Radical Face - The Family Tree: The Roots

(Bear Machine, October 4th 2011)

Radical Face is the soloproject from Jacksonville, Florida based singer/songwriter Ben Cooper. This is his second album following 2007s Ghost. Think of the hushed qualities of the early albums of both Iron & Wine and Sufjan Stevens and you will get an idea of how Radical Face sounds. It's often hauntingly beautiful and somber with lyrics that match the sound. The Roots is the first of a trilogy that will be released under The Family Tree "header". The lyrics to this album is tematically set to the 1800s though they resonate cleary to the same feelings people encounter every day.

Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing

(Sub Pop, September 13th 2011)

American Goldwing, Blitzen Trapper's sixth album, were a great classic american driving album. Songs that just seem made for cruisin' down the highways. It's a bit more streamlined and straight forward than the last couple of albums from the band, but in my mind, probably the best album they have released to date. Instead of trying a whole mish-mash of things the band has focused on really good country-rock tunes on this album.

Jonas Alaska - Jonas Alaska

(Jansen Plateproduksjon, September 16th 2011)

Easily the best norwegian debut of the year, probably my favourite norwegian album of the year as well. I have written about Jonas Alaska on this blog before, that was a concert review, but the album is nearly as good as his live performance. Lots of great folk-pop tunes in the vein of Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, but always with a Jonas Alaska-twist. This is a name we will be hearing more from in the years to come.

White Denim - D

(Downtown Records, May 24th 2011)

D is the fourth album from this Austin, Texas band. Probably their most accessible so far. A band that's really hard to pin down musically. They have done everything from straight garage rock to prog-ish rock via dub and funk. On this album they bring out their inner prog-rockers, though they never really go prog. It's a kind of Wishbone Ash meets Grand Funk Railroad meets Quicksilver Messenger Service type of album. Lots of extraordinaire playing and it really sounds like they had a hell of a time recording it.

Photo by Line Almhjell (Copyright)

I need one now, I can't feel a thing..

2011-09-23T01:39:00.000+02:00

Jonas Alaska

Live at Parkteateret, September 22nd 2011

Every once in a while a singer-songwriter comes a long that just blows you away. 22 year old Jonas Alaska is one of these. He comes from a small place in the south of Norway but currently lives in Liverpool. His debut album is released today, and last night - only a few hours ago - I was at the release-concert for this album. One of this years best Norwegian album, in fact, one of this years best in any country or genre or whatever. It's absolutely stunning.

I was at the gig with a couple of friends of mine, one of them had just finished a review of the album and given it a score of 10/10, something I then - before the concert - thought was maybe a tad too much. After the gig, not so much. This was one of these 11/10 score gigs, you know - the gig is just perfect, and the artist isn't quite aware of quite how good it is.

Jonas Alaska writes songs in a classic singer / songwriter genre, he has a lot to thank both Paul Simon and Bob Dylan for - still he sounds like nobody but Jonas Alaska. His liveband has some of the best known Norwegian musicians. One of the country's best drummers, Gard Nilssen (Bushman's Revenge) plays perc. Another one of Norway's great drummers, Martin Hortveth (Jaga Jazzist), is the drummer - and he takes on the role as Kenneth Buttrey in this kinda Area Code 615 crossed with The Band backing band. Also in prominent places in the backing band are Thom Hell on electric guitar, a fantastic singer / songwriter himself - with four outstanding albums in his own name. But the real essence of the band is bassist Even Ormestad (Jaga Jazzist / Marit Larsen), this guy must be Rick Danko ressurected or something. This band just blows me away.

Still, the best thing about this gig - isn't the outstanding and fab band. It's the knowledge and feeling that this guy, Jonas Alaska, could have stood alone on stage armed with only his guitar and the gig would have been just as great.

Top of the pops!

