From the Land of LaMontagne Meet Jason Spooner

Inspired by a trip to a world-renowned music store, Portland, Maine native Jason Spooner decided to leave the comfort zone of his acoustic guitar and plug in for his third album Sea Monster.

Along with the dynamic rhythm section that rounds out his trio, Spooner's quest for sonic adventure takes listeners on a tour of folk, blues, jazz and New Orleans soul, without sounding sloppy.

This Friday at 920am, we take Morning Sessions out of the WTMD studios and into the house of a WTMD friend and supporter, where you'll meet the Jason Spooner Trio. I think you'll like them, so join us!

Reverb and Hemmingway Inspire Matt Costa's Chateau

Matt Costa's third album Mobile Chateau shimmies with British Invasion-era reverb and ponders in minor key English folk.

It's a marked departure for the nearly pro skateboarder who found artistic inspiration for the title of his third album in a place known to stir a creative juice or two.

"My wife and I were staying in a chateau four hours outside of Paris," Costa said. "We were just walking around and she was finding things on the ground and literally made a mobile inside the chateau. Then it kind of took on A Moveable Feast idea. I also felt like all the people in the creating of this record felt like a small piece of how Hemingway might have felt in Paris at that time in having all these creative people around."

Friday, on Morning Sessions, this week from NP Recording Studios in Towson, we bring you Matt and the creative forces who make up his band. They played a decadently pshycadelic set in front of some of our frontmen and women. Hear the results at 920.

Heeeeeeeere's Jenny and Johnny!

Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis and her folk singer boyfriend Jonathan Rice forged their creative partnership during sessions for Jenny's solo disc Acid Tongue and contributions to Elvis Costello's Momofuku.

And it's serendipitous that Declan McManus has our CD of the Week.  His understudies of sweet melancholy Jenny and Johnny play this week's Morning Sessions Friday at 920am.

The, sometimes, biting songwriting, set against sun-kissed indie pop melodies on their debut I'm Having Fun Now offers the kind-of intriguing contradictions that often define relationships themselves.  Though their voices blend, beautifully, it almost seems like they're arguing.

"On the song 'Scissor Runner,' there's a line that Jenny sings" Rice says. "'I'll forgive you, if I outlive you.' And somebody said to me recently, 'I'm going to get that tattooed on my arm.' Another person said, 'Oh, that line makes me cry.' And this other person said...."

"What a couplet!" Lewis adds.

"That's a withering couplet you got there!" Rice says.

Sounds like THAT would make for nice matching tats!

Kim Richey's Wheels Touch Down at TMD

The first time I heard “I’m Alright” by Kim Richey, the line, “Still shaky from the landing” entered my sub-conscious and I think of it now when I get off a plane.

The Zanesville, Ohio native probably experienced a turbulent flight or two commuting from her new home in London to Nashville, where she recorded another example of her exquisite penmanship, Wreck You Wheels.

She worked with in-demand producer Neilson Hubbard and co-wrote all the songs, something that she’s adept at doing.

“I love collaborating! When you find someone you really connect with, there’s nothing better,” she says. “A lot of my friends I met through writing songs like Chuck Prophet. When you write a song with somebody, you think of things you might not have otherwise. (But) when it’s not working, it’s like a bad blind date!”

Richey has a Midas touch for detail in her songs. But, her subtly works on other levels too.
“I love the space,” she says. “A lot of times people forget that it’s just as important as what you put in, the things you leave out. It’s like cooking. Sometimes when you first get into it, you want to put every good ingredient that you have into one thing. But, some of the dishes that are the best are the really simple ones.”

Tune in at 920am this Friday for a showcase in songwriting from Kim Richey on this weeks’ Morning Sessions.

Fitz and the Tantrums on Morning Sessions

Tune in at 9:20 a.m. Friday as Fitz and the Tantrums bring their dapper funk and soul to Morning Sessions. The Los Angeles-based band built its sound around keyboard and saxophone.

"The concept at the beginning was to make a big record, a wall of sound, an homage to Phil Spector, but to do it without guitars," Fitz says. They also did it without a budget, recording their debut album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, in Fitz' living room.

"We didn’t have any money and we just had a credo of trying to let the room be a part of the sound of the record," he says. The result is a DIY-approach to blue-eyed soul that will start your weekend off right.

Jesse Malin on Morning Sessions

Jesse Malin is a thirty-year veteran of the New York music scene. He performed with Heart Attack in the 1980's and D Generation in the '90s before setting out on a successful solo career. But in the midst of the recent economic recession, he had second thoughts about his career path. 

