Backseat Sandbar

Appalachian Voices: Yim Yames, Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore
Lexington Opera House
Lexington, KY
Thu, Jul 22, 2010 08:00 PM

Tickets on Sale – 5/21/10 HERE

Via Crash Ave. & Sub Pop:

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)

My brother over at We Listen For You has a new Green Building Session out today and it is perhaps my favorite yet.  Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore stopped in with Cheyenne Mize (did you see our post about her new album today?) and percussionist, Dan Dorff.  They played the title track from their new album, Dear Companion (the song that stole the show at their ear x-tacy in-store performance). Enjoy.

WATCH HERE

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.

“Dear Companion”

more pics and videos below the break…

(more…)

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 16^th release date!

Listen HERE.

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 & Daniel Martin Moore- “Something, Somewhere, Sometime”

Tour Dates

Feb 16 IN-STORE, 6pm Ear X-tacy, Louisville, KY
Feb 17 IN-STORE CD Central, Lexington, KY
Feb 19 Northside Tavern, Cincinnati, OH
Feb 19 IN-STORE Shake It Records, Cincinnati, OH
Feb 20 Radio Radio, Indianapolis, IN
Feb 25 IN-STORE Grimeys, Nashville, TN
Feb 25 Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
Feb 26 Brown Theatre (KY), Louisville, KY
Feb 27 Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
Mar 01 Boone Saloon (NC), Boone, NC
Mar 02 Carrboro Arts Center, Carrboro, NC
Mar 04 World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
Mar 05 Joe’s Pub (NY), New York, NY
Mar 06 Joe’s Pub (NY), New York, NY
Mar 11 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Mar 12 SPACE (IL), Evanston, IL
Mar 13 Schubas, Chicago, IL
Mar 15 CSPS (IA), Cedar Rapids, IA
Mar 16 Old Rock House (MO), ST. LOUIS, MO
Mar 17 SXSW, Austin, TX
Mar 18 Central Presbyterian Church (TX), Austin, TX
Mar 19 SXSW, Austin, TX
Mar 20 SXSW, Austin, TX
Mar 26 McCabe’s (CA), Santa Monica, CA
Mar 27 Swedish American Hall (SF), San Francisco, CA
Mar 29 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Apr 02 Cedar Cultural Centre, Minneapolis, MN
Apr 03 Majestic Theater, Madison, WI

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-Tacy that very same night! The show is set for 6 p.m., so mark your calendars and be there or be square.

Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore- Something, Somewhere, Sometime

Also, our friend Matt down in Lexington who runs the very excellent You Ain’t No Picasso, was able to make 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.

Check out their song Something, Somewhere, Sometime
Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore- Something, Somewhere, Sometime

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!)

Ben Sollee- A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke Cover)

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.