Tag Archives: Fort Frances

Happy New Year, Happy New Krissie Mix

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Hey, gang. Happy New Year. Look at me…January 5 and already making my first post of the year!

In all seriousness, I had hoped to do this post on New Year’s Day, but I got sidelined by a pretty wicked cold/virus thing. Bummer of a way to start the New Year, but I figure it’s gotta be like rain on your wedding day, right…if you start the week out sick, your year can only go uphill, right? After a week being down, I’m feeling mostly like a human…

…and I finished the Winter Mix! This one came together pretty easily…although there were probably about 15 songs that I dropped from it to keep it a reasonable length. Lots of good music has come out in the past few months… New music from Mighty Oaks, Future Thieves, Fort Frances, Mondo Cozmo, Emerson Hart…so many. Bodes well for 2020, methinks.

The Spotify version is embedded below, and the Apple Music playlist is here.

READ THE LINER NOTES: Warning: I had a LOT to say about these songs, so the notes are a little much. You’ll get all up inside my brain…

As always, if you dig something you hear, please support the artist and buy some of their music, merch, or a ticket to a show. And of course, if you have thoughts that you just can’t keep in about any of the music, I always love to hear people’s reactions. Comment below or shoot me a message on the socials – @jrzygyrl just about everywhere.

Need a Friday jam? You can borrow mine.

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Short weeks are the WORST. Why do they always seem to drag on forever and leave you feeling like you were put through the wringer?

Well, if you had that kind of week, too, let me give ya something to put a little pep back in that step.

The gents in Fort Frances dropped a new, catchy little ditty out today called “Fantasy of Youth.” I’ve had on repeat for most of the day today, and it was just what I needed.

This is my new Friday jam. 

 

David McMillin

David and me

And man, if you don’t know David, their lead singer, you should. He’s a gem of a human. Actually, the entire band are wonderful, joyful people, but I’ve known David the longest… I was lucky enough to see David on his first tour EVER 15-ish years ago and watching him develop as an artist has been a true joy. He’s a prolific songwriter and thoughtful being, and that always makes for a helluva combination.

He’s also a magical, word-wielding wizard. Check out what he wrote about the song…

 

“I guess this song is somewhat of an ode to my 16-year-old self. That guy was great. He strummed amateur rhythm guitar in a cover band called Trial and Error and cruised a maroon Buick Century with a cassette deck and a Discman adapter. Playing in that band felt like being a member of The Rolling Stones, and driving that car felt like owning a Rolls Royce.

Reclaiming that time is an impossibility. But I still think it’s good to try to peer through that unspoiled lens of non-adulthood — the one that frames the promise of the whole world at your front door and puts a smile on your face because you don’t need to bother looking at the news, waiting for emails or thinking about how to divvy up your next paycheck.

When you listen to this song, I hope it helps you erase whatever you’re thinking about — your bank account balance or your shitty boss or your concerns about whether the world is going to be able to make it through the wild waves of the modern age —and puts you back in the driver’s seat of your life. And I hope it feels as comfortable as the upholstery on the bench seat of that Buick.”

– David McMillin, Fort Frances

Yup. Exactly that.

Cheers to the weekend.

Catch them on tour or follow Fort Frances on the socials: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

Coming Back to Life: The 2016 Spring Mix

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unnamedIt’s closing in on the best night of the year…Daylight Saving Time begins in an hour. Tomorrow, it won’t be dark outside until 7 PM, and my internal clock will once again be back on track. While most of my friends are out getting an early start on St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to stay in and tackle finishing up the Spring Mix.

Spring is definitely in the air here in the Queen City. After a pretty emotionally tough few months – winter is always rough for me – I feel myself finally starting to perk up. The 2016 Spring Krissie Mix is definitely a reflection of what’s been going on in my life as I was building it…it is ALL OVER the place. Some new artists, some old loves. Some happy tunes, some sad. Anyway, there’s a little something for everyone to love.

If you want to read about why I was listening to these songs, or how I found out about the artists, or just get a sort of creepy look inside the way my brain works, download the liner notes here. I didn’t do a label this time around…if anyone really wants one, send me a note and I’ll make one for you. But I figure no one is really burning CDs anymore, right?

Happy almost Spring, everyone!

 

The 2015 Spring Mix (Otherwise Known As I’m Ashamed of Myself)

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Has it seriously been more than four months since I made a blog post? A third of a year? Yes. I’m ashamed of myself… I’m busy as hell with the new job (did I mention I got a promotion?), but that’s no excuse for going MONTHS without posting.

Ugh. I’m tired. you guys. I need some down time.

The good news is, I have a new Mix for you. It’s longer than usual…since I have gone all digital, I decided to hell with length, and just did whatever felt right. This feels right. 27 songs – 3 of which are not available on Spotify (but you can probably find a bonus if you look hard enough). You can get the liner notes here. The best notes I’ve written in awhile, I think – because I didn’t have to limit myself to two pages!

So have a listen. Do me a favor and follow the playlist on Spotify. Trying to figure out how many listeners I’ve lost since going to Spotify. And as always, let me know what you think – what your favorites are, what you don’t like, etc. That’s my favorite part.

As always, please support these artists. I’ve included links to their web pages in my notes. Buy their music. Go see a live show. Buy some merch. Invest in vinyl. You know the drill.

Smooches. Love you all.

Looking for the Light with David McMillin on Daytrotter

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“I can still hear your voice echo beneath the Alabama night, like a firecracker whistle on the Fourth of July / You said, ‘Don’t fear the distance dear, don’t fear the dark, you don’t need to set the world on fire, you just need to catch a spark.'”
– David McMillin, “Looking for the Light”

David McMillin

A new Daytrotter session from the musician who loves the craft of songwriting more than any artist I know, David McMillin. Artwork by Johnnie Cluney, copyright Daytrotter

A long time ago, I went to see a show of a local musician I tried to support. It was at The Evening Muse, my absolute favorite place to see music in Charlotte, a tiny, intimate venue that might hold 125 people when it’s busting at the seams. The opener clambered onto the stage, a kid of maybe 21 or 22 that might have weighed 100 pounds soaking wet. He had just an acoustic guitar and he looked so small, even on the miniscule Muse stage. Then he opened his mouth and started singing. Huge voice came out of that little body. He was probably about a song in when I turned to look at Annie and we both had the same expression on our face… WOW.  And that is how my friendship with David McMillin began.

If I could say one thing about David, just one, it would be that among the musicians I know, he is the one who loves songwriting the most.  I mean he absolutely LOVES it.  And he excels at it. He’s prolific, but I’ve never heard him put out a mediocre song. He and his band, Fort Frances, make amazing music together, and in the down times in between, when his band mates are tending to their personal lives, David writes more and pursues his solo work. It’s pretty inspiring to watch as a fan.

In the eight or nine years since that first show at The Muse, I’ve gotten to know David well…and he remains the only rock star ever to hail me a cab. I’ve watched him grow tremendously as a songwriter (and grow a tremendous beard) and been heartened by the fact that no matter what successes come his way, he remains humble and genuine. And so today, when Daytrotter released a solo David McMillin session, my heart skipped a beat. Even better?  NEW SONGS. Gorgeous, lovely new songs like “Looking for the Light.”

I’d recommend going to take a listen (if you are a Daytrotter member, you can download it…and if you aren’t a Daytrotter member, you should be). Let yourself be won over. Because if you love music, you can’t help but appreciate an artist who loves it even more than you do.

LISTEN TO THE DAVID MCMILLIN DAYTROTTER SESSION

More David McMillin:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Buy Heartsteady on iTunes