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Tuesday, November 24, 2009Jay Nash Tops iTunes Singer Songwriter Charts
Jay Nash joined forces with Matt Duke and Tony Luka for an EP called "TFDI" and the collaboration has paid off. Today "TFDI" sits a top the iTunes Singer Songwriter charts. The four song EP features a nice cover of The Band's "The Weight" and may represent a new promotional model for indie artists. By drawing on the fan base of multiple artists the release may spur more sales than a solo effort. Of course, individual releases get publicity too from the collaboration's success.
Jay Nash is not new to teaming up with fellow artists. He's collaborated with chart topper Sara Bareilles in the past and he brought long time show partner Garrison Starr to play with him on his Sun Studio Sessions appearance: A full half hour version of Jay's Sun Studio Session will air this January on PBS and public tv stations (check local listings) across the country. Meanwhile you can check out more Jay Nash songs and tour dates here. Labels: Jay Nash, SunStudioSessions Monday, August 10, 2009The Watson Twins: Sun Studio Sessions "Only You"
The Watson Twins made a name touring and recording with indie sweetheart Jenny Lewis. The partnership was helpful to both sides and the ladies made some great music together. But, the Watson Twins inevitably evolved into a headline act in their own right. With a deal from Vanguard Records, Chandra and Leigh Watson have logged thousands of road miles in support of their EP Southern Manners (2006) and their full length effort Fire Songs (2008). Earlier this spring, the ladies stopped into Memphis to tape a performance for Sun Studio Sessions. Here is the first release from the taping, "Only You."
Sun Studio Sessions will begin airing as a regular half hour series distributed to PBS stations nationwide beginning January 2010. The Watson Twins will be featured with their own half hour show during Season One. Meanwhile the ladies will get back on the road this fall, tour dates are available on their MySpace page. Labels: SunStudioSessions, The Watson Twins, Tour Dates Monday, July 06, 2009Catherine Feeny: Sun Studio Sessions "Belt Loops and Blue Jeans"
Catherine Feeny is a Philadelphia born, but Los Angeles based, singer-songwriter who has had her music featured in the motion picture “Running With Scissors” (Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood, Annette Benning and Alec Baldwin) and the television series “The OC.” The exposure helped her single “Mr. Blue” reach #1 on the US iTunes charts.
Catherine channels bits of Joni Mitchell, P.J. Harvey and Ani DiFranco but has a style all her own. You can see her here performing "Belt Loops & Blue Jeans" live at Sun Studio: You can learn more about Catherine and the new album she has due out this fall over on her Myspace page. Labels: Catherine Feeny, SunStudioSessions Friday, July 03, 2009Langhorne Slim: Sun Studio Sessions "Diamonds and Gold"
Langhorne Slim, a modern folky singer-songwriter whom we reviewed here a few years back, has performed on David Letterman and played major festivals like Bonnaroo. Here he performs "Diamonds and Gold" live from Sun Studio:
Langhorne has a new record due out this fall, which insiders tell us is shaping up to be a "big beautiful" record. For more on Langhorne and his tour dates you can visit his Myspace page. Labels: Langhorne Slim, SunStudioSessions Monday, June 29, 2009Thea Gilmore: Sun Studio Sessions "Old Soul"
Thea Gilmore has been dubbed "the best British singer-songwriter of the last 10 years, and then some" by Uncut Magazine. But, the press aren't the only ones taking notice. Joan Baez personally invited Gilmore to tour with her and in 2008 the music icon sang with Thea for "Low Road" on her critically acclaimed release LieJacker. Sun Studio provided a perfect backdrop for her insightful lyrics and warm delivery. Check her out below performing "Old Soul."
Speaking to her song writing skills, The Independent calls Thea "The most prolific and intelligent wordsmith of her generation" while MOJO opines "deceptively populist and deceitfully dark." You can learn more about Thea and hear more music on her MySpace page. Labels: SunStudioSessions, Thea Gilmore Sunday, June 07, 2009Liam Finn Touring with Eddie Vedder Performs for Sun Studio Sessions
Liam Finn originally hails from Australia, but identifies New Zealand as his home country as he moved there as a child. You'll recognize Liam's famous last name, as his father is Neil Finn from 1980s chart toppers Crowded House. Liam joined his father on covering The Beatles' "Two of Us" for the I Am Sam soundtrack and has played some Crowded House reunion shows. However, Liam does not rely on his lineage and has set forth to forge his own musical identity.
