Posts Tagged ‘Ryley Walker’

RYLEY WALKER – ” The Halfwit In Me “

Posted: June 9, 2016 in MUSIC
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“The Halfwit In Me” off of the new album ‘Golden Sings That Have Been Sung’ by Ryley Walker, out August 19th, 2016 on Dead Oceans Records.

Ryley Walker has announced the follow-up to 2015′s excellent Primrose Green. It was one of my favorites albums of 2015 . Every time I spin the Ryley album I get completely lost in the tapestry and textures of it all.

Based on the first track of the upcoming album, “The Halfwit In Me”, I don’t see this album letting me down in that regard. Here’s some more info on the backstory of “Golden Sings That Have Been Sung”.

In November 2015, at the end of a ten-month period which saw Ryley play over 200 shows all over the world in support of Primrose Green, Ryley decided that he should probably head home. He went into the studio over the Christmas vacation to record Golden Sings That Have Been Sung whose songs were directly wedded to Ryley’s return to Chicago. Some of his formative musical memories had been shaped by the work of pioneering Chicago acts such as Gastr del Sol and Tortoise. “Jeff Parker was the guitarist with Tortoise, and I used to listen to him a lot,” recalls Ryley, who figured that, for the first time in his career, it might be helpful to enlist the services of a producer. With only one person on his shortlist, once again, all roads led back to Chicago.

Ryley had been a long-time admirer of sometime Wilco multi-instrumentalist LeRoy Bach. Back in 2009, still in his teens, he had frequented the improv nights hosted by Bach at a restaurant/gallery space called Whistler. “For me, it was an incredible opportunity,” recalls Ryley, “…because you would sometimes also have Dan Bitney, the drummer with Tortoise, and I’d get to play with these people. I mean, they were twice my age. I’m sure they thought I was annoying at first, maybe some of them still do, but I kind of looked at them like gurus – and to have these old school Chicago heads taking me in was just amazing.”

For Ryley then, the prospect of having Bach produce his album was something of a no-brainer. “It was everything I wanted it to be,” he enthuses. “I would go to LeRoy’s house every other day with a riff, and we would take it from there.” Perhaps more than any other song on the record, the opening track and lead single “The Halfwit In Me” most audibly bear the imprint of those Whistler sessions.

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RYLEY WALKER – ” Primrose Green ” Best Albums Of 2015

Posted: November 25, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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A modern day classic in the style of “Solid Air”; finds Ryley Walker roaming through languid folk-jazz with rich instrumentation and deft improvisation.

Ryley Walker’s Primrose Green is the guitarist’s second LP in less than a year, and he’s already gotten way better. Last year’s All Kinds Of You was a good meditative folk record. Primrose Green has that, too, but it also has highlights like “Summer Dress” and “Love Can Be Cruel,” songs that incorporate jazz and psychedelia, unfolding into strange and exhilarating passages. It has roots in the British jazz-folk of the ’70s, but in 2015 it feels like it’s born from some other place entirely, or at least from Walker’s custom cocktail for which the album’s titled: whiskey with morning glory seeds.

Summoning up the spirit of songwriting past masters, Primrose Green takes elements of Van Morrision, Nick Drake, John Martyn and more without ever descending into pastiche – instead it’s a cosmic journey into jazz-inflected summertime rock and roll. The instrumentation positively dances amid brass, organ and fancy fret-work while the dizzying Sweet Satisfaction extends proceedings into a darker, rampaging terrain.

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Ryley Walker ”Sweet Satisfaction”(from Primrose Green)

”I came up with that in the middle of winter in a desolate Chicago last year, it gets really cold there, way below zero, three feet of snow, dangerous to go outside. I think it’s kind of a cover poet drunk song, a desperate song. You have seven or eight drinks and all of a sudden you think you’re this poet and can reach into a woman’s heart with this poem. It comes from that standing point. A drunk leaning against the wall poet. We had to cut that song down, because originally it was like fifteen minutes long. Maybe in the box set in twenty years! I like that version better but the label thought there was no room left on the record. We had to edit out that jam section in the end. It went on forever, not in a bad way, I thought it was pretty cool with the strings and that bit that sounded like Terry Riley.”

