New Web Address

"Stand often in the company of dreamers; they tickle your common sense and believe you can achieve things which are impossible."

Visit us at our new web address You Crazy Dreamers

Band of Horses

New Album Alert!

Band of Horses was my surprise find of 2006. Their debut album Everything All the Time was on heavy rotation in my CD player. For those who don't know me, I spend a lot of time in my car. If I didn't have my iPod and CD player in my car, I would go insane. Having said that, when I say "heavy rotation" it means I'm listening to an album over and over again for hours at a time.

I think I was the only one in my group of friends that really took a liking to Band of Horses. It's then when I realized that I was marching to the beat of my own drum. I had always relied on my friends recommendations for music until the summer of 2006. I'm excited for the release of their upcoming album Cease to Begin. Many changes have taken place amongst the band and it's members but from the sound of Is There a Ghost those changes have not affected the music.

If you've never heard of Band of Horses before, you can download two song from their previous album below and one from their upcoming album. Cease to Begin is set to release later this year. That should give some of you plenty of time to fall in love with them as I have.

Official Page - Subpop - MySpace Page

Everything All The Time

Tracks:

The Funeral

The Great Salt Lake

Cease to Begin

Track:

Is There a Ghost

Upcoming Shows

( view all )

Sep 2 2007 8:00P	Download Festival @ Alpine Theatre	East Troy, Wisconsin
Sep 8 2007 8:00P	Wiltern w/ Dinosaur Jr.	Los Angeles, California
Sep 9 2007 8:00P	The Mezzanine w/ Dinosaur Jr.	San Francisco, California
Sep 11 2007 8:00P	Neumos w/ Dinosaur Jr.	Seatte, Washington
Sep 12 2007 8:00P	Crystal Ballroom w/ Dinosaur Jr.	Portland, Oregon

The Felice Brothers

Those that know me know that I have an eclectic taste in music, but also know that folk/country/blues is my favourite kind of music. Bob Dylan for example is my hero. Well I think I have just come across the best album I've ever heard on first listening alone, ever! I don't think I'm going to be able to put it down in writing how good this album is so I will take a snippet from what Mojo magazine said.

"They charm like a snake oil salesmen in a 19th-century medicine show; they stomp the boards like spirit-filled preachers; they close their eyes when they croon their imperfect (and therefore paradoxically perfect) Catskill Mountain harmonies; they smile wickedly when they drop into a groove; they bring a little bit of that front porch feeling with them wherever they go.....and their all the more golden and beautiful for it."

Once you get past the 'God, he don't arf sound like Dylan' and just listen to the songs you realize what a great great debut album this is.

So good in fact I have just ordered the limited edition vinyl which cost £13.00 and I have only £18 in the bank with hardly any food in the cupboards but I have to have it. Sounding something like Dylan at his sarcastic best, Townes van zandt at his most tragic and some say early raw Springsteen, their slightly off key singing, the simple production, these guys are born in the wrong century. For a debut album to be this good makes you wonder what can they do after this? I can hardly wait to find out!!


Attached are two tracks from 'TONIGHT AT THE ARIZONA' are the excellent 'Ballad of Lou the welterweight' and 'Going going gone' I hope everyone loves this band as much as I do and if you do buy it here or buy it from your local independent record store. Enjoy.

The Felice Brothers - Ballad of lou the welterweight mp3
The Felice Brothers - Going, Going,Gone mp3

Joshua James

I've been listening to Joshua James for quite some time now but really was unsure if I liked his music. It wasn't until Olly posted him on the Ray Forum page that I revisited his profile and music again.

His debut album, The Sun Is Always Brighter, has quickly become permanent on my CD player rotation. He is a 24 year old singer/songwriter that has been making music for about four years now. He is fairly new to the music world but you wouldn't know it after listening to his songs. I think my reluctness to embrace him had a lot to do with his whispery vocals. At first he reminded me of Josh Radin and in my opinion there really was only room for one whispery vocalist. I have to admit that although he sings with a soft voice you can hear the infliction of emotion in it. It's safe to say that I've changed my opinion and there is now room for two.

