Ghettoblaster speaks with CLIFFWALKER's Cliff

INTERVIEW

Hey!! How are you?!

That's my less-mild Daniel Johnston impression. Like it?

Check it out: Cliff Hayes from CLIFFWALKER chatted with Ghettoblaster Magazine about the duo's debut EP Painted Gray Sky recently.

"Edgy, pulsating... The melodic bass work from Hayes adheres to A. Walker Spring’s enthralling guitar and synth lines. In total, Painted Gray Sky naturally moves from track to track with shadowy underlining that is compelling and progressive." This is accurate!

The instrumental pairing of Cliff's bass and Walker's vibraphone is a sound that I have been here for all year long. I love it! Please give a look-see and a hear-hear (is that the ear version of what eyes do? I don't know.)

D Magazine interviews Dallas staple Paul Slavens

FEATURE

I'm never going to stop posting Paul Slavens photo shoots because I need to make sure every Kroger in the Dallas area turns into an impromptu autograph signing for Paul.

So, today, this two-page spread in D Magazine with lovely images by photographer Marc Montoya.

One of the perverse joys I get out of my job is writing an artist's bio and then subsequently reading interviews where the artist is questioned about the details I brought up. It's like me (not a journalist) getting an actual journalist to do my dirty work.

Anyway, that'll do it for another post about someone else that I made about me! Paul's new album 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 is out now on State Fair Records.

With a new video premiere, Beats Per Minute compares The March Divide to a bevy of heavy hitters including Big Star and Fountains of Wayne

VIDEO PREMIERE

With all due respect to Jared Putnam, the story here is: “This clip just so happens to star a puppet that could have been a background extra in Labyrinth.”

Yes! Maurice, the puppet star of The March Divide's “Tension In The Air” video (worked by director Hector at Subharmonic City Productions) is back, staring in the clip for “Corduroy,” a deep cut from the new album 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, out now on Slow Start Records.

Beats Per Minute writer Josh Pickard says, “The song brings to mind the jangling echoes and chunky rhythms of bands like Big Star and Cheap Trick, but also lays some of its earnest adoration at the altar of mid-90’s alt-rock (I’m looking at you Gin Blossoms and Matthew Sweet) — a rumbling sound which was repurposed in the early aughts by bands like Fountains Of Wayne and Sloan.”

How could you not listen to that at work?!

Dallas Morning News publishes a big, fat feature on Paul Slavens

FEATURE

Did you know that the hold music at The Dallas Morning News is The Dream Academy's instrumental version of The Smiths classic “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” as heard in Ferris Bueller's Day Off? I know because I had to get around the paywall to bring you this big, fat article about Paul Slavens in yesterday's paper! Thanks to Thor Christensen for the thoughtful words and to Shafkat Anowar for the fantastic photos!

Thor writes, “His new album, 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 (State Fair Records), shows off his dazzling songwriting talents as he jumps from Parisian classical-jazz (‘Naomi‘) to razor-edge bebop (‘Queenie‘) to new-wave cabaret (‘X on My Heart‘).”

It's been a sincere pleasure for me to work on this album by a master of his craft. Click for your life… paywall, sorry!

V13 premieres "I Wanna Hate You" and notes The March Divide's deftness for blending "melody, levity, and popular appeal"

VIDEO PREMIERE

“The perfect blend of melody, levity, and popular appeal... pop-rock gems with lots of fun melodies and hooks.”

In their premiere coverage of the “I Wanna Hate You” video by The March Divide – in which a perfectly nice picnic goes perfectly wrong – V13 also calls the tunes on the new album 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, “Sarcastic for sure, certainly humorous,” but also “rather confessional.” I love that!

𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 is out now on Slow Start Records. Jared Putnam's got lots of tour dates coming up that are also included in the article… Click for your life!

CLIFFWALKER's bassy "Pulling Threads" is a JAZZIZ Editors' Choice

PLAYLIST FEATURE

“Pulling Threads” by instrumental bass and vibraphone duo CLIFFWALKER (Cliff Hayes of CARCRASHLANDER and A. Walker Spring of Old Time Relijun) is included in this week's @jazziz Editors’ Choice playlist.

It's a boss tune. Click for your life!