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| Signature
Sounds Recordings was formed by Jim Olsen and Mark
Thayer in 1995 to promote the burgeoning acoustic
music scene in and around Northampton, MA. Since our
inception, we've released over 50 albums of
singer-songwriter, Americana and modern folk music.
Signature Sounds Recordings are distributed
exclusively in the U.S. by Koch Entertainment. |
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ERIN
MCKEOWN
While the category of singer/songwriter continues to wander
down the path of certain homogeneity and female artists
become, by and large, either Britney/Christina knock-offs or
dubiously tortured souls, Erin offers something that
threatens to move the goalposts. As long as music fans
continue to yearn for the acerbic wit of Randy Newman, the
innovative stylings of Bjork and Liz Phair, and the
intricate arrangements of Elvis Costello, Erin's albums will
prove necessity in any music lover's collection. With a
fluid, deft guitar style, a bewitching voice, and
provocative lyrics, Erin is able to swing, rock, funk it up,
and take it down with effortless charm and smart evocation.
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 Distillation
— SIG 1262
Part folk diva, part beat poet, part jazzy funketeer, Erin
McKeown careens onto the national pop scene with her debut
DISTILLATION. With a fluid guitar style, a bewitching voice
and provocative lyrics, McKeown is able to swing, rock, funk
it up, sing the blues and take it down with effortless
charm.
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PETER
MULVEY
A live wire on any stage, Wisconsin native Peter Mulvey is
an acoustic singer/songwriter/guitarist who, in fact, defies
this categorization. His ferocious guitar playing whisks him
through more tunings than he has fingers in the course of an
evening, as he winds his way from full-throated rockers to
deceptively plain-spoken musings. Whether solo or with
longtime musical collaborator David "Goody"
Goodrich at his side (coaxing unearthly sounds out of
electric guitars and mandolins), Mulvey is someone who just
naturally commands a stage: "Peter Mulvey is one of the
most accomplished guitarists you're ever likely to hear-
utterly original- it is nigh on impossible to explain him to
the uninitiated- his intelligent and sometimes complex songs
engage both hemispheres of the listener's brain- one of the
finest, most complete entertainers- stunning." - THE
IRISH EXAMINER
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 Kitchen
Radio — SIG 1283
With Kitchen Radio, Mulvey's
third album for Signature Sounds (his eighth overall and his
first album of original material in four years), he has put
the songwriting solidly front and center, and the result is
a moving, deft portrait of a place where the personal and
the worldwide intersect. Peter Mulvey and longtime writing
partner and producer David "Goody" Goodrich set
the mood with vibrant, often surprising musical ideas.
Supported by an excellent band of Boston's musical veterans,
Mulvey's Kitchen Radio is an album of original music
performed with grit and abandon.
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 Ten
Thousand Mornings — SIG 1274
Ten Thousand Mornings is a live collection of a dozen songs
by some of Peter Mulvey's favorite songwriters. Mulvey
brings the collection full circle; to record this album, he
returned to his old stomping ground - the subway stations of
Boston, Massachusetts. Innovative interpretations of songs
by artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Gillian Welch, and
Marvin Gaye, along with Mulvey's ferocious guitar playing
and intensely inspired performances, result in a must have
album by one of the most dynamic performers playing today.
With very special guests including Chris Smither, Erin
McKeown, and Jennifer Kimball.
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 The
Trouble With Poets — SIG 1258
With this album Mulvey has perfected his innovative amalgamation of beat
poet sensibility with the fervor of modern rock. Featuring guest vocals by Chris
Smither and Jennifer Kimball, THE TROUBLE WITH POETS is the most commanding
musical statement of his career.
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PETE
NELSON
Renowned as an accomplished novelist, playwright and
non-fiction writer, Pete Nelson is "perhaps the best,
yet unfortunately least known songwriter in the U.S."
according to Maine Public Radio. Pete Nelson was first
"discovered" in 1992 by Christine Lavin and
featured on her Big Times in a Small Town (Martha's
Vineyard) release. Lavin joined Nelson on RESTLESS BOYS
CLUB, as did Greg Brown, John Gorka, Bill Morrissey, Cliff
Eberhardt, Kristina Olsen and Cormac McCarthy. Nelson is
again joined on DAYS LIKE HORSES by friends. Singing with
him are Dar Williams, Patty Larkin, Susan Werner, Cliff
Eberhardt, Peter Mulvey and Ben Demerath. Nelson is more
than happy to be judged by the company he keeps.