Since striking out on his own, Liam has performed on the David Letterman show as well as logging appearances on Craig Ferguson and Jools Holland. Liam has also done multiple tour dates with Eddie Vedder as well as the Black Keys. Below Liam, along with band mate EJ Barnes perform "Second Chance" from his album I'll be Lightning for Sun Studio Sessions: Liam is currently on the road again this year with Eddie Vedder and you can see all the tour dates on his MySpace page. Labels: Liam Finn, SunStudioSessions Monday, June 01, 2009Jay Nash "Sun Studio Sessions" Hard Lesson To Learn Jay Nash is on a roll. He's been touring from coast to coast here in the States and managed to find time to head over to Copenhagen to record for his new EP, all the stars in Copenhagen that hits iTunes and other outlets on June 16th. In Copenhagen, Jay's drummer Frederik Bokkenheuser assembled a band of his old friends - Søren Andersen, Jesper Edvarson and Lars Andresen. Together with Frederik, Nash and the Danish musicians spent two days in Copenhagen's legendary Medley Studio rehearsing and and recording the four new tracks. The next stop on the tour for Nash was Berlin, where he met up with an old friend, singer/songwriter/producer, Erik Penny. Penny had just moved into his new studio space and Nash had the Copenhagen masters with him, so the two decided to take advantage of the situation and lay down some additional tracks. Penny added the ghostly synth sounds that help to define the spooky intimacy on "everything." Jay also borrowed Erik's 1960 Gibson ES-330 to add a little something extra to the the track "Rainiest September." Once he was back home in LA, Jay got together with Grammy award winning engineer, Seth Atkins Horan to put the finishing touches on and mix the songs. The end result is a short collection of songs that sound like they were recorded in one continuous lock out session, though they traveled half way around the world in order to be fully realized. The bonus track "Baby Tornado" was recorded right at Sun Studio. Meanwhile, check out Jay, accompanied by the talented Garrison Starr, perform "Hard Lesson To Learn" live from here at Sun Studio: Never one to sit home Jay has a slate of dates around the country this month. You can find all of Jay's upcoming tour dates over on his MySpace page. Labels: Garrison Starr, Jay Nash, SunStudioSessions Monday, May 25, 2009Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers: Sun Studio Sessions
Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers bring a unique approach to their music blending harmonies with acoustic folk rock with a funky edge. On tour this summer with Sugarland, the band also has a new album due out September 6th on Vanguard Records. As the Boston Globe described, "Kellogg's music is semi-gritty, melodic alt-country. Think early Wilco, Whiskeytown, or Tom Petty. Relaxed, yet passionate."
Here the band performs "4th of July" - a great example of their sound - live from Sun Studio: You can hear more from Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, along with learning tour dates on their Myspace page here. Labels: Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, SunStudioSessions, Tour Dates Monday, May 18, 2009Trey Lockerbie: Sun Studio Sessions "Sullivan Street"
Trey Lockerbie is a terrific young songwriter based in Nashville that stopped by Sun Studio to perform some tracks for us, including "Sullivan Street" which appears on his new "Hummingbird EP." Writing about the EP and the track, John Tumminello MusicCityUnsigned.com says:
The Hummingbird EP" journey ends with the stark piano of "Sullivan Street," a moving ode to the album cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." Picture a romantic scene from an old movie that takes place on a rainy night in Washington Square Park. A guy comes across a beautiful girl sitting alone on a park bench "like she needed the water to wash her away." He offers his umbrella, and they walk arm in arm "like two lovers on a Bob Dylan cover, soaked to the bone leaning into each other, and the warmth of her smile was unfamiliar to me, just like the sidewalks on Sullivan Street." This is the stuff screenplays are made of. During their short journey together, the singer falls in love with the beautiful stranger, who seemingly only needed someone to walk her home. He then ends up "alone in the park, in the rain, like I'm needing the water to wash her away." On "Sullivan Street," Trey's music, lyrics and vocal delivery paint us yet another perfect bittersweet scene of hope and heartache, love and loss. Check out the video and see if you agree! You can join Trey and his band tonight in Nashville at 3rd & Lindsley for the "Hummingbird EP" release party and get all his tour dates on his MySpace page. Labels: SunStudioSessions, Trey Lockerbie Monday, May 11, 2009The Walkmen on Sun Studio Sessions
The Walkmen perform "Canadian Girl" live in Sun Studio. This was a fun band to record as they are big fans of the great Roy Orbison who of course started his amazing career in this very room. When you watch the video below, check out the backing horns. These guys literally responded to a classified ad and walked in off the street just about 30 minutes before showtime. Of course, this being Memphis you never know who is going to show up for something like this. We were all blown away when the legendary Ben Cauley of the Bar-Kays walked through the door!
