If It's Too Loud...

After what felt like a long absence, Willy Mason came back this year and has a third release scheduled for this year! The first single off his upcoming EP is "She Did It." This seems to be the year Mason is branching out into different directions, and while "She Did It" has a basis in the folk with hints of rock and pop that we connect to Mason, it's not quite what we'd come to expect from him. It features some hints of jazz and indie rock throughout the song. As soon as the guitar kicks in to start the song, you'll notice that this song straight up grooves. Mason has long been a favorite of ours, and he'll continue to be as he expands on his sound. In an email to fans, Willy Mason explains the inspiration behind his new song: "She did It was inspired by Therese Okoumou when she climbed the statue of liberty in protest of the brutal, unjust, and self-defeating immigration policies of the united states. In thinking about this public act of braver...

Photo via Facebook Lexie Roth is the daughter of guitarist Arlen Roth, who has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, James Taylor, and Simon and Garfunkel. She's also an actor and has appeared in Ghostbusters, Joy, Chappaquiddick, and Professor Marsden & the Wonder Women. Turns out she's also a great musician. Her latest single, "Western Skies," features her father on slide guitar and fellow Martha's Vineyard resident Willy Mason. (Mason comes in at the end for a verse and to harmonize a bit.) Like me, you may come for her famous guests, but you're going to stay for Lexie. "Western Skies" is a modern Americana song that skirts the borders of country and folk. Slide guitar is always going to sound country, and Roth's vocals have just the slightest twang, which is where the country comes from. Aside from that, it's a wonderfully epic modern folk-ish song. While there are some pop elements here, this is definitely not a pop song. Instead, t...

Photo via Facebook Back in March we were surprised by Willy Mason's new single as it moved away from his singer/songwriter folk sound into an almost electronic rock sound. With his latest, "Oh My Country," he's mostly back to his more standard sound. It's folk-ish, but with a little more noise behind it. Noise might not be the correct term here. "Oh My Country" has this haunting sense of foreboding creeping beneath it nearly the entire length of the song. There are song electronic sounding whirls and backing vocals that make the song cinematic. It's a slow song, but it's intense. You can listen to "Oh My Country" below. Already Dead  is out August 6. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here . For more on Willy Mason, check out the artist's Facebook .

While Willy Mason usually releases folk based songs, you never quite know what you're going to get with new music from the Martha's Vineyard based musician. His latest single, "Youth on a Spit," shows a complete move away from folk towards an almost electronic rock based sound. It's noisy and groovy and has a very cut and paste feel. Sometimes it's almost cinematic, sometimes it sounds like a dance cut, and others like a weirdo 90's rock song. The obvious comparison here is late 90's Beck. It's a change in sound that might repel some old school fans, but more adventurous admirers of Willy Mason are going to find a lot to love here. You can watch the video for "Youth on a Spit" below. Already Dead is due out August 6. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Willy Mason, check out the artist's Facebook .

It's been years since we've had new music from Martha's Vineyard's Willy Mason. He's finally back with a new single, "Take It Off." "Take It Off" represents a gigantic departure in style for Mason. He's always been more of a folk troubadour with some very slight forays into indie rock sprinkled in his songs. "Take It Off" is an alt-rocker with blistering guitars. It still has those laid back troubadour vocals, but Willy Mason's voice is his voice. When the first electric guitar squall kicks in around second twenty, you know you're in for something different. It will be interesting to see if this is a new direction for Mason or just a brief dabble in a new sound. You can listen to "Take It Off" below. The song is currently available as a free download on Willy Mason's Bandcamp . For more on Willy Mason, check out his website . Take It Off by Willy Mason

Ever since last July when I saw Evan Dando join Willy Mason for my last show at TT the Bear's , I've been waiting for a more formal collaboration. The pair has joined with Marciana Jones to form TSP, which stands for The Sandwich Police (either a reference to the meme or the fact that the band is based on Martha's Vineyard, part of the Cape and Islands). TSP have their debut release due out this Friday, and you can listen to the first song, "Splinters," now. "Splinters" leans much more heavily to the folk side of things. Dando has always been at his best with collaborators, and this group might have injected him with the shot of creativity he's been needing. No one truly takes lead vocals with harmonizing throughout. It's exactly what you'll want from Martha's Vineyard's very own indie folk supergroup. TSP's debut EP will be available digitally on Friday, with a physical 7" release available in June from Fat Possum....

Even though there were six total acts playing this night for TT the Bear's final blowout week of shows, I'm going to focus on Willy Mason and Evan Dando. The Grown Up Noise started playing maybe five minutes after the doors opened and stopped with maybe 50 people in the venue total, The Dazies played a solo four song acoustic set, and I left before Runner & The Thermodynamics because they went on at 11:30, and I'm a grumpy old man with work the next day. The Thalia Zedek band was great, but I just never can connect with her music. I know it's great and I know I'm losing out, but it just doesn't grab me. This last week of shows at TT the Bear's has been absolutely packed, with insane bills every night. Since the shows were booked last minute, and since Willy Mason isn't in the middle of a tour, I assumed it would just be him with a guitar. Instead he had four other musicians with him, because who could miss TT's last week of shows? They played...

Willy Mason has been around what feels like ages now, doing the alt-folk thing since before there was a scene. If there is any justice, he should be the Next Big Thing and getting some major buzz for his next album. His album, Carry On , is finally due out in the U.S. on August 20, and if "Talk Me Down" is any indication, this might be what brings him to the next level. It's both unique and straightforward enough to get real play and attention. It's not that he's ever been overly "out there," but the mainstream has finally moved into his realm. Couple a great song (with one of the best videos I've seen in years) and upcoming tours with Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and this might be Mason's year. Check out the video for "Talk Me Down" and upcoming tour dates below. Also, head on over to Willy Mason's website for more info, and to preorder Carry On . 8/20 NEW YORK , NY- ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL...