Album Review: Psalmships – ‘Hymn of Lions’

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Psalmships - Hymn of Lions Psalmships
Hymn of Lions
(March 27, 2012)

Track List:
1. The Stolen Song
2. My Whole Left Side
3. Tuscarora
4. Gospels
5. Sympathy
6. Cannon

Whether it was Joshua Britton in Sweetheart Parade or Britton is his current project, Psalmships, I’ve always admired Joshua Britton’s music for its honest songwriting and his beautifully unique vocal timbre.  And it’s those qualities that help make Hymn of Lions a worthwhile listening experience.

When I first listened to Hymn of Lions I thought it was a collection of sad songs that needed to be listened to with a box of tissues in hand.  Then I listened to Hymn of Lions several more times and somehow my whole view of the EP changed.  Hymn of Lions is not the dark, sad, and depressing EP that I had heard at first.  It’s actually an EP filled with songs of acceptance, realization, and hope.   And it’s all evident in the songwriting.  Although the feeling of hope found in Hymn of Lions comes from the music.

The opening track, “The Stolen Song”, is a lively and toe-tapping good.  Hmm, is that Joshua Britton singing on “My Whole Left Side”?  Anyway, it’s still an excellent tune.  The pedal steel (I think that’s the correct instrument) heard on “Tuscarora” is absolutely beautiful and extremely haunting.  “Gospels” is my favorite song on Hymn of Lions because it has such an overwhelming genuine feel to it – I just love it!  “Sympathy” has a nice, peaceful flow to it.  Last but not least, “Cannon” has vocals by Allison Polans and Britton – their voices sound so great together.

Oh my, Hymn of Lions is too good and you should definitely check it out.

 

Psalmships: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp

 

Live Review: Laura Shay at Tin Angel (4/21)

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AbstractDots

It seems that lately I’ve been hanging out at the Tin Angel and that’s ok with me because it’s a decent music venue.  Someone once asked me what my favorite Philly venue was to which I had no reply.  Their favorite venue happened to be the Tin Angel (admittedly a possibly biased opinion because they used to work there).  Well, these days I think the Tin Angel might be my favorite venue too.

So, why was I at the Tin Angel this Saturday? To see LAURA SHAY – of course!  Man, there was a time when I could see a Laura Shay (or any of my favorite Philly artists) show a few times a month but times have changed so whenever I get to see my favorite artists it’s like a major event.

For this particular performance it was Laura Shay (keyboard, vocals, and acoustic guitar), Dominic Cole (electric guitar and acoustic guitar), Michael Litt (drums), Andy McGowan (bass and backing vocals) and Karen Shay (percussion).  Laura usually starts her sets solo but this time it was full band.  At about mid-set we were told that the set was being recorded and a recording could be purchased at the end of the show.  That’s a nice feature that the Tin Angel offers.  Towards the end of the set is when Laura played a few tunes solo.  Then the band came back one final time to play a few more tunes.  At the end, the crowed enthusiastically cheered Laura on to play an encore – so, Laura and band played one final tune.

There were many highlights and interesting moments during this show.  The talk about clipping coupons, Laura explaining how her music affects her now, her very emotional playing of “Learning”, a haunting cover of “Mad World” by Gary Jules, and a great cover of Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight” were some of the few wonderful moments I remember from this show.  Well, not that I ever for a second doubted it but this show has reminded just how talented a singer-songwriter Laura Shay is and I hope that I can attend another performance some time soon.

 

Laura Shay: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Photos: Cheers Elephant – WXPN Free At Noon (4/20)

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Cheers Elephant - WXPN: Free At Noon (4/20/12)

Cheers Elephant - WXPN: Free At Noon (4/20/12)

Cheers Elephant - WXPN: Free At Noon (4/20/12)

It was nice to see Cheers Elephant bring their lively, animated, energetic selves to today’s WXPN Free At Noon concert.  Cheers Elephant’s pop rock style is far too infectious and sounded so good.  Cheers Elephant closed their set with a cover of The Band’s “The Weight” as a tribute to Levon Helm.  Great show, guys!

Live Review: Shannon Pelcher, Orion Freeman at Tin Angel (3/23)

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Shannon Pelcher at Tin Angel - 3/23/12

Have you ever been to the Tin Angel?  Well, over the years I’ve been to the Tin Angel plenty of times and I’ve always liked the atmosphere in the venue.  It’s usually a respectful audience, good sound, and most important – great artists playing live.  And that’s exactly what I experienced at the Tin Angel on Friday night.

