#eamon fogarty

2/23/20.

I don’t know why I shy away from Austin, Texas bands.  Perhaps it’s because Austin Town Hall (great blog) already covers all the bands.

Holiday Music really caught me by surprise.  The name, and the artwork didn’t make me want to listen.  But once I listened, all I could think was how much I really enjoyed this...it deserves the Yagada medal.

While Holiday Music doesn’t perfectly fit any of these comparisons,  I will lay them out:  Parquet Courts, Pavement, The Strokes, Deerhunter, Dick Stusso, Eamon Fogerty, and The Dream Syndicate.

6/6/17.

Eamon Fogarty is a New York multi-instrumentalist.  I was immediately taken with the song “Go to Seed” - the drums remind me of some great Mazarin or Walkmen songs.  The vocals on this song reminded me of my love for that new Zoos of Berlin album. 

But listen to this whole album and you’ll get a sense that Fogarty is influenced by a myriad of sounds and somehow wraps them all into his own sound.  Behind it all is a mesmerizing voice (the way Daughn Gibson’s voice can mesmerize).

This album is up for pre-order, but check out his cassette from 2015.  Fogarty is a gifted guitarist who at times recalls John Fahey and the like. 

A new interpretation...

Blue Values by Eamon Fogarty

7/28/19.

Eamon Fogarty is a New Hampshire transplant to the West Coast.  He is currently in Santa Barbara, California.  I’d posted about Fogarty’s “Progressive Bedroom” (one of my top records of 2017 - released by Joyful Noise Recordings) over two years ago.  Now this, which is a continuation and a growth at the same time.  There is a bit more rock (listen to “Utopia in Blue”) than I remember.  But there are pensive, guitar pickin’ beauties here as well (the majority fit this). 

Monroe Mustang, Randy Newman (I’ve recently been turned on to him by none other than Malcolm Gladwell via this podcast), and (previously mentioned) Daughn Gibson, and Zoos of Berlin are all touchstones here.

4/7/18.

I was reading an email announcement from Eamon Fogarty about an upcoming concert of his.  He is playing with Mike Wexler whom he referred to as a “picking artist”.  Over the past several years, my affinity for this has grown.  I didn’t have to snoop all that much.  three:four records out of Switzerland released “Syntropy” back in December 2016.  The songs are great, although not all of them feature prominent fingerpicking as I expected.  These are just some great songs that recall the work of Mojave 3, or Leo Kottke.  The hushed vocals and percussion also remind me of the quieter moments of Yo La Tengo and Ben Seretan.