MP3 Kim Simpson - Mystery Lights: Solo Guitar

Colorful and melodic solo acoustic guitar compositions.

12 MP3 Songs in this album (49:57) !
Related styles: FOLK: Fingerstyle, FOLK: Gentle

People who are interested in John Fahey Alex de Grassi Pierre Bensusan should consider this download.


Details:
Memorable and melodic, Mystery Lights is Austin, Texas-based singer/songwriter Kim Simpson's first instrumental acoustic guitar CD. The songs hearken back to the folk fingerstylists whose records Simpson had fallen in love with as a teenager (John Renbourne, Pierre Bensusan, John Fahey, Chris Proctor, Alex De Grassi), and originate from as far back as 1985 and as recent as 2008. Gathering up and recording these pieces has given Simpson, as he puts it, "a certain peace of mind that I hope carries over to listeners."

Simpson grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he developed a strong following as a solo performer. Shortly after moving to Austin, Texas in the early '90s, Simpson was referred to in Music City Texas (now 3rd Coast Music) as "one of the very best of the younger generation of singer-songwriters." Starting in the late '90s, Simpson took an extended break from music to finish his Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Texas.

In 2006, Simpson dove back into music, recording the debut album of a hypothetical rock group (The Mad Dukes Sing and Play for You) by himself, after which he assembled a lineup for live appearances. The album received nationwide airplay on independent radio, with the single "Looking for That Girl" reaching no. 1 on the LA-based New Music Weekly "Hot AC" chart. The "group" was named the "AC New Group of 2006" by the publication, and The Mad Dukes Sing and Play for You was listed by the Austin Chronicle as one of the year's notable local releases.

Mystery Lights is Simpson's fifth full-length release, and tenth overall if you count the EPs, most of which he's made available on his website. A dedicated follower of the muse, with all of the zig-zagging that can sometimes entail, there's no telling what's up next in the Kim Simpson discography, although word has it that he's working on a "solo guitar tribute to Goffin and King."

Simpson currently hosts "The Folk Bazaar," a radio program on Austin's KOOP (91.7 FM), and he's also finishing up a book about commercial radio in the 1970s.

Previous accolades:

"Impeccable." âAustin Chronicle

"Kim Simpson is not just promising, he's already there ... Terrific acoustic guitar picking and a light, smooth voice ...One of the very best of the younger generation of singer-songwriters." âMusic City Texas

"Infectiously melodic." âNPR

"High intensity acoustic guitar playing and brooding vocals ... Simpson achieves his own unique blend of poetry and power." âDirty Linen