P Smoov sent me an email with new Fresh Espresso music. Needless to say, I am excited…
Hello Friends,
P Smoov here.
Our first single “Hush” from our upcoming album “Bossalona” is out for free download today!!! Are you excited? I am. Rik and I have put together an album we are very pleased with. “Bossalona” will be an excellent follow up to our last album “Glamour”.
Hush is a sonic victory lap. It’s an anthem for the big dreamers and the tenacious underdogs of the world. With a beat to knock your teeth out and battle cry lyrics “Hush” has Fresh Espresso soaring to new heights. “It’s not a wish if it’s happening.”
THE SEVEN EP: Dreamy romantic soul-rock from NYC singer/songwriter Emily King. Seven songs flowing flawlessly into a dream like space comprised of an understated elegance. Beautiful music from a beautiful lady, King’s got this soft spoken yet mesmerizing quality, capable of demanding attention in a subtle manner from one well crafted song to the next. I wish I could help it but I’m already sprung on her soulful vibe. It’s slowly creeping into my mind state, seducing me with the idea of romance and tricking me into believing that I might actually want to fall in love. Just wait, the crush will set in and have you feeling all irrationally idealistic too. EMILYKINGMUSIC.COM
THE BURIED BEDS: PHILADELPHIA’S MUSICAL REVOLUTION
If there is one city in America that can be described as revolutionary, it’s Philadelphia. Beyond the obvious accolades of being the city our founding fathers laid the framework of our nation, It’s a place where originality is being created, not mimicked. It’s rich musical history is diverse and expansive, helping generate such acts as The Roots and Dr. Dog. My love affair with this wonderful city and the music it is producing brought me to The Buried Beds. The Buried Beds are an offshoot of the West Philly’s New Planet Art Collective and were created by Brandon Beaver and Eliza Hardy. The bands sound is blend of classical and Americana music that showcases a sophisticated simplicity that could only happen in a place like Philly.
This video was filmed at Fairmount Park(the world’s largest landscaped urban park) during a day long party and makes your average music video feel like an 30 second iPhone clip of a Nickelback concert.
New music video project from the Blue Scholars for the track Seijun Suzuki off the Cinemetropolisvisual soundtrack. Directed by Jon Jon Augustavo and shot in Los Angeles, the end result is described by the Scholars like a trailer for a movie that doesn’t exist. The video features Seattle MC Thig Nat of The Physics and the fellas rocking suits and samurai swords, melding with the cinematic vibe narrated by a song named after Japanese filmmaker Seijun Suzuki. It’s dope as fuck. Watch below.
If you aren’t yet familiar with Cinemetropolis, well… you’re fucking up. Get with it.
It’s no question that there are plenty of musicians creating well-crafted Americana music in the industry today. However, those who can make it sound as effortless and inherent as Justin Townes Earle seem few and far between. Like a modern day Woody Guthrie or Hank WIlliams, he’s selling us tales through heartfelt folk ballads and old time country songs, rich in imagery of a nostalgic time rooted in American history. Dwelling within the often romanticized fantasy world of film, music, and literature, Earle’s music feels like being transported to the setting of a Western love story.
With an overwhelming stage presence whether it’s just him and his guitar for an intimate solo performance or a full band throwing down for a rowdy good time, the son of Alt-Country legend Steve Earle lives up to the name by executing his art with an almost innate simplicity. It’s a magic you can’t help but fall in love with the moment you stumble into his world.
Earle recently announced a forthcoming album set to be released on March 27 2012 with Bloodshot Records. For a taste of what’s in store, the title track off Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now has been released on the JTE website along with a video teaser portraying the creative process while recording this time around. Watch the trailer belowand visit the Justin Townes Earle website to download the track for free!
The infamous year end list: an exhausting attempt at compressing the years vast bodies of musical compositions down to a mere few, declaring what is believed to be the crème de la crème. Honestly, the order is variable, but for the sake of pleasing the masses with a neatly trimmed list I’ve painstakingly placed each album into a slot of the top 30 albums of the year. I know this isn’t going to settle right with everyone and I’m well aware It’s pretty far off from any other list you’ll find circulating around the internet. No Drake. No Fleet Foxes. That’s certainly not to say these musicians don’t deserve validity as accomplished artists. But you know what. Fuck Bon Iver. Yeah. Fuck Bon Iver. (Just lost about 78% of readers. Shit. Wait! Come back! tUnE-YarDs! St. Vincent! I love you!)
While scrolling through the afternoon’s 140-character updates I stumbled upon NPR’s 5 Artists You Should Know In 2011 by KEXP’s Kevin Cole. This wildly informative post turned me onto my new favorite Oklahoman, J.D. McPherson. I’m not ashamed to say his music makes a part of me want to pack up and head for Tulsa to live with my cousins, in the off chance I might make his acquaintance and live out some very unladylike feverish fantasies. It’s that notorious 50’s Rock & Roll style that has a reputation of making young women across the globe bothered with lust, untamed and wild, losing control as their Rock & Roll idol hits the microphone. It’s not hard to see he’s got that gift.
Signs & Signifiers takes me back to an era when records were still spinning on the deck and the radio was still an effective means of getting your music out into the world. A nostalgic time in American music history that still seems pure and untouched. Signed with Hi-Style Records J.D. McPherson’s most recent work embodies the essence of 50’s Rockabilly Honky-Tonk with a soulful take on American Roots Music. Shining with moments of inspiration from his love of Punk Rock and an upbringing on American Rock & Roll and Roots Blues, this record’s traditional sound plays like a fresh take of an old classic.
