picking up his 2007 release “The Hold Up”, it has ended up being one of my most listened to albums. His music reminds you of something that could be recorded by Sufjan Stevens (but without the theatrics). There is great guitar work, harmonies that compliment his strong knowledge of what works and sounds good. His music can be classic songwriter sparse and build up in tempo to an almost upbeat folk feel. At first I was a bit surprised that at times, such a delicate delivery of lyrics came from a guy that just might kick my ass for saying “delicate”. I guess I can just be thankful that Donovan likes bloggers. In fact he assures me that us “denizens of internet musical delivery” have been integral in his growing popularity. Well I think that this blogger enjoys delivering this music, classic folk/singer-songwriter stuff - songs that you can almost sing along to and not feel stupid doing it…ya know? Remember I said “almost sing along to” - I don’t think I have the chops of Mr. Woods.
Woods is a local in the Toronto scene (of which the photo above is from the a live gig at the Central) and is currently signed to the Sunny Lane Records Label. You can also pick up a copy of “The Hold Up” from iTunes (highly recommended) and after that you can wait alongside me for the upcoming 8 track EP “The Widowmaker”. I think that the EP should surface soon, but an exact release date hasn’t been released (well, to me at least). AAAAND….although you will still have to wait to purchase the rest of the EP, we have a taste of new material in the form of the unreleased track “Phone”. The song stays true to Donovan’s acoustic and piano driven ballads with that heartbreaking delivery of the lyrics and that classic build to the chorus.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do and after listening I assure you that Donovan Woods will start to climb your list of favourites if he isn’t already there. Don’t forget to visit Slowcoustic for more great Donovan Wood music on the mirrored post over there.
~Smansmith
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Autumn has come to soon ? I’ve got a solution… a one album-trip to Australia. It’s been a while, since ‘To The Dogs or Whoever‘ blog has stopped bringing me its regular dose of Australian music, that I didn’t receive any input from the land down-under.
A moon on an album cover ; nothing more, nothing else, I was a click away to discover the most brilliant EP this year hold so far. Phillip Bracken is a young - at least in music, so few information is available about him on the net - a young singer from New South Wales.
Beyond the first calm acoustic tags emerging on a primary listening, this short (i’m just eagerly awaiting for a full length) but intense 5 tracks collection revealed a powerful and hypnotic songwriting. For sure, Phillip’s brilliant and unique vocal is a major instrument in this beauiful delivering. I’m also totally seduced by the beauty of his compositions : simple - pure - and perfectly arranged.
With songs format which are mostly exceeding the standard, this album is an invitation for a peaceful break… and so residing one of its prowess : peaceful and contemplative but you’ll be surprised murmuring on ‘The Boy and the Sickle’ and ‘Ishmael’ is simply irresistible for your hands to be clapped, foot-taping later - even dancing for sure ! Mesmerizing.
If you need comparisons, the likes of Ben Harper, Nick Drake, Doug Burr or Josh Garrels (for both evocative guitars and warm voice) could be cited. But be sure, you will find none of those afore mentioned listening to Phillip Bracken ; none of those, but a highly dose of unique emotions. Soon to be yours !
For a debut, it’s a monument ! Such a major act won’t be unpunished ; my curisoty, once again, pushed me to contact Phillip for an interview : an opportunity to discover this promising talent. Enjoy his music while reading his anwsers.
YCD : Hello Phillip, how’s it going down-under ? Phillip Bracken : Really well. I’ve been living in a small coastal town for the last few months and I really like the energy here.
YCD : Before asking any further question, One is teasing my curisity : Tranquil Dwarf, what does it mean ? Phillip Bracken : It was going to be a moniker until I decided that my own name was good enough. To abbreviate the story the name came from a t.v show. I adjusted it to give it more irony and I guess for something for me to hide behind as well.
YCD : Would you mind telling us your story about music ? Phillip Bracken : I think we all have something we’re passionate about and that we feel a connection with. Music has always been the companion that accepts and understands all my moods. I’ve always enjoyed singing and writing as separate elements but I didn’t start taking guitar more seriously until a few years ago.
YCD : ‘Everything Looks Better in Candlelight’ is your first release. How did you finally decide to merge your songs into this dense collection and bring it to an audience ? Phillip Bracken : I wanted something to help myself be heard, remembered after gigs but something more complete than a demo. I was introduced to an amazing musician named Peter Northcote who gave me a nudge. Initially I wanted to record more songs but Pete and a couple of others told me to be patient and just put out five. We recorded the ep in his studio.
YCD : I have played ‘The Boy and Sickle’ at least a hundred times in these last 15 days… what’s your recipe for creating such a flowing song ? Phillip Bracken : That’s so great to hear. I’m not sure that I have a recipe or set method in the way I write. Sometimes the lyrics come first and at others it’s the music which was the scenario for this song. Finger-picking is also something that feels natural to me.
YCD : Suppose, that you have been condemned to spend a full year on an isolated island. Allowing to bring with you a single object which would you choose : a book or you guitar ? Phillip Bracken : Tough one. Probably a book and I would create an instrument out of coconuts and banana leaves.
YCD : Is there a song you wish you had written ? Phillip Bracken : I like the idea of going largely unnoticed and developing an underground following so something like Sugarman by Rodriguez.
YCD : If you could share a stage with any band or artist who would you choose and why ? Phillip Bracken : Sigur Ros. I saw them play recently and they were completely absorbing as much to the eye as ear. They looked totally lost in their instruments and came across as quite humble and unassuming.