Shannon Pelcher had the opening set for this night’s co-bill.  Pelcher was joined by her band, The Iron Threads.  So, it was Shannon Pelcher (vocals, acoustic guitar), Gary Lebiedzinski (drums), David Streim (accordion), Rhenda Fearrington (backing vocals), and Rob Shaffer (bass) all on stage.  The first thing I noticed about Pelcher was her voice.  Pelcher has a very beautiful singing tone that is reminiscent of an older, more soulful era.  That voice is so mesmerizing that for a few moments I sat there only able to think to myself “I love her voice.”  Then you add in Pelcher’s impressive songwriting skills plus The Iron Threads and you get one excellent set of music.  Also, the covers (M. Ward “Poison Cup” and Devin Greenwood “Dragon City”) were a nice treat.  I don’t think I’ve paid enough attention to Shannon Pelcher’s music in the past but I will pay a lot more attention from now on – and so should you.

Orion Freeman at Tin Angel - 3/23/12
Next on the bill was Orion Freeman, a new name to me from the ever changing, vast list of Philly artists.  It just so happened to be Freeman’s debut show at the Tin Angel.  Nonetheless, I’m always willing to give a “new artist” a chance.  Freeman began his set solo for the more “folky” material.  At times he was joined by some special guest musicians.  From the songs that I can remember hearing (sorry, I don’t remember the entire setlist) I really enjoyed listening to “The Science of Release” and it was nice that Freeman closed his set with his father playing fiddle on “It’s Alright”.  Orion Freeman has a delightfully raspy, somewhat timid voice that harbors a lot of hope even when he sings some of the saddest songs — nice!

Oh my, I had such a good time and I can’t wait to see where the live music leads me next.

 

Album Review: Railroad Fever – ‘Things You Lost’

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Railroad Fever: Things You Lost Railroad Fever
Things You Lost
(RAILROAD FEVER, 2012)

Track List:
01. Gone Are The Days
02. Every Single Day
03. Shipwrecks
04. Good Friday
05. Cayo
06. Tex Cobb
07. Left Of Nowhere
08. Guarracino Legs
09. Saint Dorothy’s Shame
10. Take My Chances
11. Consequential Blues

It’s exciting to come across music that’s special and blog-worthy like Railroad Fever’s ‘Things You Lost’.  Yes, finding GREAT music can really make your day.

‘Things You Lost’ opens with “Gone Are The Days” a song that unleashes a powerful, rugged, genuine voice (“it ain’t your fault but it might be mine”) that will immediately catch your ears’ attention and command your interest.  The next song, “Every Single Day” showcases a softer side of Railroad Fever which is nice.  The marching drummed beat on “Left Of Nowhere” really stands out on that song adding another dimension.  Aww, “Saint Dorothy’s Shame” is one of my favorite songs on ‘Things You Lost’.  This song has it all – beautifully played pedal steel, sweet harmonies, angelic female vocals, and it all sounds so phenomenal together.  Also, the harmonica heard on “Consequential Blues” is brilliantly executed.

Most of the songs on ‘Things You Lost’ have great harmonies and excellent backing vocals which is a great quality.  I believe the lead vocals change a few times throughout the album adding to Railroad Fever’s musical diversity and helps keep their sound fresh.  There is a certain level of realness to Railroad Fever’s songwriting that makes their music even more interesting and believable.

After listening to this entire album you will realize ‘Things You Lost’ is a wonderful release from Railroad Fever.  You will like this album for its authentic feel and solid folk rock, roots rock, Americana styling.  The only thing you might not like about this album is how quickly the album ends – then your ears are sadden and left wanting more Railroad Fever music.  And soon you will know (or simply be reminded) just how genius the repeat feature truly is.

Thank you, Railroad Fever, and the cast of musicians that are featured on this album: Dan Collins, Tom Spiker, Jamie Gallagher, Kevin Hanson, Michael Morrow, Raphael Cutrufello, Joe Innes, and everyone else – for sharing ‘Things You Lost’ for all us music fans to hear.

Railroad Fever: website | Facebook

Did You Hear? Peasant – “The Flask” (from ‘Bound For Glory’)

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Peasant - Bound For Glory

Peasant (Damien DeRose) has released the first single, “The Flask”, from his forthcoming album, Bound For Glory, due out in April 2012 on Schnitzel Records.  If this song is any indication of the overall feel of Bound For Glory then we’re all in for a real treat.  Truthfully, when it comes to Peasant as a singer-songwriter I feel that our ears (and any part of us that is musically connected) are in good hands.  Yes, I’ll definitely be waiting for the release of Bound For Glory.  I wish I knew the exact release date then I would start an official countdown.

Peasant: Facebook | @peasantpeasant

Live Review: John Francis Band, Octopus Jones, Ross Bellenoit, James Klueh at Dawson Street Pub (1/3)

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DawsonSt

Dawson Street Pub holds some great musical memories for me so I’m always up for hanging out there.  Plus, this particular Tuesday night’s music was a bill including John Francis Band and Ross Bellenoit, both of whose music I’m familiar with.  As for, Octopus Jones and James Klueh, it never hurts to check out new music.

