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So, I caught the news about how 90s dance diva/pop singer, Cathy Dennis, is still making a living in the music business - not as a performer, but as a music writer. She's responsible for huge hits for Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, S Club Juniors, and Janet Jackson, just to name a few. I'm happy to see her doing so well!
Anyway, this news caused me to flashback of my high school youth. I had seen her beautiful 60s haircut and neon green album cover and fell in love with her. I got her debut album, Move to This through my primary way of purchasing semi-cheap CDs: BMG Music Club (which I'm still currently a member).
I think at the time, she had "Just Another Dream" as a hit single, a dancey number with that catchy line "is it for real or is it just another dream (just a dream)", followed by "Touch Me (All Night Long)" which shows off her dancing skills on MTV.
Once I had the album, I was drawn to her sweet lullaby love song, "Too Many Walls". This song, complete with the violin parts, did really well on the Billboard charts.... and I believe it was the last time we heard from her in the States.
I don't know what happened really, she disappeared as quickly as she appeared on pop radio.
Looking at her discography, I can tell you that she did release two other albums, and a greatest hits, but as far as I know, they were only a blimp on the radar in the US. I'm sure she fared far better in her home country.
As luck would have it, Discopop reported a brand new Cathy Dennis album called Sexcassettes should be out in 2008:
Her manager, Spice Girls svengali Simon Fuller, adds that the album has “a real contemporary guitar feeling” - which is less encouraging.
I don't know about 'less encouraging', but it should be interesting to hear her new original songs.
Dennis, from the recent Yahoo article, adds more details:
Actually, yes. I've been working for the last year-and-a-half with a band I put together called Sexcassettes. We're shooting a video for the first single, "Killer Love," this month, and I hope to have it out by the end of the year. It's more of a band sound than produced pop. As usual, I have no idea what to expect.
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07/23/08 Ramkota Exhibit Hall Souix Falls, South Dakota
07/24/08 Grandmas Sports Garden Duluth, Minnesota 07/25/08 Riverside Ballroom Green Bay, Wisconsin 07/26/08 Streeters Traverse City, Michigan 07/29/08 Vans Warped Tour: Pittsburgh, PA 07/30/08 Vans Warped Tour: Riverbend Music Center OH 07/31/08 Vans Warped Tour: Verizon Wireless Music, IN 08/01/08 Vans Warped Tour: Marcus Amphitheater WI 08/02/08 Vans Warped Tour: First Midwest Bank IL 08/03/08 Vans Warped Tour: Canterbury Park ,MN 08/05/08 Vans Warped Tour: Credit Union Centre SK 08/06/08 Vans Warped Tour: Race City Speedway AB 08/08/08 Vans Warped Tour: Idaho Center Amp, ID 08/09/08 Vans Warped Tour: Gorge Amphitheatre WA 08/10/08 Vans Warped Tour: Columbia Meadows OR 08/13/08 Vans Warped Tour: Save Mart Center CA 08/14/08 Vans Warped Tour: Coors Amphitheater CA 08/15/08 Vans Warped Tour: Shoreline Ampitheatre CA 08/16/08 Vans Warped Tour: Sleep Train Ampitheatre CA 08/17/08 Vans Warped Tour: The Home Depot Center CA 09/04/08 MSU Auditorium East Lansing, Michigan 09/06/08 Crocodile Rock Cafe Allentown, Pennsylvania 09/07/08 House of Blues Atlantic City, New Jersey 09/08/08 Recher Theatre Towson, Maryland 09/10/08 The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina 09/11/08 The Music Farm Charleston, South Carolina 09/12/08 40 Watt Club Athens, Georgia 09/13/08 Real Big Deal Festival Gainesville, Florida 09/15/08 House of Blues New Orleans, Louisiana 09/17/08 Canopy Club Urbana, Illinois 09/18/08 The Blue Note Columbia, Missouri 09/19/08 Liberty Hall Lawrence, Kansas 09/22/08 Club Oasis Louisville, Kentucky 09/23/08 Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio 09/25/08 Magic City Music Hall Johnson City, New York 09/26/08 Northern Lights Clifton Park, New York 09/27/08 Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, RI 09/28/08 Toad’s Place New Haven, Connecticut 09/30/08 The National Richmond, Virginia 10/01/08 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, North Carolina 10/02/08 Rocketown Nashville, Tennessee |
I'm always excited about acoustic releases. I generally prefer them since they strip away the flashiness and give you the raw talent of the band. Motion City Soundtrack's Acoustic EP is no different. The EP features five tracks from their 2007 album "Even If It Kills Me". For those who don't know Motion City Soundtrack is an increasingly popular indie rock/alternative rock/pop group formed in Minneapolis. The band has released three albums under Epitaph Records.
