I don’t think I’ve ever posted this video of Erin Rae & The Meanwhiles singing Monticello and that just isn’t right. It’s my favourite song from their excellent Soon Enough album that came out last year in the states. I bought it back then, but it’s also now officially out in the UK/Europe on the great UK-based americana/country label Clubhouse Records. There’s also UK tour coming up in the fall. So don’t miss that, if you live in the area. Finnish folks like yours truly just have to settle at jealously mirroring their sad face from the bottom of the whiskey glass while listening to this beautiful song. Erin Rae & The Meanwhiles and Monticello.
I guess I need to make another quick post about the new Andy Shauf album The Party, because it has been standing on that album of the month slot for couple of months. This Canadian songwriter is just utterly brilliant. Actually if I did some sort of mid-year list for 2016, this would probably be on the first place. Well it’s either this or the last Richmond Fontaine album. At least that’s how I feel about it now. Things might change by the time we get to December, but there isn’t an any kind indication that my love for this album would start fading away. It’s an absolute beauty of an album and I love it to bits. A wonderfully orchestrated and arranged collection of songs that makes me forget time and place and I end up dragged into the life of these people, their stories and narratives. The Party is a colourful pop masterpiece. All songs are winners, but my favourite is probably Martha Sways that ends the album in perfect fashion. Five hearts any day of the week. The Party is now out on ANTI- (US/Europe) Arts & Crafts (Canada).
I fell for Claire Cronin’s songs late last year when I heard her album Over and Through. Her new album Came Down a Storm is a collaboration with Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich. Together they’ve created a captivating collection of dark folk songs full of melancholic beauty. The spectrum is definitely wider thanks to John’s excellent production, but they aren’t trying to reinvent this. They are still relying on the same strengths that made the earlier album special and thankfully so. I really love that sort of bare, but still somehow intense mood that is crawling into my ears wrapped into her gorgeous voice. Came Down a Storm is now out on Ba Da Bing Records.
I’ve never met them, but Gibbs & Lashley family is still very dear to me. This is mostly because I’ve listened hours and hours of the greatest podcast of all times, Thanks For Giving a Damn with Otis Gibbs where Otis has also shared little snippets of his family life. Often with Frankie the cat purring on his lap. They just seem like a really kind and warmhearted family and therefore I hold Otis, Amy, Russell, Frankie, Baby… Well all of them in very high regard.
The reason I’m writing this is that Amy Lashley just released a new and magnificent album Daredevils, Strugglers and Daydreamers. It was produced by Otis Gibbs and Thomm Jutz and you can buy the download from Bandcamp or the CD from the Otis Gibbs webstore. I have to decide which route to take myself, but it’s a sure thing I need to buy this. This is so damn good. Otis better up his game, if he wants to be the songwriting champ in the family. And no it’s not a competition. It’s great to have them both making wonderful music. If you don’t take my word for it, watch this beautiful video for the song Blame The Wind. You might have to watch it a few times though, because Russell the dog steals the show and for the first few times I kind of just admired that handsome fellow and didn’t pay enough attention to the gorgeous song.