Ben was a founding member of the Bar-Kays (Stax house band) and was the only survivor of the plane crash claimed the life of soul icon Otis Redding and four of Ben's Bar-Kays bandmates. Over 60 years old and he can still blow! Check him out: The Walkmen are currently on tour with the Kings of Leon and you can get all the tour dates on their MySpace page. You can also request this installment, and all the Sun Studio Sessions, on your local PBS affiliate! Labels: SunStudioSessions, The Walkmen Monday, April 13, 2009Vienna Teng Tour Dates, New Record and Video Vienna Teng (subject of a recent Washington Post feature) is back out on tour in support of her new record Inland Territory.Paste Magazine describes the record as "a retro-minded release anchored in the legacy of Tori Amos [and] Sarah McLachlan." Not bad company! For Inland Territory, Vienna once again teams up with Alex Wong for production and songwriting support. You can see this tandem in action here in this newly released video for "1 BD/BA" (One Bedroom / One Bath): Vienna is playing tonight in Pittsburgh at Club Cafe Live before heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan for two nights at the Ark. You can get a complete list of Vienna's tour dates on her website. Labels: SunStudioSessions, Tour Dates, Vienna Teng Tuesday, February 24, 2009Ryan Montbleau Band: Sun Studio Sessions "Honeymoon Eyes"
The Ryan Montbleau Band, like Backyard Tire Fire, is a group of road warriors honing their stagecraft just under the radar of the national media spotlight but nonetheless winning over fans from coast to coast one show at a time. Another similarity they share with BTF, is that they do quite well on the festival circuit but have not delved too deeply into the scene so as to not get pigeon-holed as a "jam band."
Here, RMB, performs live at Sun Studio, laying down "Honeymoon Eyes" from their 2006 release One Fine Color: RMB is definitely a band worth checking out live! You can get a list of their tour dates here to check them out live when they play near you. Labels: SunStudioSessions, The Ryan Montbleau Band Monday, February 16, 2009Garrison Starr: Sun Studio Sessions "Gasoline"
You may recall Garrison Starr from her major label days at Geffen Records or maybe the two she did with Vanguard. Either way, she's always been an indie troubadour at heart. Here Garrison, accompanied by Jay Nash, performs "Gasoline" live at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee:
Besides often touring with Jay, over the years Garrison has toured with Rhett Miller (from Old 97's), Edwin McCain, Mindy Smith, Melissa Etheridge, Steve Earle, Melissa Ferrick, and Mary Chapin-Carpenter. You can hear more songs from Garrison and see tour dates here. Labels: Garrison Starr, SunStudioSessions Monday, February 09, 2009Backyard Tire Fire: Sun Studio Sessions "One Wrong Turn"
Backyard Tire Fire has been on a roll of late. The blue-collar band from the Chicago area is a mainstay on the road and their hard work has been paying off. Honest Tune magazine did a big year end feature on the band and their debut for Hyena Records, The Places We've Lived, found its way on several "best of" lists for 2008. You can check out "One Wrong Turn" here as the latest webisode of the Sun Studio Sessions:
Backyard Tire Fire was also recently named Paste Magazine's band of the week. They are a great live band worth checking out when they come to your area. You can see their tour dates here and pick up a copy of the record here. Labels: Backyard Tire Fire, SunStudioSessions Monday, February 02, 2009Amy LaVere on Conan O'Brien and Sun Studio Sessions
Memphis siren Amy LaVere plays Conan O'Brien tonight and you should definitely tune in to watch. But, you can also catch her here this morning on the latest installment of the Sun Studio Sessions (select "high quality" for best picture):
Amy had a great year in 2008, with highlights including playing Bonnaroo, touring Europe and performing on Jools Holland. This year is shaping up to be even better. Beyond the Conan appearance, you'll soon to be able to catch Amy on MTV's upcoming web series "5 Dollar Cover" (created by Hustle & Flow director/writer Craig Brewer) that features other Memphis luminaries including members of Lucero, Muck Sticky and the lovely Clare Grant. Labels: Amy LaVere, SunStudioSessions Wednesday, January 28, 2009Sun Studio Sessions: Jay Nash Jay Nash is an L.A. based singer-songwriter who fits right in with the Hotel Cafe vibe (where he often plays). Best Music Live says Jay's sound "congers up similarities somewhere between John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson." I'd agree on the Cash and Johnson comparisons in particular. Jay makes it clear Johnny is an influence so it is particularly interesting to see Jay perform in the very room were "Walk the Line" and "Folsum Prison" where first recorded. Here on this installment of Sun Studio Sessions Jay performs "Baby Tornado" and is joined by the talented Garrison Starr: Jay is currently on tour with Greg Laswell, you can get dates here. Labels: Jay Nash, SunStudioSessions Monday, December 22, 2008Garce Potter & The Nocturnals' Live From Skowhegan To Go Live Tomorrow The past year has been a busy one on the road for Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. In addition to headlining shows throughout the country, the lovable Vermont foursome shared stages with The Black Crowes and the Dave Matthews Band and closed out the Queen Of The Valley stage at this year's All Points West festival. All this touring hasn't left the band much time to get into the studio so they will be putting the fruits of their labor on display with their first live EP, Live From Skowhegan.Culled from a June 27, 2008 concert at the Skowhegan Opera House in Skowhegan, Maine, the 6 song digital-only release will feature two previously unreleased songs "Can't See Through" and "Sugar." Those of you following the outstanding Sun Studio Sessions will already be familiar with "Sugar" as Grace & The Nocturnals laid down a blistering version of the track at the show's inaugural session. Live From Skowhegan will be available for download on iTunes and other digital outlets this Tuesday, December 23. Labels: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, SunStudioSessions Tuesday, June 17, 2008New Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Song
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have been touring relentlessly since the release of their major label debut This Is Somewhere and will continue to do so this summer with major festival dates along with some shows with Dave Matthews before a stint opening for the Black Crowes.
