On death & dying, and new Rocky Votolato :: Postcard From Kentucky

Yesterday I found a little dead bunny rabbit in my basement. Nope, he definitely wasn't just sleeping as I had first hoped. I have no idea how he got in, but (shudder re: picking up dead animals).

It was a portent for the similarly troubling death yesterday of the screen on my laptop that houses all my everything. The computer works fine, just can't see anything, and it's cramping my style. I am waiting for an assessment from our resident teenager ubergeek neighbor friend to let me know the damage. Hopefully (for both our sakes) it will be functional again soon. I'm getting withdrawal shakes.

But I'm pleased in the interim to offer you an exclusive new listen of the first track off the new Rocky Votolato CD from Barsuk, due out June 19th. The album (Rocky's 5th full-length) is called The Brag & Cuss, and this cut is truly lovely and bittersweet, with a night-driving-by-the-glow-of-the- dashboard-lights feel.

Postcard From Kentucky - Rocky Votolato

From the press release: "Most of the record was played by a full band, featuring James McAllister (Sufjan Stevens) on drums, Bill Herzog (Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter) on bass, Casey Foubert (Pedro the Lion) on electric guitar, banjo, mandolin and percussion, and Rick Steff (Cat Power, Hank Williams Jr.) on keyboards and accordion." Good stuff.

Also, here is a video I shot last month when Votolato swung through town. This is another new song of his called "Lilly White." There's one loud and disarming fuzzy bit in the audio at the beginning, but then it should be pretty decent and you can get more of a feel of the new album sound. I like this direction.