Ryan Stimpson (The Fear and Trembling) Releases First Solo Project as a Free Download

Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ryan Stimpson (of The Fear and Trembling [TFAT]) has released his first solo disc, Quick 'n Easy, as a free download under the band name Pockets of Humanity. Quick 'n Easy is a significant departure from the orchestral rock of TFAT as this is an electronica album that is comparable to early works by O.M.D. or (a slower-paced) Adam and the Ants.



The Fear and Trembling have kicked off a fund-raising campaign to raise funds to go into the studio this fall and record their follow-up to their 2009 debut release Octopus with Kurt Ballou (Kickstart pledge link is on the right nav bar). Check out the Kickstart pledge page as the band is offering some pretty cool chatchies.

Links:
The Fear and Trembling
Octopus Review

Those Darlins Play the 'Center of the Earth' (Cumberland Caverns) on Saturday, Sept. 26th

DOWNLOAD: Those Darlins - "Wild One"
DOWNLOAD: Those Darlins - "The Whole Damn Thing" (HearYa Session)

This has to be one of the coolest venues that I've ever heard about...

Next Saturday, Those Darlins are playing Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, TN.

Bluegrass Underground is a radio show recorded live 333 feet below ground at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, Tn inside of what was named by the first people to behold the natural amphitheatre, The Volcano Room. Here water and time entwined 3.5 million years ago to create one of the most acoustically pure natural spaces on earth. No man-made sound reaches the Volcano Room and the living rock hued amid the eons is jagged and uneven, providing limited echo.

The primordial silence and perpetual darkness give way each month to the sounds of the finest music of the greatest bluegrass musicians on earth. Regardless of outside temperature, the Volcano Room is a constant 56 degrees.

Given that McMinnville is 14 hours from Brooklyn, I'm not going to make it to the show but...if anyone gets pictures, send them along and I'll get them posted.

For anyone who is going to make it out to the show - tickets are $20 and are available through Bluegrass Underground's website.

Links:
Those Darlins

Those Darlins - Photos from the Mercury Lounge, NYC 7-9-09

DOWNLOAD: Those Darlins - "The Whole Damn Thing" (from HearYa Live Session)

Those Darlins seem to be on everyone's "buzz band" list these days so I was definitely curious to check out the band's live show. Given the size of the crowd and how tightly packed the room was, it looks like a lot of other people had a similar interest. I arrived just before Heavy Trash went on and there were still tickets at the door but I'm assuming that the show sold out later that night.

While I've enjoyed Those Darlins' debut disc, this is one band that you have to see live to truly appreciate. Those Darlins' set was loose and shambolic but totally charming. The band played the brunt of their new CD (I don't remember hearing "Glass to You") along with some covers by Link Wray ("Hang On") and The Sonics ("The Witch").









Nikki Darlin seemed to be the wild one as she did a bit of crowd surfing, brought an enthusiastic fan on stage to dance and ended up sitting on Kelley (who continued playing her guitar).







Those Darlins are on the road for most of the summer and current tour dates are posted on Those Darlins' MySpace profile.

Those Darlins Are Back in NYC for a CD Release Party This Thursday and Friday

DOWNLOAD: Those Darlins - Red Light Love (MP3)

Nashville's Those Darlins are in town this week for a CD Release Party this Thursday and Friday. The band's debut CD, which was recorded here in town with producer Jeff Curtin (Vampire Weekend), comes out on CD and vinyl on Tuesday.

Thursday's show (July 9th) is at Mercury Lounge and Those Darlins are supported by Heavy Trash (Jon Spencer's new project). Tickets are $10 and Those Darlins go on at 10:30PM (which probably means 11:30PM as I've never seen a show at the Merc run on time).

Friday's show (July 10th) is at Southpaw and Those Darlins are supported by The So So Glos and We Are Country Mice. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 9PM.

Those Darlins' self-titled new disc is currently available on iTunes and you can pre-order the LP (which comes with a CD) and CD from the band's online store.



Links:
Those Darlins' MySpace Profile

The Fear and Trembling:The Fear and Trembling’s Octopus CD Review (Prog Rock)

The Fear and Trembling's debut CD, The Fear and Trembling's Octopus, comes on like a long-lost concept album by one of the classic 70's prog-rock bands (Steely Dan, Genesis and Supertramp are some points of comparison).

While this disc isn't a concept album per-se, TFAT pack their 60 minute debut full of elaborately arranged orchestral rock tunes. The band makes good use of the piano and strings like cello, violin and lap steel to add some extra dimensions to each song and the band's musical chops are obviously as every note and chord seems to have been chosen with care. Careful production and engineering also brings out the sound of each instrument so that every note is both balanced and clear.

There is enough diversity in the music so that listener attention spans don't lag. The music and song tempos rise and fall within individual tracks and across the disc as the band builds their musical lanscape. It is hard to pick a single stand-out cut as all the tracks have a unique identity of their own and there really is no filler on this disc. As a starting point to the band's music, go out to their MySpace page (link below) and listen to the orchestral "Introduction" which tracks into the grunge introduction to "Octopus". Some of the other recommended cuts are "Red Panda" and the Smashing Pumpkins-ish "Centipede".

Given the intricate song structures and the 'big' sound of this new disc, I'm interested in seeing how the band translates this sound to the live stage. The band has a couple of upcoming area shows over the next few weeks:

June 12, 2009, 9:00PM, Supreme Trading, Brooklyn, New York
July 15 2009, 8:00PM, R Bar, New York, New York

Links:
The Fear and Trembling's MySpace Profile