As with most acoustic releases, the songs all sound much more earnest and heartfelt. The versions of "Fell In Love Without You" and "It Had To Be You" should go down in love-song history for their incredible emotion-evoking sound. Unlike some acoustic albums, Motion City Soundtrack delivers complete studio quality throughout the entire EP. There are not only acoustic guitars, but chimes, drums, piano, bass-- the whole nine yards.
This wasn't just a sit-down in the basement; it was crafted with much precision. The vocals may not have been as smooth as in "Even If It Kills Me" but they are strong and hit all their marks (which is no small feat with all of Motion City Soundtrack's high octaves). Even if you've already purchased "Even If It Kills Me" I highly recommend you pick this EP up. The quality and effort put into the Acoustic EP is easy to recognize, and it's a whole new take on all of the songs.
Links:
motioncitysoundtrack.com
myspace.com/motioncitysoundtrack
epitaph.com
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OK, show of hands: how many of y'all reading this have dropped acid? Strangely enough, considering my interests in neurology and altered states of consciousness, I never have. Nope. Not once. A friend of mine once said that I acted as though I were on acid all the time, just by default. Therefore, I've always been afraid that eating a tab or two might, paradoxically, make me normal. Can't have that now, can we?
Well, thanks to London, Ontario's Golden Death Music, you do not need to resort to illegal pharmaceuticals to experience seriously altered states--I'm talking the kind that can potentially mutate you into a Homo erectus or a telekinetic, maggotlike far-future form, so be careful when listening. Also, if you're forced to take a piss test at your job, do not be surprised if traces of Golden Death Music's stunningly beautiful first album, Ephemera Blues, turn up in your urine. This is the kind of bizarre, edgy, yet still tranquil music that will permeate your entire being after a few listens, lighting up your chakra, opening your Third Nostril, and perhaps transforming your pineal gland.
Golden Death Music is singer/songwriter Michael Ramey, but the album sounds as though it's been composed by a whole studio full of musicians. Nope. It's all Michael Ramey, who has written and recorded every song himself--a sizable achievement, since Ephemera Blues has a very large sound. Mixing elements of Pink Floyd, Donovan, 13th Floor Elevators, Legendary Pink Dots, Radiohead, and Jethro Tull into a swirling, multicolored and multitextured album, Ramey has created a record that literally defines the word "psychedelic." Though most songs are primarily driven by acoustic guitar and vocals, drifting in and out and through these primary elements like noctilucent clouds are eerie synths, glitchy electronic touches, flutes, cellos, electric guitars, horns, and heavily-reverbed backing vocals. Though the sounds all blend together nicely to create a languid, sleepy texture, all instruments are still distinct and nicely arranged in space, which makes this album a wonderfully immersive headphones experience. Coloured waves of sound will fill your mind with disembodied bliss...and best of all, there's no nasty come-down or flashbacks to worry about!
Much like Pink Floyd, Golden Death Music acknowledges that melody is the keystone of any piece, and Ephemera Blues is built on a solid foundation of melody and songwriting. Ramey's lyrics are often rather dark, as on the album closer "Into the Ocean"--"Throw yourself into the water / Feel the changed and tainted ocean / Let the damaged waves caress you / Feel the change"--but not morbid. In fact, there is an airy lightness to this album that gives it the feeling of a peaceful near-death experience and greatly justifies the name Golden Death Music. "Waking Nightmare" may be constructed from a tense, unnerving electro-glitch base, but the melody itself and the vocals are quiet and pretty, as though Ramey is observing the waking nightmare of life from the stance of someone who's left it all behind. Even "Lost in Violence," my favorite track on the album, manages to depict our earthly hell with a relaxed peacefulness.
