This year is almost over and an evaluation is almost inevitable. I sat and thought about the things I can evaluate and came to a conclusion that there are so many, I just can’t deal with this boredom I could cause you. I just couldn’t sleep at night if I had done the crime of wasting your time with the evaluation of my life. I mean, really, who cares what’s the best food I’ve eaten this year? Or the best daiquiri I’ve drunk? I wouldn’t. So, I’m just going to do what’s best for all of us and skip that awful part. So, followed by a really loud drumroll… Here’s the music “yeah’s” and music “no way’s” this year.

- “Sleep well” album of the year:
Norah Jones – The Fall. I would call it a “no way” if it wasn’t so plain and modest. It didn’t disturb my good night’s sleep at all, because I just didn’t notice it. So – here goes… an inconspicuous “yeah” for all of you insomniacs out there.

– “Two good singles” album of the year:
You won’t believe me on this one probably, but let’s face it – I Gotta Feeling and Boom Boom Pow were the only two good singles from this year’s Black Eyed Peas album The E.N.D. They were good, okay, they got us all moving and jumping up’n'down, but we all know it’s not enough. If I would rate singles, it would be a definite “yeah”, but for the album there’s a big, fat “noooo way”.

John Mayer - Battle Studies (c) Sony Music

– “Quite boring, but decent” album of the year:

John Mayer – The Battle Studies. And I’m really sorry to say this, John. Continuum is still the best thing you’ve created. You’re still gorgeous, I still love you, but I think the routine has hit the relationship. The good news is – you can still get back on the track. Who Says proves it. Anyhow – this is a “yeah”, despite all.

– “Jump-around-shake-your-arse-like-you-just-don’t-care” album of the year:

Jamie T – Kings & Queens. In comparison with Panic Prevention, this is a downhill, obviously, but it still holds the obvious charm of Jamie T and his own style. There were tracks I loved, there were mundane tracks, there were the weird ones as well. Maybe, as time goes by I will love the tracks I hated at first, as it was with Panic Prevention. A single I just can’t fly by and not mention in this case is Sticks’n'Stones – amazing, full of energy and an obvious success. So yeah, I do give it a “yeah”. And I still want to see him perform live. Preferably Sheila and Northern Line, though.

Jamie T - Kings & Queens (c) Virgin Records

– “It was good, but let’s not take this any further” album of the year:

Susan Boyle – I Dreamed A Dream. Well, this is just sad. Okay, it was great how she rocked Simon’s socks off at Britain’s Got Talent last year, but why, and this is a serious WHY, did she have to record an album, for God’s sake? And yeah, I know everyone has a right for their 15 minutes of fame, but didn’t hers tick out when she performed the third time of the song from Les Miserables? Oh well, but what do I know… Everyone, hurry to get your copy of copies!

– ALBUM OF THE YEAR. As simple as that.

Jamie Cullum – The Pursuit. I am convinced that a lot of people will listen to Jamie Cullum, the young boy (well, not so young anymore as he turned 30 this year) from Essex, in the future the way we listen to Frank Sinatra now. With honor, appreciation and admiration. Despite the critics who are on to Jamie about him “making the jazz pop-ish” I think that we are actually experiencing the birth (yes, and I’m sure he’s only in the early stages) of a legend. The first time I heard The Pursuit, I thought “Okay, not a lot of new stuff, but it’s decent at least. He hasn’t made the world’s best album, but he is still not breaking his own levels of mastery”. Then I heard it again, and again, and again… And I fell in love. I’m still listening to THe Pursuit every single day and it still gives me goose pumps. So “yeah”, this is a very loud “YEAH” for fabulous Jamie Cullum.

Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit (c) Universal Music

I’ve got some “yeah’s” to give to Dave Matthews Band for Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, Amerie for In Love & War, Mika for The Boy Who Knew Too Much, Arctic Monkeys for Humbug, Ida Maria for – Fortress Round My Heart, Royksopp for Junior and Muse for The Resistance. And some definite “no way’s” for Eminem – Relapse and some of the very unfortunate comeback attempts from The Backstreet Boys and Take That (YES, INDEED!)

