Rosewood Thieves :: Rise & Shine

Although I've been a fan of the rootsy folk-rock throwback sounds of New York's Rosewood Thieves for some time now, I've been completely remiss in mentioning their new LP Rise & Shine until I was reminded of it just now while pondering my schedule for the Monolith Festival this weekend.

Released back in May, their first full-length album touches on the same well-crafted, rollicking pop songs hazed with a golden psychedelica that made me love their EPs in the first place. Rosewood Thieves were previously signed to V2 Records, but that didn't fare so well for them when the label folded. They are currently unsigned and bursting with talent.

Of the trippy album art, they write:

Rummaging around a used book store, Erick found a copy of Psychedelic Art by Robert E.L. Masters and Jean Houston and bought it specially because of the cover. On it was the painting All Things Are One Thing, 1967 by Isaac Abrams, and he decided that it had to be the cover for their album. "I researched him and found out that he was a part of the New York City acid tests in the 60's and now lived in Woodstock," says Erick. They called him up and found him to be very kind, and when they sent him mixes of the record, he agreed to let them use his painting on the cover.

"It fit well with the title of the album," says Erick, "Most of the songs came from dreams and nightmares, so we wanted the title to be about waking up."

Silver Gun - Rosewood Thieves [from Rise & Shine]
(bang bang bang, yeah!)

After missing them at the great little 3 Kings Tavern in Denver in May, I'm looking forward to seeing them this weekend. If you're in for the fest (and can weather one more trip down the billion stairs) they are playing 2pm Sunday on the main stage.