Speaking of Pink Floyd, Ramey is one hell of a good guitar-player, and his acoustic guitar work will no doubt remind you a lot of David Gilmour. There are no guitar solos in his songs, however: they are trim, economical tracks that usually measure about four to six minutes in length--just long enough to let you lose yourself in them without becoming overlong or tedious.
In many ways, Golden Death Music's Ephemera Blues is musical theosophy. Much like the literary work of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Golden Death Music gathers together elements from many, many sources and attempts to synthesize them into a mystical, transcendent, syncretic unity. However, unlike theosophy, Michael Ramey actually succeeds. Whereas Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled was a hefty tome of absolutely insane religio-babble, Ephemera Blues is a tight, complex, but manageable assemblage of musical concepts and ideas that really will make you feel as though you've tapped into the Pistis Sophia, the gnostic truth, the one-ness, behind the confusion of reality. And it will bring you the peace of musical enlightenment.
It's another big CD-Tuesday for us, we've managed to cover most all of them:
- Sunfold - Toy Tugboats
- Mouth of the Architect - Quietly
- Lackthereof - Your Anchor
- Samantha Crain - The Confiscation EP
- The Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam
Man, I'm so glad that it will be a light release date for July 29th, but looking ahead, it looks like another big day for us for August 5th: The May Fire - The List, Peter Bradley Adams - Leavetaking, /Passenger. - Wicked Man's Rest, Trapt - Only Through The Pain, and Telepathique - Last Time on Earth... so looking forward to tackling those, since I am also assuming we will get more, the closer we get to that date. So below are last minute submissions for July 22nd:
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07/22/08 DC 9 DC, Washington DC
07/23/08 M Room Philadelphia, PA 07/25/08 Union Hall Brooklyn, NY 07/26/08 Mercury Lounge New York 07/27/08 Middle East (upstairs) Boston, MA 07/29/08 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC |
SUNFOLD
myspace.com/sunfold
With the release of Toy Tugboats, released today, July 22th, this North Carolina band, Sunfold, is kicking off a mini tour on the East coast.
Even though some of you might not know the name Sedona (the original name for the band) or Sunfold, you might know them through Annuals. What's interesting to note is that Sunfold includes all the members of Annuals, just under a different name.
Their biography lists that basically Annuals is headed by music singer/singer Adam Baker, while Sunfold is under songwriter Kenny Florence's direction.... and under his direction, it looks like Sunfold are gearing to a refreshing wide range of instruments (hammered dulcimer, lap guitar, cello), in addition to the standard guitar/bass/drums rock and roll fare.
I do like what Sunfold is doing here, trying out different genre of music. Take a listen to "Gnosis" and you'll think this must've been inspired by popular jazz and 70s progressive rock. The banjo and lyrics on "Shapeshiftin'" sounds very old-time music, while "To Wake the Eye" is pretty much jazz. "Sailed off to Sea" is their most country-sounding song, and "Gorgée de Rubis" is experimenting with artificial sound as well as a hint of Hindi music. As you can see, all songs are all over the place.
This might be a good thing if you consider that they are still growing and trying to find where they fit in. It should be interesting to see how the two bands exists parallel to each other as time goes by.
Toy Tugboats is out today on Terpsikhore Records. Look for their mini tour and/or see Annuals.
LACKTHEREOF
lackthereof.com ♥ myspace.com
Speaking of side projects, Lackthereof began life in 1997, before Danny Seim started another band in 2000 called Menomena, which took over as the main project. Seim have decided to return back to Lackthereof with this latest release called Your Anchor, released today, July 22nd on one of our favorite record label, Barsuk Records.
The promotional song Barsuk want us to us is "Last November", which makes my choice a lot easier, but if you ask me, I would've prefer to use "Ask Permission" as I felt that song edge out November slightly.
