News
Tim Nominated for 2 Independent Music Awards!Hello folks....I have been nominated for two Independant Music Awards
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April 2009 The "1-2-3-4" that kicks off Tim Easton's fifth album (and fourth for New West) indicates the folk-rocker is more in the rock rather than folk mode here. He doesn't consider it a return to his rawer roots but it's hard not to see it that way. There is a strong Midwestern rock and roll vibe throughout, augmented by some unexpected musical twists (strings, backing female vocals), honed through the vibrant performances created with few overdubs. But it's Easton's honey and grits voice and sharp writing that makes this one of his best and most immediately likeable releases. The tenacious singer/songwriter cites Raymond Carver as an influence and it shows in descriptive, near poetic lyrics that range from virtual stream of conscious in the title track to the hushed, somber tale of whisky drinking girls in "A Stone's Throw Away." On "Baltimore" he takes the first person of a serial killer ("they said I killed four, that's right I killed four") set to a jaunty melody that gets as twisted as its protagonist with a rollicking guitar solo. There's a breezy Byrds/Petty strum to "Seventh Wheel" that feels like a mid-'70s hit single that never was. The rocked up tunes that dominate the proceedings display a different side to Easton than he has typically shown. When he whips up the dust on the thunderous "Stormy" and the guitar-duel fueled "Get What I Got," you can't help but wonder why he hasn't gravitated towards this sound more consistently. Many folk-rockers seem uncomfortable swimming in choppier waters, but Easton takes to it naturally and without a hint of stiffness. That said, quieter fare such as "Long Cold Night in Bed" finds Easton in a more introspective mood that allows his illustrative lyrics a chance to shine. Co-producer Brad Jones has worked with Easton from his earliest days as a musician and provides a sympathetic backdrop for both the plugged-in and acoustic based fare that makes this arguably the artist's finest and most potent offering yet. Its dozen songs fly by quickly, practically begging repeated plays to soak up and savor Easton's elaborately fashioned words and gutsy, but never forced, spiked-punch rocking. |
Review by Hal Horowitz
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Tim Easton Gets Stuck by “Porcupine”02/25/2009
By Blurt Staff
Tim Easton has been driven westward both geographically and musically since his college days in Ohio. On his 5th album, Porcupine, due out April 28th from New West Records, the Joshua Tree, CA resident returns to his mid-western sound and lets a myriad of guitar riffs rooted in blues, rock, and folk set the color for observational lyrics capturing life from the desert to the sea and around the world. The new album finds Tim's writing skills sharpened, possibly inspired by his friend and mentor Lucinda Williams. Easton, known for his non-stop touring (from Dublin to Anchorage to Bangor to Jacksonville), will be on the road with a band, supporting Porcupine beginning this Spring, including a stop in Austin, TX where Tim will appear at several events during the South By Southwest convention, including the New West Records day party.
For Porcupine, Tim went back to Alex The Great and Club Roar studios in Nashville to work with Brad Jones and Robin Eaton who produced his debut album, Special 20. He wanted to "make some noise and get that jagged, midwestern rock and roll sound again" so he hand-picked the Ohio-based rhythm section - Sam Brown on drums (Gaunt, New Bomb Turks, RJD2) and Matt Surgeson on bass and backing vocals (Matt also played on Special 20). Renowned guitarist Kenny Vaughn, who Tim met playing in Lucinda's band for her Car Wheels tour, played second guitar.
Porcupine visits the rough edged and electric side of Tim's recordings, although it's an acoustic track that provides the record's shiniest moment in the pop-folk jangle of "Seventh Wheel." Tim wrote the song in as much time as it takes to sing it while staying at friend's house in Dublin, and the band demanded that he record it for the album after hearing the demo he made in Ireland. As for the title Porcupine, Tim explains "I thought the physical animal called the porcupine was a perfect symbol for the sound of this record in that it appears to be a gentle and harmless creature from a distance but up close it is in fact sharp and potentially dangerous."
Tim has released three critically acclaimed albums on New West thus far: The Truth About Us (2001), Break Your Mother's Heart (2003) and Ammunition (2006). He has toured with label mates John Hiatt and The Flatlanders, as well as with The Jayhawks and Lucinda Williams. Living in the village of Joshua Tree between tours has made more time available for other creative endeavours such as painting and writing. "There's not much else to do out here," Tim remarked, "so going for long hikes with my dogs or making music, paintings, and stories is what fills my average day at home." There will be an exhibition of Tim's paintings, which are folk art based pieces that focus on the guitar, at Yard Dog Gallery in Austin during this year's SXSW conference. A series of 500 individually painted vinyl album jackets will be part of the Porcupine release, and the New West CD release will feature Tim's art on the cover.
