Howdy folks,
Happy Passover/Easter and things. It's been awhile since my last update. April showers bring May flowers, that's what they say isn't it? So if one buys into this seasonal philosophy, the deluge of work I've been under from the day job these last couple of months should lead to a botanical garden of epic proportions. Shouldn't it? Well, at the very least you know what I'm up to when I'm not doing shows. Now onto musical matters...
"The Road Rises" made it into a bunch of "Best of 2008" lists and continues to do its thing with zero publicity and no shows to speak of over the last couple of months. My botanical garden from 2008? It may just be. Here's the latest:
On the Charts
Currently #8 on the RMR "Roots Country" chart (smack dab in between Buddy and Julie Miller and Justin Townes Earle -kinda fun)
Reached #55 on the Americana Radio chart
Best of 2008
Top 10 tracks of 2008, Bear Country Radio WQBR 99.9 – “Pack My Bags”
Top 20 Favorite Songs of 2008, KRFC 88.9 Thursday Morning Mix -- "Pack My Bags"
Top 100 Most Requested Songs of 2008 (#57), TOSSM Radio– “Pack My Bags”
Press
Routes and Branches blog included me in their highlights of 2008 and I'm in the April '09 issue of Maverick Magazine (the one with Taylor Swift on the cover) and they have some nice things to say about the record:
Maverick
“The first thing that struck this reviewer was the voice, strong, soulful and expressive. But far more importantly her lyrics are serious, intelligent and literate...dark, brooding, hard hitting. There are no bubbles, no saccharine in what she writes. In Talamini we have a writer whose concerns go far deeper than merely wanting to know Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under. The Road Rises is not what one would expect from a country album. It cannot simply be played as background music. In order to fully appreciate the strength of the writing, it needs to be listened to intently.”
Routes and Branches blog
"Among other highlights, 2008 introduced us to the unique sound of Fleet Foxes, surprised us with promising new artists like Star Anna and Danielle Talamini, as well as stronger-than-expected offerings by stalwarts Ryan Adams and Drive-By Truckers."
Shows
So I guess I should do a show sometime soon, huh? I've got at least one in the ondeck circle -- a benefit concert on June 6 for DJ Torchy Blaine of WDVR-FRM. Torchy's got a bad case of Lyme disease and the treatment is costly, so I am heading up to Bethlehem PA to lend my voice. Bunch of great Americana acts on the line-up including my good friend Joe Whyte.
Joe has a show at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on 4/16 at 9pm. I will be there and I highly encourage you to check him out. TAXI calls him "the best alt-country artist we've ever heard" and his song Devil in the Details runs on continuous loop in my head. Go. To. Rockwood.
Free Song Downloads
Speaking of Joe, he and I did an acoustic song swap a few months back that was tons of fun. A few Live solo acoustic tracks from that show are available on my Myspace page for free download. If for some reason the downloads don't work (because Myspace sucks), give me a holler and I'll send 'em to you.
That is all for now. Be good. But if you can't be good, at least get a good story out of it:)
xoD