Martin Sexton - Live At Newbury Comics
This EP was recorded live at Newbury Comics and includes live
performances from the upcoming album Seeds.
Tracklisting:
Applause
How Far I've Come
Thought I Knew You
Happy
Will It Go Round In Circles
Maia Sharp - Echo
Four years ago, Maia Sharp achieved a lifelong ambition, when Bonnie
Raitt invited her to open for and perform with her on the road.
Now it's your turn: If you're hoping to hear music that will mirror,
touch and maybe change your life, that dream comes true with
Echo.
Produced by studio legend Don Was, Sharp's new album heralds her
ascension into the spotlight after being embraced by Raitt, Carole King,
the Dixie Chicks, Art Garfunkel, Keb' Mo', Terri Clark, Trisha Yearwood
and many others who have recorded her songs and treasured her
talent.
From this point, the secret is out and Sharp stands on her own - a
uniquely gifted singer, writer and multi-instrumentalist, whose peers
are the most discerning artists in the business but whose music on
Echo reaches out toward the wider world.
Her way with a melody, her sophisticated chord movements, the twist
and flow of her lyrics all testify to a writing technique that's equal to
the best in the business. But what makes Echo triumphant is
how all of these attributes serve the greater goal of stirring emotions.
To get to the point of creating and delivering songs like "Polite
Society," a raunchy anthem that might have sprung from some
communion between Carole King and Neil Young, or the bleak yet
tender character study of "John Q. Lonely," or the wry ironies woven
through the wordplay of "Whole Flat World," or the restless
introspection of "Where Do I Begin," or especially the stark candor of
"The Girl on Her Way," Sharp draws from both a musically rich
upbringing and her emotional and intellectual engagement with the
perplexities of life.
"Echo is the first album I've ever done where there's truth in
every single song," Sharp says. "I know it sounds cheesy, but whether I
knew it or not, truth always found a way into them. Sometimes I was
halfway through writing a song before I realized that something I
thought was just a nice opening line or a hook in the chorus was
actually about something that had absolutely happened to me."
Sharp started early on the journey that led ultimately to Echo.
She hadn't yet hit her teens when she was already on the road to
mastering piano, guitar and saxophone. Following the example of her
father, Randy Sharp, a respected songwriter, she performed original
material in local clubs, kept her ears open not only to contemporary
folk and rock but also to jazz and classical elements. She won
significant critical notice and radio airplay with her albums, Hardly
Glamour, 2002's self titled Maia Sharp 2005's Fine
Upstanding Citizen and in that same year Sharp was one third of
the exquisite collaboration with Art Garfunkel and Buddy Mondlock on
Everything Waits to Be Noticed.
2005 was also the year Sharp's path toward Echo opened
unexpectedly. It began when Raitt released Souls Alike, with
three Sharp songs in the lineup including the single "I Don't Want
Anything To Change." That album also featured Sharp's backup on
those and several other tracks, which led to her joining Raitt on tour.
The experience inspired Sharp to challenge herself even further by
limiting her next string of gigs as well as her EP, Eve and the Red
Delicious, to a minimal presentation: just her, bassist Darren
Embry, and a growing body of songs, speaking eloquently on their
own.
Much of this time was spent on the road or writing in Los Angeles,
Nashville or Austin. But Sharp happened to be in Hollywood one night
when a message from Raitt flashed on her phone. "She said, 'I'm in a
studio on Sunset Boulevard. I don't even know if you're in town, but I
need a high harmony. Where are you?' Well, I was on Sunset just down
the street and I'd just finished this ridiculously big meal," Sharp said,
laughing. "It was the worst possible time for me to sing - but this was
Bonnie calling, so what am I going to do?"
She arrived and nailed the part. Just as important, she met Don Was,
who was overseeing the session. They hit it off and Sharp agreed to
take part in a series of upcoming sessions he was conducting and
posting on the newly launched website, MyDamnChannel.com. The
catch: Each of these had to be done in one day; two songs recorded
and mixed starting at noon and when midnight hit, everything stopped
and the results, no matter how rough, were posted online.
"It scared the hell out of me," Sharp admits. "I'd never worked like that
before. But Don creates such a relaxed yet productive environment
and, of course, he gets incredible sounds in the studio so I had to give
it a shot."