He is also the founder and publisher of a community newsletter and 'zine called The Joshua Tree Republic.
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NEWS - FEB. 9, 2008 Tim will play support for BLUE RODEO for a few west coast dates in February. Check the tour page for details. |
WHEN ELECTION DAY ROLLS AROUND, PLEASE GET SOME OF YOUR LAZIER FRIENDS TO GET OUT THERE AND PARTICIPATE. |
AUGUST 30TH 2008 JOSHUA TREE, CA
The PORCUPINE album is still on the slow track so in the meantime I wanted to update the listening page with some songs that were recorded in July at a radio station in northern Kentucky called WNKU. They film and tape the show in front of a live audience and I wanted something different for you to check out on the web site so here is the majority of the audio portion of the show I did that day. There's some old tunes, some new ones, and others you've probably never heard until now.
Thanks for checking in from time to time and the monthly news letter is being set up as we speak.
The Easton Stagger Phillips album is done and if you click on the album cover on the front page of TimEaston.com, it will take you to Miles Of Music where you can check out the tunes and buy a copy if you so desire. The Alaska Record Release tour for ONE FOR THE DITCH was a great success and we are getting ready to take the whole operation over to Europe before we pick some dates to introduce these songs to the lower 48 states.
One other thing: A certain life changing incident occured in Kantishna, Alaska a few weeks ago, which I will get around to explaining this October. It involves love and commitment. What I am trying to say is that Katie Shaw accepted my proposal of marriage, and we had the legal ceremony in Alaska, while the big party with family and friends will take place this October in Joshua Tree, CA. You may call me Mr. Katie Shaw.
July - August 2008
The Red Arrow Gallery Presents:
This Machine II: New Works by Tim Easton
See the show online
The Red Arrow Gallery Presents: "This Machine..." Opening Reception October 12, 2007 7:00 PM Joshua Tree, CA
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Who:
‘THIS MACHINE...’ Will showcase local musician/artist, TIM EASTON, of Joshua Tree, and veteran Detroit artist, CHRIS KRO. Tim's paintings are exclusively of guitars and are inspired by traditional folk artists and the many vinyl albums listened to while painting. Chris Kro injects inspired Americana artistry into legendary musicians like The Highwaymen and The MC5.
What:
The reference THIS MACHINE... comes from the expression or text that Woody Guthrie had painted on his guitar that said "THIS MACHINE KILLS FACISTS."
Where: The Red Arrow Gallery
61010 Twentynine Palms HWY
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Hosted by: Katie A. Shaw, Owner/Curator
http://www.theredarrowgallery.com
When:
Friday, October 12th, 2007
Artist Reception from 7:00 – 10:00 PM
The show will remain on display through November 4th, 2007
Weekend Hours: Friday 5 – 8 PM, Saturday 12 – 5 PM, Sunday 12 – 4 PM
Any other questions, please call 740.207.1986.
ARTIST BIO:
Tim Easton grew up in Ohio and has lived and toured all over the world, making a living as a traveling musician and songwriter. He currently resides in Joshua Tree, CA. Tim began painting folk art images while enrolled at Ohio State University but focused more on his musical career until recently slowing down his touring schedule and working on paintings for ‘THIS MACHINE...’ Tim's paintings are exclusively of guitars. His medium includes found wood, house paints, oils, and chalk. Tim has recorded four albums for NEW WEST RECORDS based in Los Angeles, and regularly plays shows in southern California and will take part in this year's Joshua Tree Roots Festival later in October. This is Tim’s first gallery showing.
NEWS
Check out the video made in Dublin for DEAR OLD SONG AND DANCE.
Go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=F-04vsc4SSY or type in "TIM EASTON SONG AND DANCE" at YouTube.com. This was made by Tim's revolutionary amigo Donal.
Tim Easton (Ammunition)
by Michael Franco
Since Tim Easton released his first album, 1998’s Special 20, he’s been a critical darling of the alt-country scene. The reasons are evident: Easton is an immensely gifted songwriter with an impossible gift for melody; his voice is a blend of Bob Dylan sneer and John Prine grit; he can play anything made of strings and wood; his travels lend his songs a rare ethos, and he’s got that Tom Pettyian rock ‘n’ roll attitude. Sure, you could say the same thing about Ryan Adams, but Easton has none of Adams’ pretensions or childish attitude, and he actually cares about music more than adolescent daydreams of rock stardom (not to mention ridiculous self-mythologizing). This hasn’t gone unnoticed by his peers; his past albums have featured such icons as Jim Keltner, members of Wilco, and alt-country’s most coveted guitar-for-hire, the Heartbreakers own Mike Campbell. Somehow, Easton has forged the perfect career for any true musician: he’s garnered respect and accolades while steadily building a loyal following.