Since the songs on this album were probably closely watched and mixed by Seim, himself, he controls all you hear - so the songs seems to fall on the more experimental side. There's odd melodies and unconventional music shifts, making it not very pop radio friendly.
The most radio-friendly song is his cover of The National's "Fake Empire", one of his favorite bands. To be honest, I haven't had a chance to check out the National, due partly to all the hype for the band last year. After hearing Lackthereof's version of "Fake Empire", I might check out what all the fuss is about..... Although, I would hazard a guess that it sounds very unlike the original.
PS, the most interesting thing, if you ever get a chance to see photographs of Seim and his pug. Apparently, Ms Geddy Lee, the dog, is the manager of Menomena.
She and her band The Midnight Shivers are currently on tour promoting The Confiscation EP.
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Tour Dates
07/28/08 Jackpot Music Hall Lawrence, KS
07/29/08 Dulcineas Denver, CO
07/30/08 The Palladium Salt Lake City, UT
08/01/08 Pickathon Roots Music Festival Portland, OR
08/02/08 Pickathon Roots Music Festival Portland, OR
08/04/08 Triple Door Mayfield! Seattle, WA
08/06/08 Sam Bond’s Garage Eugene, OR
08/07/08 Axe and Fiddle Pub and Music Club Cottage Grove, OR
08/08/08 Sophia’s Davis, CA
08/12/08 Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, CA
08/14/08 Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica, CA
09/06/08 Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL
09/07/08 Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL
09/27/08 International Festival Lawton, OK
10/09/08 Taste Orlando, FL
10/10/08 The Globe Saint Petersburg, FL
10/11/08 New World Brewery Tampa, FL
Links: Official Website | MySpace | Virb
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26 Jul 2008 DAYTON DIRT COLLECTIVE DAYTON, Ohio
01 Aug 2008 Ravari Room Columbus, Ohio 02 Aug 2008 Zanies Too Indianapolis, Indiana 03 Aug 2008 Howler’s Coyote Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 04 Aug 2008 Xtreme Wheels Buffalo, New York 05 Aug 2008 The Downtown Quarterback Endicott, New York 06 Aug 2008 The Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts 07 Aug 2008 The Living Room Providence, Rhode Island 08 Aug 2008 Knitting Factory Tap Bar New York, New York 09 Aug 2008 Broad Street Minstries Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Aug 2008 DC9 Washington, DC, Washington DC 11 Aug 2008 Nara Sushi Richmond, Virginia 12 Aug 2008 The Milestone Charlotte, North Carolina 13 Aug 2008 Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, Georgia 14 Aug 2008 The Haven Winter Park, orlando?, Florida 15 Aug 2008 Brass Mug Tampa, FL 16 Aug 2008 Atlantic Gainesville, FL 17 Aug 2008 High Ground Venue Metarie, Louisiana 18 Aug 2008 Hi Tone Cafe Memphis,TN 19 Aug 2008 OPO Downstairs @ The Urban Table Fayetteville, Arkansas 20 Aug 2008 Downtown Music Little Rock, Arkansas 21 Aug 2008 Club Dada Dallas, TX 22 Aug 2008 Red 7 Austin, Texas 23 Aug 2008 Conservatory Ok City 25 Aug 2008 Gator’s Farmington,NM 26 Aug 2008 Clubhouse Tempe, AZ 27 Aug 2008 Knitting Factory Hollywood, California 28 Aug 2008 Chaser’s (fka Scolari’s) San Diego, California 29 Aug 2008 Thee Parkside San Francisco, California 30 Aug 2008 Rotture Portland, Oregon 31 Aug 2008 Riversdale Grange Roseburg, Oregon 01 Sep 2008 Studio Seven Seattle, Washington 03 Sep 2008 Marquis Theater Denver, Colorado 04 Sep 2008 Replay Lounge Lawrence, Kansas 05 Sep 2008 2 Cents Plain St Louis, Missouri 06 Sep 2008 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, Iowa 07 Sep 2008 Reggie’s Rock Club Chicago, Illinois |
One of my best friends has been telling me to check out Dayton, Ohio's Mouth of the Architect for about a year. He'd played some songs for me, and I'd dug them, and I don't really know why, but I never really got around to checking them out. And now, here I am, reviewing their new album, Quietly, and wishing I had.
