“NEXT BIG-VOICED SOUL SENSATION OUT OF BROOKLYN” (MOJO) BETTE SMITH TO TAPE NPR SESSION AS ACCLAIM COMES IN

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn soul singer and Big Legal Mess recording artist Bette Smith’s swaggering new album ‘Jetlagger’ is out as of last week and has earned her an upcoming NPR taping with World Café. Jimbo Mathus produced ‘Jetlagger.’ Smith plays Kung Fu Necktie (Upstairs) in Philadelphia on October 25.

 

Here’s what we’re reading:

 

"A rugged, chugging southern soul record... Like Betty Davis or Betty Wright before her, she's imbues tracks with shingly, sawtoothed texture, capable of breaking off a high note with a throaty cry or scraping so low and wide that she threatens to put her bass player out of work."

- Elias Leight, Billboard, July 26, 2017

 

“An incredible debut from the next big-voiced soul sensation out of Brooklyn.”

- Lois Wilson, MOJO Magazine, October, 2017

 

"a batch of tunes as powerful and taut as her wonderfully craggy voice... with a debut full-length as sturdy and uncompromising as Jetlagger, she’s the swaggering proof that there is nothing dated about soulful rock and roll sung with attitude, defiance, and a take-no-prisoners aesthetic."

- Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter, September 29, 2017

 

“A major new voice in soul music… Brooklyn’s Bette Smith possesses a one of a kind voice, deeply drenched in hot soul of the nearly incendiary Southern type. That voice could rock the biggest of stages and move mountains if it had to… Count me as a massive fan. Smith is the sort of artist that you’ll find yourself following her whole career.”

- Sarah Zupko, Pop Matters, September 19, 2017

 

“88 [out of 100]… At last, her vibrant recording debut is here to bring healing and happiness to fans of singers like Sharon Jones, Betty Wright and Naomi Shelton.”

- Annie Dinerman, Elmore Magazine, September 27, 2017

SUSAN CATTANEO EARNING EARLY PLAUDITS FROM MOJO, POP MATTERS, & BEYOND FOR AMBITIOUS DOUBLE ALBUM ‘THE HAMMER & THE HEART,’ OUT THIS WEEK ON JERSEY GIRL MUSIC

CATTANEO TO PERFORM ON JOHN PLATT’S WFUV ON YOUR RADAR CONCERT
SEPTEMBER 12 AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, STAGE 3 IN NYC

Susan Cattaneo’s ambitious double album ‘The Hammer & The Heart’ comes
out this Friday to plaudits from outlets as varied as MOJO and Pop
Matters. The Berklee College of Music songwriting professor stretches
out artistically on an album that spans honky tonk, Americana, rock &
roll, and folk music and features special guests The Bottle Rockets,
Bill Kirchen, Mark Erelli, Duke Levine, and The Boxcar Lillies (with
whom Susan also plays).

Susan will perform as part of WFUV’s On Your Radar series via John
Platt at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3 on September 12, 2017.

"In the Grooves" music video (OK to share): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYWN4MxqXLU

Here’s what we’re reading:

“Country rocking celebration.”
- MOJO, September, 2017

“Riveting.”
- Jonathan Frahm, Pop Matters, July 31, 2017

“Truly spectacular… 5 stars… She nails it – and how… an excellent
double album and could even become a beacon of inspiration for future
country rock artists should they choose to make the bold step… the
album soon mesermizes you with its slick compositions, relentless
grooves, and brilliant story-telling… this is certainly one for the
collection.”
- Christian Brown, Maverick Magazine (UK), September, 2017

"Cattaneo has previously been nominated for a number of awards in the
independent music category and it would come as no surprise if she
actually snags one with this top-notch offering... one thing shines
clearly: her purposeful, colorful lyrical strength coupled with a
percussive, driving rhythmic style and delivery."
- Iain Patience, Elmore Magazine, August 21, 2017

"Special... powerful vocals and her vivid lyrical storytelling...
Cattaneo is an authority when it comes to songwriting... her most
important musical endeavor to date... this is an album that truly
captures the full spectrum of Cattaneo’s talent. The music itself is
at times reminiscent of her peers such as Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin,
Carole King and Emmylou Harris... Cattaneo is truly an artist’s
artist."
- Glide Magazine, August 10, 2017

“A strong dose of twang… everything from barn-burning rockers to heart
wrenching ballads.”
- Susan Hubbard, Mother Church Pew, August 21, 2017

