As a child growing up in Vermont, Sam Amidon used to listen in as his parents and their friends partake in the American tradition of shape-note singing: a centuries-old form of music involving neighbors gathering to harmonize folksongs sans accompaniment. Now 31, Amidon frequently recalls hearing these first songs he ever knew, and in doing so re-imagines them into formations so wildly different that they’re sometimes unrecognizable. On his seventh LP, Bright Sunny South , Amidon scores again by taking these traditionals – with a couple modern covers thrown in – and stripping them of their inherent [...]
The latest from Amidon succeeds in its unhurried easiness. Sam Amidon's strength lies in his interpretive imagination, typically revisiting traditional roots and folk music but occasionally digging up, say, an R. Kelly nugget. His reinventions have ranged from spare and stripped-down to more complex and fuller, as developed on 2010's I See the Sign. His latest work, Bright Sunny South, ostensibly works as a return to a simpler sound, but it's simpler only through the lens of a greater maturity, with Amidon's ability to...
The albums that stick with you, and I mean really stick with you, the one's that become woven into the fabric of your very existence are often some of the most unassuming. More often that not, they enter your life under some magical circumstance, soundtracking it for months at a time and leaving an indelible mark on your memories. It is usually without warning they will seep into your consciousness evoking such strong emotional connections to a time, a place or a person that they can often be hard to return to. One such album for [...]
Browsing the internet in early 2008, I stumbled across an off-kilter, folksy cover of one of my favorite songs, “Head Over Heels” by English duo Tears For Fears . Naturally, I was intrigued. Only a few weeks later did Sam Amidon release his sophomore effort, under the name Samamidon , All is Well , a collection of Appalachian standards that resemble his latest effort, Bright Sunny South . After taking a break with his producer partner, Thomas Bartlett, they’ve reunited for this new round of [...]
A man known for making the old sound new again, Sam Amidon has made a career of taking folk's vernacular and re-making it to suit his needs. While some artists draw a line between roots and pop, Amidon takes all of it under his banjo's wing, and communicates a shared heritage common to all these voices. Now he's been signed to Nonesuch, and his new material showcases classic folk ('As I Roved Out'), contemporary pop (Mariah Carey's 'Shake it Off') and even a cover of a hymn his parents recorded on harps in 1977, 'Weeping Mary.' Always surprising, [...]
If you have an hour spare, give in to Amidon's world and picture yourself on a lonesome porch in the Appalachian mountains. It's good for the soul. By Martyn Coppack
"As I Roved Out" - a standout cut on Sam Amidon's new record, Bright Sunny South - just arrived with excellent visual treatment from director John Hardwick. For a simple, banjo-backed tune on the surface, there's something haunting, off-kilter even, that he brings to this old Irish folk tune. The video starts off simple, too, with Amidon introducing the song's narrative alone in a wooded clearing: This song is about how you might be out on a cold winter's night - maybe you'd bring a bottle of wine - and head out [...]
Sam Amidon (and Olof Arnalds) @ BV-SXSW 2011 ( more by Tim Griffin ) Last we spoke the soft spoken Sam Amidon had only a couple of dates announced including his big NYC record release show happening at Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday (5/16). Get your tickets now and read the previous post for more info on that and the LP (which you can listen to on RDIO ). Meanwhile Sam has expanded his list of announced [...]
Back here with your week's positive vibes. This week I'm especially excited about two releases. Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires Of The City is modern pop music that reaches towards epic messages ("Ya Hey") while still grounding itself in a reality ("Unbelievers" and "Step") that keeps it from becoming too big. Ezra Kroenig has never written songs that play this personal and his band has never been so experimental. Pure X's Crawling Up The Stairs is a more low-key release, but after the nocturnal smokiness of Pleasure, it's definitely something you should check [...]
While we're all waiting for the warm weather to officially take hold (we've been given an enticingly cruel taste of it here in Northwest), Vampire Weekend has created the perfect summer album to fuel your anticipation. At times wistfully nostalgic, percolatingly peppy and even fiercely energetic, Modern Vampires of the City is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year so far. KEXP Music Director, Don Yates, calls the NYC band's third album their "most mature and musically adventurous release to date" with its "impressive variety of beautifully crafted, intricately detailed songs with imaginative arrangements [...]
