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| Signature
Sounds Recordings was formed by Jim Olsen and Mark
Thayer in 1995 to promote the burgeoning acoustic
music scene in and around Northampton, MA. Since our
inception, we've released over 50 albums of
singer-songwriter, Americana and modern folk music.
Signature Sounds Recordings are distributed
exclusively in the U.S. by Koch Entertainment. |
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RANI
ARBO AND DAISY MAYHEM
So, what's a daisy mayhem? Wicked percussion, sublime lead
singing, great harmonies, sparkling original songs and a
deep repertoire. Four people who share an irresistible
chemistry on stage. A young, hip, crackerjack string band in
love with American music. The Boston Globe described their
music as "neo old-timey with cosmopolitan splashes of
contemporary pop and jazz." It's an exuberant mix of
musical idioms, held together by superb musicianship,
impeccable taste, and the band's charismatic vocals. A stage
show dips into country blues, vintage swing, modern
songwriter fare, and Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs.
It's a bracing fusion: listen to Arbo deliver Bessie Jones'
version of "O Death" accompanied by fat, bluesy
guitar solos and a groove that owes allegiance to the
Meters, and you'll see. This is a band that picks up what's
lying around -- from tin cans to traditional music -- and
creates something new.
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 Gambling
Eden — SIG 1278
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem offer up a musical paradise
with Gambling Eden, their sophomore CD for Signature Sounds.
Percussion-powered string band has always flirted with the
boundaries among American musical idioms, from old-time to
country blues, vintage swing, and original folk-pop. Now,
with Gambling Eden, the band continues to create a bracing
fusion of American music - and, so doing, defines a niche
all their own. Gambling Eden was recorded at the Clubhouse in
Rhinebeck, New York, during two record snowstorms in January
and February of 2003. As snow piled up around the 1800s
farmhouse, light and music spilled out from within, and the
chase was on. The band - Arbo (fiddle), Anand Nayak
(guitar), Andrew Kinsey (bass) and Scott Kessel (drums and
percussion) were in pursuit of a recording in which their
acoustic music could sparkle, but retain all the grit, soul,
tone, and intensity that make roots music what it is. Their
song list included Leadbelly's "Stewball,"
centuries-old songs from the Georgia Sea Islands and the
Appalachians, original folk/pop and swing tunes by Arbo and
her band mates, modern ballads (two covers, by Dave Carter
and Chris Moore & John McGann), and a 100-year-old
protest song by Fiddlin' John Carson. Under the watchful eye
of engineer Paul Antonell and producer Dirk Powell, daisy
mayhem brought those disparate songs into the rich musical
space they call home.
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 Cocktail
Swing — SIG 1267
After a decade as lead singer and fiddler for New England's
beloved acoustic roots band Salamander Crossing, Rani Arbo
steps to the forefront with this fun new project. COCKTAIL
SWING is a collection of swing, jazz and country songs of
the past that lend themselves to a jug band-cum Tom Waits
sort of treatment. A great summer album!
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DAVE
CARTER AND TRACY GRAMMER
Tracy Grammer and her late partner Dave Carter were called
"one of the fastest-rising acts in folk music." In
just four years they released three
internationally-acclaimed albums, toured with Joan Baez and
earned a solid following with their indelible live
performances at festivals and venues all across North
America. Despite Carter's sudden death in July 2002,
Grammer's career as an interpreter and instrumentalist
continues. Grammer's dark, ethereal vocals evoke a purity
and resonance that brings radiance to the songs she
performs, and her attention to melody and story lines lend a
rare sophistication to her vocal and instrumental
interpretations. Her adept accompaniment extends to violin,
mandolin, guitar - yet it is her vocal prowess and intuition
that infuse her work with a numinous quality and has
established her as a formidable performer. Joan Baez says,
"Tracy Grammer is a brilliant artist and unique
individual in her own right. Her voice is distinctive and
beautiful, as is her mastery over the instruments she
plays."
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 When
I Go — SIG 1272
If this recording contained only the brooding and
breathtaking epic title track, it would prove beyond a
shadow of a doubt that Dave Carter was a songwriter with few
peers. On ten classic songs, Carter's muse is embellished
perfectly by Tracy Grammer's gorgeous harmonies, violin, and
mandolin lines.
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 drum
hat buddha — SIG 1266
Audiences and critics alike are stunned by the music of Dave
Carter & Tracy Grammer. The buzz from their 2000 album
TANGLEWOOD TREE established the duo as one of the hottest
acts on the acoustic music circuit. In 2001, the duo
returned with DRUM HAT BUDDHA, an incredible collection of
music sure to cement their reputation as one of the most
unique acts to come along in years.
