These are a couple half-written posts from the last month. I never had the gumption or the wherewithal to fine tune them individually. So I added them altogether for a nice little group post. Enjoy. This record, The Sun Is always Brighter , by Joshua James has been kicking around for a year or so. Due to his popularity, tour dates opening for some pretty fine artists (Justin Townes Earle, Lex Land and The Swell Season) and great press it will be be remixed and reissued on CD [...]

San Francisco, CA Matt Bauer was just picked as one of Dodge 's favorite EPs of 2006. That's reason enough to check him out if you haven't already. "Sea Lion Woman" Matt Bauer on MySpace
I've seen a couple of posts bandied about the blogs regarding Matt's work ( Songs:Illinois , MOKB ) and it prompted me to check him out. Bauer has a plaintive almost somber style to many of his songs. They capture the spirit of a time forgotten, reflective but not mired in the past, not unlike collaborater and kindred spirit Jolie Holland. Bits of bluegrass mingle with whisky soaked ballads that leave the taste of sour mash and smoke on your tongue. Bauer's original compositions mesh well with his traditional selections creating a [...]

I am on vacation this weekend/some of next week in Michigan, up on the lake. Good times with the family. I found a wireless internet coffee house finally that's pretty close, so I should be able to keep you informed while I'm away. I'm listening to a load of new music, so I should have lots to write about eventually, even if, at the moment, I don't have lots of time to write about it. Anyway, I might have introduced some of you to Jolie Holland ( MOKB Post ) a while [...]