-
Gunn-Truscinski Duo – Soundkeeper : Review
Soundkeeper is a 72-minute suite of swirling guitar, gentle and decided drums, a cascading sound odyssey. It’s instrumental, but far from ambient- engaging, pulsating, building tension that culminates in staggering climaxes, crashing and oscillating, waves of sound. One song flows seamlessly into the next, only the sounds of cheers from the audience in the midst of “Pyramid Merchandise” rouses you from deep hypnosis to remind you that the sound is…
-
Ran On Pure Lightning
This review is part of a series in which I review Neal’s solo records one by one chronologically, and chat with various friends and bandmates who were part of the making of each record. This short and sweet collection of songs released in 2002 came to be after Neal finished a tour as a part of Beachwood Sparks and joined the incredible Shannon McNally’s touring band, along with Neal’s friends…
-
October and the Eyes – All My Love : Listen
New Zealand-born, London-based singer, songwriter and producer October and the Eyes announces her debut EP, Dogs and Gods, out November 20th on KRO Records. Today, she shares the lead single and video “All My Love,” a track that “lures you into a warm embrace of October’s coy and breathy sweet-nothings.” “All My Love’ is unfortunately a love song – something I told myself I would never write, yet here I am,” says October. “But it’s…
-
Anytime Tomorrow
This review is part of a series in which I review Neal’s solo records one by one chronologically, and chat with various friends and bandmates who were part of the making of each record. The beachy, sun-filled Anytime Tomorrow marks a turning point in Neal’s musical career. It’s when Neal really goes electric, and it’s one of my absolute favorites – it embodies his musical transition from New Jersey Americana…
-
John Lee Shannon
John Lee Shannon met Neal Casal at the recording sessions for Zephaniah OHora’s Listening to the Music. As fellow guitarists and music lovers, they became fast friends and Neal became a big fan of John’s playing, hand-picking him to make up the band that would go on to record what would become Kenny Roby’s album The Reservoir. Like Neal, Shannon is a skilled, reliable player who therefore spends a lot…
-
Nick Mitchell Maiato – Pino Carrasco : Album Review
Nick Mitchell Maiato lives in Valencia, Spain. The other members of One Eleven Heavy live elsewhere. According to bandmate James Toth, the average band member commute is about 2500 miles, which…eh, if you vigorously bike for ten days straight, isn’t too bad, really. If only those borders were open! If only a global pandemic… Anyway. Nick wrote many of the songs for his debut solo record Pino Carrasco for what would…
-
Jennifer Castle – Monarch Season : Listen
Jennifer Castle’s Monarch Season is unbelievably otherworldly-sounding. Suffused with home-grown, delicate playing and Castle’s breathtaking, breathy, fae-like vocals, the album contemplates her notion of song as “the balm of love and prayers unrequited.” Monarch Season by Jennifer Castle Of the title track from the album, Jennifer says: I remember writing Monarch Season last year this time. The monarchs were out in the sky, on the trees and in the meadows.…
-
Black River Sides
This review is part of a series in which I review Neal’s solo records one by one chronologically, and chat with various friends and bandmates who were part of the making of each record. Last November, the entirety of Neal Casal’s solo discography became available on Spotify, and the difficult-to-find Black River Sides was at last available to the masses. This intimate-sounding live duet album was made with Neal’s good…
-
Dan Horne – Blackjack : Listen
We’re just days away from the release of Dan Horne’s debut solo EP, The Motorcycle Song EP. The record’s four tracks all show a side of this talented dude’s many musical proclivities. Here’s the second single from the album, “Blackjack,” a swinging instrumental jammer that recalls a rural version of Stereolab hanging with Todd Rundgren, perched atop a mountain, plucking a banjo and exploring the sky, set aloft on the wings of a…
