Song of the Day: “I’m Always” by iAN Ottaway

Posted on 06/24/2020 by marcshea2 in Preview and tagged Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ian Ottaway, poetry, Song of the Day.

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iAN Ottaway (Photo courtesy Revvolt Records)

You may not recognize the name iAN Ottaway (that’s EYE-an) but he’s spent a lifetime with some of the most incredible musicians and artists of the past few decades. He’s hung out with Jeff Buckley. He runs the Ask iAN page for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He’s been friends with Mark Lanegan for almost 30 years. And that’s just the start.

That friendship with Mark Lanegan resulted in a track iAN has recently released called “I’m Always.”

Song of the Day: “Silent Types” by Blinker the Star

Posted on 06/01/2020 by marcshea2 in Preview and tagged Blinker the Star, Canada, dreampop, Jordon Zadorozny, lo-fi, Song of the Day.

Blinker the Star (Photo by Eve Roy)

Jordon Zadorozny has been releasing music as Blinker The Star since back in 1994. He has done almost everything an artist would want to do. He got a major label record deal. He’s written music with and for artists like Lindsey Buckingham, Chris Cornell, and Courtney Love. He’s played in some amazing venues and lived the rock and roll life.

You may think that over 25 years into his career, he might be satisfied with cranking out songs that sound like they were written in the mid-’90s. But that just isn’t the case. Jordon has been steadily writing and releasing fresh-sounding music for years. Case in point, Blinker’s new single, “Silent Types.”

Interview: Jason Thomson of Vast Robot Armies

Posted on 05/08/2020 by marcshea2 in Interview and tagged Canada, Interview, post-punk, post-rock, rock, Song of the Day, Toronto, Vast Robot Armies.

Vast Robot Armies album cover for Paper Crown Parade (Artwork by Victor Malang)

Vast Robot Armies describe themselves as “three cities, two countries, one band.” John Agee (guitar, bass, and vocals) and Joe Wells (guitar, bass, synth, and backing vocals) hail from Kansas City, Missouri. Jason Thomson (guitars, piano, synths, and vocals) lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The band recently released a new full-length album titled Paper Crown Parade. I caught up with Jason to ask him about standout song “Little Detroit.”

Song of the Day: “Crazy Alone (Quarantine)” by Drunken Prayer

Posted on 04/30/2020 by marcshea2 in Preview and tagged alt-country, country, country rock, COVID-19, Drunken Prayer, folk, Morgan Geer, quarantine, Song of the Day.

Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer performs at Mum’s in Baltimore on May 17, 2019. (Photo by Marc Shea)

Drunken Prayer is the one-man band creation of Handsome Family and Freakwater guitarist Morgan Geer. Morgan has released a new single by Drunken Prayer called “Crazy Alone (Quarantine).”

My Favorite Concert: Failure @ 9:30 Club — 3/28/19

Posted on 03/25/2020 by marcshea2 in Live Review and tagged 9:30 Club, art rock, California, Failure, Los Angeles, post-grunge.

Failure playing during their tour with Swervedriver in March of 2019. (Photo by Marc Shea)

Editor’s note: Parklife asked our contributors to revisit some of the best shows they’ve ever seen in a series titled My Favorite Concert.

One of the best concerts I ever saw took place almost a year ago. Failure was co-headlining a bill with Swervedriver at 9:30 Club. I’ve been a fan of both bands since the mid-90’s and this was a chance to see two bands that I had never been able to see.

Live Review: Ken Stringfellow @ Bright Box Theater — 3/7/20

Posted on 03/11/2020 by marcshea2 in Live Review and tagged Bright Box Theater, California, Ken Stringfellow, power pop, singer-songwriter.

Ken Stingfellow performs at the Bright Box Theater on March 7, 2020. (Photo by Marc Shea)

The Bright Box Theater is a little gem tucked away on the Pedestrian Mall in Old Town Winchester, Virginia. In addition to the main theater, there is a small area on the second floor called Out of the Box that hosts intimate events. Out of the Box recently featured Ken Stringfellow. Ken not only founded the alternative rock band The Posies, but has also played for many years with REM and Big Star, in addition to releasing several solo albums.

Live Review: Wovenhand @ Black Cat — 3/2/20

Posted on 03/06/2020 by marcshea2 in Live Review and tagged alt-country, Black Cat, Colorado, David Eugene Edwards, Denver, folk, goth, Wovenhand.

Wovenhand performs at Black Cat on March 2, 2020. (Photos by Marc Shea)

David Eugene Edwards is the creative force behind Wovenhand. After making his mark with the gothic sounding, alt-country band Sixteen Horsepower, David originally recorded his own solo work under the Wovenhand moniker. This has given him the opportunity to explore a variety of musical styles, but they are all connected by his inherent intensity.

His trademark fire and brimstone delivery was apparent in a recent show at Black Cat.