By the time they'd finished, both were very happy with what they had.
They'd gotten on well personally and professionally. So well that not
long after that they were together again, working on what would
become Echo.
They'd gotten a head start with "Polite Society," which was cut at the
MyDamnChannel session. They'd also developed a brisk collaborative
rhythm, capturing the moment, leaving room for spontaneity to run its
course. Surrounded by an A-team of studio legends like Jim Keltner on
drums and Don himself lending his bass chops on many tracks as well
as her co-writers and others who had played on her demos, Sharp
found the elegance and the grit, the poetry and - that word again -
the truth seeded into her songs.
Echo is a collection of those truths and a thorough
representation of who Maia Sharp is today. "These songs were written
over a period of three years," she sums up. "I wrote a lot of other
songs during that same time, but these felt especially right for me and
cohesive with each other. There's a common thread of flaw and
imperfection recognition and then celebration. Perfection is highly
overrated and, I'm betting, pretty boring. It took me a while to get here
but I'm okay that I'm not perfect."
That is the appeal, and the accomplishment, of Echo - a score
for life as we all live it.
Sigur Ros - In A Frozen Sea: A Year With Sigur Ros LP Box Set
Encased in a hard cover album, this deluxe version of In A Frozen
Sea contains a re-pressing of 3 classic Sigur Ros LP's: Agaetis
Byrjun, ( ), and Takk. As a special bonus,
Smaskifa, which has never before been released in a 12"
format is included in the set (7 total pieces of vinyl). These LP's slip
into seven individually customized vinyl sleeves which are designed
with original photography from the 2006 Takk tour.
The enclosed book follows Sigur Ros through their native Iceland
during the Takk world tour. Tracking over the Icelandic
countryside, A+R captured exclusive photographs, interviews, and a
unique insight into the band. The result of this endeavor; a thirty-two
page publication of never before seen photographs, observations and
quotes that captures the band in their words, in their world. The tour
book is also available separately.
Encased in 12" x 12" vinyl jacket, In a Frozen Sea: A Year with Sigur
Ros, is a collector's item that no Sigur Ros fan will want to be
without. Expensive but well worth the cost! Limited to 5000 copies.
Alina Simone – Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware!
Simone’s newest album marks a dramatic divergence from her prior
work. Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware! is a cover album
featuring the music of Russian cult icon, Yanka Dyagileva, a Siberian
punk-folk singer who drowned under mysterious circumstances in
1991. Yanka’s place in Soviet rock history is unique – part Patti Smith,
part Neko – she mixed the surreal lyricism of a born poet with
haunting melodies that reflected influences ranging from the Velvet
Underground and Siouxsie and the Banshees to fiercely political
Siberian punk rock to the field recordings of Russian folk songs that
she collected herself in the villages surrounding Novosibirsk.
Sung entirely in Russian, Everyone is Crying Out to Me,
Beware! both echoes the lo-fi samizdat quality of Yanka’s
recordings and subverts it with lush arrangements and intricately
textured layers of trumpet, cello and guitars. The album was recorded
in just two days in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with long-time
collaborators, producer Steve Revitte (Black Dice, Liars, The Double)
and guitarist Chris Barrey. Alan Bezozi, best known for producing
Regina Spektor’s Soviet Kitsch, is featured on drums. In order
to preserve the spontaneous feeling of Yanka’s music, Alina’s vocals
and guitar for each songs were recorded together, live in one take.
Slacktone - Warning: Reverb Instrumentals!
Slacktone is widely recognized as America’s best surf instrumental
band. Their sound is a hyper-kinetic mix of melody, speed, and jaw-
dropping technical skill. Formed in Los Angeles in 1995 from a group
of surf band veterans, they have since released four albums and toured
Europe 8 times. Slacktone’s music is featured in TV shows like the WB’s
Summerland, MTV Real People, Fox Sports Network, Boardwild, and
they were the house band for MTV’s "Rock N Jock Superbowl Party".
They wrote and produced music for 5 Slim Jim extreme sports
commercials, and also worked with Subaru for the release of their new
sports vehicle, Baja. They have played at numerous outdoor sporting
events including the US Open and OP Pro surfing events, NORBA
mountain bike races, and several snowboarding events.
