Free albums... Dan Costello/Andy Mitchell

Dan Costello is a songwriter based at The Brooklyn Tea Party, a loft venue and apartment in Bushwick. His new album "Costello" features Rachel Devlin, Michael David Campbell, Eric Wolfson and Brook Pridemore on vocals and a variety of instruments. The album is available digitally worldwide. CDs and Vinyl are only available in person.

Dan is an independent musician, having quit his corporate music job in January 2006. He works as a sound engineer, a recording assistant, a piano player, an open-mic host, an audio consultant, and occasionally as an album producer. He's a member of the Freelancers Union and various arts organizations. He has toured all over Europe, Canada and the United States.

Dan is a member of Creaky Boards, Felt Light Strikes, Eric Wolfson and the War Cabinet, and Brook Pridemore and The Valley Cubs. Dan has produced albums for Soft Black, Annie Crane, Ben Godwin, and Peaks and Valleys and more.

Dan's three albums of original music, "Halloween Baby", "Come Home", and "Costello" are available for purchased download here. You can read about what happens at Brooklyn Tea Party at myspace.com/brooklynteaparty.

Dan Costello - Recession Songs (free album)
Dan Costello @ MySpace

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Andy Mitchell began the first pieces of a new album in late 2008, a little inspired by the appreciation some had given his previous attempts, but on the whole disheartened that they were nothing special and not memorable enough that people would feel compelled to share it with a friend.

"It gave me the feeling that I hadn't tried hard enough, that there must be better songs I can make, longer time I can spend on vocals and recording, and wider sources of influence to widen the range in sound. Perhaps the only worthwhile approach I could have to keep myself moving forward because this album like the others would still be given away for free." said Andy.

Andy Mitchell - Of Nature & Minimal Means (free album)
Andy Mitchell @ MySpace


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SONG OF THE DAY: Why? - This Blackest Purse
(from Eskimo Snow, out September 22nd on Anticon)

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Generationals

Generationals is the collaboration of Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer. Following the breakup of their previous band the Eames Era, they returned home to New Orleans in 2008 to form Generationals and record their first record, Con Law.

They tapped the Oranges Band founder Daniel Black (the mind behind the Eames Era's swan song Heroes and Sheroes) to engineer and produce the record at his D.C.-based home-studio. Black recorded Con Law in the style of his heroes—George Martin, Phil Spector, Jeff Lynn and Quincy Jones—with a meticulous attention to detail and a willingness to make the recordings sound old. The result is one of those classic “first record” moments that blissfully wills its listeners into repeat listens.

The sounds of Con Law were cobbled together from the far corners of the instrument room to form a cohesive group of songs written in straight-forward pop structures. Chiming 12-string electric guitars sit next to 8-bit sequencers, synth-bass and trumpet. Often the shakers, hand-claps and acoustic guitars sound like Paul Simon and Tom Petty, while another arrangement recalls Junior Walker and Booker T., all recorded to an old 24-track 2-inch tape machine that threatened to melt down several times.

Live, the Generationals can include as many as seven pieces with background singers, a trumpet, guitars, keys, bass and drums. And when the whole band is singing en masse on songs like "Faces in the Dark" and "When They Fight, They Fight," …shit sounds real good. You would want to be there when that happens.

Park the Van Records returned to New Orleans in December of 2008, four years after the label was birthed in the same zip code. A chance meeting at the Mid-City Yacht Club (not what it sounds like) led to discussion about Park the Van’s dearly missed the Teeth, the Spinto Band, Dr. Dog and the Grant and Ted’s new band. A handoff of their “just mastered” album led to an almost immediate signing with Park the Van. Generationals are the first New Orleans band signed to Park the Van. Con Law, their debut record, is available for your ears on July 21st, 2009 on Park the Van Records. Recommended!

