But, since it’s not my birthday, I think we should celebrate. Big time. I’m talking the way that I celebrate every time I am at

Please repress this moment. This one. Right here.

a Sam Bradley concert… with a lot of beer, a memory that represses everything the next morning and we place ALL the blame on Jason Segal! Let’s do this!!

In case you all didn’t know, LiLi is my accountability partner at all shows featuring men of a British variety. I mean, she is kind of the worst one ever cause she let’s me get drunk, embarrass myself and then blogs about it for everyone in the world to see (including Sam, we know you are a faithful reader Sam!), but I still love her. It’s like she’s trying to teach me a lesson about not getting drunk at pretty much every show I attend, but yet here we are, and I am still holding beer #5.

Serious Sam moment here…

LiLi and I met through another website and then met in real life through an event that was all centered around that movie that we don’t often (okay, really ever) mention on this site. You know, the one. Don’t play coy with me.

But you know when that moment was that we became besties? The Sam, Marcus, Bobby hoe down in Dallas, pretty close to one year ago tonight. And you know what, for the past year, rarely a day goes by where I don’t talk to LiLi. Where she doesn’t literally make me LOL, to the point where people around me give me weird looks and think I am drunk (which, regardless of what you see at the Sam shows, I AM NOT!).

Please ignore my beer.

LiLi is seriously my sister from another mister, and I’m glad that in all of this craziness, I was lucky to gain such a kick ass friend that I wouldn’t trade for the world! ::hugs::

End Serious Sam moment.

Now, all of you, get down to the comments and leave my girl some love! Tell her she has the best granny panties EVA! Tell her how you also showed one of the guys the BEST fanmade drawings/pictures of them ever! Tell her how you felt so sorry for her when she escorted my drunk ass around at the last Sam show!

Or, you can just wish her a happy birthday. That is totally allowed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILI!!

What is it about a man, his guitar, and a field... ::le sigh::

Andrew Soloman

AND if you can make Andrew’s first show our in sunny California, SAMaM Global is gonna make the pot just a wee bit sweeter for you! The first 20 fans to buy a $5.00 advance ticket get a free autographed “Tides” CD!

Sweet, right? Just email ahartman@samamglobal.com to purchase. Here is the cool flyer and deets for the show:

Download (yes, I said DOWNLOAD, as in you can put it on your iPod and listen FOREVER!) at Fearless Radio!

Unfortunately, real life has been kicking both me and LiLi’s behind lately, and, um, we haven’t gotten to listen yet. We are SO going to, as soon as either of us can stick our heads up out of the water for more then 3.25 seconds and breathe. So, in the mean time we decided you all should listen to it, write a brief summary (500 words or less) on what Bobby said and be sure to include at least 3 quotes that equate awesomeness from the Bobster.

Please and thank you!

Oh, can’t forget this! Best summary gets a superly awesome prize… this VIDEO of Bobby on Fearless!

Wait, I guess I shouldn’t have given you the prize before you did the homework. DAMN!

featuring Matt Pond PA!

This week, we chose Matt Pond PA as our featured band. And we didn’t just pick them for this picture that makes me think we should all be a little worried, or that are the most brilliant band I know! I mean, seriously, who has an axe?!? These guys!

Many of you are going to be seeing these dudes up close and personal very soon, since Bobby Long will be supporting them on their tour starting in May.

From their Facebook page:

From a cabin in the woods outside of Bearsville, NY–where there’s nothing much to do but watch the grass grow up with the coyotes, deer, turkeys, and yes, bears–Matt Pond let go of all those studio entanglements and hacked off a piece of his own fate. Trusting in the flicker at the end of the tunnel, he gives us The Dark Leaves, due April 13th 2010.

In this era of technological advancements, it’s remarkable that something can be repaired the old-fashioned way — dismantling the gears to put it all back together again. After almost giving up on the world outside the woods, Matt Pond, with the invaluable aid of Chris Hansen (engineer, co-producer), returns with The Dark Leaves. It’s a record about surrendering and not, about being done with darkness and having something to sing about it.