But while Easton may sound like the alt-country poster boy of the moment, his music reveals why the tag is so inept. His sound is not country, and he doesn’t care to forge a career as a simple counterpoint to standard radio fare. Buried within his songs are influences vast and varied, from folk finger-picking to sunny pop melodies to southern blues riffs to classic rock bombast. This isn’t uncommon for a songwriter classified as alt-country, Americana, or singer-songwriter, but unlike some of his peers, Easton makes music that sounds organic, revealing the common lineage of these genres. Appreciating his albums requires an appreciation for the roots of American music, and not in that “I’m-so-knowledgeable” manner that too many fans—and musicians—obnoxiously exude. No, Easton isn’t striking any poses, and he’s not espousing a movement; he’s just methodically building a career out of solid albums. Ammunition, Easton’s fourth release, reveals a songwriter who’s moving beyond paying tribute to his influences—he’s becoming an influence is his own right.
Ammunition was recorded over two years while Easton was satiating his wanderlust, and it feels like life on the road: immediate, restless, and inspired. Indeed, travel pervades the album, from the various genres that Easton visits to the topics that he tackles, which are the kind of introspective and philosophical subjects one would ponder while tied to the highway. In a mere 13 songs, Easton contemplates the liberation of political revolution ("Before the Revolution"), the serene beauty of love ("Next to You"), the hypocrisy of evangelicals ("J.P.M.F.Y.F."), the deliverance of sobriety ("Dear Old Song and Dance"), and the dubious role of the media in modern society ("News Blackout"). This might sound like the anti-concept album, but the tracks are unified by Easton’s impeccable craftsmanship and curious passion.
Indeed, the diligent intensity of Easton’s musicianship is only matched by his lyrical acuity, which avoids superficial treatments of complex topics. “J.P.M.F.Y.F.”, for instance, is a weary plea to Jesus for protection from so-called Christians who use religion to gain power, acceptance, and wealth. “Jesus, protect me,” Easton begs, “from your followers / Like the ones who turn their back on dying / And laugh in the face of pain and suffering / They would kill in the name of freedom / Or the ones who manipulate the Constitution.” Harkening back to Woody Guthrie’s “Jesus Christ,” the song is overtly political, but more exhausted than caustic. Other songs reveal the same eloquence. “Black Dog” is not a Led Zeppelin remake (thank God), but an allegory about finding a place to belong: “Neighbors are getting tired / Black dog is in their yard / Mend your fence a time or two / Before you have to start anew.” Such poetic imagery is found throughout the album, proving that Easton can write in more than chords.
As on past albums, Easton calls on friends to help him with musical and production duties. In the gorgeous “Next to You”, Easton is joined by Tift Merritt, who adds faint backup vocals to the beautifully simple chorus: “Let me be next to you / I want to understand / Let me be next to you / Then we can watch the band / Let me be next to you / Under your ceiling fan...” Merritt’s voice is barely audible, which makes it that much more effective when you realize that Easton’s soft croon is floating on her sensuous purr. In “Back to the Pain”, Easton recruits Lucinda Williams to handle the backup vocals, and the match is perfect. Who else could sing, “Baby, don’t you go back to the pain” with such conviction? For that matter, who else could turn “pain” into a three-syllable word that sounds inviting? Rounding out the all-star assistance is The Jayhawks’ Gary Louris, who co-produced three of the tracks. Overall, the entire album possesses an unpolished, spontaneous feel, showing that sometimes less is indeed more. When the songs and musicians are this good, extensive production just gets in the way.
To be sure, Ammunition couldn’t be more aptly titled. Easton fires off 13 songs and doesn’t once miss the bullseye. In the mere space of an album, he provides an engaging synopsis of American music, jumping from genre to genre with the grace and agility of an athlete. Even more impressive is this: Easton is only four albums into his career, and has already amassed a formidable legacy. More than simply another in a long line of alt-country saviors, he’s making real contributions to American music. What’s scary is that he’s got a lot more ammo in his guitar…
Modern Day Busker
by Brian T. Atkinson
Tim Easton's restless spirit demanded a rambling lifestyle in his formative years. From Paris to Prague, the songwriter took his guitar on a wandering path through Europe not unlike the crooked road our most famous folk singer traced across America.
