Category: new releases

The Faux Paws announce self-titled debut album

The Faux Pays are set to release debut self-titled album on August 27, 2021. Photo: google

After nearly a decade of making music as The Faux Paws, the eclectic bi-coastal trio are making it official with the release of their debut album The Faux Paws, releasing via Great Bear Records (distribution by Free Dirt Service Co.) The trio’s contagious groove and feel-good melting pot folk music has been honed over ten years of playing together, and is the sound of three close friends—two of which happen to be brothers—who feel a musical kinship that transcends any stylistic limitations. Are there raging fiddle tunes? Saxophone solos? Unrequited love songs? Yes to all of the above, and so much more. One would be hard pressed to find a group of musicians with such interesting backgrounds as The Faux Paws. Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up playing contra dance music with their musician mother in the band Great Bear and Chris Miller grew up in Florida where he was enamored with bluegrass and studied jazz before going on to play with Grammy nominated Cajun-country band The Revelers. The ultimate result of their alchemy is a free-wheeling sense of musical exploration on The Faux Paws, out August 27, 2021. Fans can preorder the album here. (The Faux Paws, 2021)

Since meeting in 2012, the trio have toured across North America several times, sometimes under the name The Faux Paws, sometimes as part of other larger ensembles. But due to their commitments to other bands and musical projects, the timing was never right to focus on making The Faux Paws a priority until now. Instead, they took their time learning about different styles of music from one another, and finding where their interests and skills could create unexpected and exciting new sounds. “I love super glossy pop music, and Chris is always pushing more of a jazz influence,” says Noah. “But we all have a strong background in dance music, so almost everything we do has rhythm and groove, and is based around hook and feel.” The Faux Paws flows effortlessly between genres and moods. An upbeat lyrical song like “She’s Not Looking For You” is followed by a technical instrumental, “Guacmaster.” At times, both sides of the coin present; the driving bluegrass-folk “Montauk” is a fine example of that.

It may have taken The Faux Paws ten years to make their debut album, but those years have clearly not gone to waste. Now, with an experimental but cohesive vision, the trio brings together seemingly unrelated musical elements into one joyful and distinctive collection, deeply rooted in the raw humanity of folk dance and music traditions.

The Faux Paws Track list:

  1. Fourth Decade
  2. She’s Not Looking For You
  3. Guacmaster
  4. Child Of The Great Lakes
  5. Southport
  6. Anyelsewhere
  7. Dirt Nap
  8. The Road From Winchester
  9. Montauk
  10. Racing The Sun
  11. Katy Hill (Live)
2021-08-27T11:56:00

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Ava Earl releases second single from upcoming album The Roses

Mountain Song is the second single from upcoming album The Roses, due out July 23, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Ava Earl, an 18 year old songwriter and outdoor enthusiast hailing from Girdwood, Alaska, has released the second single “Mountain Song” from her forthcoming album titled The Roses which will be available on July 23, 2021. “Mountain Song” is, in Earl’s own words, “about a real life experience that I had when I was a bit too confident in my mountain climbing skills. I usually pride myself in my spontaneity, but this experience reminds me that caution is a necessary consideration. This song is also about understanding my lack of control in the universe.” Earl is known in Alaskan music circles and folk worlds nationally for her keen sense of self, intricate fingerpicking, and graceful melodies—“Mountain Song” being the perfect example of all three. (Ava Earl, 2021)

The Roses was recorded in Nashville and produced by JT Nero, one half of the Americana-outfit, Birds of Chicago and features hauntingly beautiful background vocals from Allison Russell and Awna Teixeira.

Amplify Music Magazine pointed out in a recent interview that “Earl has always been drawn to powerful lyrical storytellers, which has weaved into her own lyrical consciousness. Endlessly inspired by and propelled by community found through music, Ava has always put herself in spaces to find and nurture that inter-musical connection and camaraderie.”

