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Ahhh. That feels much better.

Day One: Saturday – featuring Deer Tick, Titus Andronicus and a host of Albany area bands went off without a hitch. A huge turnout coupled with nice weather, great beer and fantastic music made for an unforgettable day.

Day Two: Sunday – roared in with Hurricane (well, by then Tropical Storm) Irene dumping high winds and heavy rain all over the Capital District. While my B3nson pals swiftly handled the back room flooding that occurred at St. Joe’s overnight, I tried to keep in touch with all twelve of the other Undone Ensemble members – almost all of which were already preparing to make their way to the Ten Broeck triangle!

Plans had to change for the festival, since Sunday’s two headlining acts – A Hawk and a Hacksaw and The Music Tapes were coming from out of town by plane and by van, respectively. Both bands bowed out early due to the weather, so after bailing out buckets of rainwater, the B3nson crew decided to make Sunday’s RestFest “pay what you want”, shove the schedule back two hours and open the doors wide for anyone who could make it to downtown Albany. A move which Harith over at The Rev Recs blog calls “SO ALBANY” – to cobble together something out of nothing and fight for what we believe is beautiful.

As the rain and wind abated, Paul Coleman (drummer in Undone Ensemble!), Mrs. Matthew and I packed up the banjo and the drums and headed down to Albany. We noted that the “Emergency Travel Only” warning signs were appropriate in this case – this was a musical emergency that required our presence!

Arriving just in time to witness Slender Shoulders coming off stage at the end of their set was a bummer, but feelings were assuaged by the presence of their debut EP.

The next hour was a flurry of text messages and phone calls to track down the rest of the ensemble members who were not present. Thankfully everyone arrived with plenty of time to prepare and to even enjoy some music in advance of our set. Swamp Baby turned in a widely dynamic set filled with new songs and old songs that were given new life with We are Jeneric‘s Eric Krans playing drums for the entire set!

By the time We are Jeneric hit the stage, I was a bundle of nerves. Thankfully they were in the middle of performing the best set of their career, enrapturing everyone in the building while no one noticed that I was pacing in the green room!

These were tactical nerves – will we set up the stage quick enough? Will Sooze’s crack stage team be annoyed by our “first show” newbieisms? Will I drop my banjo like I dropped my mandolin at TulipFest?

via Flickr user BVCPhoto. Used with permission.

Luckily, only one of my fears came to life (I kind of forgot some of the words to the first song – “Brooklyn or Bust”) and the first and only Undone Ensemble show came off without a hitch!

Here are the songs we played:
Brooklyn or Bust
Infinitely Red (from Kentucky)
Modest Birds (from Kentucky)
Neighborhood (from A Book About the Rest)
Mustang Walk
O My Luck
Poughkeepsie (from Community Balloon)

The Matthew Carefully Undone Ensemble – ‘Poughkeepsie’ from Bryan Thomas on Vimeo.

Major thanks are in order here: to all ensemble members for their dedication and energy towards this project, to all the ensemble member’s wives, girlfriends, dogs, cats, babies, pets, and families for to SwordPaw for the availability and awesomeness of their SwordPaw HQ for our rehearsals this summer, to Frank Moscowitz for some crucial advice and cobbled together rehearsal sound fantastics, to Ben Karis-Nix and Taylor Gillis at Design it Together for some fantastic band apparel, and to everyone at RestFest/B3nson for giving us the opportunity to put this show on.

Over the next few weeks, I have a few more posts relating to the Ensemble that I want to share. Stay tuned.

This is the beginning.

The first fifteen people who purchase either a $10 bundle of Matthew Carefully CDs or a $10 clearance Penny Riddle t-shirt get a 10-song mix CD featuring unreleased music I’ve been working on or have been sitting on!

Once these are gone, they are gone.

Due to Tropical Storm Irene’s magic precluding many folks from making it to RestFest Day 2, this mixtape is now a free download!

Click here to download a 66mb zip file. Please tell a friend if you like it!

