New Dusty Stray album LIGHT YEARS AWAY now available
For the follow-up to the successful debut album Tales Of Misfortune And Woe, Jonathan Brown -- the man behind Dusty Stray -- got together in Paris and Amsterdam to record with the production duo of Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, REM, Big Star) and JB Meijers (Solomon Burke, De Dijk) to create a more playful, bigger sound. The result is Light Years Away.
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Praise for TALES OF MISFORTUNE AND WOE
It’s all delightfully dark and the trick of allying beautiful and tapalong music to dark words has rarely been performed as well
AMERICANA.UK
Makes the eyes cry not because of sorrow but joy
MAVERICK
...he performed a miracle....Brown’s songs about murder and misery sound intimate, almost cozy. The arrangements are ingenious and controlled...beautiful harmony vocals... >
DE VOLKSKRANT
Prima de luxe: Tales of Misfortune and Woe is home to a dozen delicate, high quality murder ballads…
ALTCOUNTRY.NL
The music is beautiful, but you’re guaranteed to get disturbed by the stories that accompany it: topics include depression, suicide, falling into wells, losing loved ones, and freezing to death in the forest while the animals scavenge your parts. This stuff is vital.
WUAG 103.1 FM NORTH CAROLINA
The concealed bitterness of Tales of Misfortune and Woe lifts the already excellent songs to a higher level
HEAVEN
Second DUSTY STRAY release “LIGHT YEARS AWAY” from dark debut album
For the follow-up to the successful first album Tales Of Misfortune And Woe, Jonathan Brown -- the man behind Dusty Stray – got together in Paris and Amsterdam to record with the production duo of Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, REM, Big Star) and JB Meijers (Solomon Burke, De Dijk) to create a more playful, bigger sound for the follow-up album Light Years Away.
Light Years Away
Loaded down with new material, Jonathan Brown made his way to the studio. In his bags, an unusual collection of songs including topics such as alien abduction, mermaids, outsider artist Henry Darger, as well as those universal themes of unrequited love, heartbreak and loneliness.
Tales Of Misfortune And Woe was a timeless collection of original murder ballads and generally uplifting sad songs. The “folk” genre tag of the first album has been expanded, now treating the listener to side-trips of country, rock and psychedelia. “I wanted to bring my songs into larger musical landscapes,” says Jonathan Brown, “we made a point of making each song have its own little world.”
The long, high-energy recording sessions of Light Years Away were inspired to say the least. Brown, Ken Stringfellow and JB Meijers played the majority of the various instruments, from guitar to guitaret and from piano to omnichord. And in addition to playing, there was a lot of stomping going on (with and without shoes for various effects), banging on the backs of pianos and getting the most out of vintage microphones and analog effects. Guest performers on Light Years Away are Gert-Jan Blom (Beau Hunks), Rene van Barneveld (Urban Dance Squad) and Pim Kops (Solomon Burke, De Dijk). Jesje de Schepper lends her voice as well.
The result is a Dusty Stray musical collage in which life with all its ups and downs is newly celebrated. Fittingly enough, the album cover and 20-page booklet feature Jonathan Brown's own collages.
About Dusty Stray
The man behind Dusty Stray is Jonathan Brown. Born in Taiwan. Raised in Texas as son of a preacher man. Raised on songs about death and resurrection. Went to college. Discovered vast archive of early American folk music from the 20s and 30s. Began writing his own songs. Moved to Austin where he first performed his music. Travelled with guitar through Central America where he met a Belgian woman and followed her to Europe. Met a Spanish woman. Moved to Barcelona. Formed a bluegrass band, a psychedelic rock band and a freak folk band. Met a Dutch woman.
Moved to the Netherlands where he remains today (with the same Dutch woman). Wrote, produced and performed in Amsterdam and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival “LHO: LEE HARVEY OSWALD The Musical” in 2005. Wrote, recorded and co-produced Dusty Stray's debut album “Tales Of Misfortune And Woe” released on Basta Records in 2009 and billed by main Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant as one of the Top Ten Albums Of 2009.
The second Dusty Stray album “Light Years Away” was released on October 17, 2011.
Brown’s many influences include Harry Smith (Anthology Of American Folk Music), writer/illustrator Edward Gorey, The Handsome Family, Bill Callahan, Bonnie Prince Billy, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Gillian Welch, The Velvet Underground, Pavement and The Flaming Lips.
When not on stage, he can be found in junk shops and flea markets searching for discarded 8mm home movies and diverse materials for his artwork which in turn serves as inspiration for the music of Dusty Stray.