Previous to this single drop and album announce, Earl has written and co-produced three full-length albums which includes Am I Me Yet?, her previous album, was released in July 2018. Am I Me Yet? is a 15 song collection recorded at The Hallowed Halls studio in Portland, Oregon, and features Earl on guitar and vocals, Andy Mullen on guitar and bass, and Anna Tivel on violin. The album was engineered by Hawkins Wright, who is also the album’s co-producer.

An engaging performer, Earl thrives in a live concert setting, drawing audiences in with her music and stories. Highlight performances over the years include opening dates for Maggie Rogers, Rhett Miller, and Tim Easton.

The Roses Track list:
Springtime
Mountain Song
The Roses
New Light
On A Page
Up Here in the Sky
Chaos
Do You Know Me By My Name?
Wintertime
Butterflies

 

Mountain Song by Ava Earl
2021-07-23T13:03:00

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Them Coulee Boys are at it again with new LP Namesake

Them Coulee Boys’ Namesake will be out August 6, 2021. Photo: google

With three full-length albums and an EP behind them, including 2019’s Die Happy (produced by Trampled By Turtles’ Dave Simonett on Lo-Hi Records), Them Coulee Boys has garnered international attention and earned press in American Songwriter and The Bluegrass Situation, as well as tours with Trampled By Turtles and a spot on the songwriter’s Cayamo Cruise. In 2020, they were named Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Band to Watch and were nominated for band of the year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry. When the world stopped in early 2020, the band holed up in their practice space and began writing. The result is their brand new effort entitled Namesake, available on August 6, 2021. (Them Coulee Boys, 2021)

Soren Staff and Beau Janke—co-founders of folk/rock/Americana outfit Them Coulee Boys—met as counselors at a bible camp in northern Wisconsin in 2011. Having both grown up amidst a stretch of glacial melt-carved river valleys in the upper Midwest, otherwise known by French fur trappers as coulees, they became fast friends. “Them coulee boys are at it again,” the other counselors would tease. Fast forward to 2021 and the only thing that warrants the phrase “Them Coulee Boys are at it again” is the announcement of a brand new album from Staff, Janke, and the three other band members who have joined since camp days—Soren’s brother, Jens Staff, on mandolin, Neil Krause on bass, and Staš Hable on drums. On August 6, Them Coulee Boys are set to release Namesake, a rollicking ten-song collection that spans from leaping, countrified rock and roll to pure and genuine ballads, all in the Boys’ signature, punched-up Americana sound. The Bluegrass Situation recently premiered the first single from Namesake, a summertime-feeling, Petty-esque strummer called “Given Up.” Under the feel-good 12-string melodic lines of “Given Up” lies an examination of failing the ones we love; a perfect example of Them Coulee Boys’ ability to repeatedly wrap tough subjects in sing-along-able tunes. Fans can hear “Given Up” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Namesake ahead of its August 6 release right here. 

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Namesake was recorded at The Hive in the band’s hometown of Eau Claire, WI, a small Wisconsin city infamously blessed with a wealth of musical talent. The record was produced by Grammy-winner Brian Joseph who has worked with the likes of Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens, Ani Difranco, and The Indigo Girls, and earned his Grammy producing and engineering Bon Iver’s Bon Iver. The Hive itself is an intimate room, with ceilings draped with nautical rope, and bookshelves adorned with all manner of things antiquarian, living and dead. Joseph’s fingerprints are everywhere on the record, and the warm feel of home left the band trusting further expansion of their sound. The result is a record that is equal parts bear hug, gut punch, and a steadying hand.

Namesake finds Them Coulee Boys following a new trajectory, combining their signature take on folk-grass and Americana with comfort on electric instruments playing rock and roll. The record lives and breathes. It is both intimate and bombastic. It is the sweet aunt who makes delicious pies and the wily uncle who is not afraid to hit a bit of the hooch. At the bottom is the acceptance that comes with family and old friends; none of us are perfect, but there is enough love out there to make up for it.

Namesake Track list:
Namesake
Given Up
Phil’s Song
April 1st
Knuckleballer
Canyon
Repurposed Frowns
Just Friends
1st Team All-American
Hallelujah

 

2021-08-06T10:43:00

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Jeremy Pinnell’s new LP Goodbye L.A.