I want to officially take back my comment posted on the Ray Forum page, "You know how it is, everyone now a days is a singer song writer, it's tough to really find that gem." I think he is on his way in becoming a gem and one to definitely look out for. Olly, thanks for posting about him again, I would have overlooked him if it wasn't for your post. He truly is a good story teller.

Download:

Joshua James

Tracks:

01: FM Radio
02: Lord, Devil, and Him
03: Tell My Pa

Official Site - Myspace Page - Lyrics - iTunes

The Swell Season on KCRW

Big big Swell Season fan here as my fellow Crazy Dreamers know. I have the lovely Trini to thank for introducing me to them last year from a link she posted in the Ray LaMontagne forum. It was love at first listen. I was fortunate enough to see them perform twice, both times opening for Damien Rice back in December 06. They just blew me away....simple and beautifully haunting melodies.

For those who don't know, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (aka "The Swell Season") are the stars of the movie "Once" and bring their stunning songs to the big screen. It is a wonderful movie....so if you have not seen it, I highly recommend that you do.

Recently listened to their performance on KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic which was recorded on July 31, 2007. You can listen to the stream and watch video of the performance here. Click that link to also watch a video of an exclusive post-broadcast cover of Glen singing "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison.

mp3s:

1. The Swell Season - Intro (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
2. The Swell Season - Lies (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
3. The Swell Season - When Your Minds Made Up (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
4. The Swell Season - This Low (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
5. The Swell Season - If You Want Me (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
6. The Swell Season - Interview with Nic Harcourt (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
7. The Swell Season - Falling Slowly (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
8. The Swell Season - Leave (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)
9. The Swell Season - Once (Live on KCRW 7-31-07)


Links:
Buy The Swell Season on iTunes
MySpace
Once The Movie Offical Site (watch the trailer)

I love me some Iron & Wine

Can't get enough of the new single from Iron & Wine "Boy With a Coin" from the forthcoming album, The Shepherd’s Dog, due out Sept. 25. Can't wait!

mp3: Boy With A Coin

Order the single: here
included on the single is 2 tracks you won't find on the new album
"Carried Home" & "Kingdom of the Animals"

Jeffrey Foucault

Hello all you fellow crazy dreamers....first post from me here. I may not be the best writer in the world like my fellow partners in crime, but that will not stop me from sharing my thoughts in this blog world.

Jeffrey Foucault is one of my most recent finds....while he may not be brand spankin' new in the music world (his most recent disk is from 2006), his music is new to me (better late than never, right?) and I think he is just fantastic. Been listening to him a lot lately. Eagerly anticipating his show here in Chicago at Schubas on Sept. 9th.

His song "I Dream An Old Lover" is a stunner (which you can find streaming on his MySpace here) This tune is on his CD Ghost Repeater and is one of my favorites...it just oozes heartache.

This little blurb taken from his website:

Written over the course of a year in which Foucault married, Ghost Repeater juxtaposes a personal narrative of hope and beauty against the wider story of the times, in a series of travelogues and dreamscapes. Words like bloom and fade, truth and mercy, dream and memory recur through the album to create a sort of grammar, a palette of colors that Foucault and Ramsey merge with dark washes of electric guitar and vocals hushed or plaintive, in a visionary portrait of modern Americana.

Perfect listening for a lazy Sunday afternoon or a road trip.

Here is a performance of him performing "One for Sorrow" at the Green River Festival in 2006





mp3s:
One Part Love (Ghost Repeater 2006)

4 & 20 Blues (Stripping Cane 2004)
Doubletree (Stripping Cane 2004)

Miles From the Lightning (A Song for Townes Van Zandt) (Miles From The Lightning 2001)
Dove and the Waterline (Miles From The Lightning 2001)

Wild Waste & Welter Recorded for the radio program Acoustic Cafe - Ann Arbor, MI (with Eric Heywood)

Shadows Tumble Bonus Track from the European release of Ghost Repeater (Rounder Europe)

Buy his CDs here: http://www.younghunter.com/jfstore.html
or on iTunes here

Ben Harper

I know, I know, I know this isn't "new" artist stuff but I have to give Mr. Ben Harper a plug on here. I saw him a few months ago in his home town and was absolutely floored by his new song "Lifeline", well let's just say I was in tears. I've posted a a video of the song below. Haven't found an MP3 as of yet, however I have put in my order for the new CD/DVD combo. They have a pre-sale going on at the moment. I usually like to wait and shop at my local indie shop but I really wanted the extras that came along with the pre-sale.