“I ended up in a spot where I was living on my sister’s couch. And then I found myself back down on the Bowery area, where I grew up playing CBGB’s. I was just busted broke, lost and I felt like it maybe was time to try something else,"he says. "I tried dj’ing weddings. I tried working on a couple of films. I tried some standup comedy and spoken word. Eventually, I got asked to write some songs for a film on J.D. Salinger and . . . realized that this is what I do."

A rejuvenated Malin returned to the studio and teamed up with producer Ted Hutt (Lucero, The Gaslight Anthem) to record a fast, loose and raw record. Tune in at 9:20 a.m. Friday as Jesse Malin and The St. Marks Social showcase their literate, weathered Big Apple punk with songs from the new album Love It To Life. 

Big Head Todd, sans Monsters, on Morning Sessions

With more than two decades on the music scene Big Head Todd and the Monsters have developed a loyal following based on building relationships with fans. "The more albums that we put out, the more songs people connect with, " says frontman Todd Park Mohr. "We do cruises, we sign autographs after shows. We do a lot of things that acknowledge that relationship and look people in the eye and say, 'howdy.'"

Tune in at 9:20 a.m. Friday for Morning Sessions as Mohr introduces you to a batch of new songs from the band's ninth album, Rocksteady. The solo performance strips down an album that exudes a Caribbean and R & B vibe. "We started out going into the studio with over thirty songs, and we decided somewhere in the middle decided we need to split these out into a couple of different records," Mohr says. "We've never really done a focused record--we've been kind of an eclectic group. So, it was really fun for us."

Big Head Todd and the Monsters perform at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, September 23rd.

Baltimore Homecoming on Morning Sessions

Tune in to Morning Sessions at 9 a.m. Friday as veterans of the Baltimore music scene, Abby Mott
 and Kristen Toedtman, return to trade songs and swap stories about their musical adventures. The two singer-songwriters met ten years ago and performed together in The Baltimore Afrobeat Society collective. These days they're often separated by the Pacific Ocean, pursuing solo careers.

Mott is currently based in the Philippines, focusing on music while freelancing as a graphic designer. "It was an opportunity I could not say ‘no’ to," she says. "I’d love to stay in Southeast Asia, but who knows?" Her forthcoming album, Mutiny, is full of seafaring tales inspired by her time overseas. 

Meanwhile Toedtman has stayed stateside, establishing herself as a fixture on both the classical and indie music scenes in Los Angeles. "I joined the Los Angeles master chorale. Literally two nights ago I was at the Hollywood Bowl . . . singing for Carmen with the L.A. Philharmonic," she says. "I keep really busy there singing classically. My classical life basically funds my popular life!" Toedtman is currently touring in support of her new full-length album The Fall.

Abby Mott and Kristen Toedtman perform at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson on Saturday, August 7th.

The Villains Take Over Morning Sessions

As we count down to next week's First Thursday Concert in West Mount Vernon Park, The Villains bring their country-fried rock to Morning Sessions at 9:20 a.m. Friday. The Atlanta-based band is touring in support of their debut album Just Another Saturday Night--and destroying preconceptions with each set.


"When the record first came out a lot of reviewers were fooled, thinking this would be a punk act, or a metal act," says bassist Dan Call. "But we like the fact that there’s something a little dangerous; great songs and great bands, there’s always a hint of that and the name fits us."
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Rogue Wave's Incredible Story on Morning Sessions

Rogue Wave drummer Pat Spurgeon counts his blessings because of someone's decision to become an organ donor. Born with one failing kidney, Spurgeon's quest for a suitable match ended 13 years ago when he underwent his first kidney transplant. When that organ began to fail, however, it looked like it might have been the end for a musician who was just starting to hit his stride--and for a band that was poised for success.

Undeterred by the difficulties and risks associated with the process, Spurgeon made the decision to perform self-dialysis on the road. Meanwhile, Spurgeon's friend Jim Granato chronicled the mechanics of self-dialysis, the search for a new kidney, and the support system created by family and bands such as Death Cab for Cutie and Nada Surf that helped to raise money for health care costs.

Granato's resulting documentary, D tour, is a must-see rock doc--regardless of your position on organ donation. And Pat Spurgeon's personal story is a must-hear interview on Morning Sessions at 9:20 a.m. Friday.
Rogue Wave performs at the Ottobar on Thursday, July 29.

Rogue Wave on Morning Sessions, Part 1

Over the past thirty years, Kool and the Gang’s "Celebration" has commemorated countless sports victories--and inspired at least one indie rocker. After an injury kept guitarist/vocalist Zach Rogue bedridden for months, he picked up his Sears Silvertone guitar and recalled some sunny, summer days at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.


"I went back to my happiest moment and I remembered when I was a little boy and I’d see the Oakland A's play," he says. "When they won, at the end of the game, they’d play 'Celebration' and it was the best feeling! Everyone was celebrating and cheering and life was that simple and happy. I felt excited again, in a way I haven’t in a long time. I wanted to write a song that made me feel like that."


