Everybody Smokes In Hell - new release from Ottawa's John Carroll!

John Carroll is a seasoned songwriter from Canada's Capital with an indie track record to be proud of! His first two release The True Confessions of an Infamous Liar (2003) and Lost Radio (2008) sold a combined 5,000 copies (directly from artist to fans!!!) and paved the way for what is sure to be an epic release party/concert on January 14th in Ottawa for his latest album, Everybody Smokes in Hell. This newest addition to Carroll’s catalogue harmoniously combines influences from country blues, folk roots and rock n’ roll. It was recorded live at Ottawa’s Little Bullhorn Studios with back up players Fred Guignon on lap slide, Olivier Fairfield on drums and Philippe Charbonneau on the stand up bass (AKA Epic Proportions). The project was recorded using “Dave Draves’ meticulous old-school process of recording to tape before converting tracks to digital”, which no doubt helped capture the raw and honest musicality of John Carroll and gave the album a warmth fitting of its title. 

Everybody Smokes in Hell is now available to preview and purchase on John Carroll’s website http://www.johncarrollmusic.com/ 

Happy listening and make sure to be at the Blacksheep Inn if you are in Ontario on January 14th! 

Ottawa’s got Soul!

John Carroll is a seasoned songwriter and composer with 25 years of experience at his back and an active voice in Ottawa's music scene. Carroll is a true performer and a staple at The Chateau Lafayette, where his folk-tales and blues-riffs can be heard every Wednesday night. As a songwriter and poet, Carroll fits comfortably into a variety of genres and time-periods, all the while synthesizing the eclectic elements in his music into a coherent, contemporary and colorful sound. His tune "Lost Radio", off of his like-titled 2008 album, is a magnificent piece of songwriting—his melancholic sound couples perfectly with the hopeful lyrics to create an overwhelming sense of beauty. 

While listening to his recordings an incredible desire arose within me to see him live and I can only imagine how great those Wednesday nights at The Chateau Lafayette must be. Keep telling your stories John Carroll! We here at IndieAndie will keep listening and invite our readers to do the same. 

Check out and download music by John Carroll @ cdbaby or at his website http://johncarroll.ca/

John Carroll has released two full length solo albums "The True Confessions of an Infamous Liar," in 2003, and "Lost Radio," in 2008. Carroll has a forthcoming album with his band the Epic Proportions, due out this Fall.

"Lost Radio" by John Carroll

Cathie Appel: A Voice From Above (or at least North of the US).

Toronto based singer
Cathie Appel 

Lots of questions, thoughts and emotions rush forward when I listen to the beautiful voice of Cathie Appel; the former lead singer of the now defunct alternative band from Toronto, Seagoe. For starters, I wonder why a band with such great music and heart-wrenching lyrics fell apart, and I am dumbfounded by the recording industry's failure to gobble them up. Whatever the reasons may be, I am very thankful that they did exist for a while and that a few of their late night jam sessions turned into productive recording sessions, which bore a slew of wonderful songs that feature the extraordinary talent of Cathie Appel.

Cathie's voice is simple and almost painfully beautiful. She conveys such a deep message through her vocals that her lyrics are simply 'icing on the cake'! Upon listening to Cathie sing 'Hold You Again' a quote from Baudelaire jumped to my mind, in which the poet said, "I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no meloncholy". Cathie's longing is palpable and it leaves me powerless to remain in whatever mood I was in before listening to her sing- unless of course I was already overcome with beauty. This is powerful stuff people, but don't hold back, you can't overdose on good music!

I hope you enjoy listening to Cathie Appel as much as I do, and I encourage you to friend, fan, follow, like, and send messages of encouragement and support as Cathie (hopefully soon) embarks on her next project!

Listen to 'Hold You Again'

For more on Cathie Appel visit her Reverbnation page or friend her on myspace.