I imagine a simple song is one of the hardest to write. I imagine it must seem every combination of words has already been used up. I imagine there are lots of false starts and endless revisions. I imagine at the end of the day you hope you’d wind up with something like “My Bird” off the new record The Cartographer’s Wife by Danielle Doyle.

This is Danielle Doyle’s debut record and was put together with the help of a bunch of up and coming Boston based artists. She has already been rewarded by being named a 2009 Mountain Stage New Song Youth Winner, as well as opening up for a bunch of luminaries (Loudon Wainwright III, Dawn Landes, Heather Masse). She’ll be appearing this Saturday at the fabled Club Passim in Cambridge for a matinee show with friend Beth Colegrove.

Pick up the new record here via CD Baby.

My Bird

I blame the lack of success of Sarah Elizabeth Campbell to this attitude that we need our women singers to be a certain shape, have a certain look, and exude a certain sexual prowess. Admittedly there could be instances where artists shoot themselves in the foot (see the Little Tenderness artwork below). But on the whole looks have way more of an impact on a person’s career than is necessary. Sarah Elizabeth Campbell in her prime could out-write and out-sing anyone else on the scene. Her two independently released records A Little Tenderness (1990) and Running With You (1994) are stellar examples of the genre but despite critical acclaim went nowhere.

If you want to read more about Sarah Elizabeth Campbell’s interesting life in and out of music her bio can be found here. Here is her song “Geraldine & Ruthie Mae from the debut album A Little Tenderness. It’s a song about the fear of being homeless, infirm and losing your natural abilities (in this case Sarah Elizabeth Campbell’s voice). It’s a chilling tale of the fear we all must have about what our future life may be like.

Geraldine & Ruthie Mae

P.S. I’m finally uploading all my CD’s to iTunes so I may occasionally revisit a song or an artist from the past. Rest assured the songs will be out of print and the artists obscure but deserving. This is the first such post.

This song from Mark Erelli’s new record Little Vigils is not really representative of the sound or the style of the record. But that’s the case with just about every song on the record. There’s no one sound or style that can sum up Little Vigils. On Little Vigils Mark is content to use different textures and tempos to convey different emotions on a wide range of songs. Whether it’s the delicate twang of “August” or the deathly folk sounds of “Hemlock Grove” this record can simply not be pinned down. Mark Erelli has made a record that is suitable for multiple listens and new discoveries (and new favorite songs) on each listen.

At the moment I am loving the nostalgic rock `n’ roll of “Basement Days” but check in with me tomorrow and I might be on to the anti-religion screed of “Kingdom Come” or perhaps it’ll be the bluegrassy goodness of “Mother of Mysteries”. Either way for now I’m loving the song “Basement Days” which is a look back at the teenage “lets-form-a-band” eagerness and naivety that is usually lost by ones early twenties. The beauty of the song is how it pegs that feeling of awe and wonderment that is usually left behind as we grow up. Ironically the song with it’s chorus of “can’t get back to those basement days” is not completely autobiographical as Mark Erelli has never lost that sense of wonder and the idea that the power of a song is unequaled. I highly recommend this record.

Buy Little Vigils here or here now.

Basement Days

P.S. I’m off for my family’s spring break so I won’t be posting for a week or so. See you soon…

I’ve written a bunch about Adam Carroll. I’ve covered his solo records (here), a duo record with Michael O’Connor (here) and now a live from Flipnotics Cafe record.

To quote myself here’s what I originally wrote about the song “Oklahoma Gypsy Shuffler” when it first appeared on Adam’s record Old Town Rock N Roll:

The song is about a loner who roams the land getting into and out of trouble, both mortal and of the soul. With lines like “drivin’ down the west coast highway”, “songs out the window was all he had to lose” (can’t you just picture the songs floating out the window?), “cuttin’ heads on the chitlin’ circuit”, and “snorting cocaine off a buck knife” Oklahoma Gypsy Shuffler is as timeless as the Oklahoma dust bowl and the howling winds of West Texas.

I think that pretty much nails it, except to say that this live record features production and playing by Scrappy Jud Newcomb and along with the older songs Adam throws in a couple of new ones. If you are an Adam Carroll completist like myself you’ll want to buy this one (here). Catch Adam Carroll at Flipnotics on 9pm on Friday night and then stay for friend and Austin legend Beaver Nelson (or go a little early to see Scrappy Jud Newcomb).

Oklahoma Gypsy Shuffle

Adam Carroll with Scrappy Jud Newcomb

Here’s something simple and beautiful from Canadian (by way of Scotland) folk singer David Francey. I’ve loved everything I’ve heard from David so I look forward to hearing more of his music on Saturday, March 20 at 10:00 PM at Stephen F’s Bar.