Generationals - When They Fight They Fight
Generationals @ MySpace




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SONG OF THE DAY: Windmill - Big Boom
(from Epcot Starfields, out September 15th on Friendly Fire)

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Free album release... The Grizzly Owls

The Grizzly Owls became inspired by their grandparent's journey from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California during the Dust Bowl migration. Keeping in tradition with their Dust ... (more) Bowl roots, the Grizzly Owls looked to the originators of the ''Bakersfield Sound'' (country legends such as Buck Owens and Merle Haggard) for role models. The Grizzly Owls are Jenny Andreotti (vocals, harmonica, and percussion) and Joseph Andreotti (guitar, bass, percussion, piano, and keys). The Andreotti's have been married for four years, and have been making music together for seven. After years of struggling with other musical projects, the Andreotti's are confident that they have mastered ''The Grizzly Owls Sound.''

"By Night On My Bed," the Grizzly Owls self-released full-length debut, is the closest the Andreotti's have come to making their initial musical vision a reality. The record was influenced by such greats as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits, Lee Hazelwood, Nancy Sinatra, Leonard Cohen, Raymond Carver, Henry David Thoreau, the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s, and all of the French new-wave films of Jean-Luc Godard. By Night On My Bed was recorded at the Dust Bowl by Joseph Andreotti and recorded, mixed, and mastered at Red Rockets Glare by Raymond Richards (The Idaho Falls, Mojave 3) The multi-talented Richards also contributed pedal steel guitar, baritone guitar, and vibraphone to the recordings. The Andreotti's (along with the help from Richards) have produced a whimsical record full of tales about death, lust, love, and obsession.

After a successful promotional run with Fanatic, The Grizzly Owls returned to Red Rockets Glare to record another handful of songs. Richards continued to add his unique touch by contributing pedal steel guitar and banjo, while Rob Poynter (Idaho Falls, Harpeth Trace) added drums and some pots and pans to the new recordings. The recordings resulted with a sound that is one part Tom Waits, one part shoegaze, and one part spaghetti western. Recommended!

Grizzly Owls - I Am A Shootist EP (free download)
Grizzly Owls @ MySpace


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SONG OF THE DAY: The Silent Years - Taking Drugs At The Amusement Park
(from Let Go EP, out July 14th on SideCho Records)

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Forest Fire

Hailing from Brooklyn, Forest Fire are responsible for a fine brew of lofi folk that unabashedly nods to the world of punk. Their tracks are littered with out of tune horns, vibrant bursts of guitar and layers of screeching electronics. 'Survival' - their forthcoming album, is a moment-to-moment kind of recording. Songs of total grit will part to reveal blue sky, before dissolving once again into disorder. Recorded over an eight month period in both Brooklyn and Portland, many of Survival's tracks were recorded live in less than five takes, then maniacally overdubbed by a variety of players. Sometimes there was only one microphone for the entire band. Sometimes they pulled out a few more. The result is an album which was rated as Le Blogotheque's album of the year, over the likes of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, before it had even been officially released. Broken Sound is hugely proud to be bringing this album to your ears this summer.

“Survival” is the striking debut album from Forest Fire, four talented individuals who met in New York over the past few years and began making music together in 2008. Survival was recorded over an eight month period in two locations - Brooklyn, New York and Portland, Oregon. To record Survival the band set up a microphone in the centre of the studio and arranged themselves around it. Survival is a moment-to-moment kind of recording. Songs of total grit will suddenly part to reveal blue sky, before dissolving once again into disorder. On tracks such as “Slow Motion” and “Sunshine City”, sparse arrangements creep along then grow as thick and tangled as jungle brush. On “Through My Gloves”, Thresher spits in waves, threatening and concise, and ditches the restrained lyrical approach for a moment. By contrast, “I Make Windows” aches along delicately and the catchy and imaginative “Fortune Teller” demonstrates an outright pop sensibility. Survival is a modern album, built with enough fortitude and spirit to warrant repeated listens. Highly Recommended!