RYLEY WALKER – ” Summer Dress ” at Pickathon – Woods Series

Posted: November 2, 2015 in MUSIC
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 Ryley Walker released the first video in a series of performances from the 2015 Pickathon festival Woods Stage. The videos showcase some of the most exciting performances from this summer’s festival, held at Pendarvis Farm just outside Portland, Oregon.

On the first day of the festival, Chicago Illinois native Ryley Walker brought his distinct brand of jazz- and psychedelic-rock-inspired folk music to the Woods Stage, a picturesque pavilion nestled in a holler and made out of twisted twigs and trees. Here, Walker performs an extended version of “Summer Dress” from his classic 2015 album, Primrose Green. Ryley Walker‘s extended jams are becoming part of his legacy as he continues his extensive touring.

END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL – 4th-5th-6th September 2015 Who To See

Posted: June 19, 2015 in FESTIVALS, MUSIC
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It’s hard not to contain the excitement for much longer, As the End of the Road festival is jus finally only one week away.

Its one of the festivals I have been looking forward to all summer long with the wonderful Green Man Festival in the Brecon Beacons only last weekend and its off to another beautiful festival setting next thursday, here I am previewing some musicians to look forward to as the festival celebrates it’s momentous tenth year as one of the best weekends on the calendar. Some of the artists appearing to looking at the legacy of the festival as a whole, End of The Road festival has so many pleasures this coming weekend. Here are a few of the acts that you should not miss on the weekend of 4th – 6th September.

FRIDAY  –  BIG TOP  ~  11:45  –  12:15

Love L.U.V will be kicking off as the first band to play in the Big Top,  Borrowing their name from the immortal spoken word intro to The Shangri-Las classic Give Him A Great Big Kiss, the band give this track all the fuzzed-up ’60s, doo-wop girl-band harmonies you could possibly want.

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FRIDAY ~ GARDEN STAGE ~ 12:00 – 12:45

Ryley Walker’s second LP “Primrose Green” , has been a slow-burning joy this year with echoes of John Martyn and Nick Drake with his vocal sound and guitar work .Walker has an ability to create a dense, spellbinding atmosphere using just his rich, vintage tone and deep, almost sullen timbre. Adding an extra edge of intensity and improvisation to his live proceedings as a four piece band, Walker is a personality easy to escape with.

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FRIDAY ~ GARDEN STAGE ~ 13:30 – 14:15

Steeped in 60s Folk and Lo-Fi raspiness, Juan Wauters has an impressive ability to amass the qualities of his comprehensive influences and create something pleasantly novel and grounded, his sharp, natural progressions and untainted vocal delivery combining to make sweet, eclectic pop. With his band of friends behind him, Wauters confessional love songs will be unintentionally purposeful and create a sweet, satisfying setting.

FRIDAY  –  WOODS STAGE   ~  16:00  – 17:00 

Torres knows the darkness. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter otherwise known as Mackenzie Scott waits until anything—an idea, an emotion, a memory—gnaws at her, tearing at her fingers and throat until she releases it in song. Following her self-titled debut in 2013, TORRES pushes herself to even noisier extremes on Sprinter, a punishing self-examination of epic spiritual and musical proportions.

 

 

FRIDAY ~ GARDEN STAGE ~ 16:30 – 17:30

With the release of their second LP ‘Sun Coming Down‘ set for just after the festival, Ought will hopefully be providing the first taste of the new record at End of The Road. What cannot be questioned is that the group will deliver something distinctive and encompassing once again through their astute post-punk. Their live set channels the understated recordings with an added air of resolve and atmospheric poignance. Perhaps the perfect accompaniment to a late afternoon.

