Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy - Mark Mulcahy's MySpace Blog
In loving tribute to Melissa Mulcahy, the beloved late wife of Miracle Legion frontman Mark Mulcahy.
Featuring Thom Yorke, The National, Michael Stipe, Frank Black, and the Autumn Defense...artists inspired by the sweeping jangle-pop of Connecticut's Miracle Legion.


Album proceeds go directly to Mark to help him recover from the unexpected loss of his wife, to care for their 4 year-old twin girls, and to encourage his continued contribution to music.

By Hello friends.
Pat Sansone of the Autumn D. here wanting to let you know about an album recently released by my sister Danielle Sansone. It's called "Two Flowers" and it is beautiful. The album is a record for children and their parents...not typical "children's music," but songs about childhood wonder that the adults can enjoy as well. She wrote the material essentially as love songs to her two daughters (my amazing nieces), and created a dreamlike record of real beauty and depth. I helped out on the record, playing some instruments and singing some harmonies, and i brought in Autumn Defense alumni John Pirruccello to play some gorgeous pedal steel. If this sounds interesting to you...check out Danielle's myspace page at

http://www.myspace.com/daniellesansone

and her website at
http://www.daniellesansone.com/



Midwest Book Review,

August edition states, "Danielle Sansone is an Atlanta-based singer-songwriter who has now entered the competitive field of children's music with the release of her debut collection "Two Flowers". The origins of this remarkable and flawlessly recorded album of children's music had its beginnings with songs that Danielle composed for her own two daughters. Her vocal delivery is reminiscent of the kind of American folk country genre as exemplified by such iconic performers as the Carter family, and deftly combines bluegrass with intricate symphonic flourishes of the domestic ballad. "

enjoy!
Pat Sansone

Hey Chica​go Peopl​e!​
The AUTUM​N DEFEN​SE will be playi​ng a show at The Botto​m Loung​e in Chica​go on Octob​er 6th. This will be an intim​ate acous​tic duo perfo​rmanc​e.​ We will be shari​ng the bill with our very talen​ted frien​d BART DAVEN​PORT.​ Check​ him out at http:​/​/​www.​ myspa​ce.​ com/​bartd​avenp​ort
Bart has a great​ new Album​ calle​d Palac​es which​ has been in heavy​ rotat​ion here in Autum​n Defen​se world​.​
$9 adv $12 day of show

Also on the bill will be
CANAS​TA
TIME BOMB SYMPH​ONY
$9 adv $12 day of show

see you there​!​

Hello friends of the Autumn Defense!
Just a reminder for any of you that will be in the U.K. next week that we will be playing a handful of shows there with our friend Liam Hayes of the wonderful PLUSH!





Please come and join us for some music and maybe a cup of tea...
cheers!

Hello all from the Autumn Defense!

We are proud to announce that our third album, the self-titled "The Autumn Defense" will have its official UK and European release on February 18 on the wonderful UK label Broken Horse Records.
http://www.myspace.com/brokenhorserecords
http://www.brokenhorse.co.uk/

The reviews are already coming in and we've gotten some nice ones:


"reference points include Nick Drake and CSN, Bread, Big Star and the essence of Love, Steely Dan and a dozen others" MOJO ****

"never less than utterly gorgeous" THE WORD


"wilco offshoot spins gorgeous soft rock" Q ****

"edifying and beautifully textured third out from Wilco men John Stirratt and Pat Sansone"
DAILY MIRROR ****

"soft rock at it's most elegant." TIME OUT


So hopefully our UK and European fans will find it easier to find our record, and we look forward to seeing you when we visit later this year.

Happy New Year!
John and Pat

Lee Hazelwood 1929-2007
we'll miss ya.

Hello friends.
The folks at www.allmusicguide.com recently posted a very kind review of our new album. We thought we'd share it with you.
cheers,
the Autumn Defense


From www.allmusicguide.com

It's easy to tag the Autumn Defense as a band striving to re-create the sun-splashed sound of the classic California folk-rock and chamber pop albums of the '60s and early '70s, but while their musical influences are clear, the truth is that Patrick Sansone and John Stirratt have delivered an album every bit as satisfying and beautiful as the artists they've followed with their self-titled third release. The Autumn Defense is a rich and mature collection of songs that sparkle with melodic beauty without ignoring the more difficult emotions that are often part and parcel of commitment; thankfully devoid of self-pity or a deluded joy, these songs speak of passion and experience in equal portions, and the superb arrangements and crisp, nearly flawless playing bring forward the impassioned material with inspired accuracy. As songwriters, Sansone and Stirratt deliver their strongest work to date on The Autumn Defense, and Sansone's production is lush without sounding excessive, as a superb ensemble of musicians (among them Nels Cline, Brad Jones, and Jim Hoke) weave superb textures around the melodies. The result is an album that wouldn't have sounded out of place coming from Elektra Records in 1970, but The Autumn Defense isn't an act of nostalgia for an era these musicians are too young to have been part of; instead, Sansone, Stirratt, and their collaborators have embraced the sound of a previous era and used it as a creative stepping stone into the present, and the finished product is truly timeless music with superb craft and plenty of heart. Simply put, The Autumn Defense is a triumph and one of the most impressive albums of the year.

Hello to all our friends and fans in Japan!
We want to let you know that our latest CD, the self-titled "The Autumn Defense" has recently been released by Columbia Japan. The Japanese version features different artwork than the US version, and a bonus track! It is available at Tower Records and other fine music stores. We hope that we can come and play some shows there someday soon. But until then, look out for the new CD and enjoy!

Love,
The Autumn Defense

Thank you so much to those of you that pre-ordered our new CD!!! The response was great and you made us feel all warm inside. We apologize in the delay in getting them shipped out...there was a slight snag in the manufacturing that put us behind in getting them on time. But they have now been shipped, so if you pre-ordered keep an eye out for it to appear any day now. The CD is officially released now and should be in your local cool record shop, and is also as always available directly from us at www.broadmoorrecords.com.
Happy New Year!