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein

Many years back when I was  young and rebellious, I told myself and others that I would never be stuck behind a desk working for a corporation.  Little did I know that sentiment is much easier said than done. After university the creative fire that defined my maturity and overtook the athletic inclinations of my youth burned with unquenchable passion.  Since this is not the venue for biography, suffice it to say that creating my opus via the circuitous route of learning to produce it was, in retrospect, rather off-track.  Over the interim my eyes drifted from the prize.  This complacency put me in the position of sitting in a cubicle doing broadcast systems support for what I thought was an entertainment company in a region far from homeland  and family.  The current economic climate has presented the corporation with the opportunity to relieve itself of my salary as of April Fools day 2010.  Rather apropos, I must admit.

Disenchantment with my career path has prepared me for this, and I look forward to that day with great relief amongst my trepidation.   Try as I might, I have not been able to produce my debut music album or put together a solid live show of my material.  Now I will have no choice, because I will not look for another job.  My re-location back to the southwest United States is imminent.  I am grateful for the companionship of my lovely wife and two young boys, and I regret any hardship this transition may bear upon them.  But ultimately we will all be much better for it.  And You, the fans of my future emissions, will be benefactors. Though this statement may present itself as conceit, to me it is simple fact. So I am arriving at my identity after  wearing disguises for far too long. I humbly beseech you to join me on the journey into the future.  At this time the best way to keep track of me is through my NetVibes Public Page.  I will be adding all of my up to date social networking links to that page as they are developed. Please keep in contact, and you will not be disappointed.  There will be a lot of benefits to being an early fan.

]]> http://jookboks.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/angus-julia-stone-babylon/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:49:55 +0000 Bene http://jookboks.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/angus-julia-stone-babylon/

vom Album “Chocolates & Cigarettes”
“A Book Like This” is auch sehr gut!

..genau das Richtige, um nach der Arbeit auffa Couch zu chillen. Fehlt nur noch die Couch.

TopTopTop: Paper Aeroplane, Silver Coin, Just A Boy

Ikväll fredag spelar jag med David & Goliath på Pet Sounds bar på Söder. Vi kör några låtar live vid 21-snåret som en del av favoritklubben Growin’ Up. Jag hoppas att så många som möjligt dyker upp. För övriga är här Days In The Choir som vi kommer att spela – och som inom kort kommer att finnas på Spotify!

First of all, Jackie DeShannon is very new to me, and I am by no means an expert. I suppose that I’ve recognized her name for at least a few years, but I didn’t associate it with much of anything until recently. A few months ago I was having drinks with a friend of mine and gushing over his band’s song “Splendor In the Grass” when he told me that, unfortunately, that hadn’t written the song at all. In fact, it was very old, somewhat rare Jackie DeShannon tune recorded with the Byrds as her backing band.

Determined to get ahold of this tune in the original context, I finally tracked down the album Me About You from 1968. Quite simply, I’ve been rather surprised at DeShannon’s ability to ride the fence between a number of seemingly contradictory roles in popular music. As a songwriter, she’s been credited with the success of a varied palate of artists including the amazing Brenda Lee, Marianne Faithful, and even Kim Carnes. As a performer she’s created music almost as varied.

Her first album, released in 1963, was a hybrid of the Brill Building pop that she’d had a hand in establishing, and more serious folk music that was just beginning to take hold of college campuses at the time. By the time Me About You arrived she’d managed to create a fully-formed folk-rock sound with the light, enjoyable flavor of girl-group pop, but with enough substance to add an extra emotional heft.

To be fair, I must admit that this record is not a life-affirming masterpiece, or a work of staggering vision or genius. It is, however, an extremely pleasurable listen that has the power of reminding you of when life was, or at least seemed to be, simpler, brighter, and more full of promise. (Download Jackie DeShannon’s – Me About You.)

DeShannon’s Website

The Jackie DeShannon Wikipedia Entry

Purchase Me About You/To Be Free Reissue

Editor’s Note: “Underground Nashville” covers artists, authors, musicians, poets, political figures, and other compelling people and happenings not typically covered by the mainstream Nashville media. It also presents reflections and commentary from an underground/indie perspective. As I told ‘The Tennessean’ in 2008, “since moving to Nashville twenty-five years ago, I have met people whose lives do not remotely reflect the caricature of what many outside our city presume to be a Nashvillian” or the Nashville experience. “Underground Nashville” thus explores the soul of the city, not its surface—offering “thoughts from the shadows of a great American city.”

