Upbeat, acoustic rhythms, mingled minor melodies, uncommon
lyrics. many voices, nostalgic irreverence, reflections from
the twilight of America.


9 MP3 Songs in this album (50:47) !
Related styles: Rock: Roots Rock, Folk: Folk-Jazz, Type: Lyrical

People who are interested in Pink Floyd The Decemberists Van Morrison should consider this download.


Details:
Cosmic roots ensemble Shiny Old Soul announces the release of their
first full length album âCash is Kingâ (Jan 2012) The core trio of Gregory
Morris (guitar/vocal,) Michael Sadoff (bass/vocal) & Katherine Monnig
(percussion) have been making music together for 7 years now, having
released their first full length album âHouses in the Skyâ under the name
The Gregory Morris Group (2005.) When original member Jay Ensminger
(piano, sax) left the band to start a family, a name change was in order
followed by a new recording. âCash is King,â originally meant to be a
quickie to sell on the streets of New Orleans, became a full fledged album
with the addition of harmony vocalists Laura Hughes & Lee Schmidt, whose
vocal tracks were added to a solid live foundation recorded in a barn in
College Hill under the auspices of the patient, if not slightly surly,
engineering prowess of Jeff Roberson (Murder Creek Assembly.)

These songs reflect a streetwise simplicity, as becoming of a French
Quarter sidewalk, and as such there is minimal ornamentation, favoring a
âwhat you see is what you getâ approach. That being said, great efforts
were made to capture the dynamics of this self-schooled group of friends
whose love of art eclipses their love of money. âWe donât do this because
we want to,â lyricist and lead vocalist Gregory Morris claims, âwe do this
because we have to. It is our medicine, and hopefully that medicine will
heal others as it does us.â With comparisons ranging from Van Morrison to
The Decembrists, Shiny Old Soul draws on their vintage roots while always
striving to tell their stories in a new and compelling way.

"While Shiny Old Soul is relatively new, the core trio of Gregory Morris (vocals, guitar), Katherine Monnig (percussion) and Michael Sadoff (bass) has been performing together for seven years, mostly as The Gregory Morris Group. While they changed the band name after the departure of original member Jay Ensminger, GMG fans will instantly fall in love with Shiny Old Soul.

Thatâs because one of GMGâs strongest assets â an almost telepathic, harmonious connection between the musicians that is so evident itâs palpable â carries over to the ânewâ crew. Shiny Old Soul makes a magical noise on Cash Is King, with a Folk/Rock base creating the river on which the sounds flow, natural and breezy. Itâs wildly organic and stream-of-conscious-esque (thanks partly to the unfussy, crisp production of Jeff Roberson), hypnotic yet consistently (at least in tone) upbeat and buoyant, with a celebratory sound that may be the result of the bandâs spiritual connection to New Orleans (where theyâve had adventures in busking in the past). They lay out the good vibes on their âtheme songâ (my designation, not theirs) âSOSâ with the line âEach of us possesses a shiny old soul.â (Oh, and the âcosmicâ part of the bandâs self-description becomes clear in lyrics like the ones from âShimmerâ and its trippy refrain âRooftop, boombox, U.F.O.,â as well as scattered pot and wine references.)

Driven by Morrisâ jazzy acoustic guitar wizardry, youâll hear elements of atypical folkies like Cat Stevens, Tim Buckley and Neil Young in the grooves, while the transcendent multi-part harmonies are the icing on the Cosmic Roots cake.

The communal spirit of Shiny Old Soulâs music is so infectious, you may end up asking if you can join the band and run away with their gypsy caravan by the end of their set Friday night. Just be sure you donât have an aversion to New Orleans." Mike Breen, CityBeat (Cincinnati)