Mouth of the Architect do the “post-metal” thing like few other bands. Rather than leaning heavily in one direction or the other, the more Explosions in the Sky style is mixed seamlessly with something more along the lines of Isis, creating something that's almost entirely their own.
Album opener “Quietly” opens... uh... quietly, with something that sounds like one of Mogwai's more contemplative moments with some added distortion and builds up over the course of ten minutes into a sludge epic. The returning original vocalist, Alex Vernon gives a really awesome, powerful performance here, and every time you think the track couldn't possibly get any heavier, it does, and yet, it never sacrifices the post-rock and psychedelic undertones that differentiate them from every other heavy band out there.
Most of the tracks on the album follow this general template of layers of noise stacked on top of each other, with some lengthy psych-sludge jam parts, but thankfully, it never feels like a template. The first part of “Guilt and the Like” is defined by cool, delirious sounding guitar riffs that would probably sound really hackneyed in the hands of a less competent band, but sound awesome here. “Generation of Ghosts,” on the other hand, starts with a trem-picked guitar riff reminiscent of the classic Godspeed You! Black Emperor crescendo, stretched out into an oddly ambient lead-in to something that would sound like a classic metal intro if it weren't for the softly sung vocals underlying it. The crescendo has a keyboard riff that adds an uplifting feel to the skull-crushing riffs. The intro to “Rocking Chairs and Shotguns” is reminiscent of Tool's more contemplative moments, with more time to contemplate, and none of the polish, with a fading guitar noodle that sounds like maybe someone wrote it hanging out in their rocking chair with their shotgun. The track returns to the theme set forth on the intro numerous times throughout in subtle ways. The last track, “A Beautiful Corpse,” on the other hand, just busts down the door and goes straight for the jugular. This is about as sludgy as this band gets, and they don't let up until the ending's shouted vocals without any instrumental accompaniment.
Overall if you like post-metal, you'll
probably dig this album. I found myself wishing I'd checked this band
out earlier, and I'm glad I have now. The album is out today, and the
band is about to head out on a huge US tour. More information and tour dates (because there are way too many of them to post them here. Vu can, though, if he wants to apply some of that fancy formatting I have no idea how to do) can be found at the band's official MySpace page. They're hitting about three quarters of the lower 48, so most of our American readers can probably catch them in the next couple months!
-Soup
Gimme a V! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! What's that spell? VOX!
What better way to tell the world how much you love Vox than to announce it on Facebook? That's right: Vox now has an official Facebook page! Become a fan of Vox.com on Facebook and let your friends know what you really care about: staying connected with friends and family through blog posts, photos, videos and comments.
Once you're a fan, you can also add photos and videos to the page, write on the wall, and connect with other Voxers in ways you may not have previously. Plus, it's a great opportunity to let people know about your Vox blog, or start discussion topics. To become a fan, just visit the official Vox.com Facebook page and click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
Once you've joined, why not post a response to the current discussion topic? Just post a link (and a brief description, if you'd like) to what you consider one of your all-time best Vox posts.
What are you waiting for? Become a Vox.com fan on Facebook today!
Due to awaiting correspondences (music submissions), I've decided to leave out two bands: Kid Sister vs Kid Brother. There might be a follow-up article, since I also have The Felice Brothers and Swing Out Sister, to pit against.
