![[MP3] The Smooth Maria: "Abandoned Town"](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/2805987_lg.jpg)
Matt Kanelos and his motley crew of musicians who make not so motley music are at it again! The Smooth Maria will be releasing a new, home recorded EP, titled Paper Thin , with a record release show at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on October 8. Also, for you D.C. folks still among us, Matt's playing a solo show at T he Red and The Black this Saturday, September 11. The first taste of Paper Thin comes in the form of "Abandoned Town": a sweet tune, which, for the [...]

Matt Kanelos and his band The Smooth Maria (emphasis on "Mar" as in MARia) have been up to big things lately, including a feature spot on ABC's Private Practice (with the song "What You're Supposed To Do"). I actually received quite a few happy remarks from friends (including my sister!) after they heard the song on the show and remembered him from here. That makes me so happy, really - Kanelos has been incredibly kind to us at Knox Road, and I wish him nothing but the best. Continuing with that kindness, Kanelos sent over [...]

Time's whipping by so fast that I have to start planning out these last weeks of 2009 on CTRR. Last year, there were several festive year-end features on the old yuletide blog (groan if you must), including my Year-End Round-Up weekly mixes , the countdown of my Top 40 albums of the year , the Christmas weekly mix , and the New Year's Eve party mix . And I still have to work in my Day of 200 songs before all of this kicks off. This week's mix will be a winter one despite [...]

[ via ] Music News Hypebot reports the latest study results on teen's relationship with music and piracy, this time from the UK. Ben Hewitt has a chat with FRS hero Peter Hook . "That was the wonderful thing about Joy Division. From its inception to its demise, we never earned a single penny. We started it broke and finished it broke. There were no arguments about publishing, no arguments about money. It was very straightforward. It [...]
In the most exciting news on the right coast, KR friend and stunning musician Matt Kanelos, and his band, The Smooth Maria , were honored on NPR's Song of the Day yesterday (8/10) . The featured song was "Sing" (expect anything else?), the final track off of Silent Show , and NPR guy Ben Westhoff goes into some deep lyrical analysis that is all too necessary on a record chock full of lyrical brilliance. Check out our previous features on Matt Kanelos, and listen to "Sing" streaming at the NPR link. Also, if [...]
A friend of Matt Kanelos emailed me the following mp3s since I reviewed Rose Polenzani's album . Matt is a classically trained pianist and singer who has performed with Polenzani as well as members of Califone and another favorite band of mine, Elysian Fields. Like Polenzani's music, Matt's voice and melodies have a subtle warmth to them. "Peacock Dance" begins as a soft and lovely piano ballad before eventually building into a crescendo of perfect pop. "When You Walk It Makes No Sound" slides back into bare acoustics with gentle splashes of piano. The two songs [...]
Impossible to remember the reason why my browser landed on the the home page of Matt Kanelos. Actually, it doesn't matter. I know now why I keep on returning to it: the piano, a strong sense of melody, an undescribable atmosphere which titillates the imagination, opening the door to fabulous mind blowers. ' When You Walk It Makes No Sound ', was the first track I had the opportunity to listen. A delicious suspension, scrolling a full year in a short 5 minutes composition : absolutely gorgeous. It was enough for me already to [...]