Halstead – Home For The Season from Brushfire Records on Vimeo.

Tis the season for holiday albums. Brushfire Records released This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 on Nov. 15th. It features artists such as Rogue Wave, Matt Costa, Jack Johnson, G. Love and many more with versions of holiday classics as well as a few originals.

Various artists from the album are recording acoustic performances of the songs they contributed to the album. We are featuring the video for Neil Halstead’s original tune, “Home For The Season”.

To further spread some holiday cheer, 25% of the profits from the album will go to Little Kids Rock, Silverlake Conservatory and a variety of other charities benefitting children’s music education. Order the album and watch more videos here.

This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 track listing.

1. Zach Gill – Party Hard
2. Rogue Wave – Jingle Bell Rock
3. G. Love – Christmas Blues
4. Jack Johnson – In The Morning
5. Bahamas – Christmas Must Be Tonight
6. Neil Halstead – Home For The Season
7. Zee Avi – Frosty The Snowman
8. ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) – Let It Ride
9. Money Mark – Make Time
10. Paula Fuga – Winter Swell Blues
11. G. Love – Christmas Cookies
12. Matt Costa – I Bet On Flying High
13. Jack Johnson – Angel (Holiday)

“the follow up to the critically acclaimed ‘tuned to love’, the loose salute are back with an album of splendid, rueful charm – a triumph of heart and soul. the music is still wearing it’s bubblegum heart on its sleeve but it’s bruised, tougher, wiser. produced and recorded by pritpal soor fresh from anna calvi. one side of ‘getting over’ is all about celebrating much loved influences, west coast, beach boys, nashville, they’re all there, but they venture further afield and conjure authentic delta boogie in ‘sister corita’, an almost bolan-esque stomp on ‘run out of morning’ and the folky fairport shuffle of ‘perhaps she’ll fly’. but all boast the detailed, original stamp of mccutcheon’s eclectic arrangements. pedal steel is joined by south of the border trumpets as well as the charm of a germanic chamber ensemble string section, all lending the album a warm, sumptuous production, while never staying into the saccharine.”

“Gorgeous, melodic little gems influenced by the lost summer sounds of the Free Design, Lee Hazlewood and John Phillips. We strongly recommend you add this to your playing list.” – LA WEEKLY

“Delicious dreamy pop…. custom built for the legions of Belle & Sebastian fans out there” – POP MATTERS

“A sugar-jangle affair with hints of rattlesnake acoustics, climatic trumpets and whispery phrasing” – MTV Hive

“Masterful pop music with a wellspring of chaos, heartbreak, and anger” – ALLMUSIC GUIDE

Here is the (amazing!!) video to the single ‘It’s a Beautiful Thing’

Buy The Album via:
GRAVEFACE RECORDS
BIG POTATO SHOP
ROUGHTRADE
iTunes

Live Dates:
Sep 14 – The Bullingdon Oxford, UK
Sep 16 – Phoenix Exeter, UK
Sep 17 – Falmouth Poly, Cornwall, UK

See them on the 2nd March at The Slaughtered Lamb in London.

For their second collection, Holton’s Opulent Oog gathered throughout last Spring/Autumn. They’ve dreamt up a spellbinder. Songs of mystery and imagination. Beatific, emotional, transporting, brimming with dreamy melodies and full of darkness and light – this is a special album.

The magic ingredients are Spanish guitar, violins, dubby keyboards and beautifully deft percussion. The album has a distinctive, carefully wrought sound, but it’s the variety within that sound, the sting and mystery of the lyrics that are so strong.

The album wears its contradictions on its sleeve. Confidant, ambitious tunes about fragilty and danger. Homilies to love and solidarity shot through with separation and melancholy. Here, a beguiling waltz, somewhere between menace and melancholy; there, a foray into psych-out chaos and back again; elsewhere joyful poppy sing-alongs. As if the Bonzos showed up to jam with the Beatles during the White Album. At times a moving, noble, trumpet-led melody should take it all to Mexico, but the album stays hovering over English landscapes, English hopes and dreams. This music couldn’t come from anywhere else.

————————————

…… and in other Mojave 3 news, Ian passes us the following exciting titbit “btw the Band Of Horses tour was great and we’re now thinking of possibly recording some new tunes! will keep you posted”

26 Jan – Newcastle, Academy
27 Jan – Glasgow, Academy
28 Jan – Birmingham, Academy
30 Jan – Bristol, Academy
31 Jan – Leeds, Academy
1 Feb – Manchester, Academy
3 Feb – London, Brixton Academy

Also on the bill will be Brooklyn’s The Silent League who’s great record ‘but you’ve always been the caretaker” is one of the best release of 2010.

Come and enjoy Big Potato Records first evening in the smoke!

22nd July 2010
Doors 19:00
Upstairs @ The Relentless Garage.
London
N5 1RD

for tickets go to

www.artistticket.com

24 HOUR BOOKING LINE: 0844 847 2465

No booking fee when paying in cash from the Jazz Café in Camden.

via seetickets.com

www.myspace.com/commonprayer
www.myspace.com/thesilentleague

Love & Peace

BIG POTATO RECORDS

www.bigpotatorecords.co.uk & www.myspace.com/bigpotatorecords

Mojave 3 (kinda) play live!
Ok, not really Mojave 3, as Rachel won’t be there. She’s about to become a mum – so congrats to her! However, Neil, Al and Ian will be supporting Jack Johnson on the following dates:

26th June – Eden Sessions, Cornwall
29th June – Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff
30th June – O2 Arena, London

23. Apr – Vox, Wuhan
25. Apr – Rockschool – Hongkong, Wan Chai
02. May – Truck USA festival – Woodstock, New York
15. May – Joe’s Pub – New York, New York
18. May – Union Hall – Brooklyn, New York
21. May – Wood festival – Oxford, UK
12. Jun – Caribana Festival – Geneva, Switzerland
19. Jun – Barnstaple festival – Barnstaple, UK