Forest Fire - I Make Windows
Forest Fire - Fortune Teller
Forest Fire @ MySpace

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SONG OF THE DAY: Black Moth Super Rainbow - Twin Of Myself (The Go! Team Remix)
(Twin Of Myself is featured on the new BMSR's album Eating Us)

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Soft Black

Soft Black are four piece garage rock band hailing from NYC. The band members are Vincent Cacchione (Vox, Guitar, Fearless Leader), Michael Stefanov (Drums), Brian Amsterdam (Guitar) and Matthew Molnar (Bass).

On the heels of successful releases from Brooklyn's Vivian Girls and The Royal Chains, Plays With Dolls Records got a hold of these recordings and helped the band to complete the album by putting them in the studio with engineer Charles Burst at Brooklyn's Seaside Lounge (Neko Case, Crystal Stilts, Psychic Ills). During one crazed session, the band recorded the remainder of the album live in under two takes. Those recordings were then maniacally overdubbed and crafted over a further week of recording. The album is formed by equal parts of these sessions.

"The Earth is Black," Soft Black's second LP, was recorded to analog tape over an eight month period. Vincent Cacchione, the bands principle songwriter, began tracking in the New Jersey basement of a dear friend, Nick Coleman, on modest 8 track home recording gear. Most of the basics carved out in just a few takes, the duo of Cacchione and Coleman meticulously crafted each track, orchestrating the album with bursts of noise and melody. Recommended!

Soft Black - The Lions
Soft Black - I Am An Animal
Soft Black @ MySpace

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SONG OF THE DAY: The Skygreen Leopards - Dixie Cups In The Dead Grass
(from Gorgeous Johnny, out July 21st on Jagjaguwar)

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The Ropes

NYC based duo The Ropes are vocalist/bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist Toppy (known for playing drums with the guitar hanging around his neck). Notorious for their engaging lyrics, The Ropes have toured extensively throughout the US and UK, opening for acts such as The Used, Innerpartysystem, The Matches, and others.

The Ropes have released an EP titled “Cry to the Beat” and a full length album “What They Do For Fun”, both produced by Nic Hard (The Bravery, The Church) and Toppy. The Ropes are set to release new EP titled 'Clubs In Europe Forever'. The Clubs in Europe Forever EP is shipping from June 2, 2009. Recommended!

The Ropes - Clubs In Europe Forever
The Ropes - Robot Now, Human Later
The Ropes @ MySpace

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SONG OF THE DAY: Patterson Hood - I Understand Now
(from Murdering Oscar (and other love songs), out June 23rd on Thirty Tigers)

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Royal City

Royal City were formed in in 1999 at Jim Guthrie's house in downtown Guelph Ontario. The band was fronted by Aaron Riches, well known in the local all ages punk scene for having booked and opening up for Fugazi, his releases on DROG Records, and for being the subject of a Robert Munsch book as a child.

Originally called The Royal City All Stars, the band had moved to Toronto after signing with Three Gut Records. At Three Gut, Royal City joined label mates Cuff The Duke and The Constantines in Toronto's early 2000s music scene. While working with many collaborators, the core of Royal City consisted of Aaron Riches, Lonnie James, Simon Osborne and Jim Guthrie. James replaced original drummer Nathan Lawr in 2002.

During their time as a band, Royal City toured across Canada, playing places such as Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territories, and opening for such musicians as Sarah Harmer. In 2002, a then-unknown Arcade Fire open for the band on a series of tour dates, and in 2003 the band played in Sufjan Stevens' living room as their first show in New York City.

The band was also host to a number of notable collaborations, including Leslie Feist, Sufjan Stevens, Final Fantasy, Gentleman Reg and Bob Wiseman.

After disbanding in 2004, Aaron Riches went on to study Radical Orthodoxy under John Milbank at the University of Nottingham. Nathan Lawr continues to release music as a solo artist, and Jim Guthrie is an active member in Human Highway, and as a touring member of Islands.

In early 2009, Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty records released "A Belly Was Made for Wine", a song from the band's upcoming b-sides release "Royal City". Recommended!

Royal City - Can't You Hear Me Calling
Royal City - A Belly Was Made For Wine

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SONG OF THE DAY: Jeff Hanson - This Time It Will (RIP)

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