Joseph Arthur is coming to town. Nuclear Daydream has been on heavy rotation in my house since I was introduced to it early this year. Don't let this show slide away from you.

Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts will appear Friday, April 13, 2007 on Late Night With Conan O'Brien NBC.

Here is the North American tour date schedule:

Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts Tour All dates below with Stars of Track & Field, except Nashville and Akron. Additional support in Cambridge: Exit Clov and in New Orleans: Pit Er Pat

April 15, 2007 Sunday, La Tulipe, Montreal QC April 17, 2007 Tuesday, Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia PA April 18, 2007 Wednesday, Middle East, Cambridge MA April 19, 2007 Thursday, Southpaw, Brooklyn NY April 20, 2007 Friday, Maxwell's, Hoboken NJ April 21, 2007 Saturday, Sonar Club Stage, Baltimore MD April 22, 2007 Sunday, Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH April 23, 2007 Monday, Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale (Pittsburgh) PA April 24, 2007 Tuesday, 20th Century Theatre, Cincinnati OH April 25, 2007 Wednesday, Double Door, Chicago IL April 26, 2007 Thursday, High Noon Saloon, Madison WI April 27, 2007 Friday, Varsity Theater, Minneapolis MN April 29, 2007 Sunday, Larimer Lounge, Denver CO May 2, 2007 Wednesday, Neumo's, Seattle WA May 3, 2007 Thursday, Plaza Club, Vancouver BC May 4, 2007 Friday, Dough Fir Lounge, Portland OR May 6, 2007 Sunday, Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco CA May 8, 2007 Tuesday, Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles CA May 9, 2007 Wednesday, Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles CA May 11, 2007 Friday, Cambridge Room/HOB, Dallas TX May 12, 2007 Saturday, The Parish, Austin TX May 13, 2007 Sunday, The Engine Room, Houston TX May 14, 2007 Monday, One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans LA May 16, 2007 Wednesday, Zydeco, Birmingham AL May 17, 2007 Thursday, Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta GA May 18, 2007 Friday, 40 Watt Club, Athens GA May 19, 2007 Saturday, Exit/In, Nashville TN May 20, 2007 Sunday, Lime Spider, Akron OH May 21, 2007 Monday, 9:30 Club, Washington DC May 23, 2007 Wednesday, Bowery Ballroom, New York NY May 25, 2007 Friday, Mod Club, Toronto ON

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Bernard Fanning’s tea-stained, old-fashioned photograph on Tea & Sympathy, makes me swoon, the same goes for his music.

Fanning, known to most, but not all, is the front man for the Australian group Powderfinger. Bernard Fanning was the most played artist on Australian radio in 2006, winning numerous awards – Best Male Artist, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year – the album has gone five times platinum, and also achieved an Australian first as the highest selling album on iTunes. So … for the Australians, they might say this album was way overplayed. Here in the States, Chicago metropolitan area to be exact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Tea & Sympathy was introduced to me late last year and has been on heavy rotation in my house for a few months. Fanning co-produced this album with Tchad Blake (Gomez, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson) and their collaboration has created a most gentle, beautiful album. Fanning’s intoxicating vocals and harmonies, along with instruments such as the mandolin, harmonica, fiddle, and most importantly the lap steel guitar, convey his heartfelt message to a tee.

“From the intricate finger-picking that underscores the weary-but-hopeful “Thrill Is Gone” to the fiddle-kissed “Songbird,” Tea and Sympathy gets the balance right, largely due to its unflagging organic vibe. And unlike the self-consciousness that accompanies so much self-consciously retro rock, Fanning’s compositions exude a quiet elegance and an affable confidence -- traits that mark him as the sort of guy who’s capable of becoming a part of rock’s rich tapestry, rather than merely a mender of its threads.”

“Bernard succeeds in peeling back the layers, both emotionally and aurally, throughout Tea and Sympathy. While many of the album’s songs deal vividly with loss – Fanning says, “I was in a relationship that broke down, and writing was a part of the mourning process” – its lingering notes are ones of optimism about what lays beyond the horizon.”

All the proceeds of the single “Watch Over Me” have been donated to Youngcare a nationally registered charity and non-profit organization formed to help young Australians with high care needs. In the following interview, Fanning tells the story of how he became familiar with the charity and his reasons for contributing to their cause.

If you haven’t listened to Tea & Sympathy, I encourage you to give it a whirl. As for me, I’ll have another cuppa tea, please.

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Comments

dj ivi says:

great post! i hadn't heard of him yet, thanks for the tip.

Posted about 1 year ago | Delete

Ljnaughty says:

Isn't this track "Further Down the Road" instead of "Watch Over Me". Anyway great song and in my opinion has its own unique style & voice.

Posted 11 days ago | Delete