It's been a frantic couple of weeks behind the scenes here at Gilded Towers. From the list below, you'll see that a lot more shows have been confirmed. This is a tidy little lot to take us through to November...

PHOSPHORESCENT was fantastic the other week - looking forward to bringing you some of the recording of that show on the Gilded Palace radio show (thanks to Simple Folk). Next up is the jaw-dropping AUSTIN LUCAS (literally everyone I've played him to has flipped!) in June.

We've finally found a home for FARMER JASON (that'll get the kids of your back), and we're delighted to introduce you to some old favourites (JASON RINGENBERG, WILLY VLAUTIN and DINOSAUR JR.) as well as some names that may be new to you (WATER TOWER BUCKET BOYS, WUSSY - anyone remember ASS PONYS? - and CARRIE ELKIN). All, of course, come with the Gilded Palace seal of approval, which means it's all quality stuff.

Read on for more info - or join the mailing list (see below) to be in on the scoop. Thank you, as always, for your support.

Scorcher Shane

AUSTIN LUCAS/MIKE HALE (Gunmoll)/JOSH SMALL
SAT. 20th JUNE, 7.30pm
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St,
A co-promotion with Punker Bunker
(http://www.myspace.com/austinlucas1)

Tickets £6 advance on sale NOW from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/49719

Austin Lucas was - for me - the 'find' of 2008. I first became aware of his music through his involvement in the Bristle Ridge album, a collaboration between him and CHUCK RAGAN (formerly of HOT WATER MUSIC). His voice is one of the most compelling I have ever heard: imagine the vaulting, impassioned phrasing of RICHARD BUCKNER coupled with the tenderness and heartbreak of DAMIEN JURADO (themselves two of the finest singers).

He matches them both for songwriting chops too: after hearing Bristle Ridge, I set out to find everything else I could (even visiting a tiny vinyl specialist in Berlin for a limited release 10-inch EP!). The effort has been rewarded every time.

It was little sup rise, then, when the excellent SUBURBAN HOME (TWO COW GARAGE, DRAG THE RIVER, NINJA GUN) label also fell under Austin Lucas' spell and signed him up for his most recent release, Somebody Loves You. This is far and away his most accomplished record to date: Austin backed up by a fine set of bluegrass and old-time musicians (many of whom happen to be his family - his dad, Bob, once played with Alison Krauss!). Despite such heritage, Austin Lucas has also done time playing in punk bands, but he's far too good to be wasted on them (to be fair, from what I'm reading - for every one of them who derides him for making 'cissy' music, there's plenty more who are open-minded enough to embrace him and his music. Lyrically, he's astonishing too: listen to Sun Or Snow (currently our Myspace song) and tell me it's not the equal of anything Jurado has done - like many of his finest moments I can hardly listen to it without getting a lump in my throat.

I have a nagging fear that Austin Lucas may go un-noticed on this trip by many in the 'Americana camp'. the few that do get him will undoubtedly be obsessively badgering their friends not to miss him next time - talking of obsession, have a butchers at this review penned by our good friend, Del Day from Songs From The Ark after I gave him the Somebody Loves You album. Fair to say he's lost it - and with good reason... we've managed to get him to agree to take the pills, as long as we let him DJ on the 20th. http://www.netrhythms.co.uk/reviewsl.html#austin

Speaking of Suburban Home, Mike Hale and Josh Small make this a triple bill from that excellent label.

http://www.myspace.com/austinlucas1
http://www.myspace.com/mikehalemusic
(Read Mike's blog about why he's offering his excellent new record for free!)
http://www.myspace.com/joshsmall
http://www.suburbanhomerecords.com

WILLY VLAUTIN (RICHMOND FONTAINE - solo)
SATURDAY 18th JULY: Doors 8:00pm
THE BASEMENT, KENSINGTON ST., BRIGHTON
A co-promotion with ARK PR

Tickets £9 advance on sale NOW from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/52103
(Willy’s performance will finish in time for people to catch the last train to London)

Not as if I needed a reason to pack this weekend with another show, but if there’s a better way to avoid having to blow out all those candles on my own, I’d like to see it: Jason Ringenberg on the Sunday, Willy Vlautin on the Saturday! Yes! Willy Vlautin’s ONLY solo UK performance of 2009, and we’ve got it! That’s what they call EXCLUSIVE!