Jeremy Pinnell finds the sweet spot between rowdy and reborn on Goodbye L.A., out October 1, 2021. Photo: google

When Jeremy Pinnell released OH/KY in the summer of 2015 to stunned acclaim, it felt like an entire career compressed into one knock-out album. Hailed as, a “Mind-blowingly good” (Greg Vandy/KEXP)  “tutorial on classic country music” (Popmatters), Pinnell’s debut immediately was set apart as authentic and unflinching. Dogged touring through Europe and the States and celebrated radio sessions followed, cementing Pinnell’s position as a no-fuss master of his craft. (Jeremy Pinnell, 2021)

His 2017 album, Ties of Blood and Affection presented a canny lateral move. Instead of doubling down on the stark themes and values of his debut, the sophomore album found Pinnell finding comfort in his own skin, achieving the redemption only hinted at in his previous batch of haunted songs. Pinnell’s newest album Goodbye L.A., is set to be released on October 1, 2021.

The opening notes of Jeremy Pinnell’s new tune “Wanna Do Something” are a touch less swung and twangy—and a pinch more Laurel Canyon upbeat—than anything he has put out before. With the bass thumping on root notes and a pleasantly round-sounding slide guitar playing the intro’s hook, “Wanna Do Something” gives way to a verse that quickly reminds listeners this is still Pinnell’s wheelhouse; his perfectly-worn voice singing honestly crafted songs. Raised Rowdy recently premiered “Wanna Do Something,” the first single from Pinnell’s upcoming album Goodbye L.A., out October 1 on SofaBurn Records. Raised Rowdy noted that the song feels like the balance between soaking up the sights on tour and keeping the idea of home close in the background, saying, “‘Wanna Do Something,’ finds [Pinnell] in a familiar place – somewhere in the endless in-between, set against a backdrop of sweeping classic country influences and a hard-worn, gritty edge.” Fans can hear “Wanna Do Something” now right here and pre-order or pre-save Goodbye L.A. ahead of its release at this link.

The collective sound of Goodbye L.A. is not so much polished-up as it is intentionally steered to fit Pinnell’s goal of making a fun record. “[Production-wise] I wanted like 80s Waylon, ZZ Top. My idea was that I wanted to write a record that made people happy,” he says. “I want people to dance and have fun and love each other.” A big part of getting the desired result was bringing in Jonathan Tyler to produce Goodbye L.A., the result hitting the desired mark dead-center. Rooted in his steady acoustic guitar, Pinnell’s songs are shot through with honest and classic elements. The rhythm section, all snap and shuffle, find purpose in well-worn paths. The pedal steel and Telecaster stingers arrive perfectly on cue, winking at Pinnell’s world-wise couplets. A slippery Hammond organ insinuates gospel into the conversation. Listeners can feel the room breathe and get a sense of these musicians eyeballing each other as their performances are committed to tape.

Goodbye L.A. Track list:
Big Ol’ Good
Wanna Do Something
Red Roses
Nighttime Eagle
Never Thought Of No One
Doing My Best
Rosalie
Cryin’
Goodbye L.A.
Fightin’ Man

2021-10-01T14:35:00

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Sean Devine’s new album Here For It All

Here For It All will be out September 3, 2021. First single ‘Here For It All’ out now. Photo: google

Montana musician Sean Devine brings together the rugged landscape of the West, nine original songs, and a lifetime of personal experience in his fourth album, Here for It All. Devine first met the album’s producer Josh Thompson (Cody Jinks) at a concert hall in Missoula through a mutual friend, singer-songwriter Ward Davis, who introduced Devine as “the Bob Dylan of Montana.” That off-the-cuff comment compelled Thompson to request some demos and eventually to record Here For It All with Jinks’ band at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas. Based in Paradise Valley, Devine is a fifth-generation Montanan. Devine’s reckoning with roadblocks and backsteps has manifested itself not in pessimism, but in a beautiful outlook on how to take it all on, as is very apparent on his brand new album Here For It All—out September 3, 2021. (Sean Devine, 2021)

“Here for It All means being here for the inevitable heartbreaks and the sorrow that will come with life, no matter what. You’re not going to avoid it and you’re not going to hide from it. You have to be in this with your whole heart, right? It’s that feeling of staying open and taking the risks that really matter.”

