Small Sur - photo by Henn Pict Today has been excellent so far. Really excellent. Small Sur posted on their Facebook wall this morning about a recent live recording was up for a free download. Apparently the long time in the making session for Mobtown Studios came to fruition and we now have 13 tracks to download from the "Microshow: Live in Baltimore" session! Wrapped up in this set are some new tracks, old tracks (like a personal favourite 'The Kelp'), mostly [...]
Today sees the release of the newest opus from Elephant Micah. Being big fans around Slowcoustic HQ, this is an even bigger day as we also have a quick interview with Joe O'Connell along with our post on the album! The album is "Louder Than Thou" and is released from O'Connell's own label Product of Palmyra in digital and vinyl formats. It is 6 tracks of what might be called a return to form if you thought that was even needed from this Indiana project. First off, it [...]
Front Page Banner photo of Joel P West from the fantastic 'The Visual Theory Blog' (Visit) Very happy to find in my twitter feed about a new release from Joel P West (frontman of The Tree Ring - see a post on them here ) and I want to assure you right now that my excitement for new material was well warranted! There is something about West's voice that makes [...]
This is a repost from December 2009 that I had to put back up because the music is good. Real good. I also just picked up the EP "Ballads, Stripmall" ( iTunes , eMusic ) as I realized I didn't officially have the entire thing and it all came back in a rush as to why I love this band. He has a new Facebook page and updated website since the below post - make sure you [...]
Let's not beat around the proverbial bush here, we love Lotte Kestner (Anna-Lynne Williams) around here. A lot. Yesterday, Lotte Kestner released a selection of stripped down 'solo' Trespassers William songs on her Bandcamp page. There are 10 tracks that span more than a few years/albums and each one is focused directly at the stunningly ethereal vocals of this west coast siren. But instead of the mythological siren, she will not devour you whole but instead provide you a rare opportunity to listen to her songs laid bare in their stark beauty. This is truly a 'quiet moment' [...]
Ryan Tanner's "Peaceful Mind" is today's song of the day. It's poignant, beautiful to listen to and just the right distance between sorrow and contentment. I think his Canadian musical doppelganger might be Frederick Squire...listen to the lyrics and you will see where I am coming from. <a href=" http://ryantanner.bandcamp.com /track/peaceful-mind" mce_href=" http://ryantanner.bandcamp.com /track/peaceful-mind">P eaceful Mind by Ryan Tanner</a> You might remember Ryan Tanner from the post on his fantastic cover of Steve Earle's "Goodbye" ( see here ) and while I have a smattering of tracks from Ryan, what I really want is an album. I know, just [...]
New album from I Am Oak "Oasem" is due out in about 3 weeks or so and it is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard this year. I have only been listening to I Am Oak for about a year or so since Geert from The Black Atlantic recommended it to me. When that happens, you listen and I have been listening ever since. His 2010 album "On Claws" was/is also fantastic with tracks like "On Oxen & "On Trees and Birds and Fire" - but with Oasem, he even extends on the aura oozing [...]
Puzzle Muteson has his 'debut' album coming up from the fine folks at Bedroom Community. The lead off single is currently a free download of the title track from the album and is absolutely stunning. While Bedroom Community indicates that this is is debut album, it just might be his 'official' debut album as I seem to have a previous album of his from a few years back....maybe he didn't actually release it as much as he gave it away...who knows. Regardless, his new sound is definitely coming along with sweeping sound-capes and gorgeous arrangements. This particular song [...]
Small Sur has an album coming up called "Tones"! Small Sur has a just launched Kickstarter campaign for said album! Small Sur is streaming 2 songs from the upcoming album on their new Bandcamp page! This, my friends, is a great Friday. Small Sur (or Bob Keal front and centre, along with co-horts Andy Abelow & Austin Stahl) provide that music that is both majestic in it's simply beauty and heartbreaking in its sound. I have enjoyed the music of Small Sur for a few years and honestly everything they release is solid, the band doesn't make below [...]