“GENIUS” (NOISEY) LELAND SUNDRIES SIGNS PUBLISHING AGREEMENT WITH MOTHER WEST MUSIC

Indie/Americana/garage band Leland Sundries, which made a splash this year with its full-length debut ‘music for outcasts,’ has signed a publishing deal with fellow Brooklynites Mother West Music. Leland Sundries’ ‘music for outcasts’ (L'Echiquier/Decor/Weiner Records) earned numerous spotlights as well as airplay from KEXP, WFUV, WFMU, and beyond:

“A-… genius.”
- Robert Christgau, NOISEY, July 22, 2016. Full review: https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/robert-christgau-expert-witness-leland-sundries

“Heaps of wit and melody… Beautiful rambling storytelling that flirts with pop and sounds a little like Silver Jews.”
- Peter Watts, UNCUT, April, 2016

“Scrappy yet ingenuous rock poetry.”
- MOJO, March, 2016

“Loss-Eaton and company avoid predictability… upturned middle finger that resides at the center of their sound. Ultimately ‘Music for Outcasts’ finds truth in its title… Those prone to coloring outside the lines will have cause to give a decided nod of approval.”
- Lee Zimmerman, Relix, October/November issue

"One of the more exciting roots-based bands to be unleashed in quite a while... This fellow knows his geography now. Both out in the rolling hills and inside his own heart and soul... One minute Leland Sundries has you weeping in your beer over the cowboy lament, 'Keys in The Boot,' the next they’re rocking as righteously as The New York Dolls-inspired 'Bad Hair Day.' Throw in the radiant Power Pop of 'Apocalypse Love Song,' and you’ll see there isn’t a genre they haven’t mastered. These guys have only one rule about the music they play: it has to sound authentic and cool. Which, a good damn portion of the time, it does."
- Peter Gerstenzang, American Songwriter, May 6, 2016

“Awesomeness.”
- Justin Cober-Lake, Pop Matters, June 2, 2016

“Fine character-building.”
- Eric Davidson, CMJ, April 18, 2016

"A killer record... The record has devoured my subconscious... creative wordplay... Witty and left of center, juxtapose from the norm, some fresh and fun genre-bending rock-n-roll...Loss-Eaton is a songwriter’s songwriter, languid stories and never short on style... A tried and true summer soundtrack for yours truly, simply a record you can’t grow not fond of. Each track a small ride to a cool destination."
-Scott Zuppardo, No Depression, August 9, 2016

“Superb.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, March 11, 2016

“We were instantly hooked. In fact, we're so impressed by the Brooklyn-natives to the point where we can't begin to effusively begin to heap enough praise.”
- Pure Volume, June 1, 2016

“Life affirming… Leland Sundries’ debut album and first European release shows a ton of promise and is a very enjoyable listen.  It will certainly appeal to fans of bands like Velvet Underground and Jonathan Richman as well as fans of bands like Whiskeytown and Starsailor.”
- Alan Ewart, Louder Than War (UK), February 16, 2016

“Leland Sundries match crackling garage rock with a near bubblegum love of melody. The band's sound sits somewhere between Pavement and The Archies, with a dose of Jonathan Richman's off kilter wit thrown in for good measure.”
- Robin Murray, Clash Music (UK), January 19, 2016

Brooklyn-based Mother West has grown from a small indie label and recording studio to a full-service boutique music catalog, offering music licensing for film and television, publicity and promotions, customized distribution, online sales, music production and artist management. With an impressive roster under it's belt, Mother West continues to work with an array of artists in various capacities, including Motopony, Mother Feather, The Magnetic Fields, Aloud, The Bones of J.R Jones, Peppina, Kris Gruen, Cold Blood Club and many others.

Originally founded by musicians Charles Newman and Paul Casanova, Mother West was named after the sign on the deli downstairs from their studio and was created to release their debut record Noreally Thanks from their band PLEASE in 1994. This led to a cut on the platinum selling Empire Records Soundtrack on A&M Records and the company's first foray into placing music into films.  Since then, and under the helm of Newman, the company continues to grow it's catalog and develop it's community of artists.

2016 marks a new partnership with Los Angeles-based publisher Defend Music, who will be representing the publishing interest of the Mother West catalog in North America, with Kobalt Publishing representing the catalog globally.