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A few of my favorite new releases this week, including new stuff from Bibio, Small Black, Vampire Weekend, and Wild Nothing. As always, be sure to visit Largehearted Boy for more new music. Bibio// Silver Wilkinson web // facebook // twitter // soundcloud //iTunes The Handsome Family// Wilderness web // facebook // twitter // soundcloud // shows // iTunes Kisses// Kids in L.A. [...]
Today sees the release of Sam Amidon's fourth album, Bright Sunny South . I won't go into too much detail about the record as Larry Day has already written a fair review of it, available to read here . I will say however, that this was an exciting listen for me, as the albums of his that I really got into were released on the Bedroom Community label. Live solo performances aside, the Sam Amidon that I think of is the one in collaboration with Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurdsson, constantly making some beautifully produced, outlandishly [...]
May 11, 4:02pm
DIY
'Bright Sunny South' opens with a statement of intent. A downcast adieu to family, its subject's search for independence is imperative: “I must be going, for here I cannot stand / I'm going in defence of our own native land.” As an opener, it's certainly apt - Amidon recently having left the comfort of Reykjavik-based label Bedroom Community to find a new home at Nonesuch - the very same label that released his parents' music (they sang as part of the Word Of Mouth Chorus) almost forty years ago. It's no wonder that he's searching for autonomy now. [...]
New York-based folker Sam Amidon 's new long player, "Bright Sunny South", is now up for advanced listening on Pitchfork Advance . The perenially-overlooked Amidon's upcoming release takes some off of the rough edges of his previous work, but this doesn't come at the expense of his identity; this is still the same off-beat artist we've come to know. There are several unforeseen turns throughout, but Amidon has found a buildup that makes for a deliciously pertinent release. "Bright Sunny South" is available May 14 on Nonesuch Records . Head to [...]
The SOTO inbox is always full of cool stuff that never gets to see the light of day on the actual site, and I’d like to change that. So, every Friday I’ll be posting the best album streams and videos that were sent my way during the week. Take a scroll and find something worth remembering. FULL ALBUM STREAMS MS MR - Secondhand Rapture Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City Dirty Beaches – Strange Pleasures Small [...]
On his Nonesuch Records debut, Sam Amidon 's restrained warble traces folk music back to the roots of traditional songs like "I Wish I Wish" and "As I Roved Out" while simultaneously recasting modern pop songs "My Old Friend" (Tim McGraw) and "Shake it Off" (Mariah Carey) in a new, heart-wrenching light. Bright Sunny South will be released on May 14th but you can stream it in full at Pitchfork Advance here . Sam Amidon performs at Johnny Brenda's with Alessi's Ark on June 16th; tickets and information can be [...]
Vermont indie-folk singer-songwriter (and husband to Beth Orton) Sam Amidon is gearing up to release his fourth album. This new release sees longtime pal and collaborator Doveman, aka Thomas Bartlett, re-take the producer's reigns after Icelandic avante-garde composer Valgeir Sigurðsson helmed Amidon's previous two records. His sound flits across the Atlantic: at times, he'll exude dusty Americana, laden with banjo-frolickery and country twangs, and in other moments he'll veer towards bucolic Gaelic paeans. He's carved a comfortable crevice in which to craft music, often re-envisioning vintage ditties and aging folk sounds in a more contemporary fashion - and, [...]
To coincide with the release of his Nonesuch Records debut, Sam Amidon will play a show at Bush Hall in London on May 23. Tickets are on sale now Nonesuch Records releases the new album, Bright Sunny South, on May 13. [...]
Folk singer Sam Amidon will make his Nonesuch Records debut on May 14th with Bright Sunny South , not long before he makes a stop in Philadelphia for a show at Johnny Brenda's . South falls in line behind the Vermont native's 2010 album I See the Sign and includes a pair of covers (Mariah Carey's " Shake It Off " and Tim McGraw's " My Old Friend ") alongside shape-note hymns and other traditional compositions. Amidon requested the production assistance of his long-time cohort Thomas "Doveman" Bartlett who, [...]
I just got excited when I read today's announcement that: Nonesuch Records releases Sam Amidon's label debut Bright Sunny South on May 14. Produced by Amidon with his childhood friend and longtime collaborator Thomas Bartlett (a.k.a. Doveman) and legendary English engineer Jerry Boys (Buena Vista Social Club, Vashti Bunyan, R.E.M.) and recorded in London, the record features a band made up of Bartlett and multi-instrumentalists Shahzad Ismaily and Chris Vatalaro . Jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler also makes a cameo. Amidon himself not only [...]
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