Two Songs About Cocaine
10
Jun

Hailing from Charleston, SC, Shovels & Rope is the combined creative efforts of Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, two solo artists who have found a certain type of musical magic together. Their sophomore release, O’ Be Joyful, is set for a July 31 release date.

As Johnny and June, Dolly and Porter, Loretta and Conway and many more have shown us, country music was made for duets and Shovels & Rope continue in that grand tradition.

I was reminiscing over Old Crow Medicine Show as I listened to Shovels & Rope’s 10-song sampler. Then, of course, they go ahead and write a song about cocaine. So, I find it appropriate to include two songs about cocaine for you!

[audio:Hells Bells.mp3|titles=Hells Bells|artists=Shovels & Rope]
“Hells Bells” by Shovels & Rope
[audio:Cocaine Habit.mp3|titles=Cocaine Habit|artists=Old Crow Medicine Show]
“Cocaine Habit” by Old Crow Medicine Show

Plus, a few other songs of love gone wrong, deals gone bad, down and out characters, liquor-induced shenanigans and the peculiarities of Southern living.

[audio:Boxcar.mp3, Who’s Gonna Raise Babies (featuring Michael Trent).mp3, Magdelina.mp3|titles=Boxcar, Who’s Gonna Raise Babies (featuring Michael Trent), Magdelina|artists=Shovels & Rope, Shovels & Rope, Shovels & Rope]
“Boxcar”, “Who’s Gonna Raise Babies (featuring Michael Trent)” and “Magdelina” by Shovels & Rope

Image and mp3s courtesy of NoiseTrade

“Purity of Heart Is To Will One Thing” by The Welcome Wagon
10
Jun

A free download of The Welcom Wagon’s EP, Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing is available via NoiseTrade.

If you like what you hear, the new record will be released on June 12, 2012 by Asthmatic Kitty Records. It’s called Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices. The album was recorded last summer with many of the same folks who helped The WW make their first record, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon. “It’s a record about God’s love, faith in Jesus, and the difficulty of faith in Jesus, marriage, friendship, loneliness, grace and hope.” ~ The WW

[audio:Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing.mp3|titles=Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing|artists=The Welcome Wagon]
“Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing” by The Welcome Wagon (The WW)

mp3 courtesy of NoiseTrade

Image courtesy of The WW mailing list

“It’s All Okay” by Julia Stone
24
May

Released today was Julia Stone‘s solo album By The Horns.

The video for the single, “It’s All Okay,” can be viewed on Angus and Jula Stone’s YouTube channel.

“You might say you’re wounded and I might say I’m hurt. But, we knew the difference then between the fire and the earth. And, we may say we’re broken and we may say we’re weak. But, we knew before we started, oh, the secrets we would keep.” ~ Julia Stone

[audio:It’s All Okay.mp3|titles=It’s All Okay|artists=Julia Stone]
“It’s All Okay” by Julia Stone

Image courtesy of Music From Go To Woah

“Like Teenage Gravity” by Kasey Anderson & The Honkies (and a cover by Counting Crows)
22
May

Counting Crows’ released Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) via Collective Sounds on April 10, 2012. The album features a cover of the song “Like Teenage Gravity” by Kasey Anderson & The Honkies from his 2010 release Nowhere Nights via Red River Records.

Of the song, Counting Crows’ front man Adam Duritz wrote in the album’s liner notes:

“Ryan Spaulding raved about Kasey Anderson so I bought all the records and I really dug them. I really found out how right Ryan was a few months later when Kasey came down to Austin last year to play Smoke & Sand, Ryan’s Smashing Life (RSLblog.com) & Tyrannosaurus Record’s 2011 SxSW showcase. His big lonely rock songs are addictive but he crushed at Smoke & Sand with an acoustic set. Maybe that’s why I chose ‘Like Teenage Gravity’ to cover over songs like ‘I Was A Photograph’ or ‘Exit Ghost.’ I don’t know. I love his recording. It has a sparse almost hymn-like simplicity.” ~ excerpt from In Music We Trust.

Kasey Anderson & The Honkies are currently in the studio finishing up their forthcoming full-length, Let the Bloody Moon Rise, which will include a re-recording of “Like Teenage Gravity” – changing Anderson’s original into a full-on rock song. Have a listen below to 3 versions of the song: the original, the rough mix of the re-recording, and the Counting Crows’ cover.

[audio:Like Teenage Gravity (Original).mp3, Like Teenage Gravity (Rough Mix).mp3, Like Teenage Gravity (Cover).mp3|titles=Like Teenage Gravity (Original), Like Teenage Gravity (Rough Mix), Like Teenage Gravity (Cover)|artists=Kasey Anderson & The Honkies, Kasey Anderson & The Honkies, Counting Crows]

Image and mp3s courtesy of Alex Steininger of In Music We Trust

“Give and Take In” by Christi Lenée
16
May

Christi Lenée has been touring the US- many times, being seen on stage with Tim Reynolds (guitarist for Dave Matthews Band) and a stellar cast of musicians including Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Jeff Coffin, and Stanley Jordan. Her recent EP Give and Take In has been receiving excellent reviews and gaining momentum.

