songs:illinois

There’s a bit of sad record label news this morning. Asaurus Records has announced it’s taking a permanent vacation. Asaurus is/was one of the coolest little lofi records on the planet. Their catalog consists of seminal recordings by Colin Clary, the Mathletes, Pants Yell!, Red Pony Clock and Capstan Shafts.

The last threatened release should be something new from The Mathletes in June. It may or may not include these cover songs released this year as a free download. Here’s “What Goes On” by VU and “Seeing Other People” by Belle and Sebastian. In the meantime head over to the Asaurus store before it closes for handmade, cdr releases from all of the above plus many more.

What Goes On
Seeing Other People

And impossibly - The Mathletes on PBS

The title The Lonesome Dirge is a bit of a misnomer for this brawny heartland rock meets smoky Texas twang of a record from Rodney Parker and 50 Peso Reward.

I wrote about Rodney Parker way back in the infancy of this site. So there’s some history there. That counts for something, plus the $100 dollar bill inside the CD case (just kidding). But all of that familiarity doesn’t breed contempt, nor does it lessen the fact that this sounds like a damn fine record.

The song “11 Hours” is a standout track, but it’s the only one like it on the record. “11 Hours” is an atmospheric ballad that’s vocals are run through a long delay. It’s unlike a lot of the rockers on The Lonesome Dirge until the end when it kicks it up a notch. If this piques your interest find out more here.

11 Hours

For me, and with my particular tastes, I’m comfortable saying that the new record by Austin-based singer-songwriter Danny Schmidt is the best of the new year. By now Danny’s got a recognizable and distinctive vocal delivery and I love it. His songs are as literate, and can be as funny and clever, as anyone else in the songwriting racket today.

I’ve written about his upcoming record, Grey Sheep, here, but frankly I did so too early. His record has a Feb. 19 release date and at the time of my initial mention there was nowhere to pick up this great CD. But now there is. Buy it here via his label, Waterbug, now.

Danny Schmidt’s description of “Cliff Song” is better than anything I can come up with.

“This song was the letter back to my first love, assuaging her fears that the cliffside path I was proposing was ripe with astonishing sights more than it was riddled with trepidation.”

Joia Wood is the featured female vocal on this song. Paul Curreri (aka Mr. Devon Sproule) did wonders with a production job that at times is simple and lets the playing come through, and at other times is a little bit more atmospheric, which is well suited to the lyrics.

Cliff Song

Bonus “cover” song from Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule from the free online ep - Valentine Duets

All The Best (John Prine “cover”)