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 Tanglewood
Tree — SIG 1257
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer call their music
"postmodern mythic American" music that's heavy on
mysticism and storytelling, but also deeply rooted in folk,
bluegrass and country idioms. Carter conjures romantic, true
fictions set amid vivid wild-west landscapes, while Grammer
counterpoints his expert guitar, banjo and voice with
beautifully intoned violin, guitar, mandolin and
spine-chilling harmonies.
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KRIS
DELMHORST
When Kris Delmhorst started picking out chords on a guitar
just six years ago, no one could have known she was
stumbling onto a path that would lead her to the top of a
generation of young songwriters. Nominated for six Boston
Music Awards and winner of the 2001 Telluride Troubadour
Competition, Kris‚ enormous creative reach, transcendent
lyrics, and the ability to truly connect with an audience
have established her as an artist with everything she needs
for a long and illustrious musical journey. A triple threat
fiddler, songwriter, and guitarist, The Boston Globe deemed
Kris "a significant new folk-pop voice who combines
alluring, rootsy melodies with the intimacy of the urban
songwriter."
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 Songs
for a Hurricane — CAT-5002
Kris Delmhorst’s third CD "Songs for a
Hurricane" is the latest stride in a career she's built
in classic Do-It-Yourself fashion, touring the country
incessantly and releasing her music independently. And
clearly she’s doing something right, having sold 25,000
copies of her first two discs, "Appetite" and
"Five Stories", on the strength of strong
performances and word-of-mouth alone. She’s toured the USA
and Europe with Dar Williams, Chris Smither, Catie Curtis,
and Mary Gauthier. Along the way she's garnered 6 Boston
Music Award nominations, first place in the 2001 Telluride
Troubadour Songwriter Competition, and inclusion in a stack
of DJ top ten lists from coast to coast. |
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 Five
Stories — SIG 1279
Kris Delmhorst, long a beloved musician's musician in the
fertile Boston scene, brings an unconventional, richly
textured and soulful sound to FIVE STORIES. Co-produced by
Delmhorst and former Morphine drummer Billy Conway, the
album is by turns rootsy and haunting, velvety and
rough-cut, with Delmhorst's spellbinding vocals, emotionally
piercing lyrics, and intimate live sound threading the songs
together. Guests include fellow Boston luminaries Catie
Curtis, Lori McKenna, and Jennifer Kimball. |
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MARK
ERELLI
Typically, a 27-year old musician with
only a few years under his belt would still qualify as the
"new kid on the block." With high praise from no
less than recent Grammy winner Dave Alvin and a rapidly
increasing audience nationwide, Mark Erelli is looking less
like a newcomer and more like an honest and powerful new
voice in American music. With an impressive gift for
songwriting and a versatility that allows him to move with
ease from folk to rock to country, Mark has established
himself as one of the premiere young songwriters making
music today. NO DEPRESSION magazine enthused:
"Tasteful, intelligent and sensitive, Erelli's
songwriting is as unpredictable as a bead of mercury; once
you think you have it, it reassembles into something else on
the next track..."
