Beloved –
“Summer’s almost gone. Where will we be when summer’s gone?”
Today is Bandcamp Friday, when the artist’s get all the money!
OK – Tom Dyer – Irish Tour 2024. After a Tom Dyer album-free 2023, it is time for the latest chunk, slab and what not.
As previously reported, on March 9, 2024 I went to Ireland with my brother Bruce and his daughter Rosie. On the 23rd, I returned home at midnight. I woke up at 5AM and fourteen songs about our trip flew out of my brain in one hour. I fleshed them out over the next week or so and recorded twelve of them over the ensuing five months.
These travelog stories range in style from what some would consider traditional(ish) Irish music to hearty electic rock. They were recorded with help from a variety of mostly Olympia friends. This album, my 22nd, continues my streak of “neo-journalism” and, as was recently pointed out to me, is my second album in a row about a particular geographic location.
I did not sequence the songs to match the order of our travels, I have ordered them in a manner I found musically pleasing. If you wish to understand the day-to-day sequence of our travels, the final song, “I Went To Ireland, summarizes them in chronological order.
These first-person stories are all fundamentally true.
Synopsis:
1. Bogman – Long dead bog people on display at the Irish National Museum was one of the stranger things we saw. Nobody seemed to think it was as weird as I did. Guitar spankin’.
2. Half Irish/Half Tiger (Back When I Was Irish) – Written in the same morning explosion as the rest, but not about the trip. It is a pre-trip history of my Irishness, both real and imagined.
3. Driving On The Wrong Side Of The Road – A brief narration of our road experience. There were no casualties and our rental Volvo was returned without damage.
4. Dan Lafferty – An encounter with an old friend in Galway takes a surprising turn at the Crane Bar where we encounter the majesty that is Mr. Ammon.
5. The Cliffs Of Ireland – So much beauty!
6. Have Ya Got It In Ya? – My brother Bruce’s chest is laid bare by a stranger in a search for his Irish essence.
7. St. Patrick’s Day In Galway – Let the snakes begone – this is the day of the people!
8. Newgrange – Somber, with an annual ray of light.
9. She Was Getting Married – Makes you proud to be an American!
10. The Best Damn Record Store In Ireland – My album will be available at the Dingle Record Shop, filed next to the likes of The Pogues and U2.
11. Michael Quirke – A mystical and convoluted tale, filled with truth, beauty and blarney.
12. I Went To Ireland – A strict chronology with a 4/4 beat.
Produced by Tom Dyer
I thank all these wonderful musicians who helped make this record happen!
Julie Bennett: Bodhran & Percussion
David Caroll: Bass, Joe Cason: Keyboards
Steve Cifka: Cello, Nancy Curtis: Irish flute
Amy Denio: Accordion, Eros Faulk, Joshua Grice: Fiddle
Jeff Parkhurst, Michael Stein: Drums
Lisa Ceazan, Bill Lucas, Sheri Nordling,
Michael Stein, Steve Trettevik: Backing vocal
Tom Dyer: Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Recorded by Tom in Olympia, WA, April – August 2024
All songs by Tom Dyer ⓟ 2024 Half The World Publishing
EPK: https://greenmonkeyrecords.com/artist-tom-dyer/
Bandcamp: https://tomdyer.bandcamp.com/album/irish-tour-2024
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Tom-Dyers-Unpopular-Music-479699182040939/
Jim of Seattle
Jim of Seattle’s Carkeek Park Suite is here, on Bandcamp as well as the usual streaming services.
This is first for GMR, music for full orchestra and two pianos, all created by the uber-talented Jim Owen (Jim of Seattle). This is a 12-movement tribute to Jim’s selection for Seattle’s arguably greatest city park. Jim: I really tried to make it sound like being there, and there are parts where I scored an actual specific spot. This is my first release since 2016 (omg) and I really busted my brains out to make it great. It is played by my own personal synthetic orchestra, though I hope to get a real live orchestra to perform it someday. TD: perhaps when the Seattle Symphony finally gets a new director, s/he can take this on – for the people!
For now just put it on your earbuds and go for a stroll in Carkeek. Jim did and a giant tree branch fell, landing a mere three feet from him. He took it home as a memento. Hopefully your stroll will be a bit more serene.
As previously noted, Carkeek Park Suite will be featured as the cover story in Northwest Seattle Living magazine in this month, and it will also be available free one track a month (with videos) via snail mail postcard through the Jim-of-Seattle-of-the-Month Club. (Send Jim your mailing address at jimofseattle@outlook.com.) We are still working on presenting the recording to the public in one of Seattle’s City Parks and will update you when we have more.
If you are new to Green Monkey, I highly recommend listening to Jim’s delightfully timeless first two albums!
From 2016: Both The Planet Frank and The Chet Lambert Show
https://jimofseattle.bandcamp.com/album/both-the-planet-frank-and-the-chet-lambert-show
From 2013: We Are All Famous
https://jimofseattle.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-all-famous
Last weekend I recorded a single with Kaz Murphy, which we will release shortly. I last recorded Kaz as a member of Mad Mad Nomad in 1990 and put it on Green Monkey, when we released their “Keeper of the Cage” single. My audio students from that era at the Art Institute of Seattle who used the remix that 24 track tape will remember it well. Yum-dum-didy-di!
The Green Pajamas – on track. I am currently mastering the historic gems and shining them up to a polished luster.
The Capping Day Anthology “Who Does Anyway?” on track for October or November release!
Richard Peterson’s “Christmas Album” is roaring to the finish line. Howie has taken the beautiful cover photo with RP. The CDs will hit the stores in November in plenty of time for your Christmas shopping! We are working on a December release concert for Richard – news to follow!
Capeesh?
td