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FRIDAY ~ GARDEN STAGE ~ 20:00 – 21:00

Ty Segall remains as busy as he ever has been. Although we have yet to hear a record from him this year, the return of Fuzz brings great excitement for those with a fondness for Segall’s heavier explorations. Grooving riffs and psychedelic mysticism are of course to be prescribed, preparing for whig outs at an ear-piercing volume wouldn’t be quite misjudged either.

 

SATURDAY ~ THE WOODS ~ 21:30 – 23:00

What superlatives can be used that haven’t already about the music and personality of Sufjan Stevens? ‘Carrie & Lowell‘ is one of the most fragile, vulnerable listens you’ll hear not just this year, but period. Combined with some of his most moving compositions from his illustrious back catalogue, Sufjan’s set will be emotional, confessional and most notably, uplifting.

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SUNDAY ~ BIG TOP ~ 13:00 – 13:45

With new record ‘Freedom‘ finally set for release this Friday, The Black Tambourines will be in an especially frivolous mood come their set on Sunday afternoon. Delivering fresh, eclectic cuts from their second LP and some of their undeniable hits from ‘Chica‘ and ‘The Black Tambourines‘, the group’s swaggering Garage-Pop will be an unmissable treat.

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SUNDAY ~ BIG TOP ~ 14:15 – 15:00

In releasing two excellent records in quick succession, Jack Cooper and James Hoare have provided us with a catalogue of mellow jams that pleasingly stretch within a pop template. Their rich tone and considered harmonies naturally ooze subtleness, providing a laid-back canvas and more considered verse for the thought-provoked. With the addition of Mazes drummer Neil Robinson to the groups live forte and some amazing guitar workouts, UP’s gift for curious progressions will be delivered with extra satisfaction.

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SUNDAY ~ THE WOODS ~ 17:30 – 18:30

Alvvays forthright dream-pop is focused, slightly melancholic and undeniably absorbing. The economical guitar-pop of Alec O’Hanley, Kerri Maclellan’s emotionally-driven synth and Molly Rankin’s engrossing vocal delivery makes for a succinct production. Their live set thrives with added passion and cohesiveness that will let Alvvays’ melodies really shine as the sun begins to set on the last day of the festival.

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SUNDAY ~ TIPI TENT ~ 18:30–19:15

We cannot think of many other records that are as joyfully mystical and possess such an aura of timelessness from this year than ‘On Your Own Love Again‘, the second LP from Jessica Pratt. Delivering with elegance, Pratt’s music drifts with effortless intimacy. It would be understandable for such warmth to not transcend into a festival setting, but Pratt does so with aplomb, filling large spaces with her luscious melodies and intense poeticism.

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RYLEY WALKER – ” Live On KEXP “

Posted: April 3, 2015 in MUSIC
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Ryley Walker is not of this time. Drawing likely comparisons to Tim Buckley, John Martyn and Nick Drake for his fingerpicked folk guitar style, Ryley Walker’s sophomore LP, “Primrose Green”, is less a collection of songs than it is a series of esoteric compositions culled from the ether of yore.

More bandleader than frontman, Walker isn’t burdened by traditional narrative structures; rather, the Chicago-by-way-of-Rockford, Illinois guitar picker and his band of Windy City musicians incorporate lyrical fragments into their alchemy of sound to create a series of mood pieces that flit on a wind, catching one’s ear in passing. Lyrics serve to reflect and reinforce a particular composition’s tone as much as they are used as vocal cues to the musicians working alongside Walker.

Primrose Green‘s folk influence is most present when Walker takes the lead as on the blossoming interlude, Upholding his place alongside the likes of contemporary William Tyler, Walker represents the past yin to Tyler’s futuristic yang.

Ryley Walker performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded July 22, 2014.

