Today’s episode is a very special new segment of AFL: Tea & Table Talk. Jesse invites musicians to her kitchen table for tea and, well, talking. Charlie McKittrick sat down to discuss his journey from drummer extraordinaire (TimeGiant, Phill Hood!, Foreign Film Star and a billion others) to singer-songwriter and his debut solo record. It’s an insightful, vulnerable, occasionally heavy discussion, and well worth a listen. Charlie opens our No Soul Safe showcase April 8th so get in the loop already!
All posts by Jesse Daly
Episode 45: Arcanum
Today’s episode is Arcanum’s prog metal 4 track debut EP , At the Car Wash. A mix of funky grooves and grit, their sound is self-described by the band as it’s own genre combining junk and djent: Djunk. For those of you unfamiliar (which was us at first too), it’s heavy on high-gain distortion guitar, slap bass, and polyrhythms. You may recall bassist Jesse Woodrich of AFL alnumi SirenPhase, who you can catch at our No Soul Safe showcase April 8th at the Libertarian. Get in the loop!
Episode 44: Kayt Lucas Band
Continuing our recent string of wicked female vocals is Kayt Lucas Band, and their album, Tornado Nursery. It’s hard folk, with a sunny attitude and plenty of mandolin. The instrumentation is particularly unique, blending elements of Latin beats, Santana- style guitar, and the movements inspired by Kayt’s career as an aerial dancer and choreographer. Certainly a treat, so get in the loop! And mark your calendars for our next showcase, No Soul Safe at the Libertarian Public, April 8th!
Episode 43: Barbara Lynch
Barbara Lynch is a Lady-Tom Waits with her own unique rasp, and some heavy (and we mean heavy) themes of love lost and how war and our ignorance have ruined our planet. In The Nickelodeon is in a class all its own, borrowing from ragtime, jazz, and dropping in a few beautifully heartbreaking love songs. It’s a record from 2008 that is steeped in 1929, and feels prescient even today. Get in the loop!!!
Episode 42: Taylor Holden
A wonderful ray of sunshine to kick off 2017, we tackled the adorable yet mature first solo release from Taylor Holden and the Law of Averages. It’s heavy on charm, with plenty of ukulele love songs to keep you warm this season. With a mix of up-tempo, head bopping pop country, Dylan and Jess love how refreshingly earnest the record is amid so much ironic, brooding content in the marketplace. Get in the loop, and Happy New Year from AFL!
Episode 41: Beach Bodies
Mother nature’s mushroom trip meets Lou Reed, Strokes- style meditative mumblecore. It’s art-rockers Beach Bodies with Onward & Downward, a beautifully bizarre journey through the forest, the sea and everything in between. Highlights include the Scooby-Do inspired tale of a water-logged ghost and a recording of two moms chatting set to an instrumental interpretation. Why are you still reading this? Get in the loop!
Episode 40: Darling Cora
A magnificent vocal powerhouse, plucky guitar arrangements and world music rhythms. It’s big, honest and serenely meditative. Darling Cora’s first full-length release Heart Strung Out is an indie-folk record with guts. I dare you not to get chills. Think Grace Slick, Joni Mitchell’s Ladies of the Canyon, and even the free-form rhythms of improvised beat poetry, all set to jazz/blues orchestral foundation. Get in the loop!!!
Episode 39: Michael Coughlan
Michael Coughlan’s full-length release The Sixth Avenue Verses is a straight up country folk record centered on life in small-town western Canada’s badlands. While it never strays too far from the canon of country tunes- think twangy slide guitars and lonesome traveler motifs- there are unique interludes of spoken word poetry and sampled preaching over a dusty soundscape. Certainly a rarity in today’s indie music landscape, so get in the loop!
Episode 38: Kraig Durco
Kraig Durco’s self-produced EP Guilty Pleasures is a feat of electro-pop with some real weight to it. Infectious melodies, light-hearted millenial aesthetic and groovy rhythms make this a perfect handful of party tracks. Known to AFL fans as the drummer for Electric Waves, Durco takes his solo work in a new direction while keeping the surf-rock motif alive. And for a one-man-band, the tunes feel extremely realized. It’s sheer fun, so get in the loop!
Episode 37: Gillian Nicola
Gillian Nicola’s first release No Place To Call is as captivating as it is solitudal. The unique lilt of her alt-country vocals alone brings to life the stories of bitter heartache and, with Oh Marie, the bizarre reality of watching an idol fall. The band creates ambient, wintery soundscapes formed through a classic pop/rock template, while breaking the mould enough to excite even a tough critic. Fans of Ingrid Michaelson, Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris will appreciate the candidness and expert use of the pedal steel guitar. Check Gillian out Nov 3rd at The Cameron House for our AFL Femme Fatale Showcase!