Sound Cloud Sunday – September 30, 2018
Sound Cloud Sunday September 30, 2018 (Episode 26)
Happy final day of the regular baseball season (we said to no one in particular). We’re excited about a whole delicious crop of indie music that fell into our eyes and ears this week – so much we couldn’t fit it all in. Laurel Canyon Radio (and our good friend and Deadhead Liz from Durham NC) are traveling to San Francisco to check out Hardly Strictly Bluegrass next weekend. With so many amazing amazeball artists playing including Steve Forbert and Four Year Bender, featured this week, they’ve also got Gomez and Del McCoury and Graham Nash and Molly Tuttle and on and on and on. We don’t know how we’ll squeeze everything in but we plan on reporting back to you in 2 weeks how the show went and what new indie wunderkinds we discovered while there. Happy Autumn, y;all!
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John Smith – Save My Life
Hometown: Essex, UK
Album: From his second album “Hummingbird” out in the UK on October 5 and the rest of the world sometime in 2019.
Review Snippet: Steeped in the lineage of British folk, taking his cue from Richard Thompson and John Martyn, Smith has evolved a transatlantic blend of fingerstyle and slide guitar techniques. John’s intimate takes on love, loss and the journey we make, combined with his innovative guitar work, have won him a loyal following. His honey-on-gravel voice and mesmerizing fingerstyle guitar are undeniable. Sometimes using a slide, sometimes with guitar on his lap, sometimes detuning mid-song, Smith’s obsession with the instrument has made a master of him. Whether by way of album or concert, he leads the listener, enthralled in his presence, on a viscerally emotional journey.
Website: https://www.johnsmithjohnsmith.com
Hush Kids – Goodbye Rain
Hometown: Nashville
Album: Their self-titled debut album will be released October 26
Review Snippet: Hush Kids self-titled debut journeys across the unexpected, the strangeness of love rather than the sweetness, the beauty of the world rather than the bullshit. Guided by writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Ian Fitchuk and joined by some of Nashville’s most sought-after musicians, the record pairs the effortless, addictive pop sensibility of The Carpenters with the dusty, atmospheric, desert landscape of Robert Plant and Allison’s Kraus’s Americana classic, “Raising Sand.”
Website: https://www.hushkidsmusic.com/
Jamie Kent – Ain’t No Jesus
Hometown: Northampton, MA
Album: This single was released on September 21.
Review Snippet: Written by the Massachusetts native with Ellis Paul, “Ain’t No Jesus” finds Kent fessing up to his human shortcomings by comparing himself to religious figures, from the titular messiah to Buddha. There’s no sacrilege here though — Kent fully admits that he lacks the basic skill to “build a shelf” like Jesus the carpenter, let alone “save a soul.” Instead, it’s his wife who rescues him, providing the Americana artist with the one true miracle he’s ever witnessed: her “walking down the aisle with me.”
“This is probably the most personal song I’ve ever written and released,” says Kent, who worked his own wonder by scoring a Number 16 debut on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart with his indie-released album All American Mutt in 2016. “‘Ain’t No Jesus’ is a reminder of all my imperfections, and that I’m lucky enough to have found someone who loves me not despite them, but because of them.”
Website: http://jamiekent.com/
The Whileaways – Julia
Hometown: Galway, Ireland
Album: From their third album “From What We’re Made” self-released in July.
Review Snippet: Instinctive sibling-like harmonies, captivating lyrics and subtle accompaniment mark The Whileaways’ sound, which has been described as ‘perfected simplicity’ (Irish Echo,USA).
Since forming in 2012, this trio of songwriters has released three critically acclaimed albums. In their latest album ‘From What We’re Made’, released in July 2018 The Whileaways ‘stake their claim to being among the finest singers in the country’ with an album “laden with absolutely stunning melodies and harmonies” (Edwin McFee, Hotpress).
Website: https://www.thewhileawaysmusic.com/
Scott Mulvahill – Begin Againers
Hometown: Nashville via Houston, TX
Album: His latest album “Himalayas” was released September 21 on West Sterling Music.
