donovan quinn and michael james tapscott

donovan quinn and michael james tapscott ~ goodbye, marlene (self~released, 2012)

“though best known for his work with the Skygreen Leopards, Quinn has been culling his private weird recordings since he lived in a rotting trailer in the suburban sprawl of Walnut Creek, California. due to popular insistence, Donovan has finally gone solo. Quinn is a Marlboro man mystic channeled through Francois Hardy just woken from a nap: frowsy, susurrant and surly. he curls out chords like Duane Eddy on ludes, strumming on some ether plane of American guitar groupmind. It warms my heart that perhaps people will hear Donovan and be able to discern a true contender from the hollow trees out there.” ~ Elisa Ambrogio, Arthur Magazine

"if i could only be serenaded by one person for the rest of my days, i'd choose michael tapscott in a heartbeat. the odawas vocalist's talent is something to die for. that voice... cannot be beat. but what tapscott brings on his debut solo release under his own name is far more than just that voice." digitalis

a veces los sueños se cumplen... dos de las voces más bonitas juntas en un disco que aparece de repente, sin promoción y que nos regalan donovan y michael desde su página de soundcloud. 'goodbye, marlene', un título que dice mucho más de lo que pueda escribir, es una preciosidad que de alguna forma da continuidad narrativa a nuestro querido 'sunny california'. letras evocadoras a modo de diario para un space folk soleado y cristalino que depara pequeñas grandes canciones una detrás de otra: 'i'll kill you in time', 'many safe returns, anne' (mazzy star meets beachwood sparks) y 'marlene left california' cantadas por donovan (espíritu oklahoma soul, one, two three, guitarras acústicas, pianos y algún tímido field recording como en los días felices de los leopardos del cielo verde), 'it's not the blues, it's the drug', a ritmo de armónica, y 'otw marlene', que me recuerda en algún momento fugaz a lindsey buckingham, esos coros, cantadas por michael james tapscott. un disco sencillo y bonito que en realidad sólo suena a the skygreen leopards y odawas, puro california dreaming, perfecto para escuchar a media luz, entrecerrar los ojos y soñar que el verano no toca a su fin (snif)

fotos: alina senchuk & adriá cañameras

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michael james tapscott

michael james tapscott ~ sunny california (digitalis limited 2010)

"if i could only be serenaded by one person for the rest of my days, i'd choose michael tapscott in a heartbeat. the odawas vocalist's talent is something to die for. that voice... cannot be beat. but what tapscott brings on his debut solo release under his own name is far more than just that voice. this is the soundtrack to the short film of the same name by neil blakemore and follows in the ocean-drift steps of the last odawas record, "the blue depths." melodic synthesizer passages float lightly on simple, seductive drum machine beats and acoustic guitar lines. erratic, almost-harsh electronica even makes an appearance as tapscott uses all his tricks to crystalize the theme of the film. every turn finds a new path, all of which lead back to the central precipice.

"sunny california" is a place rife with beauty and sadness and as tapscott as our guide, we're bound to find something to treasure" digitalis

foto: tululumu

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royal geography society

royal geography society ~ golden man (ruralfaune 2011)

"Golden Man" is the debut lp by the Oakland duo Royal Geography Society. Equal parts lush orchestration and soaring 60s psych vocals, the lp lays its lilting melodies over a base of electrobeat percussion and ramshackle synths. These parts form the trails for the tale of two explorers in search of the mysterious Eldorado, deep in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. While this tale is from the exotic regions of the world, its metaphors are very prevalent in modern society. Since the dawn of humanity, man has crossed the earth many times over, searched the depths of the sea, and rocketed into space all to uncover the unknown. This desire is the true incarnation of the Golden Man.

Aaron Deer and Michael Tapscott (Odawas) are Royal Geography Society... Hired to compose a soundtrack to a documentary film on mushroom cultivation, the duo was quickly fired when the producers heard the early recordings. Enamored with working together, the duo decided to start fresh - following the same creative path - and create an album for themselves. Inspired by a non-fiction account of British explorers searching for Eldorado around the turn of the 20th century, the duo wound a tale of adventure, desperation, and acceptance of the inevitable. The search is the discovery." ruralfaune

annapurna illusion vs neil young vs mercury rev!

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