Please have a listen to the title track below. In addition, this EP also includes the first of three movements from her modern finger-style piece “Evolution.” The movements have popped up on various internet radio stations recently.

[audio:Give and Take In.mp3|titles=Give and Take In|artists=Christi Lenée]
“Give and Take In” by Christi Lenée

mp3s courtesy of SoundCloud per Laurena Marrone of Grit PR & Promotion

Image courtesy of Lenée’s ReverbNation

“Red Letter Man” by Jason Myles Goss
15
May

Singer-Songwriter, Jason Myles Goss, will release his forthcoming album, Radio Dial, on June 17th, 2012. He enlisted the help of friends Austin Nevins (guitars) and Sam Kassirer (keys), both members of Josh Ritter’s Royal City Band. The album has a raw quality as engineer Myles Turney began with a live recording to 24-track analog tape.

Goss loves a good story and a memorable melody. Therefore, his lyrics inject meaning, his piano infuses melodies, and his guitar swells compliment his falsetto.

A common theme runs throughout Radio Dial – one in which Goss parallels the life of a boxer to the life of an artist. He shows how each is a performer at the mercy of their audience, laying everything they have emotionally and physically on the line. The most notable example is the track “Black Lights.”

Goss has previously been selected as a finalist in Newport Folk Festival Songwriters Contest and has been a two-time Regional Finalist in the Mountain Stage New Song Contest (2010 & 2011). He currently resides in Brooklyn and tours consistently throughout the US. You may download “Red Letter Man” on Goss’ SoundCloud.

[audio:Red Letter Man.mp3|titles=Red Letter Man|artists=Jason Myles Goss]
“Red Letter Man” by Jason Myles Goss

Image courtesy of Review Fix
Press Release courtesy of Sera Roadnight of MT Press

“Oceanside” by A City On A Lake
4
May

Oceanside is the self-titled solo debut and latest creative project from talented Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Alex Wong. After years of working closely with the likes of Vienna Teng, Amber Rubarth, Elizabeth and the Catapult and Ari Hest, Wong decided to pursue a solo career.

He released the first single off the upcoming record, featuring Ximena Sarinana, last week. Like the facebook page for the new project, A City On A Lake, here.

The full album will be released July 17th 2012.

“Oceanside” by A City On A Lake

Image and mp3 courtesy of Direct Current

“How Bad We Need Each Other” by Marc Scibilia
26
Apr

The first single from Marc Scibilia’s forthcoming self-titled EP, “How Bad We Need Each Other,” was featured on the April 2 aired episode of the Fox’s hit TV series Bones. The official release date of his new EP is June 5, 2012.

Raised in Buffalo, New York, Scibilia moved to Nashville one month after graduating high school. He released an EP in 2009 titled From Brooklyn to Maine and sold copies while on tour with singer-songwriter Derek Webb.

He also released two live recordings during his residency at The Basement in Nashville, TN. The first Volume contains tracks, “Better Man” and “Ain’t My Home.” They are featured for download on NoiseTrade.

[audio:How Bad We Need Each Other.mp3|titles=How Bad We Need Each Other|artists=Marc Scibilia]
“How Bad We Need Each Other” by Marc Scibilia

Image courtesy of Behance.net

You may watch the video for “How Bad We Need Each Other” here

“All Because Of You” by Sooner The Sunset
25
Apr

Sooner The Sunset is the band name for the duet comprised of Graham Colton & Lindsey Ray. Their first single “All Because Of You” is now available on iTunes and a full EP is coming this summer!

Graham Colton released a set of EP’s as a solo artist prior to teaming up with Lindsey. He can be heard live in concert, in real time from the comfort of your living room via StageIt.

[audio:All Because Of You.mp3|titles=All Because Of You|artists=Sooner The Sunset]
“All Because Of You” by Sooner The Sunset

Image courtesy of grahamcolton.org

“Masquerade” and “When My Time Comes” by Lelia Broussard
25
Apr

Coming off a fall tour with Gabe Dixon, the lovely Lelia Broussard holed herself up in her Brooklyn apartment to begin writing a new album. She plans to release it this year.

Here’s a video shot on tour in Atlanta, Georgia backstage at Vinyl by Jon Mouser for MOUSERTIME.

Recently, she released her Pledge Music Live from Rockwood Music Hall album. One of the tracks on the live album is called “When My Time Comes,” which is a cover of a Dawes song. Below please have a listen to the cover and to the title track of her 2011 release, “Masquerade.”

[audio:Masquerade.mp3, When My Time Comes (Dawes Cover).mp3|titles=Masquerade, When My Time Comes (Dawes Cover)|artists=Lelia Broussard, Lelia Broussard]
“Masquerade” by Lelia Broussard
“When My Time Comes (Dawes Cover)” by Lelia Broussard

Image courtesy of SoundLike