But in addition to all of this, Kate Davis also works on solo material in the indie rock genre, songs described as being both informed by and in rebuttal of her formal training. Back in 2019, Davis released Trophy on Solitaire Recordings, an album that explored identity and loss with a distinctively heartfelt, cathartic tone. And this year, Davis has teamed up with Daniel Johnston’s charity, the Hi How Are You Project, to record a cover album of Johnston’s Strange Boy. The project is a “non-profit organization inspiring new conversations around mental health issues by funding and creating thoughtful media content, projects and events,” and a portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting this good work.

Something of an archetype in the bedroom pop genre, Johnston has been covered many times by the current crop of musicians, but taking on a whole record of a performer so singular and beloved is no mean feat. But Davis has the skill, range and emotional sensitivity to do his work justice, as highlighted by lead single ‘I’ll Do Anything But Breakdance For Ya, Darling.’ “When I first heard Daniel Johnston I was struck by the directness and clarity in his writing,” Davis says. “I wanted to gain perspective into that directness.” This version does exactly that, serving as a poignant tribute to Johnston himself while retaining the personal tone that made him so special, carrying the flame for a new generation of artists.

Sometimes I feel like I am a boxer
Seems like I’m always standing in the ring
And then I find someone’s been in my locker
He left me a note that says I can’t sing
I’ll do anything but break dance for you, darlin’

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Earl Boykins – FRIENDS / Everybody Likes Dogs

(RIYL: indie rock, punk, jangle)

E.L.M.H. – Life Is Super

(RIYL: experimental, bedroom pop, ambient)

Emily Hope Jacobsen – Passenger EP

(RIYL: folk, acoustic, Sarah Winchester)

The Emptiness – Sadie, Hawaii

(RIYL: pop, VH1, Arrange)

Eric Funn – No More Blue Tomorrows 

(RIYL: anti-folk, outsider, Daniel Johnston)

Family Video – Too Short, Too Long / Maybe This Summer

(RIYL: lo-fi, pop, indie rock, Standard Fare, Waxahatchee)

Fairweather Currents – Truesdale

(RIYL: bedroom pop, lo-fi, Small Wonder)

Fanpage – Trip

(RIYL: indie rock, experimental, noisy clamour, Sweden)

Free Cake For Every Creature – “pretty good”

(RIYL: lo-fi, bedroom pop, indie rock)

Florist – 6 days of songs

(RIYL: bedroom pop, sad, lo-fi, Frankie Cosmos)

Flower Face – Homesick / Funeral Kid EP

(RIYL: bedroom, sad girl, sincere folk)

Fog Lake – Virgo Indigo

(RIYL: Ambient, dream pop, experimental)

Frankie Cosmos – affirms glinting

(RIYL: bedroom pop, sad, lo-fi, Adult Mom)

Garrett Walters – At the End of South Washington

(RIYL: punk, folk, Ghost Mice)

Geology – Our Intertwined Worlds

(RIYL: folk, indie rock, The Tourist, mewwithoutyou)

German Error Message – Haunts

(RIYL: ambient, bedroom pop, folk, The Microphones)

German Error Message & Lung Cycles – s/t

(RIYL: experimental, ambient, folk, The Microphones)

Girl Valley – June/July II

(RIYL: bedroom acoustic, lo-fi)

Ghosting – Virtual Saxophone Transmissions

(RIYL: vaporwave, smooth jazz, 80s movies)

Gleemer – Holyland USA

(RIYL: shoegaze, dream pop, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine)

Globelamp – Star Dust

(RIYL: dream pop, psychedelic, lo-fi)

The Goodbye Party – Silver Blues

(RIYL: bedroom pop, power pop, Radiator Hospital)

Gorgeous Bully – Smiling, Laughing

(RIYL: indie rock, lo-fi, sad pop)

Hands and Knees – American Cheese

(RIYL: indie pop, Constantines, Born Ruffians)

High Pop – Holy Smokes

(RIYL: punk, fuzz pop, Wavves)

Home Alone – There’s a Light Coming Through

(RIYL: bedroom pop, ambient, dark lonely nights)

Favourite Free Music of 2014 (E-H) from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

The post Favourite Free Music of 2014 (E-H) appeared first on Various Small Flames.

“Most of the songs have something to do with the fear of being trapped in a feeble body, dreams of a muscular form and the relationship between one’s environment, one’s body and one’s being an idiot. I don’t work out a lot, but I think about it often.”

If that sounds weird or in any way preachy, rest assured Working Out is only one of those things. The first single sees a nice dose of humour to back things up. “I think it sounds like a little dog or other animal trying to express malfunctions.” Levy told me in an email. “It also kinda sounds a little bit like scout niblett and saetia, but not really.” 

The first single ‘Dead Lamb’ is available now and seems to be pretty close to the comparisons above. Although, rather than a small dog, I’d compare his vocals to halfway between Daniel Johston and Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

Levy did send me some tour dates with Playlounge which I fully intended to share with you. Unfortunately, due to us being horrible, inefficient people, the tour ended earlier this week.

Working Out will be released on Art is Hard and Reeks of Effort on the 17th November. You can pre-order it here.

