New Album Release: Lavinia - Take Shelter [ep]

(Instead of posting a song from their two track EP, I'll save you that experience for yourself. For this post, I'm going to use my favourite song on their last EP. I love obscure instruments in rock, so of course hearing banjo done well in an intense song is just so beautiful.)

Every time I visited my good friend in Boston my not listening to the other band he was in, Lavinia, somehow always came up. And he always took it modestly, "That's alright man," which made me feel worse about it. I have a feeling he knew I would eventually gravitate to Lavinia, it would just take some time. And eventually I did. There are bands that make you feel, then there are bands that make you FEEEEEEEEEEL. Lavinia instantly became among my favourite bands. I can't count how many times I listened to Bone & Arrow. (Well, actually, last.fm can count... 28, but I'm pretty sure that's not at all accurate.)

Sadly, though, Lavinia was very short-lived. After coming together, releasing their first EP in 2011 and touring a little they disbanded. However, there were still some songs unfinished. They came back together briefly to finish those songs. This new EP is them.

Download Take Shelter [ep] for a buck-fiddy on Bandcamp!


[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Facebook]

Colour For A Rebel Kickstarter

Some time ago Giorgos had told me he was going to focus on his interest in filmmaking and moved to London to start the journey. I had thought that was the end of Colour For A Rebel, which was saddening because CfaR was one of my favourite solo projects. His developing interest in other styles of music had paved a way for some great experimentation in his later recordings.

Well, unknown to me, he seemed to have been quite active! And now he is looking to release a debut album and do some touring.

Here is his kickstarter:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/georgiosathanasiou/colour-for-a-rebel-debut-album

[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Soundcloud] [Facebook]

The Atlas Ladder - High Lonesome

Philip Jamieson. We initially met through his other band, which I was (and still very much am) a huge fan of. In 2011 shortly after coming back from a big European trip I visited his hometown in Massachusetts for the first time. Since then we've been really close. He is one of very few people I've felt a deep spiritual connection with. Such an amazing, sincere, deep, cognitive, emotional individual that I'm honoured to call one of my friends. This man is like a brother to me. So, I thought it'd be fitting to have his solo project, The Atlas Ladder, be my 5000th artist on last.fm.

[Last.fm] [Soundcloud] [Facebook]
(Songs can be downloaded for free from Soundcloud.)

Drumadics - Merengue

A beautiful NYC weekend shortly after winter will always be a very musical one. People burst out of their caves and flood the city to enjoy the warm sunlight. And it's then the musicians take the opportunity to grace us with their presence.
I don't usually traverse into Manhattan from my comfortable little spot in Queens. (I should more often, though.) But today, a friend and her quest for cheesecake compelled me to.

The former part of the afternoon was spent wandering around Washington Square Park soaking in the music. There was a man playing bagpipes, a guy playing Philip Glass on piano, a woman playing I-don't-know-what-but-it-was-tear-jearkingly-beautiful on the same piano, a jazz quartet, a woman playing banjo, several acoustic guitarists... it was like a little music festival. As the day progressed, after delicious pizza, cheesecake, and deep conversation, it was time to part ways with my friend. It was then we stumbled upon these guys in the Union Square subway station. Upon entering the station sounds of brass came blaring out—baritone sax, tenor sax, trombone, trumpet, with bucket drums. Oooh, I love my brass. And I love those moments when a street or subway musician stops me in my tracks and makes me forget about where I need to be for that fleeting moment. We stayed long enough to experience one song before hopping on the train. However, that song stuck with us through the train ride before we split.


[Last.fm] [Soundcloud] [Facebook] [Website]
(Their single, The Musical Adventure Begins, can be purchased through iTunes.)