Automatic Shoes is the stage name for Matthew Joseph Hughes, an extremely-talented one man acoustic musician. His debut The Road is an excellent work of songwriting and performance. What might be most impressive about the work is the layers of self harmonies that …
Monthly Archives: March 2014
Guest Review: Randy Texter on The Belle Brigade – Just Because – Great harmonies and blending from LA-based new folk band
Just Because might catch you off guard if you aren’t ready for it. The Belle Brigade’s sophomore effort is strong, if different. They still have their amazing harmonies. They still have some songs with a hard, driving beat, and some that slow down …
Pandas & People – Pandas & People EP
As a rule of thumb, I try to avoid EPs. I’m not sure why, because we’ve had some really good ones recently, but something about the brevity of the music makes me wary. It takes a lot for an EP to stand out …
Pharis and Jason Romero – Long Gone Out West Blues – Perfect traditional roots country music
With a female lead and high tenor harmonies, Pharis and Jason Romero are the embodiment of all that is wonderful about timeless country music. Although this album is a year old, it’s well worth covering on this site. This is the kind of …
Bonus–more thoughts on Simon and the Bande A Part.
Simon VanGend is a writer. He’s a musician too, but he’s a writer. He’s a poet who just happens to sing, and play, and collaborate very well. “Blinking and Breathing” is VanGend’s fourth full-length album. On top of that, he is doing …
Cape Canyon – Bluebonnet EP – Classic, beautiful sound with sophisticated folk, rock, and country songwriting elements
Cape Canyon are one of my favorite finds of 2014. They have absolutely stunning harmonies and a truly unique overall sound. There’s a certain raw authenticity in their writing. It’s not to say that they are inexperienced so much as to say that …
Simon and the Bande A Part: Blinking and Breathing
Simon and the Bande À Part. Blinking and Breathing. Released on Bandcamp, 2013. http://www.simonvangend.com Simon and the Bande À Part hails from Cape Town, South Africa, a country that (if it isn’t yet) really, really needs to be on your radar for hot …
Humble Tripe–organic voices, electronic noises, and melodica.
Humble Tripe is the work of love belonging to Shawn Luby, a Carolina-based lifetime musician who spent much of his life competing in the classical guitar arena. He won many of these competitions and achieved prominence as a very talented young musician. …
Free Music Friday! The Sea The Sea
Hey everyone, Happy Free Music Friday! Also, Happy World’s Down Syndrome Day! Anyway, I’ve got some exciting new music here for you, this time from a band called The Sea The Sea. I just got a hold of this album and I think …
Pandas & People – On My Way
Pandas & People have just released a 5 song EP in the vein of The Lumineers, more on that later. This group’s catchy folk-pop sound is nearly perfect. They have a knack for clever lyrics and fun rhythms with hand claps and stomps. …