"Busking was the only way for me to survive back in the day," Easton says. "I loved playing music on the streets. It was my way of following in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie, basically. I had to do it overseas because, as Steve Earle points out, "There's killers on the highway now.'"
The modern-day drifter gathered enough writing material on the pavement to fill three albums--Special 20, The Truth About Us and Break Your Mother's Heart. But the time often insists on stability, and last year Easton sought a swatch of land to call home. The vibrant artistic community of Joshua Tree, Calif. Made a perfect fit. It's at once serene and eye-opening. The Akron, Ohio native expected to find inspiration in the desert hamlet; he just didn't know it literally would knock at his front door.
Thank the local band of religious zealots for "J.P.M.F.Y.F," the centerpiece of Easton forthcoming Ammunition. The dedicated group's repeated efforts to convert their new neighbor inspired the protest song of sorts. "Jesus protect me/Jesus protect me/from your followers," Easton sings gently. "Not all of them/just the ones who turn love into fear and hatred/and the ones who say they are above me/and then point their fingers down at me/and tell me on my doorstep that I will burn in hell."
"I didn't want to attack Jesus--that's not the point of the song," he says. "It's more about love than anything. I could be singing to anyone who's too extreme about something. It comes from a place of love and respect. I think that for the teachings of that particular man, there are some people who claim to admire him but don't seem to follow in his footsteps or do the things he says to do."
Like "J.P.M.F.Y.F," much of the material on Ammunition is rooted in the present. At times though, shadows of Easton's desultory past crop up. "Before the Revolution," for instance, goes back to his days busking on the Charles Bridge in Prague.
"'Before the revolution' was a phrase I heard the very first day I was in Eastern Europe," he explains. "I met this woman and she took me out to dinner. During the course of the meal, she'd repeat that phrase over and over... 'Before the revolution, it was like this. Before the revolution, it was like that. ' The phrase just stuck with me."
Many little things stick with Easton--an intriguing phrase here, a curious word there--and these bits and pieces of every day life sprinkle his pages with authenticity. The well-chosen snippets also help Ammunition read like a well-maintained, and endlessly interesting, scrapbook. His knack for crafty lyrics is evident from capturing the subtle horrors of current events ("News Blackout") to analyzing his own mortality ("Dear Old Song & Dance")
In that latter, Easton lists a freight of drugs he's sweated out while struggling to change: "I knew I had to hit the breaks/I was sick and tired of waking up with a dead man in my eyes/Thank God I'm getting older and learning who I am/and waking up sober in Amsterdam." It served as a valuable lesson for a man searching for more even-handed inspiration.
Playing in the streets provided Easton with another early tutorial: the important balance of performance and poetry.
"I think it's my duty to be an entertainer," he says. "But it's also a songwriter's duty to reach inside ourselves and help other people reach inside themselves. I'm writing lyrics all the time. Some days are great writing days, others are great eavesdropping days. Melodies seem to be everywhere. I'd be afraid to run out of lyrics before I'd be afraid to run out of music or melodies."
Tim Easton Ammunition
by Roy Casten
From the subway vocal echo to the scrappy acoustic settings, Tim Easton's fourth album draws a back-to-busking baseline, as informal as his first album Special 20, and as lyrically blunt as anything he's ventured.
Easton recorded episodically and itinerantly, in Cleveland, Minneapolis, Alaska and Joshua Tree, getting assistance from Tom Waits' engineer Mark Howard and erstwhile Jayhawks leader Gary Louris, as well as harmonies from Tift Merritt and Lucinda Williams, guitar from Doug Pettibone, and percussion from Don Heffington. But this isn't a name-check album; the sound is uncalculated and bracing in its diffidence.
Lyrically, his mood is bittersweetly critical and restive, even alienated at times. "Oh people, I'm not coming along with you," he sings to an audience with whom a harmonica-racked troubadour is duty bound to connect. The opening "Black Dog" is as darkly suggestive as the Nick Drake song of the same name, while "Back To The Pain" tells of a woman addicted to abuse, and "I Wish You Well" just drips irony: "She came all the way to California just to watch me fail."
"I know he's lying 'cause his lips are still moving," Easton sings on "News Blackout", an anti-Bush, pro-Dylan blues; "I know I know 'cause I used to be just like him." In "Dear Old Song And Dance" a catalogue of drugs and intoxicants nearly curdles into self-parody, but is saved by a hint of charm: "Alaskan girls will kick your ass with northern lights and southern comfort."