Heartworn Highways presents:

2011-06-04T18:04:00.006+02:00

Heartworn Highways: Recorded in Muscle Shoals Vol. 1

I've always been fascinated by the "sound" of Muscle Shoals. This small city in Alabama has grown to mytical proportions in my mind and has a life of its own in my fantasies. When I have listened to soul music I have almost always been drawn to what you would call southern soul. It probably started with Otis Redding and James Carr. Both artist often recorded in Memphis, Tennessee. Stax had their recordings done in Memphis with stellar backing by Booker T. Jones and his MGs.

So Memphis and Stax may have been the big brother, but somehow I started hearing more and more about Muscle Shoals and the legendary rhythm section called The Swampers. I probably first heard of The Swampers in Lynyrd Skynyrds "Sweet Home Alabama", like so many others. Then my interest in The Allman Brothers and Duane Allman grew, and he used to work on sessions in Muscle Shoals with The Swampers. Also, The Rolling Stones recorded "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses" in Muscle Shoals. My fascination with the place grew, and here we are with the first Heartworn Highways mix in a long long time.

Hope y'all like it.

Heartworn Highways: Recorded in Muscle Shoals Vol. 1 (2011)

1. Lonnie Mack - Asphalt Outlaw Hero
(from The Hills of Indiana, Elektra, 1971)

2. Ronee Blakely - American Beauty
(from Welcome, Warner Brothers, 1975)

3. Paul Simon - Kodachrome
(from There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Columbia, 1973)

4 . James & Bobby Purify - She Ain't Gonna Do Right
(recorded in 1966, released by Sundazed, 2000)

5. Luther Ingram - (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right
(from single, Ko Ko 2111, 1972)

6. Linda Ronstadt - I Won't Be Hangin' Round
(from Linda Ronstadt, Captitol, 1972)

7. Willie Nelson - Pretend I Never Happened
(from Phases & Stages, Atlantic, 1974)

8. Maurice & Mac - You Left The Water Running
(from single, Checker 1197, 1968)

9. Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude
(from Hey Jude, Atlantic, 1968)

10. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)
(from I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, Atlantic, 1967)

11. Eddie Hinton - Dangerous Highway
(from Dear Y'all: The Songwriting Sessions, Zane, 2000)

12. Cher - I Walk On Guilded Splinters
(from 3614 Jackson Highway, ATCO, 1969)

13. Candi Staton - Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man
(from I'm Just A Prisoner, FAME, 1970)

14. Cowboy - Please Be With Me
(from 5'll Getcha Ten, Capricorn, 1971)

*The mix is no longer available for download, but go out and buy this music*

Happy birthday Bobby D.

2011-05-24T20:53:00.002+02:00

In honour of his Bobness 70th birthday I thought I should post something here, if everything goes as planned I will get the time to post more Dylan related posts this week. Since today is his birthday, let Bob-week begin.

I'm starting of by recycling a post I did in September last year:

2010-03-12T00:51:00.003+01:00

Monzano - Since U Been Gone
(live from p3 Popsalongen, Kelly Clarkson cover)

This is two of my very best friends doing a great cover of one of my all time favourite songs, Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone". They are in a band called Monzano and have just released a great album called By This Time Last Year Everything Will Seem Younger. Check them out and check this great cover.

Sail away, away..

2010-03-09T21:49:00.004+01:00

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
(Charisma, February 20th 1976)

A Trick of the Tail were the first album Genesis released after the departure of vocalist and lyricist Peter Gabriel in 1975. While the band didn't quite know how to continue when Gabriel quit, they went in to London's Trident Studio in autumn of 1975. Keyboardist Peter Banks wasn't a stranger to the thought of continuing as a instrumental band. With that in mind the band recorded the bulk of the album without lyrics. Drummer Phil Collins had been singing backup on the bands earlier releases and he recorded a vocal-take for the song "Squonk" which ended up in him becoming the vocalist, something he was reluctant to. That decission however were taken after the band had auditioned some 400 singers.

The resulting album is one of my favourite by Genesis. I am not deeply familiar with all their material so this may change in the future. While the lyrics tend to get a bit to "out there" for me the melodies are great. Especially the tracks "Squonk", "Ripples" and "A Trick of the Tail" stand out for me. Collins' vocals are great throughout the album, a great double-track effect makes it even better on some tracks. Some reviewers even said that Collins sang more like Gabriel than Gabriel did.