Dave Carew

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As we head into Thanksgiving week, please do not forget those less fortunate than you. The Nashville Rescue Mission just released a statement declaring “about 5,000 people will find their way here on Thanksgiving Day alone.” To make sure they receive love, friendship, and a comforting meal, please call (615) 255-2475 or visit Nashvillerescuemission.org.  Thank you.

************

The “Grow Your Following” Series
for Singer/Songwriters and Bands

Part 1:  Getting the Media to Cover You

by Dave Carew

Let’s face it: If you’re an “indie novelist” like me—or an indie singer-songwriter like you or one of your friends—it’s not easy getting the media to cover you.

But here’s the deal: When my latest novel was published, I received positive media coverage in The Tennessean, The City Paper, The Vanderbilt Hustler, and Dish.com.

So how did I do it? More important: How can YOU?

Let me share a few publicity secrets I’ve learned over the years. First, don’t overlook what I call the “gimme’s.” This is the publicity you get when you’re automatically listed in the “club listings” of your local newspaper. Determine the e-mail address for submitting club listings (it’s often something self-evident, such as “listings@tennessean.com.”)  And make sure you e-mail a JPEG photo (at least 350 dots per inch) of yourself/ your band. You’ll “pop” in the club listings a lot more if your photo is there, next to your listing.

Next, move on to the next level of PR. Get the specific name, e-mail address, and phone number of every journalist in a given city who covers music. Then, at least 10 days before your gig, e-mail each journalist the essential information about your upcoming gig, starting with the “who, what, where,” but also sending interesting information about yourself or your band. In that information, try to quickly address the question” “What is unique about me or my band? Why would a music journalist and his or her readership find me/us interesting?”

Then, two days later, call each journalist, introduce yourself and say you’re briefly following up on the information you sent him or her. Specifically ask if he or she might like to write an article about you, in conjunction with your/your band’s upcoming performance. If the journalist says “no” this time, don’t give up. Implement the same PR strategy around your NEXT gig in your city, or when you travel to other cities.

The truth is, no one can predict how much publicity you’ll land thanks to any given PR effort. But using the strategy described above, I’ve helped artists land publicity in every single newspaper in Nashville, plus many others throughout the Southeast. Keep trying, and this activity will secure publicity for YOU, too.

David M. (Dave) Carew is editor of “Underground Nashville” and the author of the novels “Everything Means Nothing to Me: A Novel of Underground Nashville” and “Voice from the Gutter.” He also is a freelance publicist and copywriter.

Nashville artist Will Hoge performs his catchy ode to rock & roll music. As his calling in life with a passion that continues to grow, much life his fan base. Garnering buzz from new fans & industry insiders alike, Hoge is poised to break out with his latest album “The Wreckage”,  which was release on September 29th, 2009. “The Wreckage” was released  almost a year-to-the-day  after a severe scooter accident which required multiple surgeries, and put his music on hold. Hoge later returned, healthy & with a renewed drive and zest for music, which can be heard throughout his album with standout tracks such as: “Even if it Break Your Heart”, “Hard to Love”, & “Favorite Waste of Time.”

Descriere: vocalist, compozitor, instrumentist (chitară, pian), producător

Născut: David Ryan Adams, 5 noiembrie 1974, Jacksonville, North Carolina, SUA

Gen: Pop/Rock

Stiluri: Alternative Country-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative, Americana/Alt-Country, Roots Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock

Biografie:

Considerat a fi un produs al scenei “alt-country”, deşi o bună parte a repertoriului său este orientată mai mult spre rock, tânărul cantautor Ryan Adams s-a impus de la începutul acestui mileniu printre cei mai importanţi muzicieni americani ai generaţiei sale. Chiar dacă succesul său comercial este mai curând unul moderat, artistul beneficiază de un public constant, foarte devotat, ca şi de aprecierile unei bune părţi a criticii. El se bucură şi de respectul unor iluştri colegi de breaslă, cum ar fi spre exemplu Elton John, care l-a denumit “the fabolous one”. Un compozitor foarte prolific, Ryan Adams oscilează în general între reprize de rock’n’roll energic şi balade cu o puternică încărcătură emoţională.