Sean Devine

Produced by Josh Thompson (Cody Jinks), the eloquent project provides a firsthand account of second chances, showing up, and seeing it through. Cowboy Lifestyle Network recently premiered the album’s title track, “Here For It All,” noting, “Sean brings an easy listening country sound to the music scene that makes you feel.” “This song is about how it feels after you’ve been blind-sided, knocked on your ass hard, humiliated, and you reach your hand up and someone is there,” says Devine. “What happens next could be the transfiguration you didn’t know you were looking for.” Fans can hear “Here For It All” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Here For It All ahead of its September release right here.

Although Devine sequenced the nine songs on Here for It All himself, its cohesive narrative may be partially credited to the album’s producer, Josh Thompson (Cody Jinks), who mined a folder of twenty six unrecorded—and sometimes completely forgotten—compositions to make the record. “I’d never hired a producer before and I didn’t want to get it wrong,” Devine admits. “I figured maybe my best approach would be to turn it all over to him.” When Thompson offered to produce a studio album using Jinks’ band, Devine agreed on the spot. That spontaneity and collaborative spirit resulted in songs that would feel equally at home in a listening room or a country bar’s jukebox.

From the two-step feel of “Crazy Too” and “I’m Free,” to the half-time grooves of “Clay Bluffs,” “Feelin’ Like An Old Piece Of Wood,” and “Texas and Tennessee,” the work of Jink’s band, known as the Tone Deaf Hippies, is that of stellar accompaniment. “They didn’t try to force anything. They didn’t try to turn it into some new thing,” Devine recalls. “They came to where the song started, with me and my acoustic guitar. They brought out what was sweet about it – and they’ve got hooks.” But it is Devine’s tunes and the way he plays and sings them that are the stars of the show. Through his lyrics, Devine guides a listener through troubled times—some autobiographical and others fictional—without losing sight of the glimmer of hope in the distance.

Here For It All Track list:
Here For It All
Crazy Too
I’m Free
Feelin’ Like An Old Piece Of Wood
Clay Bluffs
Texas And Tennessee
The Palomino Mustang
You Ain’t Coming Home
Can I Get A Witness?

2021-09-03T12:48:00

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Dawn Fades to release sophomore album ‘Ode’ in September

Dawn Fades’ new album Ode is now available for pre-order. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Los Angeles CA post-metal group Dawn Fades will release their sophomore album Ode, September 10, 2021. Ode will be available on vinyl, CD and all digital platforms via Metal Assault Records. The first single and music video “Taste” premiered June 25, along with the pre-order launch of the album in all aforementioned formats. (Dawn Fades, 2021)

Comprising six songs spanning ethereal experimentation and crushing heaviness, Ode shows a band unshaken by the pandemic induced time away from the stage. The new offering reveals Dawn Fades as now more resolute in their vision and execution. Mixed by heavy music mainstay Josh Newell (Intronaut, Anthrax, Linkin Park), Ode manages to be both more mature and more raw than the band’s critically acclaimed self-titled 2019 debut. While expertly retaining the core elements of their highly successful debut; Dawn Fades takes their musical evolution to even greater heights on Ode, undoubtedly leaving an even stronger impression on listeners.

Frontman and songwriter Sam Sherwood says the album is “a picture of feelings about the trappings of the world we find ourselves in. I believe we are doing a thing that has its own life to it. There is darkness and screaming inner-torment and there are ear-worm hooks.”

LA Weekly describes Dawn Fades as “a mashup of Deftones and Neurosis, with hints of Eyehategod and Enslaved.” Ode is now available to pre-order with the official album release slated for September 10, 2021.

