As if I don’t already have enough things on my plate. One of my resolutions, on my very short list, of things to do this year is listen to even more music, live music that is. The one constant thing in my life that truly makes me happy is music. After all it’s the universal language of love, sadness, and happiness. Music touches all of us in a different but very profound way. So to start of the year on the right foot I’m excited to introduce you to Joey Ryan. He will be performing this upcoming Monday, January 5th at The Hotel Cafe. It’s songwriter roundup that night and a little birdie told me there will be one very special guest there that night so it’s one night I don’t want to miss.
You can find his music on iTunes or buy directly from here. I’ve posted a free download of “As It Must Be” and video, but my favorite song thus far is “Like a Cloak” head on over to his myspace page to take a listen. Enjoy and see you The Hotel Cafe!
I loved Joey’s MySpace about section so I’ll post here for your viewing pleasure.
A COUPLE CHOICE INDUSTRY QUOTATIONS:
“One to watch”
- Jo Whiley, BBC Radio 1
“effortlessly charming music with a warm streak of melody, honesty and humility”
- Heather Browne, I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS
“Armed solely with his acoustic guitar the Californian singer – who appeared completely relaxed on stage – strolled his way through his set with consummate ease. His gravelly and powerful vocal ranged from boombox to mouse-like whisper”
- Zak Edwards, Birmingham Live, UK
AND.. WHAT THE MYSPACE FANS ARE SAYING!
“Sorry I couldn’t make the show at Zoeys – had to go to a friend’s birthday dinner”
“darn, i was hoping to catch a show sometime soon.. but you’re a tad out of my driving range!”
“I don’t know if I can make your show in Ventura on Saturday”
“So, I was watching This is Spinal Tap the other night, and it occurred to me that you REALLY remind me of Mick Shrimpton, the drummer that spontaneously combusts during the filming of the documentary”
“i can listen to it all day when im cleaning my apt”
“Falling” is a song Ryan Adams would kill for. So, watch your back.”
“I am thinking you secretly love Kashi”
“GREETINGS 1 LOVE KINGMAN TO DA I AN FAMILY MAY JAH BLESS YOURE WEEK WITH JOY!!!”
“i would like to speak fluently english, just so to understand fully your songs”
*Side Note
No One Else Like You and Light On are two songs featured on the very anticipated soundtrack for the movie Bella.
Why is it we always want what we don’t have? My latest adventure was hitting the road with The Guggengheim Grotto and Tadhg Cooke, both who I’ve talked about endlessly here on YCD. As you may all know I’m a huge fan of TGG, they are by far one of my favorite Irish bands and I was so excited to have had the opportunity to not only see parts of Ireland but also be a part of their little Irish tour. I met some wonderful artist along the way and am delighted to share some of their music with you.
This will be a long post so bare with me and keep on scrolling. Below you will find a video I shot of TGG, live at De Barra’s Folk Club in Clonakilty, Ireland. The song is Fee Da Da Dee. You can stream the original version off previous link. They’ve made some changes to fit the live performance.
The Guggenheim are finishing up their Irish tour and coming to the States at the start of 2009. So for everyone who has eagerly been waiting their return this is your chance to see them live. Keep checking back to their tour page for more updates. The album will be released in the States in 2009. If you live in Ireland you can purchase their album directly from their website. Shop here, for US customers you can buy the digital album here.
The wonderful Tadhg Cooke is currently working on a new album *crossing fingers* it get’s released in 2009. Follow him on his spiffy new official website for updates. Tadhg was the supporting the TGG on tour and I’m so happy I had the chance to see him perform live. I can’t wait for him to make his way out to the States.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Gavin Moore, a local singer song writer from Clonakilty, Ireland. We had an amazing late night session and we had the pleasure of listening to him sing a few songs. For more information on Gavin you can check out his official website or his MySpace page.
On the night before last that I flew out we were back in Dublin for the famous Ruby Sessions. If you’re ever visiting Dublin this definitely is a must do. Duke Special was performing last, don’t let the hair and make-up fool you, this guy is something special. Visit his MySpace page or official website for more information.
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!
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 !
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).
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.
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 artistlike yourselffaces today?
LJ – Ego and the desire for wealth – there’s nothing funny here , it is simply trueI am of course focusing on the word – Today –
Because it is a new phenomenon that , an artist , sees successas 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 veryup – 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.
How do I describe “The Cloud Hymn” other than simply repeating the newly assigned band name? I mean, no better description for a band lies in its name than the artist I have before you today. In the same way the band Death Vessel is a polar opposite of band name to band sound, this is a polar opposite of that polar opposite…lost yet? Basically The Cloud Hymn might just sound exactly what you would think they would – beautiful, airy and floating along (but with guitar and piano…).
Okay, seriously though, this unsigned Minnesotan talent took me off guard with the wonderful soundscapes and expanse of raw emotion. There is a dreamy ease to everything I have heard so far, but with a sad undertone that you can take away from more than just the lyrics. You can get lost inside of it all, even knowing it is a place built by/for one person. Whether you write/create due to personal experience (which is the case here) or just because you enjoy doing it (which is also the case here), I think that this cloud project is drifting in the right direction.
Taking us along in the right direction is John Nielsen handling the writing, vocals and guitar for his project. The terrific piano accents are brought to you from Paul Brandt and some wonderful additional vocal pairing from Tani Alyssa Eckdahl. Together the three have provided an almost ethereal display of these sad, but beautiful songs.
While I mentioned drifting above, I mean moving forward to a release of a full 11 track album by the fall (hopefully). Nielsen (the man behind the curtain for TCH you could say) assures me that this currently untitled album is completed and just in the midst of mastering prior to that pending release. There are some good folks in Eau Claire, WI at “The Distillery” that are assisting in the endeavor (here’s lookin’ at you Eric!). Well all I can say is I am looking forward to hearing the album and getting lost in it all.
I have two demo tracks for you all below, so drift along with these until the full length CD arrives and I try to sell you all on them all over again. Until then, visit their MySpace page here.
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As if I don’t already have enough things on my plate. One of my resolutions, on my very short list, of things to do this year is listen to even more music, live music that is. The one constant thing in my life that truly makes me happy is music. After all it’s the universal language of love, sadness, and happiness. Music touches all of us in a different but very profound way. So to start of the year on the right foot I’m excited to introduce you to Joey Ryan. He will be performing this upcoming Monday, January 5th at The Hotel Cafe. It’s songwriter roundup that night and a little birdie told me there will be one very special guest there that night so it’s one night I don’t want to miss.
The Guggenheim are finishing up their Irish tour and coming to the States at the start of 2009. So for everyone who has eagerly been waiting their return this is your chance to see them live. Keep checking back to their 
I also had the pleasure of meeting 
On the night before last that I flew out we were back in Dublin for the famous 
