Photos. Videos. Of who, you may ask? Well, just about everyone who is anyone in Louisville. Jim James, Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, Justin Craig, Dan Dorff, and the lovely Cheyenne Mize joined forces to create an incredible evening of music at the Monkey Wrench last weekend. Though I’ve thought about going on a two page long rant about the careless imbeciles that were chatting quite loudly throughout the entire set, I’ll refrain. Just know that I could, and it would be to my delight. But if Daniel Martin Moore has to come on stage during a break in Maiden Radio’s set (which was quite a charming set that I would recommend to anyone), then heed to his advice. You all missed some beautiful music. Now, for those twenty or thirty of you that were there to enjoy the music, these pictures and videos are solely for you. However, please share them with everyone who would be appreciative.
One more complaint about the noisy crowd and I’ll stop, please never talk about something trivial during the song Sweet Marie. One of my favourite slower songs in the world, and I have to hear something about your cell phone or something that has no bearing on anything. Shame on you for missing such a “sweet” and tender song.
SEATTLE, WA – Kentuckians Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket, singer-songwriter Daniel Martin Moore and genre-bending cellist and vocalist Ben Sollee will embark on a nine date “Appalachian Voices” tour in an effort to raise public awareness of the devastating practice of Mountaintop Removal coal mining throughout Appalachia. While Moore and Sollee completed a US tour in early 2010, the upcoming “Appalachian Voices” tour marks the first time the three will perform together since recording the 11-song album, Dear Companion, in 2009. A portion of the proceeds from Dear Companion as well as the upcoming tour benefit Appalachian Voices, for which the tour was named, an organization devoted to ending mountaintop removal coal mining together with diverse environmental problems impacting the central and southern Appalachian Mountains.
The people and the land of Appalachia are too important to us as a nation to be sacrificed for something as short-sighted as Mountaintop Removal (MTR) coal mining. Our cultural stake in the region, from its music to its log cabins, is an indispensable part of our history and identity as Americans. People all over the world know our country music, our dances and our stories and they call them American. They are the fruit of Appalachia. Learn more about MTR’s destructive impact, and how we’re all connected to it, at www.ILoveMountains.org.- Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore and Yim Yames.
About Dear Companion:
Dear Companion was born when Sollee stumbled upon Moore’s music early in 2009. Both singer-songwriters were especially united in their concern about mountaintop removal coal mining (MTR), a form of coal mining that is devastating the land and culture of Central and Southern Appalachia. They set out to create a five-song EP that would raise awareness about the issue. When Yames, also an outspoken opponent of MTR, came aboard at Sollee’s invitation, he knew that the friends had something special, so he suggested they expand the project to a full album. Released on Sub Pop Records in February 2010, Dear Companion explores their ties to the home they love and aims to draw attention to the problem of mountaintop removal coal mining and its impact on the people and heritage of Appalachia.
“…the album’s wild blaze of an introductory track that provides ignition for the inspired, stormy fold ahead. The remainder of the debut effort from the pair of Kentuckians burns slowly and evenly, boldly refusing to wane…This is one painfully beautiful record.” – Filter
“Dear Companion tugs on the heartstrings with understated force – a gentle indictment not only of corporate greed but also the apathy that enables it.” – Blurt
Appalachian Voices Tour Dates
7/22 Lexington, KY Lexington Opera House
7/23 Knoxville, TN The Bijou Theater
7/25 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage
7/26 Marlinton, WV Pocahontas Opera House
7/28 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
7/29 Woodstock, NY Bearsville Theater
7/30 New York, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
7/31 Newport, RI Newport Folk Fest (Yim Yames Solo Performance)
8/01 Newport, RI Newport Folk Fest (Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore Performance)
The Jefferson County chapter’s 2nd annual free outdoor event honoring our connection to the struggle to end MTR in Eastern Kentucky. Event hosted by KFTC, Heine Brother’s Coffee, and Carmichael’s Bookstore.
We have the following incredible artists donating their time and energy:
Word is Congressman John Yarmouth and Daniel Martin Moore will also be there.
Details are still being worked out but it looks like BBC and NABC will be selling beer, Ramsi’s and Boombozz will be selling food, and of course there will be coffee from Heine Brother’s Coffee and books to peruse from Carmichael’s Bookstore. There will be kid friendly activities including “Muffintop Removal” by Shelly Beisel and people will be welcome to add to our banner project, an anti mountain top removal art project started by member Whit Forrester.
Bring your checkbooks! There will be awesome festival t-shirts and posters by Cricket Press. We will have a membership package like last year and tons of really great information about this great state and how to make it greater. You can also register to vote and above all we invite you to come HAVE FUN.
On Friday, Feb 26th, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore will be performing with Cheyanne Mize and Dan Dorf celebrating the release of their new record, “Dear Companion” at Brown Theatre at 8:30pm. After the performance, join Ben, Daniel and co for an AFTER PARTY at 21c Museum featuring a musical performance by Cincinnati’s The Seedy Seeds.
