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Current fave is Eamon McGrath. While on the trek to the office I read this great article from Sarah Liss about Eamon in eye weekly who I have never heard of prior. She had me at… ”A chance brush with punk rock led Eamon McGrath to a career as a rough-and-ready troubadour”. I immediately got the album when I got in the office and haven’t really stop listening the 16 days.
The beauty of the album “13 Songs of Whiskey and Light” is it’s rawness. I wouldn’t say Eamon is the greatest songwriter, but it’s not about wit, it’s about giving simple songs life and emotion. Eamon nails it. These are country folk songs with a raw looseness to them. It’s a little Townes meets a little Modern Lovers. 2 selections from Eamon’s new album 13 Songs of Whiskey and Light out on White Whale Records.
Kind of….The new Iron and Wine album “Around The Well” is streaming on his myspace for 2 days only!!!
I’ve mentioned our friends Black Diamond Bay a few times. iTunes Canada have included their current release “Calm Awaits” in the Next Big Thing campaign. Now lucky Canadian can pick it up for $5.99.
So, last night I went and saw Travis. Now, I’ve never been the biggest fan. Obviously I’ve sung along to some of there hits like, Sing, Why Does It Always Rain on Me… Regardless I have a respect for any artist that is true to who they are and tours their ass of. They are obviously talented artists that have toured the world on some larger stages. They played a stadium type show in from of 1k people and it worked. I won’t be critical simply because I spent the drive home after the show probably being too critical of the guitar player who thinks he’s in a grunge band or the fact that they had a massive Chinese symbol behind the drummer. Why?! He didn’t even hit the thing! My line of the night was “It’s a Chinese symbol …for cheese”
Regardless I left the show really thinking about the band and how they have come so far. The newest album “Ode to J. Smith” is more of a rocker. I actually like it. Unlike the majority of Travis fans that like the jangly and softer side. I also applaud the fact that they tried something slightly different, but stayed the true to themselves. Apparently they recorded the album in 14 days. Which is insane for a band that really laboured over their previous albums.
It’s really all about Fran though isn’t? It’s his voice and his songs. That is what this band is all about. So my uninvited advice would be for Fran and the boys to call up Nigel and make your Sea Change. Strip it down. You just done the big rock record and toured your ass off. Fran, go break some hearts. Give the ladies something to sing. It doesn’t have to be all ballads. Keep the jangle. Then go out and play those soft seaters and arrange the hits to fit. If you are still playing in front of the same amount of people in these cities, your ticket price will probably double. Let’s pretend it’s 1995 and MTV wants you to do an Unplugged. Belt it out Fran! If such an album come to fruition, I could hear Travis back on the radio. Probably on Hot AC or AC…maybe AAA.
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Black Mountain’s Steve McBean is back with another Pink Mountaintops release Outside Love (out May 5th).
Check out the first track VAMPIRE
Black Mountain’s “In The Future” was on my Top 10 last year….by the sounds of Vampire, Outside Love is a contender. How do you do it?!
Friends and family who contributed to or appear on “Outside Love”, in no particular order, include Sophie Trudeau (A Silver Mt. Zion, Godspeed You! Black Emperor), Ted Bois (Destroyer), Jesse Sykes (Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, sunnO)))), Phil Wandscher (Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Whiskeytown), Josh Stevenson (Jackie O Motherfucker), Ashley Webber (The Organ, Bonnie Prince Billy), Amber Webber (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust), Matthew Camirand (Black Mountain, Blood Meridian), Joshua Wells (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust), Keith Parry (Superconductor, the Gay), and Tolan McNeil (Caroline Mark).
Tour Dates:
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05/05/09 Haarlem, Neatherlands – Liberation Festival |
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05/06/09 Paris, France – Mains D’Oeuvres |
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05/07/09 Brighton, UK – Freebutt |
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05/08/09 Minehead, UK – Butlins Holiday Centre @ All Tomorrow’s Parties |
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05/08/09 Minehead, UK – ATP Festival |
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05/09/09 Minehead, UK – ATP Festival |
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05/10/09 Minehead, UK – ATP Festival |
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05/11/09 London, UK – Club Uncut @ Borderline |
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05/12/09 Evreux, France – L’Abordage |
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05/13/09 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso |
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05/14/09 Brussels, Belgium – La Nuit De Botanique Festival |
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05/15/09 Groningen, Netherlands – Vera |
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05/16/09 Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje |
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05/17/09 Lausanne, Switzerland – Le Romandie |
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05/18/09 Munich, Germany – 59:1 |
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05/19/09 Vienna, Austria – Arena |
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05/20/09 Zagreb, Croatia – Teatar & TD |
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05/21/09 Verona, Italy – Interzona |
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05/22/09 Rome, Italy – Init Club |
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05/23/09 Ravenna, Italy – Hana Bi |
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06/03/09 Portland, ME – Space |
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06/04/09 Cambridge, MA – TT The Bear’s Place |
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06/05/09 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House |
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06/06/09 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge |
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06/08/09 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s |
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06/09/09 Pontiac, MI – The Pike Room at The Crofoot |
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06/10/09 Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle |
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06/11/09 Bloomington, IN – Russian Recording |
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06/13/09 Buffalo, NY – Big Orbit’s Soundlab |
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06/14/09 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern |
Jagjaguwar home
the first single from the forth coming release The Shepherd’s Dog from Iron and Wine
MP3 Boy With A Coin