Născut în oraşul Jacksonville, din statul Carolina de Nord, artistul a crescut ascultând muzică country, dar din adolescenţă a devenit un adept al punk-ului. A început să scrie cântece pe când avea 15 ani, iar un mai târziu şi-a alcătuit o formaţie numită The Patty Duke Syndrome, inspirată după propriile-i mărturisiri de Hüsker Dü. Din ’93 trupa s-a mutat într-un alt oraş din Carolina de Nord, Raleigh. După numai un an însă, Adams a părăsit Patty Duke Syndrome şi a înfiinţat un alt grup, Whiskeytown, orientat de această dată spre sound-ul country-rock alternativ, aflat în plină expansiune în anii ’90. Whiskeytown avea să devină una dintre marile promisiuni ale genului, dar disputele interne au dus în cele din urmă la desfiinţarea sa, în 1999, după numai cinci ani de existenţă, timp în care a imprimat trei albume.

Pentru Ryan Adams despărţirea de Whiskeytown a însemnat începutul carierei sale solo. În 2000 el a realizat un prim album, Heartbreaker. Acesta a fost editat de label-ul independent Bloodshot Records, beneficiind de participarea unor invitate ca Emmylou Harris şi Gillian Welch. Adams s-a aflat apoi între primii artişti care au semnat cu  Lost Highway Records, un nou subsidiar al concernului Universal, profilat pe alt-country. Primul disc lansat de el acolo a fost Gold, în vara lui 2001. Cronicilor entuziaste, un fapt obişnuit pentru Ryan Adams încă din perioada Whiskeytown, li s-au adăugat acum şi vânzările semnificative, nu doar în State, ci şi în Marea Britanie, unde Gold a reuşit chiar să intre în Top 20. După catastrofa din 11 septembrie, radio-urile americane, ca şi MTV-ul, au difuzat intens piesa de deschidere a albumului,  “New York, New York”, deşi aceasta făcea de fapt referire la un eşec sentimental. La începutul anului următor, Ryan Adams a fost nominalizat de trei ori la Grammy, la categoriile “Best Male Rock Vocal” (pentru “New York, New York”), “Best Rock Album” (pentru Gold) şi “Best Male Country Vocal” (pentru un cover după Hank Williams, “Lovesick Blues”, provenit de pe un album-tribut). Nici una dintre respectivele nominalizări nu i-a adus însă vreo distincţie.

Următorul material discografic semnat Ryan Adams a fost Demolition, apărut în toamna lui 2002. Demolition reprezenta o selecţie dintre cele 60 de cântece pe care Adams le-a compus vreme de un an de zile, după ce a lansat Gold. Demonstrându-şi mai departe fecunditatea şi inspiraţia, artistul a revenit în noiembrie 2003 cu un album, Rock N Roll, şi un EP,  Love Is Hell, Part 1, ce au ieşit pe piaţă în aceiaşi zi. Love Is Hell, Part 1 a avut apoi parte de o continuare, tot în format EP, intitulată desigur Love Is Hell, Part 2. În 2004 cele două EP-uri au fost reunite pe un singur CD. De menţionat că una dintre piesele din cuprinsul lor, “Wonderwall” (cover după Oasis), i-a adus lui Adams o altă nominalizare la Grammy.

Cu tot ritmul regulat al realizărilor proprii, artistul şi-a găsit timp în perioada respectivă şi pentru diverse colaborări. Astfel Adams a apărut ca invitat şi pe discuri semnate de Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, Caitlin Cary (fosta sa colegă din Whiskeytown), Counting Crows sau Wallflowers. În 2003 a iniţiat un side-project punk, The Finger, alături de Jesse Malin (ex-vocalist la D-Generation). The Finger a realizat două EP-uri, comasate apoi pe un singur CD, denumit We Are Fuck You/Punk’s Dead Let’s Fuck.

