Kentuckyseven

• We got a letter from amazing band Sunshine & The Blue Moon.

”I think it’s safe to say we’re a nostalgic bunch. We get our music on vinyl or tape, we take our photos and shoot home videos on film, we drive around in my big old boat of a car, anything that brings us a little farther away from the pervasive technologies that dog all of our daily lives.”

Well that pretty much sums things up. We love this band. The song Lucy is beautiful as an autumn harvest in summer time. It’s a thing of truth, love and – nostalgia. Debut-LP out this Fall, we can´t wait.

Man, this is groovy as a snake tail in Virginia County. I can´t sit still and – BY GOD – I won´t. It´s boot stompin, hoot humpin, loot lumpin. All of my trouble – and trouble is my only friend.

The Temperance Movement is a wonderful, british americanaband that will rock’n’roll our ages this fall. Hell aint a bad place to be…cheers to Glasgow-born singer Phil Campbell.

Check out this great tune Only Friend, from the debut LP (namned after the band – The Temperance Movement) out this fall. Rock. On.

James Walbourne – The Hill

Label: Heavenly. Releasedate: Jan 31 2011.

James Walbourne´s debut album hit stores Monday morning. The Londoner is out doing his legwork, supporting Justin Townes Earle on tour and in February Walbourne gets on the dusty road with labelbuddies Sea of Bees and Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou.

Listening to James Walbourne I get a good Tim Easton slash Lars Winnerbäck vibe. It´s easygoing, free stuff yet thoughtful and willowy. My hunch says Walbourn and bandmates had a great time recording this album, you can tell just by listening to the tunes. The Hill welcomes you around for tea, the nice sort.

James Walbourne helps Chrissie Hynde out in The Pretenders. He played the guitar on iconic pianoburner Jerry Lee Lewis´ last year album. He tours with Son Volt and The Pogues. Not bad for a young fella…but listening to The Hill you know why. This is blues, countryrock and folk all wrapped up and ready to go. Me like.

¤ Judge says: 4/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

¤ Best tracks: The Hill, Cocaine Eyes

¤ Drink while you listen: 400 Pound Monkey

¤ Check it out: JW – Myspace + JW – Spotify

Cold War Kids – Mine Is Yours

Label: Downtown records. Releasedate: Jan 25, 2011

First time I heard Cold War Kids was on tv. Watching Letterman, this gang produced a crazy Hospital bed, or was it We used to vacation. Anyways. It got to me like chickenpox. Remined you I also digged the followup, not press-adored 2008 album Loyalty to Loyalty, expectations were up when I opened the box from Cosmos. And man, it blew me away.

This wonderful punksoulband from California has made a brilliant album. Singer Nathan Willett told me a couple of days ago that “We want people to dig deep in this album. It’s not an easy one, but it has a lot to offer.” True dat, Nathan. I´m hooked from the quiet beginning via the catchy Royal Blue to the best part, the last four songs who makes a fistful of greatness.

It is a different Cold War Kids album. It´s more mature and spins a lot around commitment and friendship. It´s like the wild nights caught up with the band and left them stranded with an empty bottle. On that end they found producer Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits) and eleven enchanting songs. Instead of turning boring they turned the corner.

Credit to drummer Matt Aveiro for the sound, the often erie beginnings and twisted ends. To me – let´s make it easy – this is a record I wanna listen to. Piling up and down in the playlist, Mine Is Yours gets stuck in playmode. I´m keeping it that way.

¤ Judge says: 6/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

¤ Best Track: Bulldozer

¤ Drink while you listen: Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

¤ Check it out: CWK – Myspace + CWK – Spotify

We got an absolute gem for ya´ll = an exclusive interview with singer Nathan Willett of the awesome punksoulband Cold War Kids.

The Kids release their new album Mine Is Yours Jan 25 and you´ll find the review come Monday morning right here on Kentuckyseven.

Until then, enjoy!

Photo: Lucy Hamblin

Congrats on a great new album! Your hopes for 2011?

”We want people to dig deep in this album. It’s not an easy one, but it has a lot to offer. I think we’ll be touring it all year.”

Any books or records that have influenced you in the making of Mine Is Yours?

”Woody Allen – Husbands and Wives. Cassavettes – A Woman Under the Influence. Jonathan Franzen – The Discomfort Zone.”

Track #8 ”Bulldozer” have been on repeat @ Kentuckyseven for quite a  while. What can you tell us about the song?

”It probably embodies the content of this record more than any other song. The struggle of relationships. It’s the band’s favorite song.”

No band opens a song as brilliantly as you guys (readers: check out track #10 Cold Toes On The Cold Floor). It´s like you´re not ready and then it rolls on like a circus in a thunder storm. How does that work in the studio?

”We like to do things live. We like to hear things in the background, or tape rolling or something natural.”