LIMITED TIME PRE-SALE OFFER!!!

"LIFELINE" IS OUT AUGUST 28th!

Pre-order and we'll e-mail you a code to download an exclusive 5-track live solo acoustic EP when your order ships!

(Complete details posted on product page.)

PRE-ORDER DELUXE CD+DVD OR CD

Download:

Ben Harper

Track:

01: In The Color

On Tour

"Lifeline" Live on You Tube

The Broken Family Band

A band from Cambridge in the U.K who have been around a while now looking at the past releases but have not had anywhere near the exposure they deserve but with their latest release this could and should finally be the album that takes them to greater acclaim.

Their previous releases namely 'Balls' and 'Welcome home loser' were a more solid alt-country outing this new album 'Hello love' is much more Loved up affair. They still retain that alt-country sound but have added some bouncy melodies and some great harmonies and at times manage to sound a little like the pixies.

Fans of their earlier stuff, which you can have six free mp3's from their own site here may take a while to get used to this newer sound but in my humble opinion it was the only way forward. They proved they can do the alt-country along with the best of them and now it is time to show another side of their talents. For me a roaring success. Here are two superb tracks from 'Hello Love', and remember if you like it,buy it here.

The broken family band - Give and take

The broken family band - You get me

www.myspace.com/thebrokenfamilyband

The Snake, The Cross, The Crown

Ok. Let's give this a go.

It's becoming more and more difficult to put a lot of new music into any sort of genre and with modern titles such as 'post punk' 'anti-folk' are for me lazy and often don't ring true when you eventually hear any bands put under such titles. Call me old fashioned but I like to keep it's simple, “Country”, “Indie”, and “Punk” will all do for me.

Having said that bands such as 'The National' http://www.americanmary.com/music/ 'Interpol' www.interpol.int/ are difficult to put under any sort of real bracket. Same goes for 'The snake,the crown,the cross' although most will put under the bracket of 'indie/folk/americana' which ever you wish to choose their album 'Cotton Teeth' is an outstanding album. This is the song named 'cotton teeth' which probably is a true reflection to what the rest of the album sounds like however there are some slower country laced crackers on there too.

Enjoy and remember if you like it then buy the album here

The snake,the cross,the crown - Cotton Teeth

www.myspace.com/snakecrosscrown

Ola !

Well, it’s my turn to wish every crazy dreamers a warm welcome on this brand new weblog dedicated to feed our ears and minds.

Choosing an artist to describe, selecting a cohesive album from this last six months was not evident as my itunes library revealed too many 4 to 5 stars rating pieces. And as I was almost decided to write couple lines about Peter Salett, the weather makes me consider another mood.

After a really suffocated summer day, the rain came dropping on the roof window like those familiar soft rhythm for couple minutes, and like those genious songs, it turns to a diabolic electric-rock : thunder was (en)lightening the mountain, the deluge. That’s when I left the ground to join dreams. And when I woke up this morning, everything around was cotton : heaven ? “Heaven is a place, a place where nothing ever happens“… Heaven, not sure, just a quiet cloud setup around the place like a comfortable coat. This special atmosphere, this transition from disturbance to peaceful guided me to write my first post about David Wingo, his Ola Podrida eponymous debut album brought me the feeling of the after-storm.

New York based Texan, David Wingo released a beautiful collection of songs this last spring under the name of Ola Podrida. And this is exactly where starts the magic : Ola Podrida*… resounding like those welcome ‘Ola‘ from a lost shepherd in the middle of a lonesome pyrenees trek : surprising and so familiar!

And the magic continues while listening the album. Wingo’s songwriting is an invitation to take part into many short-novels. And like a road-movie or more exactly an islands-to-islands cruise, you’ve spent a delicate moment full of characters, smells and memories guided by folky guitars and pianos.

If most of the songs reach you mind at a first listen, ‘Jordanna‘ is a masterpiece on each side of the music - from both the composer and listener. In this scene, Wingo invites you to join the story and sit down near the performer! All you have to do is to whisper ‘Jordanna’ !

