Category Archives: News

New music: First Aid Kit give us a taste from the album Stay Gold

April 9, 2014 Hallgeir 2 Comments

FAK OYA 2012-2

First Aid Kit return 10th of June with a follow-up to their 2012 sophomore set, The Lion’s Roar. Producer Mike Mogis is back on board. The new album is called Stay Gold.

The newly released track, My Silver Lining, shows that First Aid Kit is in “kind of” a hippie mode, they “keep on keeping on” and the New Riders would have been proud. The south-western early 70s country/rock is intact. The snippets that we’ve heard sounds a bit “wider”, more cinematic. Maybe because of the strings by the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. The photos are from a concert at the Oya festival in 2012.

My Silver Lining is a great track in the car, and it gets better with each listen!

My Silver Lining (audio):

Continue reading New music: First Aid Kit give us a taste from the album Stay Gold →

Country, folk, News, Singer Songwriter

Look out for: Holly Williams

February 3, 2013 Hallgeir

Ok, she is not new in the game, she has released two (good) albums before, but there haven’t been enough people paying attention. She’s a great artist.

In a couple of days (5 Feb), her new album will be released. It is called The Highway and she is releasing it independently, and she describes it as a new beginning. It will be released on Holly’s own label, Georgiana Records.

Her first single off the record is Drinkin’, what a wonderful song!

Holly Williams was born March 12, 1981 she is the granddaughter of Hank Williams Sr., the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. and half-sister of country singer Hank Williams III.

Let you go (live on Leno):

Here are even more tracks from Holly Williams via the excellent Noisetrade website:

“It’s all about the songwriting for me. I still love songs that I wrote when I was 17. I was always attracted to the heavier stuff and the real stories that painted a very clear picture for you in your head. Tom Waits songs read like little movies in my head, and I hope listeners always walk away feeling like I’ve taken them somewhere. That desire has remained the same through and through.”

– Holly Williams (to Noisetrade)

Continue reading Look out for: Holly Williams →

Great Bands, News

Look out for: The Lone Bellow

February 1, 2013 Hallgeir

“You never need nobody
You’ve never been alone
And I try to get your affection
And all I ever do is wrong”

Brooklyn Country Music.

Brooklyn band the Lone Bellow has just released their self-titled album, and what an album it is! I was part of the Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of the album. It is one of the best results of a Kickstarter campaign I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in.

As you can see the band had a slightly different name before the record was released, by the time the impressive debut album, Williams had dropped his name from the billing. From now on they are known as The Lone Bellow. The three piece consists of lead singer and songwriter Zach Williams, mandolinist Kanene Pipkin, and guitarist Brian Elmqust. They formed in Brooklyn but they can all trace their roots music sensitivity to their Southern heritage.

You never need nobody (live on Conan):

Williams have released some albums (4?) in the last 6 years, I’ve only heard one of his solo efforts and it was interesting and quite good but I must say that The Lone Bellow is a big step in the right direction.

This is the first truly great album of 2013!

Bleeding Out (live):

In the changing climate of popular music, into a more folksy/indie move, The Lone Bellow will fit in very nicely. They’re like a more countryfied Arcade Fire, or a more anthemic Avett Brothers. They are saviours of pop music, they are musicians who master their craft. We can feel the joy of playing together, creating music, hell, creating art!

Lead singer Zach Williams writes songs that has a melancholy feel in a manner that conveys resolution and commitment. These are feelings derived from Zach William’s life experiences. In 2005 his wife broke her neck in an accident shortly after they were married and was temporarily paralyzed. Williams came through this experience stronger and more determined than ever, he wrote these great tunes that have strong undercurrents of faith and hope. Good music from bad experiences, who would ever imagine that, eh? Lucky for us, he chose to channel his feelings into his music.

Teach me to know (live at WFUV):

– Hallgeir

Bob Dylan, News

What we think we know about the new Bob Dylan album

July 18, 2012 Hallgeir 15 Comments

The title is Tempest.
It has ten songs.
It will be released September 11th 2012 in the US.

Update: Release date UK September 10th 2012 (according to nme.com)

Update: Release date Norway September 7th 2012 (according to platekompaniet.no)

David Hidalgo says it has a Latin American influence with a Tres Guitar.

It is Bob Dylan’s 35th studio album.

It is recorded at Jackson Browne’s Los Angeles studio.

It was recorded from January to March this year.

It marks Bob Dylan’s 50TH anniversary as a recording artist.

The Tracklist is:
1. Duquesne Whistle
2. Soon After Midnight
3. Narrow Way
4. Long and Wasted Years
5. Pay In Blood
6. Scarlet Town
7. Early Roman Kings
8. Tin Angel
9. Tempest
10. Roll On John

Track 10 is about John Lennon (and it’s a long song, 9 minutes(?)), it quotes lines from multiple Beatles songs, including “Come together right now” from “Come Together” and “I heard the news today, oh boy” from “A Day in the Life.”

Tempest is also a play by William Shakespeare (his last).

~~The picture on the front is of a statue in Austria depicting Pallas a Greek godess.~~

Update: The picture on the front is not depicting the Greek goddess Pallas! In fact it depicts the female allegory of the river Vltava (Moldau) which indeed is part of the Pallas monument in front of the Austrian Parliament. The Elbe and the Vltava on the backside, the Danube and the Inn on the front. (Thanks to Mierow Brothers, also see the comments)

The statue has been colorized into a blood like color for the album artwork.

It is produced by Jack Frost (a Dylan alias).

The T in the title looks like a cross.

The first track, Duquesne Whistle, appears to be a reference to a 1933 Time Magazine article about a small Pennsylvania steel town.

Tempest (the ninth track) might be about The Titanic and could be around 14 minutes long.

The Album is supposedly 68 minutes long.

The 5th track, Pay in Blood, includes the line, “I’ll pay in blood, but not my own.”

It will be released in the following formats:
1) A “standard” CD jewel case release.
2) A “deluxe” CD release.
3) A double vinyl LP release.
4) iTunes release.

Update: The font of the word Tempest ~~comes from~~ resembles that of a 1961 advert for the Pontiac Tempest (Thanks to stephenoxford and Matthew , check out the comments…)

Update: Pallas Athene was the Shaker of the Spear… just to make a connection with Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Tank you Christopher Twigg, check the comments)