Songs:
The West Wind
Summer Dress
Clear The Sky
Go Your Way My Love

RYLEY WALKER – ” La Blogotheque Session “

Posted: April 3, 2015 in MUSIC
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The French website La Blogothèque has been on a roll lately with its Take Away Shows video series, in which we see artists playing live and unplugged and in natural light. The latest participant is Chicago’s Ryley Walker, whose album recently released “Primrose Green”, a lovely album of ornate ’70s-style psych-folk, earlier this week. The La Blogothèque crew filmed him playing his own songs “Primrose Green” and “Summer Dress” and then covering Van Morrison’s 1974 song “Fair Play” at a Parisian house party. Ryley Walker is a beast of a guitarist and singer, and that really comes across in his performances. Watch the three videos below.

Thee voice of Ryley Walker invokes beautiful ghosts. Strummed a few chords, barely launched a couplet, and the air thickened by the presence of misty long admired artists. Ryley can cultivate the patience of a Van Morrisson, the delicacy of the guitar playing of Bert Jansch, and knows from crazy in flights as only Tim Buckley knew to do.

RYLEY WALKER – ” Opera Theatre Raleigh New York City ” 6th September 2014

Posted: March 17, 2015 in MUSIC
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Is twenty-four too young to really know evil, to make heartbreak sound believable? Ryley Walker is that age. Define it by whatever trope you must, but Ryley Walker performs with a rugged grace and gut-wrenching, soul-searching level of realness that don’t come to men his age all that often. He sat down, at the rightmost end of a semicircle on Fletcher Opera Theater’s broad stage, as the final act to play there during this Hopscotch Music Festival. By the time he got up I felt a way that I hadn’t quite since seeing Hiss Golden Messenger take that same stage with a large band two years before. I don’t put any artist in the company of HGM lightly, but there I believe Ryley sits. He’s that good, the real deal, all of the great things it’s even possible to be when you’re sitting on just one album of “this kind” of material (Ryley’s previous work fell more to the experimental/noise end of the spectrum).

That LP, All Kinds of You, just arrived this April, but that material has new company in the incredibly strong output which dominated this set. Ryley Walker led off with a new song, followed by his first single, “The West Wind”, before heading into the gorgeous “Primrose Green”. Walker has already earned comparisons to Bert Jansch and Tim Buckley, and his current sound has a classicism to it that makes that fair. Ryley Walker huddled in his chair like an older man, taking long breaks between songs to get his tuning right, maybe set his head straight for the next song. Walker sings with depth, in a way that makes each song seem like it takes its own reserve of him. Away from the mic, he’s as amiable as a person comes; faced with his songs he’s transformed. These are songs that operate at some remove from even updated versions of traditional sounds  Kudos belong to Walker’s band, too, which includes a killer roster of players who give these songs not only shape but a live fluidity that makes them all the more special.

Tracks

01 Summer Dress
02 The West Wind
03 Primrose Green
04 Hide In the Roses
05 Love Can Be Cruel
06 On the Banks of the Old Kishwaukee
07 Same Minds
08 Sweet Satisfaction

The Band:
Ryley Walker – vocals, guitar
Ben Boye – keys
Anton Hatwich – bass
Brian Sulpizio – electric guitar
Frank Rosaly – drums
Jeb Bishop – trombone on final song

We owe a large dose of gratitude to North Carolina-based taper Larry Tucker for recording and contributing this outstanding capture, made with Peluso American-made cardiod microphones and a soundboard feed. The quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

RYLEY WALKER – ” Live at Rough Trade ” 24th October 2014

Posted: March 15, 2015 in MUSIC
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It seems only appropriate to post another recording of Ryley Walker, This singer songwriter guitar virtuoso represents among the very finest of their time, his authenticity, and an amazing understanding of their musical past, and honest songwriting. My first experience with Ryley Walker was the song “Primrose Green”. Here, at the Rough Trade Venue, Ryley Walker proved himself alone (with a supporting bassist for part of the set). More to the point, Ryley proved himself an unmitigated master of his art, far beyond his years in poise and style.