Din 2004, Ryan Adams şi-a alcătuit o trupă permanentă de acompaniament, denumită The Cardinals. Primul material scos pe piaţă alături de Cardinals este Cold Roses, lansat în mai 2005. La scurt timp, în septembrie, a mai fost lansat un album Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Jacksonville City Nights, ce include şi un duet cu Norah Jones, “Dear John”. Surprinzător, în decembrie, Adams a realizat un al treilea album pe 2005, intitulat 29, de această fară Cardinals.

În perioada 2006-2007, artistul şi-a uimat fanii postând pe site-ul său oficial o serie de peste 20 de albume, spre descărcare gratuită. Acestea sunt semnate cu diverse pseudonime, ca DJ Reggie, The Shit, Sad Dracula sau WereWolph şi sunt în general parodii hip-hop şi punk sau înregistrări de factură lo-fi.

Ryan Adams a revenit pe piaţă în vara lui 2007 cu un nou material de studio, Easy Tiger, ce avea să-i aducă prima sa intrare în Top 10 Billboard. Deşi Easy Tiger a fost imprimat tot cu ajutorul celor de la Cardinals, numele trupei nu este menţionat pe copertă.

Un an mai târziu a fost lansat un nou album, Cardinology, ultima realizare a lui Adams alături de The Cardinals, de care s-a despărţit oficial la începutul lui 2009. În martie acelaşi an s-a căsătorit cu actriţa şi  cântăreaţa pop Mandy Moore.

Discografie:

Ryan Adams [solo]:

Albume de studio:

Heartbreaker – 2000 – Bloodshot

Gold – 2001 – Lost Highway (#59 US, #20 UK)

Demolition – 2002  – Lost Highway (#28 US, #22 UK)

Rock N Roll – 2003 – Lost Highway (#33 US, #41 UK)

Love Is Hell – 2004 – Lost Highway (#62 UK)

29 – 2005 – Lost Highway (#114 US)

Easy Tiger – 2007 – Lost Highway (#7 US, #18 UK)

EP-uri:

Love Is Hell, Part 1 – 2003 – Lost Highway (#78 US)

Love Is Hell, Part 2 – 2003 – Lost Highway – Lost Highway

Extra Cheese (Valentine’s Day EP) – 2009 – Lost Highway

DVD-uri:

Music In High Places: Ryan Adams Live In Jamaica – 2003 – Image Entertainment

Single-uri de top:

“New York, New York” – 2001 – Lost Highway (#53 UK)

“Answering Bell” – 2002 – Lost Highway (#39 UK)

“Nuclear” – 2002 – Lost Highway (#37 UK)

“So Alive” – 2004 – Lost Highway (#21 UK)

“Wonderwall” – 2004 – Lost Highway (#27 UK)

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals:

Albume de studio:

Cold Roses – 2005 – Lost Highway (#26 US, #20 UK)

Jacksonville City Nights – 2005 – Lost Highway (#33 US, #59 UK)

Cardinology – 2008 – Lost Highway (#11 US, #41 UK)

EP-uri:

Follow The Lights [aka Everybody Knows] – 2007 – Lost Highway (#40 US)

The Finger:

Albume de studio:

We Are Fuck You/Punk’s Dead Let’s Fuck – 2003 – One Little Indian

auch gut: Crooked Sky

Edit: Bisher gibts nur ne Online-EP – bei iTunes.. immerhin mit 6 Tracks.. Ein Album kommt dann hoffentlich demnächst mal..

Idag är det premiärnerver här på bloggen! Låten Santa Claus Gone Missing är det färska resultatet av mitt och Henriks musikaliska projekt David & Goliath. En julsång för alla er som fått nog av Carolas Jul i Betlehem.

David & Goliath spelar live på klubben Growing Up på Pet Sounds Bar fredagen den 27/11, runt kl 20. Mer info om det hittar du här inom kort.

Väl bekomme – och God Jul!

A 28-year old high school Social Studies teacher in Jamaica, New York, who is also a Comedy Songwirter. He has written over 80 parody songs on a variety of topics including smoked salmon and Mahatma Gandhi. “Interestingly enough, Gandhi walked barefoot and probably had feet that smelled like smoked salmon,” Saul.

To book please leave comment or email jacobgold1@verizon.net!