Corey Smith - In The Mood
Since the 2003 release of his debut album, Undertones,
singer-songwriter Corey Smith has been flying high under the radar,
attracting an enthusiastic grassroots following with an Americana
sound that is all his own. Drawing heavily from the blues, country, and
rock traditions of the South, he applies the back-porch twang of an
acoustic guitar, a soulful singing voice, and well-crafted lyrics to the
task of creating music that is at once distinct and familiar. Audiences
are certainly responding - proving that a genuine, unpretentious
approach to songwriting and live performance has mass appeal.
Corey Smith - The Good Life
At twenty-eight years old, after nearly a decade of honing his craft,
Corey is thrilled to finally taste the fruits of his labor. Growing up in a
family of musicians in the small, rural setting of Jefferson, GA (a short
drive from the famed Athens music scene), he has been singing,
playing guitar and performing for as long as he can remember.
However, he traces his professional musical endeavors back to his
college years when he began learning the ropes as a working musician,
taking classes in voice and guitar during the day and gigging at night.
Corey made extra money in local bars, restaurants, and coffeehouses,
covering popular tunes and earning a reputation as an up-and-coming
original artist with songs such as "The Basement," "When the Sun Goes
Down in Georgia," and "The Bottle."
Corey Smith - Undertones
In the spring of 2003, Corey began easing back into the North Georgia
music scene, showcasing his original music at open-mics around the
region and playing regularly at local watering holes. He was warmly
accepted by audiences at venues such as the legendary Eddie's Attic in
Decatur and Cheetah Marie's Cafe in Monroe, where he won a
songwriting competition that allowed him to record his first album,
Undertones. Although the unpolished, debut record was
originally intended as a demo and sold primarily to friends and family,
it effectively captured the raw emotion of Corey's music and served as
a fitting demonstration of his songwriting ability. The popularity of
Undertones made Corey a hot commodity in venues across
North Georgia, especially in the college towns of Athens and
Dahlonega, where his energetic and highly entertaining live
performances added to his appeal and earned him a reputation among
students seeking a good time.
Snow & Voices - Anything That Moves
Their latest effort is a languid dreamscape of nine songs featuring the
hauntingly beautiful vocals of Lauri Kranz, whom Harp magazine
described as “gorgeous, a sleepy, honey-dipped cross between Hope
Sandoval and Joni Mitchell,” accompanied by her songwriting partner
Jebin Bruni and his multi-instrumental talents. The two weave together
a sensuous musical experience dripping with emotionally charged
undercurrents. Pop Matters has characterized it as a “warm, ethereal,
ambient sound at every turn, their keyboard-driven tracks consistently
lush and lilting.”
Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Peaceblaster
On Sale Now!
The long awaited follow-up to STS9's critically acclaimed 2005 'Best of
iTunes' release Artifact. Peaceblaster recreates the
intricacy of Artifact while applying the intensity of STS9's live
show for the first time ever on record.
Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Ad Explorata
Full album on double vinyl
Sounds Under Radio - Cinematica
It was just last fall when Sounds Under Radio inked a deal with Epic
Records after being heavily pursued by a slew of major and indie labels.
However, after only a short few months with Epic, business relations
soured as the band found themselves caught in the middle of company
politics, inter label turmoil and a stubborn business model that refused
to change as promised.
“When we finally decided to sign with Epic, the agreed plan was for the
band to spend most of our time on the road touring, building on our
previous successes, and doing things the organic way by meeting more
people, creating stronger relationships with our fans, and winning new
audiences over with our live show,” commented lead singer Lang
Freeman. “However at every corner in the Epic offices roadblocks were
being built and wrenches were being thrown into this plan. It became
obvious to us that they weren’t honestly interested in developing new
artists as they had originally promised. It seems Epic Records President
Charlie Walk isn’t prepared to face the future of the record industry
and step up to its new order of challenges… Fortunately for us though,
their many missteps allowed us to escape with everything we needed to
release the record on our own, the way we had originally planned
before the label ever got involved.”
Cinematica, which was recorded before signing with Epic will
be released independently on the band’s own label. The band’s first
single from the album will be “Portrait of A Summer Thief.”