(Note: The Basement may be a 'new' venue for many of you. It is located in the North Laines area of Brighton - and is only a short walk from Brighton train station. Kensington Street is the continuation of Sydney Street, and runs parallel to Kensington Gardens (that's the pedestrianised street with Resident Records on it). You’ll find the venue about half way down - opposite that awesome graffiti of James Brown

http://www.richmondfontaine.com
http://www.willyvlautin.com
http://www.myspace.com/richmondfontaine

Watch:
Ode To A Toad
(on Myspace Vids)

FARMER JASON (kids' show)(http://www.farmerjason.com/)
SUNDAY 19th JULY - Doors: 3pm until 5pm
ST, JOSEPH’S HALL, MILTON ROAD (in Hanover, at the bottom of Elm Grove) BN2 9TQ

Tickets are on sale NOW at £4 each from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/52128

Even if you’re not a parent, if you have nieces, nephews, grandchildren or (even) younger brothers and sisters, you’ll have a great time at this show. I’d say the ideal target age group is 3 to 7 years of age (maybe a not-so-cynical 8 year-old might get it): it’s good clean fun, great songs about fun characters, which the audience is invited to join in and sing and dance to. Anyone who’s seen the show before will tell you the fun to be had joining in on the chorus of The Tractor Goes Chug-Chug-Chug (“his name is John…” since you ask - and guess what you all shout in response?) or wagging your tail and flapping your ears to The Doggy Dance. I can’t wait to see what Jason has in store for us with the Punk Rock Skunk (surely the best way to introduce nippers to The Ramones?).

And if you’re thinking, "Nah, I hate kids’ music”, think again: this is quality stuff (you’ll find the music to at least one Farmer Jason tune reworked for a Jason Ringenberg album – shhh, don’t tell the kids they’re the same person!) and earlier this year, Jason was presented with an Emmy Award for the videos he and Nashville Public TV had made to accompany some of the songs. An Emmy?! We’ll need to get him a bigger dressing room!

(As usual with this show, we’ve tried to keep the ticket price as low as possible. All children will need to be accompanied by an adult, and we’d prefer it if adults attending also brought kids with them: either way, everyone attending will need a ticket (unless of course they’re too young to know what’s going on… use your judgment, we’ll use ours).


JASON RINGENBERG plus support
(http://www.jasonringenberg.com/)
SUNDAY 19th JULY: Doors 8:00pm
THE PRINCE ALBERT, TRAFALGAR ST.
Tickets are on sale NOW at £7 each in advance from Rounder, Resident, Punker Bunker and online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/51980

Leader of Jason & The Scorchers, Jason Ringenberg has a celebrated solo career spanning the past ten years or so. If he were only the same barn-storming cowpunk that leads that band, it would be enough to commend his solo show to you, but he is so much more. His songwriting encompasses everything including the injustices of American history, railing against its current figureheads, the fight against mountain-top removal (look it up), and - of course - Honky Tonk Maniacs from Mars. He can be heavy, but he isn’t po-faced. Heck, he’s even been known to regale the ‘grown-up’ audience with a song or two from the Farmer Jason catalogue. See, I told you the Tractor song was fun!

WUSSY (Ass Ponys)
Monday 21st September, 8:00pm
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St
Tickets on sale soon...

http://www.myspace.com/wussy
http://www.assponys.net (because you need to hear this too!)

EILEN JEWELL
Tuesday 6th October
Venue tbc
Tickets on sale soon...

http://www.eilenjewell.com
http://www.myspace.com/eilenjewell

OLD MAN LUEDECKE
Wednesday 28th October
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St
Tickets on sale soon...

http://www.myspace.com/oldmanluedecke

CARRIE ELKIN & DANNY SCHMIDT
Thursday 26th November (Thanksgiving Day!)
Prince Albert, Trafalgar St,
Tickets on sale soon...

http://www.myspace.com/dannyschmidt
http://www.myspace.com/carrieelkin