EARLY UK PRAISE BUOYS LELAND SUNDRIES’ DEBUT ALBUM ‘MUSIC FOR OUTCASTS’ (JUNE 3 / L’ECHIQUIER/WEINER RECORDS)

BROOKLYN BAND ADDED TO GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL JULY 10

Leland Sundries’ debut full-length album ‘music for outcasts,’ out June 3 on L’Echiquier Records/Weiner Records, has earned raves in the UK, where it is already out. The Brooklyn band has also been added to the Green River Festival playing July 10, the same day as Tedeschi Trucks Band, North Mississippi All Stars, and Margo Price. Here’s what the UK press has said:

“Heaps of wit and melody… Beautiful rambling storytelling that flirts with pop and sounds a little like Silver Jews.”
- Peter Watts, UNCUT, April, 2016

“Scrappy yet ingenuous rock poetry.”
- MOJO, March, 2016

“Life affirming… Leland Sundries’ debut album and first European release shows a ton of promise and is a very enjoyable listen.  It will certainly appeal to fans of bands like Velvet Underground and Jonathan Richman as well as fans of bands like Whiskeytown and Starsailor.”
- Alan Ewart, Louder Than War, February 16, 2016

“All eleven tracks show glimpses of a future master musical storyteller just starting out. It’ll be exciting to see where Loss-Eaton – and Leland Sundries – go next.”
- Paul Heatley, Rock N Reel, April, 2016

“Leland Sundries match crackling garage rock with a near bubblegum love of melody. The band's sound sits somewhere between Pavement and The Archies, with a dose of Jonathan Richman's off kilter wit thrown in for good measure.”
- Robin Murray, Clash Music, January 19, 2016

“Cool… Notes of Lou Reed and the Modern Lovers.”
- Metro London, December 12, 2015

“Oddball storytelling.”
- The Beat Juice, November, 23, 2015

“Excellent.”
- Mad Mackeral, November 25, 2015

LELAND SUNDRIES TOUR DATES

Wed, May 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Gateway
Fri, June 17 - Norfolk, VA - 80/20 Burger Bar
Sat, June 18 - Charlottesville, VA - Ante Room
Wed, June 29 - Nashville, TN - The Family Wash
Thu, July 7 - Providence, RI - Dusk
Sun, July 10 - Greenfield, MA - Green River Fest

Leland Sundries clips

Paste Magazine session (March 2, 2018)

Magnet profile, issue 133



American Songwriter feature (May 6, 2016)


Louder Than War video premiere (May 2, 2016)

CMJ track premiere (April 18, 2016)

Impose Mag track premiere (March 11, 2016)

Paste Magazine track premiere (December 28, 2015)

Clash Music video premiere (January 19, 2016)

Mix Magazine feature (February 12, 2016)

UNCUT review (March, 2016 issue):

The Beat Juice track premiere (UK) (November 23, 2015)

MOJO album review (March, 2016 issue):

Metro (London) December 12, 2015 track review:

Blurt single review (December 16, 2015)

Flavorpill live pick (October 5, 2015)

Baeble track premiere (March 5, 2012)

Daytrotter session (October 24, 2012)

NY Times live pick (November 4, 2010)

WINTERPILLS STRETCH THE CANVAS IN MOST EXPANSIVE SOUNDING ALBUM TO DATE ‘LOVE SONGS’ (MARCH 18 / SIGNATURE SOUNDS), CO-PRODUCED WITH JUSTIN PIZZOFERRATO (DINOSAUR JR, THE PIXIES, SPEEDY ORTIZ)

“I don’t know why Winterpills aren’t one of the most cherished pop bands in the world.”
- Jonathan Lethem, Rolling Stone

“****… The songs are mists and pastels, dense with instruments and Philip Price and Flora Reed's harmonies, yet at the same time serene… as evocative as dreams.   -MOJO

From slurry, fuzzy guitar to strings, Winterpills signature melodies see their most expansive sounds to date on ‘Love Songs,’ out March 18 on Signature Sounds. Reminiscent of the best of the Elephant 6’s works, ‘Love Songs came together in collaboration with co-producer Justin Pizzoferrato, who has manned the dials for Dinosaur Jr., The Pixies, Lou Barlow, Speedy Ortiz, Parquet Courts, Lou Barlow, and And the Kids. From strings to trumpets; large-scale harmonies to harmonica, Winterpills has never sounded this big before, masterfully building from a whisper to a torrent.

