Summer

It was only a matter of time before the 'warm' Winter we're experiencing in Minneapolis will change for the worst. Last night, and especially today, was bone-chillingly cold. I felt like my fingers were about to fall off today. So, believe me when I say that Summer couldn't come any sooner.*

MEXICAN SUMMER
mexicansummer.com

This New York-based record label, Mexican Summer Records, has been in the news lately.

Last month, they announced that they signed The Fresh & Onlys to their label. The F&O are finishing up their new LP, with a Spring tour announcement:

02/18 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret #
02/19 Seattle, WA Chop Suey #
02/20 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge #
02/23 Los Angeles, CA The Echo #
02/24 Pioneertown, CA Pappy and Harriets #
02/25 San Diego, CA Casbah #

# = w/ Disappears

Read more about The F&O on W♥M

Next up, Mexican Summer will be releasing Mike Wexler's Dispossession on March 6th, 2012. You can preview "Pariah" on Soundcloud.

Tracklist for Dispossession:
1. Pariah
2. Spectrum
3. Lens
4. The Trace
5. Prime
6. Glyph
7. Liminal

JON McLAUGHLIN
jonmcl.com

Speaking of album signing, Jon McLaughlin just signed with Razor & Tie Records for a new studio album, Promising Promises, out on May 22nd (incidentally that's Morrissey's birthday).

In the meantime, his first single, "Summer Is Over", is available now on iTunes and Amazon.com. The single features a duet with Sara Bareilles.

Not much else I can add, I'll leave you with a quote about the forthcoming album:

At the core of Promising Promises remains Jon’s sweetly melancholy songs. McLaughlin was able to let his stories and characters live through painfully honest and telling lyrics. Key songs include the galvanizing pain of lost love on “These Crazy Times,” written after the cataclysmic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and “If Only I” bearing a different take on loss, cleverly written from the perspective of a person deeply, madly in love with someone they’ve never worked up the courage to talk to. With Jon’s lead single he returns to a more traditional view of heartbreak with the wistful “Summer is Over,” written for a friend in the throes of a crushing break-up. Lest fans begin to think he is about to drown in the depths of love’s despair, McLaughlin throws in “Without You Now.” Another standout is the title track “Promising Promises” which features a minute long minute spectacular piano solo. Jon explains, “I wrote the song 'Promising Promises' during a really frustrating and challenging time in my career. The song became a turning point and became a clear indication of where I needed to start going as an artist—it became therapy. It says exactly what I wanted to say and says it exactly how I want to say it."

SUMMER FICTION
summerfiction.com

This missed my Christmas 2011 series, but thankfully, they can fit here.

"Christmas Eve for Two" is available as a free download on bandcamp. I wasn't given a whole lot of information to work with, so I'll just mention that Bill Ricchini, the man behind Summer Fiction, seems to really love beautiful photographs of beautiful people in beautiful clothing.

If you end up listening to the xmas song, I want to say that it's Ricchini doing his own backing vocals?

* PS, I know I'm complaining that it's cold, but to be fair, it can get hot here too.

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