Also available from these cabin sessions are the digital, nine-song EP Auri Sacra Fames (currently available exclusively online) and coming soon is “The Threeep,” a set of three 7″, three-song singles with as many songs each (three A-Sides, three Instrumentals, three B-Sides), which conveniently clip together into a cube. Contributing to these sessions are Eve Miller on cello, Christian Frederickson on viola and Dan Crowell on drums. The first installment of the limited-edition vinyl series is available for purchase HERE and on iTunes, with the final two being released in early 2010.

“Starting,” the first single from the “The Threeep,” features the following tracks:

Side A: “Starting” (from The Dark Leaves)
Side B: “Stopping” (non-album track)
Side B: “The Colour Out Of Space” (non-album track)

Personally, this song stuck out the most for me. Why? First, the kick ass video looks like it came from an era of time when all videos were kick ass… the 80s! Being transported back to my childhood FTW! And secondly, come on! This could be LiLi and I’s theme song! For reals.

Of course, these guys got all the social media stuff going on! Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and their very own website! And most importantly, get on over to the tour page and get your tickets! A great opener and a great headliner?! How did we get so lucky?!?

::sigh::

I know he is off recording an album (with a band no less, SQUEE), and he has a few shows scheduled over across the pond, but man, I may go into withdrawals very soon. I mean, even though I fangirl hardcore at his shows and quite possibly embarass myself every time, I can’t wait to do it again!

Good news for some of you, your withdrawals are ending soon. Are you on the list?

Yeah, me neither. So, let’s pine for Marcus together, and admire his “hobo” ways. Hey! He said it, not me! Okay, I’ve said it before but not today. Not while I’m pining away!

P.S. I really love this song. Like, bunches.

Are you following SoS on Twitter?! Why not?!?!? Do it today, and as soon as I hear that Marcus has added some more dates, I will tell you.

We will get through these hard times. Let’s hold hands and listen to Circle in the Square and dream of short pants and sculpting.

featuring…

Sarah Jaffe

Courtesy: Sarah Jaffe's MySpace

I discovered Sarah Jaffe on a sampler album from Austin City Limits, and I’ve been in love ever since. I wish Sarah had a bio or something cool I could post so I could learn more about her, but I seriously can’t find one. I did however find all these beautiful things other people said about her on her official site:

“Every once in a while, an opening act you’ve never heard of takes you by surprise and truly impresses. They start playing. And they’re good. Really good. You stop chatting up your friends and you fall in love with finding new music again.It was mesmerizing Sarah delivered smart, sensitive lyrics with elegant phrasing, beautifully restrained melodies and a very honest, soulful voice.” –BLABBERMOUTH

“Of Thursday’s all-Texan bill, opener Sarah Jaffe triumphed with folk music too robust and interesting to fit in the conventional singer-songwriter category. Her expressive lines are well-worn, but they’re drawn with a distinctly modern touch, and her smoky, blues-tinged voice is radiant with atmosphere and feeling.” – ORLANDO WEEKLY

“Jaffe’s hushed vocals and sharp lyrics were nicely punctuated by her band’s multiple multi-instrumentalists…It was hard not to feel completely embraced by Jaffe’s beautiful voice…She left the stage to a warm ovation, in turn leaving a warm feeling in our freezing Floridian bones.” –QRO MAGAZINE

More about Sarah, after the jump!

Just recently signed with Kirtland Records (an indie label out of Dallas), Sarah plans a full length album this spring, and will also be touring with Norah Jones on a few of her upcoming dates (which you can find here). Also, if you are at SXSW, Sarah is there as well. Go back to that little link and check out her Austin dates as well!

What song did I fall in love with… Even Born Again. Beautiful and haunting, this song just gets stuck in your head and you can’t not listen to it multiple times in a row. Try. I dare you.

And another amazing song… Clementine!