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 Days
Like Horses — SIG 1260
Four years in the making, DAYS LIKE HORSES is one of the
most ambitious songwriter projects in recent memory. Like
his critically-acclaimed debut THE RESTLESS BOYS' CLUB, DAYS
LIKE HORSES features a number of special guest turns
including duets with Dar Williams, Patty Larkin, Susan
Werner, Peter Mulvey and others. |
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AMY
RIGBY
Amy Rigby has been compared to everyone from Elvis Costello
to Carole King, but she "has no peer on the current pop
scene," according to the Chicago Reader. Born in
Pittsburgh and a long-time resident of New York City, Amy
was songwriter, singer and rhythm guitarist for cow punk
pioneers Last Roundup and folk pop trio The Shams before her
first solo album got the attention of critics and music
fans. Four widely critically acclaimed albums later and now
making her home in Nashville, Rigby continues to write and
sing from the trenches of rock, romance and reality. Praised
for her dazzling song craft and brilliant humor and bite,
Amy Rigby "gives you everything you could want from
rock music: anger, humor, lust, and wistfulness." says
the Knoxville Metro Pulse.
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 Til
The Wheels Fall Off — SIG 1277
Having released three albums of witty, tuneful root-pop to
great critical acclaim and a growing cult audience, Amy
Rigby's Signature debut TIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF has all the
makings of a breakthrough. The album is a masterpiece of
adult pop, conjuring up classic 60's pop anthems while
remaining completely contemporary and offering the sharpest
lyrics this side of Elvis Costello. Riby's autobiographical
tunes, by turns funny and poignant, are the stuff of which
careers like Lucinda Williams are made, and Rigby is long
overdue for some Williams-like recognition. "Ms Rigby's
songs capture reality instead of inflating it... they
blithely cross lines few artists have even approached."
-NEW YORK TIMES |
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JOSH
RITTER
Recently deemed DETAILS magazine's "Next Big
Thing", Josh Ritter writes songs that are rare gifts of
natural, intuitive beauty. He has been praised for his
beautifully spare, timeless songwriting and is winning
comparisons to Nick Drake, Will Oldham, and Leonard Cohen. A
native of Moscow, Idaho, Josh has a full-blown cult
following in Ireland (complete with his very own cover
band!), and sells out clubs and theatres there. Whether
opening a tour for Joan Baez (Ms. Baez recorded one of
Josh's songs WINGS), or rocking out with indie band The
Frames, Josh can seamlessly appeal to fans of all types of
music. The Village Voice raved, "Ritter's is the rare
type of songwriting: untouched by affectation, embroidered
with a quietly plaintive voice and smart melodies (think
Dylan and Drake) and with words expressive of another time
and place--intangible and idyllic, full of longing and
nostalgia, with imagery that awakens even the
inanimate."
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 Golden
Age of Radio (reissue w/ bonus disc) — SIG 1269
The national debut by Josh Ritter is an instant charmer.
With its evocative lyrics and sparse elegant production,
Golden Age of Radio is a beguiling and timeless set of songs
that sound like instant classics. As one reviewer raved,
" Full or metaphoric wit, wry insight, and an
underlying sneaky pop undertow that sucks you in, Golden Age
of Radio is a rare gift of natural, intuitive beauty and is
damn near perfect." This critically acclaimed album
runs the gamut from Nick Drake inspired lullabies, to the
gritty passion of artists such as Johnny Cash and Neil
Young.
In February of 2004 Golden Age was
reissued in a special expanded edition, with an extra disc
of bonus tracks include Jackdrag remixes of "Come &
Find Me" and "Other Side", a cover of Leonard
Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2" and two bonus videos.
