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CD
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TR 504CD
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Bart Davenport might be a multitude of things, depending on whom you ask. He's been a mod, a blues singer, and a soft rock troubadour. He's an eclectic singer songwriter with the timeless voice of a real crooner. He lives and creates music in Los Angeles. Smooth and yet curiously pointed, his work transports you to an imagined past or present filled with romantic odes and enigmatic characters. Davenport's stories are often a reflection of now, taking place in a fantasy world but conveying personal and universal truths. Returning to acoustic guitars and '60s baroque pop tones, Davenport recently tracked twelve new songs in his home studio in Los Angeles. He takes us on an exclusive tour of colorful stories, both comic and tragic. The resulting Episodes marks his eighth proper album and is scheduled for release on Tapete Records. Davenport's evocative, new material provides both an escape from and an unusual commentary on turbulent times. From digital antagonists in "Holograms" to waltzing oligarchs in "Billionaires" to an enigmatic nudist in "Naked Man", many offbeat characters populate the funny little world within Davenport's verses. His vocals are distinctively smooth at times, while at others, a slightly cheeky, more dramatic baritone takes over. His patented happy/sad sensibility remains along with the occasional jazz chord. While Episodes features Davenport on multiple instruments, he did not go it alone. Several guest musicians were crucial to the production. Drummer Graeme Gibson's casual feel graces several tracks, notably the Kinksy "It's You". The samba-tinged "Easy Listeners" has that tropical flavor Davenport's been known to dabble in, this time aided by impeccable percussionist Andres Renteria (Jose Gonzales, Rodrigo Amarante). Meanwhile, the Turkish psych-inspired "Strange Animal" showcases futuristic organ riffing by Aaron M. Olson (L.A. Takedown), who produced Davenport's previous album (Blue Motel by Bart & The Bedazzled). Other longtime bandmates, Jessica Espeleta (bass) and Wayne Faler (lead guitar), both make appearances. Perhaps the standout track of the album is its quietest; the Brit-folk-styled "Alice Arrives". Davenport's autumnal vocal and guitar are adeptly accompanied by Dina Maccabee's original string arrangement, which morphs from earnest baroque to playful modern and back again. This along with the heavier, orchestral sound of "Billionaires" adds a touch of hi-fi to an otherwise homemade album.
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LP
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TR 504LP
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LP version. Bart Davenport might be a multitude of things, depending on whom you ask. He's been a mod, a blues singer, and a soft rock troubadour. He's an eclectic singer songwriter with the timeless voice of a real crooner. He lives and creates music in Los Angeles. Smooth and yet curiously pointed, his work transports you to an imagined past or present filled with romantic odes and enigmatic characters. Davenport's stories are often a reflection of now, taking place in a fantasy world but conveying personal and universal truths. Returning to acoustic guitars and '60s baroque pop tones, Davenport recently tracked twelve new songs in his home studio in Los Angeles. He takes us on an exclusive tour of colorful stories, both comic and tragic. The resulting Episodes marks his eighth proper album and is scheduled for release on Tapete Records. Davenport's evocative, new material provides both an escape from and an unusual commentary on turbulent times. From digital antagonists in "Holograms" to waltzing oligarchs in "Billionaires" to an enigmatic nudist in "Naked Man", many offbeat characters populate the funny little world within Davenport's verses. His vocals are distinctively smooth at times, while at others, a slightly cheeky, more dramatic baritone takes over. His patented happy/sad sensibility remains along with the occasional jazz chord. While Episodes features Davenport on multiple instruments, he did not go it alone. Several guest musicians were crucial to the production. Drummer Graeme Gibson's casual feel graces several tracks, notably the Kinksy "It's You". The samba-tinged "Easy Listeners" has that tropical flavor Davenport's been known to dabble in, this time aided by impeccable percussionist Andres Renteria (Jose Gonzales, Rodrigo Amarante). Meanwhile, the Turkish psych-inspired "Strange Animal" showcases futuristic organ riffing by Aaron M. Olson (L.A. Takedown), who produced Davenport's previous album (Blue Motel by Bart & The Bedazzled). Other longtime bandmates, Jessica Espeleta (bass) and Wayne Faler (lead guitar), both make appearances. Perhaps the standout track of the album is its quietest; the Brit-folk-styled "Alice Arrives". Davenport's autumnal vocal and guitar are adeptly accompanied by Dina Maccabee's original string arrangement, which morphs from earnest baroque to playful modern and back again. This along with the heavier, orchestral sound of "Billionaires" adds a touch of hi-fi to an otherwise homemade album.
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CD
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TR 194CD
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Bart Davenport releases an album of cover songs dear to his heart. Davenport grew up in California, devoured his hippie parents' vinyl collection, and learned to play guitar at 8 years old. He was the frontman for The Loved Ones and The Kinetics. His first solo album Bart Davenport came out in 2002. He has toured with Kings Of Convenience and opened for many of his heroes, including Arthur Lee, Robyn Hitchcock, Jonathan Richman and John Lee Hooker. His second solo album Game Preserve came out in 2003 and Maroon Cocoon followed in 2005. The absolutely brilliant Palaces came out in 2008. Bart is also the singer of Honeycut. One of California's coolest songwriter/performers, this is a totally fab collection of tracks. "At the turn of the century I found myself at a crossroads, transforming from axe-less frontman into solo voyager. I clearly was a singer already but I also wanted to write. I spent days, months, years cocooning, trying to become a songwriter. Time flew by, and eventually I re-emerged with a handful of decent tunes and lyrics. I've been fortunate to have so many friends around, musicos who've helped me record those little gems. I've performed on what feels like a thousand stages and often, out of pragmatism, I'm alone up there. Also, along the way, I've taken to performing the songs of my heroes. That these cover versions should fit so seamlessly into one of my sets could be seen as living proof of just how derivative my own music is. If that's true, I'm not bothered by it. In performance, I tend to forget which ones are mine and which ones are theirs. I forget where the songwriter ends and the singer begins. Or perhaps I've been trying subconsciously to reveal my influences for a long, long time." Searching For Bart Davenport is the musical chronicle of an artist seeking his soul with words from others made into his own. Songs by Broadcast, Kings Of Convenience, Caetano Veloso, Sandycoates, The Incredible String Band, Bridget St. John, Love/Arthur Lee, David Byrne, Bert Jansch, Jackson C. Frank, The Changes, and Gil Scott-Heron.
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LP
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TR 194LP
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LP version with free download code.
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