The instrumental album closer "Los Endos" is also really great, and may be telling us some of the direction the band may have taken had they chosen the instrumental path. Though this track is very good I for one are very happy that they didn't take that path.

A Trick of the Tail are a great album, perhaps the best of the middle-era Genesis. Maybe not prog enough for the progenthuiasts but more than progressive enough for the rest of us.

Songs For Beginners

2010-03-02T21:26:00.005+01:00

Be Yourself: A Tribute to Graham Nash's Songs For Beginners

Just pre-ordered my copy of this sweet gem. (((folkYEAH!))) and Grassroots Records are about to release this Graham Nash tribute album with artists such as Vetiver, Brendan Benson, Robin Pecknold (from Fleet Foxes) and many other great artists.

A big thank you to Jody over at When You Awake for writing about this album, maybe it would have passed under my radar. You can pre-order it here.

"BE YOURSELF" GRAHAM NASH 2010 TRIBUTE ADVANCE EPK #2 promo from (((folkYEAH!))) on Vimeo.

True love cast out all evil

Emerald Triangle Live in SF 11/02 from (((folkYEAH!))) on Vimeo.

Seven songs shaping this autumn

2009-10-29T18:18:00.010+01:00

Tag, I'm it. Got taged by the fantastic folks over at When You Awake for this thing which is a kind of blog chain letter called the “Seven Songs Shaping Your Life”. The instructions are simple: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your life. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

I'm not sure if I will be "tagging" as many as seven other people, but we'll see. A good idea it is, and here I go.

1. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
No news for the people who read this blog that I really love this song. I love the whole album, but as this is the first song it is the one I have to get past to get to the others. I especially love the "..shape I'm in" lyrical hook that reminds me of one of my favourite bands, the truly fantastic The Band.

2. Grateful Dead - Bird Song
You're always gonna need some Grateful Dead in your life and for the moment I have been really hooked on this great jazzy ditty. The studio recording is great but recently I've been hooked on a live version from August 27th, 1972. Go check it out on archive.org.

3. Kristofer Åström - When Her Eyes Turn Blue
Kristofer Åström have been one of my favourite artists for a long time. I haven't really gotten my head around his latest album Sinkadus, but this is nonetheless a favourite from that very album.

4. Jens Carelius - Face of a Dream
A track taken from Norwegian singer/songwriter Jens Carelius second album The Beat of the Travel. His first album was mostly a solo recording rooted in British folkers like Bert Jansch. This one has more of a band feeling and while we are still in the sixties folkrock landscape Carelius has found his own voice.

5. Hoola Bandola Band - Keops Pyramid
Swedish folkrock from the early seventies. Sounding a bit like the Band meet Crosby, Stills & Nash. Great song with great harmonies and heavy early seventies politics. These guys looked exactly like you presume the teachers in the schools in the seventies did.

6. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
Just saw a heartbreaking documentary about this Swedish rockband. One of the most important rockbands in the whole of scandinavia in nineties. This song is from their last and perhaps best album, released in 2003.

7. Devendra Banhart - Baby
Good ol' friend Devendra is back with another great album. An album perfect for lazy dark Norwegian autumn nights. Play this loud and all your troubles will be gone.

So, it seems that I listen to a lot of Swedish music at the moment. But mostly I listen to the Avett Brothers, Jens Carelius and Devendra Banhart albums. Check them out, maybe you'll like them to.

I tag:
You Can Put Me In Your Hair, I'll Be Happy There
Perfect Sounds
Lille Fnugg
I am Fuel, You are Friends
This Mornin' I am Born Again

Cover art on a Sunday

2009-10-25T20:38:00.004+01:00

Just a little post of some of my favourite cover art. I've done one of these posts before, that one was called "Sundazed on a Sunday". So here you go.