I missed the official release of the album yesterday, but I actually didn't post anything yesterday, so that makes it better? Okay, okay, I really wanted to post and tell you about one of my favourite new albums of the Slowcoustic variety in Andy Berkhout's "Love Without Fear". Andy is no stranger to Slowcoustic with his spot on acoustic takes on life, relationships and makes almost any subject matter sound good. The new album is 10 tracks that don't fall far from what we hold dear - acoustic, melody, harmonica and a bit of drawl. While I don't [...]
Sam "Pickering" Pick has once again graced us with another one of his beautiful acoustic albums. I say "again" as he has numerous albums across various media hubs (and usually all for free) and I don't know why this guy isn't famous. The music created is that perfect hushed folk song that sometimes just is needed. This new album "The Boy in the Back" has a few doozies in that department and overall provides one of the best albums in a while for me. Pickering Pick came to be known by myself via the Rate Your Music website [...]
Well it's Record Store Day today and I am just putting a quick post to let you know what I'm listening to right now as I prepare to head out. Ghosts I've Met. While I have posted about Ghosts I've Met prior , I am really getting back into Sam Watts & Co. once again. This is the softer acoustic ballads that float beautifully through headphones, soundtrack important moments and simply give you a good feeling. There is also a bit of Americana vs. Orchestra throughout the band - the track below "Reno" is a fantastic acoustic [...]
Just thought I would share as I was listening to the above album on the way to work. The album is spectacular - this is roots banjo folk at its best. Released last year to little fanfare (why, oh why) this album is a mix of full on banjo honky tonk to slow folk(y) balladeer material. And it has grit. Grit that finds itself placed between an 80 year old tough as nails bluesman to a young punk rocker. And it really works. I have said many times that I can get down with a lot of folk themed styles [...]
Ever since one of my mates (I can say mate as he is from the UK, so there) turned me onto Stripmall Ballads I have been wanting to post something over here on Slowcoustic. There is a great interview post over on You Crazy Dreamers HERE with Phillips Saylor who is the man they call Stripmall Ballads. Not unlike his moniker, I find the music Saylor creates can have a bit of everything in an unassuming package - there is country, folk, noise, rock all mixed into a lo-fi package that really [...]
I don't know why I ever go without listening to Matthew Ryan for more than a few days. While I don't full appreciate 100% of his stuff, 90% of it is frickin' great with at least 50% of it kicking the shite out of anyone else, anywhere. Why am I saying this? Well I was trolling the Daytrotter archives (highly recommended) and decided to re-download the Matthew Ryan set from last September - as I just couldn't find it in my iTunes. Did I not download it, did I miss it all [...]
When one visits a site like mine and listens to music, one gets and idea of the style of music you will often be subject to everytime you come back. While there is nothing wrong with blogs that cover multile genres of music and even have a "media information" feel and cover movies, celebrity, cultural events as well as music - but that is not me. When you come here you can expect to get great music* that tends to be on the slower side, often acoustic and what many call "lonely night" or "fall asleep" music. Well...call it what [...]
"The heart of a cur keeping time with her bedroom eyes." ~JLL The upcoming album from Jeffrey Luck Lucas entitled "The Lion's Jaw" should be out any second and from the few tracks I have heard it is going to be another incredible album. This is a top album in the "looking forward to in 20093 for me and am glad it is about to surface. Why this guy isn't more famous, is beyond me. Yes, I am being purposefully vague about the release date for the new album as it has not "officially" been [...]
Another installment of "Why Isn't This Guy Famous" - and seriously, why isn't he? Gregory Alan Isakov has been a favourite for years now, he has great albums. When I say great albums, I mean he has multiple albums that are consistently great - not just the 3-4 good songs with some 'throw aways" to fill it out. All great albums. So far 4 albums in total (don't get me wrong, I only have 3 as one entitled "Songs From A Cold Room" has eluded me). When I say 4 albums, there is only a mention on his [...]
Slowcoustic
Diplo x Usher: ‘Climax’
A-Trak - "Round of Applause" / "Where My Money At" (MP3 Download)
Diplo & Usher “Climax”
Skrillex Uses Satanic and Homosexual Influence to Win Grammys