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BROTHER AND SISTER
brother-and-sister.com ♥ myspace.com
Words cannot describe the craziness of Minneapolis' Brother and Sister. These are real life brother guitarist (Michael Gaughan), and sister drummer (Katie Gaughan). They seem to have been around a little earlier than 2005, by which time they were acknowledged with several awards, including "Best Live Artist" (2005 City Pages). Their latest release, 1,000 Parties, really captures the energy and awesomeness in seven live performances, ranging from an old church ("March of Madness Scavenger Hunt" featuring three songs) to the Rollergardens skating ("Rock n Roll Summer Camp" featuring "1,000 Parties") to a county jail ("Sister Send Off" featuring "Never Gonna See Me Alive"). This double-disc release includes both the DVD and CD, but to me it only makes sense to watch the video (unless you're driving, which the audio CD would be more ideal). Also, I would have to say that some of the audio suffers as a result of the poor video source in the bikini funeral. The video quality on most of the live performances are amateurish, but the low-quality bootleg nature of the videos lends itself to that feeling of "being there". The county jail video looks fun too. They had a few of their fans and friends dressed up correctional outfits and filmed a music video behind bars. Forget the double-neck guitars, how about a custom quadruple-neck guitar??? That monster looks like it has to be strapped onto the body. The only real video is for "Awesome with my Life", it also means it's really the only studio quality recording. By default, it is really the only song that I can really use as an example for Brother and Sister (since with the other songs, you really need to be watching the video to completely get it). Watching the videos, I will have to say these siblings have a great time doing what they do best: playing energic guitar metal to a live audience and dressing up in 80s fashion (think neon zebra tights). Good news, you can check out the craziness live in Portland, Oregon, for one of their famous Scavenger Hunt (09/14/08). I couldn't find any details how you can actually purchase a copy of 1,000 Parties CD/DVD release, as their website under the buy (it looks like "boy") only lists their 10" debut self-titled album. I am sure if you contact them, they'd be more than happy to send you all the details. |
BROTHERS AND SISTERS
thebrothersandsisters.com ♥ myspace.com
Austin, Texas' Brothers and Sisters are an alt-country-folk group, although I think they are leaning more towards country. Mojo Magazine calls them as belonging to such music acts as Neil Young and The Jayhawks. There are many confusing things about their album, Fortunately, the press material I was given said that it's slated for release on July 22nd, however, a semi-recent press release said that it will be officially release August 19th. Plus, the most confusing thing was that iTunes recognized this disc as being "The Brothers and Sisters of L.A." I thought about the "Los Angeles" thing for a second and it does make sense if you look at the cover artwork, it features what looks like Yosemite National Park with a UFO over it? It would seem that the band consists of real-life brother and sister, Will and Lily Courtney. Most of their songs are sung by Will, but on occasion, like the delightful country song "Mason City" features Lily singing on the second stanza. The more and more I listen to "Mason City", the more I'm beginning to think it's not so much about traveling on the road, but more as a runaway. It's still a good song, whatever the subject matter might be. I think that's the key to listening to this album, you have to listen to it more than a few times to really get it. You see, at first pass, I thought they're nothing more than an alt-country band. But after the third or fourth time, I realize that they're actually more than that. Some of the more memorable songs I liked are the rocking "You're Gone", "I Don't Rely", and "The Trees Are Bare" (with a trio of talk-backs from Will, Lily and a guitar!). They just finished up their July dates, and their next one is in August. According to their myspace, they are planning on a bigger and expansive tour in late August.
Be sure to check site.weheartmusic.com for any tour announcements. |
THE CHAPIN SISTERS
Let me start off by saying how much I love their cover art of Lake Bottom LP. It is brilliant! There are hints of jealousy, heavy drinking, love lost, and bloody, sinister murder. This Los Angeles band consists of three real sisters Abigail & Lily Chapin and Jessica Craven, and I hate to compare them to such pop acts as Wilson Phillips, but they both seem to have the kind of harmonies you would expect. Unlike their pop counterparts, The Chapin Sisters doesn't seem to sing very many happy songs. Take these titles and subject matters into considerations: "Kill Me Now" (no explanation needed), "Let Me Go" (about a break up), "Don't Love You" ("Oh my darling, I don't love you/I'm not about to start.") and "I Hate The Moon" (about hating the night). Don't get me wrong, I actually really like these songs, they're full of great lyrics and melodies, but I think you certainly have to be in a more morbid mood (alone) to put this on your stereo. It's a CD serving for one. I've picked out "Hey", as I think this is the happiest song on the album. You can hear more music on their myspace and official site (they seem to really like "Kill Me Now", which I'm sure they find it an amusing song to the three sisters).