The Seedy Seeds make pop music, sure. Most importantly, they make pop music exciting. Always melodic and upbeat, yet always eclectic, The Seedy Seeds are more than happy to write concise material that moves far outside convention – be it a banjo juxtaposed against an electroclash rhythm, or acoustic drums beside synth beats, or accordions and mandolins laid on top of booty bass. While The Seedy Seeds’ influence may be all over the map, the thread that binds everything together include the consistent warmth of Margaret Darling and Mike Ingram’s vocal interplay and the driving, freewheeling, playful songs.
More info: http://www.theseedyseeds.com/ http://www.myspace.com/theseedyseeds
This concert is a benefit for Louisville-based EDGE Outreach, who are currently operating in Haiti providing disaster victims with access to clean water. Donations are suggested.
More info: http://www.edgeoutreach.com/
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore played an in-store show at ear x-tacy yesterday in support of their brand new album, Dear Companion out NOW on Sub Pop records. We’ve been psyched for the new album for a while now and have loved everything we’ve heard. We knew it was going to be special (hey, Jim James even produced it and participates on a few tracks). After seeing their in-store performance, they’ve gone to the next level in our book.
With some help from Cheyenne Mize (talent on more instruments than I can list and an amazing voice) and Dan Dorff (who may have stolen the show with his STOMP performance to the title track “Dear Companion”, see video below), they provided a packed store with one of the best in-store shows I’ve seen there. With the recent news surrounding ear X-tacy, it was a great feeling to see such a huge crowd come out to support not only Ben and Daniel, but the entire Louisville music scene as well.
As one person in the crowd yelled out, to much applause, “We have an awesome record store!” Ear X-tacy owner John Timmons had some great things to say about how amazing everyone has been for their support of the store and support of artists before introducing Ben and Daniel. By all means I encourage you to listen to his words and to keep supporting not just ear X-tacy, but all of Louisville music and local artists as a whole. We really do have great artists and music right here in our hometown, just watch and listen to these videos of Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, Cheyanne Mize, and Dan Dorff for proof of that.
If you haven’t already, go pick up their new album and go get your tickets to their show at The Brown here in Louisville on February 26, 2010. If you need more incentive, a portion of the proceeds from Dear Companion go to Appalachian Voices, “an organization devoted to ending mountain top removal and finding a better way forward.” This has long been a cause of Sollee and DMM, and I’m glad to see them continuing this effort in a such a spirited manner.
A full album stream of Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore’s record, Dear Companion, can be found on the band’s website all this week leading up to their February 16th release date!
Dear Companion is a collaboration between three Kentucky musicians: the songs are written and performed by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, produced by and featuring Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk. Recorded in the first half of 2009 in their home state, Dear Companion explores their ties to the place they love and aims to draw attention to the problem of mountaintop removal coal mining and its impact on the people and heritage of central Appalachia.
A portion of the proceeds from Dear Companion will benefit Appalachian Voices, an organization devoted to ending mountaintop removal and finding a better way forward. Learn more at: www.ilovemountains.org or www.subpop.com
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore will be releasing their anticipated album Dear Companion on February 16, and they will also be doing a free in-store at Ear X-Tacythat very same night! The show is set for 6 p.m., so mark your calendars and be there or be square.
Also, our friend Matt down in Lexington who runs the very excellent You Ain’t No Picasso, was able tomake sure that Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore stop by CD Central for a free in-store performance. They will all be there (as will I) to see some awesome music happen at 6 p.m.
Touring in support of their upcoming release Dear Companion, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore will be performing at The Brown Theatre on Friday, February 26 at 8:30 p.m. This show was originally scheduled at The Bomhard Theater, but had to be moved due to demand for tickets. This means that even more people can come out and see a great show. I got the chance to see Ben and Daniel last year at Kentucky Center and it was one of my favourite shows of 2009, so this one is not to be missed. Tickets are on sale now for $25 and are available at The Kentucky Center box office, www.kentuckycenter.org or by phone (502) 584-7777, (800) 775-7777 or TTY (502) 562-0730. If you already had tickets for the Bomhard Theater show, the box office will call to re-seat you in The Brown Theatre. Don’t forget to check out Sollee and Moore’s new album Dear Companion, it hits shelves Feb. 16 on Sub Pop.
Pitchfork released a list of a bunch of albums that are set to come out in 2010 (view them all below the break). Here are a few of those that we are looking forward to…
The National: TBA [Beggars Banquet]
Beach House: Teen Dream [Sub Pop]
LCD Soundsystem: TBA [DFA]
MGMT: Congratulations [Columbia]
The Magnetic Fields: Realism [Nonesuch]
Interpol: TBA [Capitol]
Spoon: Transference
Mount Eerie: Black Wooden [Latitudes]
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim: Here Lies Love [Todomundo/Nonesuch]
Gorillaz: Plastic Beach [Virgin]
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore: Dear Companion [Sub Pop]
Yeasayer: Odd Blood [Secretly Canadian]
jj: jj no 3 [Sincerely Yours/Secretly Canadian]
Surfer Blood: Astro Coast [Kanine]
!!!: TBA [Warp]
The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack [Kemado]
Liars: Sisterworld [Mute]
She & Him: Volume Two [Merge]
Battles: TBA [Warp]
Hot Chip: One Life Stand [Astralwerks]
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: The Brutalist Bricks [Matador]
From Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore’s album Dear Companion out February 16th, 2010 on Sub Pop.
