The southern Ohio-based husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Karin Bergquist, otherwise known as Over the Rhine, released a collection of wistful holiday music back in 2006. They’ve made it available this season for download via NoiseTrade.
[audio:Snow Angel.mp3|titles=Snow Angel|artists=Over the Rhine]
“Snow Angel” by Over the Rhine
The WHOA Label (aka. What’s Happening with Original Artists) is launching their first album from folk-americana singer-songwriter Dean Johanesen. Have a listen to the acoustic track “Godspeed” from the album A Time and A Place.
“Dean has the rare personal charm of a young Bruce Springsteen, able to touch many walks of life with a musical vision that paints a similarly compelling portrait of America.” ~ Working Brilliantly
[audio:Godspeed.mp3|titles=Godspeed|artists=Dean Johanesen]
“Godspeed” by Dean Johanesen
Dinah Thorpe makes electro-folk-pop that is uncompromising in it’s style and contains powerful harmonies.
Have a listen to her bluesy, alternative country single “Song for Dolly”; a bouncing banjo hymn about daydreaming which name checks Dolly Pardon and Robert Johnson. Her latest album, 12, will be released via Working Brilliantly on December 4, 2012. The album received a 2012 JUNO Award nomination for Recording Package of the Year.
“Song For Dolly” by Dinah Thorpe
Jim James of My Morning Jacket will be releasing his first solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God, on February 5, 2013. Get a free download of the new song “Know Til Now” by signing up for his mailing list here.
Exerpt from Pitchfork: “James plays every instrument and engineered the album himself. It was inspired primarily by Lynd Ward’s 1929 graphic novel God’s Man, which ‘chronicles an artist’s struggles with temptation and corruption, along with finding true love,’ according to a press release. ‘Some of the things happening in the book were happening to me in real life, in a very strange and painful, then a very beautiful way,’ James said in a press release.”
[audio:Know Til Now.mp3|titles=Know Til Now|artists=Jim James]
“Know Til Now” by Jim James
What the artist says about the record…
“I wanted to make a record full of the residuals—full of what’s left on the canvas after you strip it all off. I had parted ways with everything. My relationship with my management/agency was on the rocks, my personal life was a nightmare, and the song output was at an all time high. That’s when I decided to make a record for me. No pressure, no rules. I decided to be an artist again. No business, just art. That’s where A Banquet For Ghosts began. I gave everything I had to that record. Every note, every lyric, every imperfection – they’re all part of a bigger story. A story I need to tell.
So here I am. 29 years old and still climbing the ladder. Partially because I love it, partially because I’m addicted to it. I still tour in a van. I still rummage through the gummy worms at 4am fuel stops. I still look out the window for hours because I can’t sleep in a moving vehicle. I still miss home. And I still dream.” ~ MM BIO
[audio:Take What I Can Get.mp3|titles=Take What I Can Get|artists=Matthew Mayfield]
“Take What I Can Get” by Matthew Mayfield
To check out the video for “Take What I Can Get from the album Banquet For Ghosts, click here.
Turlock, California indie folk band Of Us Giants released a video for their single “Soil” through Quote Your Pulse Records. 7 dancers were chosen from To The Pointe Dance Project to portray the story of “Soil,” a highly emotional and personal song written by Of Us Giants’ member Dustin Andrews.
A crew from 3Pint Productions was brought in to film the video. As a way of celebrating the release of the new music video, Quote Your Pulse Records is now offering the debut effort from Of Us Giants, Stitch EP, as a free download via bandcamp. The video can be viewed via Of Us Giants’ YouTube channel.
Of Us Giants suits fans of Death Cab for Cutie, City and Colour, Bon Iver, and Bright Eyes.
[audio:Soil.mp3|titlees=Soil|artists=Of Us Giants]
“Soil” by Of Us Giants
Not one song from Flavors of Entanglement. I found that interesting.
And her opening act, this year’s American Idol winner, Philip Phillips.
At the beginning of 2012 I featured “My Soul” by Ugly Kids Club. The track was part of UKC’s first self-titled EP which was released earlier this year to an excited and receptive group of fans and music reviewers.
Now, back with a vengeance, the talented two are serving it up once again with their newly released single and video, “Sharpshooter.”
I love the album art for their debut EP because I think it’s sexy. It reminds me of another sexy cover album – Washed Out’s Within and Without. Love it! Image courtesy of Luddite Stereo.
Connecticut born singer-songwriter, Liz Wood, showcases honest and fresh songwriting on her newest EP Into My Own. The album is due out October 16, 2012. With influences that span genres and decades, she finds familiarity in the songwriting styles of Bob Dylan, Jacob Dylan and the performance styles of greats such as Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. Have a listen to the new single “Ruin.”
[audio:Ruin.mp3|titles=Ruin|artists=Liz Wood]
“Ruin” by Liz Wood
mp3 courtesy of soundcloud
Portland, Oregon-based pianist/singer-songwriter, Sara Jackson-Holman, has released her sophomore full-length album, Cardiology, on Expunged Records.
Cardiology expresses a very personal journey – centered around themes of love and loss and Jackson-Holman’s experiences with each. Some songs, like “Do I Make It Look Easy” and “For Albert” are about realizing and accepting that you can’t change people. She also wrote songs to sort through what it means to lose someone you love.
Featuring contributions by Skyler Norwood (Point Juncture, WA) on drums and bass, Jack Norwood on bass, Jessie Dettwiler (Alameda) on cello, and Basho Parks (Jenn Rawling & Basho Parks) on violin, Jackson-Holman’s songs are fleshed out by a cast of strong supporters.
[audio:Do I Make It Look Easy.mp3|titles=Do I Make It Look Easy|artists=Sara Jackson-Holman]
“Do I Make It Look Easy” by Sara Jackson-Holman