I sense a diffrence in the sound, the lyrics and the approach of the new album. It´s more Cold War Men than Kids, it´s a more mature album if you will. Agree?

”Yes. Lyrically, it’s less fictional character driven, more journalism/autobiographical. Coming from a group of friends who are crossing in to age 30, dealing with relationships and commitment.”

The album is produced by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon). What´s his input to Mine Is Yours.

”Jacquire put us at our best. He watched how we work, let us exhaust and idea and suggested new ways to think about arrangements. Simple, mystical stuff.”

Any swedish memories you could share with our readers?

”The first time we went to Europe was for the Oya festival five years ago or so. Beautiful girls with great educations.”

In my book your previous full length albums Robbers & Cowards (2006) and Loyalty to Loyalty (2008) are just epic stuff. This is your third one, could you see CWK doing three more albums?

”Absolutely, I think we are in it for the long haul. We try to think of every record as the first.”

I played track #3 Royal Blue to my wife the other day. She couldn´t stop dancing. Is this dance music?

”The guitar line on that song has a certain swing to it that’ll get ya moving.”

Thanks for a great album, take care and hope to see ya´ll soon!

”Cheers!”

¤¤¤Want more of Cold War Kids? Check out this and this.

I´ve loved Langhorne Slim, or Sean Scolnick if you will, since the first day I heard him sing. It´s something about him. Something wonderful and unique. One day I will shake his hand and buy him a cold one. That is a promise.

His last album hit the scene 2009, and instantly became my #1 album of the year. Since then this 30 year old folkrocker from Langhorne, Pennsylvania has been on stage. On every road, as Mark Knopfler said. He is wandering the soil of America and you can hear it in his voice.

Kentuckyseven is proud to present a smalltalk (a WAYLT) with Slim. Check out his next gig = Jan 19 Belly Up Tavern CA, Jan 20 Galaxy Concert Theatre CA, Jan 21 The Music Box CA, Jan 22 The Fillmore CA.

And let´s give him a hrmph for admiring the K7-darling book.

Langhorne, what are you listening to right now?

”Bill Withers Live at Carnegie Hall.  It is amazing!”

Best book read during 2010?
”The Master and Margarita.”

Who deserves a breakthru in 2011?
”We are currently on tour with an artist from Scotland named Ryan Lauder and we love him.  Check him out!!”

Langhorne – Home, Langhorne – Myspace, Langhorne – Spotify.

We all wanna quit our dayjobs, huh? We all wanna make a dime, huh? Well, we all need a cool T-shirt. Our K7-store is finally up, we love all buyers and their relatives. Forever. Tack.

The Kentuckyseven Store

From Alabama, let´s hear it for Lydia and Laura Rodgers. Two sisters of mercy, made a debutrecord of oldschool music in a vibrant mood.

The Secret Sisters, maybe not a secret any more, makes me wanna go back to a time of americana heartland, a time before country music, a time of sweet potatoes and apple pie.

They made their 11-song debut on Belaroit/Universal Music, released by the awesome T Bone Burnett, and hitting Kentuckyseven´s soft spot.

The sisters have shared stage with Jack White and Elvis Costello. Coming up is the European tour, kicking of Feb 16th, and yes – they play with the almighty Ray LaMontagne.

¤ Next gig: Tonite Jan 14th on Higher Ground in South Burlington, tomorrow  Jan 15th Bowery Ballroom in NYC.

Secret Sisters – Myspace, Secret Sisters – Home, Secret Sisters – Spotify.

Our friend Rocky Votolato released a new video and tourdates today.

RV´s new vid.

Heidi Spencer And The Rare Birds – Under Streetlight Glow

Bella Union. Releasedate 2011-01-17.

The record begins. I´m letting Heidi Spencer enter my atmosphere. She sings, with her battered, mistreated, cruel, hurting, fetching, blinding voice.

”No one need to know

We laid around all day

Let´s make up a good – alibi

Let´s take it to the grave

Take it to the moon.”

Well, Heidi had me at hello. This is a sad record, yet heartwarming. It´s like a wind that carries you on. To the next place, maybe even a better one.

It´s haunting music that keeps rolling in. The Rare Birds make a perfect terrain to Heidi´s voice. It´s all about the voice. It´s there when the drugs won´t work.

This is Heidi Spencer´s third album. It´s her first on the great indie label Bella Union (Low Anthem, Midlake, Beach House). It will make the difference. It will take this Milwaukeegirl for a ride into the charts, well deserved.

Heidi Spencer remindes me of Emmylou Harris, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty. Whatever. She´s made a perfect soundtrack to a rainy Sunday.

I´m listening to the gutting #3 track Moth Met Spider. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut; So it goes.

¤ Judge says: 6/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

¤ Best Track: Alibi

¤ Drink while you listen: Whiskey, no rocks.

¤ Check it out: Heidi on Spotify, Heidi on Myspace.