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The reviews of Dan Bryk’s Pop Psychology are trickling in, but they’re pretty enthusiastic thus far:
“A strong candidate for best album of the year. Dan Bryk’s new cd is a triumph of intelligence and wit, an oasis in a world full of idiots. [50 Best Albums of 2009]” –Lucid Culture
“…a Clipse for Burt Bacharach fans, peddling witty cynicism like crack. Pop Psychology adds up to an acerbic but ultimately forgiving snapshot of the mercurial musical world Bryk inhabits. [7.4/10]” –Pitchfork
“…a treasure that few will unearth, but one that will be held tight by all that take the time to listen. I know that sounds like hyperbole, and maybe it is, but there is something precious about how Bryk sees the world that has raised him up only to drag him down.” –Hero Hill
“…each clever turn of phrase, jangly guitar, layer of odd instrumentation, and overdubbed vocal is a revelation. And with every release he continues to upgrade, update, and redefine what is possible from the simple pop song.” –songs:Illinois
 
La lucha continua. 

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“In addition to being a great songwriter, Amy Allison is also one of the funniest performers around. Once she gets going it pretty much steamrolls from there, but this time out, playing solo for most of the show, she basically stuck to the set list without a lot of interplay with the crowd. Instead, it was a night of masterfully crafted, minute inflections that packed a wallop: she can say more with the careful twist of a phrase than most singers can in an album’s worth of songs…” for more follow the link: 

http://lucidculture.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/concert-review-amy-allison-at-banjo-jims-nyc-53009/

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Worldwide Praise for Luke’s Jackson’s …And Then Some continues to pour in…

“…an eloquent, expressive set that exudes both confidence and an enthusiasm that’s downright infectious. Jackson’s drive and desire race at full throttle. And yet, in those moments of sublime repose, where the strings swell and the emotions soar, he demonstrates an intrinsic taste, craft and intelligence that affirm his natural pop pedigree. “It’s only January, but it’s not too early to declare … And Then Some one of the most significant discoveries of the year.” 9/10
– Lee Zimmerman, Blurt

“I had never heard of Luke Jackson before but today he is the smartest man alive!”
– What To Wear During An Orange Alert
Interview

“The sweet guitar fills, the cascading harmonies, Jackson’s happy as heck vocals — it’s all here, a complete pop package.”
– Mike Bennett, Hablo Ennui

“Wer auf knackigen Pop-Rock und atmosphärische, melancholische Kleinode steht, der wird hier bestens bedient.”
– Markus Kerren, rocktimes.de

“Sounding something like Teenage Fanclub if they were lost in Scandinavia and developed a taste for string sections …And Then Some is power pop paradise that’s as lush as it is poppy. With lush, delicate arrangements, the tender moments on …And Then Some become even more poignant and emotional…”A Little Voice,” is a perfect example of this as Luke Jackson gently plucks his guitar to a harmonizing string arrangement that makes the song so hauntingly fragile that it sounds as if the song might just break. Songs like these are intimate heartfelt breathers that show Luke Jackson to be in touch with his soul; they truly are stunning songs.”

– Paul Zimmerman, First Coast News 

“Från de här förtsättningarna får vi helt enkelt en snygg, nittiotalsinspirerad britpopplatta med snygga arrangemang”
– Petter Seander, Red Hot Rock Magazine

“Instantly catchy choruses and plenty of dreamy harmonies. This is a expressive album that wears it’s heart on it’s sleeve. Fans of Bleu, Jeff Lynne, Canadian or Swedish power pop will flip for Luke Jackson. Just an excellent album that touches the spectrum of emotions. 8/10
-Aaron Kupferberg, powerpopaholic.com

“A Little Voice is the kind of affecting rumination that would resonate widely (instead of just deeply) if only some enterprising song wrangler were to place it over the closing scene to a Grey’s Anatomy episode.” 
– John Sakamoto, Toronto Star

Continue reading →

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Chris Warren has been featured in the latest episode of What’s All This Then?, a podcast devoted to “innovative, exceptional and bizarre Toronto Artists” with host Ben Mueller-Heaslip of the Parkdale Revolutionary Orchestra.  

Chris reflects on fifteen years of performing and recording music and his new album “Night For Day” in this in-depth interview.

Subscribe to W.A.T.T. on iTunes or stream from their site.  

(Night For Day also received a great review in this month’s Exclaim)

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We all use numbers, every day.

Like today, since Bull City are on the Raleigh News & Observer‘s list of 8 Great Triangle Bands To Watch in 2008.

Quoth the N&O’s David Menconi: “There is much to admire about Bull City, particularly ex-Dillon Fence drummer Scott Carle’s time-keeping, guitarist John Kurtz’s effortless playing and the overall level of songcraft. But the most impressive part is how well the pieces fit together on Bull City’s debut mini-album, ‘Guns & Butter,’ a mixture of jingle-jangle catchiness and blues-rock whomp…”

Read the rest of the review, watch a video interview, listen to a pair of tracks from Guns & Butter or just download the nifty wallpaper pictured above at the N&O site

And speaking of late reviews, Lee Feldman‘s 2007 platter I’ve Forgotten Everything received the prestigious Five Bagels (with whitefish) rating in a lengthy review at Lucid Culture yesterday.

“Impeccably and tersely produced, this album has cult classic written all over it. Shame on us for taking so long to review it. Five bagels. With whitefish. Because it’s full of mercury and makes you forget everything.” Read more…

(See, we didn’t make that particular ratings metric up.)

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Urban Myth artistes Bull City and Dan Bryk have both been voted by the music writers of the Raleigh Independent to The Triangle’s best 35 songs of 2007 list: Bull City for their epic track Game and Bryk for his quasi-jingle Discount Store.

This dropkicks ’em alongside many of our local faves: Bowerbirds, Future Kings of Nowhere, Hammer No More The Fingers, Red Collar, Schooner, and (winner of the UM office pool for best band name of 2007) I Was Totally Destroying It. Yaaaaay to everyone who didn’t make the list too.

Download the mixtape of all 35 tracks here and discover why they still call Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill “not a bad place for music.”

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No, really.

Interview with Bryk in today’s Daily Tar Heel.

Bryk is chuffed to be opening for T-Dot local heroes The Golden Dogs at Local 506 next Monday Nov. 19th.

In Kevin Bacon terms: Bryk played in The American Flag with Paul Aucoin, who produced the Golden Dogs new CD “Big Eye Little Eye”, which was released in Canada by True North Records (label home of former Bryk drummer Howie Beck) and in the US by local NC label Yep Roc. Dave and Jessica from The Dogs sing backups on The Bicycles “The Good The Bad and the Cuddly”, which was produced by… Bryk.

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Bryk’s interview with Shelagh Rogers will actually be on the air the morning of Labour Day Monday, Sept. 3rd, not Friday 31st as previously noted here.

Bryk has a nice little article in this week’s Toronto Eye Weekly.

Review of Discount Store (and a stream) in last week’s Indy

A Discount Store review, this one from the Daily Tar Heel’s Diversions Blog. (Dan will be playing the Diversions Party at Local 506 with Schooner and Red Collar September 29th.)

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Dan Bryk is one of the subjects profiled in a Fourth of July-themed article in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Independent Weekly. Writes Grayson Currin:

“Here—during this most paramount of American holidays—we profile two local musicians whose recent addition to the Triangle has added new questions, sounds and ideas, and another, whose progressive bent on an old form proves that molds are meant to be re-imagined…” Continue reading →