Tisdagar, torsdagar och söndagar listar jag mina 30 favoritalbum från oo-talet.

• #30 Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
• #29 Iron & Wine (with Calexico) – In the Reins
• #28 Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
• #27 Bear Quartet – My War
• #26 M Ward – Post-War
• #25 Morrissey – You Are The Quarry
• #24 Richmond Fontaine – We Used To Think The Freeway…
• #23 Eldkvarn – Atlantis
• #22 Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
• #21 Solomon Burke – Don’t Give Up On Me
• #20 Lucinda Williams – Essence
• #19 Glasvegas – Glasvegas
• #18 Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter

#17 Nick Cave – No More Shall We Part (2001)

I sina bästa stunder är Nick Cave ett motgift mot den ytlighet, ironi och uppgivenhet som ständigt hotar att ta kommando över våra liv. På No More Shall We Part är hans till synes enkla recept strikt växelbruk mellan stegrande rockepos och smäktande ballader. Resultatet är ett stort album om kärlekens urstarka och helande kraft. En mässa man mår bra av att besöka då och då.

Graham Parker, Brisith singer/songwriter, Graham Parker & the Rumour

Det här är skivan som mina grannar antagligen hatar just nu. För när jag spelar Mumford & Sons pampiga punkfolk kan jag inte kontrollera volymhanden. Den vrider på tills det skallrar i fönsterrutorna. Och fötterna måste bara stampa. Det är irländsk folkmusik för Arcade Fire-publiken. Episkt och ösigt – kort sagt riktigt bra. Sigh No More finns på Spotify, smakprov finns här på Grooveshark.

Och du, upp med volymen lite till…

Så rörigt det blev när Patti Smith skulle sjunga sitt paradnummer Because the Night på Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame härom veckan. Hon kommer inte in rätt i låten, hur hon än försöker. Det hjälper inte att hon sjungit den hundratals gånger eller att mannen som skrev sångfan, Springsteen, står bredvid. Publiken garvar åt henne. Nej, det krävs en vaken trummis och en världsförbättrare, Bono, för att hon ska lyckas.

This beautiful baby grand piano will soon be auctioned for charity .

Watch this blog space for further details.

This piano could be yours

The original artwork is done in oil paint and sealed with varnish and the design is comprised of hundreds of roses.

Detail of artwork

Singer/songwriter Tim Arnold playing his latest composition supported by the children’s choir. An absolute delight to meet them all and the highlight of my residency in Soho. To find our how this piano can be yours watch for updates on this blog.

View the video

Kanada fortsätter att ge oss bra musik som pant för alla hockeyspelare de lånar. I år har Joel Plasketts knyckiga, eklektiska folkindie fått många kanadicker att gå igång. Och efter ett par lyssningar på dubbeln Three (där många av de 27 spåren har titlar som Wait, Wait, Wait och Run, Run, Run) börjar jag förstå varför. Melodiöst och rikt på kluriga infall, men med tydliga folkrötter. Lyssna här. Plaskett är nominerad (bl a) till årets album på Canadian Folk Music Award, men lär nog få se sig slagen av Great Lake Swimmers. Ja, ni hör. De får gärna behålla Sedinarna ett tag till.

Meghan Tonjes

Meghan Tonjes is a true gem, an artist you only come across every so often. As a big fan and supporter of Meghan and her music I am always very excited when she creates new original material of her own. The latest track from this independent muso is call The Weight Of, simply it is beautiful. Do yourself a favor and check out The Weight Of bellow!

NL2T Rating: Song: 3.5/5

is my age or something or have I simple just started to notice that I am due a service.  Weird toothaches and now a funny necks.  I don’t mean it looks weird (even though once I stayed of school cos I thought my neck was suddenly to long) I mean I turned today and now it hurts, Maybe my head is starting to fall off.  I have always had my suspitious that this might happen but not at 27.

I have past my driving test!  Yey 3rd time lucky.  So watch out as I am now out on the roads.  Have spent the whole day doing tax stuff, ha the unglamorous side of being a singer/songwriter.  Do it yourself or get charged a fortune by someone who knows what they are doing.  I’d rather not have a clue what I’m doing and keep my money.  So yes,  lots of paperclips.