Garrison Starr - Fans Greatest Hits Vol. 1
The new album titled Fan’s Greatest Hits is an acoustic
compilation created by her fans. Garrison asked fans to submit their top
10 favorite G Starr songs for consideration. And took the most demanded
songs, re-recorded them to give you the ultimate fan’s compilation!
Still Life - Soundtrack
Written and directed by Joel Miller and produced through Albion
Entertainment, Inc. this poignant drama stars Jason Barry (Titanic,
Mirrormask), Terry Moore (Mighty Joe Young), Rachel
Miner (Bully), and Don S. Davis (Stargate SG-1) and
features original music by platinum selling artists such as Dizzy Reed
(Guns N' Roses), Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish), Adrian Young
(No Doubt), Dean Dinning (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Snake Sabo (Skid
Row), Peter Finestone (Bad Religion), Matt Nelson (Nelson), Eddie
Hedges (Blessid Union of Souls), Louise Post (lead singer of Veruca
Salt), and more…
Stockholm Syndrome - Live At Streetlight Records
Live instore recording at Streetlight Records in September 2009
When Widespread Panic bass player Dave Schools and acclaimed
writer-artist Jerry Joseph of the Jackmormons decided to do something
together, each initially figured a joint project would be a cool change
of pace. Schools was currently touring with Panic, and although he had
done numerous guest appearances and played in several informal side
bands, he was eager to sink his teeth into something a bit meatier.
Joseph, meanwhile, decided it couldn't hurt to air out his career-long
predilection for what he wryly describes as "religious-sex-junkie-
heartbreak songs" in a collaborative scenario with an upbeat guy.
The pair began their collaboration casually, as Joseph left his home in
Portland, Oregon, to hang out at Schools' home studio in Athens,
Georgia. The two friends had formally worked together just once-when
Schools produced the Jackmormons' 2002 LP Conscious
Contact-and found that their disparate sensibilities cohered quite
naturally, as Schools' left-brain approach combined with the right-
brain aesthetic of Joseph to create something quite, well, brainy. The
next step, they decided, should involve playing together live while
simultaneously indulging their mutual love of travel, so they embarked
on a shakedown acoustic tour of Europe.
Strong Bad Emails, Disc 6
Emails 161 - 200 with all the hidden scenes and easter eggs!
One previously unreleased Email!
Commentaries on every Email!
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Cartoons!
Strong Bad Emails’ 50 Greatest Hits
This DVD includes a selection of 50 Strong Bad Emails from some kinda
robot to email thunder with favorites like band names, dragon, flashback
and theme song thrown in between. PLUS 5 bonus emails absolutely free!
Subdudes - Live at the Ram's Head
There is nothing fancy about what the Subdudes do when they hit the
stage. No pyrotechnics or lasers, no backup dancers, no multimedia
light show. Just five human beings singing and playing from the depths
of their soul, with the kind of harmony you normally have to be related
to achieve. This band of musical brothers may not be related
by blood, but their bond has deep roots, and it comes through on
Live at the Rams Head. The cleverly-named combo lives up to
their moniker on this excellent live recording, creating a mellow mood,
with a few guitars, an accordion
and a tambourine being the only instruments on most of the songs.
There is electric guitar here, which in
itself is a departure from the roots of the Subdudes, who coalesced
after an acoustic jam session. Still, the focus is always on the soulful
vocals and well-written songs. The unplugged concept of the band was
nearly heretical in New Orleans when they first started off in the early
90s, and anyone looking for furious funk jams or wideopen jazz solos
won’t find it here.
Subdudes - Live and Acoustic DVD
Over the course of 20 years and eight albums, The Subdudes have
quietly become one of America’s national music treasures.The New
Orleans-formed group is a living encapsulation of American music, a
vibrant cauldron of sounds that stirs together meaty grooves and jazzy
dynamics, soulful R&B swagger, easy vocal harmonies, cheeky rock ‘n
roll attitude and folky social consciousness — not to mention some of
the sharpest musicianship and enxemble playing you’ll ever hear from
any five musicians.
Now the group is about to release their first DVD set in September
2008. Unplugged at Pleasant Plains and Live at The Rams
Head gives you both sides of this great American band. Filmed
over the course of
three days in Annapolis Maryland, the two DVD set covers selections
from two nights of live performances at The Rams Head on disc #1,
and a day of unplugged performances and interviews at the historic
Pleasant Plains Farm on The Severn River on disc #2.
