Tag Archives: acoustic
Gareth Koch Releases ‘A Christmas Album’
Imagine timeless European Christmas music played instrumentally, as if upon a choir of lutes. Ancient & exquisite songs, deep within the human psyche, are now newly arranged by ARIA Award winning guitarist Gareth Koch. The interpretations reveal his signature blend of contemporary flair laced with medieval sensibilities.
The arrangements are both elegant & appealing, sidestepping any notion of commercialised Christmas clichés. Re-imagined as troubadour-like ballads or tender Austrian folk songs, each carol receives a unique treatment. The listener is invited into an array of soundworlds, ranging from the early medieval to English folk-revival.
The music of this album leads us away from the bustle of many modern realities. Instead, we are drawn into a gentler universe, filled with subtlety & nuance. In any year, at any time, this album presents a Christmas message we all need to hear.
Song Description
Little Drummer Boy
This timeless mid-tempo classic Christmas carol is dealt with not just using multiple classical guitar parts but with hand percussion and rice shakers.
Ding Dong Merrily On High
An up-tempo and superbly played Christmas piece dating right back to the 1800’s. Even some 12 string electric features in Gareth’s new arrangement.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
A very old piece, dated to the 16th century and referred to in Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’. Gareth recreates the vocal melody perfectly and becomes a terrific hum along piece. Bass guitar rounds out the arrangement featuring multiple guitars: acoustic, nylon string and electric creating a lush sonic tapestry.
About Gareth Koch
Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a diverse repertory across multiple albums spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects & song writing. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.
Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects. Over the past two years he has released two collaborative albums with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). Earlier this year a third collaboration with Steve saw the release of double album ‘The Hall of Counterfeits’ which was nominated in this years AMP Prize.
A Christmas Album is OUT NOW November 26th – via MGM
Pre order CDs in shrink wrapped double gatefold package below
Order CD from the Official Store or stream/download below
CD’s Also available at good retail record stores across Australia
Connect with Gareth Koch:
Lily Duval Offers New Single ‘The Last Goodbye’
Full bodied acoustic guitar is the hallmark of this terrific new original single from Lily Duval. The classic sound of this song has its own time and place and transports you somewhere else.
Her writing comes from her own experiences and also longtime influences such as Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. Lyrically, The Last Goodbye explores the sense of an ending, the realisation that you may never again see the person you love. Lily describes this song as, “a love story. I wrote this last winter. I deliberated over the key change at the end but then felt it worked.”
With help from accomplished session men – Peter Holz on guitar and Andy Beck adding the medieval sounding Celesta, the track is woven together by the expert ears of producer Russell Pilling.
Previously Lily has digitally released a number of acoustic blues originals to a warm response on Community Radio and online.
Download or stream now:
Connect with Lily:
Luke Escombe Takes It All Off On New Album Skeleton Blues
Taking it all off….
“Skeleton Blues” is the new solo record from singer/songwriter/guitarist Luke Escombe.
Release Date Friday March 3 (MGM)
Will be available at all good retailers (Bandcamp, iTunes, etc.) and streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
Luke will next perform the songs from Skeleton Blues at Django Bar in Sydney on Saturday 4th March!
Plus catch him TONIGHT Tuesday Feb 28 on Ross Fears Australian Spectrum Show – Streaming online worldwide at
http://alive905.com.au/ross-fear-australian-spectrum-show/
You can also check out this awesome interview with Christine Anu on ABC 702 from last week here
https://soundcloud.com/luke-escombe/luke-abc-interview-on-evenings-with-christine-anu
He is also having a chat on Eastside FM this afternoon.
Recorded live on to 2 inch tape at the legendary Damien Gerard studios in Sydney, this raw and revealing session combines the sound of primal electric blues with Luke’s distinctive wit and wordplay. The recording took place just 24 hours before the US election, and the tape reels capture the sense of foreboding.
“Skeleton Blues” lays bare the key influences in Luke’s music. It includes covers of songs by Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, as well as two electrifying renditions of the old spirituals “O Death” and “John the Revelator”, a song Luke first heard performed by Son House on a live recording from the early 60s.
Although presenting a more serious side to his songwriting, there is still a healthy dose of Luke’s sly humour in first single “Punctuation Blues”, a track which combines a Lightnin Hopkins-inspired guitar groove with such lines as “punctuation is like making love/ you gotta know when to put it in”.
“Skeleton Blues” also shows Luke’s fascination with reaching back into history to offer new perspectives on the present. “The Lipsi” is a song about life in East Germany in the 1960s, while “William Blake” pays homage to the 18th century poet and visionary whose “illuminated books” spoke out against corruption and the rampages of the industrial revolution.
Meanwhile, previously released songs such as “21st Century Blues”, “Confidence”, “Axe in the House” and “Get in the Cool Room” take on a deeper meaning when stripped of their band backings. As the title of the record suggests, these are songs which have been cut down to their bare bones. There’s nothing here but electric guitar, stomp and that voice. John Shand of the Sydney Morning Herald once declared “Luke Escombe is an exceptional singer…his commanding voice carries echos of Dr John, Bruce Springsteen, Nick Cave, and Jim Morrison”
Luke recently performed the songs from “Skeleton Blues” at the Bridgetown Blues Festival in WA and as a support act for Australian music icon Russell Morris at Camelot Lounge in Sydney.
Luke will next perform the songs from Skeleton Blues at Django Bar in Sydney on Saturday 4th March!
“Skeleton Blues” is accompanied by videos for “Punctuation Blues” and “O Death” – filmed live in the studio. The album was recorded and mixed in a single three hour session, with no second takes or overdubs.
Pre release single videos/listening streams:
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Luke Escombe “Punctuation Blues”
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Luke Escombe – O Death (cover)
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Originally from the UK, where his late father was one of the pioneers of the modern rock and roll touring industry, Luke has called Sydney home since 1999. As well as his three albums as a blues and roots artist, he is a critically acclaimed writer, comedian and MC, an in-demand public speaker, an ambassador for health charity Crohn’s and Colitis Australia and the creator of an award-winning “roots music” show for kids, families and foodies called The Vegetable Plot.
Social Links
lukeescombe.com
facebook.com/lukeescombemusic
twitter.com/mrescombe
youtube.com/user/LukeEscombe
lukeescombeandthecorporation.bandcamp.com
