New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Earlier this summer, Steelism released ism, their second full length album via Thirty Tigers. Following a tour with Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, Steelism have released a cover of the Vince Guaraldi Trio's "Linus & Lucy" for this holiday season. Stream "Linus & Lucy" via YouTube and Spotify:
https://youtu.be/fUvVf01EUhY
https://open.spotify.com/track/5X3JIJbuThY9DZGMtppfTu
"Something about the tone of Vince Guaraldi's piano instantly brings you into the Christmas season. Even though 'Linus & Lucy' wasn't originally a Christmas instrumental, it is a tune that kicks off the holidays for us every year with melancholic nostalgia," explains Steelism. "We have been experimenting with live arrangements of Guaraldi's classic for several years now, but we wanted to break down the composition for this new recording and era. It kicks off in a way that eases you into the Christmas season with a percussive groove, analog synth, and tip of the (bowler) hat to
Buddy Emmons' steel guitar before breaking into the full stresses and anxieties of Christmas with Michael Rother (Neu) and Robert Fripp-inspired direct-fuzz guitars. By the end of the recording, we ride the Christmas wave into the New Year. The track was recorded, mixed and co-produced with ism collaborator Jeremy Ferguson at
Battle Tapes in Nashville, Tennessee."
'ism' was embraced by The Nashville Scene, Relix, Rolling Stone Country, and Consequence of Sound who called their song "Roulette" "...the soundtrack to a non-existent spy thriller set in the dusty West."
NPR's World Cafe premiered the video for "Eno Nothing" as part of their World Cafe: Nashville initiative and called it "equal parts Star Wars, The Jetsons, and The Twilight Zone." WXPN's Bruce Warren said, "On ism, the new album by Steelism, you can hear the influences of John Barry's legendary
James Bond scores, Lalo Schifrin's film soundtracks, the funky grit of Booker T & The MG's records, the spaghetti western sounds of Ennio Morricone, and the early production work of Brian Eno."
American Songwriter reviewed ism (4.5 out of 5 stars) and said "...the unusual concept has yielded some of the most quirky, vibrant and enjoyably eclectic music emerging from Nashville in decades." Glide Magazine gave it 8 out of 10 stars and called it "...a stylish, polished collection of songs that feels artfully curated."
ism was co-produced by guitarist Jeremy Fetzer, pedal steel player Spencer Cullum(together known as Steelism) and Jeremy Ferguson (Lambchop, Tristen, Andrew Combs). Tracking began on November 9th, 2016, with the divisive results of the U.S. Presidential election just in. Respite was found through the creative process while holed up at Ferguson's
Battle Tapes Recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The usual Steelism rhythm section, Jon Radford (drums) & Jon Estes (bass), and Robbie Crowell (formerly of Deer Tick) on keys are heard throughout the record. Legendary studio musician Charlie McCoy (Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde) on vibraphone & harmonica and a lush string quartet provide the finishing instrumental touches.