Supersuckers - 20th Anniversary Show
20 years? Is that even possible? I mean, name something you've been
doing, voluntarily, for 20 years. Can you even do that? It really doesn't
feel like it's been even five years of doing this, much less twenty. Well,
like it or not, it has been 20 full years of hanging out with pretty much
the same bunch of guys, doing roughly the same thing, every day,
every night and there's no end in sight. The night that these songs
were recorded was pretty much like any other night in our lives.
Except it wasn't.
We were there to celebrate our existence. To go chronologically
through our repertoire and bring it to a sold out house at the fabulous
Showbox in downtown Seattle, where we cut our teeth for the last 20
years. I mean, how long could it take to run through our history (or at
least touch on most of the highlights)? Well, it turns out it took us
about two and a half hours. That's right, there is about two and a half
hours of glorious Supersuckers mayhem right here. Warts and all. And
I'd be lying if I said there weren't any warts here to be heard, because
you don't get through two and a half hours on stage without hitting a
few clams along the way. But that's all part of the fun. It's the
Supersuckers after all, not the Seattle Philharmonic, so what do you
expect? Perfection? Well, in it's own way that's what's represented here
in this recording - that perfectly imperfect moment, where everything
is wrong and it feels so right. Where anything that can go wrong, does
and yet it still works.
Somehow, someway, after twenty years we still got it...
So here's to the next twenty!
That what I'm talking about...
-Eddie Spaghetti,
Rock Guy
Tacks, The Boy Disaster - Oh, Beatrice
With a sound too expansive to be labeled purely as indie rock, Tacks, The
Boy Disaster offers thoughtful and imaginative lyricism, solid musical
hooks and rich instrumentation reminiscent of late-60's/early-70's pop.
Yet the band, whose moniker is derived from a minor character in a
forgotten children's book, has managed to reconcile their brilliant pop
sensibility and familiarity with their taste for the unexpected.
Tap Tap - Lanzaframe LP
Lanzafame is a gloriously messy, ebullient, shiny pop album,
filled with joyfully noisy guitars, crashy drums, and lurvely harmonies.
The music blogosphere has been abuzz about the band since the
album's release, and Tap Tap has since been compared to Clap Your
Hands Say Yeah, The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, and Beirut. That's a fair
comparison, but at the same time, Tap Tap is a unique animal all its
own. These wondrous songs on Lanzafame feel like they are
held together just by the skin of their teeth- as if they could fall apart
(or maybe just explode) at any second. "...More hooks than
Leatherface's timeshare..."
Tea Leaf Green - Live At Twist And Shout
Josh and Trevor, the two key songwriters and guitarists from San
Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green, offer up an intimate and exhilarating live
performance that was recorded in October ’08 at Denver’s premiere
entertainment store Twist & Shout. Several hundred adoring fans
turned out for this special event and it proved to be one of the
highlights of the tour (and the only one to be officially recorded). This
is sure to become a collector’s item and a must have for every real fan
of TLG! Most of the tunes are from their most recent studio release
Raise Up The Tent.
36 Crazyfists - The Oculus
36 Crazyfists are a four-piece Metalcore band originating from
Anchorage, Alaska. They are now based out of Portland, Oregon. The
band's name comes from a Jackie Chan movie, The 36 Crazy Fists. They
have released 4 albums, In the Skin, Bitterness the Star, A Snow
Capped Romance and Rest Inside the Flames. The
Tide and its Takers will be released on May 27, 2008 on Ferret
Records. They have opened for such acts System of a Down, Primus,
Blink-182, NOFX, Candiria, God Forbid, Chimaira, Diecast and Hotwire.
It has now been confirmed that 36 Crazyfists will be on the 2nd stage
at the new Rockstar Mayhem tour this summer with Black Tide,
Airbourne and Five Finger Death Punch. The main stage features
Disturbed and Slipknot. It has also been confirmed that they will play
at the download festival although it has not been confirmed on which
day or stage Recently, 36 Crazyfists posted a blog on their myspace
page about a delay in the release of the new album. It will now surface
in May. However, the band has announced they will release The
Oculus (an EP) in April.