07/03/08 JOES PUB with Jen Chapin New York 07/05/08 Acoustic Long Island Summer Festival NY 07/07/08 PETE’S CANDY STORE Brooklyn, NY 07/08/08 GREEN LINE CAFE Philadelphia, PA 07/11/08 MCCABE’S Santa Monica, California 07/20/08 DIAMOND DAYS FESTIVAL Oakland, CA Bonus: They do a cover of The Smiths' "I Know it's Over" on their concert set list.
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THE AVETT BROTHERS
These are two real life North Carolina brothers, Scott & Seth Avett. I haven't heard of them before getting The Second Gleam for review, but apparently, if I read it right, they used to be in a punk/rock band called Nemo. Since going acoustic folk, it looks like they've gotten even more popular, especially because they've caught the attention of American Recordings/Columbia Records, who are releasing their next new album. If these six songs on The Second Gleam is any indications, I'll bet The Avett Brothers will do really well in the ever-growing market for Americana music (see my Americana series). It seems to me that their songs on The Second Gleam seems to be about love, death, life, and religion (all the good things in life!). I am drawn to their more depressing songs, whether it's about the death of his car on "Tear Down the House", or to his own death on "Murder in the City". Although, I would have to confess that their love song, "Bella Donna", also has a hint of sadness to it. I noticed that they are on tour, and would be curious to see how "Souls Like the Wheels" translate live. It's a really introspective and painfully quiet song.
The Second Gleam is released today, July 22nd on Ramseur Records. More details (track listing, etc) on site.whm, plus catch them on tour:
22 Jul 2008 The Second Gleam In Stores Nationwide! Everywhere, North Carolina
26 Jul 2008 Koka Booth Amphitheatre Cary, North Carolina 27 Jul 2008 FloydFest Floyd, Virginia 29 Jul 2008 Higher Ground Burlington, Vermont 31 Jul 2008 Outerland Edgartown, Massachusetts 01 Aug 2008 Shangri-La Music Festival Blue Hill, Maine 02 Aug 2008 Pearl Street Northampton, Massachusetts 03 Aug 2008 Newport Folk Festival Newport, Rhode Island 17 Aug 2008 Jackson Hole Music Festival Jackson Hole, Wyoming 19 Aug 2008 Strings Music Pavilion Steamboat Springs, Colorado 20 Aug 2008 The Depot Salt Lake City, Utah 22 Aug 2008 Big Easy Concert House Boise, Idaho 24 Aug 2008 Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre Portland, Oregon 27 Aug 2008 Woodland Park Zoo Seattle, Washington 28 Aug 2008 Britt Festival Jacksonville, Oregon 30 Aug 2008 Strawberry Music Festival Camp Mather, California 05 Sep 2008 Delta Fair & Music Festival Memphis, Tennessee 06 Sep 2008 Copper Dragon Carbondale, Illinois 07 Sep 2008 The Canopy Club Urbana, Illinois 10 Sep 2008 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, Oklahoma 11 Sep 2008 Granada Theater Dallas, Texas 12 Sep 2008 Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival Ozark, Arkansas 14 Sep 2008 Monolith Festival Morrison, Colorado 19 Sep 2008 Jefferson Center - Shaftman Performance Hall Roanoke, Virginia 20 Sep 2008 Charlottesville Pavilion - with the Drive By Truckers Charlottesville, Virginia 21 Sep 2008 Pier Six Pavilion - with the Drive By Truckers Baltimore, Maryland 25 Sep 2008 The Jupiter Tuscaloosa, Alabama 26 Sep 2008 War Memorial Auditorium Nashville, Tennessee 27 Sep 2008 Coyote’s Music & Dance Hall Louisville, Kentucky 02 Oct 2008 Georgia Theatre Athens, Georgia 03 Oct 2008 Georgia Theatre Athens, Georgia |