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He makes heartfelt love songs, with a naive, almost childlike innocence which brings to mind Daniel Johnston. The album opens with ‘Roll On’, a back-to-basics love song which contains lines like, “Hush my sweet darling, darling don’t you cry / The wind is gonna blow, the grass is gonna grow, the sun is sure to shine.” Many of the songs deal with personal struggle and self-doubt, but unlike many other songwriters who take this route, O’Connell always retains the hope of redemption, namely via the phenomenon of love. On ‘You Belong’ he sings, “The strongest weapon they’ve come up with yet / is a way of making a human forget / How to respect and love themselves / and share that love with someone else.”

O’Connell writes songs rooted in a refreshing simplicity, with a classic folk style that brings to mind fellow Canadian Mike Tod. Lots of his songs deal with escape from our modern money-driven culture. For example on ‘Roll On’ he sings, ”Don’t you go chasing those tainted paper greens / Open your heart, don’t fill it up, bust it at the seams.“ In the wrong hands these kinds of messages can come across of happy-clappy hippie-speak, but O’Connell’s disarming naivete means that you really believe what he is saying.

The fact is that in order to solve some of the biggest social and environmental issues that we currently face, we must learn to live within our means. This means that the modern obsession with material wealth and financial growth must be replaced with something else. O’Connell’s suggestion is to obtain the small number of things that we really do need and then enjoy them with people that we love.

You can get Wet Moccasin Moondance on a name-your-price basis via Bandcamp.

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Tracklisting:

1. Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas Cover) – Gwar^
2. Rebellion (Lies) (Arcade Fire Cover) – Trampled By Turtles^
3. Hickory (Iron & Wine Cover) – Pilots & Errors
4. Candy O (The Cars Cover) – Richard Buckner
5. No Diggity (Backstreet Cover) – Chet Faker
6. All Hell For a Basement (Big Sugar Cover) – Jordan Soles
7. Locked In (Wesley Wolfe Cover) – Schooner
8. Hollywood Forever Cemetry Sings (Father John Misty Cover) – Tashaki Miyaki
9. Motor Away (Guided By Voices Cover) – Bill Times a Billion
10. Kid’s Allright (Bettie Serveert Cover) – Three Blind Wolves
11. (What’s So Funny ‘bout) Peace Love and Understanding (Brinsley Schwartz Cover) – Shovels & Rope
12. Red Comet Dust (Jason Molina Cover) – CFCF
13. I Would Not Die in the Springtime (Stephen Foster Cover) – Field Report
14. On of Us Cannot Be Wrong (Leonard Cohen Cover) – Father John Misty
15. True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston Cover) – Isaac Delusion
16. Entertainment (Phoenix Cover) – Dinosaur Jr.
17. Hey Tonight (Free Energy Cover) – Patrick Stickles
18. Los Angeles, I’m Yours (The Decemberists Cover) – Mariachi El Bronx
19. Days of Heaven (Randy Newman Cover) – Phosphorescent
20. Everything Trying (Damien Jurado Cover) – Night Beds*
21. I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher Cover) – Mark Kozelek

* – Taken from the Night Beds Chapel Session by Fuel Friends
^ – Taken from the A.V. Undercover series.

This mix is intended as a way of giving artists some publicity. Please have a closer look at the bands you enjoy, then maybe go to a show and buy their records. They probably have families to feed too.

The Covers Mix: Volume #7 from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

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Today is the first volume. It features a mix of styles and bands, covering classic songs and new music. We hope you enjoy these re-workings as much as we do.

WTD’s Covers Mix, Volume #1:

1. Crystalized (The XX Cover) – Holly Miranda
2. Her Vore (Coma Cinema Cover) – Fog Lake
3. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths Cover) – Dan Mangan
4. Don’t Haunt This Place (The Rural Alberta Advantage Cover) – Yellow Ostrich
5. Tears Are In Your Eyes (Yo La Tengo Cover) – The Antlers
6. Cars (Gary Numan Cover) – The Leisure Society (Thanks to TWR for the shout!)
7. Old Old Fashioned (Frightened Rabbit Cover) – John Statz
8. Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Yes Cover) – Grizzly Bear
9. I Fought The Law (Bobby Fueller Cover) – Titus Andronicus
10. I Will Truck (Dirty Projectors Cover) – Painted Palms
11. A Case Of You (Joni Mitchell Cover) – James Blake
12. Devil Town (Daniel Johnston Cover) – Bright Eyes
13. Like A Diamond (Glass Ghost Cover) – Sharon Van Etten
14. Ex-Girl Collection (The Wrens Cover) – Will Sheff
15. Angst In My Pants (Sparks Cover) – Signals
16. Sleep All Summer (Crooked Fingers Cover) – St Vincent & The National
17.Beacon Hill (Damien Jurado Cover) – The Head And The Heart
18. Best Ever Death Metal Band Out Of Denton (The Mountain Goats Cover) – Andy Hull
19. Godbye Again (John Denver Cover) – Youth Lagoon
20. Long Desert Train (Jason Molina Cover) – Strand Of Oaks (Thanks to CXCW)

You know the drill – support the bands. Each of the artists’ names above will take you to their website so explore further. Don’t be an Emily White, musicians have to eat too.

The Covers Mix: Volume #1 from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

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