Contest: Roman Candle Tickets Giveaway

Roman Candle: "New York This Morning"
"Winterlight"
(from The Wee Hours Revue 2006. Buy/download.)

Well, another week of ridiculous busyness, and consequently, little time for blog business. But there is this:

You may recall my enthusiasm when Roman Candle's Wee Hours Revue was released earlier this year. Apart from the saga of its convoluted route to finding daylight, it was a compelling collection of heart-felt, rootsy rock songs. It's been nice to see the group get applause from other quarterssince then. (And thanks to that Pitchfork review for highlighting the soul influences on the album, which I sensed but for whatever reason didn't put my finger on.) The whole album has worn well for me -- it just fits so nicely, it's pretty much the musical equivalent of an old, comfortable flannel shirt. "New York This Morning" is one of the songs that always sticks out to me when I listen to it. It's one of the more overtly country/roots influenced songs, so in one sense not entirely representative, but the evocative lyrics and the warmth of Skip Matheny's voice bring it to the forefront for me. "Winterlight" is perhaps more typical -- full band, Logan Matheny's shuffling drums, a bit of harmonica thrown in.

They've been all over the place in the past month, but are back in North Carolina at the Cat's Cradle next Wednesday (11/8). I've got two passes to the show to give away, so drop me a line (oakroom @ gmail . com) by Monday (11/6) if you're interested. Your chances are doubled if you attach a picture of your Halloween costume.

Also on the bill for this show are Chicago's The Changes and Ireland-via-LA's La Rocca. I don't know much about either one, but a quick listen suggests that they'll fit fine alongside Roman Candle. But the hometown kids are the stars of the show. See you there!