The resulting song, the title track to Rogue Wave's Brushfire Records release Permalight, is a joyful affair. With its programmed dance beats and keyboard blips, the band sounds like they're in a happy place, even though they laid down tracks in the home of the blues Oxford, Mississippi--and you couldn't fault them for feeling blue.

During the past few years, the band has endured two career-threatening medical crises and the death of a close friend. It's one of the most moving and triumphant stories you'll hear in rock and roll. And it's documented in the award-winning film D-Tour, which aired recently on PBS.

In fact, their story is so big, that Erik is taking two Morning Sessions to share it. Tune in at 9:20 a.m. Friday for Zach Rogue's personal story. 

Rogue Wave performs at The Ottobar on Thursday, July 29th.

Good Old War Returns to Morning Sessions

In a summer full of great acoustic music, Good Old War's "My Own Sinking Ship" stands out. Although the band has been described as Americana, their sound is closer to the folk rock of Crosby Stills and Nash. Like CSN, the band's three-part harmony forms the nucleus of the music. And their upbeat arrangements wrap around the vocals, creating a very laidback listening experience.


Good Old War formed from the ashes of the progressive emo outfit Days Away. Guitarists Tim Arnold and Keith Goodwin hooked up with Dan Schwartz of Unlikely Cowboy and released their debut album in 2008. The band's self-titled sophomore release marks a turning point for the band according to Schwartz.


"When we were making our first record, we were about six months old as a band and we were escaping a lot of situations that we were in musically," he said. "That one was an experiment and we found out what we sounded like. And this one, we felt like we had become a band; that we knew who we were and we wanted to represent that."


The band has toured with The Gaslight Anthem and is currently on the road with Brandi Carlile. Tune in a 9 a.m. Friday as Good Old War drops by the WTMD studios for Morning Sessions.

Truth and Salvage Co. Bring Heavenly Harmonies to Morning Sessions

Truth and Salvage Co.'s "Call Back" is an irresistible part of our summer soundtrack, featuring soaring harmonies from the band's four principal songwriters. The six-piece collective honed its Americana sound during late-night jam sessions at the famous L.A. folk club Hotel Café and caught the attention of The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson.

Last year Robinson produced the band's self-titled debut for his Silver Arrow label. "He was great at picking out how to phrase things," says vocalist/guitarist Tim Jones. "Losing one syllable or one word out of a line can change the whole way you can sing it."


Tune in at 9 a.m. Friday as Jones and his bandmates visit WTMD for an in-studio performance and interview on on Morning Sessions.

Julian Velard Does It Alone

First Thursday alum Julian Velard returns to WTMD for a special in-studio performance on Morning Sessions at 9 a.m. Friday.  

Velard's piano pop single "Do It Alone" celebrates the freedom of getting out of a failed romance. But it can also be read as his musical mantra.

"If I were to describe my music to anybody, it's kind of like a birthday party for one," he says. "I'm like that sad kid in the corner with his birthday hat and his cake; he's having a good time, but he's lonely!"

Last year Velard ducked out of the major label party early, leaving EMI without releasing an album. His independent "major label" debut, The Planeteer, arrived a few months later on his own terms.

The album's self-effacing piano pop garnered a CD of the Week feature earlier this year--and proved that Velard can certainly do it alone. Brass sections add a bit of showy flair to some tracks. And a a toe-tapping rhythm invokes the pizzazz of contemporaries, such as Jamie Cullum or Harry Connick Jr., while adding a New York state of mind. 


Julian Velard opens for Marc Broussard at Rams Head Tavern on June 16 and 17.

The Mighty Mighty Duke Spirit

Just got finished talking with Leila Moss of The Duke Spirit- they're playing the Ottobar tonight and they were kind enough to let us plug into their sound check for this Friday's Morning Sessions.

Their second album Neptune brings the melancholy and wetness of London (water is a recurring theme) to the Mojave Desert, where they layed down tracks. It's a thrilling paradox!

But, despite some subtle touches on some of the more ballady numbers- on "Wooden Heart," you can almost hear the dew glistening off guitar strings- Leila, Ollie, Luke, Dan, and Toby tear it up with their mystical, meaty rock. Leila Moss could have stood in for the Doors or the Cult, the way she lays it out- with her sensual "ooohs" and that commanding tambourine (have you ever heard of someone commanding a tambourine?) doesn't hurt either.

I wish you could have heard them sound checking, but you still can Friday at 9am!

Check out the brass on "Lassoo."

WTMD and Ryan Shaw Rock the Small Screen

Have a look inside the TMD studios! Ryan Shaw just posted part of his recent Morning Sessions performance on YouTube. Enjoy!