Seek Not Your Fortune, by Nonconnah

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Memphis Dronegaze outfit Nonconnah are back to bless us with a small selection of B-Sides, or “Outtakes” as they cinematically refer to them, which were recorded between 2015-2018.

The resulting collection is a subtle and blissful gathering of sounds – with a general uplifting vibe to the work. As always there is a selection of other musicians enlisted to fill-out the sonic landscape, though most of the tracks seem to be produced by the core unit. Overall this one is quite nice, a relaxing little listen, and a pleasant surprise to see pop up in my feed today! Do yourself a favor and give it a spin – you can name your own price for the download via the artists Bandcamp page…

June Apple & Amazing Grace, by Marcus Eads

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As a long-time fan of Marcus Eads‘ work, it’s always nice to see something new pop up on his bandcamp! This time we’ve got a little EP featuring two tunes performed on Dulcimer, June Apple & Amazing Grace. Surely the title of the latter is instantly more recognizable, but Marcus’ version in this take is blissfully slow, to the point where the beat and tempo disappear completely, leaving the track feeling more like avant-poetry than anything! Each track has a delicious warm quality, being recorded both indoors and outdoors. You can grab this along with a ton of other goodies via Bandcamp!

Two traditional songs performed on
mountain dulcimer (C-G-cc tuning)

Recorded at home
December 3, 2016

Track 2 contains a field recording taken along
a stream at Goodin Park in Dayton, MN in
November, 2016

June Apple video:
youtu.be/TqYe-V8AmO4

Thanks for listening

Battle Brook Canoe Route, by Marcus Eads

Some fantastic new fingerstyle-pickin from Marcus Eads

Sherburne County 10″ by Marcus Eads

A while ago I did a write-up for a recent album by Instrumentalist/Songwriter Marcus Eads, Sherburne County Instrumentals. Recently, Marcus released a 3-track album titled Sherburne County 10″, featuring two re-workings of tracks from the original album, packaged together with a brand new piece at the end! As a huge personal fan, I will take anything this guy releases, though I am always eager for another full length or conceptual album.

Yacht Fire! by Marcus Eads

What a wonderful little project! This EP is 5 tracks recorded live to tape in April/May 2014. Marcus Eads is a musician and a songwriter, or more elegantly stated on his page, he is as “instrumental improvisationalist • bioacoustic field recordist • magnetic tape enthusiast • church youth director” , combining his interests and passions into fantastic works of sonic art.

“Yacht Fire!” is another in the series of brief EP’s put out by Marcus, several of these with a couple full-lengths have hit the web since late 2012, and the catalog continues to grow, both in size and style. This newest EP features a distinct new flavor throw into the usual crockpot of lo-fi americana noodling, a special spice perhaps! The instrumentation is more diverse than previous projects, including percussion tracks, sparse keys and vibes, as well as what I might guess is some sample sounds! Flavors of vapor and mallsoft inspiration drip from the tape on this one, slow and washed out grooves looping endlessly into a blissful oblivion….

As always, Marcus’s guitar improvisations prove to be a subtle highlight of the whole experience. It is simply easy to get lost in this playing, the nostalgic vibe in the tone and rhythms applied create a very delicious and addicting listening experience. I often find myself playing through these EP’s and albums two or three times, simply because it is so pleasing to the ears!

I must say, I am a fan of the traditional style usually applied to his releases, but Marcus managed to mix in the perfect amount of new ideas with tried and true foundation. It was great to hear things mixed up a bit, yet it seems like Marcus hasn’t missed a step. I look forward to more sonic exploration from this artist, as it is always a pleasure when it finds itself my way. Marcus Eads, Yacht Fire! A highly recommended listen!