If there is one thing that Sarah Jaffe will never have to contend with it is the idea that she is a female singer for females. There was once a time that being a female singer meant you would undoubtedly be put into an all too snug box. Is she an angry singer? An activist singer? A singer for the victims or the singer your mom bonds with you over? To be honest, when Sarah’s new LP Suburban Nature is released on May 18th she will insert herself into and destroy all those boxes simultaneously, because Sarah is a truth singer …and no matter who or what we are, we all need, and want, our singers to be truth singers.

Growing up in Red Oak, Texas might not be ideal circumstances for breeding the kind of talent that is encompassed in Sarah’s songs, but it does beg the question of nature verses nurture. What we have in us before we are even us, and what we interpret because of life circumstances. Writing since her early teens, many of the songs featured on Suburban Nature were written long before she could even enter the clubs were they are now performed.

Interestingly enough the first single Vulnerable, was written when Sarah was only 17, long before even the material on her first EP, the acclaimed Even Born Again, was produced. Even so, it comprises everything that matters about her voice. If there is one thread that flows through all of Sarah’s work, it is grappling with the self-serving cycles that are in all of us, and  the aftermath that those needs deal out. “I’m a fan of life’s wicked ironies. These things that reveal the truth from an aerial view nowhere near your perspective of the situation, and through these realizations you find redemption.” And so it is with Suburban Nature.

From opening track Before You Go, everything sounds as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon, the sonic spread covering every degree of the mix. It’s thick enough to feel when you breathe, but spacial enough to allow for the one thing that truly matters with singer/songwriters: their voice. When talking to the albums producer and engineer John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, Bill Callahan, Clinic) about the spacious feel of the album, he had this to say on the matter: “I think it was intentional. Both Sarah’s and my feelings on this was that the vocal should be the focal point have as much space as possible, while the music provided an emotional backdrop.”

Skilled players such as Kris Youmans – cello (Bill Callahan, The Paper Chase, Micah P Hinson) Becki Howard – violin (The Crash That Took Me) Jeff Ryan – percussion (The Baptist Generals, St Vincent, Pleasant Grove) and Robert Gomez – guitar (as himself) provide this essential emotional backdrop. Just take a listen to Pretender for an example of the power and talent contained in this group of players. Layers of moveable music float in, out, under and over lines such as “So here we stand, like flowers in the cold, wilt and wither/Here’s your chance/Tell me what you want/I’m a forgiver.” In other situations the group provide the perfect backbeat so Sarah is free to spin yarn that might not always be fact, but like we said, is certainly truth.

On Clementine, she sings, “We were young, we were young, we were young, we didn’t care.” Although only 24 you actually believe her. You believe her because you believe that no matter what her actual age, she lived through the war of a relationship or fifty that aged her to her core, and now her soul speaks to yours in the places where you have aged, and set down roots that flow as grid in a suburb becoming part of your nature. This why we need singers like Sarah Jaffe and albums like Suburban Nature: We need a truth singer to be a soothsayer, and help heal us in the broken places of our time.

First from Sam, one of my more recent faves, Lights (Fucking Lights)!

From Bobby, an older video, but love In the Frost! I just like how it looks like the recorded him playing on a sidewalk!!

And wrapping up your Saturday, some Marcus!! Way, Way, Way on the keyboard! Hells yes! (Plus, he drops the “f” bomb and I giggle!)

Yep, I like this. Videos may have to become a new Saturday tradition!!

I call this Exhibit A.

Scroll down the page and you see that someone has posted a video of Sam, singing Sugar Momma, and I die laughing.

Now, Sam, I know it says Info is the poster, but we are not totally convinced that you did not post this. So, LiLi and I decided to go ahead and conduct an intervention.

I was gonna make a cool poster, but then just decided to play this video instead, cause I have to think that her words would fit well coming from you!

Sam, have a seat, we have a couple things to say to you about your ::ahem:: problem*.

1. Posting a video of you singing about sugar mommas on a site about discreet online dating may be the opposite of discreet.

