Micah Schnabel - One Chord To Another

Video of the Day #12: Micah Schnabel

August 19, 2010 No Comments

Sorry for the little downtime. My old computer became a little too old and I thought it was time to buy a laptop. So the past couple of days I’ve been moving files and programs from the old computer to the new one, but most of that stuff is now done and I can get back to basics.

This video of the day thing must contain a little bit of Micah Schnabel. The seven regular readers know that I love this guy and rate his solo album When The Stage Lights Go Dim as one of the finest albums of the whole year. Micah is also a frontman of the fabulous band called Two Cow Garage. Their new album is due out later in 2010 and will most definitely be a major contender for the album of the year award here at the One Chord to Another headquarters. This live clip is further proof that the album will indeed be awesome. Lydia is certainly another fantastic song. Looking forward to hear the studio version, because that might be rather perfect Elliot Smith & The Replacements meets cowpunk and power pop type of thing.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJaYG_U7qpY&w=480]

Thanks to the wonderful ninebullets.net for the video.

International music

Micah Schnabel and some random stuff

July 1, 2010 No Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ9-rxZwXZs]

I’m totally addicted to that song at the moment. You’ll find a couple of other new songs from samsamsamkim’s youtube profile. And search for a song called Jackson Don’t Worry while you’re at it. That’s another stunner that also has a small Big Star reference. I just totally love this guy. The solo album is a major candidate for onechord’s album of the year award and the upcoming Two Cow Garage album will (most likely) be equally wonderful.

Micah Schnabel at myspace
Two Cow Garage Website

What else. I’ve been a lazy bastard and I’ve spent my time watching the world cup (and obviously playing with the kitten and adoring the kitten). Therefore I’m way behind with all the news and review thingies. But I try to get some of the news up on the blog during this week. There are several things that needs to be mentioned (good things from The Good Times, Nopat, Delay Trees, Puskii etc).

I haven’t had the time to listen to much music lately… but when I have, I’ve been really enjoying the new albums by Teenage Fanclub, The Gaslight Anthem, Deer Tick, The Sadies and Nopat 7″ and Sweatmaster 7″. The Jayhawks’ Bunkhouse album is waiting for it’s turn. Same can be said about the new Pernice Brothers album and John Prine tribute that I bought from 8raita earlier today. I’m also eagerly looking forward to the new Chatham County Line album that should be out in about two weeks I think.

Reviews

Review: Micah Schnabel – When The Stage Lights Go Dim

March 20, 2010 No Comments

Micah Schnabel: When The Stage Lights Go Dim (Suburban Home Records, 2010)

Micah Schnabel self-released his debut solo album When The Stage Lights Go Dim last year and the people who heard it, fell in love with it. Folks at the Suburban Home Records’ Headquarters were some of the lucky ones who heard it and they wanted to re-release the album. Thankfully Micah Schnabel gave them the permission and now this wonderful album is out and available to wider audiences.

I admit that it wasn’t an instant love affair with me and Micah. My first introduction probably happened when I saw American Static video by TCSupergenius (you’ll find it below). I liked the chorus and loved the verse, so I seeked more samples. Usual suspects ninebullets.net and Suburban Home website gave me them and even though I liked everything I heard, some part of me was still trying to reject it. Maybe it just felt a little too bare and raw for my pop-soaked heart. Eventually I found myself always going back to watch that video or listen to the mp3s I had found from the usual places and I had to give in and release a statement to myself that said “this Micah guy is just brilliant and you are a damn fool if you keep on ignoring that. Go and preorder the album right now”. Therefore I did do that and even though the physical copy of the record hasn’t yet arrived (the album was released only a couple of days ago), I’ve already been spending a huge amount of time with Micah and the free digital dowload of the album that came with the preorder.

When The Stage Lights Go Dim is a brilliant album. Stylewise it might not be my closest companion, but there’s something here that really grabs ones attention. This just feels so real and alive that you keep on thinking that Micah must be the hardcore troubadour that Steve E. was talking about. Blend together some country, punk, folk rock and 80’s US indie rock in a whiskey bottle, strip it down to its bare bones and deliver it with all the passion, anxiety and beauty you can come up with and you might get somewhere close to Micah Schnabel. The album is filled with gorgeous songs like Stage Lights, Cut Me Mick and American Static. The only song I could do without is The Replacements cover I Can’t Hardly Wait, but maybe that’s already saying something. The least interesting song on the album is written by no other than Paul Westerberg (ok, it also has something to do with the fact I always prefer originals more than cover versions).

Listen to Cut Me, Mick below:
[audio:http://www.onechord.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/02-cut-me-mick.mp3]

Watch American Static:
http://vimeo.com/6730309

Micah Schnabel at myspace

Oh.. and don’t forget Micah Schnabel’s band Two Cow Garage. So far I only have their latest album Speaking in Cursive. Highly recommended stuff altogether. I think the overall sound on the album could have been a little better. It sounds a bit dark at least for a pop fan, but songs like Brass Ring, Folksinger’s Hearts, Skinny-Legged Girl, Bastards and Bridesmaids are absolutely stunning. I need to get the other albums as well. I already ordered one of them and it should be in the same packet with the solo debut.

Finnish music, International music

Micah Schnabel and some random ramblings

March 11, 2010 No Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yldl69YDsQE]

Lately I’ve been listening to Micah Schnabel’s (Two Cow Garage) solo album and I like it a lot. Self-released small edition of the album came out last year and was quickly sold out. Thankfully Suburban Home Records fell in love with it and is now re-releasing the album with new artwork. I preordered and got a free download with it. It’s a very fine album indeed. If you don’t believe me, you can stream the whole album on Suburban Home’s new listening station. Oh and if you liked that great video by TCSupergenius, be sure to check out his other videos. There’s some other fabulous stuff. Especially those Austin Lucas videos are pure gold.

What else is new? Well The Fox Hunt. I already mentioned them a while ago. I still don’t have the albums. I should get Nowhere Bound in a week or two, because it’s currently travelling from cdbaby to this household (too bad post from USA to Finland nowadays seem to take longer than before). Anyway, the point I needed to make is that The Fox Hunt has also new album out now and you can order it from their website. I did that some days ago. Check out The Fox Hunt on myspace or spotify if you like things like early Old Crow Medicine Show for example.

If that isn’t a perfect soundtrack for lonely days & whiskey nights, try Otis Gibbs. I recently streamed his new album Joe Hill’s Ashes on his website and because it sounded rather perfect to me, I ordered it.

Last friday’s FOTM was a success as well. Ben’s Diapers and Hi-Lo & In Between were both really good and because it was a record release partee for both, I’ve been listening to their new albums during the last few days. I think both of them are great albums. Ben’s Diapers threw in a couple of surprising curve balls midway through the park, but those new dimensions added more colour and actually made the record work perfectly as a whole. Hi-Lo & In Between’s record is also gorgeous. I’m extremely happy that they were able to make it sound so perfect this time around. It’s totally my kind of country/folk band and I’ve enjoyed their live performances from the start. Still I would have liked to love their debut more than I actually did. There was not much wrong with it, but it still wasn’t able to capture their magic like this follow up thankfully can. Well done. Reviews to follow if I can find the cure for lazyness..

Oh.. and Starflower’s new album came out today. A proper news entry about that in a day or two. Just wanted to get that beauty of my chest. I have to wake up in six hours, so I better continue some other night. Take care and all that..

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