Here is a pic tell me if my neck looks too long.

Tisdagar, torsdagar och söndagar listar jag mina favoritalbum från oo-talet. Mitt personliga bokslut för ett årtionde som bjudit på så många stora ögonblick.

• #30 Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
• #29 Iron & Wine (with Calexico) – In the Reins
• #28 Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
• #27 Bear Quartet – My War
• #26 M Ward – Post-War
• #25 Morrissey – You Are The Quarry
• #24 Richmond Fontaine – We Used To Think The Freeway…
• #23 Eldkvarn – Atlantis
• #22 Death Cab For Cutie – Plans

#21 Solomon Burke – Don’t Give Up On Me (2002)

När sångare med dalande karriärer nylanseras med album där låtskrivareliten anlitats bör man som regel dra öronen åt sig. Men ibland blir det rätt lyckat. Och några få enstaka gånger blir det överjävligt bra. Som på Solomon Burkes Don’t Give Up On Me. Låtarna må vara signerade av herrar som Dylan, Costello, Waits och Van Morrison och producerade med absolut gehör av Joe Henry. Men i munnen på Burke blir sångerna hans egna, de får färg av hans livserfarenheter och liv genom hans unika sångröst. Helt fantastiskt. Precis som det anstår en kung av Rock And Soul.

Frank Turner ist ein ganz Großer! Das muss man niemanden erklären, der ihn schon kennt. Ihn als legitimen Nachfolger von Billy Bragg zu bezeichnen, ist wohl nicht übertrieben. Vor kurzem ist sein neues, großartiges Album “Poetry of the Deed” auf Epitaph erschienen, dass er auch in Deutschland vorstellen wird. Als kleines Schmankerl gibt es hier schon einmal sein neustes Video. Und in folgenden Städten könnt ihr den englischen Singer & Songwriter sehen:

01.12.2009: Hannover – Bei Chez Heinz

02.12.2009: Köln – Luxor

10.12.2009: Hamburg – Molotow

11.12.2009: Berlin – Magnet

12.12.2009: München – 59 to 1

Mehr Infos zu Frank Turner gibts hier.

Igår var jag på konsert. Ljuvliga singer/songwritern William Fitzsimmons gästade stan och sjöng deppiga sånger om förlorad kärlek och om döden. Det var väldigt mysigt.

Efter den avskalade, akustiska spelningen bytte jag några ord med William, som var hur jävla trevlig som helst. Han skrev lite vackra ord och sin snirkliga signatur på mina skivor och sedan kramades vi. Han var mjuk och varm och skägget kittlade skönt mot min kind.

Gabriel Sullivan knows a lot of styles and he’s adept at them. More specifically, his new cd By the Dirt runs through a whole bunch of stylized genres, pretty successfully – the playing is generally good, he’s got a good sense of melody and a feel for vintage Americana styles. Mixed by Craig Schumacher of Calexico and Friends of Dean Martinez renown, Sullivan’s going for a dusky southwestern gothic feel (a concept made clear by the cd cover, the songwriter posed sullenly against a photoshopped backdrop of a battered piano in the sagebrush), although the sound is more straight-up southern in a lot of places.

The album’s opening number reminds of Reid Paley, kind of a stripped-down ghoulabilly blues with banjo and harp. The title track is a swinging, memorable, Waitsh-ish tune: “We all live and die by the dirt,” Sullivan reminds ominously. Track three, the snide, defiant Life Is Fine has Sullivan affirming that “You ain’t never gonna see me die.”

How to Treat a Man reminds of Steve Wynn’s legendary Dream Syndicate with its slide guitar-driven, bluesy stomp. By contrast, Me & the Dog is ghostly, lowlit by some sweetly phosphorescent singing saw work. Of the country songs here, by far the most interesting and original is the metaphor-laden, nocturnal ballad The Gardens, its protagonist aching for some peace. There’s also a clanking noir blues, a Waits-style outlaw ballad and then more and more Waits, it seems – by this point, Sullivan seems to have run out of ideas of his own, and the overlong, pointless guitar solo out of the last number does nothing to change that. In terms of the three stages of artistry – imitation, emulation and originality – Sullivan’s passed the first and has command of the second – and there’s nothing wrong with having the ability to synthesize or move smoothly from one oldtime style to another, as he does effortlessly here. It’ll be interesting to see how his writing develops as he grows as a songwriter. In the meantime, fans of dark Americana rock and all the other retro styles he tackles here will enjoy most of this. Keep your eye on this guy – he knows what he’s doing, even if he could be confused with a whole lot of other people on some of the tracks here.

