An Ed word in your ear...

Greetings Ditchdiggers everywhere - Just a quick note for Tampa Bay fans to please come out to Gasoline Alley this Saturday night, December 20. The Ditchflowers play an early set (8 p.m.), followed by Paul Sisemore’s (formerly of Sugarspoon) groovy new band (appropriately dubbed Sisemore), with the incomparable Wes Dearth closing out the night. This is a special night of music and marks our last local appearance of 2008, so we hope to see you there. ‘Tis the season and we’re all busy, but lately we’ve been turning our attention back to recording in an effort to complete our follow-up (release date some time in 2009) to the acclaimed Carried Away CD (release date some time back through the mists of time). In the meantime, you can get your hands on one new track, Love the Conqueror, chosen for the next BAAMO compilation CD (projected street date of March 31, 2009). We’ll keep you posted with more details. More news later -- from all of us here at the posh environs of The Ditchflowers’ corporate offices, we wish you the merriest of holiday seasons and a happy new year!
Ed

A word from the wise Woltil

It was forty years ago today (well, this Saturday), Sgt. Pepper’s had come and gone away...and The Beatles followed it up with an untitled, sprawling, raw scrapbook of musically brilliant flotsam and jetsam in a plain white wrapper which quickly became known as simply “the white album.” I was mesmerized for days, weeks...I’m still not over the magnificent wreckage of it. That was November 22, 1968, which makes this Saturday an important anniversary for pop music fans. Those of you in the Tampa Bay area are encouraged to come out to Skipper’s Smokehouse for another great WMNF community radio-sponsored concert in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the White Album’s release.

Four of the bay’s best bands, including your intrepid Ditchflowers, will each perform a side (that’s the double album in its entirety, front to back). We have the honor of kicking the night off, so please get there early (side one holds a few of my favorite-ever Beatles tunes). Side two honors go to Rebekah Pulley and the Reluctant Prophets, while Four Star Riot tackles side three, and The Vodkanauts funnel side four through their delightfully skewed lounge-surf grinder. More details can be found here .
Thanks for reading this far, thanks for everything, hope to see you soon, more news later... Peace, Ed Woltil

A frightening talent...

This past Halloween, Ditchflower Ed Woltil, he of divine voice, sublime guitar and heavenly songwriting skill, appeared on WMNF as part of Bill Dudley's Live Showcase. He was good. Scary good. Seasoned musicians and young wannabees alike were seen sobbing into their pints of pumpkin ale. I wasn't one of them (I was drinking a Winter Lager.)

For those who missed it, you can do some catching up right here.

Hankies at the ready, then...

Podcasts are all well and good, but when are the Ditchflowers playing live again? Funny you should ask...

Sunshine Drenchy Radio...

Yes, the first episode of the Sunshine Drenchy Radio Podcast has been hastily recorded, savagely edited and duly delivered to all and sundry.

Our intention is to record these sunny little episodes on a somewhat regular basis, and have them serve, not only as a way of delivering recording news, gig gossip, and other pressing issues — such as arguing and contrasting the merits of certain yeasty Belgians, malty Germans and shiny hoppy people and beverages of all persuasions, thank you very much — but also as an excuse to sloppily record songs live in the studio in a decidedly "underdub" fashion, and then inflict them upon humble, unsuspecting listeners everywhere.

In episode 1, " Bed Of Ales", Steve Robinson borrows Ditchflower Brian Merrill's shiny Taylor acoustic guitar for a live version of "Weight Of The World" — a song from his first solo effort "Away For The Day" — as well as offering an impromptu sneak preview of a song called "Bed Of Nails", which by all accounts will be recorded for his next solo album. All the while, Ditchflower Ed Woltil joins in on harmony vocals and guitar noodlings, as only he can.

There is also a sneak peek at a new Ditchflowers recording-in-progress, called "Love The Conquerer" that is slated to appear on the next Ditchflowers album. Quite lovely it is, too. The podcast is now available at iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe; it is free after all. We actually tried to make it even cheaper, but we have childeren to feed and clothe, you know.

If, for some reason, you don't have access to iTunes, you can also listen right here... Sunshine Drenchy Radio Podcast.

Out and about...

The Ditchflowers continue to pick up glowing reviews. The latest one by Malcolm Carter of Penny Black Music fame calls Carried Away--"An outstanding collection of twelve songs, firmly steeped in the classic pop of the past while still sounding fresh and played and produced so well you wonder why the songs are not a staple of every radio station especially during the summer."

Read the entire review right here. Then you might want to go and see them play live. You'll thank me later...

Hearsay, I dare say...