The Waking Hour

Bonus tracks:

Ashtubula
Ballad of Browser Macrae

“Skating Rink” video

I made a pact with myself about 4 years ago never to post major label schlock on Songs:Illinois. One reason for my boycott is that on the whole major label releases equate to overproduced, lowest common denominator crap. The second reason is that the majors aren’t thrilled with music blog coverage and I’m not that keen on having my site summarily deleted.

But I couldn’t resist with this new record by Isaac Russell due out in 2010 on Columbia/Sony. Isaac is a Provo, Ut based singer songwriter who has recently been on tour with Pete Yorn, as well as recording with Dennis Herring (The Hives, Elvis Costello, Counting Crows). I’m not sure how he got all these big breaks, but I’m willing to guess at least part of the reason is his hard work, his songwriting ability, and his velvety vocals. “House of Cards” is from that forthcoming, as yet untitled, major label debut. Catch Isaac Russell in Austin at SXSW on Wednesday, March 17 at 8:00 PM at the The Ale House.

House of Cards

Paul Cebar (as well as friend and collaborator Willy Porter) have led “go to” bands that play Chicago during the summer festival season. Both guys are able to appeal to the various cliques that attend these rites of summer. Paul Cebar does it by having a tight band that is able to play any style of music at the drop of a hat. Paul is known for having a good time and creating music that helps others do the same. So for that reason and others this acoustic outing is a departure. For me it’s a a nice bonus.

The new record was recorded without overdubs and completely acoustic. This allows you to hear what really happened in the studio as well as hearing every nuance of both Paul’s acoustic guitar playing and his vocals.

One Little Light On is available at Cd Baby now here.

Holding On To The Wind

I had an “a ha” moment this morning. A ha! This is why I have a music blog! A ha! This is what music should sound like! And simply, a ha!

Sam Doores is a New Orleans based folk singer who grew up singing gospel at church, was converted to folk after seeing Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and then took the course of many young artists by exploring the music of Dylan, Gutherie, et al. Seeing that he is presently in New Orleans it’s no surprise that a bit of jazz and afrobeat have crept into his music. Sam Doores doesn’t have a proper debut record out as far as I can tell. These songs are lofi samples off an early demo ep. As you can hear he’s onto something special; I hope to hear more from Sam in the months to come.

Catch Sam Doores at Circle Bar in New Orleans on Jan 15 or at the annual Folk Alliance shindig in Feb. in Memphis.

When I’m Out In The Wind
True To My Luck

I usually don’t jump at writing about press releases (in fact I get so few since I unsubscribed to just about every email list) but there are a few people that I still listen to. So when I read about something new from Anaïs Mitchell by way of Thirty Tigers it was news to rejoice to. The new record Hadestown is a recording of her adaptation of the greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice. I’ve heard a song or two in person and they are special and unique in the world of music. How can they not be? The songs that make up her folk opera, which is based on a story thousands of years old, use the folk idium to loosely tell a story that bends and twists in ways that are unique and challenging.

As a result on the song “Way Down” you get Tom Waitsesque vocals, muted trumpet, an angelic choir and Anaïs’ own unique vocal delivery.

Way Down

P.S. Anaïs Mitchell will join about a hundred other folk artists this February 17-21 in Memphis, TN for the annual folk pilgrimage known as Folk Alliance.

A couple weeks back Canadian based blogs Herohill, Slowcoustic, and Chicago based Song:Illinois (here) went a little overboard over Canadian singer-songwriter Cam Penner. There was some good natured ribbing and recrimination over the fact that I was first to discover this excellent Canadian singer-songwriter in their own backyard. Now I hate to say it but I’m going to do it again.

Chris Coole is a Toronto based clawhammer banjo player of some renown (in fact he may be one of the best in the world). He’s played with and for some great artists over the years (Jenny Whiteley, Jim Cuddy, Sylvia Tyson, and Justin Rutledge.) But it’s with this, his first solo record, Old Dog, that Chris has really stepped out/up. The album features 5 original songs as well as some traditional numbers and covers of songs by The Band, John Hartford and Dave Dudley. The record also features friends on fiddle, pedal steel, mandola, cello and percussion. The song styles range from traditional folk to honky-tonk to contemporary bluegrass. I like that Old Dog has a nice, easy, casual feel. The record sounds organic and the songs are a natural for Chris’ laid back vocal delivery and masterful guitar/banjo playing.

It was hard to pick just one song since there’s a variety of styles on the record and since there are so many fine songs. But I forced myself to choose one and it’s the Chris Coole original “Hell To Pay” (although a close second was either the title track “Old Dog”, the duet called “The Bottle Got The Best Of Me” that reminded me of Prine/Dement, or the John Hartford cover “Wish We Had Our Time Together”).

Buy Old Dog here through Elderly Instruments.

Hell to Pay