I’ll blame it on the cold winter weather for why I was running late and missed all but the last song of James Klueh’s set.  Klueh was playing a solo set but it’s not wise or fair to comment on a performance based on one song that was distorted by the cacophonic tone in the pub at that moment.  So, maybe I’ll catch a full set by Klueh at some point.

For years I’ve only knew Ross Bellenoit as an integral musician in several of my favorite bands from the Philly area.  Then I became aware of Bellenoit as a singer-songwriter.  So, whether it’s integral musician Bellenoit or singer-songwriter Bellenoit, Ross is very skilled.  And it’s always a treat to hear Bellenoit play a solo acoustic set.  Hey, Ross, I definitely appreciate hearing the new material – thank you!

Octopus Jones is a five member band from South Carolina with a very diverse sound.  I don’t know how to begin to describe their sound other than to say that it’s good music.  At the beginning of Octopus Jones set I had no idea what to expect but by the end of their set they had just made at least one more fan from their performance.  Octopus Jones is a very energetic band that made a great first impression.  By the way, Octopus Jones’ cover of Tear For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” was fantastic.  NICE!

John Francis Band (John Francis, Ross Bellenoit, Freddie Berman, and Phil D’Agostino) had the final set of the night.  Prior to last night I had not seen John Francis live before but I’m very familiar with his album ‘Better Angels’ because it’s one of my favorites.  Anyway, no surprise that John Francis Band played an incredible set last night at Dawson Street Pub.  It was nice to hear Francis’ folk, country, Americana blend of music live – it made my ears smile.  Plus, the stories that accompany some of Francis’ songs are so entertaining and added a great vibe to the performance.  Even though it was getting late and I was getting tired I knew that I couldn’t leave before John Francis’ set was over or else I would regret it.  And I’m so glad that I stayed until the end because I heard a lovely cover of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” – I love that song.

Tuesday nights can be fairly dull so I must thank: Russ, The Blinkin Lincoln, Dawson Street Pub, John Francis Band, Octopus Jones, Ross Bellenoit, and James Klueh for a great night of music.

 

Upcoming Shows:
John Francis
1/08/2012 – Sellersville Theatre (Sellersville, PA) Opening for Buffy Sainte-Marie
1/14/2012 – Pete’s Candy Store (New York, NY)

Ross Bellenoit
1/10/2012 – The Fire (Philadelphia, PA)
1/21/2012 – World Cafe Live [upstairs] (Philadelphia, PA)

Octopus Jones
1/05/201 – Martin’s Downtown (Roanoke, VA)
1/07/2012 – L.A.B. (Asheville, NC)

James Klueh
>>>>> TBA >>>>>

Happy 2012!

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2012

In 2012, One Fan at a Time is all about getting back to what it is that drives us – MUSIC.  We have been rather inattentive and have not been keeping up with our favorite artists like we once did.  So, here’s to 2012 – a fresh start and a greater focus on Philly music.  After all, we owe it to you (our wonderful readers), the artists, and ourselves.

Music – too much is not enough.

Live Review: Cheers Elephant, Illinois, Hollis Brown at Johnny Brenda’s (12/29/2011)

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Illinois 12292011

In my younger years I used to get to shows too early and had to wait around for the opening band which was a good thing because I picked up some favorite bands in the process.  Well, of late, I’ve been rather late to shows and end up missing most of the opening act.  I apologize, as a music enthusiast I should know how to schedule my time better.  That being said, I did miss all but the last 30 seconds of Hollis Brown’s set.  I’ve never seen that band before so I would have at least liked to have seen their set.  Hopefully, we’ll cross musical paths sometime in the future.

I did of course make it to Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia, PA) in time to see Illinois.  After all, Illinois is one of my favorite bands and for good reason – their live shows are always incredible.  I’ve seen Illinois countless times since 2005 and I don’t recall every seeing a bad performance by them.  So, if Illinois is playing a show in the area then I always try my best to make sure I’m there.  I admire and respect the effort and passion that Illinois put into their music which makes their music sound so good.  By the way, great news, Illinois is going to release a new album soon so keep an ear out for that.

Cheers Elephant was the headlining band for this show.  Although I haven’t seen Cheers Elephant in ages it was nice to see that they had not lost an ounce of their on stage dancing, energy, and antics.  Man, that is one hyper band and that’s exciting when it comes to live performances.  So, it was great to see Cheers Elephant again and their performance made it quite apparent that I really need to see this band more often.

See the entire photo set here.