36 Crazyfists stay loyal to their roots as they always return to Alaska to
play at the annual Summer Meltdown Festival in Anchorage, Alaska
Rosie Thomas - A Very Rosie Christmas
A Very Rosie Christmas is brought to you by Rosie Thomas
(Seattle based indie darling) and her merry band of fellow friends and
musicians. Chock full of egg nog and grand spirits, Rosie, alongside
her husband Jeff Shoop and longtime producer Josh Myers, called upon
friends (Damien Jurado), Family (Brian Thomas) and alter egos (Sheila
Saputo) to capture all the warmth and exuberance of the holiday
season for everyone to share. You'll find all their holiday favorites such
as "Christmas Time Is Here", "O Come O Come Emmanuel", and "Winter
Wonderland" cozied up next to the playful original "Why Can't It Be
Christmas Time All Year" and the "Prairie Home Companion" style radio
sketch "Shiela's Christmas Miracle".
J. Tillman - Minor Works
1.Darling Night
2.Jesse’s Not a Sleeper
3.Crooked Roof
4.With Wolves
5.Minor Works
6.For an Hour with You
7.Take Care
8.Restlessness
9.Now You’re Among Strangers
Toots & The Maytals - Flip & Twist
The album features Toots singing, R&B ,funk, gospel, blues and country in
his own inimitable Jamaican style. Toots the inventor of the word “reggae”
was voted by Rolling Stone Magazine one of the 100 Greatest Singers of
All Time in 2009…when you hear Flip & Twist you will see why.
Derek Trucks Band - Already Live EP
Live performance is what made The Derek Trucks Band famous.
Already Free is the newest album that proves the DTB is also an
album-driven powerhouse. The Already Live EP brings it all
together - and it's just for indie retail! 5 previously unreleased live tracks
from the fall 2008 tour, beautifully recorded, mixed and mastered. Nearly
40 minutes of music!
Truth & Salvage Company - Truth & Salvage Company
Truth & Salvage Co. boasts four lead singer/songwriters from Los
Angeles, but their genesis originates from the mountains. This band
sounds like no other band and is one of most unique artists to hit the
music world. Their organic sound has been described as “pure and unique
American Rock & Roll.” This ep is their debut. Full length album
forthcoming.. Catch them on tour with The Black Crowes in 2009.
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain LP
Their second album and first for Interscope is almost wholly brilliant.
Like Mogwai, Sigur Ros and a dozen others, TVOTR excels at making
slowly-evolving tunes with vaguely anthemic choruses and lots of
loud-soft dynamics. Unlike virtually any of those other bands, TV on
the Radio mix a genuine and actual songwriting ability with their knack
for finding sounds that appear to be "new." This record is crisper-
sounding and incorporates more dance-based elements, but it's
essentially a pop album. While the lack of the free web-released "Dry
Drunk Emperor", a tribute to President Bush, is initially a bummer, the
album percolates with enough pre-apocalyptic tension to satisfy
anyone. In a Prince-pitched falsetto, the group sings "I was a lover/
Before this war," While throughout, the combination of melody and
invention is always pitch-perfect (well, except on "Province" and "Let
the Devil In," those songs sort of suck.) People of Earth: please make
this band into total superstars and buy several copies of their album:
one for the car, another for the office, etc. What we really need in our
popular music is more weirdness, and more truth.
Two Cow Garage – Speaking in Cursive
This Columbus, Ohio 4 piece are ready to unleash their career defining
album. Often compared to the likes of Lucero, the Drive By Truckers,
and Slobberbone, Speaking In Cursive finds the band moving
past their influences and finding their sound. No strangers to the road,
the band have made rocked people's faces off at SXSW, the Fest,
Lucero's family picnic, and at least a few Suburban Home anniversary
shows. They have toured with Drag the River whose singer, Jon
Snodgrass, has personally taken it upon himself to spread their gospel.
They have a fall tour planned with Glossary who just got off a tour with
Lucero and Jessica Lea Mayfield. The minute Two Cow Garage takes the
stage, people can only stand their dumbfounded at the energy and
emotion that goes into every song. After releasing 3 really great
albums, Speaking In Cursive is the one that people will be
talking about.
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