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 The
Memorial Hall Recordings — SIG
1271
Mark Erelli's project, THE MEMORIAL HALL RECORDINGS, is a
stunningly ambitious tribute to the musical and geographical
landscape of America. For the project Erelli and his band
took up residency in a Civil War-era Memorial hall in a
small town in western Massachusetts, where THE MEMORIAL HALL
RECORDINGS were captured live from noon to midnight in only
three days. The end result? A vibrant and lyrical
celebration of the place where the stories and songs of a
region meet the wellspring of American roots music including
interpretations of traditional songs from the region, as
well as tunes by some of New England's most revered
purveyors of roots music, such as Bill Morrissey, Dennis
Brennan, and the Lonesome Brothers. |
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 Hillbilly
Pilgrim — SIG 1281
On this new release, Erelli takes the dive he's always
hinted at, unveiling an entire album of western swing
originals. Back in the 1930s and 40s, crowds flocked to
dance halls to hear music that combined big-band jazz with
country instrumentation. Hillbilly Pilgrim finds Erelli
teaming up with members of Boston's premier country band The
Spurs to put a new spin on the tradition. Hillbilly Pilgrim
is immersed in vintage twang without abandoning Erelli's
contemporary sensibility and the heartfelt, thoughtful
lyrics more commonly associated with folk music. Highlights
include the rollicking "Troubadour Blues," a duet
with Erin McKeown on "Pretend," the mournful
"The Farewell Ball," and a cover of Billy Jack
Wills' "Troubles," a pure rockabilly classic. This
is a fun, largely uptempo record, where even the tearjerkers
are leavened by sleek steel guitar and Erelli's jukebox
vocals. |
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 Mark
Erelli — SIG 1249
From the roots-rock of Do It Everyday to the elegiac anthem
Northern Star, Mark Erelli covers some wide-ranging
territory on his stunning self-titled debut CD. This
expansive yet focused artistic vision has earned him
extensive radio airplay, critical acclaim, and national
recognition as winner of the 1999 Kerrville New Folk
contest. |
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JIM
HENRY
If music is about where you've
been, where you are, and where you're heading, Jim Henry has
the roadmap. His range and depth defy labeling. He brings
the same passion and sheer musical excellence to every tune
he plays - his own or others. Known to many as a phenomenal
guitar, mandolin and dobro ace, Jim Henry is also a gifted
singer/songwriter. In addition to his continuing solo
career, Jim's musical savvy and versatility have made him a
sought after studio musician and sideman who has performed
with hundreds of well known regional and national acts at
venues throughout the U.S. and Canada. Jim Henry's career is
one of ever expanding musical boundaries, fueled by passion
for what he does and a commitment to excellence. You only
have to hear him once to know you're in the presence of true
talent. Those of us who have most assuredly agree.
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 The
Wayback — SIG 1254
There was a time when all great music was made the
"old-fashioned way," with live and unedited studio
performances capturing the magical moments that arise when
great musicians play great songs. THE WAYBACK, is an album
full of such magical moments. Henry presents ten new
originals alongside smoking covers of tunes by Doc Watson
and Carl Perkins. |
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 Jacksonville
— SIG 1230
Produced by Darleen Wilson, Jim Henry's second album
establishes his triple-threat talents as a vocalist,
guitarist, and songwriter. Featuring a stellar band of New
England's top musicians, JACKSONVILLE is a warm collection
of songs about fatherhood, coming of age, and the meaning of
home. |
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 Ring
Some Changes — SIG 1238
Jim Henry and Brooks Williams have made a warm, organic
all-instrumental acoustic album featuring gorgeous originals
alongside compositions by Robert Johnson, Django Reinhart,
and Richard Thompson. |
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LORI
MCKENNA
Born and raised in Stoughton on the South Shore of
Massachusetts, just a stone's throw from where she now
lives, writes, and raises her kids, Lori McKenna is an
exceptional example of how some songwriters just naturally
seem to find their way to the homespun sound of a strummed
acoustic guitar, an honest voice and a touch of twang. While
McKenna grew up listening to the radio music of her day -
the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" remains one of her
favorite songs to cover - the music she penned at her
kitchen table, after the kids had been sent off to school,
has drawn more immediate comparisons. Described as "a
more buzz-worthy sister to Australian newcomer Kasey
Chambers", Lori has also garnered comparisons to
artists ranging from Natalie Maines (Dixie Chicks) and Patty
Griffin, to Nanci Griffith, and Alanis Morissette. National
Public Radio says "More than any young songwriter on
the scene today her songs carry that stirring blend of stark
intimacy and universality that has always marked the folk
form at its finest. The life and love in her songs is so
palpably real, so recognizable, there is real healing in
them."
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 Paper
Wings and Halo — CAT 5001
Always a favorite in New England, Stoughton
Massachusetts-based songwriter Lori McKenna has gained a
national audience with her excellent 2001 release Pieces Of
Me. Signature Sounds/Catalyst Disc is proud to present the
national debut of Lori's superb 1998 debut, Paper Wings
& Halo. The album has been repackaged with new artwork
and three previously unreleased bonus tracks. Paper Wings
& Halo was voted album of the year by Boston folk radio
station WUMB listeners in 1998. |
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 Pieces
of Me — CAT 5002
American roots often take hold where you least expect them,
this time in the acoustic guitar and honest twang of Lori
McKenna, a 31-year-old mother of four. PIECES OF ME
celebrates Lori McKenna's searing, urgent voice, her gutsy
songwriting, and her harrowingly intimate eye for detail.
Courting a string of exceptional guests, including Richard
Shindell, Ellis Paul, and Kris Delmhorst, McKenna's songs
are wry and biting, tender and gentle, but stirringly honest
- the "gem-hard brassy songstress" (Boston Herald)
glittering always at the center. |
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