J.E. Sunde – Hickory Point in the Fall (video) + Kalispell / Shane Leonard

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Just a quick video post. Regular readers are well aware that I’m a big fan of Minneapolis-based songwriter J.E. Sunde and adore his 2014 album Shapes that Kiss The Lips of God. Hickory Point in the Fall is an outtake from that gorgeous album and they made a music video for the song in late 2015. I think I still haven’t posted it, so it’s time to cross that one out the from the list of things to do. A great song from one of my fave albums of recent years. Btw, Mr. Sunde actually has some Finnish background as well. Someone should bring him (and Bahamas) to Finland.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P65WFzDPguo]

J.E. Sunde Website

Also be on the lookout for J.E. Sunde’s collaborator and label mate Shane Leonard/Kalispell who is about to release his new album Printer’s Son. The album is due out in June on Cartouche Records and it’s going to be wonderful. There’s nothing available from the new album yet, but here’s an older tune Methodist Lift from his previous album Westbound.

Shane Leonard / Kalispell Website

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Joey Kneiser, Aaron Lee Tasjan & Jeffrey Foucault

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Catching up by posting some wonderful music videos. First we have Joey Kneiser and the lyric video for his excellent song Heaven Only Wants Us Once We’re Dead. It’s an outtake from his 2015 album The Wildness, which was one of my top 10 picks for the year. The song, the album, the video are all monstrously highly recommended.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=9JPRF2al2iQ]

Joey Kneiser Website

Next up is Aaron Lee Tasjan and his new music video for the song Don’t Walk Away. I think it actually premiered on the same day as Joey’s video some weeks ago. Excellent stuff once again from ALT.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=JGTUvYl7JJs]

Aaron Lee Tasjan Website

And last but not least, Jeffrey Foucault and the song Slow Talker from his gorgeous 2015 album Salt as Wolves.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=GX6Ir_G5EgE]

Jeffrey Foucault Website

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Rayland Baxter – Soho EP

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Rayland Baxter recently dropped a new Soho EP that contains four stripped-down versions of songs from his really good Imaginary Man album and a My Morning Jacket cover Bermuda Highway. The lo-fi twat in me fully approves these raw and bare new versions and actually probably prefers them over the album takes. These sound absolutely marvellous to my ears and in some weird way stripping these down has lifted them up to an ever higher level. This is Soho EP version of a great song called Yellow Eyes.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=GiBSnOBy2uk]

Rayland Baxter Website

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Swaying Wires – I Left a House Burning

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Swaying Wires kickstarted the year in great fashion when this beauty of an album came out 15th of January on a UK-based label Battle Wordwide. It’s been fun to see a wonderful Finnish album getting good press in places like Sunday Times and Popmatters. That doesn’t happen too often. All the recognition is totally deserved as well. I think I already did love the first demo, but in this case it hasn’t been only downfall since then. They are getting better all the time. I Left a House Burning sounds richer and more colourful without losing that gentle, dreamy beauty of it. Oh and the vocals. Absolutely mesmerizing. This is Suddenly from the new Swaying Wires album.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=cLp_cLzvrGI]

Swaying Wires Website

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