DOWNLOAD: Rev. Lonnie Farris - Peace In The Valley
If you're sick of a sterile digital world and want something more raw and time tested, Tompkins Square is a label that has you covered. One of the best reissue imprints around, their new set This May Be My Last Time Singing: Raw African-American Gospel On 45RPM 1957-1982 is an engrossing hodgepodge of little-known soulful gospel singles compiled by Yeti Magazine founder/editor Mike McGonigal. Check this cut "Peace In The Valley" by Rev. Lonnie Farris. It's otherworldly yet so natural, with dry, clopping drums, spiritual torch song vocals and a steel guitar part that sounds like it could have been played with a piece of broken glass.
DOWNLOAD: Blood Warrior - Blood Letting + Snake Seer
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I can't really think of a more suitable name for a band that blends folk and gospel in a haunting take on American pastimes. A new group with experienced members (O'Death, Super Monster), Blood Warrior puts casios, organs, harps and drums to inventive use on its self-titled debut on Ernest Jenning. While "Blood Letting" is more preacher and "Snake Seer" more choir, the songs together display the band's careful crafting of each track for a record that has the luxury of hiding its hooks among gorgeous four part vocal harmonies—a rare return to true folk form that shows them doing right by the genre.
DOWNLOAD: Three Songs From Fire In My Bones
Excavatory label Tompkins Square, they of the excellent Tim Buckley live disc from earlier this year, recently put out the three-disc Fire In My Bones compilation, an assemblage of super rare post-war African-American gospel, mostly stuff that has never before been released nationally or on CD. Three of its craggy, transportive cuts are below, songs that are now probably the oldest in the RCRD LBL archive. Buy the full package here.
Sister Ola Mae Terrell - How Long
Mississippi Nightingales - Don't Let Him Ride
Henry Green - Storm Thru Mississippi
Fire In My Bones' RCRD LBL Page
EXCLUSIVE NEW DOWNLOAD: Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens - What Have You Done?
Let's take a step back from our usual guitar and beat-smeared mania to spend some time with Naomi Shelton, an Alabama-born singer who's been haunting the stages of New York soul clubs for close to forty years. Shelton and her back-up singers, The Gospel Queens, are prepping a new full-length for Brooklyn's Daptone Records, friends of Mark Ronson and leaders of a growing authentic soul renaissance. Shelton's lenghty and well-worth-the-read biography can be viewed at her artist page, so let's focus on "What Have You Done?," our exclusive peek at the LP. There's the usual sizzling B3 and gritty tape hiss we've come to expect from Daptone's throwback recording styles, but Shelton's voice properly grabs all the attention here, every bit as brawny and indicting as her story would have you believe. Grab the MP3, read the bio while it's on (throw the song on repeat if you have to) and keep an eye out for the album, What Have You Done, My Brother?, due May 26th.
Sounds like: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Patti LaBelle, Mark Ronson
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done?
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens' RCRD LBL Page
DOWNLOAD: Diane Birch - Fire Escape
Indulging our jones for poised and uplifting Southern soul this Friday is Diane Birch, a well-traveled preacher's daughter who's been working on a debut album called Bible Belt with some impressive collaborators. Lenny Kaye, Stanton Moore, The Roots' Adam Blackstone, The Meters' George Portner and Joss Stone's producers all had a hand in putting together the record, which is opened by the robust builder you'll find below. Think The Greatest without all the sad parts. The stars look aligned.
Sounds like: Cat Power, Joss Stone, Jessica Lea Mayfield
Diane Birch's Austin Schedule:
3/21 - French Legation Museum (1:00PM)
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO + DOWNLOAD: Danielson - Good News For The Pus Pickers
Daniel Smith is many things but a pus picker he is not. This exclusive, Henri-Jean Debon-directed video comes to us the day before Smith and his traveling indie-pop circus embark on a tour in support of Danielson's new anthology release, Trying Hartz. In addition to the visual stimulation above, we've also got a cut from said release ready for enjoying below. But maybe right now you're squinting, asking yourself how someone could upon such a song title. In his liner notes, Smith himself provides a bit of explanation as to where the lyrical inspiration for this particular ditty arose: "Ever meet someone who just keeps picking their scabs and then has to show them to you and you say 'Hey stop that' and then they get all defensive and call you a know-it-all?" Totally!
Download: Danielson - Animal In Every Corner
Circus Dates:
10/31/08 New York, NY - Knitting Factory w/ Dan Zimmerman, Ortolan, Cryptacize, DJ Mr. Novak
11/02/08 Philadelphia, PA - 941 Theatre w/ Dan Zimmerman, Ortolan, Cryptacize
11/04/08 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot Pike Room w/ Drunken Barn Dance, Cryptacize
11/05/08 Chicago, IL - Reggie's w/ Bird Names, Cryptacize
11/06/08 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock w/ Cryptacize
11/07/08 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room w/ Cryptacize
11/08/08 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive w/ Ian Cooke, Cryptacize
11/09/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ Skeletons, Cryptacize
11/11/08 Seattle, WA - Vera Project w/ Bart Davenport, Cryptacize
11/12/08 Portland, OR - Backspace w/ Bart Davenport, Cryptacize
11/14/08 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill w/ Bart Davenport, Cryptacize
11/15/08 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour w/ Soul Junk, Cryptacize
11/16/08 Phoenix, AZ - Modified w/ Cryptacize
11/18/08 Austin, TX - The Mohawk w/ Loxsly, Cryptacize
11/19/08 Houston, TX - Walter's On Washington w/ Mathletes, Cryptacize
11/20/08 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater w/ Mount Righteous, Cryptacize
11/21/08 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone w/ Warble, Cryptacize
11/22/08 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club w/ Andy From Denver, Cryptacize
11/23/08 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle w/ Cryptacize
INTERVIEW: Bodies Of Water
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Last week we were lucky enough to post an exclusive cut from Bodies Of Water's forthcoming sophomore full-length, A Certain Feeling. Judging by the Top Ten rankings, it seems like you guys are as into it as we are. That's a cool feeling.
Even cooler is the following: part two of our special Bodies Of Water feature, an interview with gutiarist/vocalist/husband/chef, David Metcalf. Read it or else. More.
Exclusive Download: Bodies Of Water - Gold, Tan, Peach And Grey
Download: Bodies Of Water - I Guess We'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess
DOWNLOAD: Children of the Sixth Root Race - Godmen
This is the very short story of many names and sounds.
Children of the Sixth Root Race was the name carried by followers of Father Yod, bearded leader of a commune in the Hollywood Hills of the very same, very groovy name. With Yod as their frontman, they also had a psychedelic, stoner gospel band named Spirit of '76. One day, before rehearsing for a gig they had at the Whiskey on Sunset Boulevard over thirty years ago, they decided to track the entire session live. Then the tape vanished, only to be found mysteriously in a basement somewhere in Chicago in 2006. You should probably download "Godmen" right about now. I'm dancing and typing at the exact same time and it's really, really hard.
Download: Children of the Sixth Root Race - Godmen