Winterpills explores love of the idea of love, love of unrealized love, love of the dead, love of family secrets, love of the concept of eternal return, love of ideas, and love of celebrity. "At first the thought of calling it Love Songs was intended as a whimsical nod to the other million albums of the same title," principle songwriter Philip Price says, "but then casting that light on the existing songs made them jump into stark relief: they were all love songs after all, though arriving at that place through strange portals and unused back roads." “A New England Deluge” builds to a feverish pitch before abruptly stopping. “Wanderer White” kicks off as a low-fi dirge before moving into ‘90s indie rock territory. “Celia Johnson” is inspired by David Lean’s “Brief Encounter,” positing a middle class British housewife’s story of stepping out of her comfort zone. “He Grew a Wall” identifies with a local musician following his suicide, using a modded Casiotone as an orchestra.

Recorded during the band’s 10th anniversary, ‘Love Songs’ is also an appropriate title for a band led by musical soulmates and husband/wife Philip Price and Flora Reed. Based in and inspired by western Massachusetts’ fertile scene, Reed and Price’s voices are always the core of Winterpills’ music and provide incredible chemistry and lift in tandem. Over the past decade and half-dozen stellar albums, Winterpills has established a reputation for smart indie pop, prompting comparisons to Elliott Smith, Low, and Big Star.

In addition, Winterpills’ self-titled debut will be reissued this spring on vinyl for the first time. Tour dates will also be announced shortly.

Piney Gir - Mr Hyde’s Wild Ride

"Sweet 60's pop from Kansas Chameleon"
- UNCUT ****

"Undeniably charming"
- THE SUN ***

"Varying emotions and mutations are part of her unexpected strength"
- MOJO ***

"Exuberant, bursts with joy, divine and sometimes mournful"
Q Magazine Top Pick

Piney Gir - Mr Hyde’s Wild Ride

We present “Mr Hyde’s Wild Ride” – twelve top pop stories about a young woman coming to terms
with the hope and regret that accompanies love and loss. Piney's easy way with melody belies an
album of new and different shades to albums past. Change is in the air, and the characters that
populate these songs seem ready to tell it like it is, like Dorothy Parker’s snappy comebacks, as
surprising to them as to us.

Being Piney Gir, she can't resist the perkiness of a finely-honed, heavenly tune on opener Gold
Rules, even as the song celebrates unreachable riches and glibly states the fact, “you can’t take it
with you anyway.” First single, Keep It Together deftly channels 60s beat pop and Stereolab all at
the same time, a lover's lament laced with urgency and optimism, piped-in directly from her spaceage,
bachelorette pad.

Other stand-out earworms include Tilt A Whirl, a piece of fairground philosophy that dates back to
childhood years when Piney would accompany her grandmother on something akin to the Waltzer.
As the song spins, with Farfisas swirling round life's ups and downs "like a shooting star or a hope
combustible..." become metaphors among the lights and sounds. Mouse Of A Ghost fuzzes up like
Pineys-in-Toyland channelling her inner riot grrl, with boxy guitar blasts that remind us all that you
can rock just as hard, if not harder, in a gingham dress.

As ever Piney's pulled together a stellar band, with members of Gaz Coombes and Emiliana Torrini's
touring band jumping in on guitar, bass and drums alongside The Smith Brothers & regular
collaborator Garo Nahoulakian takes a seat in the producer’s chair. Andy Ramsay of Stereolab
makes an appearance on drums; the bulk of the album was recorded in his South London studio.
The rest was whipped-up in Piney’s little Hackney Studio, small and perfectly formed like a musical
toy box, chock-full of space echo, marimba, omnichord and pocket piano, which combine to create
a euphoric indie-starshine. Think Yoshimi-era Flaming Lips alongside sparkling tableaux of Mercury
Rev., the tunefulness of Grandaddy and riff-led counter-melodies like The Pixies.

After a decade spent in the UK it feels like Piney's finally made England hers by rediscovering
America, re-imagined from London's rainy streets, channelling her inner Jekyll and Mister Hyde,
“because there’s two sides to everything, right?” These tunes beautifully stitch together English
folk, American pop, mariachi moments, trail songs and baroque beats. Sometimes it's like an alternative
musical history of a storybook amusement park ride. And need we mention, it's a wild ride
you're gonna love...

MARY EPWORTH “HAS EMERGED AS A FASCINATING PRESENCE” (MOJO), SLAYS UK CRITICS AHEAD OF AMERICAN DEBUT

EPWORTH ADDS NYC/LA SHOWS TO EXTENSIVE TOUR WITH WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE

British indie/psych voice Mary Epworth has earned a wealth of critical raves in the UK for her otherworldly voice and arresting debut, 'Dream Life,' which is slated for release in the US on May 19 on Highline Records. The album has already playlisted three BBC 6 Music singles and earned the coveted title of Hottest Record in the World from BBC Radio 1.