Kim Hiorthøy - Hopeness EP
(Smalltown Supersound, 2004)

Tom Waits - Mule Variations
(Anti, 1999)

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
(Drag City, 2009)

Richmond Fontaine - Thirteen Cities
(Decor, 2007)

Three words that became hard to say

2009-10-24T16:08:00.002+02:00

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
from the album I and Love and You (American, 2009)

One of the best songs of the year from one of the best albums this year. Have a nice weekend.

Most of us hate anything that we don't understand

2009-10-12T23:16:00.003+02:00

Kris Kristofferson - Jesus Was A Capricorn
from the album Jesus Was A Capricorn (Monument, 1972)

One of my favourite Kristofferson songs and albums. The melody of this track is borrowed from John Prine's "Grandpa Was A Carpenter". You can say that's fitting since Kris Kristofferson was the guy who got Prine a recording contract. Thank God for that. Love them both. Prine may be the best singer and songwriter but Kristofferson is the absolute coolest. And he still is.

Great lyrics on this song, so here you go.

"Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods
He believed in love and peace and never wore any shoes
Long hair, beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends
Reckon they'd just nail him up if He ever come down again.."

...

"Egg Head's cousin Red Neck's cussin' hippies for their hair
Others laugh at straights who laugh at freaks who laugh at squares
Some folks hate the whites who hate the blacks who hate the clan
Most of us hate anything that we don't understand.."

A live version from the Ottawa Folk Festival, August 17th 2007
"It ain't Dylan, but it's all we got.."

With you in sight, the lost are found..

2009-10-11T22:28:00.004+02:00

The Band - Whispering Pines
from the album The Band (Capitol, 1969)

This gem, written by the late great Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson, is one of my all time favourite The Band songs. One of my favourites from any band actually. It's a beautiful melody and Richard Manuel's vocal delivery is nothing short of haunting. I can feel the goosebumps on my arms just thinking of it. It is a quite sad song, full of longing. The song's protagonist are feeling the presence of his loved one who probably has passed away.

"Foghorn through the night, calling out to sea
Protect my only light, 'cause she once belonged to me
Let the waves rush in, let the seagulls cry
For if I live again, these hopes will never die
I can feel you standing there
But I don't see you anywhere"

Great words and the music fits them perfectly. This was a band that really had tapped in to something really great at this time. The whole album are filled with haunting songs like this one. I would have loved to be a fly at the wall when this and the other songs on this album was written and recorded. Truly classic stuff, the intensity is almost too much to take. I love this album, and I love this song. Richard Manuel may very well have been the most soulful singer that ever lived.

"Try looking through a haze
At an empty house, in the cold cold sun
I will wait until it all goes round
With you in sight, the lost are found"

New Imperial Grand Blues

2009-10-05T16:24:00.004+02:00

J. Tillman - Live at Blå, Oslo, October 3rd. 2009

J. Tillman, at this moment in time probably most known for his role as a drummer in Fleet Foxes, has released no less than two albums this year. The first one Vacilando Territory Blues came in January and the second Year in the Kingdom were released just a couple of weeks ago. Both are well worth checking out. That said, both those albums are bleak if you put them up against what J. Tillman and his band are doing live on this tour.

From the first sparse harmonies in set-opener "All You See" to the complete rockout in the set-closing "New Imperial Grand Blues" this band had me wrapped around their littlefinger. A perfect mix between the slow mellow songs and more sonic experimentation throughout the set.
The liveversion of "Though I Have Wronged You" with handclaps and footstomps as percussion was especially haunting. Nothing short of perfection actually. I think the last time I was this impressed by the live rendition of an artist that I only had heard on record probably was a solo performance by Phosphorescent a few years ago or maybe Fleet Foxes with Tillman on the Øya Festival last year.

Truly impressed. If you have the opportunity to go see these guys, just do it. Don't think more about it. They will make it worth your money. I promise.

"Though I Have Wronged You"
from the album Year in the Kingdom (Bella Union, 2009)

"Steel on Steel"
from the album Vascilando Territory Blues (Bella Union, 2009)

Doing the E-Street shuffle..?