2. If you are looking for a sugar momma, I suggest you just walk into the crowd at your next show. There are plenty of sabers out there that would love to shower their money on you. No need to go online.

So, Sam, dear Sam, next time you go to the Interwebs to look for a sugar momma, may I suggest eHarmony? Or perhaps the personnels in your locals Craigs List (bet there are some real winners there!).

LiLi Edit– Dood. I can’t stop reading all the other random links on that site. And may I draw your attention to the 1st one? OKC singles?? Um…Amber?? Is there something YOU would like to tell us?

*We totes know that this was posted just based on certain key words by a computer. But it’s funny. And we like funny.

]]> http://shackofsoul.com/2010/03/10/sam-is-secretly-seeking-out-a-sugar-momma-justkidding-orarewe/feed/ 2 mrsamber DD SS http://shackofsoul.com/2010/03/08/taps-microphone-is-this-thing-on-were-back-its-the-relaunch-of-sos/ http://shackofsoul.com/2010/03/08/taps-microphone-is-this-thing-on-were-back-its-the-relaunch-of-sos/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:05:00 +0000 Amber http://shackofsoul.com/?p=1693 ]]> Hmmm…. what? What happened?!? Damn, has it really been that long since our last post. I guess it has. We are bad fangirls. We know.

Turns out, we have a really awesome excuse for our absence. You see, we were abducted by aliens. Yes, true. And we had to fight an epic battle to escape, and I DO mean epic. There was badass music playing in the background and everything. And it turns out, you should never doubt LiLi’s mad ninja skills. For serious. Then on the way back we got stuck in traffic. And regardless of all of my road rage, it didn’t get us home any faster.

Okay, I’m sensing that you don’t believe me. Probably a good thing since I am lying hard core. We have no good reason for disappearing, and we sure don’t plan to do that again. While we were gone, we did make some changes, as you may have noticed!

So, it’s time to get back to the business of loving our Brit guys. It’s is officially…. BUSINESS TIME!!

While we were off doing battle, here is what has been happening in the world of Sam, Marcus and Bobby…

Sam released his Manila Diaries Documentary!

From Sam’s MySpace:

Sam Bradley embarks on one of the most unique tour experiences of his young career when given the opportunity to play a series of concerts in the Philippines.

Coincidentally, Bradley’s appearances were scheduled in the midst of the grueling aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy that ripped through the Philippines a week prior to his arrival. The reality of this tragedy sets the tone for the tour that is both revealing and introspective in nature.

The tour diary explores the interest in seeing the real surface of an unknown place while balancing the excitement of opportunity and attempting to maintain creative integrity.

You can download the documentary here! Remember proceeds from your download go to UNICEF, so download it cause its for a good cause!

Marcus rolled out a new MySpace page with the most awesome picture at the top (#shortpants) AND more importantly, made an appearance on The Communion Compilation album for this year, with my FAVE Marcus song, Circle in the Square! You can buy the vinyl (oh yeah, totes old school!) right here! It also comes with a digital download, just in case you no longer own your record player from the 80s.

And Bobby, well Bobby’s been out running amuck and touring! No, the boy never stops! But, we did find a free mp3 you can download from Bobby! Go and get it. It’s so worth it!

::LiLi grabs mic Kayne style::

Hey, Amber, that whole explanation/news catch up was great and Imma let you finish but….I just wanted to say that I am glad to be back. Sorry for that whole take-over-a-month-off-and-not-tell-anyone-thing. Um, whoopsy daisy!

Also, what do y’all think of our new digs?? Tell us how much you missed our nonsense you like our new look. And now, back to Amber…..wait…..she’s gone. Oh, I forgot. It’s Business Time ::sigh:: I love me some Jemaine.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter too, as we will be back to posting there as well.

And do you have anything news worthy about the guys that you think we missed out on? Drop us a line via comment or email and let us know! We’ve been out of the loop fighting those damn aliens so chances are we need to be caught up!

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!