YCD : Any other projects for the coming months, a first full length ? Phillip Bracken : I’m launching my ep in November in Sydney. Other than that I want to play more gigs and improve myself musically. I’d like to do a full-length at some point but it might still be a little way a way.
Well here we are at the 3rd installment of “If You Haven’t Heard” and I have some beautiful Americana ballads from “Ghosts I’ve Met”. So put down your whiskey and grab the one that you want to hang onto and press play, you won’t be disappointed.
Sam Watts is the heart of this “rotating cast” of players that enjoy the Ghosts I’ve Met title and he has been welcoming many an artist to join him over the last few years. The recordings see influences and assistance from co-founder Ben Blankenship along with Anne Marie Ruljanchic, Brent Arnold, Jen Turner, Karen Waltuch, Margaret White, Michael Lerner, Joe Seely and Amy Bezunartea - did I say rotating cast yet?? Take a trip over to the MySpace page and see all the artists this group has worked with…who’s who to say the least. Recordings have taken place over the last few years (since 2005) and although not all of his material has seen the light of day to this point, there has been a release earlier this year of an EP entitled “Payphone Patience” (that should be for sale through snocap in the US and their MySpace page). I have been lucky enough to receive a few tracks so as to not stalk his MySpace player.
The EP hmmm…it floats some sadcore Americana ballads that encompass and wrap around you, and not just singer-songwriter stuff, this is full band heartache here. The title track brings beautiful piano accents (from Darren Jesse of Hotel Lights - thank you very much) alongside a waning violin…stunning. This is the kind of stuff this EP is made of and while it has been done before, it usually isn’t done quite this well. It is a bit confusing why there isn’t more of this band floating around, they definitely have an audience in me (and now you fair readers)
I have included the aforementioned title track for “Payphone Patience” along with one other song. The additional track is another great track from the EP - “Reno”- a bit more of a laid back string arrangement than “Payphone…” and is another example of the the sound of “Ghosts I’ve Met”. Remember to visit Slowcoustic for another track, “Ghosts in the Snow”, on the mirrored version of this post over yonder.
Hope you all like it, now go to the MySpace page and convince Sam to release that full length album!
Another great reason to be as enthusiastic as Laura for this promising October Month is the forthcoming performance of Holcombe Waller. It’s been about two months, I’m exchanging some mails with this Portland based songwriter, requesting demos and asking for an interview. Following a kind message (review and interviews will come soon), I’ve received this announcement :
Dear world,
While insanity looms in the political arena and international markets crumble around us, let me invite you to a wonderful evening of music and video and light and ideas debuting in just two short weeks in Seattle.
“Into the Dark Unknown: The Hope Chest” is an original music theater performance that I have written about how we find hope in hopeless situations. It’s about transformation, and how we struggle with change - in ourselves and in the world around us. And, it’s about moving boxes, storage facilities, and of course, crushes on sexy people and long walks on the beach.
Funded and commissioned by a list of fabulous organizations you can read about on the project summary page here, “Into the Dark Unknown: The Hope Chest” represents the largest theatrical production I’ve ever created, incorporating contributions and feedback from a list of talented theatrical designers, artistic mentors, and a litany of life experiences both shitty and epiphanic. It is the traveling performance work to which my next album, “Into the Dark Unknown,” has merely become the companion piece (and yes, we’re working on it so announcements are forthcoming).
The show is October 2, 3 and 4 at 8pm at the lovely On the Boards (one of the commissioners). Thursday night we’ll have an after party mixer at the bar below the theater; Friday night we’ll have a post-show Q & A; Saturday night I’m having a raucous closing-night party at The Cuff.
If you’re in Seattle, please join us. If you’re in Portland, find that couch to crash on and come on up, we’re all going. For the rest of the world, please do forward this letter along to your friends. Reserving tickets is highly recommended:
You can read more about the show on On The Boards’ website. In 2009 it will be coming to New York, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver BC, and hopefully other US and European destinations, so stay tuned for all that.
[...]
With love, from the grind,
Fans of Holcombe Waller will surely forgive me the easiness of the copy/paste use- indeed they’re no longer reading this post but are already on the above booking link. So, If you’re still reading my approximate English, it seems that you’re not already addicted to Mr Waller musical universe. Please consider as an immediate purchase his unique available album on the e-market : Trouble Times released in 2005 - if you had the opportunity to have found his two previous collections, drop me a mail ! This album is in my library for 2 months and his ranking is already reaching my top ten !
With an amazing four octave vocal range, Holcombe Waller is delivering his visions with poetry on some haunting melodies. Sometimes organic, sometimes acoustic, his tunes are beautifully crafted with the addition of some sweet electronic arrangements which deserved his compositions, comparisons with Bjork’s sound. Also compared to Morissey ( especially cited for teasing my friend Geordie), Peter Murphy and Jeff Buckley by Performing Songwriter, Waller’s writing seems to be a never-ending dense creative process blending elements of pop, jazz and folk, giving you the opportunity to travel his various musicscapes. A unique experience. Stop Talking. Here are the two tracks i’ve selected for you : ‘Literally the End of the World’ from Trouble Times and a live version of the forthcoming title album : Into The Dark Unknown. Enjoy.
Holcombe Waller singing a Jacques Brel song “Ces Gens Là”
at the work-in-progress performance of “Into the Dark Unknown: The Hope Chest”
at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s Time-Based Arts Festival, September 2007, in Portland, Oregon USA
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YCD : Would you mind telling us your story about music ?
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