2009-10-04T20:52:00.008+02:00

Well, not exactly. This is going to be a new recurring post on Heartworn Highways. The plan is that every once in a while, once a week or something, I will set my iPod on shuffle and write down the first five songs and publish them here. No hocus pocus there. Just letting you know what's going in to my ears from time to time.

Entry #5
Sunday, October 4th, 2009

1. Warren Zevon - Genius
from the album Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon (Rhino, 2002)

2. Jimmy Eat World - Gotta Be Somebody's Blues
from the album Chase This Light (Interscope, 2007)

3. Joy Division - Komakino
from the boxset Heart and Soul (London, 1998)

4. The Gaslight Anthem - Here's Looking At You, Kid
from the album The '59 Sound (Side One Dummy, 2008)

5. George Jones - The Battle
from the album The Battle (Epic, 1976)

What if you did? What if you walk?

2009-10-01T21:48:00.005+02:00

R.E.M. - Drive
from the album Automatic for the People (Warner Bros., 1992)

This song has appeared from out of nowhere twice on my iPod the last week. Well, maybe not completely out of nowhere since my iPod has been on shuffle, but still. Not that I am complaining in any way. This is one of my absolute favourite R.E.M. songs, at least from the Automatic for the People album. The production are so understated and at the same time really big. A great start-stop rhythm-arrangement driven forward by Michael Stipe's vocals and Peter Buck's guitar. I especially love it when the electric guitar countermelody comes in halfway through the song. And also the way it builds along with the electric guitar with louder drums and the more prominent string section before it mellows down again at the end. Quite haunting actually. Sounds best in a dark room played loud.

Great song, great album, great band.

Dylan - the poet

2009-09-22T22:08:00.003+02:00

Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
from the album Bringing It All Back Home (Columbia, 1965)

One of Dylan's most familiar songs for most people. Made famous by the high flying Byrds. This is not my favourite Dylan song, I like it though, it has a great melody and it's catchy as hell. That said, the reason I have really really fallen in love with this song lately is that I've finally opened my ears to the lyrics and that's the reason for this post. Bob Dylan is one of the finest poets walking this planet and this is just one of his zillion great lyrics.

"..yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
with all the memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
let me forget about today until tomorrow.."

Mixtapes: Crystal Canyon volume 2

2009-09-18T15:41:00.007+02:00

The very first post on this blog was a mixtape that I made to celebrate the new blog. The plan always was to make some mixtapes and post on the blog every now and then, but it seems that this hasn't happened. Anyhow, with no further wait, here it finally is.

Crystal Canyon Volume II
(Heartworn Highways, 2009)

1. Ry Cooder - Boomer's Story
2. The Faces - Ooh La La
3. The Black Crowes - Good Friday
4. John Martyn - Over the Hill
5. Gene Clark - From A Silver Phial
6. John Prine - Angel From Montgomery
7. Todd Rundgren - Couldn't I Just Tell You
8. The Band - Whispering Pines
9. Grateful Dead - Operator
10. The Rolling Stones - Play With Fire
11. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Louisiana Rain

The mixtape is sadly only available to the folks that have Spotify. There may be some changes to that later, but alas for now that's the way it is. To listen click here: Crystal Canyon Volume II

A little about the songs:

Ry Cooder is a guy I have been neglecting for a long long time, but lately I've been listening to a lot of his stuff. This album, Boomer's Story (Reprise, 1972), stands out as a favourite for me. Great classic americana stuff.

Next up we have a bunch of talented, drunken englishmen. The fantastic and underrated band The Faces. Probably most famous for being the starting ground for both Rod Stewart and Ron Wood but the sadly overlooked Ronnie Lane was the real soul of the band. Check out this album, Ooh La La (Warner Bros., 1973), and also all of his solo records. And of course his former band, The Small Faces.

Then we move some years forward to a band that are clearly in debt to The Faces and almost all other acts on this mixtape. The Black Crowes, one of my absolute favourite bands. The way they borrow stuff from classic sixties and seventies rock but also the way they pay tribute to these acts by playing covers and praising them in interviews. Also, they really stand their ground as a band of their own of course. Their recently relased album Before The Frost.. ..Until The Freeze is really outstanding, more on that later. This song is from their album Three Snakes and One Charm (È, 1996).

