Links, News, and Videos for April...

The beginning of the year is generally a slow time for music news. Bands are working to prepare the year's album, keeping much of the details in-house. But with spring comes new beginnings. Summer releases are beginning to take shape, festivals are gearing up, and tours are being booked. I've recently shared news on a new Deer Tick album, Samantha Crain's new one, and I've reviewed The Felice Brothers' 2009 effort.

Leftover are some news snippets that didn't warrant a full post, so here goes:


First, Band Breakups:

• Simone Felice came forward on a MySpace bulletin to announce that he will be leaving the fraternal group to form another band, The Duke & The King. The new group has been signed to Loose Records and put out their debut single 'If You Ever Get Famous' in the UK in March. They plan to release an 7" EP here in The States in May.
• Austin electric-folk group The Dedringers have taken a mutual hiatus to form two new bands. Sean Faires recorded a few songs as a solo-show (here) before he began playing with some new folks in a band called The Happen-Ins. Jonny Burke, the other half of The Dedringers, has a solo MySpace page with a couple songs up as well. Both groups have been playing in and around the Austin area - often together.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sean Faires - The Kids Don't Dance

• The Everybodyfields' Sam Quinn has started a side-project entitled Sam Quinn & Japan Ten. Check out their MySpce page for a couple tracks. Here's a sweet video:
  
  
  
  Not to be outdone, the stunningly gorgeous Jill Andrews of the Everybodyfields has created a solo MySpace and Website. No Songs posted yet, but in an update she says she has been recording and plans for a 2009 solo release.

New Album News:

• Our old friends Bombadil released the details on their new album. The North Carolina folk group have put together another stunning album of inventive, albeit very busy, folk-pop. Here's a small doc on the making of the new one, Tarpits and Canyonlands, due out July 7, 2009. The song playing, 'Honeymoon,' is available for download beneath. With more than five distinctive melodies in this one song, I don't know how they're gonna have any left over for the rest of the album, but I have faith.
  
  
  
  
  Bombadil - Honeymoon

• Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band have finished recording their second album together. Outer South (Merge Records) is due out May 5th, but on Wednesday (April 15th), the band will release "One of My Kind" - a documentary of the complete history of this young band. Check out Conor and band performing 'Nikorette' on Conan a while back and then download another tune from the upcoming album.
  
  
  
  Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band - Ten Women
  
  Pre-order Outer South on either CD or Vinyl.

And last, but certainly not least:

• Don't know if anyone noticed, but about a month ago we had a celebrity sighting here at This Mornin'... Good 'ol Max Stalling stopped by to give praise for my artist spotlight on him, and he also cleared up an important aesthetic fact.