When I first heard the Athens, Alabama natives on KEXP’s song of the day they straight took my breath away. It was like they owned me in that moment, willfully succumbing to the wondrous southern charm that is the Alabama Shakes. If you’ve heard them, you already know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t—stop reading this. Go straight to the music and come back to hear me say nice things after you jump on board.
Seriously, go…now.
I’m sure you are steadily being filled with warm and euphoric feelings about singer Brittany Howard’s slap-the-taste-out-your-mouth vocals backed by equally catchy alt-country melodies holding the spirit of 60’s rock & roll. It’s that soulful southern twang comparable to sounds of Janis Joplin that I was immediately taken back by within the first 30 seconds of I Found You as Howard starts out subtly before wailing on notes that I could only dream of hitting.
This group is bound to be doing major things, that much is apparent. My only complaint about the Alabama Shakes EP, is that it’s an EP. Four tracks is just not enough to quench my thirst for this quartet. They have a lot of really great songs(Going to a Party) that didn’t make the cut and I have to question the reasoning. All I can do is hope they put out more soon and gain the recognition they so greatly deserve.
The Alabama Shakes will be touring the US in the coming months, making a stop at The Crocodile in Seattle on January 31. Don’t miss out and regret that decision later on when they are headlining a sold out show for a much larger audience.
The Heartless Bastards recently released a track off their upcoming album Arrow—FOR FREE, FOR YOU. An action of which I find to be anything but heartless or bastard-ly.
The album in its entirety will be available on February 14th through Partisan Records. Who needs sex and chocolates right? I plan on spending my entire Valentine’s Day with the Heartless Bastards. They are touring the country in the coming months, click HERE to find out where.
Listen to the track below or go to THEHEARTLESSBASTARDS.COM to check out tour dates & download the single for free.
Ha Ha Tonka @ The WIld Buffalo, Bellingham, WA 12.4.11
After a reluctant start with scheduling conflicts on a busy tour, BuildstrongxWild Buffalo managed to snag Ha Ha Tonka for a gig in our sleepy little city of subdued excitement. It landed on a Sunday evening before dead week on campus in a heavily occupied college town, and at the end of an extended weekend of great music in the nights prior. Regardless of any obstacles the show went on without a fault and gave veracity to the notion that this group of gentlemen from way out in the Ozarks fall nothing short of phenomenal. I’m a self-proclaimed music geek, I do my research, I’ve read the articles, and I can confidently declare that any review stating the bands most recent work on Death of a Decade is lackluster has clearly underestimated their ability to rock the stage live and likely not had the privilege of experiencing so.
I showed up a little before eleven, Missouri indie band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (@SSLYBY) was playing, doing a swell job of getting the crowd thoroughly hyped up. Having toured together before, the relationship between the two bands seemed playful and fun, joining together on stage to play in a spirited manner. While the venue was far from packed, it didn’t seem to matter, for a Sunday crowd we sure got rowdy as all hell. Bellingham showed plenty of love to this feel-good Americana band by shaking ass despite any lack of bodies filling the room. It’s no secret that Bellingham loves good music, and when it shows up on our doorstep you better believe we will get. the. fuck. down.—dancing, drinking, clapping and hollering the night well into the morning. I for one have never stomped these boots so hard (bruises on my feet the next morning as evidence).
On their third full-length album, Death of a Decade, most of the tunes hold a steady, entrancing pulse making it near impossible not to bop with the song and want to tromp your feet on the ground. Beyond putting on a hell of a show filled with catchy back home lyrics, exceptional vocal harmonies, and a sorely underrated use of the mandolin, they are particularly enjoyable folks to be around. They sang a delightful cover of Champagne Supernova for an encore—bringing the nostalgia in the room to a whole new level. They also wear notably magnificent boots and are really great liars in the most fun way possible—managing to make an entire crowd join in on a happy birthday sing-a-long. I’ll leave it at that.
After the show ended, the crowd filtered out and only a few remained in the bar, drinks in hand, not quite ready to end such a great time. I got a chance to catch up with a couple of the band members during this hour and found their humble demeanor and genuine friendliness off stage to be just as refreshing as their captivating presence on stage. Ha Ha Tonka possesses everything I love about Americana & Alt-Country music, with their innate ability to just make you feel right, I have a pretty good feeling the next time they come to town we won’t be so fortunate to have such an intimate performance as that. I feel lucky to have experienced it surrounded by friends and family with a crowd of folks who genuinely wanted nothing more than to rock the fuck out to some great music on a Sunday evening while the rest of the town was sleeping. Big thanks to Craig Jewell and Austin Santiago for their persistent efforts in making this show happen.
Ha Ha Tonka’s most recent album Death of a Decadewas put out with Bloodshot records, sharing a label with SD favorites Justin Townes Earle and Deadstring Brothers. They still have plenty of stops to make on this tour, check out there schedule HERE to see when they will be coming to your area. (@hahatonka)
NEW MUSIC - Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures | featuring unreleased songs and demos handpicked picked by Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi and Winehouse’s family | #RIP
Ha Ha Tonka @ The WIld Buffalo, Bellingham, WA 12.4.11