Here's a little update with some of the more notable comments garnered by The Ditchflowers and Steve Robinson, with their respective Sunshine Drenchy Records releases:


“A masterful collection of songs that blend grabby power-pop, singer/songwriter fare and just enough quirky touches to dodge genre constrictions…Woltil and Merrill exude terrific chemistry throughout.”—Eric Snider, Creative Loafing, Ranked No. 1 CD of 2007

“You’d have to return to the best of Elvis Costello, Squeeze and XTC to find pop this intelligent, well-crafted and ear-caressingly fine.”—Curtis Ross, Tampa Tribune, Top 10 of 2007

“Tuneful melodies, shimmering harmonies, sharp lyrics and feel-good chord changes on pop-rock owing to Crowded House, XTC and The Beatles.”—Philip Booth, Las Vegas City Life, Top 10 of 2007

“Pure accessible pop…Neil Innes and Neil Finn come to mind. Songs are what make The Ditchflowers stand out from the pack. Super catchy…Truly memorable stuff.” —www.babysue.com, 5-Stars

“Every song exhibits supreme musicianship and an insightful yet earthy lyricism. Carried Away’s 12 compositions are action packed with melody and lush instrumentation… the Ditchflowers strum, swoon, swing, and sway themselves into a prime spot in your music collection” —popmatters.com, 7 out of 10 Stars

“…a dozen of the most radiant pop songs I’ve heard in quite some time. ‘Carried Away’ has quality and intelligent pop coursing through its veins.” —Geraint Jones, leicesterbangs.co.uk

“One of the best releases you’ll hear in 2007. Instantly indelible hooks with layers of sublime nuance.” —NotLame.com

“The Ditchflowers’ brand of melody-driven folk-pop will seduce your ears with tight harmonies—they’re a Ditch you’ll want to dig.” —Mare Wakefield, Performing Songwriter





"Undercurrent is an audio delight from start to finish" --Elly Roberts, All Gigs(UK)

"Every cut is a crystalline gem" --Luke Torn, Uncut Magazine

" ...his sound here straddles the divide between folk and pop without ever losing sight of melody... It's too bad this missed the cut for my Top 50 list, as I had just received the disc while compiling it. Rest assured, it will be near the top when the year-end Top 100 rolls around." --Stephen Ferra, Absolute Powerpop.

"...brilliant melodies, beautiful harmonies and songwriting that captures the best of Anglo and American pop" --Curtis Ross, Tampa Tribune

"...his songwriting and guitar playing are, as his label suggests, drenched in sunshine." --David Cowling, Americana UK.

"Robinson's songs are an almost perfect melding of British folk with modern folky Americana" --babysue.com/LMNOP

"Why don't you write something that sounds like Maroon 5?" --Mrs Robinson

"Occasionally, an album as brilliant as this comes along unexpectedly and reminds me of why music means so much to me. Words really can't do this album justice, it really does need to be heard, especially if the sound of classic melodic pop music is close to your heart" --Malcolm Carter, Penny Black Music(UK)

...and speaking of Penny Black Music , the Scottish-based site recently plied Steve Robinson with a few questions. You can read the interview here. Tea, mushy peas, and Peter Noone are all mentioned!

Thanks for coming...

Photo by Cynthia Kula


Is it too late to thank everyone who came out to the Largo Cultural Center for the Headlights/Ditchflowers show last month? I sincerely hope not--I know I can speak for the lot of us when I say that we really appreciated the turnout and lovely support.

I'd personally like to publicly thank dapper Ditchflower, Brian Merrill, for the use of his shiny Taylor guitar after my dusty and dented Takamine finally conked out on me, like it had been threatening to do for some time; Ed Woltil for the use of his capo and supply of guitar picks, after I inexplicably lost mine (what would I do without him?); the debonair Richard Radloff for the usual stellar sound reinforcement; Danny Thro for illuminating the stage so nicely, and photographers Ed Richter, Scott Morrison and Cynthia Kula for their camera heroics.

Hopefully we'll see you all again for the next, er...farewell performance.

The latest love letter from the Ditchflowers...

Dear flower people -

My apologies for being out of touch for so long. This newsletter is long overdue, so we’ve got a little catching up to do, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. First of all, we’d like to thank you for helping to make 2007 such a great year. We were knocked out by the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to our album, Carried Away, a labor of love that seems to have struck a chord (pun intended) among pop music lovers around the world. It was thrilling to see that our humble offering made it onto many critics’ “Best of” lists for the year. Notably, it found its way to the very toppermost of the poppermost of Eric Snider’s Top 10 CDs of 2007. As Creative Loafing–Tampa’s Senior Editor, Eric has many years of journalistic experience under his belt, and with it, a reputation which carries a certain amount of credibility. Plus, he’s kind of sexy. At any rate, I’m particularly proud and honored that Eric would throw the weight of his reputation behind our CD. From years of reading Eric’s work, I know that he writes what he believes and believes what he writes, so for me to open CL and see our name above Feist, et al, on his list of faves was a very special moment for me.

So much for keeping it short and sweet, eh? I was also thrilled to see that Curtis Ross of the Tampa Tribune included our CD in his Top 10, along with another Tampa indie band, Giddy Up Helicopter. We also made it onto Philip Booth’s year-end list, as published on lasvegascitylife.com (that tour stop in sin city paid off after all!). We are grateful to Curtis and Philip for lending their editorial clout (have we mentioned lately that you guys have impeccable taste in music?). Again, the fact that these respected writers have no agenda other than to offer a recap of what perked their ears the most in 2007 makes me particularly proud that Carried Away stood out for them.

