I have made it a rule at Songs:Illinois to write about everything Tom Brosseau does. Whether it’s his solo stuff with an indie folk bent, the more full band sound he’s developed over the years or now his duo project with Angela Correa called Les Shelleys.

On “The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise” these two accomplished singer songwriters weave their voices in and around this classic song. You should be able to order the new record soon via Fat Cat Records.

The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

Bonus:

Les Paul and Mary Ford – “The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise”

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’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

I used to be a pretty serious Rilo Kiley fan. But I really had no use for the actual band. I guess I was really a just Jenny Lewis fan at heart. I feel like Rebecca Loebe’s new record has some of the best parts of Jenny Lewis mixed with the whimsical folk music I’m drawn to. Rebecca Loebe has a new record that just came out called Mystery Prize. It’s already charting on Americana charts which may not be the best place for her music, but really what else is there for someone with a guitar and a song to sing.

You can buy the new record here. I’ve been listening to it on repeat for the last couple of days and really suggest that you do.

Rebecca plays three shows next week at SXSW. Here’s her schedule (not to sway you or anything but I’ll be at the first one at Flipnotics – also appearing – Danny Schmidt, Matt The Electician, Devon Sproule, and Raina Rose):

Thursday, March 18, 2010, 6pm, Trevor & Dru’s Strange Brew SXSW Songwriter Explosion @ Flipnotics Coffeespace

Friday, March 19, 2010, 4pm, Red Gorilla Music Fest! @ Cuba Libre – Main Stage

Saturday, March 20, 2010 Acoustic Afternoon at Once Over Coffee Bar @ Once Over

Sunday, March 21, 2010 Freddy Powers SXSW Pickin’ Party 2010 @ La Hacienda RV Resort

Mystery Prize

This morning I almost wrote about new records by Matt Harlan and Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers but in both cases other blogs beat me to the punch and did a good job sharing their music (here and here). So instead I will mention the new record by Raina Rose called When May Came.

When May Came was recorded in Raina’s living room mostly live and mixed by singer songwriter Jonathan Byrd. It has the immediacy of a record recorded live as well as the energy. “Sun Comes Back” is a perfect song for this rainy Chicago morning despite being a tale of a broken relationship. Any song with sun in the title picks me up just a little and I know the actual sun can’t be far from returning.

Raina Rose’s new record is out now on a little record label called Constant Clip Records created by singer-songerwriter and Songs:Illinois favorite Elam Blackman. Raina also has some shows coming up with the great Aj Roach so check her schedule for more info. You can purchase When May Came here.

Sun Comes Back

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

If Boo Hewerdine is known nowadays it’s for being the former lead singer of the English band The Bible. But for me I’ll always associate him (even though I loved some of the stuff The Bible put out) with one record he did with Darden Smith in 1989 called Evidence. It was a strange collaboration since Boo was known for gorgeous indie rock and Darden for southwestern rootsy folk. But they pulled it off and in fact it was those contrasting approaches to music that did it.

Boo Hewerdine’s first record in almost a decade is out Oct 26. It’s called God Bless The Pretty Things. As you can hear from the song “Muddy Water” Boo has one of the most beautiful male voices in music. Buy it here.

Muddy Water

Bonus: Boo Hewerdine is very generous on his website with mp3′s from his discography available for sampling. Here are a couple I like.

Love Thieves
Mapping the Human Heart
Bell Book and Candle

From The Bible

Crystal Palace

Here’s another song from the excellent new Peter Mulvey record on Signature Sounds. If you’d like an invite to the Oct. 11 Chicago area house concert email me at cbonnell@gmail.com.

Buy Letters From A flying Machine here or here.

Kids In The Square

I had a partial idea of what Katie Mullins upcoming release Pastoral might sound like just from viewing the top friends section of her MySpace page. With friends like C. Gibbs, Clare Burson, Lucinda Black Bear, and Fulton Lights I suspected that her sound would not be typical chick with guitar alt-rock. Happily I was right.

A good place to start is the title track “Pastoral”. The song begins with a line about Tom Waits with the only accompaniment being a kalimba, but soon enough an ominous sounding bass enters and the song begins to unfold.

Pastoral comes out November 3 but can pre-ordered now through Katie Mullin’s website here.

Pastoral

Signe Tolefsen is a half Dutch, half American singer/songwriter with a tremendous vocal range and an interesting musical sensibility that combines elements of classical, folk and rock music.

“Where You Been” from Signe Tollefsen’s new record is a startlingly good minimalist blues/soul/gospel number. About halfway through, when Signe really stretches out when singing the chorus, you’ll hear as much emotion as you’re likely to hear in a song. The new record is her debut for the Dutch roots label Corazong.

Where You Been

Bonus:

You, Me & The Brewers