Review: Matt Woods – The Matt Woods Manifesto

Matt Woods: The Matt Woods Manifesto (2011)

Matt Woods is a pretty damn good country/americana singer-songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee. His new album is called The Matt Woods Manifesto and it’s impressive stuff from first chord to last word. I mostly listen to the soft and beautiful country songs, so it’s actually quite refreshing to spend some quality time with a really good album that also contains some grittier americana and countryfied rock’n’roll. Not that Matt Woods can’t handle the beautiful side of country music equally well. For example country duet Lost In Tennessee with Trisha Gene Brady is a good proof of that. Somehow Matt’s passionate voice occasionally reminds me of another hardcore troubadour Tim Barry, but I’m probably the only one who thinks so. Anyhow, Tim Barry is not a very close match style-wise, because Matt Woods has more classic country and more southern rock vibe in his songs. They are both passionate and honest hard-working singer-songwriters who sing their hearts out, so they do have something in common.

Listen to Beating Down My Door:

Matt Woods Website
Matt Woods at facebook

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Album of the Month: Mummypowder – Centuries Later

Mummypowder: Centuries Later (Grandpop Records, 2011)

It’s soon time to select june’s album of the month and I still haven’t even written about the may’s album of the month, which is Mummypowder’s fourth album Centuries Later. Mummypowder is a huge favourite 0f mine, one of the best pop groups in the country and should be regarded as a national treasure.  They released three great albums between 1999 and 2004, but it took them a long while to get this fourth one done. Centuries Later is definitely worth the wait and another wonderful pop album.

Janne Lehtinen has been a magnificent songwriter since the debut ep and therefore it’s almost impossible to become any better at it, but I think Centuries Later contains the finest lyrics he has ever written. Of course Janne’s amazing voice & the band’s ability to create dazzlingly beautiful pop hooks and arrangements would make even the most typical “she loves you yeah-yeah” kind of lyric sound like the sweetest work of art, but it doesn’t hurt it if you can wrap the sentiments into a well-crafted a story. Timeless pop music is a probably a pretty lame way to describe music, but that’s what this is to me. Some songs take me to my own golden era of music, the late 90’s guitar pop scene, while other songs might take more influences from 60’s groups like The Left Banke and Honeybus. Everything sounded magical from the start, but somehow the album still finds the way to become even more and more moving and beautiful with each and every listening session. Therefore I encourage you to give it some time, if the often slow-paced melodic beauty of the album doesn’t instantly find the core of your heart. I guarantee it will find it in the end and then it’s time to forget all those worthless trendy indie bands and start shouting Mummypowder’s name from the rooftops.

Listen to Part Of The Fun:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/12978469″]
 

Mummypowder Website
Mummypowder at facebook

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Video of the Day #65: Marmalakes + Chase Weinacht

Last night I was reading one of my favourite blogs songs:illinois and stumbled upon the name Chase Weinacht. I had never heard of him before, but I liked him about 23 seconds after I started to listen to the song (A Scene Through) Cellophane.

Chase is a folk-pop singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas and he released his first two solo albums in april. These beauties entitled Here Cinema and Moon Country are available on his bandcamp (and for free, at least when I’m writing this). I downloaded both of these recods last night and I really like them. This guy is very talented and able to create wonderful lo-fi folk songs. Something like the early work of australian pop guru Darren Hanlon at times.

Shore Park from Here Cinema:

Chase also plays in a band called Marmalakes. The video of the day is this great live version of a song Turquoise Balloons that you can also find from Chase’s solo album Moon Country.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2VIXNXzDiM]

Chase Weinacht at bandcamp
Chase Weinacht at facebook

Marmalakes at facebook
Marmalakes at bandcamp

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