Life Without Computers nominated for BMA Award

As if all the Arlington Priest news weren't enough, this just came down the pike: the bleedin bleedins' debut album, Life Without Computers, has been nominated for Local Debut Album Of The Year by the NEMO/Boston Music Awards Nomination Committee! It couldn't have gone to a more promising band or album, in my humble opinion.

Now I need your help. There's a voting process to pick the winner. If you'd like to vote for Life Without Computers (and it would make my day if you would), go to this link:

VOTE FOR LIFE WITHOUT COMPUTERS

There's a link there that will bring up a pop-up ballot. You can only vote once (per email address) and need to enter a valid e-mail address. The whole process takes just a minute or two (honest). Be sure to verify your vote on the receipt email!

Congrats to the bleedins, and best of luck!

I've let this website go stagnant for far too long, though not without reason - I've been consumed with finishing producing Arlington Priest's debut full-length studio record. Jill, Rhett and I have been busting our humps since winter trying to make this CD live up to its promise.

Well, it's finally ready, and if I do say so myself, it rocks. But don't take my word for it:

...Joined by a team of talented players, the duo's songs resonate with the warm strum of gentle, intelligent Americana that doesn't pander to current trends. Eschewing unnecessary country plunk, it stands as a delicate example of modern, defiantly independent folk rock. Producer Will Robertson wisely jumps right into the mix, adding bass, piano, organ, guitar, mandolin and even tambourine, building a nice and easy-swaying framework for the Arlington Priest one-two punch. The dual vocals of the married McAllisters, with their rich, varied textures of timbre, inform the songs with a gauzy, vaguely retro flavor, tinting each delicate memory play like a sun-faded photograph. 4 stars (out of 5)
-Lee Scott Valentine, Creative Loafing 9/6/06 (full review)

The Atlanta husband-and-wife team celebrates the release of a sparkling new CD called "The Memory of Your Company." A sweet and worldly melancholy runs through this rootsy batch of beautiful tunes and even more beautiful harmonies. The voices of Rhett and Jill McAllister achieve a distinctive blend, but the female half of the duo is especially impressive when she takes the lead. She's forceful on the rocking "Almost Home" and delivers the title track with quiet intensity. It's an album of simple, satisfying pleasures.
-Atlanta Journal-Constitution 9/5/06 (full review; free registration required)

Rhett and Jill McAllister of...Arlington Priest call upon some impressive names...to flesh out their debut studio release. And so "The Memory of Your Company" is a bright, professional effort. Accessible, clutter-free arrangements...and a strong sense of dynamics...make for a confident, full-sounding record.

But the dynamic that really drives "Memory" is the complementary one between the principals themselves. Indeed, there are moments...when the McAllisters almost conjure echoes of Richard and Linda Thompson. For singer-guitarist Rhett, that's not much of a stretch; his stately tenor often recalls Richard Thompson's sense of pained elegance...

Jill, meanwhile, sings with a charismatic warmth, largely avoiding the affectation that hobbles so many female rock and country singers.... The tradeoff between vocalists ... [adds] another agreeable layer to this assured debut. 3 stars (out of 4)
-Kevin Forest Moreau, The Sunday Paper 9/7/06 (full review at bottom of this page)

Our CD release party is tomorrow (9/9) at Eddie's Attic, and we just heard that tickets for more than half the capacity of the 180-seat club have been pre-sold.

As a final note, I'd like to say that it has really been an honor to work with Rhett and Jill on this record. These two are so talented in so many different ways - as singers, writers, and overall musicians - and on top of it all, they're just good folks. Success in the music business unfortunately doesn't have much to do with who deserves what, but even so, something tells me that we're going to be hearing more and more from Arlington Priest.