She has just added several NYC and LA dates following her 36-date US tour with the chart-topping Welcome To Night Vale podcast's live show, including May 24 at Cake Shop at 11pm and May 25 at the Living Room at 7pm in NYC; and May 29 at Hotel Café at 7pm in LA.

Here’s the embeddable track "Black Doe":




"Gutsy….powerful." – The Guardian

"Psych pop splendour." - Q

"A warm, yearning musical love letter… [Epworth] has emerged as a fascinating presence." – Mojo

"Woodsy, psychedelic-demonic folk rock." – The Sunday Times

“Psych pop ‘Dream Life is a powerfully evocative album... Epworth’s mesmerising songs embody the timelessness of a fabled shanty, albeit one played through a folk-gaze fuzzbox.” – The Independent

"A distinctive new voice." – Rock and Reel

"Slow-burning harmonies, epic instrumentation, and soaring vocals." – Diva Mag

“9/10… Spell-binding and beautiful... Simply wonderful.” -Clash

MARY EPWORTH TOUR DATES

APRIL 15. TUCSON, AZ - RIALTO THEATRE
APRIL 16. MESA, AZ - MESA ARTS CENTER
APRIL 17. LAS VEGAS, NV - HORN THEATER AT COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
APRIL 18. LOS ANGELES, CA - THE ORPHEUM
APRIL 20. SAN PEDRO, CA - WARNER GRAND
APRIL 21. OAKLAND, CA - FOX THEATER
APRIL 23. PORTLAND, OR - REVOLUTION HALL
APRIL 24. PORTLAND, OR - REVOLUTION HALL
APRIL 25. SEATTLE, WA - THE NEPTUNE
APRIL 25. SEATTLE, WA - THE NEPTUNE
APRIL 27. SPOKANE, WA - BING CROSBY THEATRE
APRIL 28. MISSOULA, MT - WILMA THEATRE
APRIL 30. FARGO, ND - FARGO THEATRE
MAY 1. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - PANTAGES THEATRE
MAY 2. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - PANTAGES THEATRE
MAY 3. IOWA CITY, IA - ENGLERT THEATRE
MAY 4. LAWRENCE, KS - LIBERTY HALL
MAY 5. ST LOUIS, MO - SHELDON CONCERT HALL
MAY 8. CHICAGO, IL -COPERNICUS CENTER
MAY 9. BLOOMINGTON, IN - BUSKIRK CHUMLEY THEATRE
MAY 10. DETROIT, MI - THE FILLMORE
MAY 12. LOUISVILLE, KY - BOMHARD THEATRE
MAY 13. CINCINNATI, OH - TAFT THEATRE
MAY 14. CLEVELAND, OH, HANNA THEATRE
MAY 15. PITTSBURGH, PA - CARNEGIE OF HOMESTEAD
MAY 17. BUFFALO, NY - ASBURY HALL
MAY 18. ALBANY, NY - THE EGG, HART THEATRE
MAY 19. NORTHAMPTON, MA - ACADEMY OF MUSIC
MAY 20. BOSTON, MA - BERKLEE PERFORMANCE CENTER
MAY 21. BOSTON, MA - BERKLEE PERFORMANCE CENTER
MAY 24. NEW YORK, NY – CAKE SHOP (WITHOUT NIGHT VALE)
MAY 25. BROOKLYN, NY – LIVING ROOM (WITHOUT NIGHT VALE)
MAY 29. LOS ANGELES, CA – HOTEL CAFÉ (WITHOUT NIGHT VALE)

THE GLOAMING CONFIRMS LE POISSON ROUGE SHOW IN NYC JUNE 21 AND INT'L FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS IN NEW HAVEN JUNE 19

MOJO NAMES BRASSLAND ALBUM ONE OF 2014'S BEST (THUS FAR)

The Gloaming – the world-renowned ensemble, which is performing this Thursday at Royal Albert Hall for the Irish President and UK Prime Minister and about which the Guardian said have much "in common with post-rock" – has confirmed two U.S. dates, the first since their self-titled debut album came out on Brassland.

On the heels of raves from NPR Music, The Guardian, WNYC, The Independent, Q, The Boston Globe, and more, MOJO Magazine has named 'The Gloaming' one of 2014's top albums thus far. Colin Irwin writes, "Sumptuous debut by virtuoso folk supergroup... Historic poetry and ancient tunes combine on a very organic, modern album."