One of the consistent additions to the spring and early summer set list has been a new song "Sugar." The band had been working on the song prior to stopping into Memphis for their Sun Studio Sessions taping but it wasn't quite finished. In the wee hours of the morning the band worked out a final arrangement and then laid down the track. You can check out the fantastic final result below: Labels: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, SunStudioSessions Monday, April 28, 2008Sarah Borges and Jon McKiel Bring Different Styles to Sun Studio Sessions Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles have a very different musical style than singer songwriter Jon McKiel. Borges and her band deliver a bouncy Americana country-rock, while McKiel is an introspective troubadour ala Ray Lamontagne and Ryan Adams. Both recently brought their musical styles to Memphis to perform for the Sun Studio Sessions. Both recorded several songs that will be released over the next several weeks. The first offering from Borges is the foot-tapping "Daniel Lee", while McKiel delivers the brooding "Never Forget." Labels: Jon McKiel, Sarah Borges, SunStudioSessions Wednesday, April 23, 2008Amy LaVere: Bass Slappin' Sweetheart Amy LaVere is the latest artist to perform on the Sun Studio Sessions web video series. It's easy to see why Amy is garnering critical acclaim at home and abroad. Just this fall, Amy was nominated as best emerging artist by the Americana Music Association and this summer she'll take her great live show on the road. In addition to Bonnaroo, LaVere and her bandmates, Paul Taylor and Steve Selvidge, will open shows for both Langhorne Slim and the North Mississippi Allstars before hitting the UK later this summer.Beyond sharing the stage, the connection to the Dickinson family runs deep. Taylor drummed for Cody and Luther before they formed the Allstars and their father, the legendary Jim Dickinson (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan), produced her latest release Anchors & Anvils. But, LaVere is not moving ahead soley because of who she knows. She's a compelling performer will appeal to a range of music lovers, including "Norah Jones fans and anyone who loved Robert Plant's and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand." (Daily Mail, UK). Comparisons are nice, but check out Amy's work below as it speaks for itself. Labels: Amy LaVere, SunStudioSessions Tuesday, April 22, 2008David Ford "Go To Hell"
David Ford is injecting some life and excitement into the singer songwriter ranks. Unlike the quiet introspective types that often inhabit the space, Ford proves you don't have to whisper to say something important. On tour now with the lovely Sara Barielles and soon linking up with Augustana, Ford is definitely an act worth catching live.
In an earlier leg of his tour, Ford stopped into Sun Studio to perform several songs as part of the Sun Studio Sessions. Below is a clip for "Go To Hell." Check it out for a glimpse of why this should be a great big year for David Ford and his music career. Labels: David Ford, SunStudioSessions Friday, April 11, 2008Amber Rubarth and Adam Levy on Sun Studio Sessions Amber Rubarth and Adam Levy are the latest artists to appear in the new web video show, the "Sun Studio Sessions" filmed in the historic studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Amber, backed by Adam and Alex Wong, performs "Another Perfect Sunset", while Adam does "In the Morning." The pair have different styles, but are both great songwriters and play a lot of shows together. They are touring Europe now, with shows in France, the UK and Belgium. Adam and Amber recorded several songs each at Sun and those videos will be released over the next several weeks. Labels: Adam Levy, Amber Rubarth, SunStudioSessions Monday, March 31, 2008Grace Potter and the Nocturnals to Kick Off Sun Studio Sessions It's no secret that Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are one of Earvolution's favorite bands. So, it was a great personal thrill for the band to agree to appear as the first act to tape a performance for the Sun Studio Sessions, a project I've been working on for the past few months. In case you don't know, Sun Studio is the legendary room where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin' Wolf and many others recorded their very first hits. U2 fans will remember Bono and crew going there to record Angel of Harlem As expected, the Nocturnals were fantastic. They played several tunes that are not on their normal set list and even finished a new song there and wrote a brand new one during the taping. All of that is on camera so you'll get to see some very cool exclusive footage from the band very soon. The Sessions will begin airing regular "webisodes" on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting next week, April 7th. But, you can check out a sample webisode here now. Labels: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Johnny Cash, SunStudioSessions
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