Episode 005 : Josh Ritter, Francine + Burnside Project
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Josh Ritter has just released his third CD, "Hello Starling" on Signature Sounds Recordings, following his 1999 eponymous debut and 2002's acclaimed "Golden Age of Radio." Ritter and his band are out now on tour of the US and Europe.
After his previous band, Poundcake, disbanded in the late '90s, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Clayton Scoble began to bring together musicians for his next musical outlet called Francine. The band recorded and released "Forty on a Fall Day" in 2000 and followed it up this year with the John Dragonetti-produced "28 Plastic Blue Versions of Endings Without You," both on Boston's Q Division records.
New York City's Burnside Project released "The Networks, The Circuits, The Streams, The Harmonies" on Bar/None Records in early 2003. Mixing indie rock guitar and sensibilities with electronic dance music beats and aspirations, the band has had an interesting year as they begin work on their next CD.
Josh Ritter has just released his third CD, "Hello Starling" on Signature Sounds Recordings, following his 1999 eponymous debut and 2002's acclaimed "Golden Age of Radio." Ritter and his band are out now on tour of the US and Europe.
Ritter has been compared from everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt to John Prine, but his writing is a literate, genuine, and engaging style all his own.
I spoke with Ritter at his band's rehearsal space outside Boston, Massachusetts on the eve of the release of "Hello Starling" to talk about what--and who--lured him to Boston from his home town of Moscow, Idaho, how he discovered and learned about the roots of traditional and Appalachian music, and what birds, windows, girls, and weather all have in common.
We're also treated to an exclusive, live, solo performance of "Snow is Gone" from his new CD at the end of our interview.
Photo: Conor Masterson
Well-Rounded Picks, Part 1
This month, a four-minute segment about four artists from across North America who require greater investigation, including The Clumsy Lovers, Angelique, The Workers, and Soundproof.
Francine
After his previous band, Poundcake, disbanded in the late '90s, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Clayton Scoble began to bring together musicians for his next musical outlet called Francine.
The band recorded and released "Forty on a Fall Day" in 2000 and followed it up this year with the John Dragonetti-produced "28 Plastic Blue Versions of Endings Without You," both on Boston's Q Division records.
Mixing subtle pop melodies and personal lyrics that don't reveal quite as much as you might expect, Francine's music works its way into your unconsious and lives there.
I met Scoble, bassist Sean Connelly, drummer and vocalist Steve Scully, and keyboardist Paul Simonoff (guitarist Albert Gualtieri was unable to attend) at Q Division's studios in Somerville, Massachusetts to talk about how Scoble subtly recruited the members of Francine, what you have to do in order to sit in and play with the band, how the classic pop sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s (and the 90s indie rock smarts) have found their way into the band's songwriting and style, some of the problems with radio today--and who is breaking the rules.
And at the end of our interview, we'll get in the holiday spirit a little early by hearing a limited-release song from Francine entitled "Christmas for Chumps (A Noel Tragedy)."
Photo: Jill LeVasseur
Well-Rounded Picks, Part 2
Four more artists that deserve your attention! Give a listen to Fila Flip, Diana Darby, Wayne Kramer, and Kathy Ziegler.
Burnside Project
New York City's Burnside Project released "The Networks, The Circuits, The Streams, The Harmonies" on Bar/None Records in early 2003. Mixing indie rock guitar and sensibilities with electronic dance music beats and aspirations, the band has had an interesting year as they begin work on their next CD.
In addition to having their song "Cue the Pulse to Begin" featured in the opening sequence of the Jackie Chan film The Medallion, they were also nominated by Cameron Crowe for the Long List, have just had their CD picked up for release in Japan, and have been approached by several advertising agencies to produce music for commericals.
I recently met with Richard Jankovich, Gerald Hammill, and Paul Searing on Manhattan's West Side to discuss what musical and lyrical influences they are melding together, how the collaboration process is changing for their upcoming third CD, and how they got novelist Rick Moody to write the liner notes to their second CD.
At the end of the interview, we'll also hear the full performance of "Bravo Bravura," a new and as-yet-unreleased song from Burnside Project--giving some clues about their next direction.
Photo: Bert Queiroz
Josh Ritter on Signature Sounds Recordings.
Well-Rounded Picks, Part 1: Clumsy Lovers, Angelique, The Workers, and Soundproof.
Francine on Q Division Records.
Well-Rounded Picks, Part 2: Fila Flip, Diana Darby, Wayne Kramer, and Kathy Ziegler.
Burnside Project on Bar/None Records.