Review Snippet: Since then, he’s shared the stage with some of the greatest artists of modern music – Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Barry Gibb of the BeeGees, Bruce Hornsby, Brad Paisley, Peter Frampton, Steven Curtis Chapman, Emmylou Harris, and many more. He’s a full time member of Ricky Skaggs’s band Kentucky Thunder, a position he’s held for three years. Upright bass players rule!
Next Time in LA: November 2 and 3 at the Hotel Café in Hollywood with Matt Wertz and Jon McLaughlin.
Web Site: http://www.scottmulvahill.com
Four Year Bender – New Orleans Lament
Hometown: San Francisco
Album: From their 2004 album “Lucky” on Greasy Spoon Records. They have a new album coming out in 2019, so they say.
Review Snippet: Four Year Bender’s brand of Country Fried Rock n Roll was a mainstay on the Bay Area scene for well over a decade. Their debut album, “Lucky” garnered critical acclaim as well National airplay, but it was the live shows that made them legends.
Led by songwriter, Ryan Smith, the Bender expertly walked the line between earnest, quality song-craft, and raucous rock n’ roll debauchery. There was a little bit of something for everyone at a Four Year Bender show, and it was all excellent.
After an extended, and drama-filled hiatus, the original band has jumped back into the studio and recorded a new full-length album entitled “Gettin’ Gone”, slated for release in the fall of 2018. This eagerly-awaited follow up revisits Four Year Bender’s specialty for catchy, melodic tunes about the beautiful weirdness that is modern life. Recorded in 5 days while the band was holed-up in a remote studio in Stinson Beach California, it sounds like old friends that have been through the wringer and lived to smile about it.
Next Time in LA: Who knows, but Laurel Canyon Radio travels to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival to see them in San Francisco next weekend!
Website: https://www.fouryearbender.org
That’d Be Alright – Steve Forbert
Hometown: Meridien MS
Album: From his 18th album “The Magic Tree” released September 21 on Blue Rose Music.
Review Snippet: I have been an ardent fan of folk rocker Steve Forbert since his debut album, “Alive On Arrival” way back in 1978. Forty years into his career, Forbert has still not gained the wider recognition he has always deserved, but continues to produce thoughtful, beautifully crafted albums on a regular basis, and has built a devoted cult following. “The Magic Tree,” his eighteenth studio set, released in conjunction with his also excellent memoir, “Big City Cat,” is a welcome addition to an already impressive catalog. Featuring the catchy folk melodies, harmonica licks, and insightful poetic lyrics which have been his hallmark from the beginning, “The Magic Tree” is Forbert’s most accessible outing in years, hidden depths and a rueful wisdom seasoning its apparent simplicity. Always honest and realistic, with an eye for telling detail and a way with a clever turn of phrase, he remains optimistic in the face of life’s setbacks, and is a superb chronicler of the daily defeats and triumphs all of us have experienced. “If nothing’s in the making/ Something’s always shaking/ In the Magic Tree,” he assures us. Indeed it is–and we are all the better for it.
Next Time in LA : Also playing at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass next weekend in SF. His book tour promoting “Big City Cat: My Life in Folk Rock” is also going on.
Website: http://www.steveforbert.com/
Sunflower Thieves – Two Halves
Hometown: Leeds, UK
Album: This is their new single. They released an EP (both self-released) last year.
Review Snippet: ‘Two Halves’ was written about a tragic accident in which their friend lost her memory, the track follows the story of trying to rekindle a friendship whilst not being a threat to the new life she is building. The band have unique gift for taking a tragedy and creating something beautiful which can inspire the listener to see past the event and feel hope for the future.
The band are quickly making a name for themselves and are currently performing up and down the UK with Sofar Sounds and have a great set up for live sessions.
Website: https://soundcloud.com/user-497232891/two-halves-sunflower-thieves/s-nL2yP
Cold Tone Harvest – Frozen Ground
Hometown: Southeast Michigan
Album: Their debut album “After You” was self-released in March of 2018
Review Snippet: “Cold Tone Harvest release their debut album, After You…the 12 songs are a swirl of pure Americana and it is among the best releases I’ve heard so far in this pretty good year for new records.”