Tracklist and notes:
01. Mirrored Out* (Ceiling Life)
02. O My Luck (RestFest demo)*
03. Relocation Tactics (Spouse cover)*
04. from the Brunswick Soundtrack*
05. Call Off Your Guards (for eScape)*
06. Diamonds (Demo)
07. Prayers & Palms (live at the Arts Center)
08. Two Knees and Arms (Ceiling Life)*
09. Poughkeepsie (Live at RestFest 2010)
10. Seven Lives (Kentucky Outtake)*

* = unheard/unreleased
“Ceiling Life” songs are for a more experimental project to be released someday.
The Brunswick Soundtrack will be released by the end of 2011.
Songs I’ve written for eScape will be released as an EP by the end of 2011.
A Deluxe Kentucky iteration will be released someday.

All songs and music written and performed by Matthew Loiacono, except “Relocation Tactics” by SPOUSE/José Ayerve & co. (used without permission – sorry José!)
All songs recorded, mixed and “mastered” by Matthew Loiacono, except “Prayers & Palms” by Holland Hopson and “Poughkeepsie” by Frank Moscowitz
Assembled for RestFest 2011.
All the love.

The lovely B3nson folks were kind enough to ask me to perform again this year, at which point I began to think about putting something very special together for this year’s event.

So what does Matthew do when Matthew considers putting together some sort of musical group to play music at Restoration Festival 2011?

Matthew assembles a 12+ person ensemble.

While playing alone is all well and good, I’ve had an urge to collaborate on music with other people lately. What better way to do so than to find some folks willing and able to work on music together for a few months?

Two rules for this show –

1. No looping.

2. No electronic instruments.

For this special one-time-only performance, the Undone Ensemble will perform a song or two from each of my full-length records, some old stuff and a few newer things. It’s been a real treat to hear my ideas go from budget MIDI keyboard demos to living, breathing instrument parts.

Can’t wait for you to hear it!

Tickets are available at the Restoration Festival website. We’ll be playing around 4:30pm on Sunday, August 28th.

See you there?

The lovely folks at O+ Festival asked me to contribute a song to their new book/CD compilation since I was lucky enough to perform at last year’s inaugural festival in Kingston, N.Y. I was happy to contribute a brand new song, “Singing Upwards II“, which is exclusive to this release.

You can stream the entire compilation here, or order your own physical copy of this masterpiece by heading to that same page. The book is a gorgeous, large-format publication featuring many stories and anecdotes regarding the festival.

Matthew Carefully – Singing Upwards II by O+ Festival

“Singing Upwards II” lyrics:

Feeling you pass by me -
only your hands are wrapped above you in a circle.
I let Amy know we’re almost down,
we’re almost out,
we’re almost there
today.

Feeling you pass by me -
only part of you is singing to the heavens.
If there’s a winner now
they’re holding out
an empty sound
and wishes all delayed.

Even a pass through me is just the start of the beginning,
will the rest pull through?
We were laying down,
we went sleeping long,
spilled the dinner – shout
and this what we made.

This is our hands, this is our home, this is the place where we can lay down our heads.

BONUS:

“Singing Upwards II” is the sister of the song I wrote with Tim Koch for the Hoborchestra album I Only Eat You To Make Me Stronger. You can download the original “Singing Upwards” here.

While 2009 felt a little “skimpy” on the album front, 2010 seemed absolutely bursting with great albums. As if the decade flip sparked something major and spawned some wild, un-bridled recordings.

Here’s an un-numbered list, save for #1 which is detailed at the bottom. Be sure to read all the way through to find out how you can win a copy of this year’s #1 on vinyl!

The List!

• Concern – Caesarean / Truth & Distance Two excellent LPs from Portland, OR sound artist Gordon Wilson Ashworth came forth in the latter half of 2010. Diverging from much of the drone/ambient records released this year by utilizing actual instruments (shocking!) instead of synthesizers, these albums represent creative uses of tape loops, live playing and sound assemblages. At this point it’s difficult to choose which is album is “better”, so check out both and get inspired!