The package also includes a full lyric booklet. |
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 Hello
Starling — SIG 1280
Josh Ritter’s songs are a rare gift of natural, intuitive
beauty. Maybe it’s his Idaho roots (promising far more
resilience in the face of music industry pressures than a
Manhattanite gene pool would), or his suitably tousled
hairstyle – or maybe it’s just the ethereal collision of
inspired songwriting, understated passion, and an arsenal of
future classics that sets him apart. Last year saw Josh
garnering impressive acclaim not only for his debut album
Golden Age of Radio but also for his richly textured and
engaging live shows on both sides of the Atlantic.
In February of this year, Ritter entered
Black Box studios in rural France with his touring band and
Irish producer David Odlum (the Frames, Gemma Hayes) to
record Hello Starling. Recorded and mixed in only 14
days in an old dairy barn, the thick stone walls, high
ceilings, and vintage gear (much of it Curtis Mayfield’s
old equipment), made for a record which sounds
conversational and honest and shimmers with a new-found
confidence. His masterful use of imagery is exemplified in
"Kathleen," a summer anthem about waiting around a
party to drive a girl home. "You Don’t Make It Easy
Babe" recalls Dylan’s "Don’t Think Twice
It’s Alright," in form and sound, though Josh
exchanges the troubadours’ grizzled edge for Leonard
Cohen’s grace. And, far beyond this, the ethereal,
show-stopping beauty of "Baby That’s Not All"
suggests an artist at the peak of his new-found powers.
Legendary artist Joan Baez hand-picked Ritter’s song
"Wings" to record for her new album and invited
Josh on the road with her. With such talent in tow, he just
may get his wish – "There’s no shame in hoping a
song will be remembered long after you’re gone." |
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SALAMANDER
CROSSING
Salamander Crossing spent much of the 90's as New England's
premiere roots band. With their first-rate song craft and
stellar playing and interpretation they were one of the most
unique ensembles in modern acoustic music. Blending
bluegrass instrumentation, stunning 3 part harmonies and an
eclectic repertoire that included everything from Bruce
Springsteen to Bill Monroe, Salamander Crossing developed a
one of a kind sound and a large and enthusiastic fan base.
They disbanded in late 1999 after releasing three critically
acclaimed albums. Lead singer and fiddler Rani Arbo went on
to form Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem.
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 Henry
Street — SIG 1261
Salamander Crossing spent much of the 90's as New England's
premier roots band. HENRY STREET is a specially priced two
CD set which features both of the band's out of print
albums, SALAMANDER CROSSING (1995) and PASSION TRAIN (1996).
In addition there are several previously unavailable bonus
tracks, new photos and extensive liner notes. |
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RICHARD
SHINDELL
An expatriate New Yorker now living in Argentina, Richard
Shindell is a meticulous craftsman of song whose four studio
albums and recent live recording have been revered by
critics and fans alike. Innovative, original and
occasionally spiritual, Shindell's songs weave tales that
interchangeably champion the downtrodden, exalt the
disaffected or wax empathetic to those lost to society's
fringes. He has a unique ability to morph into the soul of
the many and varied personalities he casts as narrators in
certain songs--songs that are veritable novellas framed in
haunting acoustic melodies. As The Boston Globe raved:
"Shindell is a master builder of songs, yet always
leading listeners toward the emotional essence of the moment
or character he is evoking. As with all master craftsmen,
knowing what to leave out is as important to him as what he
puts in. Shindell has uncanny sense of the theater of a
song, building his ballads sparely and subtly, set to
sweeping graceful melodies."
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 Courier
— SIG 1270
COURIER captures Richard Shindell and his band at their live
best in 2001. Moving from the religious, erotic metaphor of
On a Sea of Fleur de Lis to the full-throated menace of
Fishing, COURIER'S folk-rock doesn't get any better than
this: supple, fluid, intelligent, and muscular. Shindell's
powerful, astringent baritone and quietly stunning guitar
work root the album, while his outstanding band drives it.
The definitive Shindell album, COURIER is one of the best
discs of the decade - in any genre - to date. |
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 Somewhere
Near Patterson — SIG 1256
SOMEWHERE NEAR PATERSON is a revelation. From REM like folk
rock to gorgeous three-part harmonies (featuring Dar
Williams and Lucy Kaplansky), an intoxicating Celtic reel
and even some Texas string band music. SNP is a powerful,
dark yet irresistible experience. |
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