Daniel Knox puts out new two-song EP

Daniel Knox, the awesome troubadour with the twisted sense of humor, has just put out a two-song album on Bandcamp. You can listen for free and download for $1.98. The first is funny-yet-dark. The second is beautiful and melancholy. Check it out:

 

I’ve been a big fan of Daniel’s for a long time now as you can see. Check out some of his other works if you haven’t already. I think his albums Evryman for Himself and Disaster are classics.

Daniel Knox collaborating with photographer John Atwood in ‘Black and Whites’

I would like to bring everyone’s attention to an ambitious project by Chicago-based singer/songwriter Daniel Knox. Daniel just raised over $10,000 in a Kickstarter campaign, allowing him to give a multi-media performance with photographer John Atwood. The long form composition, “Black and Whites” will premiere Jan. 25, 2012 at 92YTribeca in New York City along with an exhibition of Atwood’s photos. He’ll be working with some fabulous musicians. You can find out more about it here, and here. And on his Tumblr page. He is also doing a residency and open rehearsal in Watermill New York.

I almost cheated and made Daniel Knox’s – Evryman for Himself one of my top 5 picks for 2011. It was officially released 2011, but the truth is I’ve had the previous independently-produced version of this album in heavy rotation since 2010. The two versions are slightly different (so slight, I can’t really tell unless I strain my ears). If you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favor and get your copy from his new label, La Société Expéditionnaire.

This is the song that made me a Daniel Knox fanatic:

Daniel Knox “Ghostsong” from Daniel Knox on Vimeo.

Daniel Knox’s Evryman for Himself is out today

Daniel Knox’s new album Evryman for Himself went on sale today on the La Société Expéditionnaire. It is available on both CD and vinyl. I’ve heard the album already and it is fabulous. Do yourself a favor and get your copy. The promo below is just a taste of what he can do:

He’s already won me over as you can see from my writeup a while back. Check out some of his other music on his website. I highly recommend Disaster.

Daniel is currently on tour in the UK with the Handsome Family and he’ll be returning to the U.S. for shows on the East Coast.

05.11.11 Gateshead, UK Sage (Hall 2) w/ Handsome Family
05.13.11 Norwich, UK Arts Centre w/ Handsome Family
05.14.11 Reading, UK South Street Arts Centre w/ Handsome Family
05.15.11 Exeter, UK Phoenix w/ Handsome Family
05.16.11 Bristol, UK Fleece w/ Handsome Family
05.17.11 London, UK Tabernacle w/ Handsome Family

05.18.11 Belfast, IRE Errigle Inn w/ tbd
05.19.11 Dublin, IRE Bewley’s w/ Saramai Leech
05.20.11 Cork, IRE Pine Lodge *Evening with Daniel Knox* FREE SHOW

05.26.11 Chicago, IL – the Hideout *Release Party* w/ Judson Claiborne
05.28.11 Grand Rapids, MI – Hoi Poloi w/ Soil & the Sun, Jacob Bullard, Judson Claiborne
05.29.11 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks w/ Show is a Rainbow, Judson Claiborne
05.30.11 Washington DC – Looking Glass Lounge w/ Live You, Me, Them, Everybody Series Show
06.01.11 Philly, PA – Kung-Fu Necktie w/ Lewis & Clarke, Judson Claiborne
06.02.11 Brooklyn, NY – the Rock Shop w/ Lewis & Clarke, Judson Claiborne
06.03.11 Cincinatti, OH Northside Tavern w/ Judson Claiborne

Daniel Knox’s Evryman for Himself to get full label release, tour with Handsome Family set for May

Just got some exciting news from Daniel Knox, one of my favorite recent discoveries. His album, Evryman for Himself, is getting an “official” release from Pennsylvania label La Société Expéditionnaire. I and some other fans managed to get hold of the album before this — and I’m already in love with it — but the album has been “revised, remastered and only slightly re-recorded” to become what Daniel considers its definitive form. Now we’ve got two versions for nerds like me to collect and hoard once he becomes as famous as he deserves to be. The official release is scheduled for May. Folks who bought the first version will get a discount on the new one.