Ode track listing:

  1. Dearth (8:17)
  2. Taste (5:11)
  3. Ode: Part 1 (1:51)
  4. Ode: Part 2 (5:56)
  5. Front (6:57)
  6. Chains (8:36)
  7. Turning (3:23)
    Total Runtime: 40:11

Dawn Fades is:
Sam Sherwood – Vocals
Scott Rosenquist – Drums
Markus Erren Pardiñas – Bass
Nate Hertweck – Guitar

Dawn Fades – Ode

The Accidentals to embark on fall tour with Sawyer Fredericks

The Accidentals will be touring in support of their upcoming release Vessel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

On September 29, multi-faceted folk-rockers The Accidentals will kick off a long-awaited U.S. tour in their home state of Michigan. Joined by their friend and collaborator Sawyer Fredericks, this co-bill tour will take the female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio throughout Michigan and the Midwest before heading east for a southerly jaunt from Boston, through New York, Philly, D.C., and down into the Southeast. (The Accidentals, 2021)

The Accidentals—Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause—are touring in support of their upcoming release Vessel, which is due out October 1, 2021. Billboard says, “The Accidentals display a genre-hopping range of influences and some smart songwriting skills to go with their abundant musical chops.” NPR called the band “some of the most compelling writers of our time,” before saying “they display equal interest in the focused musical forms of indie rock and pop and the expansive potential of orchestral arrangements, jam band open-endedness, and impressionistic singer-songwriter expression.”

This tour is not the first time The Accidentals have collaborated with Fredericks. The Accidentals’ Larson and Buist contributed two songs to Fredericks’ recent Flowers For You album—“Lies You Tell” and “Days Go By”—and were also featured in the video for “Lies You Tell.” “The Accidentals have great energy on stage and a very driven work ethic,” says Fredericks. “In addition to the fun of touring with good friends, I also feel I will learn and grow a lot through working with them.” Fredericks will perform solo from the first date in Traverse City, MI, until his band joins him at Chicago’s City Winery for the duration of their tour.

Catch The Accidentals and Sawyer Fredericks on Tour:

9/29 – Traverse City Opera House – Traverse City, MI *
9/30 – Traverse City Opera House – Traverse City, MI *
10/1 – State Theatre – Bay City, MI *
10/2 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI *
10/3 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH *
10/7 – Great Lakes Center For The Arts (Blissfest) – Petoskey, MI *
10/8 – Cheboygan Opera House (Blissfest) – Cheboygan, MI *
10/9 – Calvin University – Grand Rapids, MI *
10/10 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
10/13 – Lake Michigan College Mendel Center – Benton Harbor, MI
10/14 – Riverdog Concert Series – Wakeman, OH
10/16 – Daryl’s House – Pawling, NY
10/17 – Club Passim – Boston, MA
10/20 – City Winery Loft – New York, NY
10/21 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA
10/22 – The Linda – Albany, NY
10/23 – Jonathon’s – Ogunquit, ME
10/24 – Voices Cafe Presents @ The Bijou – Bridgeport, CT
10/26 – Ardmore Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA
10/27 – Ramshead Tavern – Annapolis, MD
10/28 – City Winery Main Room – Washington DC
10/30 – Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC
10/31 – City Winery Main Room – Atlanta, GA
11/3 – City Winery Main Room – Nashville, TN
11/7 – The Quonset – Memphis, TN

*Sawyer Fredericks solo opening set
Rest of shows are co-bills with Sawyer and his full band

Paul Thorn’s new album ‘Never Too Late To Call’

Paul Thorn grooves on new album out August 6 via Thirty Tigers. “Here We Go” is the first single out. Photo: google

Paul Thorn has created an innovative and impressive career, pleasing crowds with his muscular brand of roots music—bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern American, yet also speaking universal truths. Among those who value originality, inspiration, eccentricity and character—as well as talent that hovers somewhere on the outskirts of genius, the story of Paul Thorn is already familiar. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, raised among the same spirits (and some of the actual people) who nurtured the young Elvis generations before, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads and jumped out of airplanes, worked for years in a furniture factory, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, performed on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet fully accessible music of our time. He has appeared on major television shows, received numerous National Public Radio features and charted multiple times on the Billboard Top 100 and Americana Radio Charts. (Paul Thorn, 2021)

Fans were recently treated to the first taste of music from Never Too Late To Call, “Here We Go.” Fans can hear “Here We Go” and pre-order or pre-save Never Too Late To Call ahead of its August 6 release right here.

