Summertime with Pete Droge

After a week at sea, I might be listing to the side a little bit when I walk, and still securing things so they won’t fall over when the ship tilts. I have what some call dock shock; it took me a week to get used to living on the ocean, and now it seems a week until everything on terra firma stops moving. I had an absolutely incredible, transformative week at sea — you can see how it all unfolded in these pics.

I needed a kick in the proverbial pants to get me back blogging after that (much-needed) unplugged sea sabbatical, and this brand new EP from Pete Droge is just the thing. Droge keeps popping up over the years in places I love, with music that his site calls “rich and loamy” (and I love that word, loamy).

I find his tunes always hit the sweet spot of expansive, golden afternoons in the sound spectrum. The The Droge & Summers Blend: Vol. 1 EP is available for a pay-as-you-like download, and was recorded on Vashon Island, off the coast of Seattle.

Tie The Knot – Droge & Summers Blend

The title of the EP actually doesn’t refer to this current season (although it totally could), but the vocalist Elaine Summers who shares singing duties here with Pete. These same two recorded a fabulous little duet (an homage to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, according to Cameron Crowe) which appeared in the Director’s Cut of Almost Famous, of course one of my favorite movies. How perfect is this?!

Previously from Pete, he contributed the title track to the 1996 Ted Demme film Beautiful Girls, and notably popped up on a lovely little sampler from Pete Yorn’s label Trampoline Records in 2002 with this tune, a highlight of the very-strong album:

All Lit Up – Pete Droge

And, I will always take every opportunity I can find to post this song, one of my all-time favorite summer tunes that I never tire of listening to. “Long Sweet Summer Night” is from Droge’s collaboration with Matthew Sweet (their voices blend so well together) and Shawn Mullins (rockabye. Do it), The Thorns. It’s on their self-titled 2003 album

Long, Sweet Summer Night – The Thorns

There ain’t no traffic lights in this little town
and lots of places where there’s no one around

Out by the red water, on the new grass
we’ll wake up the morning, making it last

So yep. Get to know Pete Droge this August.

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Bargain bin: Trampoline Records Greatest Hits, Volume 1

Next time you are poking around in the bargain bin at your local record store, search hard for this little gem of an anthology: Trampoline Records Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (2002).

Trampoline Records is an acoustic, rootsy power-pop label put together by Pete Yorn, The Wallflowers’ Rami Jaffee, and songwriter Marc Dauer. I’ll admit I first investigated the album because of the Pete Yorn connection, but it goes far beyond that with an impressive, quality flow to the songs here. Nary a bad tune on it.

In addition to the unreleased song “Hunter Green” by Yorn, there are also contributions from Peter Himmelman, Pete Droge, Gary Jules, Minibar, Minus 5, Jakob Dylan (in the group Rusty Trucks), and Yorn’s keyboard man (“Joey! Take me there!“) Joe Kennedy in the group Happily Ever After. It is eminently listenable, front to back, and highly recommended.

Only In My Dreams – Mavis
(keyboard player for Semisonic, Soul Asylum, Sheryl Crow and Wallflowers takes a pleasing catchy solo turn)

Trading Mistakes – Ethan Johns
(Producer of albums by Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Counting Crows, Ben Kweller and Leona Naess -among others- here he shows he can hold his own on the other side of the mic. This track was recorded at home by himself.)

BUY IT HERE