My current favorite brave artist flying by the seat of his (musical) Husky Pants... Going to see him at The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur in November!!! (My 2nd time seeing him there...) FOLK YEAH!!! Indeed...
He's got another new LP put with David Grubbs called "A Tap On The Shoulder". It's guitar noodley weirdness though. I couldn't get past 3 tracks. Not for me at all
Not too shabby to be Ryley Walker. Bridget St. John is cooking him shrimp linguini today.. https://twitter.com/ryleywalker/status/1450501953088368649
I finally got around to listening to the "Course in Fable" LP. I bought it about a month ago off of Ryley's Bandcamp page, where it's currently available for $22. The Bandcamp page makes a pitch about how good the pressing is ("its such a nice pressing. like holy ****.") and it's not just a pitch. It sounds really nice. It was pressed in the Netherlands at Record Industry, which in my experience makes consistently good records. I like this record a lot, and it's mostly because it sounds pretty. The guitar playing is crisp, sensitive, and deeply musical, and Ryley has an easygoing manner and a pleasant voice. "Pretty" might have been a semi-backhanded compliment from me twenty years ago, but today I'm really happy to listen to pretty music and I seek it out. It's the primary reason I've gotten into indie guitar superstars like Walker or Steve Gunn. The LP comes with printed lyrics and it did not take long for me to give up on trying to decode their meaning. There is a lot of imagery in there. I did think it was funny when he would casually drop inconspicuous profanities in the middle of the imagery.
Released today is a new EP - "So Certain" So Certain EP, by Ryley Walker [can't figure out how to embed the BandCamp player] amazingly, traded a very nice exchange with Ryley himself who was extolling the Fable pressing and how this will be even better (45RPM!). and that it was recorded and will be pressed "all analog" - Ordered!!
I saw him open for Richard Thompson. I have a poster from that show on my wall with Ryley's opener duly noted. The man can definitely shred on the acoustic guitar. But he also seemed incredibly bitter about something, almost whacked out. I know he had some mental issues dealing with substance abuse. Hope for his sake he's straightened himself out because the talent seems immense.
thanks, I should have added that - you do get immediate access to digital files if you buy the vinyl. (i think he's adding 24/96 later today)
Not sure when that was but his substance abuse issues and subsequent sobriety are pretty well-documented. He’s since moved to my (very) small town in Vermont and seems to be laying pretty low. I haven’t met him but we traded a few emails about gear he was looking for last summer. Seems like a nice guy. And yes, killer guitarist.
The new EP is so good! Love this guy and I'm so glad he seems to have found a healthier state of mind. I haven't met the guy yet, but I appreciate his Husky Pants label and support it at every chance I get.
The new EP carries on from the last album nicely. Even better is the live album he did with kikagaku moyo.
Saw Ryley play last night, grerat set even if the crowd seemed a bit bemused by it. Probably not the best venue for a gig, more of a theatre for plays etc. Anyway, I bought a mystery 45rpm single he was selling after the show Spoiler: Mystery 45rpm Side A is nice acoustic guitar solo noodling. Side B sounds like Ryley is strangling a guitar. No vocals on either
. funny you ask - I actually traded emails w/ him yesterday (he's the one that answers BandCamp inquiries) and he reported back, "The delay in pressing bit this one in the ass real hard As far as I know they finish pressing this week Should be out next week Sincere apologies God bless you for your patience."