Never Too Late To Call opens with a song called “Two Tears Of Joy,” a slow-burn ode to life that finds Thorn naming all that he is thankful for without once coming across as cheesy or overly earnest. “It sounds a little corny to say this but I’m a 56-year-old man who has had a really blessed life,” says Thorn about the inspiration behind the tune. “I’m really grateful and thankful for everything I have and for the people I’ve met. ‘Two Tears of Joy’ is another way of simply saying I’m grateful.” A few tracks later, Thorn and his wife Heather singing a duet called “Breaking Up For Good Again.” “If you’re in any kind of long-time relationship you’ll know there will be bumps in the road and sometimes you won’t get along,” says Thorn. The song is beautifully fingerpicked and sung to perfection by the husband and wife duo who have been together long enough to know the song’s ideas well. “We’ve lived this song and had our moments,” they say. Towards the end of Never Too Late To Call listeners are treated to a pair of groovy numbers in “You Mess Around & Get A Buzz” and “Holy Hottie Toddy.” The former a cautionary tale and the latter a call to love everybody inclusively; both feel comfortable—in classic Thorn fashion—but represent the full spectrum of what this new, thoughtfully mature album has to offer.

On Never Too Late To Call, we find a mellower Paul Thorn. The wit and the – at times – humorous commentary on life’s existential questions are in evidence, but here there is a peace about his life’s journey. Or, to put it in his words, “I’ve been such a lucky boy. I’m crying two tears of joy.”

Never Too Late To Call track list:
Two Tears Of Joy
It’s Never Too Late To Call
Sapalo
Breaking Up For Good Again
What I Could Do
Here We Go
Apple Pie Moonshine
Sapphire Dream
You Mess Around & Get A Buzz
Goodbye Is The Last Word
Holy Hottie Toddy

Paul Thorn: It’s Never Too Late To Call
2021-08-06T12:58:00

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New music from Metal Assault Records: Solar Haze

Solar Haze’s The Solar Age will be out July 16, 2021. Photo: google

Southern California’s heavy rock / metal trio Solar Haze will release their mind altering EP The Solar Age on July 16, 2021 via Metal Assault Records. Pre-orders for The Solar Age began on June 18 and the band released their official music video for the single and EP lead off track, “The Solar Age.” In celebration of their forthcoming release, Solar Haze will perform at “Blunt Force Trauma Fest,” a virtual mini festival experience presented by Ebony Jeanette PR & Metal Assault Records streaming July 16 via YouTube. More details about the virtual festival are available online. (Solar Haze, 2021)

Solar Haze is:
Guitar/Vocals/Bass Guitar: Stephen Falla
Guitar: Ross Cowan
Drums/Percussion: Ryan Michael Falla

The end is near, The Solar Age is here. Metal Assault Records will release the eagerly awaited EP The Solar Age from Southern California heavy rock / metal group Solar Haze on July 16, 2021. The three-track, 18-minute EP was produced by Eddie Vasquez (of San Diego based band Tzimani) and includes violent sequences that may induce frequent night-terrors and sudden mood swings which can cause bouts of severe irritability or thoughts of violence. Do not be alarmed if you receive frequent home visitations from mysterious individuals in black, phone calls from numbers with no area codes, or voices in your head that seem to be of foreign origin. These are common side effects that come with indulging in The Solar Age.

