Welsh band Amser release new LP 'Crochan'

The Welsh band known as Amser have released their latest LP record, “Crochan.” The album is composed of 11 original tracks, mainly instrumental but also with vocals, for an approximate total listening time of 50 minutes. It has been proudly published on the Bricsan independent music label without the support of corporate music entities. Steeped in the music tradition and spirit of Wales, yet with contemporary frills and a bluesy, jazzy undertone, “Crochan” by Amser is a record unlike any other from the heart of the United Kingdom.

“Crochan” by Amser (which mean 'Cauldron' and 'Time,' respectively) is a record which equally holds its own as fare for the serious music aficionado, or as a pleasing backdrop for social events, studying, or virtually any circumstance in general. This versatility is at least partially due to the aforementioned jazz attributes with which Amser embellishes their mode of folk music, which at its core is the modern folk sound of Wales.

Amser cite as main artistic influences a great list of beloved songwriters and instrumentalists, many of them from the ranks of guitar innovators like Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel, jazz greats like Miles Davis, Celtic and British folk players like the Chieftains and John Renbourne, and classical masterminds such as Steve Reich, Bohuslav Martinu and Igor Stravinsky. The Rolling Stones also make the list, which accounts for the quirky and creative nature of “Crochan”'s delightfully surprising tracks like “No Shoes Blues” and “Life's a Riddle.”

The soul of Amser is guitarist Dave Stephen, a Welsh rock sculptor working largely with slate at his workshop in North Wales. He has been performing music for over 40 years and writes his own songs, often with fellow collaborator Gareth Moriarty and the occasional other. Asked to comment on Amser and their new “Crochan” record, he writes:

“This album ('Crochan') is the second by Amser. We specialise in mainly instrumental, self-penned pieces with a Celtic backdrop, although with all sorts of different influences. 'Crochan' also contains two songs with vocals, which is a new element.”

He closes his note with a simple mission statement.

“We play for the joy of playing.”

“Crochan” by Amser is available online worldwide.

-S. McCauley

Lead Press Release Writer

www.MondoTunes.com

“Crochan” by Amser –

http://www.amazon.com/Crochan-Amser/dp/B00NFLORDM/

Website -

davestephen.com

Stan Swanson releases new EP 'Driving Down to Eden'

The singer and songwriter known as Stan Swanson has released his latest EP record, “Driving Down to Eden.” The EP is composed of four original tracks for an approximate total listening time of 14 minutes. It has been proudly published as an independent release on the Stony Meadow Records music label. Generally found online listed in the contemporary folk category, Swanson's “Driving Down to Eden” is a purely American record colored brightly with earnest storytelling and a dash of rock 'n' roll.

That Swanson's music should fall into the folk genre makes sense. He lists as main artistic influences Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Patty Larkin, Bob Lind, and the Beatles. Like the best folk artists, however, his overall timbre is his own and he sounds like no one but himself. As a songwriter with decades of experience playing his own music, this also seems intuitive. Swanson began writing music at the age of 13 in the 1960s.

“I write songs that speak to me on a personal level,” he explains. “Some have deeper messages than others. I mean, every songwriter writes about falling in love as well as falling out of love. And, yes, I have written my fair share of those. But I also relate to the folk music of the sixties which was a great era for songs that had something special to say.”

Like some of the best loved folk tunes of that epoch, however, there's more to Swanson's sound than the traditional folk pattern.

“I am a very eclectic songwriter and although I feel my roots are in the folk genre, my songs take me in every direction possible.”

Swanson's inclination to diverge from typical modes of folk music is a reflection of his own multifaceted nature. While 'Driving Down to Eden” is his most widely distributed album to date, he is also the published author of several popular books available online.

Swanson writes, “I split most of my time between writing novels and performing. I have written eight books and am working on a couple more.”

Nevertheless, fiction can only satisfy his muse by so much.

“I've played in many groups and bands and then went solo for awhile. I left the music scene for several years, but that magical pull finally brought me back. There's nothing quite like it.”

“Driving Down to Eden” by Stan Swanson is available online worldwide.

-S. McCauley

Lead Press Release Writer

www.MondoTunes.com

“Driving Down to Eden” by Stan Swanson –

http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Down-Eden-Stan-Swanson/dp/B00NU93P0U/

Pete McCabe releases new LP 'Homeward'

The singer and songwriter known as Pete McCabe has released his latest LP record, “Homeward.” The full-length album comprises 14 original tracks for an approximate total listening time of nearly an hour. It has been published on the LazyCats Records music label. Usually filed in the folk and contemporary folk music sections of digital and vinyl record stores, “Homeward” is a monument to McCabe's sonic and lyric ingenuity, and solidifies his place in the chronicles of American songwriting as a whole.

Pete McCabe first took this place with the release of his 1973 record, “The Man Who Ate the Plant,” produced by the legendary Bill Szymczyk who later produced the Eagles and other titans. The LP has become known among audiophiles everywhere for its unabashed blend of pop and folk music sharpened with tinges of psychedelic rock.

“The orchestral arrangements from that record are echoed in my current music,” McCabe writes.

And indeed they are. Fans of folk music will find all their time-honored traditions intact on “Homeward,” but scaled up to include sweeping instrumental rises and soaring, multi-tiered harmonies. Inspirations from a great many musical subcultures are present, giving the album a swirling myriad of colors which easily arrest and mystify the listener. The source of this variety is McCabe's own mixing bowl of influences.

“My folk background included influences from singer-songwriters Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor,” he writes. “Along the way there was a bit of Dixieland and jazz. My greatest influence was the Beatles. More recent influences include Randy Newman and Stephen Sondheim.”

Fans of lyric precision and creativity are likely to be especially pleased.

“Many of my lyrics are informed by my lifelong obsession with movies. My overriding desire is to offer words and music that are truly original.”

Asked to describe the general themes and messages of his new album, McCabe describes it thus:

“Each song is a world to explore. Each has its own style and personality, yet as a whole the collection is unified by a strong point of view. A sense of humor as well as a sensitive look at human relationships and a fondness for fantasy and dreams inform the lyrics. I want the listener to look at the world in a new way. There are meanings and emotions to be found in ourselves that different genres of music and unusual lyrics can awaken. Good old songwriting craft can still transport us beyond what so much of the marketplace offers these days.”

“Homeward” by Pete McCabe is available online worldwide. Get in early. Get in as soon as possible.

-S. McCauley

Lead Press Release Writer

www.MondoTunes.com

“Homeward” by Pete McCabe at Amazon –

http://www.amazon.com/Homeward-Pete-McCabe/dp/B00KHDIE0I/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1402077680&sr=1-1&keywords=%22homeward%22+pete+mccabe

Website -

http://petemccabe.com/