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Most CMJ sets tend to be truncated versions of artists’ “best stuff”, run through in perfunctory fashion to get the most bang for the buck in terms of setlist. Ryley Walker saw things differently, leading off with a twelve-minute, spine-tingling “Summer Dress” that equaled about a third of the set. That time wasn’t wasted, either, as Walker soared on improvised vocal runs that took the song beyond the singer-songwriter realm into something spiritual, his voice becoming its own instrument rather than the mere vessel of lyrics. As with the bulk of the set in North Carolina back in September, this focused entirely on new material in lieu of Walker’s outstanding album of earlier this year “All Kinds of You”. That alone should say something about how prolific this artist is at this point. The ability of the young Chicagoan to distill such pain and emotion into his work is a humbling surprise, the kind of thing you’d never guess from the rest of his happy-go-lucky stage persona. This is a man possessed of rare gifts, and we cannot wait to see them brought to a wider world.

Tracks
01 Summer Dress
02 The West Wind
03 [banter1]
04 Primrose Green
05 [banter2]
06 Sweet Satisfaction

The set recorded primarily with a soundboard feed by Rough Trade engineer Cam, with a small amount of Schoeps audience microphones added for ambiance. Other than a few glitches with a DI during one song, the sound is excellent. Enjoy, and spread the word! of this superb musician.

RYLEY WALKER – ” Live at Baby’s All Right ” NYC 13th January 2015

Posted: March 15, 2015 in MUSIC
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Ryley Walker will be a star this year, and the reason won’t just be his forthcoming album, “Primrose Green”. Ryley Walker has been touring hard, working out the new material, and consistently wowing audiences. BrooklynVegan brought him to New York for a Red Bull Sound Select event at Baby’s All Right, and we couldn’t have been happier,

Once Primrose Green hits shelves, those versions of Ryley Walker’s songs might well seem polite by comparison. The title track’s single, available on Soundcloud and on other streaming services, is a fine version, but pales when up against Walker’s fierce version on this night, a ten-minute ramble through his mind featuring an elongated intro and a virtuosic guitar playing that mimicked some of the dissociative elements of the alcoholic beverage for which the song is titled.

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Ryley Walker’s post-All Kinds of You album material, I think it’s “Summer Dress” that will go down as his signature song, as it begins with its loping guitar line under a vocal turn in which Walker yelps, deploys falsetto, flirts with chaos. Watching Walker, you get the sense that he’s not even trying to play these songs to please you, but he does anyway. There’s a sense of abandon to his work that can’t help but grab you; he’s feral up there, without anchor. He makes many of the greats to whom he’s compared — Bert Jansch, for one — sound like choirboys. As to other distinctions, this set boasted a new song, “Funny Thing She Said”, as well as a cover of Van Morrison’s “Fair Play” from Veedon Fleece, the latter a worthwhile reimagining that again places Walker right up there with the rarefied company that came before him.

Tracks [Note that two tags of the FLAC and MP3 files need updating]
01 Funny Thing She Said
02 [banter1]
03 Summer Dress
04 [banter2]
05 Primrose Green
06 On the Banks of the Old Kishwaukee
07 Fair Play [Van Morrison]
08 [banter3]
09 Sweet Satisfaction

This set was recorded by Baby’s engineer Rubes, whose dedication to craft is obvious in his flawless mix of his board feed with the house mics. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!…………..thanks to the nyctaper words and music

RYLEY WALKER – ” The West Wind “

Posted: March 15, 2015 in MUSIC
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Ryley Walker immediately catches you off guard. He’s the kind of artist that can easily be compared to the Singer Songwriters of the Mid eighties, especially with his pastoral sounds and picking that’s reminiscent of Nick Drake, but there’s something undoubtably modern about him as well. Be it the meandering codas or the expertly weaving guitar, Walker is the kind of artist that forces you to listen from bar one.I’ve been hyping Ryley Walker’s ‘West Wind’ single for awhile. especially since the album release for the past few weeks now. Its a brackish and magical seven-inch that sits somewhere between Tim Buckley’s soaring reveries and Bert Jansch circa ‘LA Turnaround’”

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