Website: http://www.coldtoneharvest.com/
Geoff Achison – Skeleton Kiss
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Album: From his new album “Sovereign Town” released September 7 on Landslide Records.
Review Snippet: As a song-writer, Geoff explores a myriad of themes from love & loss to politics & philosophy and often with his wry sense of humour shining through. Vocally, Geoff has been compared favourably to the gruff voiced Joe Cocker, Warren Haynes and Paul Weller. An extraordinary guitarist who plays quite unlike anyone else, Geoff has been a driving force on the Australian blues/roots scene inspiring and influencing many of his younger compatriots. Besides his music awards he has been honoured in ‘Australian Guitar Magazine’s’ Top 50 Guitarists, True Fire’s ‘100 Guitarists You Should Know’ and he is also Official Patron of the ‘Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society’,
Website: https://www.geoffachison.com/
CAAMP – Books
Hometown: Athens, OH
Album: Their latest single is out now. There is no album attached to this yet.
Review Snippet: Started by boyhood friends Evan Westfall and Taylor Meier, CAAMP came to life in Athens, Ohio. Taylor began penning and playing original songs at coffee shops around Athens in 2013. Evan moved down a couple of years later and together in a hazy attic, enjoying light beers, they would find the heartfelt sound that became CAAMP. Since independently releasing their self-titled first record in 2016, they have climbed Spotify charts, headlined the US, purchased denim jackets and added a bass- playing buddy, Matt Vinson- who also enjoys light beers and denim. With with the recent release of their sophomore album, the Ohioan trio has high hopes and no reservations.
Next Time in LA: November 1 at the Troubadour with Doc Robinson.
Website: http://www.caamptheband.com/
The Stray Birds – Light As A Fire
Hometown: Lancaster, PA
Album: Their new album “Let It Pass” was just released last week on Yep Roc. They have disbanded.
Review Snippet:
All originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, The Stray Birds started as a duo of acoustic buskers in early 2010 when Maya de Vitry and Oliver Craven met with their instruments, their voices, and their songs. It didn’t take much convincing to get bassist Charlie Muench on board, and with the addition of a third unique and powerful voice, the group began to define its captivating sound. Seven years, five records, and hundreds of performances later, the band is best known today for its songwriting, its tight and forthcoming vocal harmony blend and its commitment to an impassioned delivery of original material, both on stage and in the studio. They’ve been seen from LA to London, sung songs from Dallas to Denmark, and played tunes from New York to New Orleans. Their 2016 Yep Roc Records release Magic Fire was produced by Grammy-winner Larry Campbell and earned much praise, including being named by NPR as one of Folk Alley’s Top Ten Records of 2016. With time, their sound has evolved to a palate broader than what it first was on the street corners and in the markets, but this much remains true: The Stray Birds is a band of musicians as subtle and nuanced as they are energetic, a band of writers as blatant and bold as they are coy, and perhaps most importantly, a band of people as friendly and compassionate as they are talented. It’s safe to imagine that most who hear their music come back for another listen, time and again.
Website: https://www.thestraybirds.com/
Amy Helm – Michigan
Hometown: Woodstock, NY
Album: Her new album “The Stones I Throw” (produced by Joe Henry) was also just released on Yep Roc Records on September 21.
Review Snippet: “Vibrant spirituality that aims straight at your heart…introspective, reflective, and beautifully heartfelt…terrific.” – American Songwriter
Website: http://www.amyhelm.com/
The Michigan Rattlers – Didn’t You Know
Hometown: Los Angeles via Petoskey Michigan
Album: Their debut album is forthcoming. This is their new single.
Review Snippet: None to Be Found
Website: http://www.michiganrattlers.com/
The New Zeitgeist – Desert Rose
Hometown: Chicago
Album: From their second album “Myths and Mortals” self-released in 2017
Review Snippet: migrating from desert and sea, the two began collaborating as a folk duo with tempting harmonies and lonesome spirituals. Reilly’s country gospel roots and southern swing deeply welcomed the black leather grit of Bluma’s rock influences in new intertwining medley. Far-reaching, yet familiar; The New Zeitgeist calls from the deep to weary, worn trails of spirits lingering.”
Website: http://www.thenewzeitgeist.com/