Le Poisson Rouge tickets are here.

Tickets for International Festival of Arts & Ideas set are here.

ON OCCASION OF HISTORIC FIRST IRISH STATE VISIT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE GLOAMING CONFIRMED TO PLAY ROYAL ALBERT HALL APRIL 10

The Gloaming – the world-renowned ensemble which the Guardian said have much " in common with post-rock" – have been confirmed to perform at Royal Albert Hall April to commemorate Irish President Michael D. Higgins official state visit to the UK April 10, 2014. This is the first such visit by an Irish head of state since 1921 and marks an historic occasion.

In the presence of the President of Ireland, some of Ireland's finest musicians, singers, actors, authors and poets will feature in this unique evening, sharing and celebrating the strength and range of collaboration and creativity between Ireland and the United Kingdom and the contribution of the Irish community in Britain, including Paul Brady and Glen Hansard. Also participating will be the renowned actress Fiona Shaw as well as journalists/broadcasters Dermot O'Leary, Olivia O'Leary and author Joseph O'Connor. This special concert will also feature some surprise guests on the night.

The event will be open to the public but is already sold out.

"In short, this is the rare album that might well transform the syntax of a whole style… sheer beauty."
- Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR Music

"They caused my jaw to drop... It's a strange, haunting music, full of unexpected chord sequences, its' melancholy matched by a sense of creeping dread.. this is Irish music reimagined... It's simply wonderful... You really should treat yourself..."
- Michael Hann, The Guardian

"I already have to save room on my top ten list for 2014 for this next record… it is really terrific… There is something haunted and twilit about this album, very beautiful…"
- John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds

"*****… Brilliant… a thrillingly original magic."
- Colin Irwin, MOJO

"*****… The Gloaming are a five-piece ensemble eliding Irish folk music with the contemporary New York art-music scene. The upshot is a rather ECM-ish well of open space irrigated by a flow of motifs, textures, tempos and, more abstractly, romantic yearnings."
– Simmy Richman, The Independent (UK)

THE SOUNDTRACK OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY, 2014

MOJO, NPR MUSIC, THE INDEPENDENT, THE GUARDIAN, WNYC, BOSTON GLOBE, & Q MAG ALL HAIL RELEASE OF THE GLOAMING, OUT FEB 25 ON CD ON BRASSLAND

The Gloaming – a new group compromised of Martin Hayes (violin, fiddle), Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman (piano), Iarla O'Lionaird (vocals), Dennis Cahill (guitar) and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh (hardanger fiddle) – has earned incredible notices with its debut, self-titled album, out now via digital download and February 25 on CD from Brassland. It debuted at #1 on the iTunes World Music chart and at #2 on Billboard's World Music chart and promises to be the soundtrack of St. Patrick's Day, 2014. Here's what we're reading:

"In short, this is the rare album that might well transform the syntax of a whole style… sheer beauty."
- Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR Music

"I already have to save room on my top ten list for 2014 for this next record… it is really terrific… There is something haunted and twilit about this album, very beautiful…"
- John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds

"*****… Brilliant… a thrillingly original magic."
- Colin Irwin, MOJO

"*****… The Gloaming are a five-piece ensemble eliding Irish folk music with the contemporary New York art-music scene. The upshot is a rather ECM-ish well of open space irrigated by a flow of motifs, textures, tempos and, more abstractly, romantic yearnings." – Simmy Richman, The Independent (UK)

"Exquisite… Bravely contemporary… [They] have created a distinctive style of their own."  - Robin Denselow, The Guardian (UK)

"The Gloaming is a wonderful mix of soulful and passionate talents who have created their own genre."
- Peter Gabriel

"Enormously rewarding."
- Andy Fyfe, Q Magazine

"*****… Brilliantly innovative and executed with masterly conviction… An astonishing marriage of the old and the new in music as modern as it is ancient, as epic as it is intimate."
-Michael Quinn, Songlines

"*****…Exceptional… Remarkable [and] unique… [Paints on] a wider, more expansive canvas."
– Peter Quinn, The Arts Desk

"Masterful."
– Michael Andor Brodeur, The Boston Globe

"A milestone… This debut album lives up to the loftiest of expectations. The wonderfully virtuosic music is rooted in an ancient Irish tradition, no doubt about that, but there's an experimental flavour to the compositions that makes the album such an intriguing, arresting listen."
- John Meagher, Irish Independent

