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11/23/2008
Monday, November 24 Gamblin' House and Wager will be released in the UK! Also, they will be released in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands on Nov. 28.
11/23/2008
Keep an eye out for Arizona's Glowing Bird in your local record store at the Paste Recommends listening stations. Also, pick up this months Paste Magazine and take a listen to their CD sampler, which also features Arizona.
11/17/2008
Asheville, North Carolina’s Arizona stopped in at Cake Shop Friday night, celebrating the release of their sophomore album, The Glowing Bird. The band opened with “Heath,” the first track on the excellent new record. The song is a folkie, midnight hayride on the album, but live, the meddling pace of the keys and guitars pick up to make the piece a stagecoach pursued by Comanches. During the gently psychedelic “Balloons,” the band’s soft, subtle vocal harmonies helped reveal the song as some amalgamation of doo-wop croon, Ween-like irreverence and Pink Floyd extended metaphor.
Vocal harmonics and maximum guitar shreds were surely the order of the night, especially during such numbers as “Swimming Hole” and “Glowing Bird.” During the latter, guitarist Benjamin Morris Wigler dropped nearly to his knees, melting face while drummer James DeDakis seemed to be playing a Howitzer.
DeDakis and bassist Alex Hornbake kept the swirling, churning guitars from flying too far into the sun with their focused, clear-eyed playing. DeDakis was so tight he sounded at times like a drum machine (albeit a very soulful one) and Hornbake, his neck bent to fit into the Cake Shop’s tiny space, played with the unfettered coolness of a seasoned pro.
Often, Arizona came off as gleeful practitioners of the unexpected. During “Sometimes a Chill,” Morris Wigler was in the middle of a Southwestern psyche-swing solo one minute, while the next he and guitarist Nick Campbell were channeling Metallica. “Whiskey and Wine” was a slow burn, the fire beginning with delicate vocals and major chords then building until the house collapsed around them in a holocaust of fuzz and reverb.
In all, Arizona displayed an infectious joy while they performed, a joy emboldened by the members’ obvious talent and well-practiced songs. Oh, and they were loud as hell, too.
Arizona will be on the road until November 22nd when they wrap up their tour in Pittsburgh. Their album The Glowing Bird is out now on Echo Mountain Records.
11/04/2008
Arizona
Glowing Bird
Brooklyn-born, Asheville, N.C.-based band Arizona doesn’t so much write songs as create sonic tapestries using an eclectic mix of instruments including cello, standup bass and French horn along with the standard bass, guitar, drums and keyboards setup. It’s music that’s completely unpredictable upon first listen and unforgettable every listen thereafter. You’ll go from head-bobbing to head-banging with “You Were Right,” and the eerie track “Ghost” may leave you cowering in the corner. A huge element of the unique sound Arizona achieves on their third release, Glowing Bird, comes courtesy of the vocals which are often doubled and harmonized, as each member of the four-piece group shares mic duties (like on the first track, “Heath”). If you like intricately crafted songs and records that explore the emotional spectrum without getting too shoe-gazy, then Glowing Bird should be on your pick-up list. —TD
FOR FANS OF:
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
11/04/2008
Congratulations are in order for Tyler Ramsey. He got best singer/songwriter in Western North Carolina. Make sure you see him at his upcoming December dates.
10/21/2008
http://iguessimfloating.blogspot.com/2008/10/exclusive-full-stream-of-arizonas.html
10/21/2008
Tyler Ramsey
A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea (Echo Mountain)
I listened to A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea with polite intrigue until I got to track six, “No One Goes Out.” A few days later, I unset the replay button and listened to the rest of the album. Is it fair to recommend an album on the strength of one song? Yes—if the song is as perfect as “No One Goes Out,” a wistful remembrance of a nightclub, of all things, with a haunting melody and a compelling style that nods to Neil Young’s Buffalo Springfield days. The other 11 songs provide excellent support. Ramsey recognizes that his freakish skill on the guitar is just one tool at his disposal; others include a smooth tenor voice and a dreamy sensibility. The combination requires deep listening, which pays off in scads. —J.H.
10/13/2008
Hey Guys,
Make sure you pick up Shock Records new Acoustic Series compilation! A two disc compilation and both Tyler and Malcolm have the first tracks! Also includes amazing musicians like Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Radio Head and many more!
10/09/2008
Check out My Old Kentucky Blog and Morkleson's website. They were
awesome enough to post Arizona's "Colors" video.
http://myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/
http://morkleson.net/?p=542
09/23/2008
Check out the write up on Arizona in anticipation of their upcoming release "Glowing Bird"!
http://woxy.lala.com/blog/2008/09/23/arizona-premiere-new-album-on-woxycom-today/
08/08/2008
We at Echo Mountain Records would like to give a big congratulations to Malcolm Holcombe for his distribution deal with Proper Music! Be looking for Malcolm's music November 24 in Europe.
07/17/2008
Make sure to check out Tyler Ramsey's broadcast Mountain Stage performance July 19-26. For your local radio station go to: http://www.mountainstage.org/mtnstagedynamic.aspx?id=888
07/17/2008
We welcome Arizona to Echo Mountain Records! Keep an eye out for their CD release titled Glowing Bird on October 14, 2008.