Daniel is also planning to tour in the UK with Brett and Rennie Sparks of the Handsome Family and making an appearance at Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series in NYC at Joe’s Pub. Late spring shows are planned for Chicago and New York “and more stateside dates to be announced soon.” (It would be awesome if “stateside” includes Austin…)

If you want to get an immediate Daniel Knox fix, check out the amazing album Disaster on Bandcamp. You can stream it, or download it for $1 per song or $8 for the album.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the UK, see if you can catch one of these shows:

05.09.11 SHEFFIELD, UK GREYSTONE
05.10.11 MANCHESTER, UK BAND ON THE WALL
05.11.11 GATESHEAD, UK SAGE (Hall 2)
05.13.11 NORWICH, UK ARTS CENTRE
05.14.11 READING, UK SOUTH STREET ARTS CENTRE
05.15.11 EXETER, UK PHOENIX
05.16.11 BRISTOL, UK THE FLEECE
05.17.11 LONDON, UK TABERNACLE

If you want to see just how crazy I am about Daniel Knox, read the post I wrote back in September:

Daniel Knox ‘s strange beautiful songs could be future American standards

Daniel Knox’s strange, beautiful songs could be future American standards

Daniel Knox in the shadows next to a carousel. Captures something about his music I think.... (John Atwood photo)

The first time I heard Daniel Knox’s “Ghostsong” I was stunned. It was like nothing I had ever heard, but at the same time it sounded so classic, full of beauty, sadness and mean-spirited humor.

I streamed it over the Internet for a few days, growing more and more addicted and finally I couldn’t take it any more. I went to his website and ordered his whole discography.

That’s something I rarely do — I’m not made out of money. But I could tell right away that I had to get my hands on this man’s music and keep it close, on the off chance it could turn out to be a dream, or something the Internet washed onto my shore that it might sweep away again.

There was more where “Ghostsong” came from. Much more. I now think of Knox as an American treasure, right up there with Tom Waits.

Knox taught himself to play the piano by regularly sneaking into the Hilton Tower’s Grand Ballroom; he took a job as a projectionist at the historic Music Box Theater just so he could play its massive pipe organ. He accompanied director David Lynch in that theater for the 2007 Chicago premiere of Inland Empire.

Much of the time he sings in a deep, masculine voice. Then he breaks into a beautiful, sweet falsetto. His songs range from heartbreaking ballads (often with wicked twists), to brash, New Orleans-influenced pieces that put me in mind of Dr. John.

His songs don’t really sound like anything else. And yet i get the distinct feeling they might’ve been around forever — American standards.

Here’s a taste of what Daniel Knox can do:



I currently have the albums Disaster, Evryman for Himself (technically not released yet, but I was able to get hold of it – send DK a message and he will probably hook you up) and two E.P.s: A Poison Tree and Window Music (Instrumentals 2001-2007).

At this point I have a hard time deciding which I like better, Disaster or Evryman. Disaster is a bit more minimalistic, with those lovely dark ballads, often just Knox and a piano or organ. Those songs really get to me — “What Have They Done to You Now” and “Be Afraid” being particular favorites.

Evryman has some of those — “Ghostsong” being a huge standout — but it also features more New Orleans style songs, with bandmates Paul Parts (bass), Jason Toth (drums), Ralph Carney (horns) and Chris Hefner (auxiliary instruments). “I Make Enemies” and “Debt Collector” are excellent as is “Armageddonsong.” I got to love those too. They might be the ones with the biggest hit potential after all.

The E.P. A Poison Tree is also definitely worth having for the two very different treatments of John Donne’s famous poem.

It’s not all about the music either. Knox’s lyrics have a big impact — sad and misanthropic, resigned and fatalistic, wry and witty, vulnerable to warm feelings — which are seen as a distraction and an imposition…

They might not work for everyone, but I find them brilliant and moving.

Just check out some of the lines:

From “Armageddonsong”: “Armageddon’s comin’ soon. The sun will crash into the moon, but we will still have breakfast…”

From “Lovescene”: “Groping for more than I can hold, sulking like a 12-year-old, and suddenly I find myself dancing. Oh how I hate dancing…”

From “Ghostsong”: “If you die tomorrow or a hundred years from now, there won’t be an article or a furrowed brow. Yours is like the spirit of a breeze that blows through town. No one remembers unless it knocks something down…”

Truly brilliant. I think this guy is going places. If I have anything to do with he will. I haven’t been so excited about a newly discovered artist in a long time. He’s already made it to the top of my own musical Olympus.

If you’re anywhere close to as impressed as I am, check out his website and buy some of his albums. Then find him on Facebook. He just might go on tour one of these days and you’ll want to be ready in case he comes to your town.