But the most cutting of these songs is : "J.P.M.F.Y.F.", which translates as"Jesus Protect Me From your Followers"--a declaration he quickly qualifies by adding, "Not all of them, just the ones who turn love into fear and hatred." Whether personal or public in his expressions, Easton has done what good writers and singers always do; give voice to what most genuinely needs voicing.
Tim Easton (Ammunition)
by Clay Steakley
Tim Easton barrels down the Pennsylvania turnpike as he speaks from his cell phone. Four albums and thousands of miles into a burgeoning career as a singer-songwriter, he's in the midst of a tour supporting Lucinda Williams and preparing for the release of his latest album for New West, Ammunition.
But with his somber, windswept and spare new effort, Easton has surprisingly provided naysayers with plenty of ammo thanks to one controversial song in particular, credited as "J.P.M.F.Y.F." on the advance CD. The track is a hushed exploration of humility, forgiveness, love and the lack of all three in so many individuals. It opens, "Jesus, protect me. Jesus, protect me from your followers."
"Every interview so far, that's the very first thing they ask me about," Easton laughs. "I don't play that one live too often; I don't want to offend anybody, I don't mind waking people up a little bit, but I'm not in the business to make people think I'm attacking them, because I'm not. the song comes form a place of love and respect. A lot of people, especially people who are in power in the government, claim they admire and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. And, from what I see, their behavior seems very un-Christ-like."
From this to the rollicking misadventure "C-Dub" to the meditation on freedom and self-realization "Before the Revolution," Easton covers a lot of emotional ground. With songs on this album ranging from heart-wrenching to boozy to downright dark, Easton has been reaching pretty deep. There's an inherent loneliness and unrest to Ammunition that call to mind the best of Greg Brown and Lyle Lovett--a loneliness that Easton acknowledges.
"I didn't set out to make a lonely record," he explains, "but some of my favorite records, Blue by Joni Mitchell and Astral Weeks by Van Morrison for example, are somewhat lonely albums. They're the kind of albums that make it OK to be alone. That's what I'm going for." After a moment, he adds, "This is probably the most mellow record I've ever made. I like to think of it as kind of ballsy-mellow."
So many miles logged on tour led not only to a certain accepted loneliness, but a necessity to write and record on the road. "I had to learn to write wherever I was," he says. "A lot of people like to get in one spot and get secluded and get focused. I had to learn to start writing on the road and start writing wherever I was because otherwise, I don't think I'd get any work done."
Easton recorded Ammunition where opportunity presented itself--a cabin in Alaska, a house in Joshua Tree, Calif., on four-tracks and in full studios. He brought in Gary Louris (the Jayhawks), Tift Merritt, singer-songwriter Doug Pettibone and drummer Don Heffington to help. With Louris as co-producer on some tracks and Mark Howard as engineer, Easton put everything together.
"The thing about writing on the road is that now recording on the road is a lot easier because the home studio has really come a long way," he says. "A lot of friends and fellow travelers and fellow songwriters around the country have studios that are fully functional and, if the mood strikes you, you can get in there and sing a sing. You can always take it to another studio later and juice it up a little bit if you need to, you know?"
He gives "Before the Revolution" as an example. "I wrote the song and recorded it at home on a four track," he says. "When it came time to make the record, I took that version and dumped the tape into bigger machines and Mark Howard mixed it. He put a little more ambience and more girth onto it. That's his specialty, being able to work quickly and make great sounds."
Easton is also in awe of the great sounds produced by his current touring mate. "It's great to be on the road with one of the greatest songwriters of all time, let alone American songwriters," he says of Williams, who also makes an appearance on Ammunition. "I really believe that it's a lesson every night for me in the economy of lyrics and getting to the point and making you reach inside yourself. To really get down there and find things. She's a great songwriter whose songs I want to listen to every night. and she's playing new ones all the time, and that's a huge inspiration to me. It makes me want to reach deeper."
Easton pauses to point out that he's crossed a state line. Here I am coming back to my home state," he crows. "I have crossed the Ohio border, as all traveling musicians have dozens and dozens of times, and my mood is different every time. I have to gauge where my mood is. Is it, 'Oh, man, back in Ohio again,' or is it, 'Oh, this is fantastic'? Right now you've got to say life is good. I'm coming back to practically my hometown, and I'm on tour with one of my favorite songwriters in the world. It just couldn't be better."