Exclusive track from Billy Simons

Billy Simons is a singer/songwriter from NYC, but about a year ago he packed his bags and headed out west, like so many young men before him. (He chronicled his travels in a very entertaining blog.)

Simons is a heck of a wordsmith and has always written clever and complex songs, but the journey seems to have transformed him into a bona fide troubadour. "Who Turned Out the Lights" is his latest tune, and it finds him getting his armageddon on, in the vein of Bob Dylan's "Talkin' World War III Blues". It's just as catchy as the best of his earlier songs, but folkier and with that unstoppable Johnny Cash "freight train" momentum. There's a video on YouTube, but the download is a Guilt Free Pleasures exclusive.

For further listening, Simons also has a bunch of free tracks available on Bandcamp (including his entire last LP) and a bunch of fun covers on YouTube.

Who Turned Out the Lights [mp3]

P.S. There's two days and $2,000 to go on Sxip Shirey's Kickstarter campaign to fund his new album. Sxip's been featured on GFP more than once, and I'm sure I speak for both Em and myself when I say that I hope the album gets funded!

Concert catch up - Sxip Shirey and Ippazzi

There have been so many amazing concerts in the last few weeks that I've fallen WAY behind on actually posting about them! Eek! So here's a quick catch up on two of them:

Last Saturday I went to Sxip Shirey's album release party at City Winery. It was an absolutely fantastic show. I have to say, I liked Sxip's album but seeing him perform the songs in person was truly astounding. Seeing all the unique instruments / tools / objects that he used to make the plethora of sounds that make up his music... It was truly incredible. (See left to see some of the many things he used in his performance). He even played the Sxipenspiel (made for him by Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman for his birthday). Sxip seems to roll with a constant entourage of really talented artists and there were many on stage with him that night and in the audience too. And at the end, the show turned into a giant dance party. It really was a wonderful show.

Dreamland [mp3] - ( Amazon / iTunes)

This past Thursay I went to see my friends Ippazzi at Crash Mansion. On a side note: coincidentally, their album cover has a bridge / black & white theme much like Sxip Shirey's... But anway, I hadn't seen them in forever, so I was very happy to hear some of my old favorites, plus some their new stuff that I hadn't yet heard. Akil Davis was back performing with them, after a very extended absence from the group. Rumor has it he may be returning on a more regular basis once he returns from a month-long trip abroad. That made me really happy to hear because I like the contrast of Greg Petronzi's singer-songwriter style with Akil's rap. The highlight of the night for me was probably hearing "Judging Me," because I was there the first time Greg played a rough version of that for Akil, so it was nice to see how the song evolved. All in all, a very good night, indeed.

Judging Me [mp3] - ( Amazon / iTunes )

Sxip Shirey - Sonic New York

Sxip Shirey's new full-length album Sonic New York is coming out next week on July 24th, and the album is exactly what it sounds like - an epic auditory tribute to this big, magical, noisy, dirty, historical, lively, lovely, artsy, infested, creepy, beautiful city that is New York. Sxip's inventive music very successfully evokes the eclectic sights, sounds, feelings, experiences, energy and even smells that come with the city. His songs range in style from the flowy, classical "Grammercy Park" to songs like "Bergen and Grand" that is more like a soundscape than an actual song, to the sultry, Latin-influenced "You Can Ring My Bell," to the eery "Ghosts of the Gowanus Canal," to the soulful, rockin' "Dreamland," to the folky "Brooklyn Bridge Song," to the hip hop-influenced raspy, down 'n' dirty harmonica-through-a-bull-horn sound of a "I Live in New York City." All in all, I'm quite pleased with Sxip's album. He never fails to come up with innovative new music and having lived in NYC for 6 years, this album is yet another reminder of the many great artists who live here and all the amazing things I have at my fingertips just by being in this city.

Even though you can already purchase the album in various places, the official release party for the album is July 24th at City Winery. Should be a great time, as Sxip and the group of artists he rolls with are nothing if not incredibly fun entertainers.

Dreamland [mp3] - ( Amazon /  iTunes )

I Live in New York City (new Sxip Shirey video!)

Ok, I kind of love this song. A lot. It's from Sxip Shirey (of the Luminescent Orchestrii), off his upcoming album, Sonic New York, due out July 24th. Can't wait to hear the rest of the album!