Apparently we’re doing well in Spain, too, as Carried Away popped up on a few lists posted on sites such as Power Pop Action and Under The Tangerine Tree. There’s also a recent very positive review posted on an English site here

Thank you to our friend and labelmate, Steve Robinson, for forwarding our disc to this gent.

Speaking of Mr. Robinson, he will soon break his non-performance vows and actually appear in public for a very special show in which The Ditchflowers are also involved. Please consult your calendars, circle February 9, and plan to be at Largo Cultural Center for what will be the final appearance of the legendary Headlights. Although I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure of standing in for Mr. Robinson at a number of latter-day Headlights shows, it is the classic lineup that everyone remembers and loves that will appear at this special concert, namely Steve Connelly, Steve Robinson, Scott Dempster, and Danny DiPietra. These guys were serving up great, original Americana more than a decade before that genre was even born. This is the unit that backed up Byrds’ frontman Roger McGuinn on his Back From Rio tour. I know you’ll want to be there to help these Florida legends turn the final page on their storied career. Steve Robinson will open the night with a solo set in support of his superb recent CD release, Undercurrent, followed by a set from The Ditchflowers, after which the mighty Headlights take the stage for their final performance.

This is long, I know...sorry. If you’re still reading this, I consider you not only a true Ditchflowers fan, but also a close personal friend. Therefore, I have a very special deal for you. For those of you who come out to the Headlights show at Largo Cultural Center on February 9, we will give you a free Ditchflowers’ Carried Away CD and autographed poster. Heck, Brian might even shake your hand and pose for pictures (also free). All you have to do to receive your goodies is mention the codeword “tangerine” at the door. If you’ve already got the CD, pass it along to a friend (they also make nice coasters).

I’ve got more news -- I really do -- but honestly, I’ve got to get back to work, and I’ve driveled on long enough. Please forgive me, but I will probably bombard you with more news tomorrow, particularly regarding another special show that is coming up even sooner than the Headlights concert. Stay tuned, and thanks again for your support!

- Ed

Just a quick and only slightly late Happy New Year wish and note of appreciation for the support/tolerance of our Sunshine Drenchy musical endeavours this past year.

To say that Steve Robinson live performances were a little thin on the ground in 2007, would be overly kind; they were, of course, totally absent from the calendar--something I hope to remedy in the coming year.

Despite this, 2007 was, as the Quiet One might have said, quite a 'gear year'. Reviews of the 'Undercurrent' CD have been very encouraging --Uncut Magazine's four-star assessment and the 5-Star rave from the All Gigs UK site were particularly invigorating, as was inclusion in the Top 20 of Absolute Powerpop's Top 100 releases of the year list. On top of that, a glowing notice --complete with the now requisite and only slightly baffling Peter Noone comparison -- in LMNOP's January Reviews section made for a nice New Year's pressie--have a looksie here

To be honest, playing genre-hopping footsie with the folk radio stations didn't prove quite as fruitful this time around. At the risk of tossing around clunky labels, I suppose this album leaned a little more towards a folky-pop style, rather than the (ahem) poppy-folk of 'Away For The Day', and perhaps it made some of the more hard-line folk dj's and programmers a little skittish. Either way, several of the shows who'd embraced the first CD passed on this one.

No matter--with a few new stations quickly on board, and an Empathy Card from Bob Dylan, all is right with the world. And interestingly enough, sales have been more brisk for this release.They've also been a little more internationally diverse; support from old Commonwealth countries like Australia and Canada and even dear Old Blighty herself have been particularly heartwarming to this old deserter. Perhaps I've has been forgiven?

In other Sunshine Drenchy news, full-throated hurrahs are in order for pop maestro Ed Woltil and the ever-virile Brian Merrill of The Ditchflowers, who continue to pick up well-deserved accolades for their Sunshine Drenchy release, 'Carried Away'. On top of their inclusion in year-end Top Ten lists from both the Tampa Tribune and Las Vegas City Life publications (take that Mr Manilow!), Eric Snider of Creative loafing has picked said release as his CD of the year. (I've also heard murmurings that Brian Wilson is rumoured to have uttered something about it blowing away anything that McCartney ever committed to vinyl, but it's an unsubstantiated rumour so we'll pay it no mind here.)

If you'd like to hear what the fuss is about,though, you can listen to the whole bloody masterpiece on their website . If, after that, you'd like to shake their hands/fall at their feet/have them kiss your babies etc.,you can go and see them perform live at the Largo Cultural Center on Sat. Feb 9th, where they'll be sharing the bill with myself, and the reunited Headlights, who'll be whipping out a few chestnuts of their own, I'm sure (no flash photography please). For further tawdry details, you can call keep an eye on my soon-to-be-updated Confessions Of A Closet Folkie blog, or if you'd prefer you can simply buy tickets at Ticketmaster or the Largo Cultural Center's box office at 727-587-6793 and worry about the guilt in the morning.

Take care of yourselves, and those around you. Here's to a fulfilling new year for us all.

Cheers then,
Steve R.