Archives For Communion Artist Spotlight

Communion Artist Spotlight: Roadkill Ghost Choir

Cause A Scene —  October 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

RGC

A little over a year ago, Roadkill Ghost Choir released their debut EP, Quiet Light, featuring the song “Beggars’ Guild.” When an excellent live video was posted of the band performing the folksy, romping song, they began to draw some attention. Now, just a little less than a week before playing at Nashville’s first Communion show in several months, the band has released the official music video for the single.

Brothers Andrew, Maxx and Zach Shepherd formed the band along with Kiffy Meyers, Joey Davoli and Stephen Garza back in 2010 when Andrew wanted to put together a band to fill out the sound of some songs he had recently written.

The single “Beggars Guild” might be banjo-heavy and as Americana as apple pie, but on many of their songs you can hear tinges of Nirvana and Radiohead, alongside echoes of the bands biggest influences—Wilco, Gram Parsons and Fleetwood Mac.

Over the past year Roadkill Ghost Choir’s incessant touring has garnered them a lot of new fans. Besides a run of dates with Band of Horses, they’ve also played Mountain Jam Festival, Forecastle Festival, Austin City Limits and have thirteen tour stops in October alone.

For now, fans looking to hear more from the band can order a clear vinyl single of “Beggars’ Guild,” and catch them at Communion Nashville, at the series’ new home, Mercy Lounge and the High Watt on October 10th, where they’ll join T. Hardy Morris, Willy Mason and Shonna Tucker & Eye Candy, among many others.

– Meagan Lawson

Roadkill Ghost Choir- ‘Beggars’ Guild’

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Communion Artist Spotlight: Cory Branan

Cause A Scene —  October 4, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Born in Mississippi and transplanted to Memphis, Tennessee, singer-songwriter Cory Branan is most definitely sure of and true to his southern roots.  A natural-born storyteller, Branan is able to write in a way that makes the listener feel like they are hearing stories from an old friend. Cory’s conversational approach to writing and confidently unique way of finger-picking can only have been cultivated after years of fully immersing and dedicating himself to his craft.  Branan’s current offerings of 2002‘s The Hell You Say, 2006‘s 12 Songs, and most recently 2012‘s Mutt with Bloodshot Records have brought to his listeners an alternative country sound with some rock influences.

American Songwriter praised his “hushed, dry whiskey voice and his sharp edged, story song lyrics [which] make the appropriately titled Mutt a mongrel that rewards repeated spins with an understanding of Branan’s many influences and an appreciation for his largely impressionistic, thought- provoking words.”

Branan’s tune “Bad Man,” included on his latest album Mutt, comes complete with distinct gravely vocals and occasional piano riffs.  I found that this track shows a compelling comparison to the classic American maverick Bruce Springsteen’s style. “Bad Man” is available for free download here on Branan’s website.

“I know too many strangers too well.” Quoted from Cory Branan’s official site, this statement seems to reign true.  Branan knows his fans well enough that he is able to produce the type of music his listeners want to hear, but still be true to himself and his experiences.  You’re not going to want to miss seeing him at the Communion re-launch.

– Bailey Basham

Cory Branan- ‘Bad Man’

“Bad Man” by Cory Branan by BSHQ

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Communion Artist Spotlight: T. Hardy Morris

Cause A Scene —  October 3, 2013 — Leave a comment

THardyMorris_OKCorral-1024x573

T. Hardy Morris recorded his first solo album, Audition Tapes, in Nashville over the summer and he’s set to return to the city to play the first Nashville Communion show in several months.  The Communion shows will start again on October 10th, with a new home at the Mercy Lounge and the High Watt.

Morris is known for co-founding Dead Confederate back in 2006 and since then has put together Diamond Rugs, a venerable group consisting of members of bands The Black Lips, Los Lobos, and Deer Tick. Over the past six years, the two projects have kept Morris busy and on the road. He’s toured with Meat Puppets, Manchester Orchestra, Drive By Truckers and more. But within the past year he finally took the time to work on his solo album, “Audition Tapes,” and when the time came, he knew exactly how he wanted to record it.

Morris wanted to record straight to tape, in a small studio, late at night and he was able to find the right place to do it in Nashville. The songs are intimate enough, but when you consider that Morris decided to include the noise of the studio on the recordings, it becomes even warmer. Listening to the album, you can almost imagine you’re in the room while Morris records the songs, listening to count offs and creaks in the floor as he moves around.

The Communion show is sure to be the perfect setting to hear Morris unplug from the psychedelia of his other projects, for a sort of homecoming celebration for the haunting, fragile, alt-country songs he recorded here for Audition Tapes less than a year ago.

– Meagan Lawson

T. Hardy Morris- ‘Share the Needle’ (Live at Paradise Gardens)

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Communion Artist Spotlight: Rubblebucket

Cause A Scene —  October 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

rubblebucket

In anticipation of the long awaited “Return of Communion” show on October 10th at the Mercy Lounge and The High Watt, we are highlighting each artist on the stellar bill right here at causeascenemusic.com. Today we are featuring the headlining act, Rubblebucket. Over the last four years, this eight-piece outfit has been stirring up the indie scene far beyond the confines of their home base in Brooklyn, NY, cultivating a sound that blurs genre lines with a unique mashup of horns, synth, catchy guitar riffs and multi-part harmonies.

The 2011 release of their full-length album, Omega La La, led to large increase in exposure nationwide and attention from the likes of Rollingstone, Spin, Paste and the Wall Street Journal. This personal milestone led to an increase in touring in 2012, which included multiple festival stops as well as an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The band also released their follow-up EP, Oversaturated, in late 2012.

Coming off a heavy year of touring, Rubblebucket has spent the better part of this year on hiatus from touring full time, focusing their efforts on their full-length writing process and pinpointing the future direction of the band. Their new EP, Save Charlie, is the result of this past year’s labor and dropped officially yesterday, October 1st. The release of Save Charlie also marks the end of the band’s break in touring, as they embark on an extensive 28 date, nation-wide tour, that began yesterday, alongside the album’s release, and runs through early December. We here at CAS are more than thrilled that the Communion show here in Nashville is one of the first stops on the long list of cities on their two-month tour schedule, and can’t wait to see these guys blow the roof off Cannery Row.

Save Charlie is now available on the band’s website, iTunes and Spotify.

Fun Fact: The track list on Save Charlie includes a remix of the title track by Big Black Delta, whom we featured right here at causeascenemusic.com just this past summer.

– Christian Lerchenfeld

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