John Martyn's "Over The Hill" is a song that I got from the solo acoustic album Brothers From a Feather from the Robinson brothers of The Black Crowes. A fantastic song from a great English folk singer/songwriter. The song is taken from the brilliant album Solid Air (Island, 1973).

Gene Clark, oh where should I begin. Maybe the best of all the songwriters in The Byrds. A truly fantastic songwriter and soulful singer. This song is from his masterpiece No Other (Asylum, 1974), one of my all time favourite albums.

The song "Angel From Montgomery" is just one of my favourites from John Prine's debut album John Prine (Atlantic, 1971). Equal parts Dylan and Kristofferson is maybe the best way to explain this outstanding songwriter.

Todd Rundgren, well what can I say. A truly great artist with a very eclectic output. When he is at his best like he was on the album Something/Anything? (Bearsville, 1972) it's pure genius.

The Band are long time favourites of mine, you can't go wrong with them. Either you want some rockers or some achingly beautiful ballads they've got them. A great example of the latter here from the album The Band (Capitol, 1969)

Then were off to say hello to my absolute favourite band, good ol' Greatful Dead. A great song from the fantastic album American Beauty (Warner Bros., 1970). The last song that the late great Ron "Pigpen" McKernan wrote and recorded with Grateful Dead.

The Rolling Stones always played with fire, here they are also singing about it. A great song from the album Out Of Our Heads (ABCKO, 1965)

To close the ball we have the great Tom Petty and his sidekicks The Heartbreakers. Even though they are most known for their rocking stuff they never strayed far from their southern roots. So here they are singing about the "Louisiana Rain" from the great album Damn The Torpedoes (MCA, 1979).

Where she leads me I do not know..

2009-09-15T22:55:00.006+02:00

Bob Dylan - Can't Leave Her Behind
(unreleased, 1966)

Stephen Malkmus & Lee Ranaldo - Can't Leave Her Behind
from the album I'm Not There (Columbia Original Soundtracks, 2007)

A great song this, don't even ask me how many times I've seen the youtube-clip from Eat the Document (1966) the last couple of weeks. The song has actually never been recorded or released by Dylan. Nevertheless Stephen Malkmus and Lee Ranaldo, with some help from Nels Cline, dug it up for the soundtrack to Todd Haynes Dylan biopic I'm Not There. They do the song more than justice and that's the version I first fell for. The Dylan version from Eat the Document is recorded in a hotelroom in Glasgow with Dylan singing the song to Robbie Robertson. Dylan sings it in the sort of crooner voice that he unleashed for the Nashville Skyline album in 1969. Maybe crooner is the wrong word, his voice sounds relaxed and both the delivery and the lyrics feel heartfelt.

Watch the Dylan version here:

Listen to the Stephen Malkmus/Lee Ranaldo version here:

I hear it's clear sailin' up ahead..

2009-09-07T22:01:00.005+02:00

Chris Hillman - Clear Sailin'
(Asylum, 1977)

After I read Barney Hoskyns fantastic book Hotel California: Singer/songwriters and Cocaine Cowboys in the L.A. Canyons a couple of years ago I've been buying almost all albums I find that were released by David Geffen's label Asylum in the seventies. Artists like Eagles, Jackson Browne, John David Souther and Joni Mitchell filled up the roster. The mellow-mafia of the west-coast were born. So that is one reason for me buying this album, the other is of course that it's Chris Hillman.

Not exactly a unknown. Clear Sailin' is Hillman's second soloalbum. Fresh out of collaborations with John David Souther and Richie Furay in the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Hillman never was one of the most prolific songwriters out there and his solo records are inhibited because of this. In all his years in bands like The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Stephen Stills' Manassas his recorded output as a songwriter comes to about one album.

That said, his first solo record Slippin' Away was great and this one also has it's moments. Songs like "Fallen Favourites", "Hot Dusty Roads" and the title track "Clear Sailin'" are all great songs in the southern-California-mellow-life in the sun on the beach are great-slick-kind of way. Great harmonies and good melodies.