• Emeralds – Does it Look Like I’m Here?. This monolith of a recording represents the Ohio trio’s best recording to date. Emeralds has their own language which splays across this double LP. The lines between guitar and synth sounds blur and cross curing an intricate muscle fiber which carries the songs. Someone please make movies for these songs.

• Balmorhea – Constellations. This record could scare you upon first listen. A very specific entrance of a very specific musical part might just make you jump out of your skin, but, no spoilers here. This instrumental music is just simply alive, aware and breathing due much in part by the gorgeous piano sound. Worth the price of admission alone. Like a few of the other groups represented here, this most recent album is heads above the band’s other albums.

• Cuddle Magic – Picture. This behemoth of a musical outfit is represented well here in this second full-length album release. Cyclical motifs, kitchen sink instrumentation and double entendre-style lyrical turns are signifying features on Picture. Cuddle Magic’s strengths lie in their musical entrances and exits; deep headphone listens and analysis reveal clever, but highly advanced composition ideas.

• Will Stratton – New Vanguard Blues. Will’s prolific previous recorded output showcases his talent for orchestration and arrangement. New Vanguard Blues strips away all production to push Will’s nimble guitar playing to the forefront. This is an inspiring collection of beautiful songs presented in their most intimate of settings.

• Mountain Man – Made the Harbor. The music that the three lovely women who make up Mountain Man is far from the burl that their moniker suggests. Made the Harbor is simply three voices singing their own songs or traditional songs with at most a spare acoustic guitar as backdrop. Although the album is infinitely pleasing, it feels as if Mountain Man is just getting started. Like their collaboration was a welcome surprise and there is much more to discover. What will be next?

• Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – Love is a Stream. This album is a “game-changer”. Waterfalls of thick, melodious guitar tones rush through speakers while disparate vocal lines meander in the background. It’s out of control, with restraint. It’s searing without pain. And of course it comes on another one of Type Records‘ excellent slabs of elegantly pressed vinyl. An instant classic.

• #1: Benoît Pioulard – Lasted. This record answers so many questions: How can one balance gorgeous field recordings with songs without either sounding out of place? How can home recording sound fussed-over yet still human? What version of Earth does Benoît Pioulard (Thomas Meluch) actually hail from?

Lasted is a rich album which surpasses Meluch’s previous output, at least in spirit if not craft. It’s moments of brilliance such as when the second verse of “Sault” kicks in that listeners are revealed to be deep in a world created by one man. The brief hiss and crackle that kicks off “Shouting Distance” never distracts, but provides depth and context to the song.

The album is a complete picture filled with peaks and valleys, surprises and highly memorable moments. It’s perfect for the winter season and driving around at night, so make sure to get to it before the days are long again.

WIN A VINYL COPY OF LASTED!!!!

GIVEAWAY: 1 new/sealed (vinyl) LP copy of Benoît Pioulard – Lasted.

To enter the contest, one must name a favorite album (or song) from 2010 and a brief explanation on what made that recording special. One entry per person must be entered into the comments section below.

Contest runs from Monday, January 3rd, 2011 through Monday, January 10th, 2011 at midnight.

( This contest in no way insinuates any endorsement of Benoît Pioulard or Kranky Records to this website or my work. I simply ordered an extra copy of the LP which I thought would be nice to share with someone. Cheers! Good luck! )

1/10/11 — COMMENTS NOW CLOSED! WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED BY THE END OF THE WEEK! THANKS Y’ALL – SOME GREAT PICKS IN HERE!

Sometimes we need a little HOPE to put us back together…

Friends,

This morning I recorded a new album at St. Joseph’s Church in Albany, N.Y.

After two very personally eye-opening, mind-opening performances there (as a part of HEAVY), I wanted to document the music that came out of me during both occasions. The space and sound of the church allowed me to explore a more experimental side of my music that I have been longing to dive into.

Long-form improvisational loops, textures and samples for mandolin, voice and sampler were the method, while the room delivered the experience.

