JOHN MURRY'S SOUTHERN LITERATURE INSPIRATION COMES FROM ANCESTRY, SPECIFICALLY AS SECOND COUSIN TO WILLIAM FAULKNER

MURRY NAMED FOR FAULKNER'S GRANDFATHER, A CIVIL WAR SURGEON WHOSE MEDICAL KIT MURRY KEEPS

John Murry – who made the indie-noir album 'The Graceless Age,' one of the UK's best-reviewed albums of 2012 and out in the US April 2 on Evangeline Recording Co. – has described himself as more absorbed in the worlds of literature than in the day-to-day concerns of the modern world, and for good reason: he's second cousin to William Faulkner and has spent much time with his second cousin's works.

Murry says, "I am, in truth, named for his grandfather, my great-great-grandfather. My granddaddy, Charles 'Bo' Murry, is buried about ten feet from him in Oxford, MS, and was his pallbearer. My plot is paid for and is adjacent to it."

His namesake's story – and its relation to his novels - is enthralling and entertaining in itself. Murry explained to the blog Echoes& Dust, " John Young Murry and Col. W.C. Falkner appear as the amalgam that is Col. Sartoris in William Faulkner's writings. John Young Murry didn't use his Confederate title after the War. He was opposed to both slavery and secession until Yankee soldiers raided his home, took his family's Christmas meal, and did as they pleased with his land and family. He joined the fight to protect his home. He was a surgeon, though, and at Shiloh performed amputations on both Yankees and Rebels. Likely, in his mind, as Christ would've done. I've got the amputation kit he used under my bed and treasure it, nonetheless. I've been allowed the distance necessary to see The South as I needed to, I suppose."

After a firestorm of UK raves, John Murry's 'The Graceless Age' has been confirmed for a March 5 release on Evangeline Recording Co. It's the last album produced and recorded by Tim Mooney of American Music Club and Sun Kil Moon before his death June 13, produced – as all their records were - in collaboration with Murry. 'The Graceless age' is one of eight albums nominated for The UNCUT Music Award and praise has been effusive on the other side of the pond, where Murry is launching a winter tour that begins January 21. MOJO is planning an upcoming feature and Murry will perform on Ralph MacLean's BBC show as one of his "Best of 2012" artists and Ricky Ross' BBC Scotland show in front of a live audience at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall during the tour. The Sun gave it 5 stars out of 5, saying, "Occasionally, an album comes out of nowhere that completely blows your mind. Like this one… A genuine tour de force." In another 5 star (out of 5) review, R2 called it "a genuine American masterpiece." In a 9 star (out of 10) review, UNCUT's Senior Editor, Allan Jones, described the "deeply textured… ruined grandeur," continuing, "This is what 'The Graceless Age' as a whole does so unforgettably, bearing honest witness to a burning world." and went on to later call it "second only to Bob Dylan's Tempest" among best records of 2012.

'RED COATS' IS COMING: BROOKLYNITE CAITHLIN DE MARRAIS DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM FILM HISTORY, FASHION, FOOD AND FAMILY ON STELLAR NEW ALBUM

The inspiration behind Caithlin De Marrais' new album reaches deep into the distant and not-so-distant past. (De Marrais is the former vocalist/bassist for Rainer Maria.) Here’s a rundown of the fuel for her creative fire on ‘Red Coats,’ out November 8 on End Up Records, which has been compared to Mirah and Beth Orton:

* Album opener “Lovers Light” is dedicated to the memory of Don Hill and one of the bright spots in the club scene, Don Hill’s nightclub. De Marrais says, "I'm drawn to places where people gather to dance. I hear this song as a dance song, slowed way down. The opening hits that super soft spot I have for analog fuzz-scapes. I composed this song on Garage Band and was sonically inspired as much by The National’s ‘High Violet’ as the soundtrack to the John Hughes’ film, ‘Pretty in Pink.’”

* Caithlin first heard the xx around the time that she wrote “Rose Wallpaper.” “I was really inspired by their brilliant vocals and arrangements." Lyrics recall an overnight stay as a youth in a 19th century abandoned house.

* “Hot Day” is an homage to Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ album and also includes Ray Saperstein’s cornet a la Caithlin's favorite film genre, 1970s-era American crime films.

* The instrumental “Fizzy Wawa,” a term Caithlin’s son uses for carbonated water, includes his work on the Juno.

* “City Girl” is dedicated to her mother. Caithlin says, “My mom grew up in Jersey, a stone's throw from New York City. We're a Bruce Springsteen family and I was haunted by the lonely silhouette of Asbury Park when I wrote this song on the piano. I remember hearing the album ‘Tunnel of Love’ for the first time as a young girl and I was very moved by the sadness in those songs.”

* She dedicates “Sorry” to the memory of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who possessed a tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his designs. Says Caithlin, "I had to catch my breath when I saw his work. It was mind-blowing. I am humbled by his legacy."

* The title track and album closer finds her comparing the Revolutionary War, of which a battle was fought in her childhood town of Fairfield, CT, to her modern day romance with British-born photographer, Spencer Heyfron. “This song is not exactly a metaphor for falling in love, but more the willingness to surrender to any of love’s invasions,” she says.

Check out her music video for “Birds” posted on Brooklyn Vegan.