If you like bands like Firefall and the first albums by Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers you should check out this album.

New discovery

2009-09-06T17:16:00.004+02:00

Anthony D'Amato - Shades of the Prison House
(Self-released, 2009)

Young mr. D'Amato is a talented singer/songwriter from New Jersey who has just released his second album called Shades of the Prison House. His great songs remind me of other young male songwriters like Patrick Park and Pete Yorn. D'Amato has been touring with the likes of Jesse Malin and Marah. The latest I heard Anthony could be found covering Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" with Nina Persson at the Everybody Knows This is Nowhere benefit in New York.

The album is packed full with acoustic guitars, fiddles and good melodies. A little country twang and a lot of good lyrics. The overall feel is one that fits perfectly now that autumn is upon us. Picture yourself walking down a crowded New York street with the streetlights lighting up the wet pavement. A totally impressive album that I've been listening to a lot lately. Especially the songs "NYC Song", "Skeleton Key" and "Hank Williams Tune" has really gotten under my skin. Anthony D'Amato could very well be the next big singer/songwriter to come out of the New Jersey shorelines. So if you live in New York be sure to check him out the next time you see his name up on the marquee. For the rest of us the album is out now.

Check him out on Myspace

Doing the E-Street shuffle..?

2009-09-01T19:10:00.003+02:00

Entry #4
Tuesday, September 1st

1. Pavement - Pueblo
from the album Wowee Zowee (Matador, 1995)

2. Tom Waits - Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)
from the album Closing Time (Asylum, 1973)

3. Whiskeytown - Somebody Remembers the Rose
from the album Strangers Almanac (Outpost, 1997)

4. The Subways - Rock & Roll Queen
from the soundtrack album Music from the O.C: Mix 5 (Warner Bros, 2005)

5. The Velvet Underground - All Tomorrow's Parties
from the boxset Peel Slowly and See (Polydor/Chronicles, 1995)

See her how she flies, golden sails across the skies..

2009-08-31T00:37:00.004+02:00

Jimmy Webb - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
from the album El Mirage (Atlantic, 1977)

Just a song to end the weekend with, a fantastic song from a fantastic songwriter. Do yourself a favour and search out some of Jimmy Webb's albums. Other songs from his massive catalogue are "Wichita Lineman" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" made famous by among others Glen Campbell. More about him later. Also more about good old Jimmy Webb later. The Norwegian jazzsinger Radka Toneff also recorded a stunning version of this beautiful song. Listen to them both here.

Jimmy Webb - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Radka Toneff - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

..I have an hour 'til the old men give me shit 'cause I don't like sports and I never will.

2009-08-25T23:36:00.002+02:00

Richmond Fontaine - We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River
(Decor, 2009)

This is what I am listening to at the moment and so should you. In my opinion their best effort since 2005's Post To Wire. That album is something that I frequently turn back to. I get the same feeling when I listen to this new one. I have probably played it at least ten times since I first heard it last friday. Maybe that's not so much for you people, but for me that's a lot of listening to one album.

Check it out, a fantastic album. Probably one of the best all year.

A cool video of "You Can Move Back Here"

Doing the E-street shuffle ..?

2009-08-22T14:44:00.003+02:00

Entry #3,
Saturday, August 22nd 2009

1. Bruce Springsteen - Living in the Future
from the album Magic (Epic, 2007)

2. Hank Williams - Settin' the Woods on Fire
from the album Gold (Mercury Nashville, 2005)

3. Islands - Renaud
from the album Return to the Sea (Equator, 2006)

4. Devendra Banhart - Little Boys
from the album Cripple Crow (XL, 2005)

5. Jerry Garcia - I'll Take A Melody
from the album Reflections (Grateful Dead, 1976)

..and I still know the song and her name and the reason.

2009-08-20T11:13:00.004+02:00

The Gaslight Anthem with Bruce Springsteen - The '59 Sound
(Live from Hyde Park, London 2009)

This is really cool and a great quality clip.