Great Lake Swimmers "Palmistry"

The video for Great Lake Swimmers new single "Palmistry" is pretty fitting for the feel of the song. Late afternoon, on the water on a big-ass boat, laid back. The only difference is... it's like a clipper ship and not a bass boat.

Live @ The Landromat!

My Old Kentucky Blog continue to have one of the best web series around with "Landro Matinee."  This time they featured one of my fave bands Great Lake Swimmers.  You can watch the videos and download the mp3s from the sessions here.

Great Lake Swimmers @ Hailey's

Last night was a great show at Hailey's, it was the first time I'd been there.  Hopefully I'll find a reason to go again sometime soon.

But, you can check out the review of the show here and pictures from the show here or here.

Great Lake Swimmers Show

In exactly a week from yesterday Great Lake Swimmers will play Hailey's in Denton.  I highly recommend going to the show.  Head Swimmer Tony Dekker is a great songwriter and singer.  If you need more proof as to why you should go maybe you should see what I said here.

Great Lake Swimmers "Pulling On A Line" Vidie

With all the references to nature on the new Great Lake Swimmers album this video fits right in.  Out in the woods, wings made of broken limbs, smoke and lamps(!).  If I haven't convinced you already, Lost Channels is a fantastic album.

MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On A Line

Great Lake Swimmers Lost Channels

The sound of Great Lake Swimmers ranges from dour folk-like songs to AM gold hits of The Byrds or Gordon Lightfoot with a little Ralph Stanley thrown in for good measure.  The voice of lead Swimmer, Tony Dekker, is warm and familiar, sounding like a folky Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult.

The band is at it's best when it digs into the up tempo songs like "She Comes To Me In Dreams," "Palmistry" and "Everything Is Moving So Fast."  My favorite song on the album is "The Chorus is Underground," the banjo picking of Erik Arnesen is fantastic and the violin flourishes throughout the tune are top notch.  However, the down tempo songs like "Stealing Tomorrow" is somber and beautiful.

This is an early pick for favorite of the '09.  The band will be hitting up Hailey's in Denton on April 8.

MP3:  Great Lake Swimmers - Pull a Line

Great Lake Swimmers Coming To Denton

Folkies Great Lake Swimmers will bring their minimalist folk-rock-pop tunes to Hailey's in Denton this spring touring behind their new album Lost Channels.  Their albums is set to be released the day their tour starts, March 31.    

MP3:  Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On a Line

3/31/09 - Seattle @ The Tractor Tavern
4/01/09 - Portland @ Doug Fir
4/03/09 - San Francisco @ The Bottom of the Hill
4/04/09 - Los Angeles @ Spaceland
4/05/09 - Tucson @ Plush
4/07/09 - Austin @ Stubbs Bar-B-Q
4/08/09 - Denton @ Hailey's
4/10/09 - Atlanta @ The Earl
4/13/09 - Charlottesville @ Gravity Lounge
4/14/09 - Washington @ Black Cat
4/15/09 - Philadelphia @ Johnny Brenda's
4/16/09 - Northampton @ Iron Horse Music Hall
4/17/09 - New York City @ The Bowery Ballroom
4/18/09 - Cambridge @ The Brattle Theater
4/20/09 - Newport @ The Southgate House
4/21/09 - Chicago @ Schubas
4/22/09 - Minneapolis @ 7th Street Entry
4/23/09 - Madison @ High Noon Saloon

I'm Not Sure Where It Started

I'm not sure where my fondness for singer-songwriter, folk, Americana came from. Maybe it's just a product of me getting older and not wanting to listen to shit like Fall Out Boy or A Bird A Sparrow. But, I do still like to rock, just not as much as I use to. It's weird when you use to think I loved to listen to Rage Against The Machine and Ice Cube as loud as it could possibly be and now I'd like to just sit back and drink some beer and listen to My Morning Jacket.

What's the point you ask? Yesteday on the way home my friend turned me onto a band I had read about, but had not listened to until yesterday--Great Lake Swimmers. They really appeal to my Americana and Folky side that I've come to embrace. Tony Dekkers voice reminds me of Mat Brook from Grand Archives or Jim James, just a great, great voice. Oh, and the music is great too.

MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - Moving Shaking from Great Lake Swimmers