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We Metro area folks are quite familiar with Bethesda. Well, at least as it pertains to that certain part of the Maryland burbs with the heaps of fancy houses and miles of winding roads and, perhaps best of all, a killer bowling alley. It just so happens that now there’s another Bethesda to make yourself acquainted with, and I promise this one’s even better.
Hailing from Ohio, and born out of “snow laden” frustration, Bethesda the band makes music that is full of gentle lulls and folksy familiarity. One could very easily call them homespun, salt of the earth, and down home, but there’s more to them that that. There’s the sound of sunshiney days captured in summer and remembered during long, cruel mid-winter nights, the glow that warms you as your breath comes fast and white against those stark, starry skies.
Something about Shanna Delaney’s voice is earthily ethereal, as warm and rich as the day is long. And really, I never thought anyone would ever be able to make lines from “Row Row Row Your Boat” sound good, but hot damn, Bethesda proved me wrong. “The Boat Waltz” is entrancing, and more than a little mystical. Of course, I kinda sorta feel that way about the band in general.
mp3: Burn These Ships (Bethesda from Love In a Time of Tra La La)
[photo by Nick Brewer]
I do so love it when someone really, truly enchanting comes my way through the sea of tripe that inhabits Myspace. Y’all will know exactly what I’m talking about, I suspect, when I say that there are rare moments when you come across a voice that totally captures your attention, totally takes you by surprise. As soon as I opened my friend request from Buffalo’s Ryan McCracken, I had this sensation of being utterly enraptured and completely beguiled. It wasn’t just my usual affinity for the lone wolf singer-songwriter, though I do admit my fondness for that very appealing pairing of a boy and his guitar. No, with Ryan it was different.
His voice is pretty darned incredible. It’s uniquely expressive, rich and warm, full of honeyed tones and heavy with theatrics. It’s seductive, off-putting, haunting, and amusing, and frequently all of the above at once. At times his guitar seems basic, though when he plugs in the songs taken on a singular beauty. But the guitar, be it acoustic or electric, is secondary, because with Ryan the voice is the real instrument here. It’s my opinion that Mr. McCracken is in possession of something very, very special indeed. I fully expect him to get better and better (and hopefully one of these days get his tour on, to include a stop in the greater Washington area).
Bottom line is that you might just want to check Ryan out. Oh, and bands, take note. You will absolutely get bonus points for making tying your music with a bow. Little details, with music and with mailings, go a long way.
mp3: Archers/On Guard (Ryan McCracken from Alive at Staples 5/20/2010)
mp3: Type A New York Neurotic (Ryan McCracken from Hey You 2)
While a good many of us have moved on from Myspace for our social networking needs, I still pay attention to the bands that frequent that site. You never know where and when your new favorite band will come from, and I've found enough quality bands via Myspace that I felt the site warranted closer examination. I've been toying with the idea of doing a Myspace-based feature for quite some time now, but wanted to wait until I had the right band to kick things off with. And then, one day, my wish was granted when a friend request from the British Columbia-based Sumner Brothers popped up in my inbox.
The Sumner Brothers, Brian and Bob, along with their friends Michael and Mike, sound like remnants of a time long since turned to dust, a sepia-hued time when music was simple and soulful and made by friends gathered in whatever space they could find, and not touched by computer enhancements and fancy effect pedals and studio magic. Not only that, but the foursome sounds like they should be sitting on the front porch of an ancient, rickety wooden farmouse nestled in the spectacular, magical valleys of the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia. If you've never been there, well, it's the perfect place for a band like the Sumner Brothers. There's a hint of fall to their songs, traces of burning fires in the hearth, and a stark, austere beauty the likes of which you won't hear very often. The Sumner Brothers are as precious and rare as can be, so dang good you almost can't believe it.
The band is working their way through a small West Coast tour, so all you Washington Staters and British Columbians, get yourselves to these shows. More details on the band's Myspace page, naturally.
mp3: Pain (Buy: The Sumner Brothers)