"*****… This is contemporary music making at its very best: unself-conscious, freewheeling and yet deeply thoughtful, revealing layer upon layer with each listening…  The Gloaming revel in wide open vistas and endless space. It’s as if each member has hankered after the company of players, all coming from distinctly different places, their knapsacks brimful of salty ideas, colourful whims and a fearless appetite for mining seams previously unexplored. With almost 60 minutes of free-flowing music to draw from, the listener is privy to a wide palette, defined more by shape and mood than tethered by genre."
-Sibhan Long, Irish Times

"Certain to become a landmark album."
- Colm O Hare, Hot Press

PAUL WELLER ON DECLAN O'ROURKE & "THE GREATEST SONG WRITTEN IN THE LAST 30 YEARS"

Among Declan O'Rourke's famous fans is Jam legend Paul Weller, who told MOJO Magazine last year, "He writes the sort of classic songs that people don’t write anymore, songs that sound like they’ve been around forever [...] Listen to Galileo, which is possibly the greatest song written in the last 30 years."

O'Rourke's new album 'Mag Pai Zai,' already a top ten hit in Ireland, will come out in the US October 8. A live version of "Galileo" is a bonus track on the US release.

"Be Brave and Believe" music video.

Tour dates in NYC, Philadelphia, Northampton, and CT.

"ALLURING, EMOTIONAL, AND INFECTIOUS" (NPR) JOHN MURRY TO PERFORM AT DILETTANTE STUDIOS JULY 20

"I DON’T EXPECT TO HEAR A BETTER ALBUM THIS YEAR… 5 STARS." – THE GUARDIAN

John Murry -- the Bay Area-based second cousin of William Faulkner's who makes incredible Southern indie-noir music -- will perform at Dilettante Studios in Los Angeles on July 20. Roger Manning, Jr (Beck), Joe Goldring (Hope Sandoval, Sun Kil Moon), Michael Mullen, and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson) will perform with Murry. Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) and Carlos Forster (M. Ward) will open the show with their own sets.

US and UK outlets are raving. Most recently, MOJO gave 'The Graceless Age' 5 stars and called it "unique [and] formidable." The Guardian also gave it 5 stars, writing, "I don't expect to hear a better album this year."

NPR World Café called 'The Graceless Age' "alluring, emotional, and infectious" while the Wall Street Journal called it "arresting." Black Book said, "With an arresting sense of honesty and human insight, Murry is man that you should certainly get to know." MTV Hive said, "The guy's got gravitas [with] widescreen imagery and a soulful moan."

WHO: John Murry

WHAT: First Los Angeles Concert

WHEN: July 20, 2013, 8pm

WHERE: Dilletante Studios, 120 N Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, CA

TICKETS: $5, here

Now based in Oakland, CA, John Murry has lived many lives. He grew up in Elvis' hometown of Tupelo, MS and there's a photo of Elvis in concert that shows his mother reaching out to touch his hand. He was a junkie after he left Memphis to go to that den of iniquity, California. He wrote for the Village Voice for a time. He is William Faulkner's second cousin and friends have described him as lost in the worlds of southern literature. He has seen death in an alley and managed to stumble back from it. These identities come together in 'The Graceless Age.'

JOHN MURRY TO PERFORM ON STAGEIT CONCERT JULY 7 AND BOB WEIR'S "WEIR HERE" JULY 10 AS KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN FOR SOPHOMORE ALBUM NEARS $10,000

LA CONCERT PLANNED AT DILETTANTE STUDIOS JULY 20

"5 STARS… FORMIDABLE" – MOJO ON 'THE GRACELESS AGE'

"I DON'T EXPECT TO HEAR A BETTER ALBUM THIS YEAR." – THE GUARDIAN

John Murry -- the Bay Area-based second cousin of William Faulkner's -- will perform on two webcasts in the next week, one for StageIt July 7 and another for Weir Here, streaming live from Bob Weir's TRI Studios July 20.

StageIt is a live show that can be viewed anywhere. The "audience" can chat with other fans and even interact with the performer via the chat window on the show page.

Murry will join a bill with Mark Karan and Tea Leaf Green at the Weir Here session:

He will also perform at Dilettante Studios in Los Angeles on July 20 (120 N Santa Fe Ave.), for which Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) will open.

Meanwhile, his Kickstarter campaign to record a second album in Dublin is nearing $10,000 and the link includes exclusive video shot in the UK.