Dear Companion is a collaboration between three Kentucky musicians: the songs are written and performed by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, produced by and featuring Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk. Recorded in the first half of 2009 in their home state, Dear Companion explores their ties to the place they love and aims to draw attention to the problem of mountaintop removal coal mining and its impact on the people and heritage of central Appalachia.
A portion of the proceeds from Dear Companion will benefit Appalachian Voices, an organization devoted to ending mountaintop removal and finding a better way forward. Learn more about mountaintop removal at: www.ilovemountains.org or www.subpop.com
I’ve had the pleasure of see Jim James play solo twice this year, and I am amazed each time at how talented he is. (Note: understatement of the year.) A sold-out crowd gathered in the lower-level gallery at 21c to see James and Daniel Martin Moore as part of a benefit for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth’s involvement with raising awareness of mountaintop removal in Appalachia. 21c has a wealth of resources and has really stepped up as a great music venue in town. From Akron/Family to Rachel Grimes to the OSSO/BQE showing, it has been a great place to see amazing artists in an intimate setting.
Daniel Martin Moore played first and was eventually joined by James for a few songs. (Be on the look out for DMM’s upcoming album on Sub Pop with Louisville’s Ben Sollee, coming out early next year.) Yim finished off the night with a set similar to that at the Rud. He played a few MMJ favorites, including “The Way That He Sings” (below) and a lot from the Monsters of Folk album. The crowd stood silently in awe of his pure genius and echoing voice. I love MMJ live, but James solo (x2) is up there as my favorite shows of the year. He left the stage with everyone wanting more, but satisfied that they just witnessed something special. For info on KFTC and their mountaintop removal awareness program, GO HERE.
December 6, 2009
21c Hotel (Atrium Gallery)
6pm-8:30pm $25/$30 (Sold Out) – - $150 Private Reception Tix Still Available
The $25 tickets are sold out but private reception tickets are still available in limited number at http://www.kftc.org or at 21C Museum Hotel. Tickets for the private reception are $150, and include admission into the main event. The private reception is limited to 90 guests, and includes a meet and greet with Berry and Yames, and a complimentary copy of the book Plundering Appalachia. Contributors Wendell Berry, Eric Reece, Rebecca Howell, and Teri Blanton will be signing books at both the main event and the reception. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Proof.
If you have/need regular tickets, comment below and hopefully we can find a few matches.
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore are playing a benefit for Institute 193 in Lexington, Kentucky at the Red Mile Round Barn on November 28, 2009. Tix are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Doors are at 6, show at 8. Daniel Martin Moore is doing a lot of benefit work it seems, as he is also playing a benefit show at 21c w/ Jim James on December 6th to support Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. Ben and Daniel have a new album, Dear Companion, coming out via Sub Pop February 16, 2010. (thanks to You Ain’t No Picasso for the heads-up on this one!)
ABOUT INSTITUTE 193
Institute 193 is dedicated to enriching the cultural landscape of Lexington by exhibiting emerging and mid-career professional artists from the Southern region of the United States. It will serve as a point-of-departure for artists, providing them with professionally installed exhibitions, color catalogs of their work and scholarly essays pertaining to their show. Its goal is to advance the careers of regional artists in the larger markets found in New York, Paris, Los Angeles and London. The Institute will primarily focus its efforts on the production of scholarly materials, show cards, exhibition catalogs, and anything tangible that may benefit the artist. It will also participate in various art fairs across the country in a direct effort to expose Southern artists to the world-at-large. It will ideally serve as a de facto ambassador for the city of Lexington and the Southern region using the prism of contemporary art to communicate its identity.
Photos. Videos. Of who, you may ask? Well, just about everyone who is anyone in Louisville. Jim James, Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, Justin Craig, Dan Dorff, and the lovely Cheyenne Mize joined forces to create an incredible evening of music at the Monkey Wrench last weekend. Though I’ve thought about going on a two page long rant about the careless imbeciles that were chatting quite loudly throughout the entire set, I’ll refrain. Just know that I could, and it would be to my delight. But if Daniel Martin Moore has to come on stage during a break in Maiden Radio’s set (which was quite a charming set that I would recommend to anyone), then heed to his advice. You all missed some beautiful music. Now, for those twenty or thirty of you that were there to enjoy the music, these pictures and videos are solely for you. However, please share them with everyone who would be appreciative.
