Phosphorescent is set to follow up his Willie Nelson tribute album, To Willie, with a fresh batch of original tunes. Here’s To Taking It Easy will be released on May 10th via Dead Oceans.
Unlike his last haunting and introspective album of original work, Pride, his latest features a full band on tracks reminiscent of early 70’s Stones and Bob Dylan’s Street Legal. I can’t wait.
Dawn Landes was requested by a HearYa reader named Tom when we posted a track that featured her with Justin Townes Earle. A few email exchanges later and the session was booked. Customer service. That’s what we’re all about at HearYa World Headquarters. Smiles come free.
Dawn was raised in the music stomping grounds of Branson, Missouri and Louisville, Kentucky and is now a resident of New York City. Her career began as an intern in a few studios working with the likes of Phillip Glass, Ryan Adams, Hem, Joseph Arthur, The Earlies and Josh Ritter (whom she later married). Her sound crosses between country, rock and roll, pop and blues with a sweet voice that offsets the occasional dark lyrical themes.
Dawn Landes has a fresh album called Sweetheart Rodeo out now. Pick it up if you dig the sesh.
We were huge fans of The Pack A.D’s last album, Funeral Mixtape. I think Woody’s comment was something like this: “Listening to The Pack A.D. is like meeting a cute girl for the first time in junior high mixed with being run over by rusty ‘72 Ford pickup.”
The band is set to release their sophomore album, We Kill Computers, via Mint Records. If you dig The Black Keys and are gender neutral, you should check out The Pack A.D.
3/6 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse
3/7 – Portland, OR – Rontoms
3/8 – Arcata, CA – Jambalaya
3/10 – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside
3/11 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
3/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Redwood Bar & Grill
3/13 – Phoenix, AZ – Rogue Bar
3/14 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
3/18 – Austin, TX – Headhunters (Mint Records Hootenanny)
3/19 – Austin, TX – Jaime’s
3/23 – Winston Salem, NC – The Garage
3/24 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
3/25 – Durham, NC – The Pinhook
3/26 – Richmond, VA – The Triple
3/27 – New York, NY – Santos Party House
3/28 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar
3/30 – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge
3/31 – Detroit, MI – Corktown Tavern
4/1 – Grand Rapids, MI – Billy’s
4/2 – Chicago, IL – The Hideout
4/3 – Columbia, MO – Blue Fugue
4/4 – Jefferson City, MO – Mike’s Corner Pocket
4/5 – Kansas City, MO – TBA
4/7 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
4/8 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Woodshed
4/10 – Spokane, WA – Sunset Junction
April Smith and The Great Picture Show self-released Songs From A Sinking Ship yesterday and two songs floated to the surface for free. Spinner is also streaming the full album here. You can catch her pop country swing sounds on tour with Fanfarlo and Here We Go Magic. April and the band will also be at SxSW 2010.
2/23: Doug Fir—Portland, OR #
2/24: Crocodile Cafe—Seattle, WA #
2/25: Knitting Factory—Spokane, WA #
2/27: Urban Lounge—Salt Lake City, UT #
2/28: Larimer Lounge—Denver, CO #
3/10: Mercury Lounge—New York, NY
3/13: Rock N Roll Hotel—Washington D.C. *
3/15: The Earl—Atlanta, GA *
3/19: Ale House (SXSW)—Austin, TX
3/22: Off Broadway Nightclub—St. Louis, MO
3/23: Schuba’s—Chicago, IL
3/24: Beachland Ballroom—Cleveland, OH
3/25: Club Cafe—Pittsburgh, PA
4/11: WVU Creative Arts Center (NPR Mountain Stage)—Morgantown, WV
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore collaborated to release Dear Companion, out now via Sub Pop Records. The album was produced by Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk) and contains four tracks written by Sollee, five by Moore and two that were co-written.
I haven’t had a chance to dive into the album, but we’ve covered both artists in the past and Sollee is a HearYa Live Session alumni. Both are incredible talents.
In anticipation of their March 16th release, Weathervanes, Freelance Whales have released an mp3 for “Generator Second Floor.” The band also has this great video of “Generator First Floor,” filmed DIY style at a Brooklyn subway stop.
If you missed them at the subway station, you can catch them on tour.
3/1- Webster Hall – New York, NY (With Shout Out Louds)
3/5 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/6 – Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington, D.C
3/7 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
3/9 – The End – Nashville, TN
3/10 – Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN
3/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
3/12 – Harvest Of Hope Festival – St. Augustine, FL
3/13 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
3/14 – The Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL
3/16 – Mango’s – Houston, TX
3/22 – The Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
3/23 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/24 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/25 – Bottom Of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
3/28 – Crocodile Café – Seattle, WA
3/29 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
3/31 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
4/1 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
4/2 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
4/3 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN
4/4 – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL
4/6 – El Mocambo Club – Toronto, ON
4/7 – Il Motore – Montreal, QB
4/8 – The Middle East – Boston, MA
Northern Cali rockers, Sleepy Sun, deliver a psychedelic stoner rock gem of a debut with last year’s Embrace. At the end of each year, I post the top 10 albums we missed from the year before. I’ll save you all the trouble of guessing what my top miss of ‘09 will be. It is this bouillabaisse of prog, metal, folk and feedback that has struck a nerve with me this early in 2010.
Embrace was produced by Colin Stewart, who also manned the board for Black Mountain’s In The Future. The similarities with Black Mountain are evident though the album. The most compelling similarity is in the male/female vocal interplay. Bret Constantino and Rachel Williams of Sleepy Sun complement one another much like Stephen McBean and Amber Webber of Black Mountain.
Rachel is particularly haunting on “Sleepy Son” where the music breaks and she delivers her vocals before the band launches into a feedback laden jam. At one point near the end, it sounds like she is straining every fiber to be heard over the feedback. It is a brilliant nuance in a fantastic tune.
On the album’s final track, “Duet With The Northern Sky,” Constantino and Williams deliver a hazy folk number that is absolutely striking after the terrorizing jam on the previous track, “Snow Goddess.” My nerves were frayed and “Duet” was the perfect calm after the storm.
Every song on Embrace contains twists and turns making it brilliant. In fact, I managed to write this review without even mentioning my favorite songs, “Lord” and “New Age.” Sleepy Sun will be running around Austin during SXSW. If you dig bands like the aforementioned Black Mountain or anything Ethan Miller has his hand involved in, I suggest adding them to your must-see list. They are certainly on mine.
Jagjaguwar’s fresh signing is also its first from the UK. Upon first listen it is apparent that Wolf People are not trying to hide from their heritage. Compiled from collection of recordings by lead singer Jack Sharp circa 2005-07, the band is a meaty stew of the music that I grew up on. You’ll hear Tull, Cream (especially in the vocals), early Fleetwood Mac, and more.
The lead single, “October Fires,” mines those influences and mixes in a little garage rock and harmonica. The album definitely has a fragmented feel to it. Hell, there are even two tracks with “fragment” in the name. But let me tell you, the proper tunes are all phenomenal. “Cotton Strands” sounds like something off of Jethro Tull’s Benefit complete with flute threaded throughout the tune. There is even a bit of crackling on the MP3 to give you a taste of that old school vinyl. Stick me on a beanbag with a Busch Light and that will give you a fairly accurate picture of me in high school.
Live reviews of this band are glowing and the band states that Tidings is look back their prehistory. I look forward to what they’ll do in the future.
Vancouver’s fuzz punk band, Japandroids, will be releasing a five-part series of 7″ singles throughout 2010 on Polyvinyl Records that will feature previously unreleased tracks from the ‘Post Nothing album sessions alongside covers. The first track was just released.