The buzz from the UK on Murry is becoming a roar. In addition to past raves from the London Times, BBC, and UNCUT, MOJO's Andy Fyfe gave it 5 stars out of 5, calling it "formidable." In a MOJO Rising profile by Fyfe, he calls 'The Graceless Age' (Evangeline Recording Co. in the US) "a Southern gothic Americana symphony that twists beautiful, maudlin melodies around the dramatically brutal story of Murry's personal fall," continuing, "Compellingly honest... It is a product of the way Murry writes about the grit and drama and desperation of those days that makes 'The Graceless Age' unique."

The Guardian gave the debut 5 stars, calling it "extraordinary, a profound and moving meditation – the kind of album that answers questions you didn't realise you were asking... expertly done... brutal, frank and beautiful... I don't expect to hear a better album this year." Most tellingly, Michael Hann writes, "John Murry's would be a compelling story had he never made a record – grandson of William Faulkner, an addict who lost his wife and child and home, and almost his life."

In the US, NPR World Café called 'The Graceless Age' "alluring, emotional, and infectious" while the Wall Street Journal called it "arresting."

Black Book said, "With an arresting sense of honesty and human insight, Murry is man that you should certainly get to know."

MTV Hive said, "The guy's got gravitas [with] widescreen imagery and a soulful moan."

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.

THE BO-KEYS EARN RAVES, BEST OF 2011 CONSIDERATION FOR 'GOT TO GET BACK!' (ELECTRAPHONIC RECORDINGS) FOLLOWING LONGEST TOUR TO DATE

Memphis soul music masters The Bo-Keys have earned consideration on best of 2011 lists following their longest tour to date. They previously earned raves from NPR, Tavis Smiley, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and MOJO, capping off an amazing year for the band. In that time, The Bo-Keys have shared remarkable stories from Ben Cauley, trumpet player and only survivor of the crash that killed Otis Redding; guitar master Charles "Skip" Pitts, whose guitar is heard on "Theme From Shaft"; Howard Grimes, who played drums on many of Al Green's greatest sides; and bassist/producer Scott Bomar, who has also done music for major Hollywood films such as "Hustle & Flow" and "Black Snake Moan."

Check out a mini-documentary on the Bo-Keys.

New acclaim for 'Got To Get Back!' (Electraphonic Recordings):

"The real deal."
– WNYC Soundcheck

"A fiery set that unfolded like a classic soul revue."
– LA Times

"In-the-pocket."
– Chicago Sun-Times

"Recommended."
– Chicago Reader

"An album that oozes authenticity."
– Time Out Chicago

"Epic... It was all smiles in the audience"
– Phoenix New Times

"I was very enthused about their performance… For those who dig a deep soul sound with definitive Stax and Memphis roots, this band should be the right choice for you. Their Got To Get Back disc will definitely be in my Top Ten favorites for 2011."
– Blues Revue Online

"One bad ass bunch… No one does it better. [They] balance fire and finesse like they were born to do it… [The music] speaks so strongly straight to the center of the mind and body. And, of course, always the heart. Always."
– Bill Bentley, The Morton Report

"This band is testifying, tight and terrific."
– Elmore Magazine

"The Bo-Keys deliver… [They] really sound like an undiscovered ’60s soul act — and, in a way, they are."
– Pitch

Previous acclaim:

"Masters of the Memphis sound."
- NPR

“The Bo-Keys, a 12-member band, delivers a hard-hitting and authentic take on the city’s original soul sound with their new album ‘Got To Get Back!’”
- Tavis Smiley, The Tavis Smiley Show, PRI

“Funky[,] authentic groove… If the Bo-Keys sound like Memphis in the 1960s and early '70s, it's probably because most of the band's musicians were recording back then for the city's top labels.”
- Wall Street Journal

“[This music] gets me dancing in ways I hope the neighbors don't see... I can’t imagine anyone disliking it.”
- USA Today Online

“Strong… The Bo-Keys present a muscular yet spare sound that captures the grit and grease of classic, horn-driven R&B. Where many revivalists pale compared to the originals, the Bo-Keys would have fit right in next to legendary Memphis musical crews the Bar-Kays and Booker T. & the M.G.'s.”
- Associated Press

“What’s not to like?... It’s done incredibly well, which isn’t surprising when you consider the claibre of founder and bassist Scott Bomar’s excellent band. [It’s] a supergroup of sorts.”
- MOJO

“Gritty, funky Southern soul.”
- The New York Daily News