07/16/2008
If you don't live in the USA, you may want to check out Tyler while he's is playing for Band of Horses in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. June 30 - August 10.
For more info: http://www.bandofhorses.com/
04/22/2008
We are proud to announce that we are partnering with Shock Records to bring our artists to Australia and New Zealand. Tyler Ramsey will be heading down under in late July and we are currently working on a tour for Malcolm Holcombe. As soon as dates are solidified, they will be posted on our website.
03/12/2008
We want to congratulate Malcolm on climbing the Americana Music charts with his debut of "Gamblin' House" reaching #9! If you're in the Austin area you can check him out at South By Southwest, or check out more tour dates at our Echo Mountain Records Myspace page.
03/12/2008
Tyler Ramsey will soon be ending his European tour with Band of Horses and coming home sweet home. Stay tuned for upcoming tour dates for Tyler's solo act.
01/31/2008
From www.milesofmusic.com, "Few singer/ songwriters hurl themselves into their music with the physical abandon that Malcolm Holcombe displays on his latest album. Beyond the gravel voice and high-intensity arrangements featuring his guitar, he moans, grunts, groans and smacks his lips, embellishing the brilliant songs of a mercurial
spirit." Check out the site for more info
And from http://www.puremusic.com/83mal.html, "Just his spin on the acoustic guitar alone separates him from the pack immediately. That box is at his command at every instant, and he's pulling and slapping the crap out of that thing like it was a beast he was riding into hell. And that's just his right hand. With his left, he seems to be squeezing the strings harder than everyone else wringing the tone out of the strings like they were bleeding. It's like he's demanding his guitar to keep up with his singing, which is coming from the rich,
deep dark center of this complicated man. In fact, my favorite sound that he makes is his breathing at the end of and between words--it's the essence of this fire breathing force of nature." Read the rest
of the review from the website.
12/06/2007
A few lines from the blog: "I'm a huge fan of Malcolm Holcombe's (here and here). I put him in the rarified air of folks like John Prine, Steve Earl, and Joe Ely. He can tell a story with both his lyrical turn of phrase and with his beaten down whiskey and cigarette marred voice. I'm not his only fan."
to Check out the rest of the Article,
visit: http://www.songsillinois.net
More good things to come so be sure to come back and check it out!
11/15/2007
We are happy to report that, A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea, has been very well received by fans and critics alike. Here's a sample of some of the press Tyler has received:
"Tyler Ramsey may have the first great release of 2008"- songs:Illinois
"I can easily say that there are no dull moments in A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea...With a remarkable effort like A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea, "losing" is the last thing that comes to mind. This is a winner in all aspects, and in doing so, is one of the first great albums of 2008. - Obscure Sound
"Tyler Ramsey is a songwriter who clearly values intricacy, quality songwriting, and atmospheric credibility. A guitarist whose stylistic range varies anywhere from gentle finger-picking treats to bluesy riffs of utmost enjoyability, Ramsey has the ability to capture a broad spectrum of emotions in his highly impressive solo material." - Easy Bake Coven
Stay tuned for upcoming features on the web, radio, and in print!
10/02/2007
As Tyler Ramsey was beginning to prep for his January CD release, he got a call from long time friend Bill Reynolds, bass player for Band of Horses. Bill invited Ramsey to come down to Charleston to hang out with the band playing music and hanging at the beach.
It was during this time that singer Ben Bridwell asked Tyler Ramsey to open up for the Band of Horses fall tour. Then, the very next day, he asked Ramsey to join the Horses on guitar!
This is how Asheville guitar hero Tyler Ramsey happened to pull the wildcard of both opening for, and joining, Band of Horses. An accomplished solo artist as well as veteran sideman in his hometown, Tyler is psyched to be able to bring both elements together on the upcoming tour. “This is going to be an amazing tour. To have the opportunity to play solo, as well as with such a great band, I really couldn’t ask for more.” says Ramsey
08/06/2007
Malcolm Holcombe has just spent the last week in Echo Mountain Recording with producer/engineer Ray Kennedy. Kennedy, who has worked with the likes of Willy Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Ray Davies, and Lucinda Williams, is a long time friend of Malcolm's. The two have been wanting to collaborate for a long time and finally connected in Asheville. Ray brought on David Roe Rorick, Kenny Malone, and Ed Snodderly as the band to play with Malcolm. After a week of analog tracking, Ray headed back to Nashville and will finish mixing and mastering the album in his studio. Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming release from Malcolm Holcombe.
9/24/07
Malcolm Holcombe's, Gamblin' House and Tyler Ramsey's, A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea will both drop on January 15th. We're looking forward to the dual release and starting 2008 with a bang.
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ON TOUR
Arizona
12/12/2008 Asheville, NC
01/16/2009 Asheville, NC
01/27/2009 Pomona, CA
01/28/2009 LA, CA
Malcolm Holcombe
12/04/2008 Raleigh, NC
12/05/2008 Asheville, NC
12/06/2008 Johnson City , TN
12/12/2008 Nashville, TN
Tyler Ramsey
12/05/2008 Spartanburg, SC
12/06/2008 Charlotte, NC
12/20/2008 Asheville, NC
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