Back in December I told you about the group Gladshot when one of their songs, “Early Light” from their Burn Up & Shine album made it onto my Top 5 Most Played Songs list. I’ve spun their album quite a bit since getting my hands on it and have been planning to write a piece on them for quite some time… finally the time has come.
Based in New York, Gladshot is a band from Debbie Andrews and Mike Blaxill. Their bio states that they came together to “prove that literate, finely-wrought pop can spring from the combination of two quite distinct musical minds.” And that they do. The result is a sound that has been described as “literate, sun-kissed pop”, “perfect pop,” “heart-on-the-sleeve indie rock,” and “charming, really.”
New Jersey native, Mike Blaxill, who first came onto the New York music scene playing songwriters’ circles and showcases, brings a rootsy vibe to the project with his vocals and guitar work. Debbie Andrews, singer and keyboardist for Gladshot, was raised in Detroit and gives the band a layered, jazz component. When she was 16 years old, she made her Broadway debut as “Crissy” in the hit musical Hair, singing “Frank Mills,” and has further develped her keyboard skills by playing various piano rooms in New York City.
The two came together to form Gladshot, and in 2001 they released their debut album, Relic, following it up with Stand in 2004. Both albums received great reviews and strong radio airplay across the country, with one reviewer from MusicDish.com calling Relic “one of the best CDs of the year.” Their newest release, Burn Up & Shine, continues this tradition with its tightly written pop songs that has a retro vibe to it. I can’t quite place the decade, but their music feels like it reaches back to the 60’s and early 70’s. I love the keyboards on this album… you just can’t go wrong with a Fender Rhodes. This latest offering was produced by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Hold Steady, Oxford Collapse) at Headgear studios and features guest vocalists Lisa Lowell (Springsteen Seeger Sessions) and members of the original Broadway cast of Hair.
One thing that really stands out is the shared vocals between Blaxill and Andrews, as it makes for a more diverse and interesting listen. This quality brings out a different characteristic to each individual song… as a listener I get the impression that I’m hearing the male or female side to their lyrics. Burn Up & Shine feels like smooth sailing across the open ocean. There’s a light-heartedness to their music that doesn’t falter, it doesn’t throw you for a loop, it just stays solid from beginning to end.
I’ve posted a few songs from the album in the Dig-It section below as well as the music video for the first single off the album, “Fabulous Friends”. Check it out, and if you like what you hear, stop by the band’s MySpace page to hear more… and/or pick up the album on iTunes or Amazon (links provided below).
Gladshot has been increasing their exposure around the various media outlets. They’ve had songs featured on ABC, MTV, the CW network, and live on NPR radio, they’ve shared the stage with such artists as Head Automatica, Michelle Shocked, Heavenly States, Corey Harris and The Antlers and appeared at Bono’s “ONE” campaign concert at the Virgin Megastore in New York City.
They recently performed at The College of New Jersey’s Lions Television for the WTSR Concert Series. You can check it out here. They’ve got a couple shows coming up in the New York area, so if you can make it out to see them, definitely do… hopefully they’ll make their way to the West coast at some point as well. Until then, I’ll continue spinning and enjoying Burn Up & Shine.
Pick up an album, see a show, buy some swag, spread the word…
Your Dig-It Downloads:
Download: Fabulous Friends
Download: He Was Gone
Download: All I Want Is You
Show Dates:
Apr 29 2009 – Public Assembly in Brooklyn, New York
May 19 2009 – Fontana’s in New York, New York
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