featuring…

Elizabeth & the Catapult

Source: MySpace.com

If you got out to see Sam on his concert tour this past fall, then you may have already heard (and fell in love with) Elizabeth & the Catapult. I know both LiLi and I did. They are truly an amazing live act to see!

The songs are catchy and fun to sing along with, and if you don’t make Momma’s Boy your official girl anthem, something may be wrong with you. The CD Taller Children has had some prime time in my CD player in my car, and I pretty much got every song memorized. Plus, look at that picture. Is Elizabeth not cute as a button?!?

And it wasn’t just by chance that we choose Elizabeth and the Catapult to be the first band in our new feature, Mix Tape Monday. Today they also released a music video for one of my (and LiLi’s) fave songs on the album, “Race You.”

Watch it and love it, after the jump! (Video autostarts)

From MySpace.com…

The title of Elizabeth and the Catapult’s Verve Forecast debut album Taller Children reflects the unique blend of pop playfulness and grown-up introspection that defines Ziman’s distinctive songwriting. Such memorable originals as “Rainiest Day of Summer,” “Apathy,” “The Hang Up” and “Hit the Wall” embody a vibrant mix of open-hearted wonder, whimsical humor and forthright emotional insight, merging classic pop melodicism with an array of acoustic textures, jazz twists and orchestral flourishes.

The quality of the songs—including a memorable reading of the Leonard Cohen classic “Everybody Knows” —is matched by intimate, effortlessly soulful performances by the Brooklyn trio, which also includes guitarist Pete Lalish and drummer Danny Molad.

Although the bulk of Taller Children was recorded with producer Mike Mogis (noted for his work with the likes of Bright Eyes, M. Ward and Rilo Kiley), several of the album’s performances were drawn from the homespun demos that the band recorded in drummer Molad’s home studio. The resulting album strikes a vital balance between lush sophistication (with such elements as Ziman’s elegant string arrangements) and spare, unadorned simplicity.

The qualities that make Taller Children such a refreshing surprise have already made Elizabeth and the Catapult a beloved favorite on New York’s downtown club scene, where the threesome’s winsome tunes and energetic, surprise-filled live shows have won them a large and devoted local fan base.

Elizabeth’s warmly personal songs reflect the diverse influences of her lifelong pursuit of music. She grew up in New York’s Greenwich Village, just down the street from the Cafe Wha? and the Fat Black Pussycat, where her future heroes Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell got their start.

Elizabeth and the Catapult are on MySpace, Twitter and you can buy their album Taller Children on iTunes and Amazon.

What are Mix Tape Mondays?

We love Sam, Bobby and Marcus as much as all of you, but sometimes we need some other tunes to play in between the Brit Boy awesomeness. Mix Tape Mondays are when LiLi and I will feature some of our fave lesser known (aka indie) groups, music that is definitely worth being on your “mix tape” with the guys! Pretty soon, we will have an entire page dedicated to the groups we feature, but in the mean time we’d love to take your suggestions on artists you think we need to check out. Send any suggestions (as well as a link to their MySpace page or some other page where we can hear some tunes) to LiLi and I at shackofsoul@hotmail.com. Remember, we’d like to keep this peeps that are up and coming, so unsigned or artists signed to Indie labels are preferred.

Take a moment in the comments and let us know what you think of Elizabeth &  the Catapult. Did you see them on the tour, or are you listening for the first time today? What do you think of the video? It’s not unusual for our featured artists to make an appearance on the site, so be sure to say hi!