keyboards, et cetera
Sugar Plums #12 is under the tree! Lots of love and mistletoe to Phil Pickens and Ashley Grombol for keeping the holiday spirit alive lo these many years (and thanks for always inviting me back). Enjoy!
BARKHOUSE: PAPER AND INK
Barkhouse's beautiful new record Paper and Ink is out today, and it sounds so warm and lush (mixed & mastered by Jim Bertini at Hive Mind Recording). I'm honored to be on about half of it, playing B3 and a bit of piano. Listen below, or wherever you stream music.
Thrilled to play piano and string machine on this lovely duet by Richard Dev Greene with Cáit O'Riordan (The Pogues, Elvis Costello, etc) — a fitting message for springtime, if you ask me.
(Recorded by Craig Dreyer at Mighty Toad, mixed by James Frazee at Hobo Sound, mastered by Kim Rosen at Knack Mastering)
THE HOLLOWS: LONESOME GHOST
Glide Magazine calls it "a return in fine rock form... dwelling on loftier subject matters... about loss and memory, confrontation and absence, and finding a clandestine sense of play. The band also doesn’t hold back from exploring new sonic territory, skillfully steering from bluegrass and folk-influenced rock to contemplative soundscapes, psych rock, soul, and triumphant jams. Tying it all together is a sense of craftmanship that manifests in the lyrics and the eclectic musicianship."
We put a lot of work into this EP and I'm so proud of it. Thanks to my bandmates, our producer James Frazee, and every single person who's supported The Hollows over the past nearly thirteen (!) years.
J. BRECKENRIDGE: MONOTONY
Available wherever you stream music! I'm all over it with a mess of synths and electric pianos-- thrilled to be in the company of such a fine group of musicians. Thanks to Josh for bringing me into the fold, and thanks as always to producer James Frazee for encouraging me to keep it weird.
We had planned to play Littlefield tonight, but... well, it's right there in the title.
(Like so many venues, Julie and her staff are struggling to stay afloat during the shutdown-- if you can, please help them out.)
Words and Music by Bob Dylan
Produced by Jeff Litman
Edited by Bryan Dunn
The Delorean Sisters (Lizzie Caplan, Gary Lowery, Clive Thompson, Diane Wohland)
Bucky Hayes and the Commonwealth (Bucky Hayes, Patrick Hay, Bobby McCullough, David Paarlberg, Jon Lijoi, Brad Mulholland)
Bryan Dunn and the Convenients (Bryan Dunn, Jeff Litman, Andi Rae Healy, Mitch Marcus, Matt Arbeiter, Joseph Brent)
Always happy to do another show with the Leave A Lasting Mark concert series-- this time virtually as part of Roomful of Sky Music's #SaveTheBitterEnd benefit.
Check out the LALM set here, watch all 20 acts here, and if you can, please donate to help save this historic venue.
Easy to forget that today's the first day of spring! This is one of my favorite Tom Waits / Kathleen Brennan tunes, and its message of hope in trying times seems important today. Stay gold.
The Hollows are a band that used to play together in the same room, however, now, do not.
Here's a brand new tune, written and collaborated on in quarantine. Thanks to Pandemic Home Companion for including this segment in their broadcast this week.
Honored to serve as music director playing Mikey Rosenbaum's beautiful score for Metropolitan, a new musical premiering at the Fresh Fruit Festival July 9th, 11th, and 14th. More details, showtimes, and ticket info HERE.
LOCAL INDUSTRIES: "LEVEL UP" (AD SPOT)
Recorded some theremin sounds for Local Industries' "Level Up" campaign-- check it out!
On the heels of NPR’s Tiny Desk contest, Bob Boilen (All Songs Considered) and Rita Houston (WFUV) invited Phil Pickens and his band The Astronauts to play the legendary Hit Factory in the heart of NYC. NPR Music recalls his sound as “big-hearted” and “rootsy”. The new album, Cathedrals, is out now. Check out some selected tracks HERE, and head over to philpickens.com for more.