MP3 : Jordanna (thanks to plug research.)

*olla podrida \ol-uh-puh-DREE-duh; oy-uh-\, noun;
plural olla podridas /-DREE-duhz/ or ollas podridas:
1. A stew of highly seasoned meat and vegetables.
2. A mixture; a hodgepodge.
Olla podrida comes from the Spanish, literally “rotten pot,” from olla, “pot” (from Latin olla) + podrida, feminine of podrido, “rotten,” from Latin putridus.For more information about Ola Podrida, read David’s interview on lunapark 6.

David Wingo is also a film composer (George Washington, All the real girls, the Guatemalan handshake). Check his profile on IMDb.

Sorry Peter, I will write a future post about your muzak as soon as your website will be updated.

Artist : Ola Podrida
Label : Plug Research
More reviews : Pitchfork - Stylus Magazine
Similar Artists : Iron & Wine, Ray LaMontagne, Calexico

Jaymay

I am truly on a mission this year to find great female vocalist. I feel that that the representation of women in the music pool is lacking at the moment. The last time I could remember wanting to see a female performer was Rachel Yamagata, which by the way I can't wait for her upcoming album, that'll be on my next post. But for every Rachel, Feist, A Fine Frenzy that actually makes it, there are hundreds of other vocalist out there who don't but are just as talented as as the rest.

In my quest to find the great ones, I'll start with a good find, Jaymay, she's been in the "Folk" scene in NY for some time now and it wasn't till I heard "You Are the Only One I Love" that I actually took an interest. She's been compared by a lot of bloggers out there to the likes of Regina Spektor. I'm interested to see what you all think of her.

Download:

Jaymay

Tracks:

01: Your the Only One I Love (my favorite)
02: Grey or Blue
03: Sea Green, Sea Blue
04: Letter
05: Color Confused
06: Tragedy
07: What Happend

*Jaymay's Myspace**Jaymay's Official site*

Upcoming Shows

Aug 20 2007 7:30P	Metro - with Kevin Devine	London
Aug 21 2007 7:30P	The Queen Charlotte - with Kevin Devine	Norwich
Aug 23 2007 8:00P	The Borderline - with Kevin Devine	London
Aug 25 2007 7:00P	The Spitz	London
Aug 27 2007 8:00P	The Troubador	London

A FINE FRENZY

It's so refreshing to see that not all young woman are following in the failing footsteps of today's poor representation of a "pop" star. No need to mention their names it would be an injustice to Alison Sudol.

For those who don't know, Alison Sudol is the beautiful voice behind, A Fine Frenzy. She is only 22 years old, and her single, "Almost Lover," off her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, has been haunting me for days. I wake up singing this song in my head and I find my self humming it through out the day. If I was breaking up with someone this would be my anthem song.

In the upcoming months she will be touring with Sean Lennon and Rufus Wainwright, not too shabby. She's definitely on my to see list for this year. I hope you enjoy her music as much as I do. If you like what you hear please make sure you support by buying her CD or seeing a live show.


Download:

A Fine Frenzy

From One Cell in the Sea:

Tracks:

01: Almost Lover (Must Download)
02: Ashes and Wine (Edited Version)
03: Rangers (Edited Version)

*A Fine Frenzy's Myspace**A Fine Frenzy's Official site*

"Almost Lover" Video

Upcoming Tour Dates

DATE	VENUE	LOCATION	INFO
08/17/2007	Mann Center for the Performing Arts	Philadelphia, PA	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/19/2007	Central Park Summer Stage	New York, NY	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/21/2007	Avalon Ballroom	Boston, MA	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/23/2007	LC Pavilion	Columbus, OH	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/24/2007	Michigan Theatre	Ann Arbor, MI	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/25/2007	Ravinia Festival (Pavilion)	Highland Park, IL	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/27/2007	Pabst Theater	Milwaukee, WI	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/29/2007	Centennial Hall	London, Canada	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright
08/31/2007	Place Des Arts	Montreal, Canada	map
	w/ Rufus Wainwright

This Is A Test

…of the emergency blogcast system. If this had been an actual emergency it would have been followed…