We are excited to be apart of the New Music Monday partnership with SAMaM Global.  Today, we bring you musical duo, Anderson Cale!  Check them out!

They’re album artwork was done by the same person who also does Coldplay’s artwork.  Awesome, huh?!  Be sure to check out their current album!  It hits iTunes tomorrow!

You can also follow the guy on Twitter:  @AndersonCale!

And you can follow us, too, while you are at it:  @RPattzProject! LOL

 

The idea for Anderson Cale’s music began with a fear of flying. An almost paralyzed white knuckled Jeff Anderson’s paranoia left him when he discovered ambient music in 2002. “I think it was the simplicity and repetitive mellow lull that calmed my fears”, Anderson remarks. It’s then he posed the question, “why can’t there be music written for the purpose of bringing peace to the anxious soul?” He would then dream and write scattered ideas for the next six years waiting for the day when his dreaming would become a reality.

Anderson Cale began in October of 2008 when Jeff approached Jesse Cale with the possibility of collaborating on an ambient post-rock record. Not knowing their chemistry as songwriters, they decided to move forward when Jesse brought Jeff a rough sketch of what would become track 5 on the record, “Windows and Doorways”. Anderson then knew in that unforgettable moment that they were cut from the same mold.

In the beginning, the recording was considered by Anderson Cale to be an outlet for creativity and to produce something that might bring peace to family and friends. They had no idea that they were starting down a path that was going to change their lives and others. As their recording process progressed they began to realize that this project was growing far beyond their original vision. They were shocked to find how artistically compatible they were, creating sounds from household items such as a cooking wok and tea sets. Having limited resources, they were forced to think outside the box and they were able tap into a creativity that neither of them knew they possessed. Thus, Anderson Cale was born.

Post-production, the boys were flooded with an overwhelming response from new fans as well as a few leaders in the music industry. It was undoubtedly clear their new artistic expression has a larger purpose than what was foreseen in the beginning.

Anderson Cale exists to provide an aid for peace in your life. In a world that thrives on chaos and disorder, it is essential to clear your soul. They hope that their music will act as a distraction from distraction so that you can enter into a place of rest. Music is communication that transcends language and culture. No matter what your existence may look like, we all experience pain and are walking away from love. Anderson Cale’s satisfaction comes from knowing that this record will act as a compass to guide you back into love, for that is the only place to find true rest for your tormented soul.

“The journey has been easy thus far, because we’re not trying. We simply made what we feel to be a good piece of art without the visions of grandeur. We want our music to bring some freedom from the stresses of life. We know not everyone will appreciate our music, but for those who listen and love it, we create for them.”

Source.

i have no idea why i haven’t written anything about the swedish music that we have. check the videos below for a showcase of some of my favorite swedish artists:

we’ll start with christian kjellvander. he’s probably my favorite. mr kjellvander has been in bands such as loosegoats and songs of soil as well as released amazing solo albums. his song “two souls” is the one i’ve been listening to the most lately, check it out.

and just to show how talented he is, here’s the same song stripped down.

moving on to a guy that i discovered recently, thanks to my friend over at la cienega; anton björkenvall. out of nowhere (kiruna) comes this guy and blows me away:

pretty amazing.

someone that you might have heard of outside of sweden is kristofer åström. singer in the band fireside. i, however, prefer his solo albums. here are a couple of songs:
all lovers hell

the wild (with britta persson)

poor young man’s heart

another kristoffer (although with two “f”s) is kristoffer hedberg. another amazing artist from my country:
nyanser av grått

an artist that i listened a lot to a couple of years ago is tomas andersson wij. he’s probably the one who writes the best lyrics in sweden.
tommy och hans mamma

well, i think that’s it for now. it’s past midnight here in sweden and i’m off to bed. i’ll continue with more swedish artists in the future.

later