Kentuckyseven

What Way Out West is really about? Down to the bone? Here’s the Kentuckyseven Experience. Buckle up.

Giant and their boots-cover-LP. The porcelain toilet of the press centre. To dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free. Warm sun, cold beer. The search for Jason Isbell. Walking down Linnégatan in the rain. The drugs. The girls. The greatest song on Appetite for destruction.

The apartment in Kullavik Centrum where it all started. The side burns of Woody-Kim. Sturgill Simpson, the ruler of our kingdom. The tears. The bus rides. The search for Jack White. The pitch dark Father John Misty chatting away. Grey Goose served by Rocky Balboa. A sweaty small stage of Pustervik.

Photo: Olof RIngmar

Photo: Olle Kirchmeier

The uncertain uniformity. The Tallest Man On Earth Olof Lundh. The afternoon talks about producer Dave Cobb. The Canadian Fireball’s. The search for Ray LaMontagne. The intense smell of urine. The ducks of the lake. Late nite work in a deserted pressroom. Pizza at midnight, then Burgers at four.

Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl

The eternal beauty of Emmylou Harris. The bond of a 30 year-old friendship. Making money of gunslinging ponchos with Zlatan and The Epic Split. Talks of Vince Neil. Reunions. The next year, the WOW-decade. The missing of dead friends. The search for Ryan Adams.

You know that things will turn out great when you have THE Ray Lamontagne on one side, and THE Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) on the other, doing things together.

It has been six years since the last solo album (Gossip in The Grain 2008) and four years since the last album with The Pariah Dogs  (God Willin & The Creek Don’t Rise 2010).

This time Mr Lamontagne teamed up with legendary Dan Auerbach and the long awaited album will be out may 6 this year. The first single was released today. As alway, pure gold throughout… Listen for yourself.

Josh Kumra, the featured vocalist on Wretch 32’s no.1 hit single ’Don’t Go’, got something cooking. Likened to a young Ray LaMontagne or Ben Harper this Swindon-bloke really makes a difference.

Josh is now working on his debut album having recently signed to Sony RCA. We can´t wait for some expanded soulstuff from the man.

Listen to the track ’Call Off The Search’ – Josh Kumra feat Maiday – great, honest, heartful. Kentuckyseven says; dig.

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.

1. På måndag morgon släpper Kentuckyseven listan med årets bästa plattor. Har ni några sista-minuten-tips?

2. Gais funderar allvarligt på att signa en spelare som heter Jan Banan. WTF?

3. Stor musik som Mr Airplane Man och John Grant får inte plats på min topplista. Hård cutt i år.

4. Läser Jonas Aurells boktips A fraction of the Whole av Steve Toltz. Huvudpersonen skriver från fängelset, bra början.

5. Sugen på att åka till Tate Modern i London och kolla på alla golvets solrosfrön.

6. The Black Keys och Ray Lamontagne får inte heller plats. Rätt skruvat.

7. Deer Tick på Kentuckyseven var stort för oss. Fler galna grejer är på gång. Stay tuned.

Ray LaMontagnes nya vax släpps 17 augusti. Singeln Beg Steal or Borrow smakar fågel. Lyssna själva.

Billboard.com diggar låten:

”Beg Steal or Borrow” – from upcoming album ”God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise” – is the latest release from the master of mature lullabies and his backing band. If the song is any indication, LaMontagne’s first fully self-produced album expands that catalog in his own classic fashion.

Saccharine slide guitar ornaments soft-spoken percussion, but at no point does any of the instrumentation outbid LaMontagne’s dulcet, weathered voice. As the folk artist sings, ”Young man, full of big plans and thinking about tomorrow,” one can appreciate the familiar themes of hometown blues and larger-than-life dreams found in his lyrics.

A pleasing summer teaser, ”Beg Steal or Borrow” sets the band up nicely for its anticipated full-length.”

Här är även en skön liten Ray-intervju från Rolling Stone Magazine.

17:e augusti släpper Ray Lamontagne nytt för fjärde gången.

Denna gången är det helt själproducerat, och tillsammans med nybildade supergruppen Pariah Dogs. En magisk samling musiker som lirat live med bl a Ryan Adams, Tom Waits, Joe Cocker och en hel drös andra artister.

Plattan kommer att heta ”God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise” och är inspelad hemma hos Ray under två veckor.

Förmodligen, förmodligen kommer det bli lika magiskt som hans tidigare verk. Om det inte blir ännu bättre…

Passa på att lyssna upp på Spotify: Ray Lamontagne, en imponerande samling bitar vill jag lova.

Låtlista – God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise

1. Repo Man
2. New York City’s Killing Me
3. God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise
4. Beg Steal Or Borrow
5. Are We Really Through
6. This Love Is Over
7. Old Before Your Time
8. For The Summer
9. Like Rock & Roll and Radio
10. The Devil’s In The Jukebox