New Music Tuesday! 8/23/11: Gabe Dixon, The Muppets, We Are Augustines

Here are the albums I’m going to check out this week.  If you’re looking for some new tunes, read onward!

 

Gabe DixonOne Spark   

Last week I downloaded Ten Out of Tenn’s Volume 4. One of my favorite tracks of the album is the contribution from Gabe Dixon. I immediately did some research into this Nashville based artist and discovered that he had his own CD, One Spark, coming out today! If the rest of the album is anything like “On a Day Just Like Today,” it will be well worth adding to your collection. You can listen to the entire album on Gabe’s website and buy the album there, on ITunes, or Amazon. Gabe has a couple Nashville dates (8/24 FREE at Grimeys, 9/4 at 3rd and Lindsley) before hitting the road with Ten Out of Tenn.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-spark/id455907522

http://www.amazon.com/One-Spark-Gabe-Dixon/dp/B004YAS9NW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314125034&sr=8-2

This video makes me even more excited about this album…so many fantastic artist collaborations (James Walsh/Starsailor, Iain Archer, Alison Krauss, and my very favorite songwriter Dan Wilson)

 

 

Various Artists – Muppets: The Green Album

I love the Muppets. I also love OK Go, Weezer, The Fray, Alkaline Trio, My Morning Jacket, Amy Lee, Sondre Lerche, The Airborne Toxic Event, Brandon Saller, Andrew Bird, Matt Nathanson, and Rachel Yamagata…ALL the artists covering classic Muppet songs  like “Rainbow Connection,” “Bein’ Green,”  and “The Muppet Theme Song.” What is not to love about this whole concept?!? Also, any project that can bring about video collaborations between OK Go and The Muppets deserves recognition and flattery.

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Muppets-Green-Album-Various-Artists/dp/B002YICN7O/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1314125456&sr=1-3

or here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id452905746

stream it here: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/14/138984517/first-listen-muppets-the-green-album

And watch this…over and over again:

 

 

We Are AugustinesRise Ye Sunken Ships

I saw a poster for We Are Augustines last night promoting their upcoming performance at The Bootleg in Silverlake. Some kid was quite enthusiastic about stealing said poster. Since there were a couple bands I enjoy at Bootleg last night, I figured this kid could be on to something so I went home and googled We Are Augustines. Seems like this was perfect timing as they have a CD coming out today! I listened to the tracks they have streaming on the page and my ears were pleased. You can download one of my favorite tracks (thus far), “Book of James” for free on their website and judge for yourselves.  This Brooklyn-based band starts touring at the end of August and will be in LA at The Bootleg September 13th.

http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Sunken-Ships-Are-Augustines/dp/B005BDZL2I/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1314131150&sr=1-1

 

 

Happy New Music Day!!

~ Kristen

Listen to This!: When I Stop Running – TFDI

Tony Lucca, Matt Duke, and Jay Nash are three of my favorite singer-songwriters. Last year they went on a tour christened the “Totally F*ckin’ Doin’ It” (TFDI) Tour. The tour was a smashing success, spawning a 4 song TFDI EP that had the masses demanding more. This summer, the trio announced another TFDI tour coupled with the release of a full length album, When I Stop Running. I downloaded the album a couple days ago and I can’t stop listening. It’s a combination of tunes, familiar and new, all sung by some combination of voices that alone have the ability to stir the soul and together…well, can we say super group?  I’m enjoying the group takes on classics like Lucca’s “Darlin’ I” and Nash’s “Sweet Talking Liar”, but I’m even more excited about songs I hadn’t heard before like “Hurtin Kind” and the titular “When I Stop Running” as well as fun covers like a slowed down version of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and the incredibly apropos “On the Road Again.”

If you want a description of what the trio has to offer, I’d point you to the TFDI facebook page where each of the three artists relays their take on this unique “bromance” and the upcoming tour. Here’s what Jay Nash had to say:

“It’s a simple equation, but it works incredibly well,” says Nash. “Three distinct songwriting voices and three guitars is the general blueprint, but this time around, expect surprises. Lucca gravitates toward an R&B and soul vibe, Matt Duke brings in the alternative rock, and I suppose that I am the hippie/Americana fan. Somehow it all blends together into beautiful cacophony. Last fall, I think that we found a great starting point and I cannot wait to continue on stage and in the studio. Also, Matt Duke, if you could bring an extra toothbrush along, that would be great.”

The TFDI Tour is coming through California in August. The Hotel Cafe on the 18th, Saint Rocke on the 19th, The Ventura Folk Festival on the 20th, Anthology in San Diego on the 28th. Check out the tour page for more info on cities and dates that take the trio all over the country through the fall months.

You can download When I Stop Running on Amazon where you can get “Stranger in a Strange Place” for free!

Here’s a promo for their tour last fall…

 

~ Kristen