TOUR DATES: Mary Gauthier & Mark Olson

Two of alt-country's biggest talents are hitting the road this winter: Lost Highways labelmates Mark Olson (formerly of the Jayhawks) and Mary Gauthier will be playing a string of dates on the West Coast that comprise the first leg of Olson's winter/spring 2008 tour (supporting last year's beautiful Salvation Blues)! I can hardly think of a better way to spend an evening.

TOUR DATES:
1-30: Acoustic Music San Diego (San Diego, CA)
1-31: The Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
2-01: The Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA)
2-04: The Palms (Winters, CA)
1-06: Lola's Room (Portland, MA)
1-07: The Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)
2-02: Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz, CA)
2-15: Mick’s Music & Bar (Omaha, NE)
2-16: Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club (Kansas City)
2-20: Stubb’s Bar-B-Q (Austin, TX)
2-23: Chelsea’s Café (Baton Rouge, LA)

Additional Moog: Something For Your Wilco Fix

Additional Moog = the new target of my alt-country object of adoration.

Additional Moog has really impressed me with its brand of alt-country, heard on its May release, Thirty Three & A Third (released in North America on Lost Cat Records)! I mean, not only has this pretty unknown band been compared to Wilco, but they've also got the thumbs up FROM one of the guys in Wilco, John Stirratt ("Really beautiful songs... like the lost Jayhawks album," Stirratt has said). I'm not going to disagree - I mean, just listen to the opening few notes of "Alaska." Singer-songwriter James Williams, drummer Ian Powell and guitarist/keyboardist Mark Rose have created the perfect sleepy-eyed alt-country album, an album that's really refreshing and calming. The thing's got an understated optimism its slow tempo can't hide. Highly recommended!

Anyways, the band's at work on another album, as well as playing some gigs on their side of the pond. Williams is thinking of calling it Sweet, Sweet Rain.

LISTEN:
"Alaska" [MP3] from Thirty Three & A Third
"My Harpsichord" [MP3] from Thirty Three & A Third

ON THE WEB:
The Additional Moog's website
The Additional Moog's MySpace

Mark Olson - "National Express"

I didn't know until a week ago that former Jayhawks frontman Mark Olson had recorded a solo album released earlier this summer. "The National Express" is my favorite off what I've heard so far of The Salvation Blues -- it's a mournful ballad that also features some lovely female vocals. It's great to hear more from Olson -- there's something really comforting about his music to me, something I loved about the Jayhawks (which Olson left in 1996) and a lot of this type of music. If you're in the L.A.-area, you can check out one of Olson's tour dates: he'll be at the Largo on the 10th, and at the Hotel Cafe on the 11th. The man's keeping reaaaally busy -- check out his MySpace for more tour dates.

LISTEN:
"National Express" [MP3]
"Poor Michael's Boat" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Mark Olson's MySpace

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