The Solar Age track listing:

  1. The Solar Age (4:57)
  2. Fortress Will Fall (3:50)
  3. Terror of the Deep (9:00)
Solar Haze – The Solar Age
2021-07-16T15:12:00

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Suzanne Santo to release Yard Sale on August 27

Suzanne Santo’s sophomore release features Gary Clark, Jr and Shakey Graves and blends Americana, Southern-gothic soul, and forward-thinking rock and roll. The first single “Bad Beast” is out now. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Yard Sale, the sophomore solo album from the now Austin, TX-based Suzanne Santo, is the musical equivalent of a homeowner’s purging of old possessions in order to clear up some much-needed room. Releasing August 27 via Soundly Music, the album marks the moment where Santo makes peace with her past and embraces a better, bolder present. A tireless creator, Santo has built her sound in the grey area between Americana, Southern-gothic soul, and forward-thinking rock & roll. It is a sound that nods to her past—a childhood spent in the Rust Belt which is also where she learned to love a yard sale; a decade logged as a member of the L.A.-based duo HoneyHoney; the acclaimed solo album, Ruby Red, of which Paste called “shameless, self-aware dialogue that opens the door for conversation that leads to real healing;” and the world tour that took her from Greece to Glastonbury as a member of Hozier’s band—while still exploring new territory. With Yard Sale, Santo boldly moves forward, staking her claim once again as an Americana innovator. It is an album inspired by the past, written by an artist who is only interested in the here-and-now. And for Suzanne Santo, the here-and-now sounds pretty good. The album’s first single “Bad Beast” is available everywhere today, listen here. Fans can pre-order or pre-save by clicking here. (Suzanne Santo, 2021)

Yard Sale finds Santo in transition, physically and emotionally. She began writing the album while touring the globe with Hozier—a gig that utilized her strengths not only as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, but also as a road warrior. Some songs were written between Hozier rehearsals, with Santo holing up in a farmhouse on the rural Irish coast, while others were finished during bus rides, backstage writing sessions, and hotel stays. Grateful for the experience but eager to return to her solo career, she finished her run with Hozier, joining the band for one final gig at Glastonbury before flying home to Los Angeles. Within three days, she was back in the studio, working with producer John Spiker on what was to become Yard Sale.

Upon returning home, Los Angeles became stale for Santo as the city is inclined to do. A partner breakup paired with the hiatus of HoneyHoney left her feeling lonely in her own home—sparking the cosmic relocation to Austin, TX—a city whose fingerprints are all over Yard Sale, thanks to appearances by hometown heroes like Gary Clark Jr. and Shakey Graves. Thus the metaphorical album title of Yard Sale became literal with a cross country move and the emotional unpacking and shedding that happens when life in a new city, with a new love, beckons.

The album presents Santo at the very top of her game musically, writing her own string arrangements and singing each song in an agile, acrobatic voice—perhaps in part due to the cathartic making-of process and what that has meant for her professionally and personally. At times she bridges the gap between indie-rock and neo-soul. On other tracks, she mixes gospel influences with a deconstructed R&B beat. Fans will hear layers of spacey, atmospheric electric guitar and Shakey Graves on a rainy-day ballad driven forward by a metronomic drum pattern, and Gary Clark punctuating with fiery fretwork.

Of the album as a whole, Santo says, “I’m into the emotional concept of what a yard sale really is. This record is about the things I’ve left behind and the things I’ve held onto. I was broken up with while writing the record. I fell in love again while writing the record. And I learned to fearlessly follow my gut, in all places of my life, while making this record.”

Yard Sale track listing:
Over and Over Again
Mercy
Gold Rush
Save For Love
Bad Beast
Since I Had Your Love
Afraid Of Heights
Fall For That
Common Sense
To No End
Idiot
Island

On tour:
July 5-6 – The RIDE Festival – Telluride, CO
August 26 – Album release show @ Antone’s – Austin, TX
September 8 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
November 5 – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT*
November 6 – Big Night Live – Boston, MA*
November 7 – Colony – Woodstock, NY
November 10 – Southern – Charlottesville, VA*
November 11 – Black Cat – Washington, DC*
November 12 – Otto Bar – Baltimore, MD*
November 13 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA*
November 14 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH*
November 16 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL*
*with Murder By Death

Suzanne Santo – Bad Beast
2021-08-27T10:46:00

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