Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore Release New Disc "Dear Companion" / All Proceeds Benefit iLoveMountains.org

DOWNLOAD: "Something, Somewhere, Sometime" - Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore

Ben Sollee's new disc, Dear Companion, was released today and here is the copy of the note that Ben sent out earlier this morning:

Just wanted to send a brief note to let you know that my new record, Dear Companion, is just released today. It's a collaborative project between fellow Kentuckian Daniel Martin Moore and myself produced rock-maestro Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket. We've come together to make some music celebrating our cultural ties to Appalachia and to raise awareness about mountain-top removal coal mining. It's an unfortunately efficient means of strip mining to removes to summits of mountains to dig out coal. Daniel and I feel that losing our environmental and cultural heritage is far too big a sacrifice for something as inefficient as coal.

We're donating a portion of the proceeds to the organization Appalachian Voices to help with all the good work they are doing to help raise awareness around the issue and to help amplify the voices of people struggling in the coal fields. You can find out more about what they do at www.ilovemountains.org.

We had a tremendous amount of fun making this record and we hope that will enjoy and make it a part of your listening. We're not trying to change the world with this music. We're just trying to discover our role in it all. I hope you can share with others and spread the good.

Thanks to Sub Pop records for getting beyond this project and recognizing that we're all in this together as a nation.

Take Care,
Ben

The tour kicks off this week and stops at Joe's Pub on March 5th and 6th. Here are the complete tour dates:

2.16 - Louisville, KY - Ear X-tacy (In-Store)
2.17 - Lexington, KY - CD Central (In-Store)
2.19 - Cincinnati, OH - Shake-It Records (In-Store)
2.19 - Cincinnati, OH - Northside Tavern
2.20 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio
2.25 - Nashville, TN - Grimey's (In-Store)
2.25 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
2.26 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theater
2.27 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
3.01 - Boone, NC - Boone Saloon
3.02 - Carrboro, NC - Carrboro Arts Center
3.04 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
3.05 - New York, NY - Joe's Pub
3.06 - New York, NY - Joe's Pub
3.09 - Albany, NY - The Linda
3.11 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
3.12 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
3.13 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's
3.15 - Cedar Rapids, IA - CSPS
3.16 - St. Louis, MO - Old Rock House
3.18 - Austin, TX - SXSW
3.19 - Austin, TX - SXSW
3.26 - Santa Monica, CA - McCabe's
3.27 - San Francisco, CA - Swedish American Hall
3.29 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
3.30 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
4.02 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
4.03 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theater

Links:
Dear Companion
Ben Sollee
Daniel Martin Moore

Ben Sollee Plays an Early Show at Mercury Lounge Tomorrow Night

Here is my pick of the week...Ben Sollee caught my attention last year when he was named one of NPR's "Top Ten Unknown Artists".

Ben is off on his first solo tour and he has a new EP out, Something Worth Keeping. This disc is knee-deep in poignant imagery and, in keeping with the buildup to the recent election, there are a few songs with a political bent.

Check out the video for "A Few Honest Words".


Here are Ben's comments on the political songs on the new disc:

"The beauty of people is anchored in imperfection; it is not that we are destructive but that we are ignorant to a better way. We dream big with even bigger costs. Furthermore, we learn the lesson daily that we don’t know what we have until it is gone. Combined, these two qualities are child-like but ever present.

When I look around I see a lot of things that are worth keeping: the mountain tops of Appalachia, family and community farms, art and music in schools, and, most of all, a government by the people and for the people. But how? The challenge that our leaders and us face is that we don’t know how to accomplish these goals. There are many eloquent ideas out there about renewable energy, educational systems, and governing, but realizing them means trying new things; which is daunting at least, and terrifying at most. As my generation takes the reins we should not sacrifice some qualities of this nation and the land in its boundaries to the wayfaring spirit of economy. They are important for Americans, our children, and the rest of the world.

These thoughts inspired these two new songs. But they are only songs…" - Ben Sollee

I have high expectations for this show. Ben is playing solo with his cello and his stage set will be featuring the visual art of Phillip March Jones. Kim Taylor is opening the show and tickets are $12.

This is an early show -- Kim is playing at 7PM and Ben is playing at 8PM.

Links:
Ben Sollee's MySpace Profile