When the whole idea for REST FEST came to light, I had hoped I’d be able to visit the church when it wasn’t being prepped for this impending weekend.

So this morning, I reeled trusted sound-buddy Frank Moscowitz into showing up at St. Joe’s for a quick session before the B3nson folks were supposed to arrive for more cleaning and prep.

After load-in and a quick sound/level check, we were off and running. Two pieces were recorded — one from 9:15am -> 9:43am , and the other from 9:52am -> 10:07am.

The album is called St. Joseph’s Oblivion and it will be released (in limited CD form) tomorrow at Rest Fest.

If there’s some solid response, maybe I’ll make it available digitally and perhaps even a larger run of compact discs.

I’m proud of this one, and I hope you will enjoy it.

Myself included.

“Set For Weeks” is a brand new song that has a cousin in “Fit For Days” from B3nson’s LarkFest compilation from last year. It references an episode of Nip/Tuck, steals a melody blip from Dinosaur Jr. and musically nods to at least three of my older songs.

Download away, for free, and, see you this weekend at St. Joseph’s?
(I have $15 weekend passes if you need them…)

Reeling back the evidence that moved.
I’ll be under here, trapped, leaving nothing much to lose.
On these sides we’ve barely enough room.
Stealing back all presence of the proof.

Clean exact measures fairly over moons.
Wishing for the star mine emptied prayer lives up to truth.
Pour me out there’s barely enough room.
Feel contented, pleasure must pull through.

Set for weeks I am content with all the moves we made
still there’s something in the way.
And as we fill the days with obvious, engaging things
still there’s something I should say.

Daring back the trouble I’ll undo.
Steering off the widest crescent moon.
Star me out, there’s barely enough room.

MASS MoCA, in general, is a playground.

It was built with the intent to become a “center that would both present and catalyze the creation of works that chart new creative territory“.

Since its inception in 1999, MASS MoCA has embodied just that; a hub of curiosity and wonder, set in a delightful, welcoming space.

This weekend’s SOLID SOUND FESTIVAL, held on MASS MoCA’s grounds, was an ideal setting for people to learn, discover and enjoy great weather, food and of course, great music.

From a spectator’s standpoint, this festival couldn’t have been set up any better. Short walks between stage areas, bounties of shade from the sun, $1 bottles of water, Intelligentsia coffee / espresso and tons of eye candy in-between. Most notably, the MASS MoCA galleries themselves acted as a palate cleanser if the music or outdoor activities ever became overwhelming.

Simply delightful.

One couldn’t discern whether it was the hunger of MASS MoCA fans to put on such an event or whether it was headlining/curating band Wilco’s fans who made this event a pleasure to be at. (OK, not everyone was a prince/princess). But seriously, despite the presence of copious amounts of beer, there was nary a bad / muscle-y / jerky / imposing vibe in sight.

MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS : (this human only caught Day 1 and most of Day 2; hardly comprehensive)

* Vetiver :: built a perfect set that moseyed slow at the top and ramped up feverishly through the end. It was ideal for folks such as myself who were having a difficult time easing into the day.

* Vetiver’s guitar player (who does not resemble Kevin Barker, who plays on some of the Vetiver albums) :: nimble, conscious, tasteful.

* The Books :: although I could complain that their set should have most definitely been outdoors and unencumbered by the trappings of the Hunter Theater, I am going to simply revel in the fact that we were able to hear songs such as “Be Good to Them Always“, “Take Time” and “That Right Ain’t Shit” were a real treat, if even from the hallway.

* Mountain Man :: spun circles around the late afternoon crowd gathered to hear the three lovely ladies sing. Despite sadness over Molly Sarle’s broken guitar, Andy from Vetiver kindly shared his Martin acoustic to play the spare parts that underpinned a few of the songs. Otherwise, it was otherworldly vocals only. A wonder, considering their rigorous UK / EU tour schedule and most recently, a week-long jaunt with Deer Tick which would leave anyone hoarse.

Here’s a video of their set closer, an un-named folk traditional: