Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson, son of folk-rock legends Richard and Linda Thompson, has a new disc (his fourth) entitled A Piece of What You Need [ Verve Forecast ]. For this album, Thompson co usually co-produces and has production credits and guest appearances on albums from his parents and pals like Rufus Wainwright, hired outside producer Marius De Vries, known for his work with Bjork, David Gray, and Madonna, among others. One of my favorite Thompson songs, though, comes from his first self-titled CD, released in 2000, a song called So Easy, featuring Rufus Wainwright on background vocals.

Blind Pilot

Blind Pilot started out as a duo featuring Israel Nebeker (guitar, vocals) and Ryan Dobrowski (drums) but now includes a number of performers at their live shows. The song Go, On, Say It from their album 3 Rounds and a Sound (label: In Music We Trust) was featured on the KEXP Blog after the band played at Portland's Music Fest NW last week.

Read more about them and their habit of touring by bicycle (with gear in tow) in this interview conducted by Jim Beckmann or check out the band's blog.

Dr. Dog: "The Old Days" from the album Fate

Photo by Chad Syme

Dr.Dog's recent album Fate has been on of my favorite lately. Here's some words from the KEXP Blog along with a selected track:

Dr. Dog - The Old Days (MP3)

Feeling at home now with the 24-track recorder first used on 2007s We All Belong, Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog has taken its sound to new heights. Fate takes the band’s love of 60s pop and psychedelia and gives it the best studio treatment in the band’s growing and highly successful discography. No Dr. Dog post would be complete without mentioning their most obvious influence, The Beatles. Guitarist Scott McMicken and bassist Toby Leaman certainly play the Lennon and McCartney roles, trading and sharing primary vocal and songwriting duties, but there’s plenty to Dr. Dog beyond the nostalgia they so effortlessly create. While catering to the strengths of each band member, the album branches out into soul and gospel (Hang On), reggae (The Breeze) and plenty of funk and R&B. Whether or not Fate is the album these guys were destined to make, it’s the greatest translation of their amazing live show to disc, and that is perhaps the greatest compliment I can give their latest effort. Check them out for yourself later this month when they play The Tractor. Folks outside the Seattle area can find tour dates spanning the globe on the band’s MySpace page. The following video captures The Old Days, as performed in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Park: