“…a fine balance between pleasant country-tinged singer-songwriter fare and cosmic Americana.”
—Record Crates United
“Slips, Trips, & Falls” is a collection, sifted from the past few years of songs, that seems to hang together in some sort of way. An awful lot of them begin with the letter ’s’. This is not by design. In fact the design is generally tertiary behind vibe and pleasure (although those may be the same thing.)
The name comes from a night some time ago. A full and proper quorum sat vigil near the fire as the chiller did its business ripping heat from the wort in the tank in the back. Conversation rolled about and we told our tales, cataloging various collisions, incisions, and the vast array of decisions both wise and otherwise that had preceded the moment. My mind strayed often to the task of updating the record. The importance of a historical document is widely understood because, without such a thing we’d have nothing to look back upon, leaving one standing atop a pillar in the void. This, of course, is a fine condition for a few idle hours on the weekend but not an ideal fashion in which to be going forward through life. Keeping the document, tracking the steps, has fallen to me because I’m meticulous enough to remember to put pen to paper, besides which, I bought the paper. Though I’m not sure of the provenance of the pen. All I know is that the ink flows at need. So there we were, sitting near the fire and Taylor just drops this phrase and its meaning and I took to it, discarding the meaning and original purpose, seeing in it the various properties purposes and actions of this set of songs. Most any set, really, but, title in hand, this set formed up and made itself a whole.
The seven songs range from personal to political, fictional to factual, and some just settle right in between. Even the fiction has some fact about it and the realest of lines nestle into the most fantastic settings. A friend called me a story teller. I just think of myself as a songwriter; stories are just part of the thing.
“Wednesdays”, the first single (set for release in time for May Day), is a song for and about the working people and its arrangement is akin to the starting point for each of these songs. A little acoustic guitar & vocal. Maybe another guitar. Other songs asked for a bit more. I play a little rudimentary bass now. But when it came time for the real thing, longtime friend and collaborator Ben Taylor (ex- Bloodshot Records’ JC Brooks & Uptown Sound) ably took the call and delivered. Field recordings? Friend & neighbor, Will Thornton (Francis Thornton, Programmed Cell Death) had just the thing in his stash. On the closing track, "Ship of Dreams", I knew I needed more than I could deliver. The ambient country vibes of pedal steel player Howard Hughes Suite precisely matched the prescription.
Enjoy.
credits
released June 3, 2022
Produced by J.M. Hart at Sunken Road Studios, Fredericksburg, VA
Mixed & Mastered by Rob Dobson
Cover illustration by Shanski
Design by J.M. Hart & Sean Bonney
Layout by Sean Bonney
All vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, mountain dulcimer, banjo, programming, & recording by J.M. Hart except:
The Howard Hughes Suite - pedal steel (7)
Ben Taylor - bass (2, 4)
Will Thornton - Field Recording (1)
Thanks to:
Will Thornton for the loan of a bass guitar & use of his field recording.
Brian Mosley (Electric Catnip) for listening.
My family for their patience and support.
You could easily say, top alt-country of the day or some such thing, but that buries the lede. This is a songwriting record bolstered by beautiful and artful playing. And yes, pedal steel. J.M. Hart
One Eleven Heavy had plans for 2020 that got scrapped. Some of those plans were folded into Nick’s recorded-in-lockdown jammer that I keep going back to play. J.M. Hart
James Toth's writing has the ability to grab the ear, hold the mind, then turn the phrase exactly the way you would neither foresee nor argue against. An essential signpost in a substantial catalog J.M. Hart
supported by 20 fans who also own “Slips, Trips, & Falls”
Now to spin this and take flight.
As a former card carrying member of jamband scene this would have fit nicely back in the late 60's-70's and the late 90's-00's when improvisational jams were king.
This is going to take the scene into another direction with Garcia Peoples.
Vinyl Purchased 10/3/20.
Arrived 10/26/20. The Midnight Toker.
A vibrant vision of "Central Americana" from the Costa Rica-based artist, blending heartland devotionals with playful Tropicália grooves. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 27, 2022